us Aaron and his Successors in the Office of High Priest were appointed to offer the great Sacrifice of yearly Attonement at the Altar and with the Blood thereof to enter into the Holy of Holies and to sprinkle the Mercy-Seat their Throne of Grace with that Blood Lev. 16.14 Our Lord Jesus the Anti-type offered the Sacrifice of himself in his death and in and with the virtue of that Sacrifice he entred Heaven to sprinkle the highest Altar therewith It is but a fond Popish fancy to think that there do remain visible Marks and Signatures of his humbled State on the glorified body of our Lord Jesus that is indeed to know Christ after the Flesh in a bad sense 2 Cor. 5.16 But his entring with his own blood is spiritually to be understood that Christ's Appearance in Heaven is to bring up a Memorial continually before God of the virtue and savour of that Sacrifice he offered without the Gates of Jerusalem Eph. 5.2 Christ loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour This savour never spends or wears out The Blood of Jesus in the Virtue of it in the Merit of it and in the Power of it is as fresh this day as in the day it was shed on the Cross He is still the â—ew-slain way to the holiest of all Heb. 10.20 â—s fresh and fragrant as ever If Men by their â—nbelief count it old or stale and to have lost â—ts savour and virtue to themselves and if they will seek for somewhat else to procure them â—cceptance in Heaven let them try and peâ—ish for none can help them that reject Christ â—ut our Lord presents nothing for the Salvation of his Body the Church but his own Blood and nothing else is accepted in Heaven for this End but that precious Blood And all they to whose Consciences this Blood is applyed and who come unto it and feel its virtue and power will abhor all vain and dangerous mixtures of any thing with this Sovereign Balsom It is always savoury in Heaven and it is always savoury to all them that are in the right way to Heaven Our Lord in his Intercession fills Heaven with the Almighty and Eternal savour of his Blood and Heaven is filled with the Praises of it and of the shedder of it Rev. 5.9,12 If its savour do not fill the parts of the Earth where it is preached it is because Men have lost or rather never had the spiritual sense that only can take in this savour and not because this Blood is impaired in its virtue But this is the sin and misery of this condemned World that what is most savoury in Heaven is least savoured on Earth and what is most sought after prized and doted on in Earth is vanity and abomination in Heaven Luke 16.15 3. In Christ's Intercession there is his knowledge of and sympathy with the Ails and Distresses of his people This the Apostle takes notice of in ver 15. His knowledge of their Distresses we can more easily account for than for his Sympathy His Omniscience as God we believe Peter sweetly owned it John 21.15,16,17 O that Christ would with power ask the same Question at all of you and that you could give the same Answer Christ's Question is lovest thou me more than these Not long since thou said'st so what saist thou now Peter's Answer is Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee And on the repeating of the Question Peter gives the same Answer ver 16. When Christ a third time ask'd the same Question Peter was grieved ver 17. and answers thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee As if he said I dare not compare my Love to thee with that of others to thee thou hast reason to question my love to thee because of my late woful denyal of thee but yet I dare call thee to Witness who knowest all things that I do love thee Though all my Brethren love thee better than I do or can though I be more unworthy than any to be loved by thee yet I am sure I love thee If the love of Christ were as a hot Fire within and its Coals were casting out a vehement Flame as Song 8.6 Believers would more often call Christ by that sweet Name sweet to us to speak and sweet to him to hear O thou whom my Soul loveth Song 1.7 Miserable Souls are they who love not Christ And dull unobservant people are they that know not what or whom their Souls love Is the love of Christ a meer Notion Is it not a most sensible holy and spiritual Passion or rather a heavenly Grace Can Men love Christ and not feel it Should they feel it and not avow it Is there any thing we should be ashamed of in the love of Christ but the shameful smalness of it That our highest and hottest love is so unsutable a Return to his incomparable Loveliness and his Wonderful Love to us and the dear Demonstrations of it All ye that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity look on him and love him more love him with all your Souls and blush with shame that you love him no better Blow the coals of Love by Faith and let the Flame mount up to Heaven and ascend ye in the Flame of the Altar as Manoah's Angel did Judg. 13.20 You that doubt of your Love to Christ go to him fall down before him answer Peter's Question according to the true sense of your Souls and it will be Lord thou knowest that I love thee Love Christ and ye will quickly feel ye love him A sight of Christ will beget Love and Love will quickly speak for it self 2 Cor. 5.14,15 But for Christ's Sympathy with his people this is harder to conceave than his knowledge of their Distresses It is a Sympathy different from what he had in the days of his own Infirmity it is as tender but not disturbing as real but not afflicting It is inconsistent with his glorifieâ— State to have any trouble His Sympathy it self is to be believed the manner how it acts is unsearchable Heb. 2.17 In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 4.15 He is touched with the feeling of our Infirmities and was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin About this deep point of Christ's Sympathy we may soberly conceave 1. Our Lord's Remembrance of his own Infirmities Temptations and Afflictions in the days of his Flesh This is plain and certain 2. His sure and distinct particular Knowledge and Remembrance of his people and of all that concerns them within and without 3. His Interest in them and Care of them and Concern for them as his Members 4. His Power and Wisdom as their Head to send down vital Influences upon them as their Case requires Eph. 4.16 Col. 2.19 Lastly Christ's
saved by grace Eph. 2.5 Nothing but grace can save a sinner and if it were not the grace of God and therefore Omnipotent it could not save Is not it a great help to be helped to Salvation Is not that a great lift to be delivered from the power of darkness and to be translated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son Col. 1.13 Who would not prize and desire a saving lift of God's grace All that have found it value it and they that never found it should but will not beg it earnestly The grace of God brings Salvation Tit. 2.11 It brings it near to Men in the Gospel This is all that it doth to many But to some this grace brings Salvation and gives it plants it in their Hearts and waters it and makes it grow with the increases of God till it be ripe full-grown Salvation Would you be helped to Heaven Imploy amd implore the grace of God it only can do it And must not they perish and do they not perish justly that will not accept of saving grace nor beg it when they must perish without it 2. Grace helps to grace All the grace that is given to us is but a drop from the great Fountain of grace that we make our Application to The first grace that is in us is a Gift and Stream of that grace that is with him That gracious change that is wrought on a Sinner by which of a graceless he is made a graoious Person How do you think it is brought about There is a mystery in it that a Master in Israel did not know John 3.9,10 No Similitude from the old Creation can fully declare it yet some of them are used in the Word and give some light This Work of Grace on the Ungodly whom this Grace falls on is like a Sun-beam darted from the body of the Sun of Righteousness upon a Sinner dead in Sins that doth immediately quicken him and enliven him It is both Light and Life It is all originally in Christ and out of his fulness given to all that partake of it John 1.4 In him was life and the life was the light of men Joh 8.12 I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life saith our Lord Jesus Christ is such a Sun that all on whom his gracious Beams light are saved he quickens all he shines upon Men perish under the Gospel indeed but it is because the Light of it shines only about them and without them 2 Cor. 4.4,6 but not into their Hearts All the grace whereby any and all the redeemed of the Lord are converted beautified and saved is from the highest Spring grace in Christ 1 Tim. 1.14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus How came Paul by all the Faith and Love his blessed Soul was filled with All came from the grace of the Lord Jesus And every partaker of true grace will own the same Original 3. This helping grace which we should ask not only helps to Salvation and Grace but also helps grace it self The grace receaved must be refreshed and watered and made to grow by influences from the same Fountain from whence it first flowed or else it will wither quickly Therefore we have the grace of God in the Fountain to betake our selves unto for the helping of his grace in us For tho' grace as in Christ needs no help yet his grace given to and dwelling in us needs a great deal The Father of the Lunatick Mark 9.22,24 came to throne of grace but sorrily What a marvellous change was wrought in him and that suddenly In his first Address he acted Unbelief grosly in the next he acts Faith professeth Faith and prays Christ's help against his Unbelief Many did cast out Devils in Christ's Name but none could help other folks Unbelief nor their own His begging help against his Unbelief was the same Prayer with that of the Apostles Luke 17.5 Lord increase our faith And it gave more Honour to Christ in his Office of a Saviour and did signifie more both of true Faith in Christ and of an honest heart in the Man than if he had addressed with the highest Confidence to the Lord to cast the Devil out of his Son The Youth is lying wallowing and foaming and torn by the evil Spirit in the sight of his tender Father Yet no sooner doth the light of Faith shine in his Heart but he seeth a Devil of Vnbelief there also and he first begs that Christ would cast out that and help his Faith for helping of Vnbelief and helping of Faith is the same thing He that seeks the helping of his Vnbelief seeks the removing of it and he that seeks the helping of hie Faith seeks the increase and strengthening of it And both are done by the same Hand by the same Act of Grace and at the same time whenever and where-ever they are done And as it is with Faith so is it with all the graces of the Spirit in Believers they do need help of his grace And it must be sought at the throne of grace Can you say I repent add Lord help my Impenitence I love say Lord help its coldness and blow it up to a flame Where the true grace of God is there is still some sense of its weakness and inclination after an encrease therein and some dependance acted on the Lord who began the good work for performing it to the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 4. The grace of God helps our Infirmities Rom. 8.26 If it were not written we should think it hard to use the expression If the Spirit of God plant grace in the Heart is not that fair if he water his own Plants is not that fair Nay but saith the Apostle he helps our Infirmities also Might not the Holy Spirit disdain to have any dealing with the Infirmities of his People Yes but he will not If he take no care of our Infirmities we may and must be lost thereby A Criminal pardoned by an Act of Grace may die of a Disease if not cured may starve of hunger and cold if not provided with necessaries may be slain by his Enemies if not protected Sense of Infirmities should make us beg helping Grace 5. Grace helps in all the Work and Duty we are called to Without assisting grace the least piece of Work cannot be rightly done and by its help any Work may be done 2 Cor. 9.8 God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work There is Grace all grace and its abounding in God toward his people From this given to them there is sufficiency and all sufficiency and that always and in all things and thence flows good work every good work and abounding to every good work Like to this is his Prayer Heb. 13.21 The
lifted up is not upright in him But the just shall live by Faith To bottom Expectations of grace from God on the account of any good real or apprehended in us or done by us is not only destructive of Humility but of Faith also A Boaster is an abominable Creature at the throne of grace but a Pleader for and Expectant of Grace for Grace's sake is an humble Believer and a right Courtier at this Throne Exhort 3. You must not only seek grace when you come to the throne of grace and expect it when you seek it but you must be careful to receave grace when it is given Make room for it What is said by the Lord in the Prophet Mal. 3.10 though spoke in another case is applicable to this I will open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a Blessing that there shall not be room enough to receave it Felt Want and strong Faith make much room for the grace of God Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 It must be a wide-mouth'd Soul that takes in and a well-filled Soul that receaves a fill of God How mighty is that Prayer Eph. 3.17,18,19 We have all need not only to get it by heart but to get it into our Hearts and to send it up to Heaven daily from our Hearts Paul makes a special Preface to that Prayer ver 14 15. In it he prays for the strengthening of the inner man by the spirit ver 16. That Christ might dwell in their Hearts by Faith ver 17. That being rooted in love they might measure the dimensions of Christ's love and know it that passeth knowledge ver 18 19. Can any Man go higher in Prayer Yes one step higher That ye might he filled with all the fulness of God Now who hath room in his Soul for the answer of such a Prayer as this is If we had not these mighty Words in this way we should be tempted to think that it were rather a Prophecy of what is to be enjoyed within the Vail than a Prayer of Faith to be put up by Travellers in the way to Heaven and for Blessings to be enjoyed in the House of their Pilgrimage But a Prayer it is and some good performance is given within time though the main measure of the answer of this as of all the most spiritual Prayers of Saints in this lise is referved for the day of the Lord. It is a greater matter both of Duty and Dimculty than most Christians think to have the everlasting Doors of our Souls lifted up and cast open that the King of Glory may enter with his super-abounding grace Many Believers take much pains and make many Prayers for that grace of God which yet they teceave not when it comes and craves room and admittance Grace comes always in and with Jesus Christ Whatever therefore hinders his Welcome excludes his Grace from entering Grace comes in and by the Promise If the Promise be not receaved by Faith how can the Grace promised be receaved Grace comes always as Grace free and undeserved How can a proud Person receave it And there is Pride often working in the Discouragements of Christians They find they want much of the helping grace of God they ask it they see it in the Promises and in Christ's hand But they think should such as I lay hold on such a precious gift as his grace Why not It is grace grace offered of grace given of grace Do you need it Why do you not receave it and make room for it Some receave not that grace that is tendered to them because it is not the particular grace they sought and expected or because it comes not to them in that way they looke for it in Others receave not nor welcome the grace they beg because they think they cannot receave it They look on Receaving as a great and difficult business far above their ability But is refusing of it hard also Alas that is easie because natural to our Hearts Is not the seed of Receaving in all sincere asking and expecting of grace from God receaving of his grace is no more but a Heart-willingness that his grace may enter in and act like it self upon us And this receaving act of Faith doth greatly glorifie God Some think it very strange and hardly credible that any Believer can ask earnestly that grace which when tendered he is not willing to receave See how it was with some eminent-Saints Job 9.16 If I had called and he had answered me yet would not I believe that he had hearkened unto my voice Why so for he breaketh me with a tempest ver 17. But may not fatherly Love and Correction be together on a Believer Rev. 3.10 Yet the sense of the smart of Correction is a strong Temptation to question the Love of the Correcter David or Asaph Psal 77.1,2 I cried unto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave ear unto me Who would think that this Man refused to be comforted Did he not pray for Confolation Yet he saith My Soul refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my Spirit was overwhelmed There is a peevishness of Unbelief that Christians should watch against Exhort 4. You must take care to guide this helping grace of God when you have receaved it Guiding of grace is an Art and Mystery that Christians should study diligently The rule of this Art is this Guide the grace of God receaved by you for those ends for which it is given by him Now what ends hath the Lord in giving of his grace They are only two 1. For the Praise and Glory of the Giver 2. For the Benefit of the Receavers Guide his Grace for those ends and you guide and use it well Christians have little of his Grace and complain sorrowfully not because he gives and they receave little but because they guide and manage this richest Talent poorly Dare any Believer forbear to say if I had kept all I had got and guided well all he hath given I had been far richer in Grace than now I am Misguiding of Grace receaved is the greatest Sin because an abuse of the greatest Blessing Watch against it if you love his Glory and your own Weal I come now to the forth and last thing in the Verse about this Grace of God and that is the Seasonableness of its Help It helps always but especially in time of need On this I shall now only note some few things in general Obs 1. Whatever Believers present Case be a time of need may come And they should foresee it Though they know not particular Circumstances yet they should lay their account with it The Lord gives faithful Warnings in the Word Faith should take them We see the times of need that many others come in and we should take warning by their Experience Every Christian hath found times of special need formerly the like may
THE THRONE OF GRACE Discoursed of from HEB. IV. 16. By Robert Trail M. A. Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by J. Orme for Nathanael Hiller at the Prince's Arms in Leaden-hall-Street over against St. Mary Ax Church 1696. PREFACE WHat is in this Book offered to your Reading was some years since preached in the ordinary Couse of my Ministry on a Week day with no more thought that is none at all of Printing it than I had of Publishing this way anything I have preached these Seven and twenty years wherein I have been exercised in the Ministry of the Word save one single Sermon extorted from me about fourteen years ago The Publishing of such plain Discourses is singly owing to the Importunity of some of the Hearers and to the Assistance they gave me by getting what I spake transcribed from two Short-hand Writers without which I could not have Published it My own Notes being only little Scraps of Heads of Doctrine and Scriptures confirming them In the same way I had brought to me what I spoke from Heb. 10.23,24 and have it lying by me which may also see the Light if the Lord will that I live and if this be accepted of such whose Testimony I only value I mean such as are sound in the Faith and exercised in the life of Faith I know no true Religion but Christianity No true Christianity but the Doctrine of Christ of his Divine Person the Image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 of his Divine Office the Mediator betwixt God and Men 1 Tim. 2.5 of his Divine Righteousness He is the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 Which Name is also called upon his Church Jer. 33.16 and of his Divine Spirit which all that are his receave Rom. 8 9. I know no true Ministers of Christ but such as make it their Business in their Calling to commend Jesus Christ in his Saving fulness of Grace and Glory to the faith and love of Men. No true Christian but one united to Christ by Faith and abiding in him by Faith and Love unto the glorifying of the Name of Jesus Christ in the Beauties of Gospel-Holiness Ministers and Christians of this Spirit have for many years been my Brethren and Companions and I hope shall ever be whithersoever the Hand of God shall lead me Through the Lord's Mercy to me as to many in London I have often heard what is far more worthy of the Press than any thing I can publish I have not been negligent in desiring such able Ministers of the New Testament to let their Light shine this way but have little prevailed It may be this mean Essay may provoke them more to that good Work Whatever you may think of my way of managing this Subject and indeed there is nothing in that either as designed or expected by me or that in it self deserveth any great Regard Yet the Theme it self all must judge who have spiritual Senses is of great Importance and always seasonable It is concerning the Throne of God's Saving Grace reared up in Jesus Christ and revealed unto Men in the Gospel with the Application all should make to that Throne The great Blessings to be reaped by that Application and Men's great need of those Blessings This greatest of Subjects is meanly but honestly handled in the same Order in which it was Preached and mostly in the same Words Some few Passages out of History are inserted which were not spoken May the Lord of the Harvest who ministred this Seed to the Sower make it Bread to the Eater and accompany it with his Blessing on some that are called to inherit a Blessing and I have my End and Desire the Reader shall have the Benefit and the Lord the Glory For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be Glory for ever Amen London March 25. 1696. Ro. Trail ERRATA PAge 2. line 3. read Acts 9.22 and 17.2,3 and l. 18. for held r. hold p. 3. l. 3. for exhortation r. expression p. 20. l. 24. r. receaving p. 26. l. ult r. Righteousness p. 47. l. 5. for 4. r. 3. p. 78. l. 10. for considering r. consider and l. 16. r. I will p. 97. l. 23. r. God p. 127. l. 4. a. f. for better r. bitter p. 128. l. 5. for a r. as p. 135. l. 3. for Lord r. God p. 138. l. 25. for never r. ever p. 141. l. 9. a f. dele is p. 162 for Creations r. Creation p. 177. l. 6. for 73. r. 78. p. 189. l. 7. for it is r. is it p. 213. l. 15. r. able to take and l. 20. r. Rom. 8. p. 222. l. 11. r. for sa r. as p. 239. l. 9. r. inverting p. 249. l. 13. for Man r. Men or Many p. 250. l. 4. for in r. as p. 253. for on r. one ADVERTISEMENTS THE Righteousness of God through Faith upon all without difference who believe in two Sermons on Rom. 3.22 By Nathanael Mather Preacher of the Gospel 1694. The Conquests and Triumphs of Grace Being a Brief Narrative of the Success which the Gospel hath had among the Indians in New England By Matthew Mayheu 1695. Batteries upon the Kingdom of the Devil By Mr. Cotton Mather Author of the late memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions and of early Piety exemplified 1695. A Learned and accurate Discourse concerning the Guilt of Sin Pardon of that Guilt and Prayer for that Pardon Written many Years ago By the Reverend Mr. Thomas Gilbert Minister of the Gospel lately deceased at Oxford 1695. A Letter to Dr. Bates concerning a Vindication of the Doctor and my self necessitated by Mr. W's his Answer to Mr. Humfrey By S. L. 1695. All Printed for Nath. Hiller at the Prince's-Arms in Leaden-hall-street over-against St. Mary-axe 1695. HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need THE main drift of the blessed Apostle the Holy Ghosts Penman in this Excellent Epistle is to set forth the preheminence of our Lord Jesus Christ first in his Divine Person far above all Angels who are bid Worship him even when dwelling in Man's Nature If the God-head of our Lord Jesus Christ be hid from the readers of this Epistle it must be by a special Power of the God of this world on their unbelieving minds 2 Cor. 4.3,4 Will blinded men forbear to call the Son God when the Father speaks so Chap. 1.8 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Then the Apostle speaks of his Incarnation chap. 2.11 c. and therewith speaks of his Priesthood chap. 3 The Apostle compares Christ with and prefers him above Moses chap. 3. then above Aaron as a Priest chap. 7. and compares him with Melchisedech an eminent Type of Christ By this Epistle we may know what Paul's reasonings with the Jews were Acts 9.23 and what is the right way of dealling with the Jews at this day till Christs Divine
as if there was no Throne of Grace at all They that never hear of Christ must perish It is an idle dream that the efficacy of Christ's Death may be apply'd and profitable to the saving of adult persons that never heard of him There is no Salvation for Men but by Jesus Christ there is no knowing of it or partaking of it but by the word of Truth the Gospel of our Salvation Eph. 1.13 Christ and his name go together Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other No Saviour but he For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved No other way of getting good by him but by hearing of his Name and believing on his Name How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.14 It is a wonderful Mercy to hear of Him But Wo to them that hear and do not believe None can believe without hearing Rom. 10.17 But alas many hear and believe not Isa 53.1 2. Consider the great advantages of this priviledge of having a Throne of Grace erected for us and revealed to us All blessings may be had here by coming for them If there was such a Throne in this world for Silver and Gold and Health and outward Mercies what strange crowding would there be to it The Blessings to be had here are innumerable for multitude All spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.3 Blessings invaluable for their worth Eternal in their duration most free in their Tenure and all given in Love Every act of favour from the throne of grace is more worth than all God's common Mercies Lord lift up upon us the light of thy countenance Psal 4.6,7 that will put joy into the soul Every thing given at the throne of grace is a blessing of Grace It s very name should teach people how to come and how to call what they get at it If it be a throne of Grace we should come to it as empty needy Beggars and when we recieve any thing there we should call and count it Grace Ask all Saints on Earth and they will witness that great and good things are to be had at the throne of grace Try it your selves and you will find it is not invain to beg here Nay the damned in Hell do bear sad witness that great are the blessings that are to be had at the throne of grace which they feel and know by their woful and eternal loss of them The glorified in Heaven know what a rich throne of grace this is Only sinners on earth will not believe this nor use this throne as they should 3. Consider that this Court and Throne is of short continuance It will not be kept up always There is a limitation of the time of its lasting As Heb. 4.7 He limiteth a certain day The day of the continuance of the throne of grace is bounded and limited with four days The day of a mans life the Gospel day the Worlds day and the Spirits day 1. The day of every mans life This hath bounds set to it by God Job 14.5 The throne of Grace continues unto men no longer than they live When men die they go not to the throne of grace but of Glory and Judgment If we have sped well at the throne of grace we shall be welcome to the throne of glory The uncertainty and shortness of life with the certainty of the expiring of all Treaties betwixt God and us about Salvation at the end of Life should make people careful to secure the main matter in Gods time 2. There is the Gospel day this is also set and limited by the Lord. He hath determined how many offers you shall have of Christ and when they come to an end there will not be one more And then the throne of grace is taken down as to you Luke 19.42 If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes saith our Lord to Jerusalem This was the ending determining day to Jerusalem as a City and to its Inhabitants as a Body though many particular persons had another day of grace Yet the slipping of that day hangs on that poor people and their Posterity to this very day 3. There is the Worlds day and then the day of grace will end as to all when the Bridegroom cometh they that are ready enter with him to the marriage and the door was shut Matth. 25.10 There was no more grace to be dispensed to men and we know not when that day will come Miserable is their case who shall see Christ coming in the Clouds of Heaven before they have seen him by Faith in the Gospel who heart the voice of the Archangel and the Trump of God before they have heard the quickning voyce of the Son of God from the throne of grace who have neglected calling on him in time and begin out of time Luke 13.25 When the Master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open to us Is it not just that they should be kept at the shut door that would not enter at an open door in Christ's time and when he called When Christ comes and hath shut the door no man will be let in knock as he will Now while the throne of grace is patent no man will be kept out be what he will that hath a mind to enter and knocks for entrance 4. There is the Spirits day Here is a great depth of Gods Soveraignty and Wisdom a great depth of his Severity an unaccountable and awful Judgment how the Spirit of God strives with men in the Gospel how near he comes to them sometimes how close he besiegeth them that they seem to be on the point of yielding and are not far from the kingdom of God and yet he draws back his hand and leaves them I believe that many ungodly men many reprobates have been sometimes in their life nearer to Heaven if such may be said to be near to Heaven that never come there then many an Elect person was half an hour before his Conversion Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not always strive with man What kind of striving this was and what became of them striven with we have 1 Pet. 3.19,20 Nothing will more bitterly aggravate the eternal misery of the Damned than the remembrance of this that they had a day and in that day grace offered to them and that they did reject the offer Mens carnal hearts are now full of cavils against the unsearchable methods and ways of God towards the Sons of Men but the last days Judgment will determine and declare That in the perdition of the Ungodly there was and is most pure and unspotted Justice and Righteousness and in the salvation of all the Elect pure perfect and predominant grace that
to manage it aright This verse gives us a great Directory how to perform in a right manner this great Duty 1. It tells us whether to come To a Throne of Grace 2. How we should come With boldness Addresses to God may many ways miscarry if not made to the true God God in Christ if not in the right manner We have here one thing about the right manner Coming with boldness On this I proposed two things to be handled 1. What is the Nature of this allowed Boldness 2. What Grounds are for it 1. On the Nature of this Boldness I began to speak last day and did mainly insist on the Negative Now it follows to speak of the Positive It is the boldness of Faith that is allowed and commanded here Eph. 3.12 Faith is a marvellous Grace both in its Original in its Foundation and in its Actings and Exercise It is the meanest and lowest of all Graces every Grace brings somewhat considerable Love brings a flaming Heart Repentance bring a bleeding Heart Obedience brings a working Hand Patience brings a broad Back for the Smiter but Faith brings only an empty Heart and Hand to be filled with borrowed and gifted Blessings And yet Faith is the highest and loftiest Grace it cannot rest till it be in at the Heart and Love of God in Christ Faith if I may so speak can both be in Heaven and Hell at the same time The Believer looking on himself as in himself the Apostle's distinction 2. Cor. 3.5 our selves as of our selves judgeth himself to the Pit of Hell as his deserved Lot but when he looks on himself as in Christ he sits high Eph. 2.5,6 and makes bold to enter into the Holiest of all Heb. 10.19 How many contrary Sentiments of himself doth a Believer express only salved from being Contradictions by this distinction that the Word reveals and Faith improves I know that in me dwells no good thing Rom. 7.18 How no good thing in a Man full of the Holy Ghost a Man rich in the Grace of Christ A Man that had laboured more abundantly than all the twelve Apostles 1 Cor. 15.10 Yea saith he in me that is in my Flesh dwells no good thing A Believer as in himself and a Believer as in Christ are in a manner two different distinct contrary persons A Believer as in Christ is a new Creature as in himself and the remainders of Corruption in him is an old Man still or rather hath much of the old Man in him A Christian hath two different opposite◠〈◊〉 in him as the Apostle elegantly and deeply discourseth Rom. 7.19 end This Genius of Faith is much to be heeded in its bold Addresses to the throne of grace This boldness of Faith in this Court of Grace acts in four 1. In a free access at all times and in all Cases It is a Priviledge allowed by the Lord to his People and embraced and improved by their Faith There is no forbidden time in which we may not come No such command as in that King's Court Esther 3.11 Here it is proclaimed Psal 62.8 Trust in him at all times Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God There cannot be a more large and comprehensive account of the Matter of allowed Addresses to the throne of grace than this The Apostle prescribes Prayer as a cure of perplexing Care he hints that every thing that is or may be the matter of Care may lawfully be made the matter of Holy Prayer Turn your Care into Prayer and the Care will evaporate and vanish and your Cure will be felt Blessed be the Lord that hath made this good in the Experience of many who have gone before him with Hearts filled and oppressed with many Cares and have returned light and free and their countenance no more sad as Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 2. The boldness of Faith acts in free speaking of all the mind to God This the Greek Word in the Text particularly points at Let us come with Boldness free speaking of all our mind pouring out the heart to him Psal 62.8 I poured out my complaint to him I shewed before him my trouble Psal 142.2 The Tongue is not to be tied at this Throne but all that is on the Heart is to be told to him He knows it before we tell it and better than we do but it is his Will that we should make all our Minds known to him A Believer the better Case his Faith is in he is the more open and free in dealing with God It is recorded of a Man that we should hardly have counted a Believer had not the Holy Ghost numbered him amongst them in Heb. 11.32 he utter'd all his words or matters before the Lord in Mizpah Judg. 11.11 So Samuel did 1 Sam. 8.21 And Samuel heard all the wordt of the people and he rehearsed them in the Ears of the Lord. It is a great favour that the Lord allows us so to do This is not after the manner of Men. It would be counted a troublesome Impertinence to vent all our Thoughts and Cases and Concerns to a Creature but we may do so to the Lord. When David refrained his speech and kept silence it went badly with him Psal 32.3 3. This boldness of Faith acts and should act in Familiarity with God Believers should come to the Throne of Grace not as Strangers and Foreigners but as fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God Eph. 2.19 Our Lord in his directing us to pray bids us begin with Our Father which art in Heaven The Spirit of Adoption helps to cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 When Faith speaks rightly this Word and fixeth on it all other desires will sweetly follow Abba and Amen uttered in Faith are the might of Prayer Strangers know not what Familiarity the Lord expresseth to his People nor how much Familiarity he allows them to use with him It was a great Word of a great Saint many Years ago in this Land when dying in a bright shining of the Sun of Righteousness on his Soul Tell it to the People preach it at my Funeral that God dealeth familiarly with Men. 4. This boldness of Faith acts in Importunity at the Throne of Grace This Importunity is nothing but the stiffness and tenaciousness of Faith Faith sometimes and then it is best will neither be beat back by delays from God nor by inward Challenges but when it hath got hold of God it will keep its hold Our Lord spoke several Parables to direct and encourage to this Importunity Luke 18.1 that of the unjust Judge and oppressed Widow And Luke 11.5,8 We must understand Parables warily No Importunity did ever or can ever prevail with God to do that for us or give that to us that he hath no mind to do or give All he doth and gives is in Love Yet he puts his people on
in the Promises There is more of Grace in the Promise than there can be of Sin and Misery in the Man that pleads it Take heed how you compare your Necessities with the fulness of the Promises Nothing you can need but a Supply is promised Study your Hearts and God's Covenant and you will quickly find it to be so We may ask any thing for God hath promised every thing Psal 84.11 2. The Freeness of the Promises gives Boldness at the Throne of Grace That they are Promises of a Covenant of Grace proves they must be free A free Promise is a Bond given meerly from the Heart and proper motion of the Promiser without any motion or motive from the Party to whom it is made except it be that of his Misery that Grace works on If the Promises were not purely free to us there could be no Boldness in pleading of them See how the Shunamite pleads with the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings 4.28 Did I desire a Son of my Lord Did I not say do not deceave me As if she had said It was not at my desire but of thine own motion thou didst promise me a Son and I did not fully believe it at first but now the Son promised is dead So may the Believer plead Lord I did not ask of thee a promise of Grace and Glory I was sinfully contented in and with my natural lost Estate and thou didst call me and quicken me with thy Promise wilt thou not make out thy Promise The freeness of the Promise is the firmest Foundation of Boldness in pleading its performance No other Promises but free ones are in the Covenant of Grace and no other pleading of them but as free is allowed to them that come to the Throne of Grace If thou be for Merit and Worth in thy self go elsewhere there is no place for such proud rich Folks at this Court 3. The Sureness of the Promises of the Covenant of Grace is another ground of Boldness at the Throne of Grace They are the sure Mercies of David Isa 55.3 Sure because of grace Rom. 4.16 Therefore it the Promise or the Inheritance promised is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the Seed A promise is made for Faith would ever God or Man promise but to be believed Faith is given for and acts on the Promise believing without a Promise is dreaming A Promise made by the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 to Sinners void of all Grace to give all Grace to them must be a Promise of Grace the Believer of this Promise must and can have nothing in his Eye but the Grace of the Promiser Now saith Paul it is this Grace of the Promise and Promiser that makes the Blessing promised sure to all the Seed Again the Promises of God are sure because they are his Heb. 6.17,18 Promises sworn for putting an end to the strife of Unbelief Balaam was a bad Man and therefore called a mad Prophet 2 Pet. 2.16 Yet by the over-ruling Spirit of God upon him spoke truly and highly Numb 23.19 Godâ— is not a man that he should lie neither the Son of man that he should repent Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good All God's Promises are sure because they are his Promises that cannot lie And they are yet further confirmed of God in Christ Gal. 3.17 So that the Believer in his pleading of God's Promises may lay down this Conclusion I want indeed great and many Blessings but I want nothing I ask nothing but what he hath promised who cannot lie and what is confirmed in Jesus Christ the Amen the true and faithful Witness Believers fail greatly in their neglect to quicken and strengthen their Faith by taking up the Promises in their full extent Fulness Freeness and Certainty It is always found that Faith is weak when the Promises are mean in our Eyes But if the Promise appear and shine in its Glory as God's faithful Word then Faith is aloft and acts strongly Hence it is that all strong believing gives Glory to the Promiser Rom. 4.20 and weak Faith reflects on him Psal 77.9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious doth his promise fail for evermore Alas it was the good Man's Infirmity to say and think so ver 10. but from his arguing I observe that where Faith is feeble a Man thinks the Promise fails as a giddy Man thinks the Rock he stands on shakes and reels when all the shaking is in his Head or Legs and when he thinks the Promise fails he thinks the Promiser is chang'd from what he was when he made it And it borders on Blasphemy to rob God by our Unbelief of his glorious Attribute of Vnchangeableness If you have a mind to believe keep still the Promise in your Eye if you would believe strongly view the Promise narrowly and steddily The Promise is both the Father and Mother of Faith it both begets Faith and feeds it Your first believing is from the power of the Promise and the continued and growing life of Faith is by sucking and drawing Nourishment from the Breasts of the Promise 5. Another ground of the boldness of Believers in their Approaches to the throne of grace is Their Priviledges that they are possessed of So the Apostle argues Heb. 10.19,20,21 to drawing near with full assurance of Faith ver 22. Some of those I shall name with this Caution that though all Believers have them yet all do not know they have them and therefore all do not use them as they ought and would if they knew them to be theirs But all should therefore labour to know them that they may use them to the glory of the Giver and to the Comfort and Edification of the Receavers 1. The first of these Priviledges is Election And justly its called the first for nothing can be before it for it self is before time and all that they afterwards receave flows from it Election is that eternal and adorable Act of Free-grace wherein God the Father passed over his Love to a select Company of Mankind that were to come into the World appointing them to Salvation appointing a Saviour for them and all means fit to accomplish his design of Love on them to the praise of his grace Eph. 1.4,5,6 This Blessing is revealed in believing When God gives Faith he makes known his electing Love and when we act Faith we may see it Faith is the Faith of God's Elect Tit. 1.1 This when seen is a great ground of boldness at the throne of grace Luke 18.7 Shall not God avenge his own Elect that cry unto him day and night This our Lord prays upon in John 17.9,10 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them As if our Lord
had said I am sure to be heard for I pray for them that are partakers of thine everlasting Love They are thine by Election and giving to me they are mine by receaving and redeeming of them We are bid give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 They are sure in themselves and sure to God but we should make them sure to our selves and many Christians smart sadly by neglecting this Diligence 2. The gift of Christ for us is a great priviledge that gives boldness at the throne of grace So the Apostle argues Ro. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all you may see who this all are ver 28 29 30. How shall he not with him freely give us all things As if he said it is a small thing to God to give us all other things when he hath given his Son We receave now many Blessings blessed be the giver we have greater things in the Promise than we yet receave or can yet receave but shall surely receave in his time yet all we get and shall to Eternity receave is far less than the gift of Christ. It is like our Lord had respect to this in that Word to the Woman of Samaria John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water If she had known Christ as the Well of Salvation to Sinners she would have employed him and should have been accepted of him But here many Christians stick they doubt not but Christ was given for his Church and People but they know not how to apply this to themselves If I knew say many that Christ was given for me I would then come boldly to the throne of grace and ask any thing confidently I answer None can know that Christ was given for them till they come unto him And all that come to him may know that he was given for them and should believe it He was given by the Will of the Father and his own for his Elect. This is a Secret hid with God He comes to Men in the Gospel offering himself and all his Purchase and Fulness to all that hear of it He that hath his Heart drawn forth to like this Bargain and accepts by Faith of the Saviour and his great Salvation hath possession thereof immediately and by that may come to know that it was designed for him in God's purpose of Love So Paul Gal. 1.14,15,16 He was one of the Holiest and most Religious Jews in their Church and yet was at the same time one of the most wicked young Men in all the Country a very Hypocrite a proud self Justiciary and a bloody Persecutor of Christ and his Church Yet of this wicked Creature it is here said That God had separated him from his Mother's Womb and Acts 9.15 He is a chosen Vessel unto me I will pour out of my grace on him and will do much for him and by him When did all this break out When he called me by his Grace and revealed his Son in me Then he can say Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave himself for me And again 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sirners All say so but had he any mind of thee and hast thou any share in his coming to save Sinners Yes saith he of whom I am chief He came to save me the chief of Sinners Any Sinner may come after me and expect Mercy at Christs hand when Paul hath sped so well ver 16. He hath made me a Pattern of his Mercy for the encouragement of all Sinners that have a mind for a good turn from Jesus Christ 3. The Priviledge of Actual Reconciliation and of being brought into a State of Grace is a ground of Boldness in coming to the throne of grace Rom. 5.9,10 where the Apostle having shewn God's Love in giving Christ to the death for us ver 8. he adds the Blessings that flow from this Gift Justification by his blood and therefore much more Salvation from Wrath through him ver 9. And Reconciliation to God by his death and therefore much more Salvation by his life ver 10. The Improvement he makes thereof is in ver 11. And not only so but we also joy in God the Original is we glory and boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now receaved the Attonement A State of grace is a State of boldness all that are in it should and all that know they are in it will use boldness of Faith at this throne of grace Rom. 5.1 to ver 6. 6. The Experiences of Believers are a great ground of boldness Experience works Hope Rom. 5.4 The Experience of others as well as our own are of great use herein Sometimes we find David improving the Experience of others for the strengthning his own Faith sometimes he offers his own Experience for the comfort of others Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul Because David was in distress of Conscience and got Peace and Pardon Psal 32.1,6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found Psal 119.74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy word There is no Christian that hath not Experience As he hath a Soul that needs much to be done for it so the Lord doth much for all he saves And because the Lord dealeth variously with his People therefore there is much difference in their Experiences Yet because all Believers are Members of the same Body and receave all from the same Head Jesus Christ there is some Skill and Capacity in every Christian to understand and to be profited by the Experience of any Christian Hence it is that communicating of Experiences is a Christian Duty and a good part of the Communion of Saints But there is much Christian Prudence requisite in the discharge of it Let no Man boast of a false gift and pretend to that he hath no sense of Nor talk vainly and proudly of what God hath done for him All true Experiences are Acts of Grace from God felt on the Soul And Grace is humbling 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receave Now if thou didst receave it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receaved it Three Questions confounding the Pride of Men and Christians Of these Experiences that should give boldness in coming to the throne of grace I shall name three 1 The Experience of the first visit of Grace is a good ground of Confidence in asking any blessing of God Can you remember when you were dead in sin and had no thought
a Divine eternal Person I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen They that saw him dead could hardly believe he should ever live again and they that saw him alive had need of Faith to believe he had ever been dead He asserts both and we should believe both Since death entered into the World by Sin never was there a Man more truly really and fully dead than the Man Christ was who died for our Sins And there is no Man on Earth more truly alive than the Man Christ is now a living Man in Heaven He in his rising gave proof of his Divine Power He was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God 2 Cor. 13.4 There was never such an appearance of Weakness in the Man Jesus as when he expired and lay cold dead in his Grave Never did sin reign so unto death nor the Law 's Power more appear than in slaying the second Adam As great and greater was the appearance of his Divine Power in his rising again John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again Christ died that he might rise again He went amongst the dead that he might rise from the dead ver 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again This commandment have I received of my Father Christ was bid both die and rise again Blessed be the Commander and blessed be the Obeyer for our everlasting life is in this Commandment John 12.50 Never any but Christ had this power of his own Life We must yield our Life when God calls for it and till then we must keep it and when that Call comes we must obey We die because we can live no longer and because our times are in God's hand And when it shall please the Lord to raise up our bodies at the Resurrection we receave our life again but have no power to take it up again till the powerful Word of Christ come Arise from your Graves And that Word gives us our life again None but Christ had power of his own life both to lay it down and to take it again We dare we can we should do neither but only obey and submit to the Sovereign Will of our High Landlord at whose Pleasure we are Tennants in these clay cottages 2. Christ's Resurrection was a Demonstration of the Acceptance of the Sacrifice of himself That the Blood he shed and Sacrifice he offered was savoury and acceptable with God that the Debt was fully paid and the Payment accepted when the Surety was discharged of his Prison Therefore we find it so often written that God raised him from the dead Acts 2.24 and 32. even when it 's said that it was not possible he should be holden of death Death and the Grave are strong and cruel Song 8.6 They have taken or will take all Mankind Prisoners and are able to keep them Only they took one Prisoner Jesus Christ who was too hard too strong for them Death had dominion over him but for a little while and by his own consent Rom. 6.9 but it hath no more dominion over him But he hath dominion over it I have the Keys of hell and of death Rev. 1.18 Courage Believers in and Heart-Lovers of Jesus Christ Death and Hell are indeed dreadful Jayls but as long as Christ keeps the Keys and that will be till he cast them both into the Lake of fire Rev. 20.14 no Believer shall ever be locked up in them If Hell were searched never so narrowly amongst all the condemned Prisoners there no Man or Woman could be found in it in whose Heart there was never one spark of true Faith in or Love to the Lord Jesus Heb. 13.20 God brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant Christ also is often said to rise by his own power Christ put forth his Divine Power in his Resurrection the Father declared his full satisfaction with his Undertaking of the Work and Payment of the Price of Redemption by discharging of him in and by his Resurrection The Angels Work was only to roll away the Stone but by his own divine Power his blessed Soul did take possession of his dead Body and he did rise up immediately a truly living Man And this he did by his Father's Leave and Will and the Angels served only as Sergeants and Officers to unlock the Prison-doors of the Grave For Christ could easily have removed that Stone by his own power as he did greater things in his Resurrection No wonder the Apostle Paul made it one of his great aims in Christianity to know the power of Christ's Resurrection Phil. 3.10 It is not to know the History of his Resurrection nor is it to know the Mystery of his Resurrection but it is to know the Power of it the same Power that Christ raised himself from the dead by is put forth and no less is needful for the raising of a dead Sinner The same Power that raised the Saviour dead for Sin is needful for raising a Sinner dead in Sin Rom. 4.5 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we should also walk in newness of life Eph. 1.19 There is an exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead c. How loath are Men to admit this that the saving quickening of a Sinner requires the same divine Power that quickened the dead Saviour All saving Conversions are the Fruits of Christ's Resurrection and of Almighty Power 3. Christ's Resurrection is the Pledge and Earnest of our Resurrection and of eternal Life How great things doth Paul build upon it 1 Cor. 15. He proves our Resurrection from Christ's Resurrection He argues for Christ's Resurrection by enumerating of Absurdities that must follow on the contrary As ver 14. If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain ver 15. We the Apostles are found false Witnesses of God ver 17. Then you are yet in your sins ver 18. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished ver 19. Then we are of all men most miserable But now Christ is risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept ver 20. For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead The first Adam was made a living soul ver 45. but when he became a sinner he became a killing Head to all his Posterity Rom. 5.12 The second Adam is a quickening spirit and gives eternal Life to all his Seed And he took possession of this eternal Life in
9.1.5 What prays he for them Roin 10.1 My hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved All right Prayer should be the Hearts desire Salvation is the best thing we can pray for to our selves or to them we love And no Man can heartily pray for Salvation to others who hath not got it himself 2. I would now direct some Words to them that have obtained mercy and know it Blessed be the Lord that there are not a few in the World not a few in this City and I hope not a few in this Meeting that have obtained mercy of the Lord and know it also Who can remember when their misery was great and when the mercy of the Lord made a visit to them and what great things it brought to them and wrought in them 1. Let such be very thankful for special saving mercy Praise is a great Debt as well as a great Blessing Let none take this as an ordinary Duty but let all Christians know that the main point of the Life and Practice of Christianity lies in the performance of it 1 Pet. 2.9 Praise should rise according to the worth of what we praise for Greatest Favours call for highest Praises and special mercy from the Lord is the highest favour It is a good Custom and a Duty also that people when they receave their daily bread from God do give him thanks for it as well as beg his Blessing on it Pray then how do you think the Lord will take unthankfulness for his special mercy How many hath the Lord to give in this Charge against I never gave thee a nights rest but thou gave me thanks for it in the morning but I have by my mercy raised thee up to newness of Life and I was never thanked for it I never fed thy Body but thou blessed me for my Bounty but I have given thee my Son for the bread of thy Soul but no praise for this Gift When thou wast near death I did in mercy restore thee and was praised for it but special mercy hath delivered thy Soul from eternal destruction but when didst thou praise for that Have a care this Charge be not given against you Live to his Praise and let Praise be the main Work of your Life 2. Walk tenderly under God's special mercy The more special the mercy be the more carefully it should be improved God's saving mercy is a Load a Burthen not indeed hard to be born but it is hard to bear it aright A Burden that will not break the Back but will weigh heavy on the Shoulders of the Bearers and such as are under it are in no small danger of stumbling Isa 38.15 What shall I say he hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul And that there was special mercy in his Eye see ver 17. Thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back Here is a right sense of mercy and a good Resolution about the guiding of it I will walk softly all the Years fifteen of them that God hath added to my Life But what performance was there 2 Chron. 32.25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done to him for his heart was lifted up 3. Obtainers of mercy should ask grace to guide mercy and ask it the more earnestly and confidently because they have obtained mercy Be not discouraged in asking more mercy because you have made so poor improvements of what you have received Every mercy lays us under an Obligation for more service and Grace to enable for that Service must be given and therefore should be asked We need mercy God gives it when we get it we should guide it well and in order to that we must beg more New mercy to enable us to guide the old No mercy from the Lord but it may be ill guided but the last eternal Life Jude 21. A Christian is not out of all danger of abusing any mercy of the Lord till he receave perfecting mercy in Heaven To them that have not obtained mercy or at least do not know that they have only four things I would say to such Ask mercy Receave mercy Plead mercy Hope in his mercy 1. Ask mercy The Lord hath two designs in offering and dispensing his mercy to Men To be honoured by the Prayers of them that want it and to be glorified by the Praises of them that get it This Duty of asking mercy is frequently commanded by the Lord commonly practis'd by his people and never in vain 1. Ask mercy like it self Ask some way according to your Need and its Worth If our begging bore any tolerable proportion to the great Blessing of God's saving mercy what mighty praying would there be Let not mercy be sought as a small thing it 's the one thing needful and it 's the one thing we should seek of the Lord. God's mercy Saving mercy Free mercy Mercy great vastly above all our misery O how would it be asked if asked like it self 2. Ask mercy at the right Door There is not a Crumb of saving mercy that comes to any perishing Sinner but by Jesus Christ. There is no Corn in Egypt but what comes through this Joseph's Hand He is a mad Beggar of mercy that forgets Christ 3. Ask mercy in God's time He that commands us to ask and tells us at what Door to beg and promiseth to give tells us also when we should ask Men have their times as in great distress when dying and at Judgment Beware of putting off asking till God's time of giving be past It is an awful Word of Christ Luke 13.25 When once the master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying c. There are two sad beginnings here Beginning to stand without when the door is shut such will eternally stand without Beginning to knock at the door Such as begin to knock at God's shut Door will never get in There is no good answer to be given by God to such for eternity Is not that a very unhappy beginning So our Lord tells us in the Parable of the Ten Virgins Matth. 25.10 The foolish came when the Door was shut They were foolish that they came no sooner and miserable that they came too late I believe the Damned will see more of the Blessedness of the Saved than the Saved will see of the Misery of the Damned Christ expresly aggravates the misery of the Damned by what they shall see of the Bliss of the Saved Luke 13.28 But all we see in the Word that the Saved shall see or hear of the misery of the Damned is their Resurrection to Damnation John 5.29 which is a most miserable one better were it for them to have their Bodies lye eternally in
Bones a Consumption is coming on upon his Soul and the holy flesh is passed from him as Jer. 11.15 The Savour and Relish the Soul finds in approaching to the throne of grace is the surest Test of Soul-prospering In this I appeal to the Consciences of all that ever knew Communion with God Is it not best with you every way when you are most with him Do not your Burdens grow light when you cast them on the Lord Is not your Path plain when his Candle shineth upon you And doth it not shine when you are much in his Company Difficulties evanish and hard Work grows easie when the Lord is with you and you with him See how the Apostle joyns things together Jude 20,21 But ye beloved building up your selves upon your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Your Faith your Love your Hope are all to be acted in Prayer and are cherished by Prayer and strengthened by the Answers of Prayer Would you have plenty of the Grace of God Here is a plain and sure way taught you by the Apostle and he joyns himself with them he exhorts Let us come to the Throne of Grace that we may find Grace SERMON IX HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help intime of need THE Gracious Call and Invitation contained in this Text hath been often spoke to An Invitation frequently deliver'd in the preaching of the Gospel and as frequently flighted by most of the hearers of the Gospel It is such an Invitation as if it were delivered in the last day to the miserable Company on Christ's left hand we may think what complying with it would there be if there were a Throne of Grace set up then for but one hour where mercy and grace might be had in that time of need Think ye not that there would be coming and crouding and crying and roaring for mercy and grace but that day will afford no such Priviledge Now you have it and the Lord knows and next to him your Consciences know how this is entertained What this Throne of Grace is what coming to it is what Boldness in coming is allowed what ground there is for this Boldness have been spoke to The last thing in this verse what Blessings may be had by coming hath been spoke to also Of the mercy to be obtained and of the grace to be found Of this last I have handled two things 1. What is the grace that is to be found 2. What the Phrase of finding grace imports There are two things more that remain in the Text. 1. The Helpfulness of this grace We are called to come to find grace to help 2. The Seasonableness of this help of grace It is grace to help in time of need So our Translation carries it and pretty well The Original runs in fewer Words grace unto seasonable help or Help in due season Of these two I would speak at this time 1. Of the helpfulness of Grace God's grace is a most helpful blessing 1. It is promised by him that gives it as help Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee Be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Alas who hath Faith enough to draw at this deep Well of Salvation Every Word hath rich Food for Faith Whenever God would engage the Heart of a poor Creature to a dependance on him he doth it by promising to be that to them and to do that for them that none besides himself can be or do No Man can truly act Faith on God for that he thinks a Creature can do for him You never believe soundly but when you look to and wait on God for that that is impossible utterly to the whole Creation to give to you or to do for you 2. Again we find the Saints beg God's help Whenever they come to God in earnest they come to this Lord help for all other help is vain There is no more common Prayer in the Old and New Testament and to this day than Prayer for the Lord's helping grace All our Prayers in their greatest variety center in this help us by thy grace The great Believer Matth. 15.25 Came and worshipped him saying Lord help me A short Prayer but mighty and full of Faith A weaker Man in Faith than this Woman Mark 9.22 Have compassion on us and help us praying for himself and his Son ver 24. He prays for himself alone Lord help my Vnbelief There is no Believer on Earth who may not daily pray this Prayer 3. All the People of God find the helpfulness of his grace All that seek it find it and all that find it find the helpfulness of his Grace I would in a few things shew the helpfulness of Grace 1. The Grace of God helps always to purpose and effectually This grace helped Paul to labour more abundantly than all the Apostles 1 Cor. 15.10 I say not that this is always sensible to the Receaver but only that grace given is always really effectual for the end for which it is given It is not given in vain 2. The grace of God helps universally there is no case wherein it is not helpful As without Christ we can do nothing John 15.5 So through him strengthening we may do all things or any thing Phil. 4.13 A Christian can imagine can foresee no Condition no Tryal no Difficulty wherein the Lord's grace cannot help him So the Text runs that we may find grace to help in time of need Let the time be what it will and the need what it will grace can help in it It were a sad weakness of Faith for any Christian to say I am in that condition that the grace of God cannot help me in His grace is Omnipotent 3. Grace helps sweetly I mean that it doth not help as an External help but as an Internal As for a familiar Similitude A weak and weary or lame Person may be helped by the strength of another or by being carried but this is but external help This weak or lame person is helped far better when his Infirmity is removed and new strength given to him so that he can pleasantly walk and run Psal 138.3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strenth in my Soul It s true the grace of God wherein our strength consists is without us and in him but it is inwardly applyed to us when strength is found and felt Therefore is it that Believers not only find by the dispensings of of his helping grace an effectual strength for their Work and Duty but a great deal of sweetness and easiness in the exerting of that gracious help So Psal 119.32 I will run in the
over them at sometimes more than at other times When it is well with the new Creation within Christians can keep the Devil at a Bay and Stand when it is otherwise he prevails immediately we are disarmed and his Darts pierce and enter There is some ground to suspect that David's Heart was not in so good a frame as usually sometime before his foul Fall 2 Sam. 11. As to Peter it is plain his vain-self-confidence gave Satan an opportunity to sift him as he did 3. How doth the Grace of God help in a decayed state 1. Grace helps in preserving Life at the Root There is some witness for God kept up I sleep but my heart waketh saith the Bride Song 5.2 It is well all was not asleep The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak saith meek Jesus in his Agony in the Garden to the three distempered Disciples Matth. 26.41 These same three sleep in the Mount of Transfiguration Luke 9.32 and in the Garden of Agony Paul found this Witness preserv'd in his Captivity to the Law in his Members Rom. 7.23 2. Grace helps under a decayed State by making a secret growth downward A growth that the Believer cannot feel in himself and that others cannot quickly perceave yet it is a real growth and will in God's due time appear We commonly value most that growth in Grace that hath fair Blossoms and Fruit appearing to our comfort and to the Lord's Praise before others And it is indeed desirable and to be studied Matth. 5.16 John 15.8 But there is a growth that may be carried on in the Root only in the rooting Grace of a Christian As in clearer Discoveries of in-dwelling sin in the Heart and in more self-diffidence and self-distrust Paul had this Fruit. 2 Cor. 1.8,9 It is a sad thing that many Christians are so fond of themselves of the good that is in them that the Lord seeth that nothing is so fit to cure them of this as leaving them to themselves And when this leaving of them to themselves hath brought them to a discovery of themselves and that discovery hath wrought a distrust of themselves and that distrust hath taught them Faith in God then the Lord hath reached his end on them and will change his way with them 3. Grace can revive the decayed state of a Believer Psal 23.3 He restoreth my Soul He reneweth their strength Isa 40.31 Psal 103.5 Thy youth is renewed like the Eagles This is impossible in Nature and as to our Bodies but as to our Souls and the work of God in them it is what is promised and often done Old people may and do often in their Folly and Vanity counterfeit Youth but all their Arts cannot make themselves one hour younger But the Lord can renew the youth of the new Creature and make it better with him than ever it was David prays for it Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Peter got a new Conversion Luke 22.32 They both had been converted and renewed before but they fell under a sad decay and needed this restoring Grace and got it So much of the second time of need I proceed to a third not so common 3. A time of special Enjoyments is a time of special need of God's helping Grace You may think it strange but it is true that they that receave most of the Lord 's gracious bounty stand in most need of Grace to guide it well Concerning this season I would speak in five Particulars 1. Mast Christians know what those Enjoyments are by experience although it various measures It is very suspicious that that Person is an Hypocrite that is always in the same frame let them pretend it to be never so good The true Christians Sky is never long clear and without Clouds change of weather and ways is usually found by Travellers to Heaven It is to be suspected that he is not right who hath no changes Psal 55.19 These special Enjoyments are of several sorts 1. There is some special nearness to God enjoyed by Christians at some times We are not at all to be offended at but rather confirmed by the Reproaches of the Ungodly that are utter strangers to such Enjoyments and cannot endure nor understand the Scripture Names of such Blessings that they themselves are unacquainted with What is more frequent in the Word than this nearness to God What is better known in the Experience of Saints than this nearness He makes gracious Approaches to Mens Spirits and causeth them to approach to him Psal 65.4 they find it good for them Psal 73.28 The first gracious change wrought in a Soul is by bringing a distant sinner near to God Eph. 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Whenever the Virtue of that Blood came upon you by the Spirit of Christ God came near to you and you were brought near to God But besides this nearness that is begun in the first Application of Grace and changeth their State there is more nearness given by the Lord and enjoyed by his people for the cheering of their Hearts and bettering of their Frame Exercised Christians are able to give a distinct account of their having of this nearness at some times and of their want of it at othe times How much of both are in the Psalm of David And such as can understand the nearness to and distance from God so frequently mentioned there as only the Psalmists sense of God's favourable or cross Providence towards him in outward things are to be pitied for their ungodly lgnorance and despised for their expounding the Words of a man after God's heart according to the carnal Sentiments of their own 2. There are Effusions of the Spirit spoke of in the Word and found by Christians which are special Enjoyments Sometimes they are found in the performance of spiritual Duties of Worship sometimes in the exercise of grace Grace should be acted in all Duties of Worship but it may be and should be acted out of any formal Duty You should never pray but there should be acting of Faith and Love on Christ But God be thanked you may act Faith and Love when ye do not pray when you are about no setled spiritual Duty of Worship there is a being in the 〈◊〉 of the Lord all the day long Prov. 23.17 A walking up and down in the name of the Lord. Zech. 10.12 A doing of every thing in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 Every Believer hath the Spirit of Christ If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 But there are some singular Powrings out of this Spirit promised and bestowed and well known by Believers and they are precious Enjoyments This spirit the world cannot receave because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you as
know what is to be sick to be in great pain to faint and fall into a swoun which is a little Image of death as also the Heathen Poet called Sleep Death 's elder Brother But none knows what dying is It was a very sensible Word a dying Christian in this City spoke to my self when visiting him a few Hours before his Death No Man can tell another what dying is I feel I am dying but I cannot tell you what it is Death is a Path that you never trode before you never walked in it hitherto you may have thought your selves to have gone a good way in the Valley of the Shadow of Death but you never walked through it Paul died daily 1 Cor. 15.31 he was in deaths often 2 Cor. 11.23 Yet he was a living Man then when he said so and he dyed but once All new Tryals require new supplies of Grace And the Tryal of Death is quite new When we are tempted one day we may know what Temptation is thereby and be thereby fitted for the next but no past Experience can teach us fully what dying is 3. Dying is not only a necessary and new Tryal but it is such a Tryal in which a Man 's All is concerned for Eternity Immediately on Death follows Judgment Heb. 9.27 Death is the dark Trance betwixt Time and Eternity While we live we are in time when we are a dying we are leaving time and passing into eternity When we are dead we are quite and for ever out of time and are in eternity for ever If a Man miscarry in this Passage if a Man stumble in the dark Valley of death if he fall here he falls for ever I would not have people to imagine that the stress of their Salvation depends on their Frame when a dying For some Christians when near to death have neither the use and exercise of Sense or Reason much less of Grace But surely when the case of Mens Bodies permits Acts of a Man or of a Christian there is great need of grace to enable us to die well 4. Dying is a great Tryal of Faith Tho' we know not fully what dying is yet we may know so much of it as to be convinced that it is much harder to die in Faith than to live by Faith and yet living by Faith is the hardest thing we have to do in this World To trust in an unseen God to believe his unchangeable Love when we feel his Anger to trust his bare Word when we see no appearance of Performance but many to the contrary are no easie things to the hest Our frequent Experience of the difficulty and of our many failings in this daily Exercise of living by Faith may justly make us sensible of our need of great help of Grace when we shall be called to the new and more hard Work of dying by Faith To enforce this a little consider 1. Usually when death draws near to Men and they draw near to it the Eye of the Mind is clearer and the Conscience more tender and sharp-sighted in the review of their Life and Actions Many never saw their Lives well till they are just at the end of them And many Believers walk so as a spiritual review of their ways breeds no small Storm in their Consciences and Tryal and shaking to their Faith Though Death be a dark Valley yet great light of Convictions and Challenges springs up in it Wo to them that never knew till they are a dying what an awakened Conscience is Ways that are pleasing to Men when the evil day is put far away look frightfully on them when that day approacheth and is very nigh 2. A dying time is a time wherein the Devil is very busie He fetcheth then his last stroke on Saints and on Sinners He doth his utmost to secure the Damnation of Sinners that he may not lose them at last The Devil 's Deathhold of a dying Sinner is a strong one He also doth his utmost against Believers if not to marr their Salvation yet to hinder their Consolation The Devil 's parting Blow hath been dreadful to many a Saint It is a weighty Word Heb. 2.14 Where he is said to have the power of death It is true there it is said also that Christ overcame him and through death Death is properly and strictly in the Devil's Dominions Sin and Death are properly the Devil 's though the Lord hath the wise ordering of both he permits Sin and inflicts Death and Death lyes near the Devil 's great Prison Hell Through the Valley of death there are two Passages one leading to Hell and another to Heaven Most fall into the Pit others are brought through safe and sound by the Skill and Mercy of their blessed Guide Christ It fares here with Believers as with Israel and with Vnbelievers as with the Egyptians Heb. 11.29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry Land which the Egyptians essaying to do were drowned 3. Judgment and Eternity when near and seen at hand are awful things And a near view of them will try Faith greatly This view blows away the Presumption and Hope of the Hypocrite Job 27.8 What is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul Job 11.20 Their hope is as the giving up of the Ghost His Hope lived as long as he lived and when he dies it dies also Wo to them that have a dying hope a hope that cannot out live Death Christians are begotten to a living or lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 He hath hope in his death Prov. 14.32 The Man's body dies but the Christian's Hope and Faith lives He lyes down in the Grave in hope Psal 16.9 He dies in that Faith he lived by Heb. 11.13 2. What is the helpfulness of Grace in this time of great need a time of dying I am speaking to living Men but to such as must die and know not how soon I shall only insist on one thing at this time The Grace of God helps Believers by strengthening of their Faith That is the help they mainly need in that hour And this help stands in these 1. When a dying Believer is helped by Grace to see death in Christ's hand There is a vast difference betwixt Death in the Devil's hand who hath the power of it and Death in Christ's hand who is Master both of Death and the Devil Betwixt a Man's seeing Death approaching and the Devil behind it and with it and a Man's seeing Death coming on him and Christ with it Paul's Triumph rose on this ground 1 Cor. 15.55,56,57 O death where is thy sting O grave or Hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. That by which Death stings Men is Sin unpardoned and God's Holy Law binding Sin and Wrath on their Persons Victory over both Sin
need and none can stand with Peace before that Throne but they that have been acquainted with this Throne of Grace in my Text. Christ on the Throne of Grace and Christ on the Judgment-seat is the same Christ Christ in the Gospel and Christ on the Clouds is the same Christ Yet we must distinguish Christ on the Throne of Grace is no Judge and Christ on the Judgment-Seat hath no Grace to dispense Now is his time of dispensing Grace then will be the day of his punishing the Despisers of Grace and of giving the Crown of Glory to the Receavers of his Grace In the last place I would give a few Directions unto real Christians in order to your providing of Grace to help in time of need 1. Lay the Foundation sure a time of need will try it 1 Cor. 3.11 Other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ The Father hath laid Christ for a Foundation Isa 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation He that believeth shall not make haste Applyed to Christ 1 Pet. 2.6 The faithful Ministers of the Gospel lay Christ for a Foundation 1 Cor. 3.10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise Master-builder I have laid the foundation But how can a poor Sinner lay Christ for a Foundation to himself Turn but the Words and the Question is answered Thy laying of Christ for a Foundation is thy laying thy self upon Christ as a Foundation and it is neither more nor less nor any thing else Cast your selves and all your Concerns about Salvation on Christ alone Let him bear all He only can and calls for this from you One of the first Questions that riseth in the mind of a Christian in a time of need is this Is the Foundation right laid Am I founded on Christ The Storm will try the Foundation It were great wisdom to secure that before the Storm come 2. Clear up your Evidences against a time of need The Evidences of a Christian are not his Charters for Heaven the Covenant of Grace contains them but they are as Light by which a Christian reads his Charters Evidences are of great use in a time of need They stand in Gods Work in us Our Faith stands on God's word of Promise to us and on Christ's Work for us the Evidences of Believers stand in God's gracious working in and on and by them These four Words I would give about your Evidence 1. When you cannot perceave them search for them 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates or disapproved The Exhortation is so delivered as to perswade us that very narrow and exact searching is called for in this Work May not that Christian's Heart condemn him who is daily complaining of his Ignorance of his State when he knows that serious self-examination is neglected by him 2. If upon searching you cannot yet find beg the help of the Spirit of God to discover his own work in you 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have receaved not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God The Illumination of the Holy Ghost is not only simply needful to give us a saving knowledge of the Mystery of the Gospel but is so also to give us a right knowledge of the my story of his Grace in us Eph. 1.17,18,19 where the Apostle prays for the Spirit for both these ends David prays for the Lord's help in his examining of himself Psal 139,23,24 A Heart laid open to God's search a Heart willing to have all in it viewed and discovered by the Lord is an upright sincere Heart Whoever is willing to know his worst is not stark naught Yet he that seeth but the least half of his badness will judge himself to be very bad 3. If you cannot yet find your Evidences make them presently Many Christians need this advice They formerly had Evidences of their Interest in Christ they had a clear fight of the Truth and Fruits of their Faith and Love and Repentance this refreshing Sight is gone and they mourn as without the Sun as Job speaks chap 30.28 Let such take this course Act afresh that Grace when you are doubtful whether you ever acted it before See you at present no clear Evidences of your former believing Act Faith presently There are few things more evident than strong believing is in the very acting of it And if the acting of Faith on Jesus Christ as speaking in righteousness and mighty to saue Isa 63.1 be evident to thee thou hast the best Evidence for eternal Life that is in all the Bible Most of the Promises run this way Whoever believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life John 3.15,16,17 It is the gracious and wise Constitution of the Lord that no Grace can be ordinarily evident to a Man in whom it is so as in and by the exercise and acting of it 4. When you find Evidences of God's Work in you Bless the Worker and Discoverer of them and believe more and more Say with David Psal 71.14 I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more It is just with God and merciful too that darkness should come upon that Man's Evidences who sits down upon them and blesseth himself in them more than he doth God for them and pleaseth himself in a life of Sense with neglecting the life of Faith 3. Make good use of your former Experiences of the Mercy and Grace of God helping you in former times of need The Lord's kindness is not shown to us for the present time only but for the time to come It is not given to us to play or please our selves with at present but for good and needful uses for strengthening of our Faith exciting of Praise and directing and encouraging us to come to the same Door we were formerly relieved at It is a part of the work of Faith to look back on formerly-bestowed Mercy and Grace as well as to look forward to the greater and better things to come It is a great Sin but very common that a Believer who hath many Years Experience of the Mercy of God if there be a stop put to the Stream of Mercy he is often as much shaken in his Faith as if he had never tasted that the Lord is gracious 4. In preparing for a time of need be careful to keep your Conscience's clean There is no worse Company in an evil day than an evil Conscience It is worse Company than the Devil 's His Company is that of a Tempter and Accuser but an evil Conscience is a Judge condemning and an Executioner tormenting a Man Therefore herein exercise your selves
as David resolved Psal 116.2 And when he comes to die and hath prayed his last Prayer with Stephen Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receave my Spirit and gets it answered Praying Believing and the Throne of Grace it self as to him is at an end and everlasting Praises before the Throne of Glory of God and of the Lamb begin never to have an end Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Finish thy Work fulfil all thy Promises answer fully all the Prayers of all thy People Put an end to Sin and Time and Trouble and Temptation And hasten the Marriage Day that thy people may be glad and rejoyce and give honour to thee Rev. 19.7 Let the Bride be made ready and let the Bridegoom appear in his Wedding Garments of Glory O how blessed will the Meeting and the Marriage be He married his Bride when on Earth in Garments dyed in his own precious Blood and the Bride receaves him as Glorious even in 〈◊〉 bloody Raiment This most precious Blood was shed in love to his Bride and for her Salvation and therefore he is amiable to her in that Dress Believers in Christ are contracted to a slain Husband but shall be married to him in a far other Manifestation of himself How great is the difference betwixt our dearest Lord Jesus under his Cross and under his Crown And yet under his Cross he is infinitely amiable to a Believer's Heart and Eye If it were not that the Light of that glorious day of his Appearance will prevent all Mistakes the Nations of them which are saved as they are called for their Multitude out of all Nations Rev. 21.24 might doubt but doubt they cannot but wonder they will both at him and at themselves 2 Thess 1.10 and say Is this that blessed Saviour I believed on so feebly whom I trusted with my Soul and its Salvation with so much fainting and with so many Fears is this he whom I loved so little and so coldly Is this he whom all the time I liv'd on Earth after he had revealed himself to me I depended and lived on by Faith and that with so many Staggerings through Unbelief because I knew not so well as now I do whom I then believed And until this blessed Day come and come it will for it is promised and sworn by him who cannot lie it is not far off for it is above 1600 years since he testified Surely I come quickly Rev. 22.20 It is his last Promise to his Bride Let his most excellent Name be poured out as Oyntment and let the Savour of his Knowledge be made manifest in every place Let his Saving blessed Death be remembered gloryed in and fed upon by all Believers the greatest Token of his Love to us the only Price of our Redemption 1 Pet. 1.19 and the only Food of our Souls Let his justifying Righteousness be only mentioned before God on Earth by believing Sinners as it will be only mentioned by glorified praising Saints in Heaven Let the Throne of Grace reared up by the Father in his Son and consecrated by the Blood of this Son God manifest in the Flesh be revealed to the darkened World and set up amongst the blinded Nations And let Grace from thence be dispensed to many thousands of perishing Sinners Let the glory of God's free most free every way free Grace in Jesus Christ shine so in the Nations as it may and when that Glory shines it will darken confound and put to shame all the Antichristian Darkness and Dreams of false Christs of men's making and of Works Hire and Merit under all their Names and Pretences and make it all hateful in Sinners Eyes as it is hurtful to their Souls and as it is hateful in God's sight Let the Praises of my Lord and my God as recovered Thomas calls him John 20.28 fill Heaven and Earth and fill the Hearts and fill the Mouths and shine in the Lives of all Believers on his Name and let his Praise fill all the Gospel Worship in all the Churches till the Day of the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 And unto these Wishes let every Believer on and sincere Lover of Jesus Christ say and every one that is such will say Amen So let it be so will it be FINIS