fear God why if you fear God if it bee the right fear of God you will fear God more for what you see in God himself than for any works of God than for any works of his judgements or threatnings and the like And so in the desires of the heart after God why where the heart is gracious it works after God for himself and not for his gifts It is an argument of a false love a whorish love for the wife to love her husband for that shee shall have by him and not to love his person more And so it is a sign of a base slavish spirit for a childe to love his fatheâ— because hee gives him meat and drink and cloaths and will leave him an inheritance and not rather to love the very person of his Father so the heart is but false with God that loves God and that desires after God more for any thing that God doth than for what God is and as these workings of heart love and fear and desire are more in respect of God himself than of his works so praises of God and delighting in God where it is from true grace it is more from what the soul sees in God than from the manifestation of all the glory of God in all his works for Praise the Name of the Lord For his Name is excellent his glory is above the earth and heaven but wee shall let this pass The main Point in the Text which wee are to pitch on is this That God is a most excellent being above all things Doct. 2 This is the work that now I have to do to endeavour to present God in the excellency of his being to you onely you must by way of caution know before wee do begin That God dwells in that light that is unapproachable 1 Tim. 6.16 That it is but little that wee do or can know of God And before wee begin to set forth the excellency of Gods being to you you must know that there is infinitely more than either the tongue of Man or Angel can express when wee have done all wee can there is more in God that is beyond what wee can say or Angels could preach unto you I say more than the glorious light of the Sun is more than a little glittering of a gloe-worm in the night more than all the Sea is beyond and above a spoonful a drop of water And further by way of Caution you must know this that it is impossible to set before you the excellency of Gods being and yet to speak so as every thing should bee plain to every one Many things in the opening of Gods Nature to you must needs have some difficulty in them because the subject that wee are speaking of is so high above us especially it must needs bee difficult to unclean spirits to spirits that have alwayes been groveling below in the dirt to drousie spirits that think nothing to bee excellent but onely to eat and drink and satisfie their flesh when they hear the excellency of Gods Being set out unto them it must needs bee an argument above their reach it cannot bee expected that it is possible to speak so as their hearts should close with what is said to apprehend it But howsoever wee do not know what God may do in going along with his word how hee may come by his Spirit even to those that are of the weakest capacity therefore I shall endeavour to do that that is my work that is to shew you somewhat of God what an excellent being hee is and so leave the work of the Spirit of God to himself to make known those things that shall bee propounded and to settle them upon your hearts Wherefore then God is an excellent being above all things First Hee is and there is none else besides him The truth is wee can scarce say that any thing is but God Exod. 3.14 When God came to Moses to send him to Pharaoh and Moses would know the Name of God hee bid him say I am that I am I am hath sent mee and God only describes himself thus unto Moses I am I am a being and so the name Jehovah is a name proper to God that signifies Gods being Now might Moses say Lord is this a name that will distinguish thee from any thing else to say I am cannot any man say so I am but yet God gives this name of his as his proper name meerly I am a being and I am that being that I am and that is all the name God would tell Moses when Moses did desire to know so much of him and how hee might express him that did send him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am that I am Vt haereditare faciam id quod 〈◊〉 est from thence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentia substantia For indeed Gods being it is that that is proper and all other creatures in comparison of this God have but a shadow of being therefore in Prov. 8.21 saith Wisdome there that is Godliness I cause to inherit substance the words are translated by the Learned that which is Grace carries to God and so by Grace being carried to God wee come to inherit that which is as if all the while wee inherited any thing in the world wee did not inherit that which is God himself properly is So in Isa 45.5 6. I am Jehovah and there is none else besides mee There is nothing that hath a being besides mee that is not such a being as we shaâ—l further open yea and in comparison no being therefore in Isa 40.15 17. Wee have a most excellent expression of the excellency of Gods being in comparison of all other things All the Nations of the world they are as the drop of the bucket and as the small dust of the ballance in comparison of God Yea they are all nothing less than nothing What an expression is here take all the Nations of the world put them all together they are all but as the drop of the bucket that you shall see hang a little at the bottome but as a little dust of the ballance how soon may you take your finger and wipe off the drop of the bucket why so even all Nations of the world may as soon perish in respect of God yea as if the Holy Ghost had said too much when hee compared the Nations of the world to God as if hee should say what did I say they were as the drop of the bucket and as the small dust in the ballance nay they are nothing at all nay and I must go lower they are less than nothing And thus you see the Name of God is alone excellent because indeed hee is such a being as in comparison of him there is nothing that is worthy of the name of a being That 40. of the Prophecie of Isaiah when you come home it will bee a good Chapter to read in your Families to set out the greatness of God
world that knew him not that had no interest in him and the like and then was promised Therefore seeing there are so many poor wretched creatures so many Families that live without a God in the world that know nothing of him and live as if they expected nothing from him and fear no evil to come from him at all therefore wee promised to labour to set forth before you somewhat of God that might help you to know him to shew you what hee is And to that end turn to that Scripture Psal 148. part of the 13. verse For his Name alone is excellent Text. THis Psalm is a Psalm of praise praising of God for all the glorious manifestations of himself in his great Works and calling upon all creatures to praise him because hee is glorious in every creature but the Psalmist rests not in this in praising God for the glory of him that appears in the creatures but hee riseâ— higher and takes indeed the rise from thence to praise and bless God for what there is in himself above that which doth appear in any creature For so it is clear that to this the Psalmist doth arise in my Text Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glory is above the Earth and Heaven The Earth and Heaven and all creatures therein are called to praise Gods name and David praises the name of God for what appeared there but saith hee Praise the Lord for his Name alone is excellent and his glory is above the Earth and Heaven His Name the Name of God is either taken for God himself or for the manifestation of God often in Scripture for God himself Prov. 18.10 as The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous run unto it and are safe that is God himself Hee is the strength and Tower hee is the object of the trust of his people and so other Scriptures or otherwise that whereby God may bee known Psal 76.1 His Name is great in Israel And here we are to understand both for his Name alone is excellent that is God himself is excellent alone the Name of him of him alone is high is lifted up is excellent and that wee are to understand by the Name of God here God himself as well as his Manifestations appears in the words at the end of the verse His glory is above the earth and heaven Now Gods manifestation is either in heaven or earth But there is a further glory of God that is in himself that is beyond all that is or can bee manifested in or to any creature so that from the words thus opened there are these two doctrinal Points one I wil but only touch it is raised from the connexion of the words with the former and the other that is the substance of the Text that wee shall abide a while upon The first is this That a gracious heart is not satisfied with praising God onely for his works but rises higher to praise him and especially to praise him for himself for that that it sees in himself I say a gracious heart doth not stick in the Works of God nor is it onely inlarged to praise God for what it sees in Gods works but it will rise higher than all the works of God and praise him especially for that it sees in himself Thy self O Lord is excellent the glory that is in thy self it is above the earth and above the heaven While wee praise God for what wee see in his works our thoughts and hearts are limited for Gods manifestations of himself are finite and so there is not that spaciousness that a gracious heart desires to let our its self in but when it can rise up to God himself and look at the infinite excellency that there is in himself above all that doth appear in his works then the heart inlarged with grace can expatiate it self to the uttermost and that is that which doth delight him then is a gracious heart indeed in its own element when it is expatiating it self even in God himself And further God in setting himself before the soul in way of Covenant Jer. 31.33.32.39.24.7 Ezek. 11 2â— Gen. 15.1 hee doth not onely tell those that hee takes into Covenant that hee will do such and such things for them but hee would have them to close with himself I will bee your God The Lord told Abraham that hee would bee his exceeding great reward but that would not satisfie Abraham What wilt thou give mee Vers 2. having an eye to Christ and the enjoyment of God in him so let God say that hee will do never such things for a gracious heart that is not enough except God himself bee the portion of the soul the soul cannot bee satisfied with any thing that God doth if God should say to one whose heart he hath inlarged with grace I will give thee all the world to possess thou shalt have all the glory all the pomp all the sweetness all the comforts in the world nay more than that I will make ten thousand worlds more and give thee them all and they shall have all of them more excellency than this present world hath why all this would not satisfie a heart inlarged with grace for the portion of it though such a one sees its self unworthy of the least crum of bread yet it cannot bee satisfied with all the world what then will satisfie him onely God himself for so God propounds himse f unto his people in way of Covenant Psal 16.5 I will bee thy God I will bee your portion And upon this those that are in Covenant with him though they do rejoyce to see God manifesting himself in all his Names they bless God for the beholding so much as they do of him in his works but the thing that their hearts are most upon is God himself the excellency that there is in God above all his works And as it is in praising God so also it is in other workings of the heart towards God as now grace doth not love God so much for what God gives to it as for what God is himself that is the difference between true sanctifying grace and common grace common grace may make mee love God for what I receive from him oâ— for what I hope to receive from him but sanctifying grace makes mee to love God for what is in himself more than for what I receive from him or expect to receive and so there may bee the fear of God for some works of God when God doth manifest his power and dreadfulness in his works in thundring or lightening then the heart of a sinner may fear God though there bee no grace but now where there is grace such a one fears God more because of that excellency hee sees in God himself than from any dreadful works of God and this would bee a good rule to try your selves by You say you
knows my Name the Lord haâ—h a hath account of those that know his Name As for those ignorant creatures let them bee what they will in regard of outward things yet if they bee ignorant of God they are vile and low and base in Gods esteem but take a soul that knows Gods Name the Lord will set him on high such a one is high in the very thoughts of God and the Lord doth take pleasure to make such a soul to bee high Paul in Phil. 3.8 did account all things dung and dross for what for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ For indeed in the knowledge of Christ God is known and if you would study the knowledge of God it must bee in Christ you can never know God but in Christ Matth. 11.27 saith Christ there No man knows the Father but the Son and him to whom the Son shall reveal him It must bee Christ that must reveal the glory of God to our souls or else wee can never come to know him savingly Use 6 Sixthly If God bee thus excellent above all and his glory thus above the earth and heavens hence we are taught to labour to keep the sense of the infinite distance that there is between God and his creatures alwayes in our hearts And this is a point of marvellous consequence the sense of the distance between God and us If God bee infinitely above the creature then God expects that wee that profess any knowledge of him that wee should evermore have our thoughts upon Gods excellency raised in a kinde of infiniteness above what wee think of the excellency of any creature and our hearts then should work after God in a kinde of infiniteness more than ever they did work after any creature as there is an infinite disproportion between the excellency of God and the excellency that there is in any creature I beseech you observe what I am speaking for it is of marvellous use to help us to sanctifie God in all our wayes as there is an infinite distance between the excellency of God and of all creatures so there ought to bee in a kinde an infinite distance between what our hearts are in the working after God and the working after the creature otherwise wee lift not up Gods Name in his excellency and glory And indeed a gracious heart will make it so and in this I conceive the very work of grace consists in that it is such a principle in the soul of a man or woman that is converted that though such a one bee a finite creature yet it hath a kinde of infiniteness in the working of it after God You will say Infinite how can that bee True I confess properly it cannot bee infinite but thus it is infinite in its kinde that is such a creature hath such a principle as it would fain if it were possible work infinitely after God And Further This principle of grace doth cause this in the heart that it will never limit its self in any working after God and therefore hath a kinde of Infinitenesse and here is the difference between one that hath true grace and the most glorious hypocrite in the world An hypocrite hee will ever bee bounding his working after God and think thus much is enough what need any more If I do thus and thus why I may do well and go to heaven at last and so doth bound himself But now where there is the least dram of true grace though there bee many weaknesses in the soul yet such a soul doth never bound its seâ—f in working after God I indeed heretofore have â—et out my heart to the creature but now I would fain if I could let out my heart infinitely after God Why For I see an infinite distance between the good there is in the creature and the good there is in God certainly where this is there is grace and this one note were enough to discern the truth of grace in the heart If the sight of God have wrought this that whereas heretofore thy heart hath been let out after such and such creature-comforts now thou dost desire if it were possible to let out thy heart infinitely after God here is the work of grace and in this thou goest beyond any hypocrite Oh keep this constant in thy soul this is the especial sanctifying of Gods Name in all our wayes when wee see that God gives us leave to let out our hearts towards the creature in some measure then there is a great deal of danger that wee should have our hearts stick in the creature and that we should not have that disproportion in the letting out of our hearts to the creature and to God as ought to bee And this is the ground of all Idolatry in the world when men have seen some excellency in the creature they have been taken with it and there have stuck and have not been carried from the creature to God And that is Heathens Idolatry when they see an excellency in the Sun they think that is God So Christians Idolatry may bee in this If there bee any creature-comfort that thy heart closes withall and there thou dost stick and thy heart is not carried to God yea is not carried to God in such a disproportion as there is between him and the creature I say so far as thou wantest that that thou art capable of in this kinde so far thou art guilty of Idolatry Oh that this one note might stick upon us There is none like unto thee O Lord Canst thou say this out of the uprightness of thy soul as in the presence of God Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that though I have a vile heart that is let out after the creatures more than it ought to bee yet Lord thou knowest that my heart is let out after nothing so much as after thee that would bee a good argument of a gracious work of God upon thee Surely if none bee like unto the Lord then our hearts should bee after nothing so as after the Lord Wee must not content our selves with a little love to God Is there such a disproportion between thy love to the creature and thy love to God as there is between God and the creature Thou sayest thou lovest God I but it may bee thou lovest the creature as well Doest thou think that this will satisfie God When thou hearest that Gods Name alone is excellent God expects that thy love to hâ—m should bee in a kinde infinite above that love of thine to any creature else And there is this one thing further with which I will conclude Use 7 Surely if Gods Name alone bee excellent then in a proportion Gods people alone are the excellent people upon the earth According as a mans God is so is hee as you know men conceive their excellency to bee according to the excellency of him whom they serve according as a mans God is I say so is hee Now if God alone
as if there were no other saved in all the world but thy self yet Jesus Christ will manifest himself wonderful in thy salvation for indeed that is that that hee aims at to bee wonderful in the salvation of his Saints in bringing them unto glory and that is the comfort of all Beleevers from this title of Christs being wonderful But now then as thy comforts art great from this title so thy duties should bee some way proportionable too thou shouldest therefore honour God the Father of Christ as a wonderful Saviour Labour therefore first to search into this deep mystery of the Gospel Oh what a shame is it that those that do profess themselves Christians should understand so little of Jesus Christ this is that that God expects I say that wee should study the Gospel search into the Gospel that wee may see more of Christ the more wee see the more still wee shall wonder for Christ is an infinite depth and the more wee search into him the more wee shall see cause to wonder In the first of the Ephesians mark what a prayer Paul makes for the Ephesians in the 17 and 18. verses hee told them before that hee did not cease to give thanks for them making mention of them in his prayers to what end That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of him Hee doth not onely pray that they might have some knowledge of him but that they might have a Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ and this from the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and from the Father of Glory Mark what titles hee gives to God when hee prayes for them that they might have the knowledge of Jesus Christ it must bee the God of our Lord Jesus Christ that must do it and the Father of Glory God doth never shew himself to bee the Father of Glory so much as when hee gives the knowledge of Jesus Christ to a soul then God doth make himself to appear indeed to bee the Father of Glory And further The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that yee may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who beleeve And in the third of the Ephesians from the 14 verse to the 20. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is named that hee would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to bee strengthened with might by his Spirit in the Inner-man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that yee being rooted and grounded in love All this now is but a preparation to what hee would desire further and that is this That so you may bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that yee might bee filled with all the fulnesse of God This is a most admirable Scripture surely the Spirit of Christ filled the heart of Saint Paul and such kind of Scriptures as these are mighty strong Arguments to evince the Scripture to bee the Word of God when wee read such passages as these that have a spirit in them beyond the spirit of any man certainly it was beyond the spirit of any man to expresse himself in such a manner That hee bowed his knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that they might comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might bee filled with all the fulnesse of God and that is that which I would especially observe that Christians should not content themselves with a little knowledge of Christ but they should labour to comprehend what is the length breadth depth and height they should labour to dive into the Mâ—steries of the Gospel as it is said of Moses when hee saw that wonderful work in the wildernesse saith hee I will now turn aside and see this great sight you have it recorded in the seventh of the Acts and 31. vers There appeared to him in the wildernesse of Mount Sina an Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush When Moses saw it hee wondred at the sight and as hee drew near to behold it c. Hee had a sight of it at a distance and yet so much as hee wondred at it and then hee drew near and the Lord spake to him So it should bee with us wee have some sight of Christ but is it not at a distance wee hear a Minister speaking of Christ to us the great wonder of the world and it may bee at the hearing wee are ready to think there is somewhat in Christ beyond what wee have apprehended heretofore I but I beseech you Brethren let it not passe away so those things that have been spoken concerning Christ God will require an account of and know it is a dangerous thing to have the glory of Jesus Christ to pass by any soul and to do it no good If wee had been preaching to you of Moral Virtues or any deep discourse about any point save about Jesus Christ there had not been so much danger of letting it passe without profit but when God sets before you the glory of his Son know there is a great deal of danger upon the hearing of such things without profit therefore you had need say upon the hearing of such things as Moses said That you will draw near you will go and pray over these again and beseech the Lord that hee would reveal these things unto you Pray with David O Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law By Law there is meant those things that were revealed in the Word of God and surely upon our hearing what God hath revealed in his Word wee have cause to pray with more earnestnesse Lord open our eyes that wee may see the wonderful things of thy Gospel but mark When Moses drew near Then God spake to him and revealed himself further to him If Moses had stood wondring at this sight and went no further it may bee hee had not had God revealing himself so clearly to him but when hee draws near then God speaks to him So if your hearts bee taken with what you hear of this wonderful Saviour and then you draw near and take pains in your closets by meditation and prayer to see what is the meaning of this wonder Why Lord shall I hear of such things and not understand them they are things that do nearly concern mee and shall I not understand them If you labour to draw near God will speak and reveal further of his mind to you But further of
this Text in the Ephesians Wee must labour to comprehend the heights and depths and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge You wiâ—l say these are too wonderful things for us to know Nay The Apostle praies that they may know that which passeth knowledge Though the fulnesse of the glory of it passeth all knowledge yet still there may bee so much of the knowledge of these things as may help you to sanctifie Gods Name and make your hearts spiritual for saith the Text That yee may know the love of God which passeth knowledge that yee might bee filled with all the fulnesse of God It is a very strange phrase for the creature to bee filled with God and had wee it not in Scripture wee should not have dared to have used such an expression But here it is to bee filled with all the fulnesse of God This phrase is a great deal higher but how comes this to passe by comprehending the height and depth and length and breadth that is by understanding Jesus Christ and the Glory of God in him by this means doth the soul come to bee filled with all the fulnesse of God What is the reason that Christians are so empty in their spirits in their conversations but because they know so little of the Mystery of the Gospel If thou didst but understand the Mystery of the Gospel but how the Lord makes known himself in the face of Jesus Christ this would fill thy heart with all the fulnesse of God those Christians are the Christians filled with excellency indeed that do comprehend the height and depth and length and breadth of this wonderful work of God in Christ There is nothing sanctifies the heart so much as the knowledge of Christ in a right way Seneca hath such an expression concerning the Heavens Oh the Heavens are a wonderful spectacle and a spectacle fit for a reasonable creature to bee imployed about Though wee should get little benefit by knowing the Motions of the Heavens the Sun Moon and Stars yet the beauty and excellency that is there and the wonderful work of God in the Heavens it cannot but take a rational creature Now if the wonderful work of God in the Heavens bee such as it must needs take a rational creature Oh what is the wonderful work of God in Jesus Christ therefore let us make it the chief of our study to study the Lord Jesus Luther hath an expression to the same purpose O saith hee I vehemently I extreamly am displeased with my self and displease my self yea saith hee I hate my self because I cannot get that great benefit that great work that there is in mans Redemption because I cannot get it to bee transfused into my very bones and marrow I would fain get it in there Saint Paul in Gal. 1.15 16. said hee was separated from his Mothers womb and called by Grace and had Christ revealed in him O blessed is that soul that the Lord hath separated for himself that Jesus Christ might bee revealed in it that is a blessed soul You know how Paul accounted the knowledge of Christ The excellent knowledge the excellencie of knowledge and accounted all things dung and drosse in comparison and so David in Psal 119.27 Make mee to understand the way of thy Precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works When you come together you can bee talking of this News and the other News but were your hearts filled with the knowledge of Jesus Christ you could not but talk of the wonderful things that God hath done for your souls in Jesus Christ And as wee are to labour to search that wee may know more so to give God the praise of this his wonder that hee hath done In Psal 107.8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for the wonderful things that hee hath done for the children of men It is meant there I confesse of the wonderful works of Gods providence but surely if God bee to bee praised and magnified for his wonderful works of providence much more for the wonderful works that hee hath done for the soul in Jesus Christ And so in Psal 86.9 10. You have an expression there to the same purpose All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall gloâ—ifie thy Name for thou art great and dost wondrous things Oh that this Scripture were fulfilled that all Nations might come and worship the Lord and glorifie God upon this ground because God is great and doth wonderful things The wonderful things of God in his works of Creation and Providence are nothing so much regarded of God himself as the wonderful things hee hath done in Christ and therefore the Lord expects that the Saints should glorifie him more for that than for any thing else And the truth is God reâ—ects all the glory that hee hath from his creatures except hee hath it because of the wonders that hee hath done in his Son And as wee should study Christ and praise and bless God and have our hearts enlarged for Jesus Christ So this is the duty of beleevers to whom God hath revealed Christ as wonderful that in their conversations they should hold out the wonderful Glory of Jesus Christ thou shouldest so walk before men as to manifest to all the world that thy Saviour is a wonderful Saviour And thou shouldest manifest it by thy wonderful change that soul that hath part in Christ whose Name is wonderful honours Christ in this If hee doth manifest that since hee came to know Jesus Christ there is a wonderful change made in him what a change is there made in this youth or childe young-man or neighbour or friend Not long since what an ignorant sot was hee but since hee went to hear the Word Oh the understanding in a little time that such a one hath got in the Mysteries of the Gospel such a one was not able to go into Gods presence to expresse himself in prayer any otherwise but upon a book but now Oh what a spirit of prayer hath God given to such a poor wretch that was so ignorant the other day Now O how can hee pour out his soul before the Lord Such a one that not long since was a prophane and loose liver and sensual and base in his life and conversation now oh how holy how heavenly how spiritual and would not commit the lest known sin if hee might gain a thousand worlds for it such a one that was false in his service before now how trusty one may trust ones life and all that one hath with him now such a one that heretofore was a swearer oh how doth hee reverence the Name of God! such a one that was a froward passionate spirited man or woman now how meek and gentle are they what a mighty change is there in the spirit of such a servant or wife or husband or neighbour And such a one that was altogether for himself and proud and haughty but now
give all the respect that may bee to him because hee is the onely Saviour of souls And for the blood of the Covenant take heed you sin not against that let it not bee accounted as a common thing Oh do not prize the satisfying of your own lusts rather than the blood of the Covenant and all the good that was purchased by that blood when any wretched sinner shall hear the Gospel preached to him and yet shall prize the living in any base wicked way of sin I say such a one doth trample the blood of the everlasting Covenant under his feet and the language of his heart and actions is nothing but this whatsoever is spoken concerning the blood of the everlasting Covenant revealed in the Gospel I do prize the satisfying the lusts of mine own heart more than all the good that is in the Covenant now do you think can such a soul as this bee saved now you sin against the blood of the Covenant when you come hand over head to the Sacrament and thereby you come to bee guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ People are mighty earnest about coming to Sacraments now do but read 1 Cor. 11. It is a Scripture which I know you that are acquainted with Scripture are not unacquainted with vers 27. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall bee guilty of the body and blood of the Lord And what then vers 29. Hee eateth and drinketh his own damnation When you would have the Sacrament as the seal of the blood of Christ and yet come in your sin and filthiness and do not discern the Lords body you come to bee guilty of the blood of Christ and so to bee guilty of your own damnation and so many think to seal their souls by eating and drinking the damnation of their souls for there is nothing set out in Scripture that furthers more the damnation of a soul than to sin against the blood of the Covenant I know some make that Scripture their damnation to themselves that is that they are onely to bee reproved and condemned for doing so but wee are to inlarge Scripture to the uttermost that may bee and seeing the Scripture hath made the sin against the blood of Christ in other places so dreadful wee may very well understand that place in the most dreadful sense that may bee Now if in case you come unworthily you hear what the Scripture speaks it is guiltiness of the blood of Christ and eating and drinking your own souls damnation And then take heed of sinning against the mercy of God let not mercy harden you but let it soften your hearts Oh that soul is in a good forwardness to bee saved that every time it thinks of the mercy of God it findes it self to melt before the Lord and mourn bitterly for sin when as it applies the mercy of God to it self I that is a good evidence but now when you think or speak of Gods mercy you finde your hearts the more hardened in sin Oh this is dreadful for how can such a soul be saved that sins against the mercy and love of Jesus Christ for who shall hear and plead for thy soul before God when as thou art guilty of the blood of Jesus Christ and what is it that shall bee thine attonement before the Father It must bee blood Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin And what blood must bee for the remission of thy sin when as thou tramplest the blood of the Covenant under thy feet and when thou sinnest against mercy what is it that must recover thee but the mercy of God when thou comest to God in the anguish of thy soul Now if thy case bee thus that Jesus Christ shall plead against thee and say Oh Father Father avenge thy self upon this wretch that hath not onely sinned against thy work of Creation but against the work of Redemption that I went into the world to work Father let this soul perish eternally that hath rejected mee and received every base wretched lust before mee now shall that soul bee saved that shall have the blood of the Covenant cry against it and mercy it self cry to the Lord against it Lord avenge my cause for I have been most abominably and cursedly abused by this wretch when not onely the Law of Gods Justice and Satan accuses thee but Christ and his blood and the Gospel it self how shall such a soul bee saved now then if you would have your souls saved take heed of sinning against Jesus Christ against the Gospel and against the blood of God and against the mercy of God Eleventhly If thou wouldest have thy soul saved take heed of sinning against the Spirit of Grace the good Spirit of God that must draw thee to Christ and guide thee in the way of salvation if ever thou beest saved Now take heed of sleighting the motions of Gods Spirit oh do not sleight any motion of the Spirit of God how dost thou know but when there comes in any motion of Gods Spirit it comes in to save thee at this time thou canst not tell but that at any time when Gods Spirit doth assist his Word thy soul may depend upon that time so as God may say had this soul followed on the work at this time it might have been saved but upon it s not following it on it shall not bee saved doth Gods Spirit begin to move thy soul when thou art hearing the Word Oh do not go into wicked company and so lose all again but get alone in thy closet and fall down even upon thy face and cry to God that hee would follow on the work of his Spirit that hee hath begun in thee Oh Lord I lived a long time in a dead-hearted condition never minding the good of my soul but thou hast begun to stir mee and Lord I hope it is the beginning of thy saving work upon my soul Oh that thou wouldest go on with it How many upon their sick-beds and death-beds would give a thousand worlds if they had them that they could have such stirrings of the Spirit of God as sometimes they have felt Oh now when the Spirit stirs and temptation stirs take heed of listening to temptation and rejecting the motions of Gods Spirit but think of that that wee read on of the people of Israel when they were going to Canaan they were very near Canaan and when they were upon the borders of it they refused to go into the Land when God would have them and upon that The Lord did swear in his wrath Psal 95.10 that they should never enter into his rest So when the Spirit of God begins to bring thee near to salvation that it may bee said of thee as Christ to the young man Thou art not far from the Kingdome of Heaven O take heed of hearkening to temptation lest the Lord swear that thou shalt never enter into