yet the infinite worth of the Person being the Son of God gave infinite worth and value to his sufferings for a short time for taking away the eternal punishment and for procuring to us an eternal and exceeding weight of glory according to that of Heb. 9 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Purge our Conscience from dead works to serve the living God As our blessed Lord was lifted upon the Cross so let us lift up our minds and hearts to him and as Paul had the Philippians alwayes in his heart Philip. 1.7 So let us carry Christ crucified alwayes in our hearts 1. This should be our great care and study with the Apostle Paul who studied nothing so much as the knowledge of Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 And Philip. 3.10 That I may know the fellowship of his sufferings For this end the holy Sacrament of the Supper was institute to bring often to our remembrance the death of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 11.26 2. Serious and frequent thoughts of his Cross will mortifie sin in us Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ Thoughts of the great grief and shame brought upon the Innocent Lamb of God by our sins should pierce our hearts should we rejoyce in that which made him cry out My Soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death God forbid we should glory in that which procured the shame of the Cross to him The thoughts of his Cross will mortifie our impatience in all our afflictions when we look to him who with so great patience endured the Cross and with insuperable courage despised the shame of the World This will mortifie our love to the perishing vanities of this present world Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world As a dead man is not affected with the pleasures of the world and the world is crucified to him as a man has no pleasure to look upon the limbs of a malefactor hanged up in the high way 3. Thoughts of the cross of Christ have an active and attractive Vertue they will quicken our Faith and draw us nearer to Christ where the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered Matth. 24.28 The sweet smell of the cross of Christ draweth Believers to him It will quicken our love to Christ and our obedience Can. 1.3 4. Thy name is as oyntment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee draw me and we shall run after thee A thankful man cannot but love his servant that has suffered much for him how much more should we love our blessed Lord who suffered so much for us who by an evil Nature are born enemies to God The consideration of his death will quicken our hope and dependance upon God for all things needful in time coming Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things It will quicken our love to all who belong to Christ especially in the time of their distress as the love of David to Jonathan in the remembrance of his great kindness did make him enquire after these that belonged to Jonathan that he might shew kindness to them 2 Sam. 9.1 The consideration of this great love of Christ in dying such a death for us by the power of his Love will subdue our sinful lusts and make us by patience to overcome difficulties and afflictions in suffering for his Name Rom. 8.37 Nay in all tbese things we are more than Conquerours through him that loved us This Heavenly fire of his Love in our hearts like lightnings will quench that earthly fire and exhalations of unclean lusts 4. Serious and deep thoughts of the cross of Christ will comfort and encourage us against all our enemies whether devils or wicked men because Christ upon thâ— câ—oss hath spoiled principalities and powers Col. 2 15. Satan our arch-enemy is both bound and spoiled by the Captain of our Salvation He may and will molest us like an enemy besieging a City and making frequent assaults but he shall not prevail to get possession John 10.28 They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand The true Believers may and will be molested by wicked men tempting them to sin and persecuting them with tongue or hands because they will not run with them in the excess of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 But be of good comfort for even all the wicked in the world are subiected to him by the merit and power of his Cross Phil. 2.8 9 10. Joh. 16.33 These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good chear I have overcome the world The thoughts of the death of Christ will comfort us against the severe charge and sharp challenges of a guilty and accusing Conscience Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather thâ—t is risen again who is even at the right hand of Gâ—d who also maketh Intercession for us It will comfort and encourage against the fear of death seing our blessed Lord by his death on the Cross hath taken away the sting and curse from our death 1 Cor. 15.57 But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 4. The necessity of the death of Christ upon the Cross even so must the Son of man be lifted up It was necessary our Lord should die 1. There was a necessity of immutability in respect of Gods decree to save lost man by the sufferings and death of Jesus Châ—ist Heb 2.10 For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you 2. There was a necessity in respect of infallibility to fulfil the Prophesies concerning his death for our sins Isa 53.12 He hath poured out his soul unto death Dan. 9.26 The Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself 3. To fulfil and to be answerable by his death and bloody sacrifice to the typical sacrifices Heb. 10.4 5 6 7. For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins c. And Rev. 13 8. he is called The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world to wit in these mystical and typical sacrifices before and under the Law 4. There was a necessity for him to die this kind of death on the Cross whereof see more in Serm. Joh. 12.32 Though there was a necessity for our blessed Lord to die yet he submitted to it most willingly he poured out his soul unto death and frequently
of it by their claim of faith on Christ as if they were already in present possession of it yea it is said in the preterit tense Rom. 8.30 Whom he justified them he also glorified Quest May not one have true justifying and saving faith in his heart and yet not know that he is justified Ans Yea he may have the direct act of faith whereby he is justified and yet not have the reflex act of faith whereby he knows and is assured of the gift of Faith freely given to him of God by which act he is Assured of his justification as an Infant has the truth of life natural in him though for want of ripeness in judgement he doth not by a reflex act of understanding know the same Yea a true and justified person may be so overwhelmed in spirit with the fears of his former great and many sins though he embrace Christ and rely on him wholly and only for salvation that yet he may so faint in his fears that at the time he doth not discern the truth of the life of grace and faith in his Soul as a person in the time of his bodily swouning and fainting doth not discern the truth of a natural life in his body Notwithstanding the true Believer in such times and cases cannot discern the truth of the life of faith in himself yet other godly discerning Christians perceiving his sincere desire after the means of Salvation and his appetite toward the Gospel which is the immortal seed of the new life do very rationally conclude that he has the truth though not the vigor of the life of grace and faith in his soul as these who look on and see an Infant greedily sucking the breast though the Infant it self has no knowledge to discern its own life yet they truely conclude from its natural appetit to the means of life that it has life because as new born babes they desire the sincere milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 Quest What are the effects and signs whereby I may discern the truth of faith when we have not the vigor of it Ans We discern it by the effects 1. The true Believer has an high estimation of Christ and a low estimation of himself He is precious to Believers 1 Pet. 2.7 Paul had an high estimation of Christ that he came into the world to save sinners and a low estimation of himself as being the least of Saints and chief of sinners The true believer esteems highly of the Gospel whereby life and immortality is brought to light through Christ He accounteth all things but loss yea but dung and unsavory in camparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord Phil. 3.8 2. The true believer as he rejoices most in the cross of Christ so he mourns for his sins whereby he crucified the Lord of glory he looks upon him whom he pierced with his grievous sins and he mourneth as one mourneth for his only Son Zach. 12.10 3. True faith is a Magisterial grace and labours to quiet our unruly affections and passions as an awful Master by his presence quiets the unruly Scholars for faith receiving Christ in the heart to dwell there commandeth all the affections to be still and to do nothing that may disturb and grieve the Spirit of Christ the Spouse after shee has found her Beloved saith to her heart and affections I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem c. that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please That ye neither interrupt his delight in me nor my delights in him Cant. 3.5 4. True faith purifieth the heart and labours daily to keep it clean by the bessom of repentance Act. 15.9 God put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith The Lord is said to dwell in the heart by faith Ephes 3.17 And after the believer has received him he endeavours daily to keep the house clean where he dwells by faith the heart is espoused unto Christ as a chast virgin 2 Cor. 11.2 And when the believer is tempted to any vile lust he saith with Joseph how can I do this and sin against my Lord to whom I am espoused for ever in holiness and righteousness 5 True faith on Jesus Christ worketh by love Gal. 5.6 It commands us and in an holy violence constraineth us to love the Father who has forgiven us much to love the Son who shed his blood for the remission of sins anâ— to love the Holy Ghost who is the sealer and confirmer of our justification and remission Faith on Christ commands us and by a commanded act requires us to love one another 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another As lines drawn from the circumference the nearer they come to the Centre they are the nearer one unto another so believers the nearer they come by faith to Jesus Christ the Centre of our souls rest and happiness they are the more united one to another in love yea when by faith we look upon Christ as our great example faith doth command us to love even our enemies with the love of benevolence and beneficence when we perceive our blessed Lord both prayed for his enemies and also healed Malchus ear and in a special manner to love all saints with a love of complacency and delight as fellow-members of the mystical body of the Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour It is therefore the wisdom duty and comfort of believers to examine themselves that they be not only sound in the doctrine of faith but also sincere in the grace and work of faith that they may have rejoycing in themselves from the testimony of a good conscience Gal. 6.4 True and sincere justifying and saving faith receiveth Christ entirely to dwell in their hearts the sincere believer receiveth him in all his Offices as a Priest to bless the soul where he dwells with all spiritual blessings as a Prophet to teach him by the Word and as a King to rule him by his Law and holy Commandments As he receiveth him by faith so he intertains him by love as he receiveth Christ by faith so he gives up himself by love unto him as Christ dwells in him by faith so he dwells in Christ by love and delight he intertains him by obedience in the course of Sanctification as an honest Subject who sometime was a rebel to his Prince the more he rests upon the word of the Prince for his remission he is the more ready and active to obey him in all time coming for though faith rest on Christ alone and on no other for Justification and Salvation yet it rests not from the duties of obedience in the course of Sanctification the true believer in the preparation of his
by crying to him Memento te esse mortalem remember thou art a mortal man Philip of Macedon commanded his Page to knock every morning at his chamber door before he rose and to cry Memento mori remember thou must die The great Emperour of the Schythians Tamberlan in his military march caused carry before him his winding-sheet as well as the royal standart and many of the people of God amongst the Jews had their tombs in their gardens as we read Joseph of Arimathea had to keep their spirits sober in the midst of their worldly pleasures and delights but mens forgetfulness of their approaching dissolution makes many so impudent and obstinat in their sinful courses Lam. 1.9 Her filthiness is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully she had no comforter We have dayly warnings of the approaching dissolution of this house of clay 1. From the propps we make use of dayly to support it as our meat and our drink they are for repairing this ruinous house for a time and yet do what we can it will fall down to the dust take warning from thy going to sleep and â—emember as thou puts off thy cloaths so thou must put off this garment of mortality If at any time thou take medicine remember it is but as a plaistering for a time of a decaying mud-house 2. Let sickness in the body at any time put thee in mind of thy dissolution by death because alteration doth tend in end to corruption as a drop from the roof doth in end wear the side-walls 3. Take warning from the death and burial of others when thou seest their scull or bones or dust this is a pious Necromancy thereby to divine of thine own dissolution by death 4. Take warning from the winter season when thou lookest on the earth thou seest neither grass nor flower then remember thou that of 1 Pet. 1.24 All flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass the grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away But thou who sowest in tears rejoyce in the hope of that harvest of compleat glory at the Resurrection which is the spring-time of the immortality of the body when the bodies of the Saints shall spring up in glory like the lillies that were hid under the ground in time of winter Isa 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead There is great reason wherefore we should be preparing dayly for the dissolution of the body by death 1. This dissolution is inevitable and there is not exemption from it by any humane power It is true God himself did exempt Enoch and Elias from dissolution of the body because he is the supreme Law-giver and may dispence with his own penal statutes but no person can exempt himself from the necessity of a dissolution of the body riches cannot bribe death the rich glutton died honour and majesty in the great ones of the world cannot dash death out of countenance nor chase it away Kings are laid in their graves might and power of Armies cannot affright death it has taken away Kings and great Commanders upon the head of their Armies wisdom and eloquence cannot disswade it from approaching the wise and eloquent die as well as fools and ignorant men The Piety of the godly will not turn it away Abraham the fatheâ— of the faithful and all the Patriarchs died 2. This dissolution is uncertain in respect of the time manner and place We come into the world one way but go out of it a thousand divers wayes that rich worldling Luk. 12.18 was taken away on a sudden the Shunamit's son goeth forth well in the morning but dies before the evening though our dayes are numbred of God yet they are uncertain to us our breath is in our nostrils if either the air we draw in or the air we breath out be stopped we are gone in an instant if but the small passages from the reins be obstructed our heart is suffocat Therefore let us not in our vain presumption number years unto our selves but let us pray daily to God that he would teach us so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Psal 90 12. Quest How shall I be prepared for my dissolution and death Ans That thou mayest be prepared 1. Repent of thy sins and be reconciled unto God through faith in Jesus Christ the Mediator without delaying even while thou art in the way and cannot tell how soon thou mayest be removed that thou may appear before thy Judge Mat. 5.25 Delay not till the very term of thy dissolution be come for then it will be with thee as with a careless debt or who takes no course with his debts in time at the term-day he is confounded with fear lest death as a rude Messenger sent from the great Judge shall hale him to the bottomless prison from which there is no redemption 2. Embrace Christ the Saviour of sinners into the arms of thy faith that so with old Simeon thou mayest depart in peace Luk. 2.29 30. Holy Ambrose at his death beholding his friends weeping sore said Why weep ye I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live longer if it shall so seem good in the eyes of God neither am I afraid to die because I have a gracious Lord. 3. Be thou diligent in thy Christian and also in thy particular lawful Calling the fore-sight of death and appearance after death before the Tribunal of the Lord Jesus Christ made Paul careful to approve himself to God in his Apostolical Calling 2 Cor. 5.9 10. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ c. Upon this account Peter was also careful to do his duty faithfully 2 Pet. 1.13 14 15. Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle c. 4. In all the wayes of thy Christian conversation study to persevere in keeping a good conscience that at death thou mayest die with some comfortable evidence in thy self of thy future happiness 2. Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness c. 5. Labour thou to be prepared as were the wise Virgins Mat. 25. with the light of sound knowledge in thy mind that thou mayest say with the Apostle 2 Tim 1.12 I know whom I have believed And also having the oyl of sincere love in your heart toward God for the heart cannot conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9
cloud and as the early dew soon dryed up with the heat of a new temptation Hos 6.4 Quest It may be asked what is the cause that men do not submit to the counsel of the Word of God Ans 1. Their deadness and absolute want of the life of grace they are dead in their sins and dead men cannot be led it is true some time as dead men they may be carryed on by the example of others to some outward performances as Simon Magus was baptized with others but they are not truly led as men living by a principle of faith within themselves 2. Pride is a cause of that disobedience for as humility is the mother of obedience to the Word of God Mat. 11.5 The poor in spirit receive the Gospel So pride is the mother of disobedience to the Word as was seen in those proud civil Rulers Jer. 43.2 and in these Ecclesiastick Rulers Joh. 7.48 3. Ambition and vain-glory makes men to reject the counsel of God Joh. Epist 3. Diotrephes who loveth to have the preheminence among them receiveth us not 4. Covetousness and worldly-mindedness Matth 13.22 The care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choak the Word As thorns draw away the sap of the earth from the good seed that it groweth not so the thorny cares of the world do draw away or at least weaken mens affection toward the Word and makes them to mock at the word and counsel which crosseth their worldly interests Luk. 16.14 And the Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him 5. An obstinat love to one idol-lust or other draweth the heart away from God and from his Word Joh. 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Vse 2. For exhortation to submit unto the Word of God in the mouth of his Ministers 1. Thy hearty submission is a comfortable evidence of thy regeneration for men who follow their leader have life walking by the Spirit according to the direction of the Word is a sure evidence of a Spiritual life in us Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit It is an evidence of our Adoption Rom. 8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God 2. Consider God is thy supreme Lord and law-giver therefore thou should submit to him who is infallible and most just even by an implicit faith and obedience as Abraham obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 Thou shouldest also without all murmuring and fretting submit to judgments threatned in the Word or inflicted in the course of divine providence as Eli did 1 Sam. 3.18 and David 2 Sam. 15.26 He is the absolute Lord and giveth not an accompt of his matters to the children of men Job 33.13 3. Without this submission by faith and obedience the Word will not profit us unto the Salvation of our souls Heb. 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it As meat not received or not retained in the stomach doth not nourish 4. Consider in time if thou wilt not submit willingly to the word of his righteous command thou shalt one day mauger thy will be subjected unto that punishment threatned in the Word against the disobedient and obstinat Take the unprofitable servant c. Matth. 41.46 Object But I have a prejudice against the Leader and Minister I am not satisfied with the manner of his entry therefore I cannot submit to him as my Leader Answ Although there were some defect as thou apprehends in the manner of his entry yet consider well every defect about the administration even of divine Ordinances doth not make them void and null there was a defect in the high priest his entry in our Lord's time wherein it was annual and the investitour was by the Roman Deputies and yet our Lord did not reject them upon that accompt there was in Augustin's time a defect in the ordination of some Ministers who formerly had been ordained by the Novatians yet when these Ministers afterward were received into the Communion of the Orthodox Church they were not of new ordained again August Lib. 2. against Parmen chap. 13. If Ministers saith he return to the Communion of the true Church they are not to be reordained but as their baptism so their ordination remaineth intire He speaks of such as had been baptized or ordained by the Novatians with whom remained the substance of these ordinances though in some circumstances there was a defect It is true the baptism administred by the Paulinianists being Anti-trinitaries was by the Orthodox Church thought null and void as also the ordination by them as was declared in the first Council of Nice Yea it is well known that some of our learned and worthy Reformers received ordination from the Church of Rome and yet the reformed Church did heartily reverence and submit to the Word of God preached by them Vse 3. For direction what to do in order to submission 1. Purge thine heart by repentance from noysome lusts as the body is purged from obstructions that it may grow by wholesome food so the soul must be purged from noysome affections that many a time obscure the judgment and disturb the will the soul must be purged from malice from guile from hypocrysie from envy from evil speaking 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Purge it from malice which is as canker and abundance of choler eating up some children and bindring them to grow Purge from guile because the deceitful man is an enemy to the word of truth as was Elymas a man full of deceit Act. 13. Purge from hypocrysie because the hypocrite is an enemy to the word of light that taketh the vizorn off his face and this discovery galleth him to the heart as was seen in the Pharisees Mark 12.12 Purge from envy because envy is as soreness of the eyes and hateth the light Joh. 11.48 Purge thy soul from evil speakings because thy evil speaking of the Minister unto others doth great prejudice both to thy self and to others it puts thy heart out of that frame of meekness required for receiving the ingrafted Word Jam. 1.21 and he that speaketh lyes of the Minister begins to hate him who is wronged by him Prov. 26.28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it 2. Set God before thee and hear the Word as in his fight who one day will judge us according to that Word thus did the godly Centurion Act. 10.33 Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God 3. Labour for a humble spirit bringing all thine imaginations and thoughts captives â—o follow the Lord Jesus Christ triumphing in the chariot of sacred truth 2 Cor. 10.5 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God
yet hid from many Nations and many outwardly called are not drawn and called effectually Matth. 22.14 Matth. 23.37 2. It is taken by way of restriction to the subject-matter spoken of in the same place as 1 Cor. 9.22 I am made all things to all men to wit in the use of my Christian liberty in matters indifferent 3. It is taken for very many though not simply for all individuals of men Joh. 11.48 If we let him thus alone all men will believe on him that is very many will believe on him 4. It is taken for all kinds as Act. 10.12 Peter saw in a vision a great sheet wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts on the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation So it is taken here for all kinds of men rich and poor male and famale Jews and Gentiles as it is taken Joh. 11.51 52. He prophesied that Jesus should die for that Nation and not for that Nation only but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad Joh. 10.16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus Col. 3.11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all Augustine understands this place of these who are predestinat to salvation or of all kinds of men To the third I answer there is an outward drawing and calling by the preaching of the Word Matth. 23.37 Our Lord saith O Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together c. and ye would not There is an inward drawing by the cord of Faith and Love wrought and fastned in the heart by the Holy Ghost Act. 11.21 The hand of the Lord was with these Preachers and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. The outward drawing by the word without this inward drawing by the Spirit is not effectual for mans conversion Act. 13.45 The unbelieving and envious Jews were not drawn by the Word preached by Paul but they contradicted and blasphemed his Doctrine Heb. 4.2 But the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Although the word preached be a mean sufficient in its own kind that is a sufficient outward mean yet is it not simply sufficient for conversion As Plowing and Sowing are sufficient outward means for fruitfulness but are not effectual without the first and latter rain This effectual drawing is a drawing upward of the soul by faith unto an union and communion with Jesus Christ in his merits Joh. 6.65 No man said our Lord can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father The grace of faith is given to us from above it is like a cord cast down from the Rock of our Salvation to save man from drowning and destruction in his sins it is a drawing of the heart upward unto Christ by faith in this life and a bringing of the soul to the enjoyment of glory in the life to come Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The sense of Christs love in dying for us is like the heat descending from the Sun and drawing up the purified vapours It is like the Load-stone drawing up the hard and heavy Iron The sense of Christs love in dying for us softens our hard hearts and turneth them toward himself 2. As it is a drawing of the heart up to himself by faith and love so it is an obediential drawing by love and obedience to the wayes of his holy Commandments It is not a drawing only toward an outward profession of the truth from the custom of others or hope of worldly applause or benefit as Simon Magus was baptized that he might retain the respect and following of many Samaritans his old followers who had now been baptized neither is it a drawing to the profession of the truth only for fear of worldly loss as many of the Persians became Jews in their outward dissembled profession for fear of the Jews But this inward drawing and believing is from love to God in the will Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power that is when thou together with thy Word exerts the power of thy invincible gâ—ace thou wilt make thy people willing and obedient to follow thee in the wayes of thy Commandments 3. It is an equal and uniform drawing both of the inner and outer man all the powers of the soul like so many wheels anointed and moved by the Spirit of God are drawn after the Spirit according to the outward drawing of the Word as it is said of that extraordinary drawing by the Spirit Ezek. 1.20 Whithersoever the Spirit was to go they went The understanding is enlightned by heavenly knowledge and light within by the Spirit of God according to the outward light of the Word 2 Cor. 4.6 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ The will is strongly inclined to embrace Christ and is sick of love to enjoy him Cant. 3.8 The affections like the inferiour wheels are moved and carried toward Christ by an inlightned understanding and by a vehement inclination of the will Cant. 5.4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him Although the drawing and motion toward Christ beginneth from within yet it stayeth not there but draweth also the outward man unto Christ the members of the body become weapons of righteousness Rom 6.13 As the motion of the Clock is first within and thereafter perceived in the regular motion of the Hand of the Horologe and in the sound of the Bell so the inward drawing and motion of the soul is perceived in our outward regular actions and gracious communications 4. It is a most sweet and delightful drawing the God of all grace by his preveening grace maketh us first willing and then by his subsequent and assisting grace draweth us most sweetly with delectation in our hearts after him It is as when one is drawn forward to a place from the sent of precious odours Cant. 1.3 4. It is as the speedy mounting of an Eagle upon wing from the smell and fight of the dead carcase so the sight and sent through faith of Christ crucified doth most sweetly and willingly draw an hungry soul unto Christ to be fed
As also having sincere love in your hearts toward all the Saints 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren 6. Be thou prepared as these faithâ—ul servants Luk. 12.36 who trussed up their garments that they might be the more expedit and ready to open the door to their Lord at his return In like manner do thou retire thy heart in time from the excessive love of the things of this present world that it be not entangled thereby but set thy heart upon God and things above for as Plenishing or Houshold-stuff fixed fast in the wall is ordinarily broken before it can be removed so a worldly-minded man his heart is broken with grief and worldly sorrow when he is removed from his present enjoyments his spirit is rather taken from him against his will then by him freely commended and chearfully put over into the hands of his Heavenly Father Luk. 12.20 Conclus 2. The future glory of the bodies of the Saints in Heaven is not only sure and certain in it self in respect of the object promised by God but also in respect of the subject to wit believers on the Lord Jesus Christ who may and should be assured of it for it is said here by the Apostle not only in his own name but also in the name of all believers on Jesus Christ We know we have an house c. It is expressed in the present tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have to signifie the certainty of it in a believer so Joh. 3 36. He that believeth in me hath everlasting life This assurance Job had Job 19 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another c. And David Psal 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness The reasons are 1. Because not only the soul but also the body of a believer is a part of the mystical Body of Christ who is the Saviour of his whole body Eph. 5.23 2. As the body of believers is an instrument and vessel of honour to God in this life so these same bodies shall be vessels of glory in the other life that they may receive there according to their service done unto God here in the body 2 Cor. 5.10 3. The bodies of the Patriarchs do now rest in their graves and as we may be assured they shall be raised unto glory Matth. 22.32 Joh. 5 28 29. So all true believers on Jesus Christ may be assured that their own bodies also shall be raised in glory unto eternal life As we would be assured of glory to our bodies in heaven let us use our bodies here as temples to the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Now the body is used as a temple to the Holy Ghost 1. by separating it from the service of sin and iniquity as the temple of Jerusalem which sometime was a threshing-floor before it became a Temple to God it was separate from that common use So our bodies must be separat from the service of iniquity before it can be consecrat to the service of God 2 Cor. 6.16 17. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God c. wherefore come out from among them and be ye separat saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you 2. As the temple of Jerusalem was not only separat from a profane or common use but was also dedicat and consecrat unto the service of God and spiritual employments in like manner our bodies should be presented and dedicat to the service of God according to the duty of our Christian calling Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service As all the vessels in the Temple whether great or small were holy so should all the members of our body be employed unto righteousness Rom. 6.13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God Our eyes should be turned away from beholding vanity and imployed to behold the power and wisdom of God in the works of Creation and Providence our ears should be circumcised and tuâ—ned away from hearing profane or obscene speeches and turned to hear what may be profitable for our edification our tongues should be turned away from all unsavoury communication and should minister grace to the hearer 3. The Temple was guarded and kept by the Porters lest any thing should enter or creep into the Temple which might defile it 2 Chron. 23.19 In like-manner should we watch over the Ports of our eyes and ears that nothing enter in by them which may defile the soul which is the very sanctuary within the temple of our body No stranger was admitted unto the temple of Jerusalem Act. 21.28 so we should not admit willingly any strange thought or stragling motion which would turn the heart away from God Ps 119.113 I hate vain thoughts but thy law do I love If through our inadvertence such motions creep in or through violence rush into the soul and molest the body then as our blessed Lord in his zeal did scourge out the buyers and the sellers out of the Temple we should in a holy indignation and commendable self-revenge cast out these thoughts that would sell our bodies and the members thereof unto iniquity If thus ye be careful to use your bodies as a temple to the Holy Ghost then may ye be assured the Holy Gâ—ost who dwelled in the soul and over-ruled the body in the day of resurrection will fill his temple with glory even as the temple of Jerusalem was first built by Gods command and thereafter filled with the cloud and sensible presence of God himself But these who dishonour God in the body and members thereof as by blaspheming the Name of God by uncleanness by drunkenness or other sins acted by the subserviency of the body can such persons or dare they say We know we have an eternal house in heaven Yea do they not know and are convinced from the threatnings of God and from their own conscience bearing witness to the truth and justness of the same that if they live and dye in their sins without repentance and amendment of life there is a bottomless dark prison with torments everlasting prepared both for their soul and for their body Gal. 6.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption Conclus 3. There is a great difference and opposition between the bodies
God and the care of all their concernments unto their wise Lord who can raise up a Joshua in the place of Moses and an Elisha in the place of Elijah and also enable them with the spirit of their Calling It is also a natural and pious desire of godly Parents to live that they may bring up their young children in the knowledge and the fear of the Lord and under God provide for them nevertheless when they perceive it is Gods will to remove them by death from their children they willingly submit themselves to the will of God and as they cast themselves and the care of their soul upon the God of their salvation so with confidence they commit their children to God who taketh this title unto himself to be the father of the fatherless And I know well the God of truth doth not assume empty titles but is fully answerable unto them in the work of his gracious and fatherly providence 3. A cause of their unwillingness to die is sometimes their want of full assurance of the remission of their sins and of the salvation of their souls but if they had this they profess they would be most willing to die For answer to this scruple I confess it is no wonder the child of God desire this full assurance because the more they have of a well-grounded assurance they have the more of inward peace and comfort yet though thou have not that full assurance which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance of faith yet if by thy true repentance thou hast forsaken thy former evil wayes and hast brought forth fruits meet for repentance in the amendment of thy life and by faith cleavest to Christ and to the merit of his perfect righteousness I say unto thee as our blâ—ssed Lord said unto the Ruler of the Synagogue Mark 5.36 Be not afraid only believe Remember that of John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned And Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life That full assurance called in a borrowed phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is like that of a Ship coming in to the Harbour with full Sails before the wind yet some Ships in time of a storm will come in safe also with a piece of a Cross-sail Bless thou God for thy faith of adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the promises of salvation in him if with Job thou can say with an upright heart Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Consider I beseech thee for thy comfort that God is more zealous of his own honour in performing his faithful promise made unto believers who depend upon him by faith and obedience than thou canst be of thine own salvation as he takes no pleasure in the destruction of a sinner so he takes much pleasure in thy turning and trusting in him if thou die leaning by faith on him and his promise of salvation then shalt thou be saved and carried by him out of this wilderness unto that Paradise which is above as it is said Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved If the Son of God the beloved of the Father be also thy beloved and if thou die leaning on him then shalt thou come out of the wilderness of this world and shalt be filled with his everlasting love and fulness of the purest joy and delight in the Kingdom of Heaven Quest What are the means and helps to make the children of God willing to remove out of the body Ans 1. A special mean is that set down here in the Text to wit the assured knowledge of a far better estate after this life Moses a little time before his death went up to the top of Pisgah Deut. 34. and there the Lord shewed unto him the pleasant and plentiful land of Canaan that was on the other side of Jordan after which sight he willingly died there in like-manner the Lord our God for their further encouragement elevats the minds of his children by the eye of faith toward their eternal rest in Heaven then their hearts are so affected with love and desire to be there with Christ that they say as Paul did Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Old Simeon a long expectant of glory waited for Christ the consolation of Israel and when he got him in his arms he said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Luk. 2.29 30. In like-manner faith embracing Christ the Saviour and the hope of salvation in him and with him doth depart in peace 2. The seal of the Holy Spirit in the work and course of our sanctification doth encourage and make us willing to die as the Seal of earthly Kings make sure to men their earthly possessions so the King of kings by the Seal of the Holy Spirit as our Sanctification is called Eph. 1.13 maketh sure unto believers their heavenly inheritance which is said to be among them which are sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 26. â—8 Therefore as ye would die willingly in the hope of that heavenly inheritance be very careful that your gift thereof pass not only through the Common Seal of the outward Ordinances of hearing the Word and receiving the holy Sacraments but also through the Privy Seal of purifying and sanctifying the heart for Blessed are they that are pure in heart they shall see God Mat. 5.8 and without holiness none shall see God Heb. 12.14 There is no coming unto the heavenly inheritance without regeneration as a child yet unborn cannot actually have the possession of an inheritance 3. The earnest of the Spirit which is also called The first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.23 maketh a man willing to die as a man receiving though a small earnest-peny out of the hand of one that is faithful and able to perform the whole bargain at the term doth trust to his faithful promise and withal having received some earnest of the promised sum the nearer the term of performance is he is the more joyful In like-manner the child of God having sometime received an earnest or first-fruits of his salvation in the sense of Gods love shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost some peace in his conscience by faith in Jesus Christ the Saviour of sinners and some joy of the promised salvation from a lively hope to be with Christ the nearer he is to the term of his removal he is or may be the more joyful so it was with the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 5 8. He also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit therefore we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. These first fruits of the Spirit in the soul are like unto these few clusters Joshua and Caleb brought from the valley of Eshcol they
give some refreshment to the soul and withall encourage it to go forward to Heaven where they shall get no worse but much more of such fruits Although thou hast not such a measure of the sense of Gods love towards thee as thou desirest yet if there be in thine heart a true and sincere hatred of all sin and a true and deep sense of thine own love toward God that thou mayest say in humility and sincerity as Peter did Joh. 21. Lord thou that knowest all things knoweth I love thee then mayest thou die willingly because 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen c. what God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 8.3 If any man love God the same is known and approven of him Peace in thy conscience from faith resting on Jesus Christ and his perfect righteousness is the earnest of thy full and everlasting peace in Heaven when thou shalt see God as he is Although thy peace of Sanctification may be interrupted now and then by thy sinning sometimes against thy light as it was in David Psal 51. yet in Heaven there will be perfect righteousness inherent for ever and the fruit thereof will be perfect and everlasting peace in the soul Spiritual joy which is called the joy of the Holy Ghost because he is the Author of it and is also called the joy of salvation because eternal salvation in Heaven is the object of it if at any time God hath given joy to thy heart after thy mourning in secret for thy sins and after thy believing in Jesus Christ who came into the world to save even the chief of sinners then look thou upon that joy as a love-token sent down to thee from Heaven and as an earnest of that full and everlasting joy in Heaven that shall never be taken from thee This consideration and joyful expectation maketh the children of God willing to be dissolved and to be with Christ at whose right hand is fulness of joy and pleasures for ever For if there be such joy from the earnest and first fruits that it is called 1 Pet. 1.8 Joy unspeakable and full of glory What will the joy be after this life when we shall receive the full sum of glory and shall reap the full harvest of joy in the kingdom of Heaven It is true some of the dear children of God who sometimes in their lifetime have had peace in their conscience and joy in their heart from the hope of salvation have been a little before their death under a cloud and great wrestlings against temptations to unbelief and despondency which were fierce as the sons of Anak at their coming out of this wilderness but before their dissolution that cloud evanished and they exprest their joy like the joy of the wise men when they saw the Star that led them to Christ appearing again Mat. 2.10 and they cried out Venit venit He is come he is come And then they say as Isa 25.9 This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Use For exhortation unto willingness at death to remove out of the body to this end we would seriously and frequently consider 1. This is the place and the time of our sojourning our rest is not here therefore let us pass the time of our sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 Like unto loving and dutiful children in the time of their travels abroad who are afraid to do any thing in a strange countrey that may dishonour their loving father who sent them to their travels for a time and bare all their charges in the time of their absence this fear to dishonour our heavenly Father and our active care to honour him in this present world will make us willing and confident to return unto him at death who will make us welcome at our return and give us rest in these eternal mansions in our Fathers house this fear to offend God and care to please him in all things made the Apostle Paul willing and confident in the thoughts of his departure from this world 2 Tim. 4.7 8 I have fought a good fight c. henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing 2. Consider often the place thou leavest at death and the place thou goest to after death and the vast difference between these two as the Heaven is distant from the Earth thou leavest a world of iniquity and misery but goest to that other world wherein dwelleth righteousness all happiness there is a vast difference between the earthly house thou flitts from at death and that eternal house and mansion to which thy soul flitts immediatly after death and shall rest from all thy labours Rev. 14.13 Thy soul dwelleth now in a dark house there is much ignorance even in the best of Saints here and any light or knowledge we have now in the body is but like the light unto a prisoner in the dungeon through crevices and slitts by the ministry of our outward senses our hearing and seeing but in that heavenly mansion whereto the believer goeth at death there is full light Ps 36.9 In thy light shall we see light 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall see him as he is There will be an identity in the object God himself seen by all the glorified Saints yet there is an infinit variety of all things desireable for our happiness to be seen and known in God himself infinit in excellency an goodness even as a man beholdeth diverse reâ—ractions frâ—m one and the self same sparkling precious Diamond his light and knowledge in the souls of glorified Saints wilâ— endure for ever Rev. 21.23 The city had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof This eaâ—â—thly house doth oft-times smoak and maketh our eyes to gush ouâ— with tears as smoak doth from a soaking fite not yâ—t put out so the many sinful motions and fumes arising from in-dwelling concupiscence in the body maketh the children of God here many times to mourn in secret before the Lord and in the bitterness of their spirit to cry out with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death But at death the fire of concupâ—scence will be wholly quenched as at flitting the fire of the house wherein they formerly dwelt is wholly put out but after death we shall follow the Lamb in white robes not only without blame but also without all stain Now we dwell in a strait and narrow house here are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great pâ—essures and oppressions of spirit with one affliction after another but after death we shall be enlarged from all trouble and pain then God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes Rev. 21.4 Now we dwell in a dropping house one defluction after another from our weak and distempered head do trouble this earthly body but after death in our eternal house there will be a perpetual influence of life health peace and joy from our strong and everlasting Head the Lord Jesus Christ Now we dwell among many evil and troublesome neighbours who make us oft-times cry out with David Wo is me that I dwell in the tents of Mesecb But in heaven there will be perfect peace a sweet harmony in minds and affections amongst all the fellow-citizens there we shall be in a perpetual communion with the blessed Angels and with the glorified Saints Yea that which crowneth all we shall be in an immediat full and perpetual communion with God himself infinit in glory Rev. 21.3 God himself shall be with them And at the resurrection of the body we shall live in a communion of the visible glory of Christ the Lord whom we shall see with our bodily eyes 1 Thes 4.17 3. Lastly consider what joy thou hast had at any time here from faith in Jesus Christ whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeâ—kable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 O what shall our joy be after death when we shall see him face to face If now thy joy be so great in seeing him only through the lattesse of his Ordinances and if some of the Saints have such joy in suffering for him here how great shall their joy be in reigning with him there If we have some peace and calmness in our conscience when we are in the sea of this world what shall be the peace and calmness when we shall be brought within that haven of â—he third heaven where the salvation of God shall be our perpetual bulwark Old Jacob when he considered the misery and famine of the Land from which he parted when he looked to the waggons and provision sent to him by his beloved Joseph and when he considered he was going to be with his own Joseph in honour and great plenty he departed willingly from the place of his former abode So let us consider this present world from which we part it is a place of sin and misery let us consider any provision of inward comfort God hath sent us at any time it should be as a waggon and fiery chariot to carry our hearts upwards toward God the fountain of all comfort and happiness Consider our dear Joseph the Lord Jesus Christ that was sold for our iniquities is now at the fathers right hand the great Steward and Dispenser of grace and glory by death we are going to him in whom and with whom we shall enjoy all happiness for ever If there be comfort sometimes from a drop of joy here how full ever-flowing and over-flowing will our joy be that shall proceed from the vision and fruition of God for ever These everlasting pleasures and purest joyes are that pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22.1 I close with that of the Apostle Jude ver 24.25 Now unto him that is able to keep you â—rom falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen FINIS
same time he was attended by an heavenly host of Angels and was worshipped both by the wise men that came from the east and by the shepherds after he was tempted as a man in the wilderness yet the Angels ministered unto him as the Son of God after his sleeping as a man in the ship he rebuked the Sea and the Winds as the Son of God yea in his lowest condition upon the Cross he by the power of his God-head did shake the earth and raise the dead Vse 2. Meditate oft-times for thy comfort upon his lowing and humbling himself in his birth life and death look upon it as the greatest token of his love Jacobs service in so low a condition was a great token of his love to Rachel but the Prince of Glory even Jacobs Lord was in the form of a servant near-by thirty four years to espouse us who were by nature enemies to God Look upon his low condition and humiliation as a special mean to engage thy heart and affection to himself who took upon him thy nature to make thee partaker of the Divine Nature by a conformity to God in holiness in this life and in glory and happiness for ever in the other life Look upon his humiliation as thy pattern in thy behaviour to thy inferiours he condescended to us in our low estate therefore be not high-minded neither in a supercilious arrogancy stand upon your punctilio's but let the like mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus who humbled himself to do us good So should we after his example condescend to do good one to another Phil. 2.3 4 5. VERSE II. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. FOr the better clearing these words we would answer three questions 1. Seing God gave him the Spirit not in measure Joh. 3.34 How is it that the graces of the Spirit bestowed upon him are here stinted and limited to the number of six 2. Seing he had these graces from all eternity being equal in understanding wisdom counsel might and knowledge with the Father how is the Spirit said to rest upon him in his Incarnation as if he had not been endowed with those graces before that time 3. What is meant by these several graces and gifts mentioned here I answer to the first The graces reckoned up here are such as were bestowed upon him as Man and Mediator in our nature at his Incarnation and were requisit for him in the Government of his Church and people although all other graces were habitually and eminently in him as humility meekness patience c. yet such graces are mentioned here as in a special manner qualified him for the actual discharge of the Mediatory-office as for that spoken of our blessed Lord Joh. 3.34 He received not the spirit by measure it is not to be understood simply as if the Humane Nature of Christ by way of transfusion had received an infinit measure of grace for a finit creature cannot receive such a measure seing every thing is received according to the measure and capacity of the receiver but it is spoken by way of comparison with all the intelligent creatures Angels or Men who received not such a measure of the graces of the Spirit as Christ did in his Humane Nature wherein he was anointed above his fellows Psal 45.7 Eph. 4.7 To the second Question I answer Our blessed Lord in respect of his Divine Nature was of infinit understanding wisdom counsel might and knowledge but these graces in a finit measure were communicat to the Humane Nature in the personal union thereof with the Divine Nature in his Incarnation but in a measure far above the capacity of Angels or Men because the nearer the creature is united to God the perfection of it is the greater therefore it is even so among believers in the Church here on earth some of them are more perfect then others because united to God by more of faith and love then others and in Heaven the Saints glorified are more perfect then the Saints militant on earth because they are united and near to God in the facial vision of God by full knowledge and perfect love Now of all creatures the Humane Nature of Christ was and is most perfect because united and nearest to the Divine Nature in a personal union To the third I answer We understand by the Spirit of understanding his large capacity in perceiving and up-taking what was incumbent for himself to do and suffer as our Mediator and also what the elect should do for attaining eternal life through him By the Spirit of wisdom we understand the gift of active prudence whereby he was enabled for doing and performing the duty which he understood was incumbent to him as our Mediator Psal 40.8 9 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation By the Spirit of counsel we understand his ability to reveal the eternal counsel and purpose of the Father concerning the way of mans salvation Joh. 6.40 And this it the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life By the Spirit of might we understand that power and dominion over all creatures given to him as Mediator and Head of his Church Mat. 28.18 All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth An exceeding power of invincible grace toward the Elect in their effectual calling and conversion Eph. 1.19 and also a power and mighty force to subdue his obstinat and incorrigible enemies 1 Cor. 15.25 For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet By the Spirit of knowledge we understand not only his certain and infallible knowledge of all things to be done and suffered by him for the salvation of lost man but also his knowledge and dexterity for instructing his Church in the truth and way of salvation As in the Breast-plate of the High Priest was Vrim and Thummim rendered by the 70. Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manifestation and Truth So our Lord knew the truth and had a transcendent gift of a convincing gravity and authority as also a perswasive clearness upon the spirits and hearts of his hearers Psal 45.2 Grace is poured into thy lips Mat. 7.28 29. And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings the people were astonished at his doctrine For he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes Luk. 24.32 And they said one to another Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures This knowledge infused into the Humane Nature of Christ was not an absolute Omniscience which is incommunicable to any
clearly seen upon the carcase after the skin is taken off Rev. 2.18 His eyes are like unto a flame of fire for pierceing and his feet are like brass for crushing his enemies Vse Therefore let us walk humbly and circumspectly in the fear of our Lord who observes our most secret counsels courses and wayes 1. Look to thy thoughts and purposes although men see them not yet the Lord is of quick understanding to perceive them and see through them Is 10.7 Luk. 24.39 2. He knoweth the secret frettings of the heart at his Word when at any time thou murmurest against the Word preached because contrair to thine opinion or interest Luk. 5.21 22. he knoweth the secret fretting of the heart against his holy Commands when they are contrair to flesh and blood and to our carnal desires Numb 14.27 he knoweth our frettings at the reproof of his Ministers Exod. 16.7 8. he seeth our frettings of heart at the prosperity of others Gen. 4.6 and our frettings against our own personal afflictions Jonah 4.9 3. He knoweth our secret speeches Ps 139.4 our secret reasonings of unbelief Mat. 16.8 our secret whisperings and backbitings to separate friends Ps 50.20 21. Mat. 9.11 4. He seeth our most secret actions Job 26.6 Ps 139.12 2 Sam. 12.12 Joh. 4.18 He knew Judas his secret bargaining with the Pharisees and said to him What thou doest do quickly Remember as now he knoweth so there is a day when he will judge the secrets of all hearts he will make many then to know what now they will not believe and lay to heart for their more humble and circumspect walking in time coming then shall the damned acknowledge their sins and their neglect of the day of their merciful visitation on earth which convincing light of conscience will not comfort them but confound them with shame and horrour Observ 3. Our blessed Lord improved and exercised his quickness of understanding not about the matters of this present world but especially in matters of Religion pertaining to his spiritual kingdom for it is said he shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. In the dayes of his Humiliation on earth he would not interpose as a Judge in civil debates Luk. 12.24 nor in criminal causes Joh. 8.10 because the condition of his Kingdom and Government is spiritual the Ordinances of his Kingdom are spiritual to wit Word Sacraments and Prayer the Benefits and Priviledges are spiritual Rom. 14.17 Righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost The duties are spiritual to wit repentance faith hope love and new obedience the end of the Administration is spiritual to wit to make a man wise unto salvation and the means whereby his Kingdom is enlarged are spiritual Zechar. 6.4 2 Cor. 10.4 Vse 1. The use of this Doctrine is specially to correct four errors which arise from the mistake of the nature of the Kingdom of Christ 1. The jealousies of the secular powers of this world as if the Kingdom of Christ within his Church were not consisting with their civil power Herod the King was troubled when he heard that the King of the Jews was born Mat. 2.3 But our blessed Lord shews them they need not be so jealous and fearful Joh. 18 36. My kingdom is not of this world It is in it but not of it but of men separate from the evil of the world Augustine Tractat. on John sayeth to the powers on earth Venite credendo nolite metuere saeviendo Come to Christ by believing and do not fear by raging against the Church He who giveth an heavenly Kingdom doth not by his Government in the Church take away mortal Kingdoms from them whatever has been the pride violence and usurpation of Church-men on the civil Government in divers Ages it was altogether from their own corruption and not from the nature of the Kingdom of Christ who clearly teacheth his subjects in his spiritual Kingdom to give unto Cesar that which is Cesars and to God that which is Gods Mat. 22.21 Our blessed Lord and King of Saints teacheth them not only subjection and subordination at all times to lawful Authority but also obedience to all their lawful commands Tit. 3.1 and forbids them to use their Christian liberty as a cloak of maliciousness against lawful Authority 1 Pet. 2.16 2. This Doctrine serveth to correct the incroachments of the spiritual Guides at any time upon the civil Authority as was that of Pope Gregory the 7th because Henry 4th the Emperor would not come to a synodical Answer for his investiture of Church-men in Ecclesiastical Dignities For this cause did the Pope excommunicate him absolve the Subjects from their Allegeance stirred them up to rebellion and in end gave the Imperial Crown to Rodolph Duke of Swabland Pope Alexander the third did insolently insult and trample upon the Emperor Fredericus Barbarossa and blasphemously to his wicked purpose abused that place of holy Scripture Ps 91.13 Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon c. This is not to be quick and active in the fear of the Lord as our blessed Lord was but in the pride and violence of their own sinful courses How far is such insolent usurpation from the precept and practice of Christ and his Apostles and also from the humble subjection of the primitive Christians unto lawful powers How disadvantagious such pride and violence has proven unto the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ and propagation of the Christian Religion sad experience has made it evident both in former and latter Generations Such violent dealing has made many men become either open enemies to all true Religion or hypocrites and secret bitter enemies waiting for a time of revenge Devout Bernard his advice to Pope Eugenius 4th was Seing thou art appointed to be a planter in Christs Vineyard know that thou has need of the Dible and not of the Scepter If thou be content with Christs Legacy to wit Feed my sheep thou shalt not inherit glory and pomp but care and labour It serveth to curb the inconsiderat zeal of too many who would have this Kingdom to be propagat by force of armes they consider not that it is spiritual about Religion and the fear of the Lord and suitably to be enlarged by spiritual means and midses such as are especially the preaching of the Word Mat. 28.19 frequent and fervent prayer to God 2 Thes 3.1 a Gospel-like conversation 1 Pet. 2.12 1 Pet. 3.1 and patient suffering persecution for the truth without tumult or sedition Phil. 1.12 Phil. 1 29. Revel 13.10 Therefore it was a bold and arrogant speech of Nestorius unto Theodosius the younger Give thou to me O Emperor the earth purged from hereticks and I shall give unto thee heaven scatter thou the hereticks and I shall with thee scatter the Persians thy enemies These speeches became not a Church-man whose weapons are not carnal but spiritual our blessed Lord though he had power and might would not command fire
have not been moved and smitten with it The threatnings of the Lord by Moses did not move the heart of Pharaoh but rather he was the more hardened Answ The cause of this is 1. Their own unbelief although they have yet they lay not the threatnings to heart but put the evil day far from them As the hammer breaks not the hard stone except it be laid to it with some force the old world laid not to heart the threatning of the deluge by Noah Mat. 24.39 but the Ninivites believed the threatning by Jonah and repented Jonah 3.5 2. Love of some gainful sin keeps the will in an obstinacy against the Word that they will not be convinced of the sinfulness of their wayes they love darkness more than light and therefore they hate the light of the Word which makes their daâ—kness manifest Joh. 3.19 The Crafts-men in Ephesus Acts 19. have such love to their gainful idolatry that they will not be convinced of the absurdity and unreasonableness thereof 3. Pride and arrogancy will not suffer some men to be informed of the truth that is contrary to their own opinion and way and so because they will not be informed they cannot be convinced such was the pride and arrogancy of the Pharisees Joh. 9.34 4. Preposterous love of sinful company and society doth make some men sensless and fearless of the judgements threatned against such a society Lot his Sons in Law out of their love to Sodom were not moved with his preaching and threatning of sad judgement against that City Therefore as ye would be convinced of the evil and danger of sin by the Word of God and by his severe threatnings lay them to heart by believing Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God forsake the love of sin though never so gainful or pleasant and forsake all communion and fellowship with the workers of iniquity in their works of darkness Object 2. But wicked and reprobat men may be heart-smitten at a time with a convincing Sermon as Felix was How shall we discern the smiting of our heart by the Word to be from mercy and from a purpose to heal the soul wounded and pierced with sorrow and fear Ans 1. A wicked and reprobat person may be heart-smitten with grief and fear for some great and hainous sins whereof they are convinced not only by the light of the Word but also by the light and sorce of a natural conscience as was Cain and Judas Yea the morning light is to the adulterer even as the shadow of death Job 24.17 but the children of God their heart will smite them even for smaller offences Davids heart smote him for the cutting of Sauls garment and Paul is convinced not only that his persecution of the Saints was a sin but also that his inordinat concupiscence and its first stirrings was a transgression of the Law Rom. 7.7 2. In wicked and obstinat sinners the pain of heart-smiting lasteth not but as a Sea-sickness it evanisheth in a short time and is forgot as in Pharaoh Exod. 9.27 But it is not so in the children of God though their pain and remorse of conscience continues not alwayes in a sense of present grief and pain yet it remains in their memory they remember the gall and wormwood and in the remembrance thereof their heart is kept humble Psal 38.17 I am ready to halt and my sorrow is continually before me Wicked and obstinat sinners when the terrours of conscience are over at a time they do return like a deceitful Bow to their old posture and way but the godly with penitent Peter not only do weep for their former sinful courses but also they forsake the company of evil doers 3. The wicked and obstinat sinners when they are smitten with the word of reproof do hate him who reproves in the gate as Ahab did Elijah but the godly take well with the word of reproof as with a precious ointment that makes them afterward to shine in their conversation Psal 141.5 4. Wicked men who continue obstinat in their sins make no good use of their former heart-smiteing and pain of conscience like some men having at a time a great pain in their stomack and head from former excess in drinking make not good use thereof to shun the occasion of excess and riot in time coming but the children of God make better use of heart-smiting when they are again tempted to run in the excess of riot they remember their former distempers and consider the peace they have in their conscience for the present and do make good use of that admonition given by our Lord Joh 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee Vse 2. It is our duty to take well with the word of reproof although it smite yet it will do good and heal again when it is received by an obedient ear and heart for to such it is an ear-ring and ornament of gold and adorns them in their after-conversation Prov. 25.12 It is as the lopping of a luxuriant branch it doth the tree no evil but makes it more fruitful Prov. 27.6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend It is a fearful thing to despise the word of reproof in the mouth of those who have a calling from God for in that case God many times takes the rod into his own immediat hand and smites the obstinat sinner severely and visibly as he did the old world who contemned the reproof of Noah as he did Sodom who contemned the reproof of Lot as he did Amaziah who rejected the counsel of the Prophet 2 Chron. 25.16 as he did severely punish the people of Israel who despised the counsel of the Prophets 2 Chron. 36.16 and Jerusalem who persecuted the Prophets that spake unto them Luk. 19.42 Therefore the faithful Ministers of God must not desist from their seasonable reprovings though possibly at first they be not well received yet afterward with the true children of God they shall be entertained as Medicaments for their recovery Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour then he that flattereth with the tongue To this purpose saith Cyprian Though some people like way-ward sick children baul and cry against the Physician yet let him wait on and do his duty if the child shall recover he will be ashamed of his perâ—ishness and be the more thankful to his careful prudent and patient Physician vociferetur licet post tamen gratias aget although saith he the child cry out in the time of his pain yet afterward he will render thanks Observ 3. Earthly-mindedness is very displeasing unto God he shall smite the earth and men are much displeased with those whom they smite Because worldly-mindedness is a great impediment to our hearing and obeying the good Word of God Mat. 13.22 So is it unto Prayer which is a lifting up of the soul unto God and earthly-mindedness is like a paise or weight of
comes by looking upon sore eyes so infection taketh hold upon many from their beholding the evil example of others for thou art more ready to comply with their corruption then they are to follow any grace or virtue that is in thee thou hath corruption dwelling in thy mortal body which is ready to correspond with them and to concurr in their works of darkness but they have not grace in them to correspond with thee in gracious dispositions or actions 2. Through their evil company thou may be in danger of a temporal judgment as was good Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 18.31 Yea not only in danger but also involved in the same common calamity with them as was righteous Lot Gen. 14.12 3. By thy intimat fellowship with prophane men thou doth great prejudice to thine own good name and reputation for others seeing or hearing of thy fellowship with them cannot but think thou art like unto them as birds of one feather flocking together but thou shouldest consider that next to a good Conscience a good Name is to be sought and preserved Prov. 22.1 a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favour rather than silver and gold Silver and gold may be lost and recovered again but a good name once lost is not easily recovered it will cost a man more pains and labour to recover it then it would cost him to have preserved it It is compared to precious oyntment Eccles 7.1 A good name is better than precious oyntment It is more precious and fragrant than oyntment yet evil company is as a flee in the oyntment spoils it and makes it unsavoury 4. It is the will of God thou shouldest abstain not only from the substance of evil but also from the circumstances and appearances of evil 1 Thess 5.22 abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Joh. 5.21 keep your selves from idols Not only from the act but also from the object of idolatry therefore the Lord would not have the people of Israel plant a grove of any trees near unto the Altar of the Lord Deut. 16.21 lest it being too nigh the people might creep into the groves and there sin against the Lord for it becometh Christians to walk circumspectly even before the world a chaste and honest conversation becometh well the Spouse of Christ Cesar said it became Cesars Wife not only to be honest in deed but also to be free from all occasion of suspition how much more doth it well become all espoused to Christ to walk humbly with God and without offence before men 5. The man who without a call doth frequent evil company provokes God to leave him and to give him over unto the evil counsels and temptations of such evil company therefore godly men though never so resolute yet should they not without a call from God as Joseph and Daniel had for their being in Egypt and Babylon cast themselves into the snare of evil company no man nearest to danger by his own free option is long safe no wise Mariner in time of calm should cast anchor hard by a rock for he knoweth not how soon the storm may arise and dash the Vâ—ssel against the rock It was the wisdom of chaste Joseph not to abide privatly in one and the same room with that shameless woman Gen. 39.10 Vse 2. For exhortation to frequent most the company of such as fear the Lord because 1. their good example and instruction may be unto thee a restraint from evil doing as good Jehoiadah was to Jehoash for a long time 2 King 12.2 2. It may hold off a judgement temporal even from wicked men if there had been but ten righteous persons in Sodom it had been spared for their sakes yea Gen. 19.22 the Angel said he could bring no judgement upon it untill Lot was first gone out of it 3. The company of the godly through Gods blessing may do much good unto thee by their good example and counsel Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise This may be clearly seen in the godly servants of Abraham and Cornelius the Centurion Gen. 24. Act 10.7 by their religious speech and dialect ye may easily discern they have been bred in the company of these who feared God yet sometimes it may be otherwayes contrary to the good example and instructions of the Masters of the families for in Davids company there was an Achithophel in Elisha's a Gehazi and even in Christs own company the Traitor Judas The second evidence of a real change and of true conversion is a willing submission to the Word of God in the ministry of his weak Servants subjected to the like passions as we our selves are a little child shall lead them these that are led by another have first life within them So men are first quickened by the life of faith through the Word by the Spirit and thereafter they are easily led by the Ministers of Jesus Christ unto duties revealed by God in the holy Word Joh. 10.27 My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me By the Spirit of God working effectually with the Word they are first made sheep and thereafter they follow him in the way of obedience to his counsel and direction Rom. 6.17 God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you because the Word of God by the Spirit puts a stamp and impression upon their spirits as the printing-iron doth upon the paper that a man may see therein the very letter of the Type it self this is signified in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this submission in believers is by the assent of faith in their minds to the Word as the infallible truth of the God of truth and by love in our hearts to it as the good and righteous Word of God which is able to save the soul of the believers 1 Thes 2.13 Ye received the Word of God not as the word of men but as the Word of God And withall there is an honest purpose of heart to obey the direction of the Word in practical duties Luk. 8.15 That seed on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the Word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience Rom. 16.19 Your obedience is come abroad unto all men Vse 1. For conviction and reproof of many visible Professors who by their willful disobedience and rejecting the counsel of the divine truth declare themselves in effect not yet truly changed and converted from what they were formerly some flatly reject the Word as these Jews Jer. 44.16 others speak fair but prove indeed like the young fair-spoken son Mat. 21.31 He said I go Sir and went not How many in time of sad affliction confess their sins and profess a purpose of amendment as Pharaoh did Exod. 9.27 28. but all these professions and appearing resolutions are like the morning
worthy godly men Joseph and Daniel did not reject the great favours offered and conferred on them by heathen Princes Quest 2. May a true convert be displeased with â—ad afflictions lying on him for the present and if he may How can he be said to be content with his present condition with which he is displeased Answ He may be displeased with affliction as a thing bitter and hurtful to his natural condition and yet be content with it as it is an act of his heavenly Father's will the sick patient is displeased and hath no contentment in the potion of Medicine being considered simply yet is he well pleased and content with it as being prescribed by the skilful Physician in order to his better health Although impatient desires to be delivered out of adversity are inconsistent with Christian contentment under it yet humble desires of a delivery with submission to the good will of God do well consist with it as we see in our blessed Lord. Luk. 22.42 He said Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done but we may not use any unlawful means for our own delivery out of affliction as wicked Ahaziah did 2 King 1. yea far rather we should say with Job shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Quest 3. Is it a sin not to rest content with the measure of knowledge and grace bestowed by God upon us already and may we not desire to have more of knowledge and grace than we have for the present Answ 1. It is a sin if our discontentment with our small measure of knowledge and grace or our desire to have more proceed from the bitter root of vain glory or envy to the end we may have praise with men as we see others of more eminent gifts have thus Simon Magus desired the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost 2. As the children of God do not desire increase of gifts and graces from any fretting discontentment at what they want but rather from an humble desire to have more of spiritual gifts that thereby they may glorifie God the more and edifie others So they humbly submit the measure of these gifts and graces unto the wisdom and will of God they are thankful for the little they have already received and praise his free grace with Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 by the grace of God I am what I am and withall they reach forth unto these things which are before Phil. 3.13 2. The chief ground of true contentment is the favour of God Psal 4.6 7. Psal 30 5. Psal 63.3 Hab. 3.17 18. And that the favour of God is a soul-satisfying portion is evident from these reasons 1. That which satisfies the soul of man must be a good universal to give contentment unto all the faculties of the soul pleasant sounds delight the ear but not the eye and pleasant colours delight the eye but not the ear but a soul receiving God and his favour hath an universal satsifaction to wit of light to the mind of love to the will and of delight and joy to the affections they have as much of the enjoyment of God as they are capable of in this life and would have more if they were more capable 2. The soul-satisfying good must be such as is intimat to the soul worldly and sensual objects stick for the most part in the sense and imagination but do not affect the reason with any solid contentment they are as Saul's armour unto David loose and shuffling but the sense of Gods loving kindness is united to the understanding and ravishes the heart with joy so that ouâ— of the abundance of the heart they say as Psal 103.1 My soul and all that is within me or that is in the midst of me bless his holy Name 3. The soul-satisfying good must be that which is the supreme good because any inferiour good cannot fully satisfie the desire so long as the soul knoweth of one superiour and better as Moses was not satisfied with what he saw on this side of Jordan until he was at the top of Pisgah so there is not a full and compleat satisfaction unto the soul till we come to mount Sion that is above our greatest satisfaction in this life is to enjoy God by faith by love by peace in the Conscience and joy in the heart which are the first fruits of eternal life 4. The soul-satisfying good must be permanent because the very apprehension of a change doth interrupt our present contentment as may be seen in the intervals of chronical diseases the fear of returning fits disquiets the heart even in time of health all worldly objects are like a summer flood passing away Prov. 27.24 Riches are not for ever and doth the Crown endure to every generation But the gracious presence of God is like unto the Sun shining more and more unto the perfect day of our full happiness in heaven Psal 89.33 My loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail Jer. 32.40 I will not turn away from them to do them good Joh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life John 13.1 he loved them unto the end 3. The means to attain unto true contentment are 1. Withdraw thy heart from seeking oâ— placing thy contentment in the things of this present world because worldly pleasures are deceitful riches are uncertain and worldly honour doth evanish like smoke for worldly glory shall not descend after a man into the grave Psal 49.17 2. Make God and his favour your portion then whatsoever be your present condition or portion in this world ye shall have inward contentment because God himself is a full unchangeable and everlasting portion Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him that is depend on him alone for satisfaction Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion for ever In all thy wants or losses worldly thou mayest and shouldest rest content in him who is thy alsufficient portion Hab. 3.17 18. Although the fig tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation As a man who hath lost a small portion put to adventure at Sea doth yet rest content and rejoyceth in the stock he hath abiding sure at land 3. Be moderat in your worldly desires of things worldly Prov. 30.8 feed me with food convenient Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness c. Nature is content with little Job 6.5 Doth the ox low over his fodder And grace is content with less even in tribulations and worldly wants it can rejoyce in God alone Rom. 5.3 We
Ephes 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. Paul was sometimes a fierce and uncessant persecuter of all persons of the Christian perswasion but after his conversion he became very tame and peaceable in his moderat and Christian condescension in matters indifferent 1 Cor. 9.22 I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some These convert Jews who a little before in their bitterness of spirit called the Apostles drunken fellows do change their toon and say in their compellation men and brethren Act. 2.37 The rude and severe Jaylor who was officious in his severity doing more than he was required afterward becomes more tame and peaceable as may be heard in his civil compellation Act. 16.30 Sirs what must I do to be saved Quest If it be asked what are the means by which we may through Gods grace attain a peaceable disposition and conversation in a particular Christian Church Answ I humbly conceive there be three special means whereby such a disposition and conversation may be attained 1. Humility of spirit 2. Sound moderation in judgment 3. Mutual forbearance in love The humble spirit is ordinarly a peaceable spirit and conversable in all Christian duties pride is the mother of contention and division in the Christian Church Prov. 13.10 Only by pride cometh contention The pride of Diotrephes who loved the preheminence troubled the peace of the Christian Church and bred opposiâ—ion unto the blessed and peaceable Apostle John the pride and vain glorious ambition of privat professours in Corinth glorying to be called followers some of Paul some of Caephas did trouble the peace of that Church the pride of Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria troubled the peace of the Church there and the quiet of Origen from his pride and envy of Origen his reputation amongst the people therefore saith Augustine justly In divers Churches are divers Heresies but pride is the mother of them all On the contrair humility is the mother of peaceableness both in disposition and conversation Paul after his conversion is very humble esteeming himself the chief of sinners and least of Saints and of a most peaceable disposition and conversation both by his example in becoming weak to the weak that he might gain them and also by his exhortation to others 2 Cor. 6.3 We beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain giving no offence in any thing that the Ministry be not blamed The proud man cannot converse peaceably with any that will not follow his opinion but the humble Christian desires no following but in a subordination to the Lord Jesus Christ the great shepherd of our souls such was the humility of the great Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ Therfore it is our duty to follow the exhortation Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves The second useful mean toward a peaceable disposition and conversation in a Christian Church is Christian moderation Phil. 4.5 Let your moderation be known unto all men that these within the Church may follow it in their Christian communion one with another and these without may fall in love with your profession and joyn themselves to the communion of the Christian Church such is the moderation the Apostle requires in the Corinthians that thereby they may shun scandal and offence to these that are without and may conciliat respect and credit to the Christian Religion by departing from the rigor of their own privat right and civil interest and therefore not follow their litigious pleas before heathen Judges who by their contentions were deterred from imbraceing the Christian Religion as being an enemy my in their opinion to peace and humane society 1 Cor. 6.7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you because ye go to Law one with another why do ye not rather take wrong why do ye not rather suffer your selves to be defrauded This Christian moderation appears in the use and exercise of our Christian liberty in matters indifferent in their own nature when we use them with such moderation and restriction that we give not offence to the weaker such was the great moderation in the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 8.13 Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth lest I make my brother to offend But this moderation and restriction is to be understood only in things within our own power for in duties wherein we are bound to God or to our lawful Superiours we may not forbear the doing of such duties because some unnecessarily may be grieved thereby or others through ignorance may be stumbled in such a case the offence is taken but not given but moderation in things of our own particular benefit or priviledge is very commendable as a character of a prudent and sober Christian This Christian moderation appears also in shunning with all circumspectness the two extreme errours distant from truths mediocrity for although neutrality in matters of faith necessary to be known and believed be very detestable as was the neutrality of Gallio who cared for none of these things and also that indifferent lukewarmness of the Laodiceans is much to be blamed they were neither zealous for the truth nor zealous against it but as Christians should be valiant and in an holy zeal contend for the faith once delivered unto the Saints Jud. Epist 3. so should they decline from extreme errours opposit to the golden mediocrity of truth We should bewar of that extreme excess of Atheistical flattery of Thomas Hobbs and his followers who blasphemously affirms that the Subjects are bound to obey the Supreme Magistrat his commandments though contrary to the Commandment of God which pernicious errour is directly contrary to the Apostles Acts 4.19 Acts 5.29 It blameth the blessed Martyrs of great imprudence who were tortured not accepting deliverance Heb. 11.35 It destroys the very vitals of Christian Religion and is abhorred by Christian Rulers for it spreadeth a net before them We should also wisely shun that other extream to refuse peevishly and frowardly obedience in matters meerly and clearly indifferent and lawful even because the Christian Magistrat imposeth them as if it were a taking away of our Christian liberty wherein we should stand fast But the Apostle in that place Gal. 6.1 speaketh of our Christian liberty from the bondage of the Ceremonial Law the observance whereof after the death of Christ was not indifferent but pernicious Gal. 5.2 If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing The authority of the Christian Magistrate in commanding such things taketh not away the liberty of our judgement as if we were bound to think them not indifferent but necessary in their own nature but it restricts only the liberty of our outward practice which restraint is thought expedient for the
that thereby he may not have sin but by his presumptuous thoughts he hinders himself to obtain the pardon of sin Such a condition of the Church as may be free from all spot or wrinkle is to be expected in Heaven when we shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude Epist 24. Yea we may not separat from Church-communion though gross and scandalous sinners live in it so long as they are acknowledged by the Church-rulers to be members thereof 1. Because the holy and zealous Prophets in the Old Testament did not command the people to make separation in such a case when Hophni and Phinehas the sons of Eli were a scandal to the people 1 Sam. 2.17 When many of the children of Israel both high and low were guilty of gross and scandalous sins the Prophet Isaiah did according to his duty sharply reprove them Isai 1.21 22 23. yet did he not require the godly to abstain from all Church-communion with these gross offenders 2. Albeit in our blessed Lord his time the Pharisees who had the preheminence for the most part in their Synagogues were men void of honesty judgement and mercy covetous proud and cruel yet the Lord himself kept communion with that Church Luke 4.16 As his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read He commanded others also to keep Church-communion with them Mat. 23.2 He did sharply reprove the Angels or Ministers of the Churches of Pergamos and Thyatira because they did tolerat in their Church-meetings persons abominable in errours both of judgement and of practice yet did he not command privat Professors in these Churches to separat from them and to erect Congregations apart by themselves 3. The Apostles Peter and John who were pillars of the Christian Church did keep Church-communion with the Jewish Church wherein were the Pharisees Acts 3.1 There were in the Church of Corinth some who did scandalously transgress by riot and drunkenness 1 Cor. 11.21 yet the Apostles did not require the pious and sober Christians among them to separat themselves from that Church Cyprian Lib. 3. Epist 3. Albeit there seem to be tares in the Church yet neither our faith nor charity should be hindered thereby that because we see tares to be in the Church we our selves therefore should depart from the Church it is our duty in such a case he means of privat Professors only to endeavour that we our selves may be good grain In a great house saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.20 there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earth but the vessels of earth shall be broken by the Lord alone to whom the rod of iron is given And Epist 12. Neither think ye saith he to the Novatians that by so doing ye assert and maintain the Gospel of Christ whileas ye have separated your selves from the flock of Christ and from peace and concord with it when it is more agreeable to the duty of generous and good Souldiers to keep their ground within their own Trenches and being placed there to do such things which are for the benefit of the publick Augustine contra Donat. Parmen adviseth these who live in a Church pestered with profaneness and gross corruptions in manners for to do these four things 1. Let us amend saith he what we can 2. What things we cannot amend let us tolerat and mourn with love to the persons of these gross offenders 3. Let us endeavour to preserve unity 4. If thou canst not take away the wicked from thee yet take evil and wickedness out of thy self Calvin Institut Lib. 4. Cap. 1. Sect. 13. There were ever some who out of a false perswasion of their own perfect sanctity as if they had already become aerial Demons or Spirits they despised the society of all men in whom they perceived any humane weakness or frailty such men saith he were the Donatists and at this day some of the Anabaptists But as for flagitious and scandalous persons he thinks they should be processed and debarred from Church-communion in the holy Sacrament untill they satisfie the Church and thereafter be received again into communion If Church-rulers neglect to censure such scandalous persons privat Christians do not sin in receiving the holy Sacrament with them but the Church-rulers sin in not censuring them and thereby making the hearts of the godly sad Beza Epist 2. saith We should labour to come our selves especially to that holy Table with a pure conscience and if coming so we do communicat in the Church with some murderers and adulterers yea with Turks and Jews the fault will not be imputed to us but to the Church-rulers who admitted such August Tom. 9. Lib. de Medicin Cap. 3. saith We cannot debar any man from the communion except he hath of his own accord confessed or hath been processed and convict in some Judicature Ecclesiastical or Secular Yet if that hainous sin be known to one privat person only it appears he is bound both for good to the Church of Christ and for good to the soul of that guilty person sinning hainously in secret to follow our blessed Lord his direction Matth. 18.15 16 17. If thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hath gained thy brother but if he will not hear thee c. and in end tell it to the Church Vse For exhortation seing the true members of the mystical body of Jesus Christ and sincere Converts to the Christian Faith will be as is prophesied here of a peaceable and harmless disposition and conversation let us live in a communion of love in peace and concord not like wolves and savage beasts biting and devouring one another How pleasant and how good a thing is it for brethren to dwell together in unity Psal 133.1 2. It is both pleasant and profitable like the oyntment poured forth upon the head of Aaron it maketh a Church fragrant and to be well reported amongst those who behold them or hear of them it is profitable like the dew of Hermon it maketh the Church to grow and enlarge her borders how pleasant is it to see the houses of one and the same city conform every way one to another as they say it is in the city of Gonoa but how unpleasant is it to see the houses of one and the same city divided far one from another as if every man in his own pride would make his own house a Citidale let us remember the spiritual Jerusalem should be as a City compact together Psal 122.3 How unpleasant also is it to see the stones of one and the same building even budging and dividing asunder one from another Is not the Christian Church said to be a building in Christ fittly framed together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Epes 2.22 and being so framed
be brought to light and they shall know there is no name under heaven whereby they can be saved but the Name of Jesus Act. 4.12 Quest It may be asked at what time was this prophesie fulfilled For answer Consider the Gospel or Doctrine of the glad tidings of salvation in Christ was a mystery hid from the Gentiles and other heavenly Truths and Ordinances were communicat only to the Jews Ps 147.19 20. Rom. 3.2 There was not a Church among the Gentiles before the time our blessed Lord gave commission to preach unto them Mat. 28.19 It is true there were some proselytes at diverse times before the birth of our Lord in time of the Patriarchs was Melchizedeck though some think he was Shem and Job in Moses his time was Jethro in Joshua his time Rachab in the time of the Judges Ruth in the time of David Ittai the Gittit in Solomons time Hiram and in Jeremiahs time Ebedmelech these were but the first fruits of the Gentiles and drops in comparison of that great flood of Converts foretold Is 2.2 It shall come to pass in the last dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it After the birth of our blessed Lord and his sending forth the Apostles to teach all Nations the knowledge of the Gospel did abound in many parts of the world as the sea abounds with waters it was foretold by our blessed Lord that this prophesie should be fulfilled in a great part even before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Mat. 24.14 and it was fulfilled Rom. 10.18 Their sound went unto all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Col. 1.23 which was preached to every creature which is under heaven for the Gospel was preached by the Apostles even to the greater part of the habitable world so far as it was known at that time according to that ample Commission given by our Lord to his Disciples Mat. 28 19 20. Therefore faith Augustine de Civit. Dei lib. 22.8 Whosoever he be that requires miracles at this time he himself is a great wonder and prodigy who believeth not when all the world believeth the Gospel But before the end of the world these Nations which sometimes were Christian and are now overspread with Turcism and Mahometism as at this day Assyria and Egypt and many Nations living at this day in Paganism shall be converted to the Christian Faith and the Gospel shall be preached unto many Nations which were not known in the dayes of the Apostles as it is at this day both in the Eastern and Western India Observ The preaching hearing and knowledge of the Gospel is the ordinary mean of conversion and of a Gospel-like conversation 2 Cor. 4.6 God hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Thess 2.14 God hath called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ This is evident from instances of divers persons converted to the Faith of Jesus Christ and to the way of Sanctification by the preaching of the Gospel Act. 2.37.47 Act. 16.14.33.31 It is also evident from the denominations the Gospel getteth as 1. The word of grace Act. 20.33 Not only because it is sent to a Nation or People out of Gods free-grace Matth. 13.11 It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given But also by it as the ordinar instrument the holy Spirit worketh the sanctifying and saving grace of believing and turning to the Lord in all come to years of discerning and appointed for Salvation Act. 11.21 The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds c. Gal. 2.8 He that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentils Therefore now in these dayes after that this sacred instrument and testimony is sealed and reposited by God in his Church the pillar and ground of the truth 1 Tim. 3 15 as the only authentical Record and invariable Rule of the Christian Faith if any man shall pretend to the inward revelation of the Spirit without or contrair to the written Word it is Enthusiasm and a delusion of his own private spirit neither let any man think it is enough to have the outward revelation of the written Word without the inward operation of the holy Spirit enlightning the understanding by Faith to perceive and assent unto the truth revealed in the Word and enclining the will by love to receive and retain it in the heart for the Lord openeth both the understanding and the heart Luk. 24.45 Act. 16.14 The Gospel is called the word of life Act. 5.20 Because the Gospel is the seed of the new life 1 Pet. 1.23 Faith and belief to the threatnings of the Law is as the Plough to rent the fallow-ground of our heart but Faith conceiving and embracing Christ in the promises of the Gospel is the seed of our regeration Jam. 1.18 Of his own will beg at he us by the word of truth It is called the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 Because in the Gospel remission and reconciliation in the blood of Christ is offered unto all who repent and believe in him Act. 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And it is called The word of Salvation Act. 13.26 Because it is the ordinar mean of Salvation Rom 1.16 2 Thess 2 13. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth That the Gospel is the ordinar mean of Conversion to the Faith of Christ is evident from Reason and clear consequences from Scriptural truths 1. Hope of life and immortality is a strong motive to turn men from the broad way that leadeth unto death and to everlasting destruction Now the Gospel sheweth unto us life and immortality in Christ Jesus Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin 2 Tim. 1.10 The grace of God is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 2. By the knowledge we have of Christ and by believing in him as he is offered in the Gospel we are turned from an estate of condemned rebels unto an estate of persons justified and reconciled in the blood of Jesus Christ Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he shall
his promise of rest to the weary soul bless him for the promise rest upon it by faith and in his own good time he will give the some sense of inward peace from the sense of his love shed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghost for this seal of the Spirit is given after believing Ephes 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise The second thing affirmed by our Lord of himself is I am the truth This is the glorious title of the Supreme God Deut. 32.4 A God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he And the Son of God who thought it no robbery to be equal with God is called here the Truth 1. He is essentially truth as the justice and mercy of God is no other thing but the just and merciful God So the truth of Christ is no other thing but the true and faithful Lord as it is said 1 Joh. 1.5 God is light and in him is no darkness at all So Christ is truth and in him is no possibility of errour In him is infinite wisdom and he cannot be deceived he is infinitely holy and true and cannot deceive any who trusteth into his word 2. He is the prime and suprem Truth the cause of the truth of beeing and essence in all things Col. 1.18 For by him all things consist And he is the cause and author of all morall truth in the thoughts speeches and actions of men 3. He is the truth because by the word of truth revealed out of the Fathers bosom by him who is called Joh. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he is the essential Word and the express Image of the Father and also he is the great Interpreter and Revealer of the will of the Father Joh. 1.18 and by this revealed will he guideth his own Children in the way to everlasting glory Psal 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory 4. He is to speak so morally true even as he was man 1 Pet. 2.22 Guile was not found in his lips 5. He is the truth answerable to all the Prophesies and Promises made concerning him 2 Cor. 1.20 In him all the promises are yea and amen He is the truth answerable to all the legal types as the body to the shadow Joh. 1.17 The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ In the Temple during the Levitical service the lights and lamps were shadows of Christ who was called by John the Baptist the true light Joh. 1.9 And is called by himself the light of the world Joh. 8.12 Thou that art ignorant and mourns under the sense of thine ignorance come to him who is the true light and he will give unto thee that eye-salve even the illumination and unction of the Holy Spirit Rev. 3.17 18. He is the beam and resplendor of the Fathers glory although a man through the weakness of his eyes cannot behold the Sun in his brightness without dazling and confounding his sight yet with much contentment and delight he looketh upon the beams of the Sun So it confounds and astonisheth the Spirit of a Believer to look on God and to think upon his greatness and justice provoked to wrath by his many sins this fight affrights him and maketh him say with Manoah Judg. 13.22 I shall surely die because I have have seen God Therefore look thou on God manifested in his Son Jesus Christ who is the brightness of his Fathers glory Heb. 1.3 Look upon his mercy and love manifested in giving his Son to satisfie divine justice for our sins this fight of God in Christ is a comfortable and reviving fight then may a Believer say as the wife of Manoah said Judg. 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have accepted of Christs offering and satisfaction for us The Lord Jesus Christ is the truth of all the sacrifices under the Law they were a shadow of good things to come to wit of the sacrifice of Christ who offered up himself by death a sacrifice of sweet smel to the Father he is the true Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world Joh. 1 29 Heb. 10.12 We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all August lib. 20. against Faust cap. 21. The flesh and blood of Christ before his coming was promised by the similitude of Sacrifices in the passion and suffering of Christ it was exhibiâ—t by the Truth its self after the ascension of Christ it is solemnly celebrat by the Sacrament of Commemoration upon the Cross he offered up himself to the Father to take away our sins and now in the Word and Sacraments we call to mind his sacrifice and death till he come again 1 Cor. 11.26 As in the Word Christ is not offered to God by the Minister but to us so in the Sacrament he is not offered to God but to us and with him a communion and share in the fruits of his death â— Cor. 10.16 As the blood of the Paschal-lamb was sprinkled upon the posts of the doors and the destroying Angel came not near the house so the application of the Sacrifice of Christ for Propitiation and Salvation is made by Faith Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ He is the Truth of all the legal washings and purifications he is that true Fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness Zach. 13.1 Therefore confess thine uncleanness with the Lepers believe in him who is the truth of all these purifications 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness He is the true Manna that true bread of life Joh. 6.32 My Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven Our Lord is the true Manna 1. The Manna was given to the people of Israel in the wilderness where bread could not be had from any creature so when no creature was able to save man God gave his Son to the death that by faith poor hungry souls might feed on him and be refreshed Isai 59.16 And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no intercessor therefore his arme brought salvation unto him and his Righteousness it sustained him As the people of Israel cryed out in admiration when they saw the Manna Man-hâ—â— what is this So let us admire and cry out what a love is this in God to give his only Son to be the bread of life to feed and preserve those who by nature were enenemies and children of wrath The Manna was white and pleasant to the eye and also sweet and pleasant to the taste like waffers made of hony so Christ in himself the true Manna is most pleasant without spot and without blame as also he is a most pleasant fight
to them that repent and believe the Promise as the sight of a Corner-stone is very comfortable to a weary person sinking under an heavy burden as the sight of the brazen serpent in the wilderness was most comfortable to those who were stung with the fire serpents In like manner the Lord Jesus Christ the true Manna is sweet and precious to Believers 1 Pet. 2.7 He is sweet in the Promises sweet in the first-fruits of eternal life when by the holy Spirit he sheds abroad his love like precious oyntment in our hearts when he gives peace to our Consciences and joy to our hearts in the hope of Salvation but the heart cannot conceive how sweet and comfortable this true Manna will be in Heaven when we shall be filled with the full and everlasting Fruits of his glory then shall we say as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomons glory It was true that was told me on Earth by the Ministers of the Gospel but the half was not told me of that I do now see and enjoy in Heaven 3. They gathered the Manna in the morning so by Faith bring in Christ the true Manna early to feed and refresh thy soul acquaint your selves in time with him for he will not make new acquaintance at his second coming with any who neglected to come to him in this their day He will say to the foolish and sloathful Virgins Depart from me I know you not Mat. 25. Bring Spiritual hunger with you it is a sauce to provoke appetite after Christ the true and hid Manna Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed Bring Faith with you for by it we seed on Christ and draw vertue from him for our spiritual nourishment and preservation unto eternal life Joh. 6.35 And Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thrist 4. God ordained a Pot full of Manna to be kept in remembrance of his special providence toward them in the wilderness that from the remembrance of it they should praise him and by Faith depend on him and his care in time-coming so lay thou up in thy memory any experience of refreshment at any time by the Word or Sacrament and depend on him for time-coming in all thy wants spiritual or bodily when thou findest any faintness or failing of Spirit and no liveliness in thy soul for the time then remember thou bygone experience of former refreshment Our Lord saith to you as to his Disciples Mat. 16.8 9. O ye of little faith why reason ye among your selves do ye not yet understand neither remember the five Loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up c. Remember ye not the former experience ye have had of spiritual refreshment by the holy ordinances of God Then say thou to thy disquieted Soul as Psal 42.6 O my God my soul is cast down within me therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites from the hill Mizar And resolve thou and conclude as the Prophet doth vers 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Seeing our blessed Lord is the Truth in his lips was never found guile truth and faithfulness cleaveth to his reins as a girdle Isa 11.5 In all thy doubts of acceptance into his favour or perseverance in his favour I speak to thee who art humbled under thy sins and in thy fear and unbelief standest aloof from him consider he is the Truth and hath promised acceptance to all who wearied of their sins come unto him Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wayes cast out And as he hath promised acceptance so he hath promised the grace of perseverance Joh. 10.27.28 My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Object I cannot deny my own sense for I am weary of sin and yet I find no sensible rest and quietness to my soul notwithstanding the promise of rest Ans 1. Consider well the ground of thy weariness that thou be not wearied only of sin as it carrieth along with it a burden of wrath and punishment thus Cain was wearied when he said my punishment is heavier then I can bear but also that thou be wearied of it as an unclean and vile thing as it is an offence against thy gracious God then if thou be thus wearied come to Christ the precious corner-stone laid in Sion and although thou get not rest to thy sense as thou wouldest yet make not haste to depart from waiting on him he that believeth shall not make haste Isa 28.16 wait on and adhere to the promise made to all who cast their burden upon Christ the precious corner-stone laid in Sion because those who rest on his promise and on him in whom all the promises are yea and amen shall not be ashamed of their hope 1 Pet. 2.6 Wherefore it is contained in the Scripture behold I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone Elect Precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded 2. Consider there is a fourfold rest 1. The rest or acquiescence of faith to the faithful promise of God as a debtor hath some rest in his mind when the Creditor promiseth to forgive him the debt although he hath not yet gotten his acquittance and discharge 2. There is a rest in hope of the thing promised though there be some commotion in the Spirit through weakness of Faith untill the promise be performed to their sense this rest is like unto some rest the ship that was formerly tossed with the waves has now at Anchor although not without some agitation and commotion 3. There is a rest and peace in the soul from the full assurance of Faith when the heart is perswaded by the holy Spirit and a lively faith resting on Jesus Christ that their sins are forgiven them and that they are reconciled in the blood of Jesus Christ such an assurance had Paul Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This rest is like the quietness a great debtor has in his spirit after he hath received his discharge out of the hand of his creditor 4. There is the rest of vision and fruition in Heaven when we shall ee and enjoy God and be satisfied to the ull with that fulness of joy and with those pleasures
or predestinated 1 Pet. 1.20 This manner of death of our blessed Lord upon the Cross was necessary 1. That he might be answerable to that type of the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wilderness Job 3.14 And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up 2. That by this manner of death he might deliver us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree He underwent a temporary curse to deliver us from the eternal curse and wrath due to the transgressours of the Moral Law Although there be no proportion between the suffering of a temporary curse and the suffering of an eternal curse due to us yet the dignity of the person suffering did give infinit value to the merit of his suffering Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God And the person suffering being the Son of God made the vertue and efficacy of his death to be of infinit power to purge away our sins and reconcile God to us 1 Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 3. Our blessed Lord died upon the Cross that by this shameful death he might merit our exaltation unto favour with God in this life for he made our peace with God through the blood of his Cross Col. 1.20 and that he might merit our exaltation unto everlasting glory in the life to come Heb. 12.2 For the joy that was set before him he endured the Cross this joy and glory set before him as Mediator was that glory and triumph he should obtain over all his and his Churches enemies It should be our great desire and endeavour with the Apostle to know Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 To this knowledge all humane learning should be subservient It is of special use 1. It will inflame thine heart with love to the Father whō gave him to the death of the Cross for thee that thou shouldest not perish but believing in him thou might be reconciled with God and get eternal life It will inflame thy heart with love to the Prince of glory when thou considerest for whom he suffered this ignominious death of the Cross It was even for thee who by nature was an enemy to God at first by a wicked inclination and after thou camest to the years of discretion thou wast a rebel by thy wicked actings and works Men sometimes have died for their friends as Codrus and Curius for the good of their countrey but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 when thou considerest the painfulness of his death hands and feet were pierced and nailed to the tree of the Cross In the hands and feet which are the extremities of the body the sinewes meet together and convey the pain to all the parts of the body And the purer and finer the complexion be the sense of feeling is the more quick as a sound and cleanly body is more sensible of the cold piercing Air than a gross humorous body Look in narrowly to the inside of his sufferings even the greatness of his soul-sufferings they cannot be conceived how extreme they were therefore the Greek Church in their publick prayers said For the sake of Christs unknown sufferings have mercy upon us O Lord. We may know something of them from his expressions my soul is exceeding sorrowful Thou may see something of them in his bloody sweat our raging fever in our sinning brought on him this bloody sweat that thereby he might cure us of the burning fever of sin we hear something of his soul-sufferings from his most sad complaint to the Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me we had forsaken God days without number and he was deserted of comfort for a time to satisfie for our sinful desertions and bring us into a communion of favour and glory with God Consider the shamefulness of his death He was exposed to the publick shame and reproach of his enemies and of all the beholders and shame to an ingenious spirit is worse than death it racks and breaks their heart Psal 69.20 Reproach hath broken my heart Consider his willingness to die Isa 50.6 I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Phil. 2.8 He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Consider for what end our blessed Lord suffered all this pain and shame his back was furrowed with stripes and scourges that by his stripes we might be healed his head was crowned with thorns to get us a crown of immortal glory he suffered all this pain and shame to save thee from extreme and endless pain and shame How should a sick patient love his Physician that preveens a dangerous fever And how should a malefactor love the man who kept him from the shame of the pillory How much more should we love our blessed Lord who by the death of the Cross hath saved us from that unquenchable fire and hath preserved us from eternal shame and confusion 2. The frequent and serious meditation on the Cross of Christ will keep thine heart humble with godly sorrow for thy bygone sins that crucified the Lord of glory Zach. 12.10 And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only son c. It will mortifie the love of sin in thee for time coming sorrow and shame are two mortifying passions as a debtor is sorry and ashamed of the distress his surety was put to for his debt and he is very sparing to take on new debt 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hemmeth us in and makes us strait-laced not to dispense with our selves to debord toward any thing may offend him who died such a death to satisfie divine justice for our debts and sins It will mortifie thee to the World to the deceitful pleasures thereof and to such things as take up the thoughts and affections of too many Gal. 6.14 But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Joy in the Cross of Christ suppresseth and in end quencheth all sinful joy as sweet odours bear down the stench of noisom and corrupt vapours so the sweet smell of Christ crucified doth bear down our vile lusts This joy in the Cross of Christ surpasseth even all
of the Spirit in us is the foundation of all our spiritual and supernatural actings without this life men are dead in sin and cannot grow in grace without it men are dead and cannot walk in the wayes of Gods commandments without it men are dead and cannot understand nor perceive the things of God in a saving way for the salvation of their souls 1 Cor. 2.14 2. The necessity of the life of grace wrought in us by the Spirit appeareth in this because without it there is no coming to the life of glory Joh 3.5 This life of grace is the infancy of the life of glory and as one cannot grow up to the perfect stature of a man unless he hath been first an infant so a man cannot be a perfect man in glory except first he be an infant in the state of grace as one cannot be put into actual possession of an inheritance till he first be born into the world so no man can be put into the possession of the heavenly inheritance until first he be born over-again by the holy Spirit the author of the life of grace and the preparer and preserver of us for the life of glory This life in or through the Spirit is absolute necessar even for all men who would come to the life of glory for it is said indefinitly Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Though he were never so nobly descended of earthly progenitors yet if he live not in the Spirit it may be said of him as of Judas It had been good for him he had never been born 3. It is necessar for our comfort to assure us we are united to Christ and that neither life nor death shall separat us from him as life in the branch is an evidence of its ingrafture and union with the Tree So our partaking of the life of the Spirit is a comfortable evidence that Christ is in us by the indwelling of his Spirit and we are in him by faith and love 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 3. This life in the Spirit is an excellent life if simply considered in it self 1. In respect of that true and pure pleasure that attends it the deceitful pleasures of a sinful life are like the sting of an asp casting a man into a deep sleep but when the conscience is awaked the heart through fear is as Pashur Magor-missabib fear round about the conscience of a sinful liver is like a chiding wife in the bosome casting up to the man all the former evil wayes he has walked in in the dayes of his former life But the godly and spiritual liver has much inward pleasure and soul-satisfaction Pro. 14.14 The back-slider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes and a good man shall be satisfied from himself His good conscience from the sense of the life of the Spirit within him is like Abishag to David in his old age it doth cherish the inner-man and warm it with a sense of Gods love shed abroad in the heart by the holy Spirit it sweetens common mercies to the man who lives in the Spirit The primitive believers from the sense and comfort of the life in the Spirit did eat their meat with gladeness and singlness of heart Acts 2.46 Oh that profane and worldly-minded men who speak of a holy and spiritual life as a condition sad and comfortless would become spiritual livers in the Spirit and take a proof of that estate of life I say to these men as Philip said to Nathanael Come and see and after sight and proof ye will say as the Queen of Sheba did it was true that was told me but not the half of that contentment and joy I find by experience to be in a godly and spiritual life was told me The life in the Spirit has great and certain gain accompanying it together with much unspeakabl contentment 1 Tim. 6.6 Godliness with contentment that is which has contentment alwayes attending it is great gain 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come It has the promise of temporal blessings Psal 34.6 7. Rom. 8.28 and of eternal blessings 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him These who live in the Spirit do live in great honour and reputation with God and the greater and wiser the person is who doth bestow the honour it is the greater but so it is that the great and wise God doth esteem much of men of an holy and spiritual life he calleth them his Treasure Psal 135.4 his inheritance and portion Psal 35.12 his jewels Mal. 3.17 The friends of God 2 Chron. 20.7 The sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 This life in the Spirit is excellent if compared with the natural life the life of the sense is common to us with the brute beasts whereof some do excel men in some outward senses the life of reason is common to us with Pagans and Infidels and many of them in their philosophy hath excelled us yea our living under the outward means of Word and Sacraments is common to us with many hypocrits and castawayes but this life in the Spirit is far more excellent than that of sense and reason as a man by reason doth far excel the most sagacious beast so doth a man living in the spirit excel the greatest Moralists who were or are void of the life of grace by the Spirit natural men partake of the divine gifts but spiritual and godly men are made partakers of the divine nature by way of assimilation 2· Pet. 1 4. And as for men living or rather dieing and stinking above the earth in their vile lusts a godly and spiritual life doth excel that vile and miserable life as far as light doth darkness and Heaven doth Hell Seing we live the life of grace by the Spirit we should be very watchful that we grieve not the Spirit 1. It is the worst sort of unthankfulness to render evil for good and it is also unnatural for children to grieve their parents that under God are the author of their natural life How great a sin then is it to grieve the holy Spirit the author of thy spiritual life 2. Thou art sealed by the Spirit who sealeth thy eternal redemption to thy faith by the promises of the Gospel and more clearly by the administration of the holy Sacraments as the outward common seal and effectually by the graces of the holy Spirit of sanctification as the inward and privy seal of thine heavenly inheritance Ephes 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise And how loath are men and