he was the Son of God Satan himselfe tempted him because he did but suspect then that he was the Son of God it was for triall evill temptations are for triall And so are good too there are good temptations of proofe whereby men prove themselves St. Paul calls that by the name of temptation Prove or try or tempt your selves whither you be in the faith or no know you not your owne selves c. When a man makes inspection into his owne heart to find out how his estate stands how he thrives in grace whither he decline or no when he proves every grace and brings it to the Touch stone here he proves and tries his owne heart he makes triall of his obedience of his faith of his patience of his love to God of his meeknesse of his repentance of his growth in all These temptations to good are trialls Last of all to bring it to the point the good tryalls wherewith God is said to tempt men God tempts and tries to see whither we will love him with all our hearts or no God is said to tempt men principally by tribulations they are therefore called trialls But he hath many other wayes of prooving every way whereby he reveales himselfe is a way of triall He hath as many wayes of tryall as he hath wayes of revealing himselfe If he give us his word it is for tryall to prove whither we will bring forth fruit If he take away his word it is for tryall to see how we will walk in the graces that he hath given us If he multiply blessings it is for tryall to see how thankfull we will be and whither we will be drawn by the faire way of invitation by mercies If he take away his blessings and multiply his afflictions it is for tryall still to see how we will beare our selves under the Crosse and take his chastisement Every way that he reveales himselfe whither he send afflictions or remove afflictions whither he send blessing or take away blessings all are for triall Sometimes for the triall of one grace sometimes for the triall of another Sometimes for the triall of obedience Exod. 26. The Lord your God proved and tempted you to see whither you would walk in his Commandements or no. Sometimes for the tryall of our love Exod. 16. The Lord your God prooved you to see whither you would love him withall your hearts And so for all for every grace he sends a tryall But we must understand that God doth not so prove for triall as men doe We take a tryall of things because we are ignorant we doe not know them sufficiently God therefore tries us because he knowes us not that he may have better knowledge of us as we take tryall No God will take tryal of that he knows already or that he knows fully With men every trial is taken either for the gaining or for the bettering of knowledge God that knowes all things and that Searcheth the heart sees what is in us he discernes our thoughts long before There is not a word in our tongues not the least motion in our hearts but he knows it he needs not take a triall for his satisfaction to gaine knowledge or to better his knowledge he knows us better then our selves But there are two reasons why God makes these trialls One reason is given by St. Jerome The other by St. Austin One reason of his trialls is as St. Jerome sayth not that he may know what is in us but that he may make others know otherwise the lustre and light of that grace that God hath given if God should not make it shine out by taking a tryall it could not bring glory to God if it were not exemplary to men the tryall of grace makes it shine He deales with us as Rupurtus sayth as a Merchant of Small-wares a Pedlar doth with his Pack He knows all that is in his Pack but when he comes where Chapmen are he rifles and layes out all not that he may know but that others may know and be invited to buy So God knowes the furnishing of the heart the graces that are there but he rifles them and layes them open by tribulation that others may see the distinction betweene this grace and that that they seeing it may give God the glory Not that he may know but that others may know That is one reason Another Reason why he tempts and prooves and makes tryall Non ut ipse c. not that he may find what is in man but that man may find what is in himselfe we are all strangers to our selves No man knoweth the things of a man but the Spirit that is in man sayth the Apostle Nay we may goe a little further The things of a man knowes not man himselfe It is not all that is in man that can goe to the windings and turnings and Labyrinthes of the heart there are so many partitions and starting-holes that man himselfe cannot find them We know not the weight of our graces nor the depth of our infirmities and Errours God it is that must discover them and how doth he lay them open By tryalls and temptations and tribulations there he lets us see our infirmities and sinfullnesse it is as a Glasse to let us see our infirmities on the one side and as a glasse to see the weight of grace on the other side We could not know the measure of our graces but for trialls how much patience we have and how much faith and how much love and how much thankfullnesse nor any grace a man would never be able to take the true weight of it unlesse it were thus discovered to him and by these trialls Therefore he tries us that he may discover our hearts to our selves to make us see what he hath done for us to make us see what we were what we are and what we may be all this is by triall As a Father deales thus with his Child he takes the Childs finger and puts it to the flame of the Candle or the flame of the fire and bids him proove if it be hot Not but that the Father knowes but that the Child is ignorant that he may learne to shun it So God deales in these Trialls he suffers us to be brought under the flame of Tribulation to be put into the Furnace of afflictions he puts our finger into the flame that we may learne to know that the fire is hot and how hot the fire is that we deserve and had had if Christ had not come he brings us that he may make us know it So sum it up now and then you have the end of all kind of temptations especially these of tribulation they are for triall If that be the end there is no reason we should be out of love with Gods chastisements Were the end evill we had cause to feare and to murmur at tribulations but the end is for good and the best good of all to bring
That Learned reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSWORTH Doctor in Divinity somtimes Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge Master of Emmanuel Colledge and late Preacher at PETERS POORE in LONDON Psal 19.8 The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Alders-gate-streete 1650. PSAL. 119.48 My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandements which I have loved and I will meditate in thy Statutes THE handling of this Scripture may seeme Abortive it doth not come before the time but after It is Abortive in St. Pauls signification because the handling and Exposition of it comes now out of season and after the time It is the Elder Sister to the Text I spake of in the forenoone and hath a place in the Psalme many degrees before it there are above sixty Verses passeth between them yet I have reserved it to the second place for better your Edification that compared with the other I may let you see how a Christian is never to set up his rest here in this World whatsoever pitch of piety he hath attained to but is still to goe forward to strengthen himselfe with new resolution after he hath attained some Here is a good example propounded to us for the manifestation of it the Prophet David he doth in this Psalme intermingle professions with resolutions and resolutions againe with professions sometimes least he should seeme to decay in practise he quickens himselfe by new resolutions Sometimes againe least he should seeme to resolve to no purpose he makes testification of his practise so these two follow one another through the Psalme A module of a Testification I gave in the forenoone in those words Thy Statutes have I chosen as an Heritage for ever and here now he armes himselfe with other resolutions that he may advance in practise My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandements which I have loved and I will meditate in thy Statutes So in briefe the words are nothing else but thus much here is another Protestation by way of remonstrance or Declaration of the Vowes and determinations that holy David imposed upon himselfe for the keeping and meditating in Gods Statutes and according to these two parts I will consider in them There is one part a testification of what he had done they are thy Commandements that I have loved The other it is a profession of what he would doe and that is inlarged by two concident but distinguishable resolutions The one in the first part of the Verse I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements The other in the last I will meditate in thy Statutes In this manner I meane to speake of the words and begin with the middle words of the Verse and that is a declaration of Davids practise for the time past the testification of that he had done I have loved thy Commandements I rather take this in the first place because I wouâ—d begin where I ended the last day you may remember then I spake to you of the love of God the promises that are made to those that are enflamed with that Heavenly affection The Crowne of life which he hath promised to them that love him Now after the love of God what argument is fittest to be spoken of than the love of his commandements if a man would walk through the severall descents of love all men will acknowledge that the first and cheife object of love is God but yet they hardly agree upon the second what is to have the next flight and degree of the affection of our love after God This generall principle will serve to regulate it after God that is most to be loved that hath most of God in it where there is the liveliest stamp and Print of God there most of our love must be bestowed after God himselfe Now there is nothing in the World but hath something of God there are Vestigia in creaturis the darkest and most obscure Print in the inferior Creatures there is the Print of Gods wisdome and power and goodnesse in the superior in man there is a more lively representation there is Imago similitudo the Image and similitude after which he was Created In a Saint God is more lively especially Saints glorified there is a renewing of that Image to the degree of the first perfection so a man would think here he should terminate his love after God on the blessed Saints and Angels All my delight is in the Saints on Earth and those that excell in vertue sayth David but yet it is not so there is somthing will goe before these there is not in all the Creatures so lively an impression of God as in the word of God there is more then Imago similitudo and more then Aliquid dei there is a representation of all the Attributes a lively Print of the Spirit of God the mouth of God the finger of God the wisdome of God the will of God therefore here will be the decision of the Question that after the love of God the greatest of love is to fall upon his Commandements and will upon his Commandements for they lead not onely to the knowledge of God but to the very fruition of God Our blessed Saviour and John the beloved Disciple layes it downe as an axiome This is love to keepe his Commandements the greatest testification of our love to God is the love we shew to his Commandements in observing of them this order David sets downe himselfe he was a man stricken and touched in his heart with the love of God here as if he had laboured for arguments and expressions to manifest it to his owne her at and to others he makes this as the first and most proper effect and proose of his love to God that he loved his Commandements that he might justifie the first he tells God I have loved thy Commandements so here is the thing he testifies of himselfe And he doth not onely make the testification to men for men may be ignorant there is no man that can make inspection into the affections and the heart to see what love is there but he tells it to God it is a holy ejaculation that is sent up to God for the inlargment and testification of his affections I have loved thy Commandements it is a modest expression He doth it not first that he may put God in mind or make him understand and know any thing of which he was ignorant for he searcheth the heart he knew what Davids love was better then himselfe yet he beates much upon it by many repetitions Consider how I love thy testimonies O how I love thy Law I love it above gold yea much fine gold There are many variations of this one expression and all presented to God not to put him in mind onely appealing to God he speaks these words as Peter to our Blessed Saviour when Christ asked him the Question Simon lovest thou me saith he Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest
us nearer to Heaven to indeare us more to God to weane us more from the World to make us better to understand God and our selves fort he pollishment of those graces that God hath given us for the attaining of those graces that yet we want and for the perfecting of all For the pollishing of grace and refining it that is one end Were it so that we were all grace and all spirit there would be no triall then There are two conditions of mettalls in which there needs not any triall of the fire One is if it be all gold another is if it be all drosse If it be all gold it needs no purifying if it be all drosse it will not endure it it is not worthy the fire So it is with Christians were we in the World all gold or all drosse there would be no triall if we were all pure mettall all Gold Tribulation and trialls are superfluous in Heaven where the Saints enjoy happinesse and are all pure Gold there is no triall there there is no suffering all is Gold in Heaven On the other side were we all drosse that there were no spirit at all nothing of grace then there would not be the refining triall for chaffe and stubble and drosse are not purified by the fire but consumed annihillate and brought to nothing But since our estate is so as we are all in this condition of mortality that we are part Gold and part Clay Flesh as well as Spirit and there is a mixture of both thereupon for the purging away of the flesh and for the strengthening of the spirit that must be brought to the Touch-stone by the fierie triall of tribulation that the graces may be tryed and the drosse consumed and burnt up Therefore let this be the conclusion You that so much love the pleasures of the World that are so afraid to heare of any day of tribulation remember that he that hath called us to the Crowne hath called us to the Crosse and the first lesson that he reads to us is to take grace with all disadvantages Never look that God will give us grace but make sure of affliction He gives not grace for nothing would you have him give grace and not get the glory of it How should he get the glory of it but by tryall How should he have the glory of patience but for affliction Or the glory of thankfullnesse or of pure love but when his Servants love him most when his countenance is most clouded towards them Their love and thankfullnesse and obedience and patience when is it seene In tribulation Therefore as our blessed Saviour said concerning the Crosse that Christians when they are called must looke for They shall receive in this life an hundred fold with tribulation Be pleased to mark the place He that forsakes Father or Mother or House or Land shall receive an hundred fold in this life How That cannot be in temporalls it must be in spiritualls because one dram of grace is a hundred fold to the World and temporalls Shall we receive an hundred fold that is spirituall abundance What followes With tribulation with afflictions and tryalls If God give a hundred fold in spiritualls it is with tryalls No man puts Armour upon another but for fight the graces of the spirit are the Armour of Christians Take unto you the Armour of God VVhat The sheild of faith the Helmet of Salvation the Brest-plate of righteousnesse the Sword of the Spirit All grace is Armour if God put spirituall Armour on Christians they must looke for a combate when their Armour is on Grace is Armour we must look for the triall of it for the end of all tribulation is triall and the end of all grace that God gives Be content with grace upon any seeming disadvantage it will bring abundance of advantage after That is the first the thing supposed here When he is tried he must look to be tryed The end why God sends tribulations and temptations is for tryall that is the first The next is the thing here expounded or exprest and plainly set downe that is the time when he is tried then he shall receive The Apostle adds this to prevent a Question having made mention of that that makes all hearts leap after the fruition of it the Crowne of life If any man should ask as the Disciples did of Christ O Lord when shall these things be Blessed Apostle when shall this Crowne of life be For this Question it had beene a sufficient answer In due season you shall reape if you faint not In due season you shall have it the time shall come think it not long but that is too generall Then he drawes it downe more perticularly a little Would you know when I will tell you when tribulation is ended when the triall is fully taken when God hath sufficiently refined you and fitted you for Heaven and made you as he would have you to be when you are tried But tell us more perticularly when shall this be After one tribulation It may be not It is with many of us as Florus sayth of the Gaules at the first brunt they would be stout and play the men more then men at the second they would grow feeble So many Christians it may be will endure one course of tribulation and temptation and endure stouâ—ly but when they meet with another course that shakes them and makes them hang downe the head then they deject themselves Therefore we must not think to have it alway after one tribulation one tribulation is but a degree or preparative to another when God hath fitted us for one we must look for more When then at the second or third or fourth or more No the Apostle sets it indefinitly because he would not goe about to limit God the holy one of Israell you cannot tell whither at two or three or foure but in Gods best time when he thinks fittest when the triall is done when the triall is fully made So this word now it is a word simple here set downe but it stands for a defective word as the Scripture useth such words oft times When he is tried that is thus much when he is throughly tried when he is approvably tried The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he hath endured tribulation so as to get Gods testimony and approbation When with Gods approbation he hath endured tribulation and is thus throughly tried then he shall receive the Crowne That is in briefe thus much then he shall receive the Crowne when he can say with our blessed Saviour I have done the work that thou gavest me to doe Father glorifie me with thine owne selfe then when he can say with St. Paul I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me the Crowne of righteousnesse When a man is once come to this â—pshot he may look for the Crowne not till he have done his
is in graine that hath the true stamp if love be wanting and there is no grace that shall ever carry the Crowne where love is not St. Paul makes it cleare 1 Cor. 13. Knowledge faith Almsâ—deeds suffering afflictionss are all nothing without love Though I have all knowledge and all faith that I could remove Mountaines though I spake with the tongue of men and Angels though I should give my body to be burned and feed the poore with my goods and have not love all is nothing There is no grace if love be wanting that câ—n have interest in the Crowne because there can be no truth of grace there can be no truth of faith no truth of obedience to God where love is wanting As all is wanting if love be wanting so â—very grace is present if love be present therefore in that the promise is made here to love it is made to all there is good reason of the variation That you may see the reason of it the Apostle St. Paul in 1 Cor. 2. when he quotes that place out of Isaiah 46. he varies the word being guided by the Spirit of God the word in Isaiah is Eye hath not seene nor â—are hath heard the things that God hath prepared for them that waite on him The Apostle quotes the place Eye hath not seene nor eare heard the things that God hath prepared for them that love him Implying that where there is love there is waiting where there is love there is all So though suffering be not mentioned suffering is there and every grace it is a larg expression Therefore that we may see it is large the number is varied there is an alteration of the number as well as of the grace He begins the Proposition in the Singular number Blessed is the man See the wisdome of the Apostle it should according to the tenure of the same number run thus He shall receive the Crowne of life which God hath promised to him that loves him No he varies the number and sayth That God hath promised to them that love him Least any that are not called to suffering should doubt of the Crowne they are blessed and shall receive the Crowne of life that suffer but God hath not called me to afflictions he sets a gap open of comfort for them here it is for them and for all that love him It is ordinary in Scripture to enlarge the promise Christ inlargeth the precept That which I say to one I say to all watch As he there inlargeth the precept so in another place he inlargeth the promise I pray not for these alone but for all that shall beleive in my name to the end of the World St. Paul follows it 2 Tim. 4. The Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day I Paul shall have it but none else Yes not onely to me but to all that love him So St. James here varies in a heavenly straine he pronounceth Blessed is the man that endureth tribulation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crowne of life I he shall but none else yes not onely he but it is promised to all that love him It is no strait expression To draw all to a head you see the sum of it is thus much It sets downe the qualification of the person that shall be capable of the Crowne of glory here is the qualification he must be one that loves God It sets downe againe the qualification of that person that will stoutly and valiantly endure tribulations he must get abundance of the love of God in his heart If we suffer not if God lay it on us we shall never reigne and if we love not we will never suffer There is no promise of God but hath a qualification going along with it It is a great errour among us we are ready to catch at the promise but never to take notice of the qualification There is never a promise made but the person must be so and so qualified there is a condition goes along with the promise The condition is the qualification As if it be the promise of forgivenesse the qualification of the person is it is to those that are penitent that repent God never gave forgivenesse where there was not the work of repentance If it be the promise of Salvation there is the qualification of the person he must be a Beleiver faith comes in God never gives Salvation where he doth not first work faith to lay hold of it If it be the promise of glory there is a qualification too perseverance To those that continue in well doing there shall be glory and honour and immortality there shall be eternall life to them God never gave the Crowne of glory nor never will but where he gives the grace of perseverance to hold out here is the qualification If it be this Crowne that is here spoken of here is the qualification those that suffer tentation there is one those that love God there is the great qualification If therefore we look to have a true infallible interest in the promise let us look to get the propriety of the qualification If we be not persons qualified we have no interest in the promise Many men goe on in sin and still flatter themselves with hope in the promise presumptuous men talke of forgivenesse as familiarly as if it were written by the hand of God Impenitent men that forsake not sin talk of glory and Heaven and of inheriting the Crowne and hope for that it is a poore hope there is no qualification God never gave them a promise There can be no hope of Heaven where there is not a promise there can be no interest where there is not a promise God never gave a promise of forgivenesse to the impenitent to men that goe on in sin but that forsake them he never promised Heaven to the presumptuous man but to him that layes hold of it by faith If we will have interest in the promise we must get the qualification On the other side where there is this condition and qualification though our names be not written upon the promise yet the names of all that are so qualified are as good as written There is no promise but hath the names of all the persons that are so qualified graven on it not expresly but virtually If the promise be made to faith every beleiver is in that promise If it be a promise to repentance every penitents name is written there as if it were set there he hath an interest where there is a qualification there cannot be a missing of the promise Look for the qualification and for this qualification of love Those that love God It is true there are no limits or bounds set downe that is our great comfort it is not said those that love God much nor those that love God most but simply to those that love him to let us see that as much love shall have a
great reward so any love if it be but little shall have some God will not quench the smoaking flax if it be but a spark of love he will cherrish that If it be lesse then a spark a smoake of love he will cherrish that Yet labour to get abundance it must not be a weak remisse love that is bestowed on God the object is infinite the act must answer the object We must make our love we cannot make it infinite we must extend it as neare infinite as we can come It must not be Amor remissus or Intermissus but perfectus and assiduus True love observe no meane it keeps no measure no bounds can be set to true love the love of God will enlarge and break out more and more We should love him wholly and solely we should love him so as to love nothing besides we should love him so as to love all things in him and for him and without him nothing We should love him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength there are foure things that is to love him with every faculty and with the strength of every faculty If I had foure souls as some Philosophers dreamed that we had 3. all those foure were too little were a man all soul all love all that were too little to be bestowed on God It is a high reach it is true indeed but we need not despaire though it be a high reach it is attainable by us because it hath beene attained by others The Saints before are magnified in Scripture for their love of God We have the same meanes the same helps and motives and the same encouragements If love be wanting as it is very much in the World the reason is because men doe not labour to thrive and grow in the love of God God deprives us of the comfort of the love of himselfe because we have no more love one to another But yet if we will apply our selves to the meanes love is recoverable it is not all dead nor all the sparks of love it may be blowne to a greater flame The meanes are various One way whereby we may profite in the love of God is this to empty our hearts of all carnall love whither it be the love of the World or of our selves There is nothing that stands more betweene the love of God and the heart then carnall Worldly love and above all this doting love of our selves Every man is for himselfe we all seeke our selves and not the things that are Christs sayth the Apostle and we all love our selves and not the things that belong to God it is very rare to be found the love of God in sincerity The reason is the love of our selves is so ingrafted and Printed in our hearts that it cannot be gotten out As he that will take his hand full of Corne must first empty his hand if it be full of Sand or Earth or Gravell So if we will replenish our hearts with the love of God there must first be an evacuation an emptying an expulsing and carrying out of carnall love the love of the great World about us and the love of the little World the love of our selves If any man be a lover of the World the love of the Father is not in him sayth St. John The love of the World and the love of God cannot consist together That is the first step to be taken to love God to put the World out of our hearts and to goe out of our selves Christ therefore gives that rule He that will come after me let him deny himselve He that will love God must unlove himselfe We dote upon our selves we are all for our selves therefore we are nothing for God That is one step to love God When we have emptied our hearts of all carnall self-selfe-love and Worldly love then there is another meanes to consider with our selves oft to call ourselves to those meditations what those motives are that make God so amiable how much beauty and goodnesse there is in God So much beauty that all the beauty of the creatures even of the Angells further then there is somthing of God in them is deformity to the excellency of God all the glory of Heaven further then it is a reflexion of Gods glory it is nothing to Gods beauty And the goodnesse of God how great it is and how great to us to love us and to love us when we were Enemies and in so great a measure to love us as to give his Son to die for us to love us so much as to prepare a place for us If his love reflect upon our hearts it will beget love againe if we come once to think how much God loves us how will it reflect love back One reason we love him so little is we doe not consider how he hath loved us and how Beautifull and Amiable his presence is When we have brought our selves to these meditations another step is to be frequent and conversant in the word of God it is the lively picture of the love of God There are veines and passages of Gods love and incentives to love him in every part we shall not meet with any peice of Scripture but it will kindle some part of love to God He that would Print love let him Print the Bible in his heart if we converse with the word of God that gives documents everywhere of the love of God That is another step Then the fourth that is the step and ascent of prayer A man cannot love God without divine prayer He that loves God will knock at the gate of love love is not to be had but from the God of love Sayth St. Austin pray if you will get the love of God that he would open the door Prayer will fetch every grace so prayer will fetch love for prayer is an argument of love We cannot have recourse to God in prayer but there will be the flight and ascent of love when any Love-suite is sent to God it is not lost he that begs love begs all Lord that I may love thee How much love will this prayer fetch That is another step to attaine the love of God Then when we have made this step there is one more the oft inquisition that we make into our owne hearts and blame our selves that we love him so little O when a man is offended with himselfe for any thing that is contrary it makes him diligent to attaine it A Christian that knowes what belongs to the love of God how doth he blame and condemne himselfe that he loves God so little That he began to love him so late How doth he grudg that any thing should carry any part of his heart or of his love from God He thinks the love lost that is cast upon the Creature he thinks himselfe a thiefe that he should steale any love from God that we should rob God of our love and obedience
we rob him then of all there is nothing that God desires but our love therefore in this regard it is that the Apostle sets here the qualification Those that love him If we take love single then the promise is made to love to love first of all graces love hath the first promise it hath preheminence in the graces and preheminence in the Crowne it hath the first portion Then take it as it is joyned and is in concatination with other graces it hath not onely the chiefe place in the promise but all because it is all it includes all graces gifts being accepted of God as all the Apostle sets it downe to stir us up above all things to take care to have our hearts fill'd replenish'd with the love of God the promise is made to love They shall inherite and receive the Crowne of life which God hath promised to them that love him * ⎠* THE SAINTS HERITAGE DELIVERED IN ONE SERMON BY That Learned reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSWORTH Doctor in Divinity somtimes Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge Master of Emmanuell Colledge and late Preacher at PETERS POORE in LONDON Psal 16.6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly Heritage LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Alders-gate-streete 1650. PSAL. 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as a Heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart THIS Psalme it is penned in the same straine that Solomons Book of Proverbs is it is not enlarged by production but by coaugmentation As in that Book so in this Psalme there are many passages even all that are very precious but they have no great dependance one part on another There is in this Psalm as many severall ejaculations as there are Sentences there but yet there is no good documentall dependance between them The passages of this Psalme are rather the ebolitions of a devout â—oul then any continued narration A kind of dependance there is but it is like that that was between the links of those Rings that St. Austin speaks of that were touched with a Load-stone The parts they doe hang one upon another not by rules of Art but by the touch of the Spirit And yet that is set forth with that variety that a man that reads the Psalme will think that the Prophet David was in all the severall kinds and sorts of Divine tempers In some passages you have him transported with the rapture of admiration in another breaking forth into humble devout supplication then againe into penitentiall confession then into holy purposes and resolutions and then againe making of serious and solemn protestations to walk in the Commandements of God and to this head we are to refer this Verse that now I have read to you It is a holy protestation that the Psalmist makes by way of Remonstrance or declaration to testifie the great esteeme that he had of the Commandements of God and the comfort he received by them Therefore I have now made choyse of it to follow the Scripture which I last handled as a supply of that which was not there exprest That Scripture shewed to us how a Christian may draw comfort to himselfe in the time of Tribulation from the consideration of the future Crowne of glory that is referred to the other life And here now we have a Foundation of comfort laid downe to us for the present to be had and onely to be had in the word of God in the testimonies that are divine which were the rejoycing of Davids heart and so of all others in the same condition It is set forth to us in this excellent example the person of him that penned the Psalme whose heart was more deeply stricken with the wound of love towards the Commandements of God then any creature that ever breathed upon the Earth and better versed in them By making inquiry into that that was his practise we shall the better learne what should be our owne For that purpose I will divide the words onely into these two parts There is Davids Profession There is Davids Motive The Profession in these words Thy testimonies have I taken for a heritage for ever The motive in these For they are the rejoycing of my heart The profession is one of those many that he makes in this Psalme but more compleat and full then any if not then all of the rest He sayth in other places of the Psalme of Gods Commandements that he had them in esteeme above gold above fine Gold above all riches he comes more neare home to the point in this testification here and it is more full when he sayth he esteemed them as his Heritage as his lot and portion he makes them both as Lands as goods as all above all temporall things whatsoever That we may see it now more fully let us First consider what it is that the Psalmist here speaks of Then what it is that he testifies of it The thing here spoken of is the word of God couched under that name The testimonies of the Lord. Thy testimonies It is a relative name given to the word of God as indeed most of the names whereby it is called in Scripture if not all are relative Some in reference to God Some in reference to Man Some in reference to Both In regard of God himselfe the word is called Voluntas domini the will of the Lord because it containes in it the declaration of his will and pleasure to be wrought by us It is called Verbum domini the word of the Lord because it was published by himselfe Viva voce at the first when he gave the Commandements and voce spiritus by the secret voyce of the Spirit after when he inspired the Prophets and Apostles to pen it Then it is called Statuta Domini the Statutes of the Lord because he hath stablished and ratified it to be the rule of truth and life and Salvation for ever Then in regard of man it is called Lex Domini the Law of the Lord Quia ligat it binds him to performe and to obey and Timor Domini the feare of the Lord because it begets in every one that is acquainted with it a holy ravishing and feare both of the nature and power and judgements of God Then in regard of both it is sometimes called Mandata domini the Commands of the Lord to be performed by us and Judicia domini because it containes the judgements of the Lord to be executed upon us if we breake it And Testimonia Domini the Testimonies of the Lord. The Testification as one sayth between God and his people both that they receive this Law and engage themselves to obedience and conformity to it So now this linck of words and names hath brought us to the name here used A name more frequent then many of the rest and more often used when the Speech is not onely of the word of God it selfe but of any thing that hath reference to it First
that I love thee Or as Hezekiah in his holy Devotion Remember Lord how I have served thee with a perfect heart So David here here were the interchangable conferences betweene Davids soul and his Maker and here is one of those great expressions that he makes to him the first and principall testification I have loved thy Commandements In the second place it was not an arrogant expression he doth it not as thinking highly of his graces not esteeming himselfe better then other me◠〈◊〉 he had got the flight before them as the Pharisee in the Gospell Lord I thank thee that I am not as other men It is true he knew how to make his Boast of God My soul shall make her boast of God That is a holy arrogance to make our boast and triumph of God but onely it was for the inlargment of his affections to set us an example to draw others after him by his holy example it was not Ostâ—â—tation but a humble acknowledgement made to God not all penitentiall Penitentiall acknowledgements alwayes come in another forme I have not loved thy Commandements but there is an acknowledgement of thankfulnesse as well as of repentance The acknowledgement of repentance is Lord I have broken thy Commandements Repentance takes shame to it selfe The acknowledgement of thankfullnesse is Lord I have endeavoured to keep them Thankfullnesse gives the glory to God of his owne graces repentance cries I have broken them altogether thankfullnesse cries I have laboured to keep them in part though my practise have failed yet my heart is toward them I have loved thy Commandements it is a modest expression of his love to God in loving his Commandements To take it in briefe it is set downe here in a double advantage One advantage is in the Emphasis I have loved thy Commandements by Commandements he understands the word of God yet it is more powerfull then so it is not I have loved thy word but I have loved that part of thy word that is thy Commandements the mandatory part There are some parts of the will word of God that even ungodly men will be content to love there is the promisory part all men gather and catch at the promises and shew love to these The reason is clear there is pleasure and profit and gaine and advantage in the promises but a pious soul doth not onely looke to the promises but to the Commands the mandatory part as well as the promissory Piety looks on Christ as a Lawgiver as well as a Saviour and not onely on him as a Mediatour but as a Lord and Master it doth not onely live by faith but it liveth by rule it makes indeed the promises the stay and staffe of a Christians life but it makes the Commandements of God the levell A pious heart knowes in every promise there is some implicite command in the qualification and condition of every promise there is an implicite Command conteyned it knowes that for the fullfilling of the promises they belong to God but the fullfilling of the Commands they belong to us therefore it looks so upon the enjoying of that that is promised that it first will doe that that is commanded there is no hope of attaining comfort in the promise but in keeping of the precept therefore he pitcheth the Emphasis I have loved thy word that is true and all thy word and this part the mandatory part I have loved thy Commandements here is love to God to love God when he Commands that is the first advantage Then the other is in the notation of the number thy Commandements it is plurall that is all thy Commandements without exception otherwise even ungodly men will be content to love some Commands if they may choose them to themselves There is no man that is set so much upon the breaking of one but it may be he hath something in him whereby he can incline to love some other if it touch not his bosome his darling sin Herod himselfe heard John in many things gladly it is the ordinary practise of Hypocrites I and of Prophane men too they divide the Tables betweene them if they adhere to the first Table as Hypocrites it is with neglect of the second if they adhere to the second as prophane men it is with contempt of the first it is not so with true piety piety gives not obedience out of humour but out of duty it doth not obey out of choyse but it obeys out of obligation It is true of obedience what Divines very well observe of faith and it is an excellent rule faith never singles out his object but layes hold of any object if there be any truth to be beleived and assented to faith doth not chose this or that truth I will beleive this truth and not the other if it be a case of exigence where â—aith hath to doe it doth not say I will trust God in this case but not in ano her it chooseth not its object it knowes that he is all powerfull to deliver out of all dangers it knows that he is all true as faith doth not choose its object so true obedience singles not out its command it chooseth not his commands I will serve God in this Command and not in the other that is not to serve God but our selves it looks equally upon every command Epictetus I am sorry almost that it was his yet it is a shame to us that it was his it is impossible almost to come out of the mouth of any but a Christian If it be thy will O Lord Command me what thou wilt send me whither thou wilt I will not withdraw my selfe from any thing that seemâ— good to thee Epictetus was a Heathen but we may match him and exceed him by paralel places that dropped out of the mouths of Saints David I have respect to all thy Commandements Cornelius We are present before God to heare whatsoever shall be Commanded us of God Non eligit mandata he doth not pick and choose So here if a man would attaine to this ability to set himselfe to the generall obedience of all Gods Commandements he must get the love of all Nothing will so tnable a man to keep them as love love makes every weight as I told you the last day light sayth Austin love never finds difficulties the reason why men object difficulties is because they love not therefore if a command please them it is Bonus sermo it is a good saying they are willing to imbrace it if it be contrary to their custome and naturall inclination Durus sermo it is a hard saying who can beare it there is a Lyon in the way an Adder in the Path because they love not Love facilitates obedience obedience will never goe through the Commandements except it be rooted and grounded in love we may well say love enables to keep them for it doth keepe them it is the keeping of all he that loves all keeps all David
of the commandements as worship praise obedience adoration they are all performed in heaven by the Saints and Angels it is in heaven the commandements put them together since the commandement was in heaven David looks after it there he knew there was but an imperfect custody of it in earth It is that that we pray for daily thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven When we look to the commandements let us look to heaven there they are perfect Holy David when he stretched out his hands to the commandements he reached not forward but upward and since they were in heaven he directs his affection and the strength of his resolution thither there is the reason of the first word the verbe is set with an Emphasis elevabo I will lift up But there is another emphasis upon the other my hands take it figuratively my hands that is my heart the hand is put for the affections because they are the instruments whereby the heart and affections work love is seen in the hand as well as in other parts he might very well put them for the whole man My hands will I lift up that is my selfe my heart Or take it properly he therefore mentions his hands as the excitements or signe or testimony of lifting up his heart because the heart that works in the outward man Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh the eye seeth and the hand worketh to shew that his heart was lift up to Gods commandements he saiâ—h he will lift up his hands so here is now the summe it is nothing but thus much the expression of the welcome the great welcome and dutifull entertainment that he gives to the commandements of God he presents God to his heart here as publishing the commandements offering them as a gift and hee reacheth out his hand to accept and take them as Galen saith well the hand is not only the instrument of invention but of assumption we take all by the hand he would take it of God a great gift that hee would bestow his commandements God offers and David accepts the dutifull welcome that he gives to the commandements of God may be parallel'd Heb. 12. Lift up the feeble knees and the hands that hang down so make streight steps to your paths Take all those parts in a spirituall sense the soule hath hands and feete as well as the body the feet of the soule are the affections the hands of the soule is reason the same that is the eye is the hand Holy David pursues it in the same impression he rouzeth up himselfe and strengthneth himselfe to keep Gods commandements he quickens every part after in other parts of the Psalm he hath taken order for other parts Hee takes order for his eyes Open mine eyes and I shall see wonders in thy law He takes order for his feet I remembred my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies That hee might shew that there was a dedication of his whole selfe to God he passeth by the strength of no part he served him with all his soule with all his heart and with all his strength he gives God the strength of every part he sets down his hands not my eyes or my heart only it is not only the ordering of his feet affections but the strength of the whole man I will lift up my hands to thy commandements which I have loved here is the sum and pattern that David sets forth it is a good pattern for us to imitate and in what should we imitate him Immitate David in resolution the reason we come so short in piety is because we are not armed with resolution we goe weakly and carelesly about the work of God we doe the work of salvation that concerns our souls negligently nothing will keep the soule in a better temper and keep a man more out of the way of sinne then oft to fortifie and strengthen the heart with resolution and what resolutions shall wee take the same that David takes what is that I will lift up my hands how doth he lift up his hands to Gods commandements To lift up our hands to Gods commandements is to apply our selves to the keeping and exercise of them the hands are the instruments of action and exercise not but that it must be done by the heart and every part but therefore he refers it to the hand because action is the life of Christianity that to keep the commandements of God there must be action and the hands are the instruments of action Origen well we lift up our hands when we lift up the works of our hands to the commandements of God and when doe wee lift up the workes of our hands saith he when we walk worthy of God and live according to his prescripts and rules this is to lift up our hands to Gods commandements I but our hands are feeble our hands are weak as Moses were Exod. 17. We read that Moses hands were heavy he could not hold them up so it is with many of us when we would walke in the ways of Gods commandements our feet are dull and feeble when we would work the works of God our hands are feeble heavy hands in worse case then Moses his hands were heavy through corporall infirmitie ours through spirituall the palsie hand through the decay of faith the withered hand by the declining of love and the hands manacled and pinioned and clog'd with the lusts of the flesh and the enticements of sin how then shall we doe to lift up our hands we must say as David in another place pray to God to strengthen us I will run the wayes of thy commandements when thou hast set my heart at liberty I will labour to keepe thy commandements to lift up my hands when thou shalt release me and enlarge me I will wash my hands in innocency because our hands are clog'd with sinne we must wash them in innocency bring clean and pure hands they are the only hands we can lift up we must not come with hands defiled with sinne Here is the resolution of David when he speaks of his hands they are to be understood by way of Idea that is pure hands clean hands holy hands charitable hands these were the hands that he would hold up to God I have done with the first part of his resolution I will lift up my hands to thy commandements the other that is behind in the last words I will meditate in thy statutes This is his second resolution the second branch and it is partly the same in effect with the former but it is varied and otherwise expressed Here is another name given to the word of God then in the former part there it was the Commandements here it is the Statutes Statute is more then precept the second name hee gives not for variety but as a word that is more emphatical it serves better for the expression of his purpose The commandements of
those Mysteries of our redemption of Salvation revealed by Christ that we preach to you though we cannot looke into them as the Angells looke yet they are the same for substance that the Apostles Preached to you That is the last ground you have seene what the Angells are what the things are and the inspection and the desire Thus much for this Text and this time An exact Alphabeticall Table directing to the principall Truths handled in the fore-going Work A Abounding ABounding a metaphor whence taken page 339 Abrogate Christ kept the Passover to abrogate it page 461 Account Good Angells not called to Account page 518 Act Habits must be brought to Act page 359 Adam see Covenant Admiration Angells behold the Mysteries of the â—ospell with admiration page 526 To look on Gods goodnesse with admiration page 528 Advances see Piety Affections Affections in Prayer how kindled page 54 Afflictions Why good men suffer afflictions when others escape page 472 see endure Alike In spirituall things all are alike to God page 465 All All sins to be prayed against and why page 72 All duties to have thankfullnesse page 172 see Commands Detestation Goodnesse Love Alliance Aliance of Gods mercy page 113 Anchor Hope the anchor of the soule page 423 Angells Evill angells studie not the Mysteries of the Gospell page 491 Evill angells how called in Scripture ibid. The name of angel what page 492 Angells have benefit by the mysteries of Salvation page 496 Angells what things they desire to looke into page 501 See Incarnation knowledge Apparrell Against vaine apparrell page 413 Appearing Appearing before God double page 373 Arguments Arguments peculiar to each Apostle page 196 Art see nature Assent Assent of a pious heart page 475 Assurance Assurance to be prayed for page 134 see Heaven Atheist see Epicure Attributes Mercy hath the prerogative above all other Attributes page 113 B Body Parts of the body interpreters of the duties of piety page 52 Eyes of the body how placed page 385 God to be worshipped with the body page 387 Beg see mercy Behold Behold what it signifies page 383 Benefits Benefits by Christ how expressed page 159 Beleive The word of God to be beleived page 287 The lifting up the eyes a testimony of beleiving page 388 Blessednesse Blessednesse the highest good page 222 Blessednes how propounded page 225 Blessednesse every mans comfort page 226 Blessednesse where placed by worldly men page 227 Blessednesse where placed by the Apostles page 228 Blessednesse where placed by Christ page 229 Blessednesse the way to it ibid. Blessednesse not to be severed from tribulation page 230 Blessednesse why set out by variety of names page 236 Blessednesse essentiall of Saints and Angells the same page 503 see Temptation enduring comprehensive suffering Bonds Bonds of turning to God page 22 Barâ—hen Sin 〈…〉 page 105 Sin 〈…〉 a burthen page â—â—6 C Calâ—e Praise set out by a calf why page 160 Carnall Carnall love hinders love to God Carnall mens joy what Certainty Certainty of Salvation abused page 69 The Crowne of life certaine how page 242 Chamber Christ had not a Chamber of his owne page 449 The House of God the Guest-Chamber page 453 What Chamber Christ will be received in page 479 see Heart Conscience Church Charity The disposition of charity page 476 Chastisements Afflictions of Gods Children chastisements page 103 Not to be out of love with Gods chastisements page 252 Cheap God requires cheap Sacrifice and why page 162 Chearfully Tentations to be endured chearfully page 210 Christ Pardon to be begged in the name of Christ page 118 Why the Disciples were forbid to say he was the Christ page 443 Ministration of Angells used about Christ page 496 see Satisfaction Christians Admonition to Christians page 171 see morall Church The church Christs Chamber page 479 Circumstances Not to spend much time about circumstances page 440 Commands The word of God called his commands why page 286 Saints love Gods word when it commands page 312 All Gods commands to be loved page 33 Love enables to keep the commands page 314 Commands of God what page 414 see Prayer Duty Promise Obedience Sublime Ever Common Misteries of â—â—lvation common to men and Angells page 511 Comprehensive Blessednesse the most comprehensive good page 222 The Crowne of life comprehensive page 232 Condition True obedience makes no condition page 174 Confession Confession of sin necessary to repentance page 36 No pardon without confession page 37 Confession an easie way to pardon page 38 Backwardnesse to confession of sin page 40 Exhortation to confession page 41 Examples of pardon to confession ibid. Confession necessary in doing good or evill page 44 Confession of all sins page 72 see words humble mournefull Congruity Bond of congruity to turne to God page 23 Conquerours The Crowne of life the reward of conquerours page 256 Contentation Contentation of Angells page 531 Continuall Spirituall Sacrifices continuall page 168 Constancy Temptations to be endured with constancy page 211 Constancy what ibid. Conscience Conscience Christs Chamber page 480 Covenant Different conditions of the two covenants page 39 Courage Temptations to be endured with courage page 209 Creation Pardon above works of creation page 112 Crowne The crowne of life the reward of suffering page 226 What crownes Christians have in this World page 227 see victory gold conquerours love Curiosity Curiosity not in good Angells page 519 D Damnable Going on in sin damnable page 24 Daily Thanksgiving a daily Sacrifice page 172 David David his divine temper page 284 Dead Legat Sacrifice dead page 170 Debt Thanksgiving a debt page 138 Declare Ministers onely declare pardon page 109 Declining Where there is not growth there is declining page 343 Degrees Degrees of grace to be sought after page 361 Degrees of grace numberless page 362 Encouragement to attain the highest degrees ibid. Delightfull Mysteries of Salvation delightfull speculations page 508 Depositum The Scripture a depositum page 294 Desire True ground of the desire of Angells page 526 Heavenly things should be the matter of our desire page 538 Detestation Detestation of all sin necessary page 73 Devil see ignorance Devout Lifting up the eyes a signe of a devout heart page 389 Divinity Argument of Christs divinity page 467 Donation The Crowne of life of free donation page 239 Duration Duration of Gods mercy page 115 E Easie The most easie way to remove judgements page 14 15 see confesse Eminent see place Enablement A Saint depends on God for enablement page 179 Ends God works good ends out of the least things page 473 Endure What vertues required to endure affliction page 204 What enduring hath the promise of blessednesse page 209 Enemies Christ obeyed the Law to stop the months of his enemies page 462 Envie No envie in good Angells page 520 Epicures Atheist and Epicures objections answered page 471 esteem see word Evening Evening what meant by it page 257 Ever The Scriptures an Heritage for ever page 294 Gods Commands
Philo calls him but of Grace too in pledging for them that which was more worth then his life his very salvation It was a rare example of Castor and Pollux so highly magnified by Authours That being twinnes and as the Poets feigned one born mortall the other immortall Pollux to shew his love to his brother yielded so farre as to take to himself a part of his brothers mortalitie and to lend him as much of his own immortalitie being better pleased to enjoy a half immortalitie with the good of his brother then a whole one alone by himself It is known by all to be a fiction yet if it were true it is farre short of this proffer of Moses He knew full well what belonged to immortalitie and to the â—avour of God yet in effect he beseecheth God either to take them into his favour or to put him out of it as content to hazard not half his immortalitie but all out of his love to the Israelites notwithstanding they were a people ungratefull both towards him and towards God After this of Moses I know no example so tranâ—cending as that of the Prophet David who besides that he urgeth it almost in every Psalme The peace of Jerusalem The salvation of Israel The felicity of Gods chosen The blessing of the people in one place he argues for it even to his own destruction You have it 1. Chron. 21.16 17. It is there recorded that seeing the angel of the Lord with his sword drawn over Jerusalem to destroy it he thus reasons with God for the safeguard of the publick Me me adsum qui feci IT IS I EVEN I IT IS THAT HAVE SINNED In me convertito ferrum LET THY HAND BE AGAINST ME AND AGAINST MY FATHERS HOUSE NOT ON THY PEOPLE FOR THESE SHEEP VVHAT HAVE THEY DONE He that considers these words will hardly be able to tell what most to wonder at the condescending of his love or the overflowing He declared here saith S. Chrysostome a depth of love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an affection more spacious for love then the sea for water and for tendernesse softer not onely then water but then oyl To lay down as it were his own royall neck under the sword of the Angell when he saw it hanging over him by a lesse thrid then that of Damocles To open his own religious breast to receive the blow that he might ward it from the people To value the peoples safety so farre aboue his own as to interpose himself betwixt the sword and the slaughter O how farre doth he here renounce himself and recede not onely from royalty but from life it self It is much which is mentioned in the text that he should name the people first to the happinesse more that he should offer himself first to the punishment very much that he should put the people betwixt himself and the blessing farre more that he should place himself betwixt the people and the curse He made himself in this SPECULUM PRINCIPUM the mirrour of Princes a mirrour into which as we may well presume our Gracious Sovereigne King CHARLES hath made frequent and usefull inspections for it is manifest by many passages of his reign and happy government that the tendernesse of his love towards his people if it doth not fully reach yet it comes close up to the recessions of David It is the more remarkable for that he hath this virtue as it were in proper and by himself he is almost the sole possessour of it The most of ordinary men as living more by will then reason are all for holding so stiffe and inflexible so tenacious and unyielding even in matters of small moment that they will not stirre a hair-breadth Entreat them persuade them convince them still they keep to this principle and 't is none of the best Oâ—tein all Yield nothing It is a nobler spirit that resides in the breast of our Sovereign as appears by his manifold yieldings and recessions Of such recessions we have many instances in the course of his Majesties government I might go as farre back as his first coming to the Crown when he receded from his own profit in taking upon him the payment of his Fathers debts which were great and but small supplies to be expected from an empty Exchequer yet the love of justice and his peoples emolument overswayed him and armed him with Epaminondas his resolution Totius orbis divitias despicere prae patriae charitate Having but glanced at that I might draw a little nearer to the third of his reign when in that Parliament of Tertio he was pleased to signe the so much desired Petition of Right a Title which I confesse takes me much both because it speaks the dutifulnesse of the subject in petitioning although for right and the great goodnesse of a Gracious Prince who knows how to recede from power and in some case even from prerogative when besought by prayers and rejoyceth not to sell his favours but to give them For I have heard some wise men say That that single grant was equivalent to twenty subsidies But the time will not give me leave to dwell as I should upon particulars therefore I will call you nearer to the transient remembrance and but the transient for it is no pleasure to revive it of the commotions in the North. The eyes of the whole world were upon that action and they all are witnesses what pains and travell were taken what clemencie and indulgence was used what yieldings and condescentions both in point of honour and power to purchase as it were by a price paid out of himself the peace and tranquillity of both kingdomes Whereby he made all men understand how much more pleasing it was to his Princely disposition with Cyrus in Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to conquer not by might but by clemency By clemency I say the word which I named before and I cannot name it too often It is the virtue God most delights in to exercise himself and 't is the copie also which he sets us to write after It is the virtue which draws both eyes and hearts unto it in that it maketh Royalty it self which is so farre above to become beneficiall and sovereign It corrects the brightnesse of Majestie calmes the strictnesse of Justice lightens the weight of Power attemperates whatsoever might cause terrour to our mind and liking If we never had known it before yet the onely time of this Parliament would teach us sufficiently how much we ow to the King's clemencie The laws and statutes which have been made this last year are lasting and speaking monuments of thefe royall recessions as well to posteritie as to our selves Surely if the true picture and resemblance of a Prince be in his laws it cannot be denied that in the acts for trienniall Parliaments for the continuation of the Parliament now being for the regulating of impositions pressing of souldiers courts of Judicature and others not a few
hath turned to us in mercie when we have been in trouble wee have prayed and he hath heard us wee have confessed our sinns and he hath given us pardon things have succeeded well Nay there is the bond of example see it in many holie and wicked men there was never any that returned to God Rehoboam Manasses who not the Prodigall the Publican when he returned no sooner he thought of turning to God but God turned to him We have that bond of incouragement to move us There is the bond also of hope hope is grounded on the promise of God he hath promised to turne if we turne Lastly there is the bond of feare to prevaile if love will not feare may prevaile let that bond move us that is a great obligation we are in danger if wee turne not he hath Whet 〈◊〉 sword and bent his bow he hath prepared the instruments of death he still hovers to see if we will returne and he forbeares and though we have been desperate in committing sinne let us not be desperate in impenitencie and though wee have been unhappie in sinning let us be happie in returning For simplie speaking sinne is not so damnable as going on in sinne it is not so fatall and mortall to sinne as to cotinue and goe on in sinne As it is with health and phisicke a man were better want health then want phisicke if a man want health there is hope of recoverie if he have phisick but if he want phisick there is no hope of recoverie So repentance is the phisick sinne is the disease it is not so much danger to sinne as to be impenitent repentance that is the physick if a man sin there is a way to pardon but if he be impenitent there is no pardon impenitencie excludes pardon Therefore feare should make us turne to God Impenitencie is that only sinne that is damnable and mortal impenitency is that that shuts the pits mouth impenitency is that that settles us on our lees that hardens our hearts and makes God absent himselfe for ever it makes judgements irrevokeable impenitencie seales up the den of the Lyons it rols the stone to the doore of the Sepulcher it leaves no possibilitie of forgivenesse it makes sinne infinite and uncureable Therefore let us not drowne our selves in that estate that will shut us out from all hope not only of having judgement diverted but of having sinne pardoned O! it is a theame that we should alway thinke of and never end speaking of it is the summe of the Law and of the Gospell the effect of Gods grace of his punishments it is that that God expects at all times from the best men from the most wicked men Therefore to shut up all with that excellent speech of Zephanie Zeph. 1. Gather your selves together O Nation not desired It suits well with us thus far gather your selves together O Nation not desired We are a Nation not desired as the case stands What then Forsake your evill wayes leave your sins turn from your iniquities and seeke Gods face it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger There is another It may be like that of Amos it may be you shall be hid it is true now it is but it may be It may be the day is past the day of returning Time was when there was more then probabilitie it is to be feared now God is gone too farre he hath wrestled so long that he will not be now intreated yet for all that yet it may be peradventure God will turne we know not he is rich in mercie let us not be wanting to our selves if that succeed not that he returne from this plague yet he will turne from his wrath to those that feare him Let it be done with one consent all the people as one man with one mind and voyce turne from sinne if there be any prophane let him turne from blaspheming Gods name if there be any Drunkards of Ephraim let them turne from their revelling and not only Drunkards but Sippers that tipple and wast their time and credit and dream over the pot those are worse then Drunkards for they doe but wast that estate they have before men but the other wast that precious time that they should get salvation in their hearts are after wine if there be any that neigh after their neighbours wives any adulterous seed any that have hands of blood and oppression those that grind the faces of the poor those that have fingers of coveteousnesse men that have fraudulent hands that practise the mysteries of their Trade let them turne from their evill wayes Gather your selves together O Nation not desired forsake your sinnes and come to the Lord It may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger That is the summe of this exhortation to this first dutie that the Prophet gives in these words Turne to the Lord and in turning Take to you words SERMON II. Hosea 14.2 Take to you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquitie c. THERE is no commendable vertue but it is beset with extreames on both hands one on the right hand and another on the left For morall vertues it is evident and for naturall habits whether they be outward or inward we may instance but in one for all that is The gift of speech it hath extreames that hedge it in both wayes There is one extreame in the defect that is Silence and of that it is that the Prophet accuseth the Shepheards of Israel that they did betray the salvation of the people by their silence they were as dumb Dogs that could not bark And the other extreame is in excesse and that is called much speaking and of that Solomon tells us in the Proverbs in multiloquio c. In the multitude of words there never wants sin It is so in naturall language and in civill kinde of speech and it is so also in the spirituall language and in the conference we have with God Prayer is the language of the heart and it hath extreames on both hands For the extreame that is in excesse Christ toucheth it in the Gospell he tells us of the Pharisees that thought they should be heard for their long prayers and much babling that is one fault And for the extremity in the defect we have it in Job 21. and Job 32. where he complaines of prophane persons those that God was not in their thoughts and so not in their tongue to speak of him with reverence Who is the Almighty that we should serve him or what helpe is there in the Lord that we should pray to him The Children of Israel were guilty of both these extreames and that kept them that they could not hit the mediocrity to observe a good decorum in prayer to God For the multitude of their words the Prophet Malachy sets it down Chap. 3. they were come to that height they durst reason with
so the Saints in all times those that had most experience in the working of Gods grace the holy Fathers of the first times they triumphed much in assurance Bazill he shewes how assurance of the pardon of sin and the favour of God may be had He brings one making the Question O Sir tell me how I may get it I will tell you saith he if there be that spirit in you that was in him that said I have hated all wicked wayes you have it For if there be the worke of the spirit of God in crucifying of sin there is certainly before the comprehending grace in the pardoning of sin Chrysostome he moves the question in another manner then Basile upon handling those words Rom. 8. The spirit witnesseth to our spirits look saith Chrysostome after all this what cause will there be of ambiguity of doubting Who is there that can doubt when he hath the testimony and witnesse of the spirit If the evidence of the spirit shew not it selfe alway in the same measure we must have recourse to those evidences that God gives sometimes And Cyprian goes on though before him and prosecutes the same Question Quis locus erit ambiguitatis c. What place will there be for doubting ambiguity who can be sorrowfull fearfull after these evidences it hath pleased God to communicate to us let him standin fear of death that is afraid to goe with Christ that is not willing to goe with Christ let him be unwilling to goe with Christ that knowes not yet that he hath begun to Reigne with Christ there is no man can be doubtfull saith he Men they will not deny but this oertainty may be had except they be devoyd of all experience of the working of grace Therefore upon this weighty Pillar Hillarie layes the Foundation of justifying faith how shall faith justifie if faith be doubtfull He speakes not of faith in every particular but of the certainty of faith in the generall if there may not be a certainty in the generall how shall it justifie I will add that place onely of St. Austin where he solaceth himselfe by gathering together all those grounds and evidences of certainty God hath promised he hath spoken nay he hath sworne Hoc est promissum c. This is that that God hath sealed with his word nay with his Oath that now there should be no place left to the Children of God to make any doubt of Gods goodnesse in the pardon of their sins when they have those evidences of Sealing it by the fruit We see it here not onely by the consent of the Saints in Scripture but of the Saints in after times that certainty may be had and that the comfort of a mans Conscience doth much consist in this certainty Though faith in the time of Temptation will hold beyond the evidence of these things and though it be not alwayes to be had yet it may be had there is a certainty and it is much comfort Therefore Christians will pray still when they have had Experience of the sweetnesse of Gods grace all that they pray for is the enlargement of their evidence They pray that he would give peace and that he would speake it that he would give Salvation and the earnest of Salvation that he would give the Spirit and the earnest of it Here is the second thing they pray for First that God would pardon and then make it evident that he had pardoned in the continuance of his grace That is the second thing Thirdly as begging the enlargment of the evidence of the thing so begging enlargment in respect of the communication of grace so the order is justifiable For in putting these two together they pray for these two things for the pardon of sin and for the removing of punishment So the order stands good For sin is first to be prayed against before punishment and the first suite that we are to make to God is for pardon of sin and then for removing of Judgment and this method the Prophet teacheth them Take away our sins that presse us and thy hand that presseth us pardon us and spare us remove thy wrath in pardoning our sins and then shew thy selfe gracious in removing thy judgments So the Point is this that A true Saint of God though he be beset with calamities and feare of punishments and judgements on every side yet that is not it that takes up his first thoughts they are taken up for the removing of his sins There he makes his first Prayer there he states the fervency of his soul because he knows the sting of sin is sharper a great deale then the sting of punishment and that the displeasure of God is more heavie then any judgement There is no judgement that is a judgement if the wrath and displeasure of God goe not with it For when Gods love goes with it it is a Chastisement and not a judgement If we compare spiritualls with spiritualls then we shall see it plaine and evident The flame of sin scorcheth more then the very flames of Hell and more galls the Consciences And the fire of Hell is not so terrible as the displeasure of God Againe the fire of Hell is not so terrible as the having of pardon of sin is comfortable misery is not so evill as the enjoying of God is good But if we compare spiritualls and temporalls then the disproportion will easily be seene There is no proportion betweene temporall and spirituall mercies therefore the Children of God pray for spiritualls before temporalls Againe there is no proportion betweene temporall and spirituall judgements therefore they pray against spiritualls judgements strst First against sin Take away iniquity and then receive us to favour Here is the order and method that Christians set in Prayer First they looke to spiritualls to pray for them to spirituall evills to pray against them Though Christ in the Lords Prayer have taught us another method first to pray for Daily bread and then for pardon of sin He did it to condescend to our weaknesse to draw us to the consideration of that that is lesse knowne by that that is better known We see our daily bread and the want of temporalls is discovered to us by sense therefore these things are more familiar and better knowne but the weight of sin we know by the demonstration of the Spirit and the inward man therefore that is not so well knowne therefore that he might give us incouragement to rest on him for all estates he would first draw us on Give us our daily bread and then forgiue us our trespasses Not that there is more necessity of the former but he condescends to lead us from the lesser to the greater and from the experience of Gods mercy in temporalls to rest on him for pardon of sin not because the former is better Therefore this is one true triall a part of that touchstone whereby a Christian may examine himselfe and
Strength of the faculties of his mind and of the parts of his body when he gives the glory of all his actions and intentions when he learnes to deny himselfe He that Sacrificeth he parts with that which he Sacrificeth and he that Sacrificeth himselfe parts with himselfe and denies himselfe He that will come after me let him denie himselfe A man that gives himselfe in sacrifice goes out of himselfe and keeps nothing back when a man brings carnall reason and opens his affections and will to be Subject to God when he brings all those sins which he was addicted to by nature or hath contracted by custome when he brings all to the obedience of Christ and layes them upon the Altar of a penitent contrite heart such a man offers himselfe to God It is a thing most precious with men themselves and it is a thing most precious with God too There is nothing of that value that we can give to God as our selves he that gives his whole selfe gives all the duties that can be performed by man He gives the Sacrifice of praise and Prayer his hands are Dedicated to God in works of Charity his eyes in Chastity his heart in repentance every faculty of his mind all his whole selfe is consecrated to God That is to make a true devotion sayth St. Austin O si quis bene c. If any man will make a perfect vow and Sacrifice to God let him make a dedication of himselfe Hoc est quod debetur imago this is that that God demands this is that that we owe the Image of Caesar to returne to Caesar and the Image of God to God God made man for himselfe therefore we should give our selves See how farr we doe it Christ he gave not any thing of himselfe but himselfe for us his whole selfe we must make such a retalliation to give to God againe not any thing of ours but our selves that God requires If we give any thing to the World we give not our selves to God if any thing to the pleasures of sin if any thing of our selves to our selves we give not our selves to God The way to keepe our selves is to give our selves to God A man never keeps himselfe till he loose himselfe then he is kept sure when he is laid in Gods armes The presumptuous man gives not himselfe to God he gives not God his feare The doubtfull dispairing Christian he gives not himselfe to God he gives not God his hope The covetous man gives the World his desire the World hath his love and his joy He that consecrates himselfe to sin let him see to whom he gives himselfe not to God who is one hat abhors iniquity and transgression You know who was the first author of sin he that dedicates himselfe to sin gives himselfe to him that is the Author of it I abhor to name it to whom we consecrate our selves Christians Baptise themselves into the name of Satan they give themselves in Sacrifice to the Devill To consecrate our selves to sin is to doe so it is plaine the Prophet puts not in the heart here because the whole man is included therefore he sayth not We will give thee the Calves of our hearts but We will give thee the Calves of our lips This for the meaning of it Now look in the second place why the Prophet makes choise of it for there was a large Field of expressions that he could have used David hath this work set downe in much variety of Language so we will praise and glorifie thee and give laud to thy name so will we sing to thy praise and honour thee in our actions any of these would have served yet he chooseth this we will give the Sacrifice of our selves The reasons that make it full for the understanding of it are these three why he passeth by literall phrases and expressions and instanceth in a Metaphoricall So will we render the Calves of our lips First to shew them and to teach to us that thanksgiving and praise is a Sacrifice Every duty of Christianity in which a man consecrates himselfe to God is called a Sacrifice Righteousnesse that is a Sacrifice Psal 4. Offer to God the Sacrifice of righteousnesse Prayer that is a Sacrifice or oblation Psal 141. Let my Prayer be as incense So the Apostle sayth Christ offered up Prayers in the dayes of his flesh Thirdly repentance is a Sacrifice Psal 51. The Sacrifice of God is a humble contrite heart It is not onely one Sacrifice but the Sacrifice the eminent Sacrifice that God delights in a humble heart Fourthly Almes-deeds that is a Sacrifice Heb. 13. To doe good and distribute forget not for with such Sacrifice God is well pleased Againe praise is called a Sacrifice By him that is by Jesus Christ let us offer the Sacrifice of praise Lastly thanksgiving that is a Sacrifice Psal 116. and diverse others I will offer the Sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay my vowes to the Lord. Nay and the Apostle St. Peter 1. Pet. 2. he sets downe all Christian duties under this metaphor we are made a holy Priesthood in him we should offer the duties of Christianity there set downe to make an oblation of them they are every duty called there a Sacrifice or oblation The Prophet therefore would draw them to this Consideration that whereas they were much busied and imployed in offering legall Sacrifices that they would look to the spirituall Sacrifices Here are the Sacrifices that are perpetuall the other vanish these continue under Christianity And these are not onely not taken away but perfected in the time of the Gospell The spirituall Sacrifices are Sacrifices that continue still but they are spirituall ones that we offer to God Every Christian duty is as a Sacrifice nay as a severall Sacrifice We may paralell it Repentance is as a Trespasse-offring Zeale is as a Burnt-offring and praise is as a Free-will-offring and thank fullnesse that is as the offring of the first-fruits He that brings sincerity to God there is the oblation of unleavened bread The Apostle sets it out 2 Cor. 5. The unleavened bread of sincerity He that honours God in the works of Charity gives the two young Turtles his hands are as Turtles mercy is as the young turtles offered to God I might instance in other perticulars The incense of prayer the Calves of praise here the Lamb of a humble heart There is no Christian duty but hath some proportion to some Sacrifice it is that in truth and effect that the Sacrifice typified Therefore the Prophet to draw them from looking on their Sacrifices with a carnall eye he instanceth in this to teach them that every duty and in particular the duty of praise is a Sacrifice to God That is the first thing Secondly he would not onely teach them that thankfullnesse was a Sacrifice but that it was a better Sacrifice as I shewed out of the Scriptures that it is reputed
take away our iniquity and we will give thee the Sacrifice of righteousness Take away our iniquity of cruelty and we will give the Sacrifice of mercy take away our iniquity of falshood and we will give thee the Sacrifice of truth take away our iniquity of ingratitude and we will give thee the Sacrifice of Thankfullnesse Powre thy grace on us and then we will blesse thee and blesse thee in a plentifull manner we will pay thee of thine owne give us thy grace and we will give it thee againe It is thy grace and not ours let it be thine in giving and receiving O Beloved In these times of unthank fullnesse and prophanenesse we have lips to curse God not to blesse him O the sins that the stones of every Street cry against in this Citty that there is never a Foot of any Wall free but there is an Oath scrabled and dawbed on it it is that that defiles the dust you tread on and the Aire you breath in it is impossible there should be a pure aire where there comes so much pollution from so many blasphemies in every corner of the Streets every day millions of Oaths and execrations Shall we think that God will not be avenged on such a people as we are that neither Law nor Conscience nor feare of Hell nor plague can yet keep us back from going on in that unprofitable sin that brings no advantage to us It becomes us to look to God in this perticular that he would reforme us in this because the Sacrifice of praise must come from him We live in an unthankfull age besides none looks to God to give him retribution for his mercies How hath he dealt with us graciously in the last sicknesse Have we given him the Calves of our lips since Have we beene so zealous in offering the Sacrifice of praise No no it may be this second sicknesse is to punish our ingratitude for that O yet returne As prayer will turne away judgements so will thankfullnesse let us offer him now the Sacrifice of that glory that belongs to him for that judgement it may be he will deliver us if not we shall blesse him in Heaven if he doe we shall blesse him here and say with them in the Prophet O take away iniquity and receive us graciously remove our sins and remove thy judgements remove our sins that we may have accesse to the Throne of grace remove our iniquities and then we will give thee the Calves of our lips THE Sufferers Crowne DELIVERED In Foure Sermons on James 1.12 BY That Learned and Reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSWORTH Doctor in Divinity somtimes Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge Master of Emmanuell Colledge and late Preacher at PETERS POORE in LONDON James 5.11 Behold we count them happy which indure c. LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons in Aldersgate-Street 1650. SERMON I. James 1.12 Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him WHAT the scope is of these words you will very well understand by reading of them The Argument of them is concerning temptation an usefull argument to be knowne of what kind of temptation soever we speake though it be the temptation of Seducement A Christian is no where safe but as St. Ambrose well Temptations haunt us daily in what place or in what Action soever we are conversant If we speake here of the Temptations of Afflictions these times will very well call for this Argument We are now under Gods owne hand he hath brought us under a State of suffering we had need therefore to furnish our selves every way because we know not how these sufferings may yet be seconded for they yet continue It is a usefull Argument and being so usefull that is the reason that the Apostle James here gives it a full handling and Explication And indeed we may call it his peculiar argument for none of the holy Penmen wrote or spake so entirely or largely of this Argument as this Apostle which is observable in all the Apostles that however it is true of each of them what was said of Tullyes Oratory that they were able being indued with the Spirit from above to speake of every point of Doctrine that doth appertaine unto Salvation and left none untouched that was necessary to be knowne yet there was none of them but had some particular Argument that was peculiar almost to himselfe in which he did excell St. Paul went thorough the whole Doctrine of Divinity yet there is one Argument in perticular that is peculiar to him the Doctrine of Justification that he handles above the rest St. John hath one Argument that he was peculiar in the Doctrine of Love St. Peter of Judgement St. Jude of Apostacy St. James of Temptation That you may see it is his peculiar Argument in this narrow compasse of words I have read he name the word at least six times he sets it downe in all the severall parts he defines what it is that is called Tentation he divides it into the severall Branches The Temptation of Seduction The Temptation of Probation Or tryall of these severall kinds he gives the severall Amplifications Of the Temptations of Chastisement he shewes the end that they are sent to us for to try us and when that tryall is wrought though the premises be very sharp yet they alwaies end in a blessed Conclusion in blessednesse and in the Crowne of life For the Temptations of seduction he shewes the Originall of them both Negative they are not from God God cannot be tempted nor tempteth he any man Affirmative they are from our owne corrupt lusts and noysome concupisence Every man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne lusts and enticed There is the summe of the words so that in short it is a Compendium of the Doctrine of Temptation set downe in three Theologicall formes or elauses A word of Support A word of Prevension A word of Information And all these of speciall use for Edification First because when God doth afflict and correct us we are most of us too prone to think his hand is heavy on us and complaine of hard usage to thinke our afflictions sharp and irk some therefore for this the Apostle useth a word of Support and incouragement to establish our hearts that we doe not think them long bitter and sharp because they are onely sent for tryall and in the end rewarded with a Crowne and that Crowne the Crowne of life In the second place because we are unacquainted and Ignorant of the dealing of God towards us and too prone to charge him foolishly as if he were the Author of seducing temptations because he is the Author of afflicting therefore for this end he lends us a word of prevention and anticipation to keepe us off from entring into such considerations and thoughts Let no man when he is tempted say he is tempted of God
resolves to keep all therefore he saith he loves all If we will get his resolution to keepe them we must get it to love them here is the first thing what he had done for the time past I have loved it is but transient and occasionall therefore I will not stand longer on it The second is not onely a testification of what he had done but of what he would doe set downe by two resolutions First in the first part of the words My hands will I lift up to thy Commandements which I have loved here is love the Load-stone and the hands though they be feeble will follow after love the Proverb is now altered it is not Vbi amor ibi oculus I will lift up mine eyes but my hands his heart was enlarged and his hands were lift up he shews his love in the outward parts as well as in his affections I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements which I have loved A new expression and hath not a paralell that I know of in all the Scripture therefore it will not be so easie to give the proper and true grounded meaning of it why it is set in this forme I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements There are other wayes it might have beene varied and then the meaning would be easie if it had beene thus I will lift up my eyes to thy Commandements to lift our eyes to Gods Commandements is to apply our selves to the reading and learning of them and to study of the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven Or if it had run thus I will lift up my heart to thy Commandements there are many paralell places for it To thee O Lord will I lift up my soule he that sets his heart upon God sets his heart upon Gods Commandements the heart will be lift up though it move not in the body it can goe up to Heaven and ascend to the place from which the Commandements come to the â—hrone of God but it is not so I lift mine heart or I lift mine eyes if it had run thus I will stretch forth my hands to thy Commandements there might have beene a faire account to stretch out our hands to thy Commandements to apply our selves to practise for a man to imploy himselfe to and imbrace it and delight in it The 〈◊〉 Land shall stretch forth their hands to God that 〈◊〉 a phrase paralell in that sence but it is no◠〈…〉 Lastly if it had run thus the sence had been easie I will lift up mine hands unto thee we lift up our hands to God in prayer and the proper gesture of Prayer is to spread and lift up our hands even Aristotle himselfe foresaw so much and it was the practise of the Heathens as appeares in Homer Horace Virgill and other Poets but Aristotle heare him for all when we goe about to make our Prayers we stretch forth our hands to Heaven or lift them up the proper gesture of prayer is to lift up the hands Paul shews it 1 Tim. 2. I will that men pray in every place lifting up pure hands The lifting up of the hands is put in Scripture for Prayer but it will not beare it so it is not good sence I will lift my hands in prayer to thy Commandements The Commandements are not the object for prayer to be directed to but God I will pray to thy Commandements we cannot doe so unlesse it be by insinuation we may take it so as a gesture of prayer I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements that is to thee in thy Commandements in the custody of thy Commandements Obedience is a forcible Prayer to God it selfe A man that comes to God in Prayer must bring obedience and so lift up his hands to the Commandements Or else thus I will lift up my hands to thee for the keeping of thy Commandements no man can keep the Commandements but by Prayer it is grace that must come from God and be fetched by Prayer by insinuation We may take it as a gesture but that is not the proper meaning in all these variations the meaning had been easie but there is an Emphasis in both words I will lift up and I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements both words are remarkable Sometimes the lifting up of the hands doth not betoken supplication sometimes it betokeneth admiration the lifting up of the hands when men are astonished and ravished with an object it might be so well there was no mans soule more taken and ravished then Davids when he was in contemplation of Gods commands I will lift up my hands admiring the excellency of the commandements We lift up our hands sometimes when we betake our selves to refuge and David might well consider it as his refuge hee looked over all outward helps he was in affliction and distresse hee leaves all inferiour helps and hath recourse to God and he goes the right way in the way of his commandements The hands are lift up sometimes for comprehension when men lay hold of a thing that is the meaning I have lift up my haands to thy commandements for the laying hold and practising of them both words have an Emphasis First upon the word Elevabo I will lift up it implies thus much the commandements of God are sublime A man lifts up his hand to that that is above him they are of a sublime nature they are sublime commandements they are all above us they are sublime and high in many respects Sublime in respect of the originall they come downe from God The doctrine of John Baptist it was from heaven all the commandements they were given from the mount they are higher then so they are given from heaven from God himselfe they are sublime in the Originall Sublime in the matter of them heavenly oracles dictats of divine wisdome And sublime in regard of the difficulty in keeping of them they exceed humane strength too nature cannot reach them nay nor grace according to that small proportion we receive in this world grace is infirme but nature is altogether impotent Lastly in respect of the scituation of the commandements In truth and in deed we have them in the booke of God but they are written also in heaven Lord saith David thy word endures for ever in heaven Moses Deut. 30. he tels the people the commandement is not farre it is not in heaven but in thee in thy heart and in thy mouth not as if it were excluded from heaven for that is the proper place of it but he speaks by way of dispensation because God made it neere to men when he gave it so he saith it is not in heaven or else it is properly in heaven because it is the Idea of the divine mind will and counsell of God it is in heaven because it is imprinted and graven perfectly in the hearts of the Saints and Angels it is not only perfectly written there but perfectly kept there all the essentiall parts
stand for ever page 323 Every Every grace why needfull for every man page 357 see Love Evidence Evidence of grace to be prayed for page 133 Evidences see inheritance Evill Good and evill the bounds of all duty page 127 Difference in suffering for good and evill page 212 see confession Examples Examples of those that sped in prayer page 13 Examples of turning to God page 24 Excellent The way to be excellent page 332 Excellency of Creatures by their motion page 337 Exigent What course the Saints tooke in exigents page 381 Expectation Angells desire from expectation page 528 Experience Experience of those that have sped in Prayer page 12 Bond of experience to turne to God page 24 Best knowledge gained by experience page 246 Eye Hope as an eye page 268 Lifting up of the eyes a duty page 383 Eyes of body and mind lift up to God page 385 The inward disposition will appeare in the eye page 388 What eyes we must lift up to God page 390 Servants must doe service with their eyes page 392 see body mind prayer soul F Failings see Ministers Fained Judgements diverted upon fained Humiliation page 43 Faith Promises the support of faith page 265 From faith to faith what page 354 Feare â—ond of feare to turne to God page 24 The word called the feare of God why page 286 No feare in good Angells page 518 Feeble see hands Fervent Fervent words to be used in Prayer page 58 Few There are few that will suffer Tribulation page 226 see grow Finall Repentance a finall turning page 9 Forgivenesse True repentance alway meets with forgivenesse page 16 see just Formall Formall Christions how they turne to God page 8 see universall Formes Formes of Prayer necessary page 64 Arguments for set formes of prayer page 65 Formes of prayer usefull in publike page 66 Formes in Scripture for severall duties page 67 Forcible Forcible words to â—e used in confession of sins page 47 Free The Crowne of life a free gift page 283 Furnished The heart a furnished Room how page 482 G Gift give How we are said to give any thing to God page 147 All inferior good things are of gift page 240 see free Glory glorifie Words in Prayer Glorifie God page 54 From glorie to glorie what page 354 God Every grace from God page 179 Men tempt God how page 248 God the Donor of the Crowne of life page 260 We must imitate God in our growth page 370. Excellencies of God how set forth page 409 see wanting service heart good goodnesse Gods goodnesse in the pardon of all sins page 73 We must not onely shun evill but doe good page 225 Goodnesse of God testified in his promises page 264 see confession evill pardon Gold Why the Elders are said to have Crownes of gold page 231 Grace graciously To be received graciously what meant by it page 111 Gods grace enables us to praise him page 178 Tribulation accompanies grace page 253 Perticular graces for perticuler states page 356 see imperfect pardon heaven God grow honour Great greatnesse Greatnesse makes men to neglect goodnesse page 435 The Mysterie of the Gospell great page 527 Grieved How Angells are said to be grieved page 509 Grow growth Who they be that grow in grace page 333 Few grow in Christianity page 334 Vitall motion of a Christian is his growth page 338 Severall comparisons of a Christians growth page 340 Grace compared to growing things page 342 Growth in grace the best triall of a Christian ibid. Spirituall Strength gotten by growth page 347 Several pleas that hinder growth page 364 Meanes of growth many page 366 Men desire to Grow in every thing but in grace page 367 What cours we must take to grow page 368 Motives to spirituall growth page 369 see declining God soule Guest-Chamber see chamber church heart H Habits Christians must grow in the habits of grace page 356 see Act Hand Hands lift up to Gods commandements what page 315 Hands lift up what it signifieth page 316 Hands feeble what page 321 Servants eyes to the hands of their Masters why page 393 Hand the instrument of government ibid. See heart soule Happinesse The right course to happinesse page 224 Healing Gift of healing given to the Apostles page 110 Heart No sacrifice acceptable without the heart page 161 The heart the chiefe in all duties page 164 Hands figuratively the heart page 319 The heart Christs guest-chamber page 453 None can work on the heart but God page 469 See furnished large upper Heaven Desire of grace in heaven how page 132 The word assures us of heaven page 292 Perseverance borders next upon heaven page 336 The lifting up the eyes a token of a heavenly heart page 389 Difference betweene earthly and heavenly things page 533 See perseverance Heifer Israelites compared to a heifer why page 160 Heritage An heritage what it is page 290 Gods word an heritage how page 291 Holy Holy words to be used in prayer page 58 Honour Mercie honours God most page 114 True honour in heaven page 229 The greatest honour in heaven ibid. God honours every grace page 270 Growth honourable page 370 Studie of the mysteries of salvation honourable page 497 See Servants Hope The bond of hope to turn to God page 24 Promises the support of hope page 265 The use of hope page 267 Comfort that comes from hope page 422 See Anchor eye watchman Humane The Angels desire to see the humane nature of Christ page 50â— Humility humiliation Humble words to be used in confession page 44 Tentations to be endured with humility page 210 see feyned â— Jewes Jewes mistake of Scripture page 171 Ignorant God doth not try men because he is ignorant page 250 The Devill â—gnorant of Christs passion before it was page 493 Inheritance Heaven the inheritance of the Saints how page 291 Evidences inheritances how page 292 To claim Gods word as our inheritance page 294 Inheritances how sought after page 296 Incarnation The incarnation of Christ the studie of men and Angels page 490 The Devill ignorant of the incarnation of Christ till it was accomplished page 494 Impatience Impatience the inconvenience of it page 215 Impenitency Impenitencie the cause of it page 21 Danger of impenitencie page 25 see pardon Impression The most lively impressions of God in his word page 309 Imperfect Grace imperfect page 120 Impropriators Against impropriators page 478 Iniquity Iniquity what page 70 Intelligent Intelligent words to be used in prayer page 59 Instrument God not tyed to instruments page 421 Joy Things prized as they bring joy page 279 A Christian in this world hath his joy page 298 The glory of heaven set out by joy page 299 Christians have the best joy page 300 To joy aright a hard thing page 303 Angels desire grounded on joy page 534 Reasons of Angels joy page 535 To joy in heavenly things page 537 See Carnall within Journey Christians have a long journey to goe page 349 Hindrances in that
journey ib. Judgments No removing of judgments without repentance page 15 Cause of feare that judgments will continue page 20 The word of God why called his judgments page 286 See feyned prayer praise Just How God is said to be just in forgiving sins page 38 Justification Free justification misunderstood page 69 K. Knowledge A proofe of Christs divine knowledge page 467 Knowledg of evill Angells deâ—ective in divine Misteries page 493 Angels want no knowledg that concerns their happinesse page 521 See practise L. Labourers The Crowne of life the reward of labourers page 256 Language Every grace hath a peculiar language page 36 99 Large The heart a large roome how page 481 Latitude Latitude of Gods mercies page 114 Lasting The Crowne of life a lasting honour page 231 Law The word of God why called his law page 266 All creatures but man keepe the law set them page 323 Legall Thankefulnesse better then legall sacrifice page 169 See Dead Life The Crown given at the end of life page 257 See comprehensive Lifting see eyes hands mind Religion Linked Graces linked together page 358 Lips Praise called the calves of the lips why page 161 167 What lips God will bee praised with page 163 Lips put for the whole man page 165 Long. Comfort against sufferings if they be long page 233 Lord. Thankefulnesse due to God as our Lord page 148 Lovâ— Why the Crown is promised to love page 269 All graces in lâ—ve page 271 Every one that loves God shall be crowned page 275 Meanes to get love to God page 276 Meditation of Gods lovelinesse begets love to God page 277 To blame our selves for want of love page 278 The greatest testimonie of love to God page 310 See commands prayer suffering word M. Man The word man how taken in Scripture page 189 Woman included under the name of man page 192 Man tempts man how page 247 Two men in a Christian page 340 See Incarnation Many Comfort against sufferings if they be many page 233 Master Obedience due to all kind of Masters page 394 Servants learn evill of their Masters page 397 Difference between earthly and our heavenly Master page 407 How to know whether God be our Master page 413 The duty of a good Master page 430 Christ why called the Master page 442 Christ the great Master page 448 Meanes God not tyed to meanes page 421 Measure True love keeps no measure page 275 Meditation Preparation to meditation necessary page 324 Meditation what page 325 Meditation scarce in the world page ibid. Meditation improves every grace page 327 Mentall Vocall prayer a help to mental page 53 Merit Merits of Saints not to be trusted page 108 No satisfaction by merit page 119 Mercie Antiquity of Gods mercie page 113 Mercie a motive to beg mercie page 116 The end of all waiting is for mercie page 418 See alliance attribute duration waiting Metaphor Metaphor what page 155 Duties in Scripture delivered under metaphors page 156 Mind Eye of the mind to look up to God page 386 Ministers Ministers to watch their people in their failings page 34 Ministers to condiscend to peoples weakness page 35 See Declare Mysteries Good Angels studie Gospel-mysteries page 496 506 See Angels Mixed We have need of tryals because we are mixed page 252 Monosyllable Masters servants how as monosyllables to each other page 394 Morall Difference between Christian and morall vertues page 359 Motion Motion of two sorts page 334 The life of Christianity in motion page 335 Perseverance the continuance of a Christians motion page 337 Difference between corporall and spirituall motion page 346 The continuation of a Christians motion page 354 See standing excellent vitall Mournfull Mournfull words to be used in confession of sin page 45 Mountains Why the lightning strikes the mountains page 472 N. Name Every true Christian hath his name in the promise page 274 A new name given to Believers page 437 The names of diverse Pen-men of Scripture concealed page 440 Preachers not to come in their own name page 474 Nature To turn to God by the bond of nature page 23 Art perfects nature page 61 Necessity Bond of necessity to turn to God page 23 O. Obedience Bond of obedience to turn to God page 23 Obedience singles not out commands page 313 Lifting up the eyes a testimony of obedience page 389 The period of a Christians obedience page 419 Christ the pattern of obedience page 460 The assent of an obedient heart page 476 See condition Object Faith singles not out it 's object page 313 Omniscience Christs omniscience shewed page 437 Others God tries us that others may know what is in us page 250 Over Mercie over Gods works page 112 Outward God must have praise from the outward man page 164 Comfort when God takes away outward things page 452 Owne Servants not their own page 396 P Pardon Impenitency never meetes with pardon page 18 Errour of those that will not pray for pardon page 68 Arguments against such as deny to pray for pardon page 71 Pardon to be begged with all blessings page 72 How the Devill hinders prayer for pardon page 73 Severall expressions of the pardon of sins page 104 God the only author of pardon page 107 Goodnesse of God in the pardon of sinne page 111 To beg more grace after pardon page 131 Pardon to be prayed for before removall of judgments page 139 Thankefulnesse especially due for pardon page 147 See confession eyes Passe-over The Christians Passeover page 431 All invited to the new Passeover page 438 Why Christ did â—at the Passover page 459 See Abrogate Pastor The duty of a Pastor to his Flocke page 431 Patience Patience to be laboured for page 213 Praise of Patience page 214 Promises the support of patience page 266 People The duty of people to their Pastor page 430 Perfect perfection Vocall prayer makes prayer perfect page 54 Christians to grow to perfection page 369 Perfection when to be sought page 374 See Soule Perseverance Perseverance carries on a christian still page 335 Excellency of perseverance page 336 No grace carries to heaven without preseverance page 337 See heaven sublime Physick Repentance as Physick page 25 Suffering as physick page 256 Piety Advances of piety severall wayes set forth page 338 Pitch The pitch that is set to a christians growth page 369 Place Duty of those eminent in place page 434 Pleasant Sin why pleasant to men page 106 Plenty Christs plenty page 451 Poore Poverty Poverty of Chsist set forth page 448 Worldly men imitate not Christ in his poverty page 449 Comfort for those that are poore page 450 Christ begs in the poore page 478 Popery A new kind of Popery page 70 Portion To make Gods word our portion page 295 The most possible way to remove judgements page 14 Pardon over Gods works of power page 112 Proofe of Christs diuine power page 469 Practice Practice required of Christians page 359 Knowledge without practice nothing page 360 Prayer
Prayer what it is page 6 Commands to pray in affliction page 11 Promise made to prayer page ibid. Words of confession necessary in prayer page 50 Bounds of Prayer page 128 Thankefulness must be joyned with prayer page 149 Prayer begets love to God page 277 Looking up in prayer page 387 What the eye is in prayer page 390 See experience â—publique thankfulnesse vocall Praise Sinne hinders praise page 175 Judgments removed occasion praise page 177 Who are most ready to praise God page 178 See Grace Preparation Preparation to prayer necessary page 55 See meditation present presence Godly men blessed for the present page 224 Worldly men care onely for the present page 266 How to carry our selves in Gods presence page 373 Presumption Presumption to looke for pardon without repentance page 18 Promise Prayer builds upon promises page 124 The Crown conveyed by promise page 261 All blessings conveyed by promise page 623 Why heaven is by promise page ibid. To treasure up promises page 267 An implicite command in every promise page 312 See faith prayer support Providence A proofe of Christs divine providence page 471 Publick Publick calamities removed by prayer page 11 See Form Punishment Where sinne is forgiven punishment is removed page 102 Punishment how to be prayed against page 141 See chastisement pardon Pure God must have pure sacrifice of praise page 163 Q Qualification Promises made to qualifications page 273 Persons without qualifications have no interest in the promise page 274 R. Receive To receive what meant by it page 238 Relation Severall relations of a Christian page 339 Religion Lifting up the eyes to God an act of Religion page 387 Reparation The blessed reparation by Christ page 245 Repentance Repentance the parts of it page 4 Repentance sin cannot stand together page 15 Bonds of Repentance page 128 Repentance what acknowledgment it maketh page 311 See finall forgivenesse physick presumption totalll vaine universall Resolution Resolution necessary to obedience page 144 Resolution of David to be imitated page 320 Rest The rest of a Christian page 371 Restored To what wee are restored by Christ page 244 Reward Rewards encouragement to all sorts page 220 Rewards when given page 256 Right Christ hath right to all things page 451 Righteousnesse To suffer in the cause of righteousnesse page 212 S. Sacrifice Thanksgiving a sacrifice page 167 Every duty a sacrifice page ibid. Satan Satan tempts men page 247 Satan how he tempts page ibid. Saisfaction No satisfaction for sin but Christ page 103 Saving Mysteries of salvation saving speculations page 510 Sea Why it rains sometimes on the Sea and not on the land page 471 Selfe Selves Our selves the best sacrifice page 166 In obedience a man sacrificeth himselfe page 170 God to be loved for himselfe page 174 Every man should try himselfe page 249 God tries men that they may know what is in themselves page 251 Servant The least expression to a servant should suffice page 393 All kind of servants should be dutifull page 395 Complaint against servants page 396 Why men have unfaithfull servants page 397 Motives to servants to be faithful page 398 Christians should learn of mens servants page 410 Gods servants not so faithfull as mens page 411 Honour to be Gods servant page 415 Duties of good servants ib. page 430 Christians to exceed other servants page 417 See Eye Master owne Service The best service to be given to God page 408 Sharp Comfort against sharp sufferings page 232 Similitude The strength of a similitude wherein page 401 Simple Simple words to be used in confession page 46 Sin He that will offer sacrifice must lay aside sinne page 175 Single see Object Obedience Singular Why blessednesse is propounded in the singular page 226 Sion Sion double signification of it page 372 Slothfull Good Angels cannot be slothfull page 518 Sobriety Mysteries of salvation to be looked on with sobriety page 489 Son of man Why Ezekiel was called the son of man page 444 Soule The hands and feet of the soule page 319 The soule the whole man page 341 All perfections of the bodie in the soule ibid. Growth of the soule what page 342 The eye the hand-maid of the soul page 404 Souldiers Christians as souldiers need strength page 350 Speech Speech proper to man page 30 Why God hath given man speech page 51 Spirit Spirituall A form of prayer no stinting of the spirit page 66 Spirituall judgments worst page 140 Spirituals to be prayed for before temporals ibid. Difference in praying for temporalls and spirituals page 148 See alike vertue Stability Stability in the state of grace misunderstood page 69 Standing What standing hinders motion page 335 How a Christian doth both stand and move page 336 Stature Tall stature commendable page 370 Statutes The word of God why called statutes page 286 Sin nullifies Gods statutes page 322 Strength Strength and vertue equivalent page 344 Strength what it signifies page 346 Christians must grow to strength page 347 To see our need of strength page 348 Exhortation to get strength page 351 Strength how gotten page 352 From strength to strength what page 355 See Growth Soldier Traveller Sublime The commands of God sublime page 317 Perseverance makes grace sublime page 336 Mysteries of salvation sublime speculations page 507 Successe The most successfull way to remove judgments page 15 Suffering Love enableth to suffering page 269 How Angels joyed at Christs sufferings page 150 See Blessedness Crown Superiours Superiors care of Inferiours page 465 Support The promises support our graces page 265 Swearing Against prophane swearing page 180 T. Take away To take away sinne what page 101 Why the word to take away is used page 105 Temporals see Spirituals Temptation Kinds of temptation page 197 247 What temptations blessednesse belongs to page 206 Troubles why called temptations page 207 Temptations defined page 246 See Men Satan Testimonies The word of God called his testimonies why page 286 Thankfulnesse We should turn to God by the bond of thankfulnesse page 23 Bonds of thankfulnesse what page 128 Thankfulnesse due for all Gods mercies page 146 Thankfulnesse the order of it page 148 Thankfulnesse to close prayer page 150 Lifting up the eyes a sâ—gne of thankfulnesse page 389 See all daily legall pardon prayer Time The time when the Crown of life shall be given page 254 Why Christ kept not the Passeover in the appointed time page 461 Totall Repentance a totall turning page 8 Travellers Christians travellers page 349 Treasure All heavenly treasure in Gods word page 292 Tribulation Tribulation not to e severed from blessednesse page 222 Encouragements to suffer tribulations page 232 See Grace Triall Trie Tryall The end of tribulation for tryall page 246 Good temptations for tryall page 249 Why God makes tryall of men page 250 The Crown given when men are tryed page 255 See God Ignorance Self Troubles The good effects troubles should produce page 207 See Temptation Truth Gods truth testified in his promises page 263 See Universall Turning Different turnings to God page 6 Repentance what kind of turning it is page 7 Exhortation to turn to God page 26 See Universall Two Why Christ sent his Disciples by two and two page 456 V. Vaine Vaine to expect pardon without repentance page 19 Vertue Vertue stands at a distance page 344 Vertue in the eye of good men page 345 See morall strength vice Vices Vertues beset with vices page 27 Victory A Crowne the reward of victory page 230 Viâ—all see growth Universall Repentance an uniuersal turning page 7 Difference in the universality of turning ibid. Unprofitable Sinne unprofitable page 106 Untill Untill what meant by it page 419 Vocall Vocall prayer necessary page 51 See mentall Voyce The voyce necessary in publique prayer page 53 The voyce necessary in private prayer ibid. Vowes Vowes necessary in duties commanded page 145 Up Upper The heart an upper chamber how page 481 See Prayer Religion Use Men said not to have that they doe not use page 360 W. Waiting Waiting what it is page 405 Waiting for mercie equall page 406 All that is in God to be waited on page 407 Waiting not to be given over though God shew not mercie page 420 Exhortation to wait on God page 422 See Mercy Watch-man Hope as a watch-man page 267 Whole see Lips Man Will. The word called the will of God why page 285 Wisdome Wisdome of God shewed in his promise page 264 Within True joy is that within page 300 Witnesse No man can sin without witnesse page 288 Woe To whom Christ pronounceth woe page 229 Woman see Man Word Words Words to be taken in prayer and repentance why page 32 Impediments to words in prayer page 33 What words necessary to confession of sin page 44 What words to be used in prayer page 58 Conversing on Gods word begets love to him page 277 Severall names given the word of God page 285 The word highly to be esteemed page 295 The joy of a Christian from the word of God page 297 301 How to profit by the word of God page 326 See forcible heaven humble impression glorifie mournfull prayer simple treasure portion Work Work of a Christian what page 256 World Worldly To learn of worldly men to suffer page 234 The Crown given at the evening of the world page 257 The baits of the world dangerous page 351 See Blessednesse FINIS
any man should be ignorant he doth not reserve the knowledge as long as he doth the thing the thing shall be given then it is promised now in the meane time it is God that hath promised it it is God that gives it That is the first thing that the Apostle implies Then if we look to the manner of the conveyance it is in this word it is by promise it comes to us by deed by good deed good assurance There is no better deed then that that is written by the Finger of God and sealed to us by the blood of Christ The promise depends both upon the merit of Christ and upon the truth of God He lets us see therefore the conveyance in this word that though we cannot yet come to see the glory of the crown in the thing we may see it in the conveyance and promise As he that is the Heire apparent to any great matter but is not come to the possession though he cannot behold the inheritance as his owne with the eye of sence he may with the eye of reason if he cannot read it where it is Scituated he may in his deeds and conveyances It is all that the Saints had to shew for Heaven when they were on Earth they could see Heaven in the promise they could see and read it in the conveyance Abraham did see Christs day and he that sees Christs day of his first appearing by faith can see his second appearing The Apostle tells us Heb. 11. of all the Saints in the Old Testament though they inherited not the possession of the promises they saw them a far off in the tenure of the promises God deales with us as he did with Moses because he would not bring him to the Land of Canaan he carries him to the Mount and shews it him there he shews it in a Vision in the Vision and glasse of the promises before he translates us he shews us what Heaven is Indeed when we come to Heaven there we shall see from the Mount of Vision but here we may look from the Valley of Vision that we may know what the conveyance is whence it comes the Apostle adds this word The Crowne of life the Crowne promised Yet he tells us not where it is promised nor in what place of Scripture The Apostles were full of quotations yet sometimes they did forbeare them too It had been but an easie labour but yet it was needlesse being a promise of a thing so precious as indeed all the promises are precious promises as the Apostle speaks being a promise so precious he supposed that every man that was conversant in the word of God would be sure to treasure up these Scriptures of all Scripture promises and of all promises those that concerne Heaven are most precious A man that accounts the Book of God a Jewell the most precious of all the Jewells are these promises that concerne Heaven He supposed that every man would pluck these and treasure and lay them up in the Store-house of his heart that he may pick comfort from them in the time of need he names them not therefore that every man might get these It was needlesse in another respect too there is hardly any Booke in the whole Bible in which there are not promises of â—alvation It is the sum of both Testaments there are promises of the Crowne of life every where In the Psalmes oft times With thee is the Well of life In thy presence is fullnesse of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore When I awake I shall behold thy face in righteousnes You have it in the Book of the Proverbs oft repeated Length of dayes are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory You have it in the Prophets oft Those that are just shall shine as the stars of the Firmament in glory It dropt oft from the mouth of Christ and oft from the mouths and pens of the Apostles What need was there to point out any place where the promise was made when it is made in every place A man cannot open the Bible almost but he shall hit on it God would plant this foundation of faith in every part any man that is not conversant in reading the whole let him cast his eye on any part he shall meet with this there are frequent iterations of it it was renewed daily being the grand promise of the rest it was fit it should have many repetitions and many renovations There was no way it could be conveyed to us by any assurance but by promise even the least blessings there is no blessing that we look for in act but it is conveyed by promise If it be comfort to a distressed man that is oft repeated Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you If it be the promise of support and strength in sicknesse that is repeated He shall make all his bed in his sicknesse What say I more If there be promises of lesse blessings there must needs be of the greatest that that comprehends all in it the promise of glory the Crowne of life it is the course that God observes in Scripture he gives all by promise he gives it twice because he would be sure to give Heaven to us he gives Heaven in the PROMISE that is Heaven in hope and then in act that is in possession and fruition There is a great deale of reason if we look on our selves or on God First look on God it was fit he should give it by promise Partly for the better testification of his truth that he might appeare to be Deus verax a God of his word The truth of God could not appeare unlesse there were a word to make good and fullfill his gift and that could not be but by promise this glorious Attribute would fall to the ground but for that there might be some suppositions of him to be a God of infinit goodnesse and purity but we had not had experience of it but by promise And then for the demonstration of his wisdome that he would not give Heaven without advise and deliberation and not as we give rashly He took counsell the gift of glory is a work of counsell a work of counsell in the first ordaining Ephes 1. We are predestinate according to the Counsell and purpose of his will God doth all advisedly as he begins with counsell so he carries it along with counsell there is no better testimony of his wisdome then to give it first by promise he disposeth it by degrees that he may appeare to be a wise God he gives it by deliberation and therefore by promise Lastly for the better demonstration of his goodnesse that he might appeare to be Deus bonus Promise is a kind of debt he that gives a promise makes himselfe a Debtor Whereas we are all Debtors to God debtors to his justice in regard of our sins debtors to his love for
our selves and all that we have see his goodnesse that whereas we are debtors to him he condiscends to make himselfe by promise and stipulation debtors to us as St. Austin very well Vt sicut c. That as we should praise God as the Donor of all the good we have so we should depend upon him as the holy debtor of all the good we look for to testify this great goodnesse he gives it first â—y promise and that because it is a long time before we come to possession God staies our stomacks by a promise as a bit before the heavenly supper When that Supper comes then we have fruition and because we may have desires hot towards Heaven and our stomacks sharp God staies them and gives us a little of the first fruits and these are in the promises And then there is good reason if we consider our selves The reason that we are so fraile and weak in faith and have so much trouble and conflicts and agonies in our spirits is because we doe not converse with the promises we treasure not up these The promises are a great support of three graces First they are the great support of faith faith would sinck and lag unlesse it were for the promises The promises are to faith as Aaron and Hur were to Moses Moses hands were feeble and then Aaron and Hur bring a stone and set it under When Moses had the stone under and Aaron and Hur supported his hands then Israel prevailed Moses was strengthened The promise is as that stone it brings the Rock Christ it makes us look to the Rock that is higher then our selves It brings the Rock and sets it not onely above us but under us The promise undersets faith and keeps the building from tottering Nothing can support it more then the promise For in that the promise supports it God supports it and all in all his attributes There is somwhat of all the attributes of God in the promise of his wisdome of his truth of the power and justice of God all these support saith A man hath enough if he have but one Attribute to support him in any exigent How strong is he that hath all these in the promise Because God is faiâ—hfull and just and true the promise it is the support of faith As it is the support of faith so it is of hope and of patience There is no grace that hath so great correspondency with the promise as hope and patience The promise teacheth hope to live by Providence whereas every man can live by the present the promise supports hope and makes it live by the future by reversion it instructs hope to live by providence not onely in temporalls but spiritualls And as it instructs hope so it doth patience it is a great cherisher of patience Patience is the grace that waits and so doth hope hope is patience Sister or if you will Patience is the Daughter of hope and the promise is the supporter of both The promise will teach hope and patience to depend upon God not onely for the thing he gives but for the time there is a great deale of comfort in the time it will make it submit to Gods order and method What is Gods method This before he gives possession he gives reversion the promise is the reversion the promise is the support of hope and patience there is a great deale of comfort comes to a Christian this way A worldly man is all for the present he cares not for the future if he can be happy for the present that is the pitch he goes to A worldly man desires to take if it be possible his wages before hand he cares not for taking any thing at the last day He is nothing for reversion he would take all as much as he could before That is the reason he is left voyd of comfort at the howre of death because he took up all he knowes not where to take up more as Christ saith He hath his reward he hath his portion in this life he hath no more to take unlesse it be that Son remember thou in thy life-time receivedst pleasure and likewise Lazarus paine now he is comforted and thou art tormented he cannot take it and expect it A godly man contrary he desires not to work for present payment but he works to a day he knowes that God is a good Pay-master he would not have all for the present he knowes the lesse he hath now the more he shall have after because he lives by the promise he lives by hope and hope makes him patient and the promise supports them both It is the grace of hope that sets a man in Heaven when he is on Earth and the promise sets hope in Heaven Hope cannot goe to Heaven but by the promise A Christian could not goe to Heaven on Earth and take a spirituall flight but for hope The promise brings downe Heaven to the heart it inverts that Speech of St. Paul he sayth While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord. But hope turnes it and makes it while we are in the body it teacheth us how to be present in Heaven Here is the benefit of hope and because of hope therefore of the promise Therefore if we would looke for comfort let us look to the treasuring up of the promises the promises support There is no condition that befalls a Christian in this life but there is a promise for it there is some promise for it whither it be of prosperity or adversity of life or of death of falling of want there are promises for all and the promise will still keep the head above water what ever the affliction be it will still keep life and soul together If there be no bâ—ame of comfort appeare yet the promise will support in the middest of all distresse If a man grasp but a promise he is well enough If the soul be in perplexity and doubting it will settle it if it be in affliction the promise will comfort it if it be in any distresse the promise will afford consolation therfore make much of the promises If salvation be promised to believers it is hope that presently grasps and layes hold of it it doth it by the promise If forgivenesse be promised to the penitent hope looks after it and layes hold of it and it doth that by the promise If it be the Crowne to â—erseverance hope looks after that too and layes hold of it it doth it still by the promise Hope is the Watch-man or the Sentinell among the graces as a Watch-man upon a Tower will discover before all others that are below when day breaks if there be but the breaking of any day light any beame of comfort to be seene hope will discover it and pick it up Though every grace be as an eye and hereupon the Apostle sayth that the Saints in the Revelations are full of eyes before and behind It is not