give some refreshment to the soul and withall encourage it to go forward to Heaven where they shall get no worse but much more of such fruits Although thou hast not such a measure of the sense of Gods love towards thee as thou desirest yet if there be in thine heart a true and sincere hatred of all sin and a true and deep sense of thine own love toward God that thou mayest say in humility and sincerity as Peter did Joh. 21. Lord thou that knowest all things knoweth I love thee then mayest thou die willingly because 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen c. what God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 8.3 If any man love God the same is known and approven of him Peace in thy conscience from faith resting on Jesus Christ and his perfect righteousness is the earnest of thy full and everlasting peace in Heaven when thou shalt see God as he is Although thy peace of Sanctification may be interrupted now and then by thy sinning sometimes against thy light as it was in David Psal 51. yet in Heaven there will be perfect righteousness inherent for ever and the fruit thereof will be perfect and everlasting peace in the soul Spiritual joy which is called the joy of the Holy Ghost because he is the Author of it and is also called the joy of salvation because eternal salvation in Heaven is the object of it if at any time God hath given joy to thy heart after thy mourning in secret for thy sins and after thy believing in Jesus Christ who came into the world to save even the chief of sinners then look thou upon that joy as a love-token sent down to thee from Heaven and as an earnest of that full and everlasting joy in Heaven that shall never be taken from thee This consideration and joyful expectation maketh the children of God willing to be dissolved and to be with Christ at whose right hand is fulness of joy and pleasures for ever For if there be such joy from the earnest and first fruits that it is called 1 Pet. 1.8 Joy unspeakable and full of glory What will the joy be after this life when we shall receive the full sum of glory and shall reap the full harvest of joy in the kingdom of Heaven It is true some of the dear children of God who sometimes in their lifetime have had peace in their conscience and joy in their heart from the hope of salvation have been a little before their death under a cloud and great wrestlings against temptations to unbelief and despondency which were fierce as the sons of Anak at their coming out of this wilderness but before their dissolution that cloud evanished and they exprest their joy like the joy of the wise men when they saw the Star that led them to Christ appearing again Mat. 2.10 and they cried out Venit venit He is come he is come And then they say as Isa 25.9 This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Use For exhortation unto willingness at death to remove out of the body to this end we would seriously and frequently consider 1. This is the place and the time of our sojourning our rest is not here therefore let us pass the time of our sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 Like unto loving and dutiful children in the time of their travels abroad who are afraid to do any thing in a strange countrey that may dishonour their loving father who sent them to their travels for a time and bare all their charges in the time of their absence this fear to dishonour our heavenly Father and our active care to honour him in this present world will make us willing and confident to return unto him at death who will make us welcome at our return and give us rest in these eternal mansions in our Fathers house this fear to offend God and care to please him in all things made the Apostle Paul willing and confident in the thoughts of his departure from this world 2 Tim. 4.7 8 I have fought a good fight c. henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing 2. Consider often the place thou leavest at death and the place thou goest to after death and the vast difference between these two as the Heaven is distant from the Earth thou leavest a world of iniquity and misery but goest to that other world wherein dwelleth righteousness all happiness there is a vast difference between the earthly house thou flitts from at death and that eternal house and mansion to which thy soul flitts immediatly after death and shall rest from all thy labours Rev. 14.13 Thy soul dwelleth now in a dark house there is much ignorance even in the best of Saints here and any light or knowledge we have now in the body is but like the light unto a prisoner in the dungeon through crevices and slitts by the ministry of our outward senses our hearing and seeing but in that heavenly mansion whereto the believer goeth at death there is full light Ps 36.9 In thy light shall we see light 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall see him as he is There will be an identity in the object God himself seen by all the glorified Saints yet there is an infinit variety of all things desireable for our happiness to be seen and known in God himself infinit in excellency an goodness even as a man beholdeth diverse reâ—ractions frâ—m one and the self same sparkling precious Diamond his light and knowledge in the souls of glorified Saints wilâ— endure for ever Rev. 21.23 The city had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof This eaâ—â—thly house doth oft-times smoak and maketh our eyes to gush ouâ— with tears as smoak doth from a soaking fite not yâ—t put out so the many sinful motions and fumes arising from in-dwelling concupiscence in the body maketh the children of God here many times to mourn in secret before the Lord and in the bitterness of their spirit to cry out with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death But at death the fire of concupâ—scence will be wholly quenched as at flitting the fire of the house wherein they formerly dwelt is wholly put out but after death we shall follow the Lamb in white robes not only without blame but also without all stain Now we dwell in a strait and narrow house here are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great pâ—essures and oppressions of spirit with one affliction after another but after death we shall be enlarged from all trouble and pain then God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes Rev. 21.4 Now we dwell in a dropping house one defluction after another from our weak and distempered head do trouble this earthly body but after death in our eternal house there will be a perpetual influence of life health peace and joy from our strong and everlasting Head the Lord Jesus Christ Now we dwell among many evil and troublesome neighbours who make us oft-times cry out with David Wo is me that I dwell in the tents of Mesecb But in heaven there will be perfect peace a sweet harmony in minds and affections amongst all the fellow-citizens there we shall be in a perpetual communion with the blessed Angels and with the glorified Saints Yea that which crowneth all we shall be in an immediat full and perpetual communion with God himself infinit in glory Rev. 21.3 God himself shall be with them And at the resurrection of the body we shall live in a communion of the visible glory of Christ the Lord whom we shall see with our bodily eyes 1 Thes 4.17 3. Lastly consider what joy thou hast had at any time here from faith in Jesus Christ whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeâ—kable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 O what shall our joy be after death when we shall see him face to face If now thy joy be so great in seeing him only through the lattesse of his Ordinances and if some of the Saints have such joy in suffering for him here how great shall their joy be in reigning with him there If we have some peace and calmness in our conscience when we are in the sea of this world what shall be the peace and calmness when we shall be brought within that haven of â—he third heaven where the salvation of God shall be our perpetual bulwark Old Jacob when he considered the misery and famine of the Land from which he parted when he looked to the waggons and provision sent to him by his beloved Joseph and when he considered he was going to be with his own Joseph in honour and great plenty he departed willingly from the place of his former abode So let us consider this present world from which we part it is a place of sin and misery let us consider any provision of inward comfort God hath sent us at any time it should be as a waggon and fiery chariot to carry our hearts upwards toward God the fountain of all comfort and happiness Consider our dear Joseph the Lord Jesus Christ that was sold for our iniquities is now at the fathers right hand the great Steward and Dispenser of grace and glory by death we are going to him in whom and with whom we shall enjoy all happiness for ever If there be comfort sometimes from a drop of joy here how full ever-flowing and over-flowing will our joy be that shall proceed from the vision and fruition of God for ever These everlasting pleasures and purest joyes are that pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22.1 I close with that of the Apostle Jude ver 24.25 Now unto him that is able to keep you â—rom falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen FINIS
As also having sincere love in your hearts toward all the Saints 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren 6. Be thou prepared as these faithâ—ul servants Luk. 12.36 who trussed up their garments that they might be the more expedit and ready to open the door to their Lord at his return In like manner do thou retire thy heart in time from the excessive love of the things of this present world that it be not entangled thereby but set thy heart upon God and things above for as Plenishing or Houshold-stuff fixed fast in the wall is ordinarily broken before it can be removed so a worldly-minded man his heart is broken with grief and worldly sorrow when he is removed from his present enjoyments his spirit is rather taken from him against his will then by him freely commended and chearfully put over into the hands of his Heavenly Father Luk. 12.20 Conclus 2. The future glory of the bodies of the Saints in Heaven is not only sure and certain in it self in respect of the object promised by God but also in respect of the subject to wit believers on the Lord Jesus Christ who may and should be assured of it for it is said here by the Apostle not only in his own name but also in the name of all believers on Jesus Christ We know we have an house c. It is expressed in the present tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have to signifie the certainty of it in a believer so Joh. 3 36. He that believeth in me hath everlasting life This assurance Job had Job 19 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another c. And David Psal 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness The reasons are 1. Because not only the soul but also the body of a believer is a part of the mystical Body of Christ who is the Saviour of his whole body Eph. 5.23 2. As the body of believers is an instrument and vessel of honour to God in this life so these same bodies shall be vessels of glory in the other life that they may receive there according to their service done unto God here in the body 2 Cor. 5.10 3. The bodies of the Patriarchs do now rest in their graves and as we may be assured they shall be raised unto glory Matth. 22.32 Joh. 5 28 29. So all true believers on Jesus Christ may be assured that their own bodies also shall be raised in glory unto eternal life As we would be assured of glory to our bodies in heaven let us use our bodies here as temples to the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Now the body is used as a temple to the Holy Ghost 1. by separating it from the service of sin and iniquity as the temple of Jerusalem which sometime was a threshing-floor before it became a Temple to God it was separate from that common use So our bodies must be separat from the service of iniquity before it can be consecrat to the service of God 2 Cor. 6.16 17. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God c. wherefore come out from among them and be ye separat saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you 2. As the temple of Jerusalem was not only separat from a profane or common use but was also dedicat and consecrat unto the service of God and spiritual employments in like manner our bodies should be presented and dedicat to the service of God according to the duty of our Christian calling Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service As all the vessels in the Temple whether great or small were holy so should all the members of our body be employed unto righteousness Rom. 6.13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God Our eyes should be turned away from beholding vanity and imployed to behold the power and wisdom of God in the works of Creation and Providence our ears should be circumcised and tuâ—ned away from hearing profane or obscene speeches and turned to hear what may be profitable for our edification our tongues should be turned away from all unsavoury communication and should minister grace to the hearer 3. The Temple was guarded and kept by the Porters lest any thing should enter or creep into the Temple which might defile it 2 Chron. 23.19 In like-manner should we watch over the Ports of our eyes and ears that nothing enter in by them which may defile the soul which is the very sanctuary within the temple of our body No stranger was admitted unto the temple of Jerusalem Act. 21.28 so we should not admit willingly any strange thought or stragling motion which would turn the heart away from God Ps 119.113 I hate vain thoughts but thy law do I love If through our inadvertence such motions creep in or through violence rush into the soul and molest the body then as our blessed Lord in his zeal did scourge out the buyers and the sellers out of the Temple we should in a holy indignation and commendable self-revenge cast out these thoughts that would sell our bodies and the members thereof unto iniquity If thus ye be careful to use your bodies as a temple to the Holy Ghost then may ye be assured the Holy Gâ—ost who dwelled in the soul and over-ruled the body in the day of resurrection will fill his temple with glory even as the temple of Jerusalem was first built by Gods command and thereafter filled with the cloud and sensible presence of God himself But these who dishonour God in the body and members thereof as by blaspheming the Name of God by uncleanness by drunkenness or other sins acted by the subserviency of the body can such persons or dare they say We know we have an eternal house in heaven Yea do they not know and are convinced from the threatnings of God and from their own conscience bearing witness to the truth and justness of the same that if they live and dye in their sins without repentance and amendment of life there is a bottomless dark prison with torments everlasting prepared both for their soul and for their body Gal. 6.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption Conclus 3. There is a great difference and opposition between the bodies
for their spiritual advantage By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Isa 27.9 Dan. 12.10 They shall be made white c. And many times he orders their afflictions to the good of others who are confirmed in the way of truth and righteousness from the example of their patience in suffering for the truth Phil. 1.12 The dispersing of some Christians in that persecution against Stephen was in the wisdom and power of God ordered for the in gathering of many people in Samaria unto the Christian faith Acts 8. Observ 2. As the gifts and graces of the Spirit were poured forth upon Christ in great variety so they were permanent and abiding in him without any change and without remitting of their vigour and exercise upon all occasions the Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him The Spirit which descended from Heaven like a Dove did abide upon him Joh. 1.32 The extraordinary gift of revealing things secret by the light of Prophesie was not at all times permanent in the Prophets 2 King 4.27 As light within the house occasioned by lightning in the air is transient and not permanent so neither was the gift of miracles or healing the sick alwayes permanent in our Lords Disciples Mark 9.18 Yea Paul left his beloved Trophimus sick at Miletum 2 Tim. 4.20 But our blessed Lord healed all whom and when he pleased It is true the sanctifying graces in the Elect are alwayes permanent Joh. 4.14 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God They are permanent in respect of the root of the seed and of the habit but not in respect of the fruit and exercise but the graces of Christ were ever flourishing and fruitful Graces in the godly have decays and changes even Abraham the father of the faithful had a fit of diffidence when in his fear he dissembled twice to wit in Gerar and in Egypt but our blessed Lord his confidence was permanent in the hour of temptation for he witnessed a good confession even to the last before Pontius Pilat Moses was a meek man yet was surprised with a fit of bitterness at Meribah but our blessed Lord was meek at all times for his scourging out the profaners of the Temple Joh. 2. was not a fit of passion and perturbation but an heroick act of holy zeal proceeding from judgement and deliberation because it was written His Fathers house should be the house of prayer The habits of grace in Christ were full and perfect whereas it is said Luke 2.52 He increased in wisdom We grant he increast in wisdom and in knowledge experimental he learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5.8 as a Physician who hath an habitual gift of healing such and such a disease may grow in his experience although his knowledge of healing groweth not in the habit It is a growth extensive in respect of divers objects toward which it is extended but it is not intensive in respect of the habit it self The graces of Christ were permanent in their fulness and not more remiss at one time and more intense at another because the absolute fulness of grace in his Humane Nature so far as it could be capable being a sequel of the personal union did exclude all intensive growth It is true there were different degrees in the manifestations and expressions of his graces at one time more than at another Christ his dying for us was an higher expression of his love to lost man than was his suffering of poverty hunger c. yet all the expressions of his love to the elect did proceed from love in his heart equally intense at all times More of his patience was manifested in his agony and bloody sweat than in his suffering of reproaches and buffettings His love and devotion toward God was full at all times and did not admit of degrees whereas it is said Luke 22.44 he prayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more earnestly and therefore it might appear he was more servent in his devotion and religious affection at one time than at another I answer 1. Some render it prolixius he prayed longer which did proceed from a deeper impression of his sufferings upon his spirit but his love and devotion toward God was still equally intense in his soul For even in godly men short ejaculations at one time and prayers longer at another time may proceed from devotion in the heart equal at both times 2. Though he prayed more earnestly yet this earnestness was not in respect of his devotion toward God unto whom he prayed whom Christ as man loved fully and perfectly at all times but this greater earnestness was in respect of the great and inexpressible sufferings against which he prayed being in an agony and under the sense of greater inward pains than any he had felt formerly This manner of expression will not infer any intenseness of his devotion and love to God but only that there was an intenseness of pain and agony in his spirit from what he suffered and against which he prayed yet alwayes with submission to the will of the Father Vse In all our intermittings of the exercise of grace or in the remittings of degrees in gracious actings we should go to Christ on whom the Spirit rested as in time of drought when waters fail we go to the fountain because the dearest children of God are subject to decay of grace in respect of degrees and to intermission in the exercise of grace through their own sluggishness in prayer they have sometime a great freedom and out-flowing of the Spirit Job 32.13 At another time they are so bound up and overwhelmed with griefs and fears that they cannot speak to God Ps 77.4 At one time their faith and confidence is very strong Ps 27.10 but at another time very weak Ps 31.22 At one time they have a soft heart and abundance of tears Ps 6.7 but at another time their heart like Nabal is dead and stupid and their eyes are dry as was in David for some time till the Prophet Nathan did awake him At one time they have great joy and comfort Ps 23.4 but at another time especially after relapses into sins against the light of their own conscience they have much heaviness and suppression of spirit Ps 51.8 At one time they have great zeal as David dancing before the Ark and at another time they are much damped and disheartned in the course of Godliness by reason of some cross dispensation in their course as David was in bringing up the Ark when he saw the breach made upon Vzza 2 Sam. 6.8 9. Quest What is the cause of such intermiting and remitting of the exercise and degrees of grace in the godly Ans The causes are especially 1. Pride and conceit of our own ability to improve the habit and stock of grace
is not enough that an object to be seen in a due distance be set before the eye unless the same be inabled to see it for blind men see not what is set before them so it is not enough that the object of faith be set before us in the Word unless the eye of our understanding be opened to perceive it 2. The Lord makes us by the inward illumination of the Spirit and by the light of his Word to discern and put a difference between temptations and duties as for example when it is born in upon the spirit of an unlettered and unqualified man in these our days to preach the Gospel a spiritual-discerning privat Christian looks upon it as a temptation from the Spirit of errour and not upon it as a duty because he knows and discerns by the Spirit of the Lord from the holy Word 1 Tim. 2. and Tit. 1.9 The Minister of the Gospel should be a man able to teach and to convince the gain-sayers 3. The Spirit of the Lord makes us to discern between sin and duty Abâ—shai through want of this gift of spiritual discerning thought it a duty incumbent on David to kill Saul because God in a providence by appearance had cast his enemy into his hand but holy David by the Spirit of God discerned it to be a sin if he should make such use of that opportunity and he looked upon it rather as an occasion to try his loyalty to King Saul and to stop the mouths of calumniators who spake of him as an enemy to the King 4. He makes us to discern the opportunities of speaking and doing things in due season it was the Lord that put it in the heart of Jacob to seek the blessing in time for soon after he went out from his father Isaac his brother Esau came in Gen. 27.30 It was the Lord who put it in the heart of Abigail both for her own and Davids good to meet David in the way before he came to the house of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.5 He makes us to discern our own spiritual estate that we are under the banner of his love and makes us by a reflex act to know the saving graces of the Spirit bestowed upon us 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God 5. He gives us the gift of wisdom and discerning matters civil and moral He gave sagacity unto David to smell out Joabs subtilty and to perceive his hand in suborning the woman of Tekoa 2 Sam. 14.19 He made Solomon in his sagacity to discern between the true and counterfeit mother by the affection of the one and the unnaturalness of the other Thus God put it in the heart of King James of blessed memory to smell out the Powder-plot and horrid treason Anno Dom. 1605. from a word in an unsubscribed Letter by one of the Conspirators to the Lord Mont-eagle desiring him to keep himself out of the Parliament-house on such a day whereon there would be a sudden clap or blast which the King by an act of special discerning given him of God did presage was to be by Powder and so after a narrow search the Plot was discovered and through Gods gracious providence and the Kings sagacity was disappointed 6. God gives the gift of skill unto men both in their publick and privat imployments as the spirit of Government to Rulers whether supreme or subordinat and also to men for their privat imployments Isa 28.26 Vse 1. This should humble us under the sense of our own silliness and want of knowledge of many things that we may and should know in respect of the many means given to instruct us in things that differ and also to humble us when we compare our knowledge with others who know much more than we though we have had the same or greater opportunities for learning Socrates upon a time shewing the universal Mapp of the World to that vocky young man Alcibiades said unto him Look there and see how little your parcel of ground is in like-manner the knowledge of any particular person is very little in comparison of that vast and universal knowledge men would have had if they had continued in that first estate of primitive integrity Vse 2. To convince many in this generation of petulant and luxuriant spirits or the wits as they are called who are of quick understanding in many curious and unnecessar speculations which the Apostle calls the Raveries of a sick and distempered mind 1 Tim. 6.4 and yet how slow and dull are they to discern and take up the necessar and fundamental truths of Religion Of such men we may speak in the words of Eliphaz Job 15.2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge and fill his belly with the east wind How many are quick and sagacious in their worldly matters and no man is able to over-reach them but they have little or no understanding in the great bargain of Salvation to these I may say as our blessed Lord said to the Pharisees This ye should have done and not left the other undone Vse 3. As thou wouldst have the gift of spiritual discerning 1. Pray to the Father of lights to open the eyes of thine understanding Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law 2. Labour diligently to keep thine heart pure from carnal lusts which as gross vapours many times obscure the judgement that it cannot discern spiritual matters in the right colours but oftentimes the judgement is miscarried to a wrong sentence by a deceived heart The intemperat person discerns not the evil of intemperance nor the incontinent the evil of his unclean ways because these vile lusts do distemper their judgement The worldly-minded man discerns not the excellency of things heavenly because his heart is not purged from the love of the world and his surfeit of worldly cares obstructs the smelling and rellishing of things heavenly to his taste 3. Beware of curiosity in desiring to know things unnecessar or secret which God hath reserved to himself Deut. 29.29 for it is just with God when men misimploy the quickness of their natural understanding many times so to blunt their understanding in order to supernatural truths that they become more dull and incapable even than many others whom they despised as silly ignorants As the sharper the edge of the new polished Knife be if it be used to cut hard Metalls especially at first it becomes so blunt that it cannot cut such things as are soft and more easie to cut even by these who had not such a sharp edge as themselves seemed to have had Observ 2. Our blessed Lord is quick of understanding he has a piercing eye to discern the hearts of all his subjects Heb. 4.13 All things are naked in his eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as blemishes and bruises are
have not been moved and smitten with it The threatnings of the Lord by Moses did not move the heart of Pharaoh but rather he was the more hardened Answ The cause of this is 1. Their own unbelief although they have yet they lay not the threatnings to heart but put the evil day far from them As the hammer breaks not the hard stone except it be laid to it with some force the old world laid not to heart the threatning of the deluge by Noah Mat. 24.39 but the Ninivites believed the threatning by Jonah and repented Jonah 3.5 2. Love of some gainful sin keeps the will in an obstinacy against the Word that they will not be convinced of the sinfulness of their wayes they love darkness more than light and therefore they hate the light of the Word which makes their daâ—kness manifest Joh. 3.19 The Crafts-men in Ephesus Acts 19. have such love to their gainful idolatry that they will not be convinced of the absurdity and unreasonableness thereof 3. Pride and arrogancy will not suffer some men to be informed of the truth that is contrary to their own opinion and way and so because they will not be informed they cannot be convinced such was the pride and arrogancy of the Pharisees Joh. 9.34 4. Preposterous love of sinful company and society doth make some men sensless and fearless of the judgements threatned against such a society Lot his Sons in Law out of their love to Sodom were not moved with his preaching and threatning of sad judgement against that City Therefore as ye would be convinced of the evil and danger of sin by the Word of God and by his severe threatnings lay them to heart by believing Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God forsake the love of sin though never so gainful or pleasant and forsake all communion and fellowship with the workers of iniquity in their works of darkness Object 2. But wicked and reprobat men may be heart-smitten at a time with a convincing Sermon as Felix was How shall we discern the smiting of our heart by the Word to be from mercy and from a purpose to heal the soul wounded and pierced with sorrow and fear Ans 1. A wicked and reprobat person may be heart-smitten with grief and fear for some great and hainous sins whereof they are convinced not only by the light of the Word but also by the light and sorce of a natural conscience as was Cain and Judas Yea the morning light is to the adulterer even as the shadow of death Job 24.17 but the children of God their heart will smite them even for smaller offences Davids heart smote him for the cutting of Sauls garment and Paul is convinced not only that his persecution of the Saints was a sin but also that his inordinat concupiscence and its first stirrings was a transgression of the Law Rom. 7.7 2. In wicked and obstinat sinners the pain of heart-smiting lasteth not but as a Sea-sickness it evanisheth in a short time and is forgot as in Pharaoh Exod. 9.27 But it is not so in the children of God though their pain and remorse of conscience continues not alwayes in a sense of present grief and pain yet it remains in their memory they remember the gall and wormwood and in the remembrance thereof their heart is kept humble Psal 38.17 I am ready to halt and my sorrow is continually before me Wicked and obstinat sinners when the terrours of conscience are over at a time they do return like a deceitful Bow to their old posture and way but the godly with penitent Peter not only do weep for their former sinful courses but also they forsake the company of evil doers 3. The wicked and obstinat sinners when they are smitten with the word of reproof do hate him who reproves in the gate as Ahab did Elijah but the godly take well with the word of reproof as with a precious ointment that makes them afterward to shine in their conversation Psal 141.5 4. Wicked men who continue obstinat in their sins make no good use of their former heart-smiteing and pain of conscience like some men having at a time a great pain in their stomack and head from former excess in drinking make not good use thereof to shun the occasion of excess and riot in time coming but the children of God make better use of heart-smiting when they are again tempted to run in the excess of riot they remember their former distempers and consider the peace they have in their conscience for the present and do make good use of that admonition given by our Lord Joh 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee Vse 2. It is our duty to take well with the word of reproof although it smite yet it will do good and heal again when it is received by an obedient ear and heart for to such it is an ear-ring and ornament of gold and adorns them in their after-conversation Prov. 25.12 It is as the lopping of a luxuriant branch it doth the tree no evil but makes it more fruitful Prov. 27.6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend It is a fearful thing to despise the word of reproof in the mouth of those who have a calling from God for in that case God many times takes the rod into his own immediat hand and smites the obstinat sinner severely and visibly as he did the old world who contemned the reproof of Noah as he did Sodom who contemned the reproof of Lot as he did Amaziah who rejected the counsel of the Prophet 2 Chron. 25.16 as he did severely punish the people of Israel who despised the counsel of the Prophets 2 Chron. 36.16 and Jerusalem who persecuted the Prophets that spake unto them Luk. 19.42 Therefore the faithful Ministers of God must not desist from their seasonable reprovings though possibly at first they be not well received yet afterward with the true children of God they shall be entertained as Medicaments for their recovery Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour then he that flattereth with the tongue To this purpose saith Cyprian Though some people like way-ward sick children baul and cry against the Physician yet let him wait on and do his duty if the child shall recover he will be ashamed of his perâ—ishness and be the more thankful to his careful prudent and patient Physician vociferetur licet post tamen gratias aget although saith he the child cry out in the time of his pain yet afterward he will render thanks Observ 3. Earthly-mindedness is very displeasing unto God he shall smite the earth and men are much displeased with those whom they smite Because worldly-mindedness is a great impediment to our hearing and obeying the good Word of God Mat. 13.22 So is it unto Prayer which is a lifting up of the soul unto God and earthly-mindedness is like a paise or weight of
natural determination to this or that yet he lost the liberty of rectitude and uprightness by being now after his fall perversly inclined to that which is displeasing in the eyes of God Rom. 5.10 We are called enemies to God by nature and enmity is properly in the will He lost purity in his affections our affections at first were like clean and pure water running in a clean channel but now they are muddy and earthly there being much perturbation in them like water running through a muddy channel Joh. 3.31 He that is of the earth is earthly Our affections at first were straight set upon God and things above but now they are bowed down and through the strength of corrupt nature set on things below Rom. 8.5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh Although fallen man hath not lost the faculty of conscience yet he hath lost that clearness quietness and calmness that was in it at the first for so long as man lived in a communion and harmony with God there was also inward peace and a pleasant harmony in his conscience like an instrument well tuned but when by sin he brake harmony and communion with God then his conscience became like a troubled sea roaring out into his ears a dreadful sound from fear of wrath to come as a mighty tempest to drive them into hell then as Out-laws they were afraid at every thing So Adam and Eva after the fall had a mighty tempest in their consciences which did drive them away to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord. Consider 3. In conversion to an estate of grace there is a happy change 1. In the mind by illumination and light as at first God created light in the first creation so in the second creation and regeneration he first creats the light of faith whereby we see God reconciled to man in Christ the Mediator 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ When a man is converted he gets a new light in respect of his mind which is the subject of it but it is not a new light in respect of the object he hath not new spiritual and saving truths revealed to him beside or far less contrary to the Word as a blind man when his eyes are opened doth not see another Sun then what was before in the firmament though not seen by him until his eyes were opened 2. God makes a change in the will by taking away the stony heart Ezek. 36.26 Acts 16.14 He removes impenitence and unbelief which are as two strong barrs to resist his call by the outward means until he remove them by the power of his invincible grace whereby he worketh mightily in those that believe Eph. 1.19 For not only doth he preach deliverance by his Word but also he sets at liberty such as are bruised with sorrow in their hearts for their sins Luk. 4.18 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty August Lib. 1. against the 2 Epist of Pelag. Cap. 19. citing that place Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him observes it is not said no man can come to me except the Father lead him that so we might think the will of man did preceed and thereafter the Father did lead and promove his will but it is said except the Father draw him and who can be said to be drawn if he himself first be willing therefore saith he they are made in a wonderful manner even to be willing by him who knoweth how to work inwardly upon the hearts of men not that any man for that is impossible should believe against his will but because of not-willing he is made willing 3. There is a change in their affections which in some measure are purified and rectified the sense of Gods love in Christ worketh godly sorrow in their hearts Zech. 12.10 It works a filial fear in them to do any thing that may offend God Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 4. There is a change in the conscience after conversion it is quiet and calm the righteousness of Christ apprehended by a lively saith doth quiet the conscience both with the peace of Justification Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And with the peace of Sanctification Rom. 14.17 The kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost The conscience after conversion becomes more tender of duty and sensible even of smaller offences like the flesh of Naaman cleansed from his leprosie such tenderness we see in David Psal 119.113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love 5. There is a change in the body and conversation the body it becomes a temple to the Holy Ghost and all its members like several Vessels in the Temple are consecrat to the service of God 1 Cor. 6.19 Rom. 6.19 Consider 4. This change is not perfect in degrees 1. Our knowledge in the state of grace here is but in part 2 Cor. 13.9 For we know in part In many mysteries of Religion we know that such a thing is an undoubted truth from divine revelation but the cause and manner how such and such things are we know not as the eternal generation of the Son the manner of the eternal procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son the individual unity of the three blessed Persons in the Divine Essence these mysteries we know in a confused and general manner like the sight of the blind man of Bethsaida Mark 8.24 But in Heaven our knowledge of these great mysteries will be more clear like the sight of that same blind man by a second touch and by the light of glory when we shall see light in his light Psal 36.9 and when we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 2.2 2. Although there be a change of our will at our conversion yet there remains in it corruption which is the seed of disobedience to the will of God Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit This tumult and insurrection of corruption against grace in the will doth pain and vex the godly like the twains which strove in the womb of Rebekah but after our change at death to immortal glory our petition put up to God in this life shall be fully answered Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven then shall we be like unto Angels and our will shall cleave unto God and his will indeclinably for ever 3. Our affections after our change and conversion in this life are not wholly pure who can say he hath made his heart clean Prov. 20.9 As shoes open above as was the manner of the Jewish Nation
the company of the ungodly Psal 26.4 Psal 101.7 The holy Evangelist John would not go into the same Bathe where were the blasphemous Hereticks Ebion and Cerinthus but contrariwise it was their custom to frequent and delight in the company of such as feared God Psal 16.2 Psal 119.63 Act. 9.19 Then was Saul to wit after his conversion certain days with the Disciples which were at Damascus Quest 1. Is it unlawful in any case to keep communion and company with wicked men Ans 1. It is not simply and altogether unlawful for then must we needs go out of the world 1 Cor. 5.10 A natural communion with them in things necessary for this present life is very lawful Abraham and Isaac went to Gerar and Egypt in time of famine and our blessed Lord sent to Sihar a village of the Samaritans for bread 2. A civil communion in things necessary for our well-being is also lawful as commerce and trading with wicked men thus Solomon 1 King 9.26 did keep a communion and commerce of trade with the Heathens of the Eastern India Likewise a communion and association in war for defence and self preservation or for the recovery of things unlawfully taken by usurpers and oppressours is very lawful for the Magistrate and Ruler of the people Abraham joyned in confederacy with Aner Eshcol and Mamre though Canaanites for the rescuing of Lot Gen. 14. It is lawful also for the preserving of the publick peace and their own privat peace Isaac made a Covenant of peace with that Heathen King Abimelech Gen. 26.31 And Nehemiah sought a Pass for safe conduct and protection from Artaxerxes Neh. 2.7 Providing alwayes such confederacies be without any condition prejudicial to Religion or to common honesty It must not be on such like conditions as were these whereupon peace was offered to Israel by Nahash the Ammonite 1 Sam. 11.2 3. There is a lawful outward Church-communion with wicked men in the outward ordinances as in hearing the Word praying praising and receiving the Sacrament Ishmael was circumcised as well as Isaac and Simon Magus was baptized as others also were in Samaria We may not separat from the Church because possibly through the negligence of the Spiritual Rulers profane and scandalous persons are admitted to the holy Sacrament The Angel of Pergamos and Thyatira is reproved for tolerating vile and scandalous persons notwithstanding the people of these Churches are not required to separat from the Church Rev. 2. Cyprian Lib. 3. Epist 3. Although saith he there seem to be tares in the Church yet thou must not separat from it but labour by all means that thou thy self may be good grain August Epist 48. to Vincent Good men saith he are not to be forsaken for evil mens sake but evil men are to be tolerat for good mens sake And this he proveth 1. From the example of the Prophets who spake much against the people of Israel and yet did communicat with them in the holy Ordinances 2. From the example of Christ whō did tolerat Judas 3. From the example of holy Cyprian who did tolerat the covetousness of his Colleagues and yet not forsake communion with them in the sacred Ordinances Such toleration is not an approbation of these whom they tolerat it is simply unvoluntar as the toleration of the tares Mat. 13. but voluntar only in respect of a care to preserve the wheat Thus David for preserving the publick peace did tolerat the sons of Zerviah but did not approve them in their head-strong courses It is true we must have no communion with wicked men and workers of iniquity as such in their evil works Eph. 5.11 Though we should not have communion even with the godly in their sinful infirmities yet we must not for these break off fellowship with them Gal. 6.1 And we should follow them and their example in all things wherein they are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 Quest 2. Wherein stands our spiritual Church-communion with the godly Ans It stands 1. in our partaking the same outward holy Ordinances Heb. 10.24 25. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together 2. In having the same common priviledges as one heavenly Father one Head one Spirit renewing them one common inheritance purchased and reserved in Heaven for them for which cause all believers are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kinsmen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one mystical body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-heirs Eph. 2. 3. In mutual Christian-duties as in loving one another Gal. 5.13 Eph. 4.2 Forbearing one another in love not breaking fellowship for infirmities Paul reproved Peter to his face boldly but did not break off Christian communion with him Gal. 2.14 Cornelius and Cyprian lived in Christian fellowship and communion all the days of their life notwithstanding some difference in judgement The spiritual duties of Christian love for mutual edification we have set down 1 Thes 5.11 14. 4. In a sympathy and fellow-feeling 1 Cor. 12.26 As in the natural body there is a sympathy between the brain and the sinews between the stomack and the reins so there is a mutual sympathy between the members of the mystical body of Jesus Christ they will be pained at the heart with godly sorrow for the failings of one another 2 Cor. 11.29 Who is weak and I am not weak Who is offended and I burn not They will rejoice in the spiritual good of one another Joh. Epist 3.4 There will be a sympathy of sorrow in their outward calamities by condoling one with another 1 Pet. 3.8 A rejoycing and congratulation in outward prosperity Phil 2.27 28. 5. In a mutual supply of spiritual wants and defects 1 Pet. 4 10. As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God He that hath more of zeal will stir up another that hath more of knowledge but less of zeal and he that hath more of knowledge and prudence will advise another that hath more of zeal but less of knowledge and prudence Likewise there will be according to their abilities a supply in bodily wants 2 Cor. 8.14 as was seen in godly Cornelius Acts 9.10 otherwise there is not any sincere love of God notwithstanding any great show in profession 1 Joh. 3.17 But whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Vse 1. For admonition as ye would show your selves true converts bewar of intimat and frequent fellowship with profane and ungodly men 1. Because evil company corrupts good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 Joseph learned in the Court of Egypt to swear by the life of Pharaoh It is said Prov. 22.24 25. With a furious man thou shalt not go lest thou learn his ways and get a snare to thy soul As contagion
worthy godly men Joseph and Daniel did not reject the great favours offered and conferred on them by heathen Princes Quest 2. May a true convert be displeased with â—ad afflictions lying on him for the present and if he may How can he be said to be content with his present condition with which he is displeased Answ He may be displeased with affliction as a thing bitter and hurtful to his natural condition and yet be content with it as it is an act of his heavenly Father's will the sick patient is displeased and hath no contentment in the potion of Medicine being considered simply yet is he well pleased and content with it as being prescribed by the skilful Physician in order to his better health Although impatient desires to be delivered out of adversity are inconsistent with Christian contentment under it yet humble desires of a delivery with submission to the good will of God do well consist with it as we see in our blessed Lord. Luk. 22.42 He said Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done but we may not use any unlawful means for our own delivery out of affliction as wicked Ahaziah did 2 King 1. yea far rather we should say with Job shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Quest 3. Is it a sin not to rest content with the measure of knowledge and grace bestowed by God upon us already and may we not desire to have more of knowledge and grace than we have for the present Answ 1. It is a sin if our discontentment with our small measure of knowledge and grace or our desire to have more proceed from the bitter root of vain glory or envy to the end we may have praise with men as we see others of more eminent gifts have thus Simon Magus desired the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost 2. As the children of God do not desire increase of gifts and graces from any fretting discontentment at what they want but rather from an humble desire to have more of spiritual gifts that thereby they may glorifie God the more and edifie others So they humbly submit the measure of these gifts and graces unto the wisdom and will of God they are thankful for the little they have already received and praise his free grace with Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 by the grace of God I am what I am and withall they reach forth unto these things which are before Phil. 3.13 2. The chief ground of true contentment is the favour of God Psal 4.6 7. Psal 30 5. Psal 63.3 Hab. 3.17 18. And that the favour of God is a soul-satisfying portion is evident from these reasons 1. That which satisfies the soul of man must be a good universal to give contentment unto all the faculties of the soul pleasant sounds delight the ear but not the eye and pleasant colours delight the eye but not the ear but a soul receiving God and his favour hath an universal satsifaction to wit of light to the mind of love to the will and of delight and joy to the affections they have as much of the enjoyment of God as they are capable of in this life and would have more if they were more capable 2. The soul-satisfying good must be such as is intimat to the soul worldly and sensual objects stick for the most part in the sense and imagination but do not affect the reason with any solid contentment they are as Saul's armour unto David loose and shuffling but the sense of Gods loving kindness is united to the understanding and ravishes the heart with joy so that ouâ— of the abundance of the heart they say as Psal 103.1 My soul and all that is within me or that is in the midst of me bless his holy Name 3. The soul-satisfying good must be that which is the supreme good because any inferiour good cannot fully satisfie the desire so long as the soul knoweth of one superiour and better as Moses was not satisfied with what he saw on this side of Jordan until he was at the top of Pisgah so there is not a full and compleat satisfaction unto the soul till we come to mount Sion that is above our greatest satisfaction in this life is to enjoy God by faith by love by peace in the Conscience and joy in the heart which are the first fruits of eternal life 4. The soul-satisfying good must be permanent because the very apprehension of a change doth interrupt our present contentment as may be seen in the intervals of chronical diseases the fear of returning fits disquiets the heart even in time of health all worldly objects are like a summer flood passing away Prov. 27.24 Riches are not for ever and doth the Crown endure to every generation But the gracious presence of God is like unto the Sun shining more and more unto the perfect day of our full happiness in heaven Psal 89.33 My loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail Jer. 32.40 I will not turn away from them to do them good Joh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life John 13.1 he loved them unto the end 3. The means to attain unto true contentment are 1. Withdraw thy heart from seeking oâ— placing thy contentment in the things of this present world because worldly pleasures are deceitful riches are uncertain and worldly honour doth evanish like smoke for worldly glory shall not descend after a man into the grave Psal 49.17 2. Make God and his favour your portion then whatsoever be your present condition or portion in this world ye shall have inward contentment because God himself is a full unchangeable and everlasting portion Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him that is depend on him alone for satisfaction Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion for ever In all thy wants or losses worldly thou mayest and shouldest rest content in him who is thy alsufficient portion Hab. 3.17 18. Although the fig tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation As a man who hath lost a small portion put to adventure at Sea doth yet rest content and rejoyceth in the stock he hath abiding sure at land 3. Be moderat in your worldly desires of things worldly Prov. 30.8 feed me with food convenient Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness c. Nature is content with little Job 6.5 Doth the ox low over his fodder And grace is content with less even in tribulations and worldly wants it can rejoyce in God alone Rom. 5.3 We
or predestinated 1 Pet. 1.20 This manner of death of our blessed Lord upon the Cross was necessary 1. That he might be answerable to that type of the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wilderness Job 3.14 And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up 2. That by this manner of death he might deliver us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree He underwent a temporary curse to deliver us from the eternal curse and wrath due to the transgressours of the Moral Law Although there be no proportion between the suffering of a temporary curse and the suffering of an eternal curse due to us yet the dignity of the person suffering did give infinit value to the merit of his suffering Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God And the person suffering being the Son of God made the vertue and efficacy of his death to be of infinit power to purge away our sins and reconcile God to us 1 Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 3. Our blessed Lord died upon the Cross that by this shameful death he might merit our exaltation unto favour with God in this life for he made our peace with God through the blood of his Cross Col. 1.20 and that he might merit our exaltation unto everlasting glory in the life to come Heb. 12.2 For the joy that was set before him he endured the Cross this joy and glory set before him as Mediator was that glory and triumph he should obtain over all his and his Churches enemies It should be our great desire and endeavour with the Apostle to know Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 To this knowledge all humane learning should be subservient It is of special use 1. It will inflame thine heart with love to the Father whō gave him to the death of the Cross for thee that thou shouldest not perish but believing in him thou might be reconciled with God and get eternal life It will inflame thy heart with love to the Prince of glory when thou considerest for whom he suffered this ignominious death of the Cross It was even for thee who by nature was an enemy to God at first by a wicked inclination and after thou camest to the years of discretion thou wast a rebel by thy wicked actings and works Men sometimes have died for their friends as Codrus and Curius for the good of their countrey but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 when thou considerest the painfulness of his death hands and feet were pierced and nailed to the tree of the Cross In the hands and feet which are the extremities of the body the sinewes meet together and convey the pain to all the parts of the body And the purer and finer the complexion be the sense of feeling is the more quick as a sound and cleanly body is more sensible of the cold piercing Air than a gross humorous body Look in narrowly to the inside of his sufferings even the greatness of his soul-sufferings they cannot be conceived how extreme they were therefore the Greek Church in their publick prayers said For the sake of Christs unknown sufferings have mercy upon us O Lord. We may know something of them from his expressions my soul is exceeding sorrowful Thou may see something of them in his bloody sweat our raging fever in our sinning brought on him this bloody sweat that thereby he might cure us of the burning fever of sin we hear something of his soul-sufferings from his most sad complaint to the Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me we had forsaken God days without number and he was deserted of comfort for a time to satisfie for our sinful desertions and bring us into a communion of favour and glory with God Consider the shamefulness of his death He was exposed to the publick shame and reproach of his enemies and of all the beholders and shame to an ingenious spirit is worse than death it racks and breaks their heart Psal 69.20 Reproach hath broken my heart Consider his willingness to die Isa 50.6 I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Phil. 2.8 He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Consider for what end our blessed Lord suffered all this pain and shame his back was furrowed with stripes and scourges that by his stripes we might be healed his head was crowned with thorns to get us a crown of immortal glory he suffered all this pain and shame to save thee from extreme and endless pain and shame How should a sick patient love his Physician that preveens a dangerous fever And how should a malefactor love the man who kept him from the shame of the pillory How much more should we love our blessed Lord who by the death of the Cross hath saved us from that unquenchable fire and hath preserved us from eternal shame and confusion 2. The frequent and serious meditation on the Cross of Christ will keep thine heart humble with godly sorrow for thy bygone sins that crucified the Lord of glory Zach. 12.10 And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only son c. It will mortifie the love of sin in thee for time coming sorrow and shame are two mortifying passions as a debtor is sorry and ashamed of the distress his surety was put to for his debt and he is very sparing to take on new debt 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hemmeth us in and makes us strait-laced not to dispense with our selves to debord toward any thing may offend him who died such a death to satisfie divine justice for our debts and sins It will mortifie thee to the World to the deceitful pleasures thereof and to such things as take up the thoughts and affections of too many Gal. 6.14 But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Joy in the Cross of Christ suppresseth and in end quencheth all sinful joy as sweet odours bear down the stench of noisom and corrupt vapours so the sweet smell of Christ crucified doth bear down our vile lusts This joy in the Cross of Christ surpasseth even all
yet hid from many Nations and many outwardly called are not drawn and called effectually Matth. 22.14 Matth. 23.37 2. It is taken by way of restriction to the subject-matter spoken of in the same place as 1 Cor. 9.22 I am made all things to all men to wit in the use of my Christian liberty in matters indifferent 3. It is taken for very many though not simply for all individuals of men Joh. 11.48 If we let him thus alone all men will believe on him that is very many will believe on him 4. It is taken for all kinds as Act. 10.12 Peter saw in a vision a great sheet wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts on the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation So it is taken here for all kinds of men rich and poor male and famale Jews and Gentiles as it is taken Joh. 11.51 52. He prophesied that Jesus should die for that Nation and not for that Nation only but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad Joh. 10.16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus Col. 3.11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all Augustine understands this place of these who are predestinat to salvation or of all kinds of men To the third I answer there is an outward drawing and calling by the preaching of the Word Matth. 23.37 Our Lord saith O Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together c. and ye would not There is an inward drawing by the cord of Faith and Love wrought and fastned in the heart by the Holy Ghost Act. 11.21 The hand of the Lord was with these Preachers and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. The outward drawing by the word without this inward drawing by the Spirit is not effectual for mans conversion Act. 13.45 The unbelieving and envious Jews were not drawn by the Word preached by Paul but they contradicted and blasphemed his Doctrine Heb. 4.2 But the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Although the word preached be a mean sufficient in its own kind that is a sufficient outward mean yet is it not simply sufficient for conversion As Plowing and Sowing are sufficient outward means for fruitfulness but are not effectual without the first and latter rain This effectual drawing is a drawing upward of the soul by faith unto an union and communion with Jesus Christ in his merits Joh. 6.65 No man said our Lord can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father The grace of faith is given to us from above it is like a cord cast down from the Rock of our Salvation to save man from drowning and destruction in his sins it is a drawing of the heart upward unto Christ by faith in this life and a bringing of the soul to the enjoyment of glory in the life to come Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The sense of Christs love in dying for us is like the heat descending from the Sun and drawing up the purified vapours It is like the Load-stone drawing up the hard and heavy Iron The sense of Christs love in dying for us softens our hard hearts and turneth them toward himself 2. As it is a drawing of the heart up to himself by faith and love so it is an obediential drawing by love and obedience to the wayes of his holy Commandments It is not a drawing only toward an outward profession of the truth from the custom of others or hope of worldly applause or benefit as Simon Magus was baptized that he might retain the respect and following of many Samaritans his old followers who had now been baptized neither is it a drawing to the profession of the truth only for fear of worldly loss as many of the Persians became Jews in their outward dissembled profession for fear of the Jews But this inward drawing and believing is from love to God in the will Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power that is when thou together with thy Word exerts the power of thy invincible gâ—ace thou wilt make thy people willing and obedient to follow thee in the wayes of thy Commandments 3. It is an equal and uniform drawing both of the inner and outer man all the powers of the soul like so many wheels anointed and moved by the Spirit of God are drawn after the Spirit according to the outward drawing of the Word as it is said of that extraordinary drawing by the Spirit Ezek. 1.20 Whithersoever the Spirit was to go they went The understanding is enlightned by heavenly knowledge and light within by the Spirit of God according to the outward light of the Word 2 Cor. 4.6 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ The will is strongly inclined to embrace Christ and is sick of love to enjoy him Cant. 3.8 The affections like the inferiour wheels are moved and carried toward Christ by an inlightned understanding and by a vehement inclination of the will Cant. 5.4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him Although the drawing and motion toward Christ beginneth from within yet it stayeth not there but draweth also the outward man unto Christ the members of the body become weapons of righteousness Rom 6.13 As the motion of the Clock is first within and thereafter perceived in the regular motion of the Hand of the Horologe and in the sound of the Bell so the inward drawing and motion of the soul is perceived in our outward regular actions and gracious communications 4. It is a most sweet and delightful drawing the God of all grace by his preveening grace maketh us first willing and then by his subsequent and assisting grace draweth us most sweetly with delectation in our hearts after him It is as when one is drawn forward to a place from the sent of precious odours Cant. 1.3 4. It is as the speedy mounting of an Eagle upon wing from the smell and fight of the dead carcase so the sight and sent through faith of Christ crucified doth most sweetly and willingly draw an hungry soul unto Christ to be fed
and refreshed out of the fulness of the merit of his death Mat. 24.28 For wheresoever the carcase is there will the Eagles be gathered together Augustine in his Tractat. on this place â—aith It is a drawing as the shepherd going before draweth the sheep after him by holding forth a green branch in his hand so our blessed Lord worketh in the hearts of the elect that gracious disposition of his own sheep to hear and follow his voice and thereafter by the sweetness of the object propounded to them to wit Christ the Branch of Righteousness and by the inward operation and strong impulse of the Spirit he maketh them follow the outward call of the Word Joh. 10.4 When he putteth forth his own sheep he goeth before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice 5. It is an invincible and irresistable drawing it is not only by moral swasion of motives taken from benefit or prejudice to their souls but it is by a powerful perswading and efficacious inclining of the heart Gen. 9.27 God shall perswade Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem. Hos 2.14 Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her or to her heart Although there is in all men a corrupt principle of resistance to the will of God yet when God is pleased to exert that exceeding greatness of his power toward them that believe Eph. 1.19 Actual resistance is overcome by the insuperable grace of God Jer. 17.14 Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved Jer. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Augustine calleth the operation of grace in our conversion to the wayes of God victrix delectatio an overcoming delight like a sweet and strong smell overcoming and bearing down corrupt vapours and exhalations this grace of God in conversion is rejected by no hard heart because willingness to resist is taken away as Augustine speaketh well to this purpose Therefore humble penitents should look up by faith to Christ on the Cross as he is held forth to them in the Gospel The persons stung in the wilderness looked to the brazen serpent and were healed so whatever thy sins hath been and whatsoever be the sting of thy guilty conscience confess thy sins with purpose and active endeavours for amending thy wayes draw near by faith to Jesus Christ and thou shalt be healed Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Although thy faith be weak yet if convinced of thy sins and mourning for them thou look to Christ alone for salvation thou shalt be saved Isai 45.22 Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else which place speaketh expresly of Christ if we compare vers 23. with Phil. 2.11 All that looked to the brazen serpent in the wilderness were not alike quick-sighted yet all who looked were healed So all stung with sorrow in their hearts for their sins if they fix their eye and heart upon Christ crucified they shall be saved though faith be weak in the measure for our salvation doth not depend upon the strength of our faith but upon the strength and power of Christ in whom we believe And if thou be truly drawn by faith to Christ then Christ and his Cross will be great in thine eyes and estimation far above all things here below As a man lifted up to an high mountain esteems things below in the valley to be but small so a soul elevated by saith to Christ and to things that are above esteems little of all things on earth in comparison of Christ and his unsearchable and durable riches Phil. 3.8 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ And the true believer glorieth most in the Cross of Christ who endured the Cross and despised the shame to save us poor souls from extreme and everlasting pain and shame Gal. 6.14 As we believe the merit of the Cross of Christ so let us labour to feel more and more of the power of his Cross crucifying sin in us and drawing our hearts from the vanities of this present world and quickening us to serve and honour him who spared not his life but gave it to the death of the Cross for us To him with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise c. Amen Soul-healing vertue in Christ to the broken in heart SERMON III. PSAL. 147.3 He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds THe holy Prophet stirreth up his own heart and the hearts of others from the consideration of the glorious attributes and works of the Lord to praise his great Name and amongst these works for the manifestation of his compassion and mercy toward poor mourning sinners because he healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds This our blessed Lord applyeth to himself as a work of mercy common to him with the Father Luk. 4.18 He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted As in healing the diseases and wounds of the body there be these three considerable 1. The Physician 2. The Patient 3. The Cure it self So it is in healing the diseases of the soul and wounds of the spirit of man We have all these three in these words 1. The Physician is the Lord himself Jehovah He. 2. The Patient The broken in heart and wounded in spirit 3. The Cure He healeth The Lord God is the soveraign Physician who according to his good pleasure healeth all distempers He healeth a distempered civil State by restoring civil Peace Psal 46.9 Psal 147.14 A distempered Church by restoring Unity Peace and Love Isa 30.26 Jer. 30.17 Jer. 32.39 He healeth breaches in families by restoring domestick Peace and Amity He healeth distempers through bodily diseases Ezod 15.25 2 Kings 20.5 He healeth Souls distempered through the guilt and sting of an evil conscience Psal 103.3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases Jer. 3.22 Return ye backsliding Children and I will heal your backslidings In all our distempers it is our wisdom and duty to go to God and to his Son Jesus Christ the Soveraign Physician for healing sick Souls Psal 61.2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher then I. Psa 60.2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble thou hast broken it heal all the breaches thereof for it shaketh especially when the soul is in an high fever and distemper of grief and fear through bypast sins Psal 41.4 I said Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul
for I have sinned against thee We should use the outward means ordained by God for healing our souls such as are the hearing of the Gospel receiving the holy Sacrament of the holy Supper and daily Prayer these are through Gods blessing strengthning and healing Ordinances but we must not rest on the outward performances or on the abilities of the Minister thereof as if there were any Intrinsecal vertue in them for healing a sick and fainting Soul The Word was preached by Christ himself and yet no healing followed Matth. 23.37 Luke 19.42 The Sacrament of Baptism was ministred by Philip the Evangelist to Simon Magus and yet there was no healing of that gall of iniquity in his heart when a people look too much to the instruments who preach the Word or minister the Sacraments it provokes our jealousie God many times to withhold assistance from the Ministers and a blessing from the outward means to the people for all these outward Ordinances are but empty cisterns till they be filled by an influence of power and life from himself Joh. 6.63 It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing The outward Ordinance without the Lords special presence and blessing is like the staff of Elisha in the hand of Gehazi they do not quicken a dead soul nor awake the sleepy and secure soul 2 Kings 4.31 Therefore inusing the outward means for healing our souls we should go by Prayer to the great Physician himself that by his Spirit he would go along with the outward Ordinances If thou go to him thou needest not despare of healing for in his own due time he will heal all that come to him Jer. 17.14 Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed There is no soul-disease incureable to him though in it there were a complication of infirmities and distempers Isai 1.16 18. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. Though thy sins were inveterat through custom from thy child-hood like the Lunatick child Mark 9.21 Though incurable through all the counsel of friends like the disease of that sick woman Luke 8.43 Therefore come your selves to him and let parents bring their stubborn children in their prayers to Him the great Physician who can heal perverse spirits and make crooked things straight even when parents and friends has despared of their recovery from their soul-distempers and evil wayes In all distempers and wounds of spirit from outward grievous afflictions come to this Soveraign Physician though creatures neither can nor will heal thee yet he will come near to the afflicted who under affliction bodily are most afflicted in their spirit for their sins Psal 27.10 Jer. 30.17 Hos 2.14 I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her When the godly are in a desolat and wildernesse-like condition and few or none to comfort then the Lord in an acceptable time comes in to the soul with comfort all the moral Instruments of our comfort and healing are but as an Apprentice who can do nothing without their masters secret information and direction therefore the broken-hearted would come to Jesus Christ who had a calling from the Father Luke 4.18 to bind up and heal the broken in heart he healed Inveterat bodily diseases as one of twelve years one of eighteen and one of thirty eight years for the comfort of all poor humbled sinners who formerly have accustomed themselves to do evil He is a skilful Physician to apply several Medicines for healing several diseases He has Corrosives to awake these who are in a spiritual Lethargy even the spirit of burning and judgement Isai 4.4 He has sharp afflictions as a scourge to tame and daunt proud and vain men who are in a spiritual Phrency and distempered with an heady conceit of their own righteousness Job 36.8 9. If they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded He has Lenatives and Restauratives to poor fainting Souls even the sweet promises of the Gospel Isa 57.11 Matth. 5.3 4. Matth. 11.28 Though this great Physician the Lord Jesus Christ in the Humane Nature be locally in Heaven yet he can heal broken hearts on earth by the vertue and presence of his Spirit through the power of hiâ— Intercession at the Fathers right hand 1 Joh. 2.1 2. If any man sin we have an Aduocat with the Father Jesus Christ the Righâ—eous and he is the Propitiation for our sins He healed the Centurions sick servant at a distance Matth. 8. And the Son of that Noble man Joh. 4.51 at a distance also As the Sun in the Firmament though at a distance from the Earth doth quicken and revive the Creatures by the influence of light and heat so the Sun of Righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ doth by the influences of his Spirit and Vertue quicken and revive a soul fainting under the burden of sin 2. The Patient under Gods Cure is the broken in heart or wounded in spirit The broken heart is called also in Scripture a contrite spirit Ps 51.13 Is 57.15 When the heart that was sometime whole and hard like a stone is broken into pieces like a grain bruised between the upper and nether milstone so the heart of a truly humbled sinner is crushed between the sense of divine justice displeased with its sins and the sense of divine love manifested in the Gospel it is called a bruised spirit Isa 42.3 When the heart is bruised and bowed down so with the burden of many and manifold sins that from the deep sense of greif and shame for them they have not the confidence to look up to God Psal 40.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up c. It is called a wounded spirit Prov. 18.14 because the Lord of hosts provoked by our sins doth justly wound the guilty conscience with pain that the wounded spirit can get no rest Psal 38.3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin It is called a soft and tender heart sensible of the danger and vileness of sin Josiah his heart was tender and humbled at the hearing of the Law 2 Chron. 34.27 A rent heart Joel 2.12 When the love of sin is emptied out of the heart by repentance as water out of a rent vessel and it is called an heart of flesh plyable and yeelding to walk in the commandments of God Ezek. 36.26 27. The necessity of a broken heart is evident from the text because it is the broken heart only that God healeth 1. God taketh speci-notice of the broken in heart Psal 56.8 Ezek. 9.4 2. He preserveth the broken in heart in the midst of common calamities Psal 34.18 Ezek. 9.4
shall the innocent Cautioner be wounded and sore distressed and shall not the Principal debtor be wounded with sorrow for the debt he himself contracted shall our spotless Cautioner suffer shame and reproach and shall not our hearts be broken with grief and shame for our sins which put the innocent Lamb of God to open reproach Psal 22.6 7. Psal 69.20 7. Pray to God for a soft and broken heart it is promised in the New Covenant Ezek. 36.26 27. Pray for the influence and insuperable operation of the grace of God upon thy hard heart that thou may know in thy self what is the exceeding greatness of his power to them who believe according to the working of his mighty power c. Ephes 1.19 The influence of his overpowering and overcoming grace will be as Aqua-fortis to cut and divide an heart of iron we are like little children within the house that can shut the door of the heart upon our selves but cannot open it Therefore we must cry to him who both opens the dark understanding Luk. 24.45 and also the heart and affections Act. 16.14 that he would open our hard hearts by his preveening grace and by his subsequent grace he would keep them open and enlarge them by love toward himself and his holy Commandments 3. The cure of the broken in heart he healeth them and bindeth up their wounds God healeth these that are of a broken heart with sorrow under great afflictions upon their persons or outward estate Hos 6.1 Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up The Lord healeth these that are thus wounded by giving them patience and strength in the inner-man to bear the visitation of the Lord in the day of their trouble Psal 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthendst me with strength in my soul Sometimes he comforts them with inward peace and joy that exceeds the pain they have from outward tribulation 2 Cor. 1.4 5. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation c For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ and sometimes by delivering them in their greatest extremity 2 Cor. 1.9 10. But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us The Lord healeth also in a more special manner those whose hearts are broken with sorrow for their sins This is the healing we should desire most as David did in the time of his great sickness Psal 41.4 I said Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Our greatest care should be of soul-health 1. Because our care should be greater to have the soul healed than the body or outward estate This was David's first and greatest desire in the time of sore sickness Ps 39.8 13. he first prayes for deliverance from his sins and then with submission for deliverance from his bodily disease Deliver me from all my transgressions O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more The soul is more precious than the body as men are more careful to have an Apostem in the inward and noble parts healed than a scratch in the skin of the body so our first and greatest care should be to have the diseases of our souls healed 2. If the spirit be healed and if a man have peace with God and his own conscience he will be able patiently to bear the infirmities of the body But a wounded spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 As a man having an Ulcer in his back is much disquieted even with a little burden but if the back be sound and whole he can walk quietly under a great burden So when there is no health nor peace in the conscience a very small affliction doth disquiet and perplex our hearts but when we have inward health and peace in the conscience we are able through the Lord who strengtheneth us to walk patiently and quietly under a great affliction Psal 23.4 Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Psal 138.7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me 3. Unlese ye have a care of your souls-healing in this life there is no coming to perfect soul-health and salvation in Heaven as the Lepers under the Law were not admitted into publick meetings till first they were cleansed and healed so no unclean thing shall enter into the New Jerusalem Rev. 21.27 That we may the better understand what this soul-healing is and how the cure is performed we would consider that sin in Scripture is compared oftentimes to sickness Isai 1.5 and in many places to leprosie 1. In bodily sickness there is a privation and want of health so in sin there is want of Original Righteousness which was the sound constitution of man in the state of innocency 2. In bodily sickness there is a collision of humours like contrary waves making a commotion in the body so in our corrupt hearts there is a contrariety of unruly lusts one desiring this visible and sensual good and another lust carried after another sinful object 3. In sickness there is consumption and a tendency unto death unless it be preveened so in sin there is a tendency unto eternal death unless it be preveened by the pardon of our sins in the blood of Christ 4. In sickness bodily men oftentimes become weaker and weaker so unless they be restored by sanctification sinners grow worse and worse 2 Tim 3.13 Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Therefore by healing is meant specially these two 1. The forgiving of sin to these who are broken in heart with sorrow for it Isa 33.24 And the inhabitant shall not say I am sick to wit unto the second death the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity 2. The sanctifying of a broken-hearted man and healing him by degrees from in-dwelling corruption which many times over-mastered him these two acts of soul-healing are set down Psal 103.3 Bless the Lord who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases By the remission of sin the soul is healed and recovered from a state of guiltiness and obligation to punishment eternal and by sanctification it is recovered from pineing away in iniquity The impediments of soul-healing are 1. Waywardness and frowardness of men who cannot endure to have their wounds touched and ript up by the word of reproof Prov. 1.30 31. They would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices They cannot
of it by their claim of faith on Christ as if they were already in present possession of it yea it is said in the preterit tense Rom. 8.30 Whom he justified them he also glorified Quest May not one have true justifying and saving faith in his heart and yet not know that he is justified Ans Yea he may have the direct act of faith whereby he is justified and yet not have the reflex act of faith whereby he knows and is assured of the gift of Faith freely given to him of God by which act he is Assured of his justification as an Infant has the truth of life natural in him though for want of ripeness in judgement he doth not by a reflex act of understanding know the same Yea a true and justified person may be so overwhelmed in spirit with the fears of his former great and many sins though he embrace Christ and rely on him wholly and only for salvation that yet he may so faint in his fears that at the time he doth not discern the truth of the life of grace and faith in his Soul as a person in the time of his bodily swouning and fainting doth not discern the truth of a natural life in his body Notwithstanding the true Believer in such times and cases cannot discern the truth of the life of faith in himself yet other godly discerning Christians perceiving his sincere desire after the means of Salvation and his appetite toward the Gospel which is the immortal seed of the new life do very rationally conclude that he has the truth though not the vigor of the life of grace and faith in his soul as these who look on and see an Infant greedily sucking the breast though the Infant it self has no knowledge to discern its own life yet they truely conclude from its natural appetit to the means of life that it has life because as new born babes they desire the sincere milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 Quest What are the effects and signs whereby I may discern the truth of faith when we have not the vigor of it Ans We discern it by the effects 1. The true Believer has an high estimation of Christ and a low estimation of himself He is precious to Believers 1 Pet. 2.7 Paul had an high estimation of Christ that he came into the world to save sinners and a low estimation of himself as being the least of Saints and chief of sinners The true believer esteems highly of the Gospel whereby life and immortality is brought to light through Christ He accounteth all things but loss yea but dung and unsavory in camparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord Phil. 3.8 2. The true believer as he rejoices most in the cross of Christ so he mourns for his sins whereby he crucified the Lord of glory he looks upon him whom he pierced with his grievous sins and he mourneth as one mourneth for his only Son Zach. 12.10 3. True faith is a Magisterial grace and labours to quiet our unruly affections and passions as an awful Master by his presence quiets the unruly Scholars for faith receiving Christ in the heart to dwell there commandeth all the affections to be still and to do nothing that may disturb and grieve the Spirit of Christ the Spouse after shee has found her Beloved saith to her heart and affections I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem c. that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please That ye neither interrupt his delight in me nor my delights in him Cant. 3.5 4. True faith purifieth the heart and labours daily to keep it clean by the bessom of repentance Act. 15.9 God put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith The Lord is said to dwell in the heart by faith Ephes 3.17 And after the believer has received him he endeavours daily to keep the house clean where he dwells by faith the heart is espoused unto Christ as a chast virgin 2 Cor. 11.2 And when the believer is tempted to any vile lust he saith with Joseph how can I do this and sin against my Lord to whom I am espoused for ever in holiness and righteousness 5 True faith on Jesus Christ worketh by love Gal. 5.6 It commands us and in an holy violence constraineth us to love the Father who has forgiven us much to love the Son who shed his blood for the remission of sins anâ— to love the Holy Ghost who is the sealer and confirmer of our justification and remission Faith on Christ commands us and by a commanded act requires us to love one another 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another As lines drawn from the circumference the nearer they come to the Centre they are the nearer one unto another so believers the nearer they come by faith to Jesus Christ the Centre of our souls rest and happiness they are the more united one to another in love yea when by faith we look upon Christ as our great example faith doth command us to love even our enemies with the love of benevolence and beneficence when we perceive our blessed Lord both prayed for his enemies and also healed Malchus ear and in a special manner to love all saints with a love of complacency and delight as fellow-members of the mystical body of the Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour It is therefore the wisdom duty and comfort of believers to examine themselves that they be not only sound in the doctrine of faith but also sincere in the grace and work of faith that they may have rejoycing in themselves from the testimony of a good conscience Gal. 6.4 True and sincere justifying and saving faith receiveth Christ entirely to dwell in their hearts the sincere believer receiveth him in all his Offices as a Priest to bless the soul where he dwells with all spiritual blessings as a Prophet to teach him by the Word and as a King to rule him by his Law and holy Commandments As he receiveth him by faith so he intertains him by love as he receiveth Christ by faith so he gives up himself by love unto him as Christ dwells in him by faith so he dwells in Christ by love and delight he intertains him by obedience in the course of Sanctification as an honest Subject who sometime was a rebel to his Prince the more he rests upon the word of the Prince for his remission he is the more ready and active to obey him in all time coming for though faith rest on Christ alone and on no other for Justification and Salvation yet it rests not from the duties of obedience in the course of Sanctification the true believer in the preparation of his
in reason should be so to grieve the Kings Secretary that has past their gift gratis through the Seals 3. The Spirit of God is the comforter And shouldest thou grieve him who many a time has comforted and supported thee in the day of thy trouble and grief If thou grieve the Comforter to whom wilt thou go in the day of new troubles on thy spirit for comfort and strength Vse 1. Therefore grieve not the holy Spirit in whom ye live 1. By your unruly passions he is the Spirit of love and peace grieve him not by your envy and malice one against another it was a grief to Moses his spirit who was a man living in the Spirit to see the Hebrews at strife one with another the holy Spirit is a Spirit of purity and vile thoughts and motions in the heart entertained with delight grieveth him as the daughters of Heth did grieve Rebekah he is a liberal Spirit as he is called Psal 51.12 and our base nigardness and unmercifulness toward the poor doth much grieve him 2. Grieve not the Spirit by speaking or doing against the light of your conscience which being inspired by the Word of God is the counsel of the Spirit thus did Ananias grieve the Spirit Act. 5.3 4. and the Rulers Act 7.51 3. We grieve him by our unbelief in new exigents of trouble notwithstanding our former experiences of his power and bounty as the Disciples grieved our Lord Mat. 16.8 9. It is no small grief to thy friend if thou distrust him in a small matter when thou hast had experience of his kindness in great matters 4. We would by all means beware of mocking the work of the Spirit in others it was a great grief to Sarah that Ishmael mocked her son Isaac so this mocking of the work of mortification and holiness doth greatly grieve the Spirit of God any Artificer is grieved to hear the work of his hands to be undervalued and despised by others so the Spirit of God is greatly grieved and displeased to see holiness which is his own proper work in all who live in the Spirit to be undervalued and despised by the men of this present world who mind not the things of the Spirit but of the flesh Labour to be spiritual and like to the Spirit by whom we live we are said to be sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1.13 and there is an impression of the seal upon the wax so if we live by the Spirit and be sealed by him there will be an impression of holineâ—s and purity in some measure answering to the Spirit by which we are sealed Let us be spiritual in our intentions toward the honour of God with any gift of the Spirit bestowed upon us for our Lord saith of the Spirit Joh. 16.14 He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Let us labour to be spiritual and heavenly-minded often conversing in our hearts with God Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in Heaven like Pilgrims who being abroad do often mind their own native country let us be spiritual in our delights for they that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit Rom. 8.5 Let our delight be most in God and things heavenly as in spiritual benefits spiritual ordinances and spiritual duties let us labour to be spiritual and sincere in the worship of God for the Father seeketh such to worship him Joh. 4.23 Vse 2. The duty propoâ—ed walk in the Spirit that is walk by the power and grace of the Spirit according to the light of the Word inspired and dictated by the Spirit this Word in the original signifieth to walk foot for foot after the leading and teaching of the Spirit by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as young children walk after the footsteps of their father in the same path though not with steps equal to the father or as School-boyes learn the A B C and first elements which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one letter after another In like manner we learn precept upon precept and thereafter do construct and set the actions of our life and conversation together aright according to the rule of the Word of God so that by walking in the Spirit is meant the course of sanctification and of new obedience required by God of us in the covenant of grace as it was said by God to Abraham the father of the faithful Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou upright God promiseth in the new covenant of rich and free grace that he will both give unto his people power to walk in his commandments and also actual assistance in walking Ezek. 36.26 27. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you c. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes To this duty we engage our selves in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper to walk in newness of life Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life And in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we renew our engagement made in Baptism The duty of new obedience is called a walking 1. Because in waâ—king there is a place from which we walk and turn fâ—om so in the course of new obedience we must forsake our former evil wayes Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts 2. There is the way wherein men do walk so the man renewed by the Spirit doth walk in the way of Gods commandments Ezek. 20.19 I am the Lord your God walk in my statutes 3. A light according to the which men walk so in ouâ— Christian walking the light is the Word of God Psal 119.105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 4. In walking through a wilderness and dangerous places men have need of a skilful guide as Hobab was to the people of Israel in the wilderness So men renewed hath need of the holy Spirit to guide and lead them by his strength from one duty to another Therefore David prayeth so often for quickning in the wayes of Gods commandments for it is not enough that once we be quickned to a new life but we have need also to be quickned thereafter and stirred up to the duties of a new life Psal 119.37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way 5. As in bodily walking there is an end and place toward which we walk so in our spiritual walking we walk from strength to strength aiming at perfection and the seeing and enjoying of God in mount Sion that is above 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Phil. 3.13.14 I count not my self
by crying to him Memento te esse mortalem remember thou art a mortal man Philip of Macedon commanded his Page to knock every morning at his chamber door before he rose and to cry Memento mori remember thou must die The great Emperour of the Schythians Tamberlan in his military march caused carry before him his winding-sheet as well as the royal standart and many of the people of God amongst the Jews had their tombs in their gardens as we read Joseph of Arimathea had to keep their spirits sober in the midst of their worldly pleasures and delights but mens forgetfulness of their approaching dissolution makes many so impudent and obstinat in their sinful courses Lam. 1.9 Her filthiness is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully she had no comforter We have dayly warnings of the approaching dissolution of this house of clay 1. From the propps we make use of dayly to support it as our meat and our drink they are for repairing this ruinous house for a time and yet do what we can it will fall down to the dust take warning from thy going to sleep and â—emember as thou puts off thy cloaths so thou must put off this garment of mortality If at any time thou take medicine remember it is but as a plaistering for a time of a decaying mud-house 2. Let sickness in the body at any time put thee in mind of thy dissolution by death because alteration doth tend in end to corruption as a drop from the roof doth in end wear the side-walls 3. Take warning from the death and burial of others when thou seest their scull or bones or dust this is a pious Necromancy thereby to divine of thine own dissolution by death 4. Take warning from the winter season when thou lookest on the earth thou seest neither grass nor flower then remember thou that of 1 Pet. 1.24 All flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass the grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away But thou who sowest in tears rejoyce in the hope of that harvest of compleat glory at the Resurrection which is the spring-time of the immortality of the body when the bodies of the Saints shall spring up in glory like the lillies that were hid under the ground in time of winter Isa 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead There is great reason wherefore we should be preparing dayly for the dissolution of the body by death 1. This dissolution is inevitable and there is not exemption from it by any humane power It is true God himself did exempt Enoch and Elias from dissolution of the body because he is the supreme Law-giver and may dispence with his own penal statutes but no person can exempt himself from the necessity of a dissolution of the body riches cannot bribe death the rich glutton died honour and majesty in the great ones of the world cannot dash death out of countenance nor chase it away Kings are laid in their graves might and power of Armies cannot affright death it has taken away Kings and great Commanders upon the head of their Armies wisdom and eloquence cannot disswade it from approaching the wise and eloquent die as well as fools and ignorant men The Piety of the godly will not turn it away Abraham the fatheâ— of the faithful and all the Patriarchs died 2. This dissolution is uncertain in respect of the time manner and place We come into the world one way but go out of it a thousand divers wayes that rich worldling Luk. 12.18 was taken away on a sudden the Shunamit's son goeth forth well in the morning but dies before the evening though our dayes are numbred of God yet they are uncertain to us our breath is in our nostrils if either the air we draw in or the air we breath out be stopped we are gone in an instant if but the small passages from the reins be obstructed our heart is suffocat Therefore let us not in our vain presumption number years unto our selves but let us pray daily to God that he would teach us so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Psal 90 12. Quest How shall I be prepared for my dissolution and death Ans That thou mayest be prepared 1. Repent of thy sins and be reconciled unto God through faith in Jesus Christ the Mediator without delaying even while thou art in the way and cannot tell how soon thou mayest be removed that thou may appear before thy Judge Mat. 5.25 Delay not till the very term of thy dissolution be come for then it will be with thee as with a careless debt or who takes no course with his debts in time at the term-day he is confounded with fear lest death as a rude Messenger sent from the great Judge shall hale him to the bottomless prison from which there is no redemption 2. Embrace Christ the Saviour of sinners into the arms of thy faith that so with old Simeon thou mayest depart in peace Luk. 2.29 30. Holy Ambrose at his death beholding his friends weeping sore said Why weep ye I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live longer if it shall so seem good in the eyes of God neither am I afraid to die because I have a gracious Lord. 3. Be thou diligent in thy Christian and also in thy particular lawful Calling the fore-sight of death and appearance after death before the Tribunal of the Lord Jesus Christ made Paul careful to approve himself to God in his Apostolical Calling 2 Cor. 5.9 10. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ c. Upon this account Peter was also careful to do his duty faithfully 2 Pet. 1.13 14 15. Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle c. 4. In all the wayes of thy Christian conversation study to persevere in keeping a good conscience that at death thou mayest die with some comfortable evidence in thy self of thy future happiness 2. Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness c. 5. Labour thou to be prepared as were the wise Virgins Mat. 25. with the light of sound knowledge in thy mind that thou mayest say with the Apostle 2 Tim 1.12 I know whom I have believed And also having the oyl of sincere love in your heart toward God for the heart cannot conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9
God and the care of all their concernments unto their wise Lord who can raise up a Joshua in the place of Moses and an Elisha in the place of Elijah and also enable them with the spirit of their Calling It is also a natural and pious desire of godly Parents to live that they may bring up their young children in the knowledge and the fear of the Lord and under God provide for them nevertheless when they perceive it is Gods will to remove them by death from their children they willingly submit themselves to the will of God and as they cast themselves and the care of their soul upon the God of their salvation so with confidence they commit their children to God who taketh this title unto himself to be the father of the fatherless And I know well the God of truth doth not assume empty titles but is fully answerable unto them in the work of his gracious and fatherly providence 3. A cause of their unwillingness to die is sometimes their want of full assurance of the remission of their sins and of the salvation of their souls but if they had this they profess they would be most willing to die For answer to this scruple I confess it is no wonder the child of God desire this full assurance because the more they have of a well-grounded assurance they have the more of inward peace and comfort yet though thou have not that full assurance which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance of faith yet if by thy true repentance thou hast forsaken thy former evil wayes and hast brought forth fruits meet for repentance in the amendment of thy life and by faith cleavest to Christ and to the merit of his perfect righteousness I say unto thee as our blâ—ssed Lord said unto the Ruler of the Synagogue Mark 5.36 Be not afraid only believe Remember that of John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned And Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life That full assurance called in a borrowed phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is like that of a Ship coming in to the Harbour with full Sails before the wind yet some Ships in time of a storm will come in safe also with a piece of a Cross-sail Bless thou God for thy faith of adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the promises of salvation in him if with Job thou can say with an upright heart Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Consider I beseech thee for thy comfort that God is more zealous of his own honour in performing his faithful promise made unto believers who depend upon him by faith and obedience than thou canst be of thine own salvation as he takes no pleasure in the destruction of a sinner so he takes much pleasure in thy turning and trusting in him if thou die leaning by faith on him and his promise of salvation then shalt thou be saved and carried by him out of this wilderness unto that Paradise which is above as it is said Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved If the Son of God the beloved of the Father be also thy beloved and if thou die leaning on him then shalt thou come out of the wilderness of this world and shalt be filled with his everlasting love and fulness of the purest joy and delight in the Kingdom of Heaven Quest What are the means and helps to make the children of God willing to remove out of the body Ans 1. A special mean is that set down here in the Text to wit the assured knowledge of a far better estate after this life Moses a little time before his death went up to the top of Pisgah Deut. 34. and there the Lord shewed unto him the pleasant and plentiful land of Canaan that was on the other side of Jordan after which sight he willingly died there in like-manner the Lord our God for their further encouragement elevats the minds of his children by the eye of faith toward their eternal rest in Heaven then their hearts are so affected with love and desire to be there with Christ that they say as Paul did Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Old Simeon a long expectant of glory waited for Christ the consolation of Israel and when he got him in his arms he said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Luk. 2.29 30. In like-manner faith embracing Christ the Saviour and the hope of salvation in him and with him doth depart in peace 2. The seal of the Holy Spirit in the work and course of our sanctification doth encourage and make us willing to die as the Seal of earthly Kings make sure to men their earthly possessions so the King of kings by the Seal of the Holy Spirit as our Sanctification is called Eph. 1.13 maketh sure unto believers their heavenly inheritance which is said to be among them which are sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 26. â—8 Therefore as ye would die willingly in the hope of that heavenly inheritance be very careful that your gift thereof pass not only through the Common Seal of the outward Ordinances of hearing the Word and receiving the holy Sacraments but also through the Privy Seal of purifying and sanctifying the heart for Blessed are they that are pure in heart they shall see God Mat. 5.8 and without holiness none shall see God Heb. 12.14 There is no coming unto the heavenly inheritance without regeneration as a child yet unborn cannot actually have the possession of an inheritance 3. The earnest of the Spirit which is also called The first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.23 maketh a man willing to die as a man receiving though a small earnest-peny out of the hand of one that is faithful and able to perform the whole bargain at the term doth trust to his faithful promise and withal having received some earnest of the promised sum the nearer the term of performance is he is the more joyful In like-manner the child of God having sometime received an earnest or first-fruits of his salvation in the sense of Gods love shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost some peace in his conscience by faith in Jesus Christ the Saviour of sinners and some joy of the promised salvation from a lively hope to be with Christ the nearer he is to the term of his removal he is or may be the more joyful so it was with the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 5 8. He also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit therefore we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. These first fruits of the Spirit in the soul are like unto these few clusters Joshua and Caleb brought from the valley of Eshcol they