God Improve it for God and be willing to suffer for God Again Fiftly in the fift place We should be willing to lay down our lives when God calls for them again Thus should we express our thankfulness for life given us I say be willing to lay down life freely and voluntarily the next time when God calls When God hath rescued any of our lives from the grave why all those days that are added are freely given and 't is an addition of free grace more then we thought of more then was expected And therefore we should freely be willing to lay it down when God calls for it we should be willing to lay down our own lives and let them depart and so friends should be freely willing to let that life go that was so freely redeemed Thus we should be Volunteers to death we should freely and willingly submit to God as well as dye in obedience as in faith and let it be our wisdom often to look to what Christ hath done for his people in matter of death and the grave and set faith on work every day to see how the sting is taken out by Christ and the grave is made a sweet resting place 't is sanctified 't is perfumed 't is sanctified that it may be a sweet resting place to the Saints Again in the Sixt place When God hath wonderfully saved our lives we should seek to do something extraordinary for God we should not content our selves with ordinary service saith Christ What do you more then others in the 5. of Mat. and the latter end if you onely love those that love you what do you more then others or what singular thing do you he would have his people do some singular thing for him and especially when God hath done some singular thing for them and what says Hezekiah when God had restored his life from the grave in Isa 31. v. 19. The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day The living the living he shall praise thee he that hath life once given and he that hath life restored to him again he that hath life given from the grave The living the living he shall praise thee he shall speak of thy glory and testifie oâ— thy wonders something more then ordinary is implyed there That the living he should live to God Seventhly In the last place to conclude Look upon all outward Mercies in reference to some spiritual Mercy and never take up in the outward Mercy but let it lead you to the spiritual mercy Alas what is life if it be not in reference to spiritual Mercies if it be not in reference to get more of God to get more glory to God Life what is it a poor empty thing 't is true life it self is a mercy a great Mercy but yet though life be a blessing a man may dye betimes and be blessed Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord And on the contrary though life be a blessing a man may live long and be a cursed creature â—or all this See what is said in the Prophesie of Isaiah the 65 ch 20. v. 't is spoken of the days of the Gospel There shall be no more thence an Infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days For the child shall dye a hundred years old but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed T is a prophecy of Gospel blessings shewing how it should be in the latter days a child dye a hundred years old That is the young men shall have abundance of the glory of God those that are children in years shall be old in grace they shall have as much grace as those that were a hundred years old and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed a curse though he live a hundred years See then life is not desireable but in reference to spiritual Mercies Oh then rest not in outward Mercies if God at any time hath give any of your lives for a prey resâ— not in outwâ—rd Mercies but labour to see further Mercie in it that mercy is given in reference to further Mercy and waite for the Communication of it It was well when Heâ—ekiah could say that God had done it in love to hiâ— soul in Isa 38. 17. Thâ—u hast in love to my soul delivered it from the Pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy bâ—ck He looked more to the spiritual Mercy then to the outward Mercy Alas it had been a poor small thing for life to be given and my sins not pardoned if God had given me life and not given it out of love Oh it had been a curse to my soul and tâ—is doth David blesse the Lord for in Psal 23. 3. He restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake It was after God delivered him from sickness he blesse God he restored my soul and my life he doth not take up there but he leads me in the patheâ— of righteousnes for his name sake I have further mercy my life is given for further Mercy God he will not restore that mercy of life only but he will convey me to further Mercy seeing he hath given me life he will lead me in the paths of righteousness that I may life to the praise of his name And this should all our desires be when God doth such great things for us THE Second Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Made entrance into the words the last Lords day There is witness and testimony given of a glorious Miracle and Wonderful Deliverance that was wrought for three servants of God God had brought them forth to exercise their faith And to suffer To suffer the wrath of the King but yet the Lord delivered them he delivered them from the wrath of the King he wa a violent King from the flames of the Furnace and the Furnace was heated seven times hotter then ordinary they were bound hand and foot and cast into the midst of the fire and yet they became Conquerors The very enemies do witness as much The King Answered and said lo I see fouâ— men loose walking in the midst of the fire Here are many Miracles in one here is heat and light separated one from the other sight remains and yet the heat is taken away and it burned not here is the wonder of mercy it shall be a miracle of judgment in Hell there is fire that hath heat but no light the hotter the flames are it shall be the darker it shall be dark that day but here when God will shew a Miracle of mercy he takes away the heat and the light remains Lo says the King I sâ—e four men c. Imagine their number is increased as another Miracle Whereas they thought that
so much of God as should draw forth your hearts for ever in all conditions to put your trust in God Now know that the outward mercies were given for this end It is one end I say wherefore God gives mercie that so he might ingage his people for the future to trust in him it would be a great discredit to God if his people after all experiences he hath given them shall not trust in him for the future and there is nothing that doth provoke God more then this If Israel after all the experiences that God hath given them after all the wonders they had seen in the Land of Aegypt and in the red Sea and after all this shall distrust God through unbelief God does look upon it as a great provocation See what God says in Ps 78. about the 19 20 verses 't is said in v. 18 That they tempted God yea they spake against God in the 19. vers They said can God furnish a Table in the wilderness behold he smote the Rock and the water gushed out and the streams overflowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people Now 't is said in the next verse therefore was the anger of the Lord kindled against them therefore was the anger of the Lord kindled because they had seen his wonders at the red Sea and his wonders at the Rock yet they distrusted him can God prepare a Table in the wilderness this was a limiting of God and this their unbelief it cost them dear Therefore the Lord sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest Object But you will say Whether can any mercies or deâ—iverances that a man hath received be any help unto him for the future Answ I answer they may and I will shew you when When mercies received or deliverances How mercies may be helps to the soul for the future are helps unto the soul concerning his confidence and trusting in the Lord for the future First of all when the soul is careful to lay up the experiences of mercy when a man is careful to remember the goodness of God a man may receive a thousand mercies a thousand deliverances such as he might make experience of for his own benefit and for the help of others and yet be never the beter I say if they be not carefully laid up if they be not carefully treasured up a man looseth all the sweetness of them for there are two things that God doth intend in every mercy First of all There is present comfort and refreshment that he presently gives out and then there is something in the mercy to be laid up for the future there is something in every mercy that God would have his people lay up something that will stand them in stead another day now when a man does not remember the mercy that the Lord dispenceth to him though he may take some comfort in them yet he looseth the greater comfort of them that which he should lay hold on is the fruit of experience or else all the mercy is lost Secondly Mercies become helpful when as the soul can see the love of God in the present â—â—rcy when the soul sees the love of God in every present mercy this puts life into the mercy when the soul receives mercy and doth not eye love in it that mercy it proves a dead mercy or if there be any sence it will not last long because there was not special love seen in it Now when the soul can eye the love of God in the mercy then is the heart affected with the mercy and then is the sence of the mercy most like to be continued When a man can look at every mercy as the off spring of love he will be careful to nourish the sence the remembrance of that mercy one mercy that the soul can see love in is more dear more precious then many mercies See it in Hezekiah he saw special love of God to him in that mercy Is 38. part v. 17. But thou hast in love to my soul delivâ—red it from the pit of corrupâ—ion for thou hast cast all my siâ—s behind thy back Hezekiah was taken with the mercy why because he saw the love of God in the mercy Thou in love to my soul hast doâ— it and therefore he set a high price upon the mercy Those fifteen yeers that God added to his life was more then all his life before because he saw a special hand of God here and he saw the love of God here and therefore this was a long-lived mercy it was remembred it continued it remained in Hezekiahs heart so long as Hâ—zekâ—ah lived Thirdly Again Thirdly present mercies bâ—come helpful to the soul for the future when as the heart is fully convinced of the unchangeableness of the love of God to his people When he is fully perswaded of this truth That where God loves he loves to the end and where he begins in a way of mercy he goes on in a way of mercy he goes all aâ—â—ng in free grace saith the Psalmist All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth unto his people When a soul is once convinced this will help much to turn mercies into experiences and therefore that Doctrine which doth teach falling away from grace that a man may be beloved to day and cast off to morrow 'T is a most uncomfortable Doctrine and 't is impossible then that a man should make any experience at all of the mercies that he hath received If God be changable in his love if he cast off his people that he hath received in his free grace why then though a man hath never so much of God to day and know never so much and have never so much of the presence of God in the mercy he can have no experience and therefore that which concerns the soul it is to be grounded in the unchangeableness of Gods love to his people Fourthly Again Fourthly A man may make use of present mercies to be helpful for the future if he be careful to keep faith in action if he be careful to keep faith upon the wings To act faith in every condition upon the free grace of God and the mighty Righteousness of Jesus Christ it is faith that puts a lustre upon all mercies and if faith be down a man cannot see the goodness of God in any mercy that he hath received if saith be dead then the sense of the mercy is lost precious mercies they become useless they are as a treasure locked up that a man cannot come by to make use of a treasure buried in the earth that will do a man little good and therefore it concerns the people of God to keep faith upon the wings act faith and keep that fresh and lively and then all mercies and all deliverances that you have received they will be fresh in your eye for faith puts a varnish upon the mercy and though they be old yet
God before the soul hath tryed him before he hath had experience this is an honour a great honour that is done to God and this is the faith that wil hold out this wil last this kinde of faith it will uphold the soul in the greatest straits in the lowest condition when sense fails and when experiences are gone out of sight why then this kinde of Faith wil hold up the soul when the soul can trust the Lord though he had not tryed him trust him though God had not given experience trust him first of all because of his word because of the word of his grace that is given forth to the soul as a foundation to build upon this is an honour Indeed to God Secondly Be careful throughout all your Caution 2. whole course of life that you rely more upon the word of the Lord then upon your experiences throughout the whole course of your life you will find this more beneficial to rely upon the word of the Lord and here I beseech you to remember that this life it is the life of Faith it is the life of Faith and not the life of sense in Heâ—ven the Saints shall live by sence they shall have no need of Faith the life of Faith is not proper for them but the life of Faith is proper to Gods people on earth to beleeve and not see Faith is the evidence of things nâ—t seen it is taken up with things not seen I say this life it should be a life of Faith unto the Saints 't is not a life of sence And consider moreover if God do give any spiritual sence or if he do give any experiences of his love it is given for this end that so he might help the Faith of his people that he might help their Faith and strengthen their Faith that so he might encourage them for the future to trust in him to trust in him when they see him not when all is dark and sad when God seems to be out of sight I say God gives incouragements for this end that so he might incourage them to beleeve and therefore it is that oftentimes he trains up his people in this way he will strike the Crutches out of their hands he will put them to it they shall walk alone by Faith that all the sence of Gods dealings with them shall be out of sight they shall have nothing to rely upon God will put them to it to rely upon him alone upon a naked word of promise upon the word of grace to rely upon him though they have nothing in the world to rely upon 2. Consider though it be great mercy that the Lord is pleased to condescend so far to the Creature to give spiritual sence and many times experiences by which he will seal up his word and his grace to them yet it is a greater mercy that God hath given a word of promise to rely upon that is the greatest mercy in the world asurer foundation of hope and that which will stand a poor creature in stead when 't is in the dark when all the sence will be in the dark and experiences out of sight but then the word oâ— the Lord wil endure for ever and so then to have a word of grace to rely upon a word of promise this is the greatest mercy that God can shew to poor Creatures My Brethren if it were not for this it were not possible that the soul should be at any certainty though God had given never so many experiences of his love though the soul had seen and though it had felt and tasted of love and though it had layen in the bosome of Jesus Christ and been refresht with his â—ove yet if the Lord had not given a word of grace to rely upon aword of promise to rely upon It would be impossible but that â—t some time or other they would call all in question for 't is not possible that otherwise the soul should be supported in dark conditions for why when the soul begins to look towards God why it is fill'd with the sense of his own vileness with the sence of his own unworthiness Oh that â—s one of the greatest discoveries that the Lord makes shew the soul how vile it is in it self and therefore I say the soul is ready to question all all that God hath done for it though it hath seen God walk in a way of love to him yet still Oh 't is too good for me too good for such a â—ile Creature as I am Again The desire of the soul is carryed mighâ—ily after God when God comes once to set his Face towards Heaven it is fill'd with vast desires to God that it can never have enough never be satisfied and though God do come and manifest himselfe by gracious Experiences yet still it desires more of God It is apt to question Have I any thing of God or no Have I seen God or no it is very solicitous when it is once set towards Heaven God makes it very solicitous concerning the great matters of Eternity 't is fill'd with the weighty thingsof Eternity and the weighty business of Eternity so though God hath come and hath spoke and the soul hath seen God and experiences of God yet because it apprehends such great weighty matters concerning the soul for eternity all experiences are called in question of Gods love and his favour to him A man is so careful in this case that he will scarce beleeve himself nay though he have seen Christ and though he have felt him and seen his goings still he will hardly beleeve himself whether he hath seen him or no you know Mary Magdalâ—u she was very solicitous she stood weeping she saw him and she would not beleeve her own sence and so 't is with a poor Child of God Oh 't is so solicitous that though it have seen Christ and experiences of his goodnesse and his favour and love yet it will scarcely beleeve his own sence and he is apt to call all in question whether he hath seen the Lord or no So that still I say after all experiences and the manifestations of love the soul would call all in question many and many a time if iâ— had not a word of Grace to trust to and therefore the Saints are more beholden to the Lord for his Word of Gruce to them then for all experiences And remember this That though God hath done uever so much for you and you have seen hiâ— goings in your hearts yet doe not you make your experience the first Ground oâ— your trust and do not trust to your experiences so but look to the Promises as thâ— Promises as the onely Foundation that will â—ear up your heart for ever through all dark conditions And so for Experiences look upon them as Crutches to lead you to the word of his Grace but they are not to be rested in THE Fourth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo
I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Have spoken out of these words We have finished one Proposition Namely That God doth oftentimes in a wonderful manner rescue the lives of his servants from death and destruction I prest you the last day that Christians should therefore trust in God such as have seen his goings should trust him for the future upon former experiences when God speaks once in a remarkable providence he expects we should hear twice again and again In every low condition we should hear That power belongs to God Trust him for the comforts of life and trust him for the preventing the evil of life trust him for the upholding of you in life till his time be come and your work be filled only be not you negligent make hast in your work work the works of God while the day lasts but yet you may be confident the Lord he will not suffer the Candle to be blown out till your work be filled The righteous shall come to his grave as a shock of Corn that commeth in in his season I shewed how far we may make use of former mercies for the future to become great helps of Faith when the soul is careful to lay up the remembrance of them when the soul can eye the love of God special love when the soul is once convinced of that truth of the unchangeableness of the love of God when the soul keeps up the wing of Faith and holds up its communion with God can go and lay before God former mercies and use them as Arguments to plead with God for the future as Gods people have done then do mercies become helpful for the future But how far should we trust Experinces Why look upon them as Earnests of that which God doth intend to give and look upon them as Crutches as helps in the way so though all the experiences of God may be out of fight for God may bring his people into some condition that may be above Experience Experience cannot reach them And therefore do not make your own Experience the first ground of your trust but trust first in the Lord and the word of his grace trust them more then all your experiences the life of a Christian 't is the life of Faith and not of sence the life of sence is in Heaven but the life of Faith is most proper here Blessed are they that beleeve and have not seen and if God do give Experience and manifest his love and goodness to thee it is for this end that he might strengthen Faith he will learn his children to go alone and therefore God many times hath struck the Crutches out of their hands and all sights of God shall be gone and God will make them to trust in his naked word Great use may be made of Experience but yet I say lay the word of the Lord as your foundation and trust that for that will hold in all conditions in the greatest darkness when Experience may be out of sight and you can see nothing We proceed He answerâ—d and said Lo I see four â—en looâ—e c. Who is it here that bears witness of this Miracle of deliverance 'T is Nebuchadnezzer the King it was one that was a proud insolent Monarch one that scorned God and defied the most High in the 15. verse of this 3. Chap. that commanded the people to fall down and worship his Image that he had set up and in the latteâ— end Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand a persecutor of the Saints one that was filled with wrath against them The King was â—xceeding wrath and commâ—nded the Furnace to be heated seven times hâ—ttâ—r then ordinary Yet here Nebu-Nebuchadnezzer himself is forced to bear witness A Question propounded by Inteapreters of the goodness of God to his people He confesses it before all men Did we not cast in three and loe I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt There is a question propounded by Interâ—â—eters neither Nebuchadnezzer was truely converted or no It seems there is much does make for his conversion First of all Here was a strong work of conviction that past upon him he was convinced of his sin he was convinced of the glorious Majesty of God to shine in this Miracle His conviction makes him cry out before all the world before all that were about him 2. There is Secondly A confession of his Error and an acknowledgment of his sin Now he knows there is no God but the true God There was also in the 3. Third place A rejoycing in his own disappointment he rejoyced in that the Lord had prevented him in the evil that he intended that he was not able to bring it to pass his mischievous device against the Saints as you may see in vers 28 Then Nebuchadnezzer spake and said blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who hath sent his Angels and delivered his servants that trusted in him c. There is a rejoycing here that they were delivered and that he was disapointed that he did not succeed according to his will Now this seems to be a great measure of self-denial What did not Nebucadnezzar do as much in this as David did when he was disappointed in the first book of Samuel 25. when David had an intention to cut off Nabal Abigal she comes to pâ—rswade him and in the 32 v. David said to Abigail blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to me Nebuchadnezzar did seem to do as much as David did here he blesseth God for his own disappointment Fourthly this seems to make for him that he did rejoyce in the goodnesse of God to his people he does rejoyce in their grace as you may see in the 28. verse Blessed be the God of Shadrach who sendeth his Angels and delivereth his servants that trust in him He seems to rejoyce here in their grace in that constancy of theirs that they did not yeild to his command and serve no God but their own God and he rejoiceth in the deliverance of the Saints Blessed be the Lord that delivereth his servants yea further he seems to give the glory to God He does eye God in the deliverance he takes notice of it as from God and blessed the Lord Blessed be the Lord that sendeth his Angell and delivereth his servants Nay further he takes care of true Religion and of Gods Name to be exalted he makes Decrees and sends it to all people and whosoever does act any thing against God shall be cut in pieces and their houses thrown down and made a jakes Thus you see what a great way he went and what a great deal Nebuchadnezzer did seemingly for God upon this his conviction and yet it may be it was but a conviction and that
care of me he delivered me when I was in such straits when I was almost dead strugling to get into this world the hand of the Lord was helping of me The hand of the Lord was more to me then all creatures he helped me See at the beginning from first to last God takes a special care of the lives of his Saints Fourthly It will further appear this great love of God this great care of God will further appear if we consider what a rate he makes men pay for the lives of his Saints when they take their lives away by violence He will make them know they have stolen precious Jewels from him and he will make them pay dear for it you know what it cost Jerusalem there was found the blood of the Prophets slain there was a great deal of blood lay upon them the blood of Abel and the blood of Zacharias and they shed the blood of the Prophets and Servants of God and that blood became their overthrow the blood of them did throw down the Walls and Temple of the City the streams of blood did sweep away all the Inhabitants thereof whensoever the life of a Saint is stolen and taken away God presently sends Hue and Cry after it and wheresoever God hath found the blood of his people he hath declared his wrath against them he hath prosecuted the Law to the uâ—most against them See what is prophesied of Babylon how doth the Lord deal with her in the 18. of Revelation when God came to make inquisition after the blood of the Saints 't is said And in her was found the blood of the Saints There God found his stolen Jewels the blood of his Saints See how God doth prosecute the Law against her in thaâ— 18. Chapter you read of most fearful judgments that came upon Babylon God seizes upon all her Riches all her Glory and they were all brought down in a day she her self was brought to execution she was cast down as a Milstone cast down into the bottom of the Sea never to to rise again what was the cause of all this wrath and diâ—pleasure and fearful judgements that was to come upon Babylon Why this was given as the reason In her was found the blood of the Prophets So then still you see and I beseech you beleeve it there is nothing in all the world more precious to the Lord then the lives of his Servants Well 2ly If the lives of the Servants of God Use 2 be so precious how precious are the souls of his Servants the life is more then rayment saith Christ the life is more then all creatures and the soul is more then life the life of Christ in the soul it must needs be a hundred times more precious a thousand times more precious Oh what a high account hath God of the souls of his people what will not God part with rather then he will loose the souls of his people he will part with the Jewel of Heaven the great Jewel of Heaven to ransome the souls of his people he was content that his Son should come out of his bosome rather then he would loose one of the souls of his people the Son was infinitely dear to the Father more dear to him then all the world yea ten thousand worlds and yet he will part with his son that he may rescue the souls of his people from destruction Oh how precious was the soul in the eye of Christ what did he do what did he suffer to redeem the precious soul how far did he come to fetch them a mighty journey the Lord Christ took from Heaven to Earth that he might bring back poor souls that were taken captive by the Divel and rescue them from death and destruction what great hazard did the Lord Christ run when he was upon Earth Oh what mighty Armies what Troops did Jesus Christ break through Armies of sins and Armies of Divels that was in his way and yet he brake through them all to rescue the souls of his Servants when he had broke through those Troops what depths did he descend into that he might fetch up the souls of his Servants He was content to go into the depths of the Sea the red Sea the Sea of blood yea into the depths of the Sea of his Fathers wrath and indignation that so he might fetch up the souls of his Servants the depth of the wrath of God the depth of the infinite wrath of God it is a Sea that hath no bottom a Sea of wrath that men and Angels should never have found the bottom they shall be descending lower and lower still and never find the bottom and yet the Son of God was content to go to the bottome of wrath of all the billows of his Fathers wrath and displeasure that so be might fetch up the souls of his servants that lay under wrath they could never have lift up their heads above the billows of the displâ—aâ—ure of the Almighty if Christ had not fetcht them up if he had not upon his own back carryed them over Oh how precious were the souls of his Saints in the eye of God! The life of the Son of God was precious to him and yet his life was nothing to him in comparison that he might save the souls of his people if he had a thousand lives he would have layd them all down Now I beseech you think of this you that have a mean account of your souls O how precious is the soul in the account of the Son of God how great was the price that Christ paid for thy soul and why dost thou undervalue thy soul and art willing to part with this most precious treasure in the world it cost the life of the Son of God to purchase thy soul and wouldst thou be content to sell thy soul for a trifle and yet how many thousands in the world do value a thousand things in the world above their souls and many they will part with their souls for a lust for vanity for nothing for a bag of earth for an empty cloud of honour for a little pleasure Oh what undervaluing is this of thy poor soul I beseech you remember the worth of the soul do but consider how precious it was in the eye of God you that do slight your precious souls If 〈◊〉 â—â—ed your body you care not if the soul starve Oh that you would remember you wiâ—l make a hard bargain though you win all tâ—e world and loose your own soul what shall a man gâ—â—e in exchange for his soul I beseech you for the Lords sake have more care of your souls let your souls be precious in your eyes 't is more worth then all the world if you loose the things of the world you may find them again you may gain them again if you loose all the friends in the world you may finde them all in the Son of God he stands in all relations to his people nay
if you loose this life it self yet thou maist finde life in Christ thou mayst finde thy life again in the Son of God but if thou loosest thy soul thou art lost for ever and thou art undone for ever and thy soul once lost cannot be found again Oh that men would account of their souls to be as precious as Christ accounts of them do not prefer the body do not prefer the things of this world before thy soul and the glorious things that are concerning Eternity thy soul is more precious then thy life would'st thou not put off thy life for a trifle and would'st thou put off thy soul for a trifle life is precious but the soul is more precious Thirdly If life be so precious to God the life Use 3 of his Saints Then this should teach us to prize our lives I say It should teach us to prize our lives to look upon them as precious to look upon them as the most precious Jewel of nature for 't is the will of God that we should so look upon them remember there is nothing in the world that God takes more care of next to the soul then he doth of the lives of his Saints and so there is nothing that God is more careful to preserve so there is nothing that the Devil is more diligent to seek after then life next to the soul he seeks the life the precious life I say life 't is the most precious thing in nature See what Solomon says in that 9. of Eccles v. 4. For to him that is joyned to all the liâ—ing thereis hope for a living dog is better then dead Lyon He knew there was nohing more excellent then life speaking of natural life there iâ— nothing more excellent then life A living dog iâ— better tâ—en a dead Lyâ—n a living dog that is â— man in a vile condition a living dog a man though he lives and be in a vile condition in a bad condition in a most desperate condition looked upon from God as a dead creature that man because he lives is better then a dead Lion better then Princes and Potentates of the earth though they did live never so gloriously Indeed if you look beyond nature if you look to that condition that is after life why then their condition is noâ— precious to the Saints for their condition is better then the condition of the greatest worldly men in the world and one that dies in the Lord Christ were he a dog yet he is better then the greatest Lion on the earth but in naturall things the wise mâ—n would have you to know that life is the greatest treasure in nature and therefore when as the greatest love is expressed 't is expressed by laying down of life Here is love indeed that a man lay down hâ—â— life When Christ did express his greatest love that possibly he could unto his Saints he expressed it by laying down of his life I lay down my life for my sheâ—p saith Christ and Here is love iâ—deed here God commendeth his love to us that whilst we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Here is the commendation of love to lay down life nothing better then life to be given and therefore you shal find that God hath given it as the greatest outward mercy he reckons it as the greatest outward mercy in times of distress God sometime hath promised to do this to his Servants that their lives shal be given for a prey that was promised to Baruck Jer. 45. vers 4 5. God tells him the whole land shal be layd waste and evil shal come upon all flesh yet this was the mercy promised the greatest outward mercy He should havâ— hâ—â— life for a prey but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey as the greatest mercy that God could give him for his faithfulness his life should be given him for a prey God would rescue his life from danger when it should seem to be taken away God would rescue it as a prey out of the hand of danger out of the hand of enemies he would give Baruck the greatest outward blessing that can be bestowed and therefore I beseech you prize your lives I wil tel you briefly how you should prize your lives First Take heed that you speak nothing against your lives Oh that men and women would remember Rules how to prize our lives what a precious thing life is speak nothing against thy life how common a thing is this in the world if a man meet with matter of discontentment presently they cast sad thoughts against their lives and oh that God would take me away and oh that there were an end of my life that I were in the grave and such kind of expressions Poor creatures do you know what you say is life so precious and is it such a precious treasure and does God make such an account of it and do you undervalue it wil you throw away your lives upon every discontentment wil you part with such a Jewel Oh the folly and the madness of mens hearts suppose that God should take you at your word you say Oh that the Lord would take away my life suppose now that God should come and say Oh thou vile creature have I given thee such a precious Jewel as life is that thou may'st improve it for precious ends for glorious ends that thou may'st gain a portion in my self and son which should make thee happy for ever have I trusted thee with sucha Jewel as life is and dost thou upon every discontentment throw life at thy foot dost thou come and throw it into my hand before I call for it Well I wil tâ—ke thee at thy word this night shall thy life be taken from thee if God should be in good earnest I doubt you would call your words back again Elijah he spoke in a passionate way against his life in the first of Kings and v. 19. but when God would have taken him at his word he went back again See how he desires God to take away his life at the fourth verse and He requested for himselâ— that he might die and sâ—id it is enough now Oh Lord take away my life for I am not better tâ—â—n my fathers for a little affliction he is persecuted and driven into the wilderness in discontentment he sits down and speaks words against his life take away my life why should I live why God he takes him at his word and Jezebel shal take away his life from him but at the tenth verse the Propâ—et goes back again and there 't is his greatest complaint that he makes and they seek to take aâ—ay wy life and yet before in his passion he would needs dye Lord take away my life I am â—o bâ—ttâ—r tâ—en my Fathers Now 't is a most grievous sin thus to slâ—ght that which God hath set such a â—igh prâ—â—e upon O what care hath God of life and what charge hath God given all
affliction so he doth embrace in affliction he commonly never reveaâ—s more of himself never gives out more glorious manifestations of himself then in the time of affliction I will bring her into the Wilderness see that place Hosea 2. 14. I will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her she shall have my comfortable presence in the Wilderness I will speak comfortably to her and so David he had experience of it in Psalm 23. Thou art with me and I will fear none ill though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death I will fear none ill thy rod thy staffâ— doth comfort me never more consolations of Christ are given out to poor creatures then when the Lord brings theâ— into great tryals he deals as an indulgent Mother with her child never manifests more love then when the child is sick though a Parent does restrain love before yet then she maniâ—ests her love the child shall know that the Parents love it and then she shall bring out all her sweet meats in the time of sickness and so doth the Lord bring out a great deal of sweet meats they have more sweet meats and sweet drinks that the world knows not of then in the day of tribulation in the day of affliction when it is sad and dark with the outward man they have meat to eat that the world knows not of they have the comfortable presence of Christ that the world knows not of they have never more of the comfoâ—table pâ—eâ—ence of Christ then when they are brought into great straits and low conditions I shall have no time to come to the Application but only let me say this to you You kâ—ow not what use you may have of this before another Sabbath the Lord may bring you into afflictions and therefore remember this truth hide it in your heart that so upon all occasions you may make use of it and if God do bring you into afflictions submit willingly and readily to him submit to low conditions submit to tryals submit to persecutions know this that Jesus Christ manifests his presence and this is the way to manifest his presence I will abundantly comfort you in all your afflictions you lay under and that you meet with for his names sake and let it help to strengthen your faith and truly you had need to streagthen your faith in times of affliction there is no time in which the heart of men good men are more ready to faint and give over then in times of tryal how did David cry out and how did Christ cry out in his great aâ—fliction Oh my God my God why hast thou forsaken me In affliction we are apt to think that God hath forsaken us Sion sâ—id in her affliction the Lord hath forsaken me in her affliction she said the Lord hath forsaken me and thus an unbeleiving heart is apt to question in times of affliction Oh is God amongst us as Israel said when they were in wants and great straits Oh then their unbelieving hearts were discovered though they had seen his Miracles they tempted God and said is God amongst us And the best of Gods people in time of temptation and affliction may be apt to question is the Lord with us Now therefore strengthen your faith in the day of adversity that so you may not faint and dishonour God and look unto the Lord Jesus Christ that beholding the Lord Jesus Christ your faith may be strengthened remember that it is his way to give out much of himself to his people in times of affliction and therefore never say is the Lord wiâ—h us but expect to meet with God conclude the Lord is with you and he will be with you in the time of affliction and remember you shall never have more of his supporting presence of his enlightening presence his comforting presence his sanctifying presence and of his quickening presence I say you shall never have more of the presence of Christ then in such sad conditions strengthen the feeble hands and knees and look to the Lord that your faith may be strengthened THE Seventh Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God The handling of the Doctrine lastly named is put off to the next Sermon this not being preached in the same place with it FRom Nebuchadnezzars Testimony of this Miraculous Deliverance that God wrought for his Servants This Proposition was handled the last day God often times works such deliverance for his people as he makes their very enemies to confess that he hath done great things for them He made the very Heathen to confess that God hath done great things for his people When God did turn again our Captivity in the 126. Psalm They said among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them I will make them oâ— the Synagogue oâ— Satan saith Christ which say they are Jews and are not but do lie I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee but this Pâ—â—nt is concluded and therefore I shall proceed For I desire to keep time and to be short in these morning Exercises Well then let us go on and look upon the Restraint that God layd upon the fire Consider the effect of Gods command and the effect of his prohibition God had given command that the fire should not burn them that the fire shoulâ— burn and dissolve their chains and their fetters that were upon them they were cast in bound bound hand and foot but God had commanded and the fire obeys it takes part with the three Children to loose their fetters and set them at liberty they were cast in bound And low now says Nebuchadnezzar I see four men loose God had layd a prohibition upon the fire and it obeys the commandment that it should not burn them that it should not touch their bodies it should not stop their breath that it should not so much as singe one hair of their head or scorch their garments and the fire is obedient to the word of the Lord they were walking in the midst of the fire and they had no hurt I shall put the particulars together because I would make hast they hold forth this Proposition Observat 6. That at the Commandment of the Lord the fierceest of Creatures shall not only not hurt his people but shall take part with them and do them good I say At the command of the Lord the fiercest of Creatures shall not only not hurt them but shall side with his people to take their part and do them good The fire cannot hurt nay the fire takes part with them nay the fire sets them at liberty First of all I shall shew you that the Creatures cannot hurt And then secondly That they must of necessity take part with the Saints
Jonathans son took him and set him at his Table so doth Jesus Christ deal he remembers the kindness of his Father the kindness the Father shewed him in his low condition says he is there none of the seed of God are there none of the children of the most high that I may shew kindness to for the fathers sake Because he shewed kindness to me in my low condition and though he can hear of none but poor lame Mephibosheth yet he shews kindness to them takes them into communion with himself sets them at Table with him and in the midst of their low conditions will afford his presence because his Father their Father did not leave him alone when he was in low conditions Again The Lord Jesus he is bound unto this by many ingagements I say he is bound to be present with his people in low conditions He is bound by his Word by his Promise by the Law of love that is in his heart All my delight is in the Saints and those that be excellent it is a second Heaven to him next to the presence of the Father he delights to be in the presence of his Saints and therefore because he delights in them he will be present with them though they be in the prison in chains and fetters though they be in the fiery Furnace yet it is a Heaven unto Christ to be with them for all his delight is in his Saints He is bound also by the Law of friendship to be with them in low conditions a friend is tryed in adversity it was a reproof to Hushai when he left David in straits and therefore says Absolom is this thy kindness to thy friend that thou wouldst not go along with thy friend It shall never be said so of the Lord Jesus it shall never be said of him Why didst thou not go along with thy friend for he will go along with his friend in the greatest adversity he will not leave them but afford them his presence Again He is bound because his work is in hand A Physician is bound to look after his Patient because he hath given him a Purge And so the The Lord Jesus is bound to look after his Patient when he hath given him a Purge Gold-Smith is bound to look after his Gold when he hath put it into the Furnace And so the Lord Jesus is bound to look after his Gold when 't is in the Furnace of affliction But I come to the Application First of all for Instruction This lets us see the wonderful unparalel love of Jâ—sus Christ I beseech Vse you take notice of it and get your hearts affected with it here is such love as creatures cannot shew a friend that will never leave one a friend that will always afford his presence in the greatest straits afford his presence that 's a friend indeed a man may be brought into such conditions as all his friends may forsake him all men upon earth may leave him David was left of his best friends Father and Mother forsook him and Jesus Christ was left of his best frsends they all forsook him and fled and truly this may be the condition of any man upon earth cast out and forsaken of friends of most friends of best friends will a friend venture his own life for a friend will a man keep his friend when some deadly infectious disease is upon him when he hath a plagâ—e sore upon him will he â—hen lye down in the bosome of his friend when a man is condemned to the flames of fire when a man is cast into the fire will a friend follow him into that condition Truly such friends you will hardly finde upon earth but this is the friendship of Jesus Christ to his people when he first lookt upon them he saw how many plague sores infectious diseases were upon them and yet that could not hinder him from drawing nigh and affording his presence and from working mightily by his spirit upon their hearts Nay when they are brought to fiery tryals to great afflictions yet even then he will not leave them and he will not forsake them and this makes the love of Christ the more remarkable that he should thus condescend when he was at the highest for he is now advanced above the Heavens he sits down at the right hand of the Father he is at the highest condition and yet he is pleased to condescend to the lowest condition he is pleased to come down when they are in the depths in the greatest straits that possibly can be what love was that the Spouse speaks of in the 5. of Canticles and the last verse she speaks a great deal of the beauty of Christ and in the last words she makes her boast of her Beloved This is my Beloved and this is my Friend Oh Daughters of Jerusalem I will compare with you all I will compare my friend to all the friends in the world This is my Belovâ—d and this is my friend she compares him for for his beauty and so you may compare him for his love you may make your boast of the Lord Jesus you may say This is my Beloved and this is my friend Secondly What a strong Motive may this Doctrine be unto such as are strangers unto Jesus Vse Christ to come in and submit unto him What glorious Benefits may you be partakers of What a desireable thing is it to have such a friend as Christ is which will be present with his friends in their lowest conditions Oh that every man would set down and consider that which Solomon speaks of to remember the days of darknesse which will be many many days of darknesse may come upon the earth what a favour will it be to have a friend in the darknesse a friend that will stick by thee when thou art in the dark a friend that thou mayst take hold of his skirts when thou art in the dark Entry a friend that will hold thee fast when thou art in the dark such a friend is Jesus Christ to all that do embrace him Oh what a favour what a mercy will it be to have a friend stand by thee that is both able and willing to help thee when all Creature-comforts shall fail when the very strength of body shall fail to have a friend stand by to help and succour and truly such a friend is the Lord Jesus what saith the Psalmist in the 73. Psalm vers 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever heart and flesh fail and then there is a strength above nature the Lord then is the strength of my heart and of my flesh and blood What a mercy will it be to have one stand by you when you go through the valley of the shadow of death a friend then to comfort a friend then to uphold such a friend is the Lord to his people David was confident of this therefore you see how his