took that bitter cup of the father's wrath and drunk it out that he might be free from it Think not that you believe if your hearts be not taken up with Christ if his love do not possesse your soul so that nothing is precious to you in respect of him if you cannot despise and trample upon all advantages that either you have or would have for Christ and count them with the great Apostle loss and dung in comparison of him And if you do esteem him labour for increase of Faith that you may esteem him more for as Faith growes so will he still be more precious to you And if you would have it grow turn that Spiritual Eye frequently to him that 's the proper object of it for even they that are Believers may possibly abate of their love and esteem of Christ by suffering Faith to ly dead within them and not using it in beholding and applying of Christ And the World or some particular vanities may insensibly creep in and get into the heart and cost them much paines ere they can be thrust out again but when they are daily reviewing those excellencies that are in Christ which first perswaded their hearts to love him and discovering still more and more of them his Love will certainly grow and will chase away those follies that the World dotes upon as unworthy to be taken notice of Verse 9. But ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light IT is matter of very much both consolation and instruction to Christians to know their own Estate what they are as they are Christians This Epistle is much and often upon this point for both those ends both that the reflecting on their dignities in Christ may uphold them with comfort under suffering for him and may lead them in doing and walking as becomes such a condition Here it hath been represented to us by a building a Spiritual Temple and by a Priesthood conform to it The former is confirm'd and illustrated by testimonies of Scripture in the preceeding Verses In this the latter in these words tho 't is not expressly cited yet 't is clear that the Apostle here hath reference to Exod. 19.5 6. where this dignity of Priesthood together with the other titles here express'd is ascrib'd to all the chosen People of God 'T is there a promise made to the Nation of the Jewes but under the condition of obedience and therefore is most fitly here apply'd by the Apostle to the believing Jews to whom particularly he writes 'T is true that the external Priesthood of the Law is abolish'd by the coming of this great high Priest Jesus Christ being the body of all those shaddowes But this promis'd Dignity of Spiritual Priesthood is so far from being nulled by Christ that it is altogether dependant on him and therefore fails in those that reject Christ although they be of that Nation to which this Promise was made But it holds good in all of all Nations that believe and particularly sayes the Apostle 't is verified in you You that are believing Jewes by receiving Christ you receive withal this dignity As the Legal Priesthood was remov'd by Christs fulfilling all that it prefigur'd so he was rejected by them that were at his coming in possession of that Office as the standing of that their Priesthood was inconsistent with the revealing of Jesus Christ so they that were then in it being ungodly Men their carnal minds had a kind of antipathy against him though they pretended themselves builders of the Church and by their calling ought to have been so yet they threw away the foundation stone that God had chosen and design'd and in rejecting it manifest that they themselves are rejected of God but on the contrary You that have laid your soules on Christ by believing have this your chusing him as a certain evidence that God hath chosen you to be his peculiar People yea to be so dignified as to be a Kingly Priesthood through Christ. We have here 1. To Consider the estate of Christians in the words that here describe it 2. The opposition of it to the state of Unbelievers 3. The end of it A chosen Generation Psal. 24. The Psalmist there speaks first of Gods universal Soveraignty then of his peculiar choyce The earth is the Lords But there is a select company appointed for this holy Mountain describ'd and then clos'd thus This is the generation of them that seek him Thus Deut. 10.14 15. So Exod. 19.5 Whence this is taken for all the Earth is mine and that Nation which is a figure of the Elect of all Nations Gods peculiar beyond all others in the World As Men that have great variety of Possessions yet have usually their special delight in some one beyond all the rest and chuse to recide most in it and bestow most expence on it to make it pleasant Thus doth the Lord of the whole earth chuse out to himself from the rest of the World a number that are a chosen generation Chusing here is the work of effectual calling or severing of Believers from the rest for it signifies a difference in their present estate as the other words joyned with it But this election is altogether conform to that of Gods Eternal Decree and is no other but the execution or performance of it Gods framing of this his building just according to the Idea of it which was in his mind and purpose before all time The drawing forth and investing of such into this Christian this Kingly Priesthood whose names were expresly written up for it in the Book of life Generation This imports them to be of one race or stock as the Israelites who were by outward calling the chosen of God were all the seed of Abraham according to the flesh So they that believe in the Lord Jesus are Children of the Promise and all of them by their new birth one People or Generation they are of one Nation belonging to the same blessed Land of Promise all Citizens of the new Ierusalem yea all Children of the same family whereof Jesus Christ the root of Iesse is the stock who is the great King and the great high Priest and thus they are a Royal Priesthood there is no devolving of his Royalty or Priesthood on any other as it is in himself for his proper dignity is Supreme and incommunicable and there is no succession in his Order he lives for ever and is Priest for ever Psal. 110.4 and King for ever too Psal. 45.6 but they that are descended from him do derive from him by that new original this double dignity in that way that they are capable of it to be likewise Kings and Priests as he is both They are of the Seed-Royal and of the holy seed of the Priesthood in as much as they partake of a new
not then be our wisdom to make the worthiest choyce seeing it is offered us and is extream folly to reject it Grace doth not pluck up by the roots and wholly destroy the natural passions of the mind because they are distempered by sin that were an extreme remedy to Cure by killing and heal by cutting off no but it corrects the distemper in them it dries not up this main stream of Love but purifies it from the Mud it is full of in its wrong Course or calls it to its Right Channel by which it may run into Happiness and empty it selfe into the Ocean of goodness The Holy Spirit turns the love of the soul towards God in Christ for in that way only can it apprehend his Love so then Jesus Christ is the first Object of this divine Love he is Medium unionis through whom God conveys the sense of his Love to the soul and receives back its Love to him And if we will consider his incomparable Beauty we may look on it in the holy Scriptures particularly in that divine song of Loves Wherein Solomon borrowes all the beauties of the Creatures dips his pencill in all their severall Excellencies to set him forth unto us who is the chief of ten Thousands There is an inseparable intermixture of Love with Belief and a pious Affection receiving divine Truth so that in effect as we distinguish them they are mutually strengthened the one by the other and so though it seem a Circle 't is a divine one and falls not under censure of the School's Pedantry If you ask how shall I do to Love I Answer Believe If you ask how shall I believe I Answer Love Although the Expressions to a carnall mind are altogether unsavoury by gross mistaking them yet to a Soul taught to Read and Hear them by any measure of that same Spirit of love wherewith they were penn'd they are full of heavenly and unutterable sweetness Many Directions and means of begetting and increasing this Love of Christ may be here offered but they that delight in number may multiply them but sure this One will Comprehend the greatest and best part if not all of them Believe and you shall Love Believe much and you shall Love much labour for strong and deep persuasions of the glorious things that are spoken of Christ and this will command Love Certainly did Men indeed believe his worth they would accordingly Love him for the Reasonable Creature cannot but affect that most which it firmly believes to be worthy of affection O this mischief of Unbelief is that which makes the heart cold and dead towards God Seek then to believe Christs Excellency in himselfe and his Love to us and our interest in him and this will kindle such a fire in the heart as will make it ascend in a Sacrifice of Love to him Many Signes likewise of this Love may be multiplied according to the many fruits and workings of it but in them all it self is its own most infallible Evidence When the soul finds that all its Obedience and endeavour to keep the Commands of Jesus Christ which himself makes its Character do flow from Love then it is true and sincere For do or suffer what you will withour Love all passes for nothing All are Cyphers without it they signifie nothing 1. Cor. 13. This is the Message of the Gospell and that which the Ministry aimes at and therefore the Ministers ought to be Suitors not for themselves but for Christ to Espouse souls to him and to bring in many hearts to Love him And certainly this is the most compendious way to perswade to all other Christian duties this is to converse with Jesus Christ and therefore where his Love is no other incentive will be needfull For Love delights in the presence and converse of the party Loved If we are to perswade to duties of the second Table the summe of those is Love to our Brethren resulting from the Love of Christ which diffuseth such a sweetness into the soul that its all Love and meekness and Gentleness and long suffering If times be for suffering Love will make the soul not onely bear but welcome the bitterest afflections of life and the hardest kinds of death for his sake In a word there is in Love a sweet constraint or tying of the heart to all Obedience and Duty The Love of God is requisite in Ministers for their preaching of the word so our Saviour to St. Peter Iohn 21.15 Peter lovest thou me then feed my lambs It is requisite for the people that they receive the Truth in the Love of it and that Christ preach'd be Entertain'd in the soul and Embrac'd by Faith and Love You that have made choyce of Christ for your Love let not your hearts slip out to renew your wonted base familiarity with Sin For that will bring new bitterness to your souls and at least for some time will deprive you of the sensible favour of your beloved Jesus delight alwayes in God and give him your whole heart for he deserves it all and is a satisfying good to it the largest heart is all of it too strait for the riches of consolation that he brings with him seek to Increase in this Love for tho its at first weak yet Labour to find it daily rise higher and burn hotter and clearer and consume the dross of Earthly desires Receiving the end of your Faith Although the soul that Believes and Loves is put in present possession of God as far as it is Capable in its sojourning here yet it desires a full Enjoyment which it cannot attain to without Removing hence While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord saith the Apostle And because they are assur'd of that happy Exchange that being united and freed of this body they shall be present with the Lord and that having his own word for 't that Where he is they shall be also this begets such an assured Hope as bears the name of possession Therefore its said here Receiveing the end of your faith This Receiveing likewise flows from Faith Faith apprehends the present Truth of the divine Promises and so makes the things to come present and Hope looks out to their after Accomplishment which if the promises be true as Faith averrs then Hope hath good reason firmly to expect it This desire and Hope are the very wheels of the Soul that carry it on and Faith the common Axis on which they rest In the words there are two things 1. The good hoped for in Christ so Believed on and Loved 2. The assuredness of the Hope it selfe yea as sure as if it were already accomplished As for the good hoped for it consists 1. In the nature of it Viz. The Salvation of their Soul 2. in a Relative Property of it the End of their Faith The nature of it is Salvation and Salvation of the soul it imports full deliverance from all kind of misery and
word is a Lamp unto my feet says David and a Light unto my paths not onely comfortable as Light is to the eyes but withall directive as a Lamp to his feet Thus here the Apostle doth not onely furnish consolation against distress but Exhorts and directs his Brethen in the way of Holiness without which the apprehension and feeling of those comforts cannot subsist This is no other but a clearer and fuller expression and further pressing of that sobriety and spiritualness of mind and life that he joyntly exhorted unto with that of perfect hope ver 13. as in separably connext with it if you would enjoy this Hope be not conform to the lust of your former ignorance but be holy There is no doctrine in the world either so pleasant or so pure as that of Christianity 'T is matchless both in sweetness and holiness The Faith and Hope of a Christa in have in them an abiding precious balm of comfort but this is never to be so lavish'd away as to be poured into the puddle of an impure Conscience No that were to lose it unworthily As many as have this hope purify themselves even as he is pure 1. Ioh. 3 3. Here they are commanded to be holy as he is holy Acts. 15. Faith first purifies the heart Empties it of the love of sin and then fills it with the Consolation of Christ and hope of Glory 'T is a foolish misgrounded fear and such as argues inexperience of the nature and workings of divine Grace to imagine that the assured hope of salvation will beget unholiness and presumptuous boldness in sin and therefore that the doctrine of that assurance is a doctrine of Licentiousness Our Apostle we see is not so sharp sighted as these men think themseves he apprehends no such matter but indeed supposes the contrary as unquestionable he takes not assured hope and holiness as Enemies but joynes them as nearest friends hope perfectly and be holy They are mutually strengthened and increas'd each by the other the more assurance of salvation the more holiness the more delight in it and study of it as the onely way to that End and as labour is then most pleasant when we are made surest it shall not be lost nothing doth make the soul so nimble and actitve in obedience as this oyle of gladness this assured hope of glory Again the more holiness is in the soul the clearer always is tâ—is assurance as we see the face of the heavens best when there are fewest clouds· The greatest affliction doth not damp this hope so much as the smallest sin yea it may be the more lively and sensible to the soul by affliction but by sin it always suffers loss as the Experience of all Christians does certainly teach them The Apostle exhorts to Obedience and enforceth it by a most persuasive Reason His exhortation is 1. Negative not fashioning your selves 2. Positive Be ye holy That which he would remove and separate them from is Lusts This is in Scripture the usuall name of all the irregular and sinfull desires of the heart both the polluted habits of them and their corrupt streams both as they are within and outwardly vent themselves in the Lives of Men. The Apostle St. Iohn 1 Ioh. 2 17. calls it the Lust of the world and Verse 15. love of the world And then Verse 16. Branches it into those three that are indeed the base Anti-trinity that the world worships the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of Life The soul of Man unconverted is no other but a den of impure Lusts wherein dwells pride Uncleanness Avarice Malice c just as Babylon is described Revelation 18.2 or as Isa. 13.21 Were a Man's eyes opened he would as much abhorre to remaine with himself in that condition as to dwell in a house full of Snakes and Serpents as S. Austin says and the first part of conversion is once to rid the soul of these noysome Inhabitants for there is none at all found naturally vacant and frâ—e from them thus the Apostle here expresses it of the believers he wrote to that these lusts were theirs before in their Ignorance There is a truth in it that all sin arises from some kind of Ignorance or at least from present Inadvertâ—nce and Inconsideration turning away the mind from the light which therefore for the time is as if it were not and is all one with Ignorance in the â—ffect and therefore the works of sin are all called works of darkness for were the true visage of sin seen at a full light undress'd and unpainted it were impossiable while it so appear'd that any one soul could be in love with it but would rather flye it as hideous and abominable but because the soul unrenewed is all darkness therefore it is all lust and love of sin no order in it because no light as at the first in the world confusion and darkness went together and darkness was upon the face of the deep 't is so in the soul the more Ignorance the more abundance of Lusts. That light that frees the soul and rescues it from the very kingdome of darkness must be somewhat beyond that which nature can attaine to all the light of Philosophy naturall and morall is not sufficient yea the very knowledge of the Law sever'd from Christ serves not so to enlighten and renew the soul as to free it from the darkness or Ignorance here spoke of for our Apostle writes to Jews that knew the Law and were instructed in it before their conversion yet he calls those times wherein Christ was unknown to them the times of their Ignorance though the stars shine never so bright and the moon with them in its full yet they do not all together make it day still 't is night till the sun appear Therefore the Hebrew doctors upon that word of Solomons Vanity of vanities all is vanity say vana etiam Lex doneâ— venerit Messias Therefore of him Zacharias sayes that the day spring from on high hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace A naturall Man may attaine to very much acquir'd knowledge of the doctine of Christ and may discourse excellently of it and yet still his soul be in the chains of darkness fast lockt up under the Ignorance here mention'd and so still of a carnal mind in subjection to these lusts of Ignorance The saving light of faith is a beam of the sun of Righteousness himself that he sends into the soul by which he makes it discern his incomparable beauties and by that sight alienates it from all those lusts and desires that do then appear to be what indeed they are vileness and filthiness it self makes the soul wonder at it self how it could love such base trash so long and so fully resolves it now on the choyce of Jesus Christ the cheif
vain conversation What fruit had ye sayes the Apostle in those things whereof ye are now asham'd Either count that shame that at the best growes out of them their fruit or confess they have none therefore they are called the unfruitful works of darkness Let the Voluptuous Person say it out upon his death-bed what pleasure or profit doth then abide with him of all his former sinful delights Let him tell if there remain any thing of them all but that that he would gladly not have to remain the sting of an accusing Conscience which is as lasting as the delight of sin was short and evanishing Let the covetous and ambitious declare freely even those of them that have prospered most in their pursuit of Riches and Honour what ease all their Possessions or titles do then help them to whether their pains are the less because their Chests are full or their Houses stately or multitude of friends and servants waiting on them with Hat and Knee and if all these things cannot ease the body how much less can they quiet the mind And therefore is it not true that all pains in these things and the uneven wayes into which they sometimes stept aside to serve those ends and generally that all the wayes of sin wherein they have wearied themselves were vain Rollings and tossings up and down not tending to acertain Haven of peace and happiness 't is a lamentable thing to be deluded all a Life time with a false dream Isa. 2.8 You that are going on in the common Road of sin although many and possibly your own Parents have trod it before you and the greatest part of these you now know are in it with you and keep you Company in it yet be perswaded to stop a little and ask your selves what it is you seek or expect in the end of it would it not grieve any labouring Man to work hard all the day and have no wages to look for at night 't is a greater loss to wear out our wholâ— life and in the evening of our dayes find nothing but anguish and vexation Let us then think this that so much of our life as is spent in the wayes of sin is all lost fruitless and vain Conversation And in so far as the Apostle saye here You are redeemed from this Conversation this Imports it a â—ervile slavish Condition as the other word expresses it to live fruitless And this is the Madness of a sinner that he fancies Liberty in that which is the basest thraldome as those poor frentique Persons that are lying ragged and bound in Chaines yet Imagine that they are Kings that their Irons are Chaines of gold their rags Robes and their filthy Lodge a Pallace As 't is misery to be liable to the sentence of death so 't is slavery to be subject to the dominion of sin and he that is delivered from the one is likewise set free from the other There is one Redemption from both He that is redeem'd from destruction by the blood of Christ is likewise redeem'd from that vain and unholy Conversation that leadâ— to it So Tit. 2.14 Our Redeemer was anointed for this purpose not to free the Captives from the sentence of death and yet leave them still in Prison but to proclaim liberty to them and the opening of the Prison to those that are bound Isa. 61.1 You easily perswade your selves that Christ hath died for you and Redeem'd you from Hell but you Consider not that if it be so he hath likewise Redeem'd you from your vain Conversation and both set you free from the service of sinâ— Certainly while you find not that you can have no assurance of the other if the Chaines of sin continue still upon you for any thing you can know these Chaines do bind you over to the other Chaines of darkness the Apostle speaks of Let us not delude our selves if we find the love of sin and of the World work stronger in our hearts than the love of Christ we are not as yet partakers of his Redemption But if we have indeed laid hold upon him as our Redeemer then are we Redeem'd from the service of sin not only from the grossest Profaness but even from all kind of fruitless and vain Conversation And therefore ought to stand fast in that Liberty and not entangle our selves again to any of our former vanities Not redeemed with Corruptible things From the high price of our Redemption the Apostle doth mainly inforce our Esteem of it and the preservation of that liberty so dearly bought and the avoiding all that unholiness and vain conversation from which we are freed by that Redemption 1. He expresseth it negatively not with corruptible things Oh foolish we that hunt them as if they were Incorruptible and Everlasting treasures no not the best of them these that are in highest account with Men not with Silver and Gold these are not of any value at all towards the Ransom of Souls they cannot buy off the death of the Body nor cannot purchase the continuance of temperal life much less can they reach to the worth of Spiritual and Eternal life The precious soul could not be redeem'd but by blood and by no blood but that of this spotless Lamb Jesus Christ who is God equal with the Father And therefore his Blood is called the blood of God Act. 20. So that the Apostle may well call it here precious exceeding the whole World and all things in it in value Therefore frustrate not the sufferings of Christ if he shed his blood to Redeem you from sin be not false to his End As of a Lamb without blemish He is that great and everlasting Sacrifice that gave value and vertue to all the Sacrifices under the Law their blood was of no worth to the purging away of sin but by Relation to his blood and the Laws concerning the choyce of the Pascall Lamb or other Lambs for Sacrifice were but obscure and imperfect shadowes of his purity and perfections who is the undefiled Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World A Lamb in meekness and silence he opened not his mouth Isa. 53.7 And in purity here without spot or blemish My well beloved sayes the Spouse is white and ruddy white in spotless Innocency and red in suffering a bloody death For as much as ye know 'T is that must make all this effectual the right Knowledge and due Consideration of it Ye do know it already but I would have you know it better more deeply and practically turn it often over be more in the study and meditation of it there is work enough in it still for the discerningest mind itâ— a mystery so deep that you shall never reach the bottom of it and withall so useful that you shall find alwayes new profit by it Our folly is we gape after new things and yet are in effect Ignorant of the things we think we know best that learned Apostle that knew
as to be scorn'd out of it being so honourable and happy and the day is at hand wherein those that scoffe you would give much more than all that the best of them ever possess'd in the world to be admitted into your number Seeing you have purifi'd your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit Here is 1. The chief seat or subject of the work of sanctification the Soul 2. The subordinate means Truth 3. The Nature of it obeying of truth 4. The chief worker of it The Holy Spirit For the first 'T is no doubt a work that goes through the whole man renews and purifies all Heb. 10.22 2 Cor. 7.1 But because it purifies the soul therefore 't is that does purifie all There begins impurity Mat. 15. not onely evil thoughts but all evill actions come forth from the heart which is there all one with the soul and therefore this purifying begins there makes the tree good that the fruit may be good 't is not so much externall performances that are the difference of Men as their inward temper we meet here in the same place and all partake of the same word and prayer But how wide a difference is there in Gods eye betwixt an unwash'd profane heart in the same exercise and a soul purified in some measure in obeying the truth and desirous to be further purified by further obeying it 2. That which is the subordinate means of this purity is the Truth or the word of God it is truth and pure in it self and begets truth and purity in the heart by teaching it concerning the holy and pure nature of God shewing it and his holy will which is to us the rule of purity And by representing Jesus Christ unto us as the fountain of our purity and Renovation from whose fulness we may receive grace for grace 3. The nature of this work that wherein the very being of this purifying consists is the Receiving or Obeying of this Truth So Gal. 3.1 Where 't is put for right believing The chief point of obedience is believing the proper obedience to Truth is to give credit to it and this divine belief doth necessarily bring the whole soul into obedience and conformity to that pure Truth which is in the word and so the very purifying and renewing of the soul is this obedience of faith as unbelief is its cheif impurity and disobedience therefore Act. 15.9 faith is said to purifie the heart 4. The chief worker of this sanctification is the Holy spirit of God they are said here to purifie themselves For 't is certain and undeniable that the soul it self doth act in believing or obeying the truth but not of it self it is not the first principle of motion They purifie their souls but 't is by the spirit They doe it by his enlivening power and a purifying vertue recevied from him Faith or obeying the truth works this purity But the Holy Ghost works that faith as in the forecited place God is said to purifie their hearts by faith Verse 8. He doth that by giving them the Holy Ghost The truth is pure and purifying yet can it not of it self purifie the soul but by the obeying or believing it and the soul cannot obey or believe but by the spirit which works in it that faith and by that faith purifies it and works Love in it ' it s the Impurity and Earthliness of Mens minds that is the great cause of disuâ—ion and disaffection amongst them and of all their striâ—es Iam. 4.1 This spirit is that fire that refines and purifies the soul from the dross of earthly desires that possess it and sublimates it to the love of God and of his Saints because they are his and are purified by the same spirit T is the property of fire to draw together things of the same kind the outward fire of Enmities and persecution that are kindled against the godly by the world doth some-what and if it were more considered by them would do more in this knitting their hearts closer one to another but it is this inward pure and purifying fire of the Holy Ghost that doth most powerfully unite them The true reason why there is so little truth of this Christian mutuall Love amongst those that are called Christians is because there is so little of this purifying Obedience to the truth whence it flowes Faith unfeigned would beget this Love unfeigned men may exhort to them both but they require the hand of God to work them in the heart Verse 23. Being borne again not of Corruptible seed But of Incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever THE two things that make up the Apostles Exhortation are the very summe of a Christians duty to walk as obedient children towards God and loving brethen one towards another And that it may yet have the deeper impression he here represents to them anew that new birth he mentioned before by which they are the children of God and so brethren We shall first speak of this Regeneration And then of the Seed This is the great dignity of believers that they are the sons of God Io. 1.12 and the great Evidence of the love of God that he hath bestow'd this dignity on them 1 Io. 3.1 For they are no way needfull to him he had from Eternity a Son perfâ—ctly like himself the character of his person and one Spirit proceeding from both and there is no Creation neither the first nor the second can add any thing to those and their happiness 't is most true of that blessed Trinity Satis amplum alter alterj Theatrum sumus But the gracious purpose of God to impart his goodness appears in this that he hath made himself such a multitude of sons not onely Angels that are so called but man a little lower than they in nature yet dignified with this name in his Creation St. Luke 3.38 Which was the Son of Adam which was the son of God He had not onely the Impression of Gods footsteps as they speak which all the Creatures have but of his Image and most of all in this is his rich Grace magnified that sin having defac'd that Image and so degraded Man from his honour and devested him of that title of sonship and stampt our polluted nature with the marks of vileness and bondage yea with the very Image of Satan Rebellion and Enmity against God that out of Mankind thus ruin'd and degenerated God should raise to himself a new Race and Generation of sons For this designe was the word made flesh Io. 1. The son made Man to make men the sons of God and 't is by him alone we are restor'd to this they that receive him receive with him and in him this priviledge Verse 12. And therefore 't is a sonship by Adoption and is so called in scripture in difference from his Eternall and Ineffable Generation who is and that was the onely begotten son of God yet that we may
without it 't is true that the substantial Eternal word is to us as we said the spring of this New birth and life the head from whom the spirits of this supernatural life flow but that by the Word here is meant the Gospel the Apostle puts ouâ— of doubt Verse last and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you Therefore it is indeed that this Word is thus the seed of this New birth because it contains and declares that other word the Son of God as our life The word is spoken in common and so is the same to all hearers but then all being naturally shut against it God doth by his own hand open some hearts to receive it and mixes it with faith and those it renews and restoreth in them the Image of God drawes the traits of it anew and makes them the Sons of God My Doctrine shall drop as the dew sayes Moses the word as a heavenly dew not falling beside but dropt in to the heart by the hand of Gods own spirit makes it all become spiriâ—ual and heavenly and turns it into one of those drops of dew that the Children of God are compared to Psal. 110. Thou hast the dew of thy youth The natural estate of the soul is darkness and the word as a divine light shining into it transforms the soul into its own nature that as the word is called Light so is the soul renew'd by it ye were darkness but now are ye not only enlightn'd but light in the Lord. All the evils of the natural mind are often compriz'd under the name of darkness and Errour and therefore the whole work of conversion likewise signified by light and truth he begat us by the word of truth So 2 Cor. 4 6. alluding to the first fiat Lux or Let there â—e Light in the Creation The word brought within the soul by the spirit lets it see its own necessity and Christs sufficiency convinceth it throughly and causeth it to cast over it self upon him for life and this is the very begetting of it again to Eternal life So that this Efficacy of the word to prove successful seed doth not hang upon the different abilities of Preachers their more or less Rhetorick or Learning 'T is true Eloquence hath a great advantage in civil and moral things to perswade and and to draw the hearers by the Ears almost which way it will but in this spiritual work to revive a soul to beget it anew the Influence of heaven is the main there is no way so common and plain being warranted by God in the delivery of saving truth but the spirit of God can revive the soul by it and all the skilful and most autoritative way yea being withal very spiritual yet may effect nothing because left alone to it self One word of holy Scripture or of truth conform to it may be the principle of Regeneration to him that hath heard multitudes of excellent Sermons and hath often read the whole Bible and still unchang'd if the spirit of God preach that one or any such word to the Soul God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life It will be cast down with the fear of perishing and driven out of it self by that and rais'd up and drawn to Jesus Christ by the hope of everlasting life it will believe on him that it may have life and be inflamed with the Love of God and give it self to him that so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son to purchase us that everlasting life Thus may that word prove this Immortal Seed which tho very often read and heard before was but a dead letter A drop of those liquors that are called Spirits operates more than large draughts of other waters one word spoke by the Lord to the heart is all Spirit and doth that which whole streams of Mans eloquence could never effect In hearing of the Word Men look usually too much upon Men and forget from what spring the Word hath its power they observe too narrowly the different hand of the Sowers and too little depend on his hand that is great Lord both of Seed-time and Harvest Be it sowen by a weak hand or a stronger the Immortal seed is still the same yea suppose the worst that it be a foul hand that sowes it that the Preacher himself be not so sanctified and of so edifying a life as you would wish yet the seed it self being good contracts no defilement and may be effectual to Regeneration in some and strengthening of others Although he that is not renew'd by it himself cannot have much hope of such success nor reap much comfort by it and usually doth not seek nor regard it much but all Instruments are alike in an Almighty hand Hence learn 1. That true conversion is not so slight a work as we commonly account it 'T is not an outward change of some bad customes which gains the name of a reform'd Man in the ordinary dialect 't is a New birth and Being and elsewhere called a new Creation though it be but a change in qualities as 't is such a one and the qualities so far distant that it bears the name of the most substantial productions from Children of disobedience and that which is link't with it heirs of wrath to be sons of God and heirs of glory They have a new spirit given a free princely noble spirit as the word is Psal. 51. and this spirit acts in their life and action 2. Consider this dignity and be kindled with the ambition of it how doth a Christian pity that poor vanity that men make so much noise about of of their kindred and extraction this is worth glorying in indeed to be of the highest blood royal and in the nearest Relation Sons of the King of Kings by this new birth and addes Matchless honour to that birth which is honourable But we all pretend to be of this number Would we not study to cozen our selves the discovery would not be so hard to know whither we are or not In many their false confidence is too evident No appearance of the spirit of God not a foot-step like his leading and that character Rom. 8.14 not a lineament of God's visage as their father if ye know that he is righteous sayes St. Iohn 2.29 ye know then that every one that doth righteousness is born of him And so on the contrary how contrary to the most holy God the lover and fountain of holiness are they that Swinishly love to wallow in the mire of unholiness Is Swearing and Cursing the accent of the Regenerate the Children of God No 't is the language of Hell Do children delight to indignifie and dishonour their Fathers Name No Earthly mindedness is a countersign Shall the King's Children they that were brought up in scarlet as Ieremy laments embrace the dunghil
when we shall know as we are known and of these praises we shall then offer him when that new song shall be taught us A Child hath in it a reasonable soul and yet by the indisposedness of the body and abundance of moysture it is so bound up that its difference from the beasts and partaking of a rational life is not so apparent as afterwards and thus the spiritual life that is from above infus'd into a Christian though it doth act and work in some degree yet is so clogg'd with natural corruption still remaining in them that the excellency of it is that way much clouded and obscur'd but in the life to come it shall have nothing at all incumbring and indisposing it and this is the Apostle St. Pauls Doctrine 1 Cor. 13.9 10 11 12. And this is the wonder of Divine grace that brings so small beginnings to that height of perfection that we are not able to conceive of that a little sparkle of true grace that is not only indiscernable to others but often to a Christian himself Yet should be the beginning of that condition wherein they shall shine brighter then the Sun in the Firmament The difference is great in our natural life in some persons especially that they that in Infancy were so feeble and wrapt up as others in swadling cloaths yet afterwards come to excel in wisdom and in the knowledge of sciences or to be Commanders of great Armies or to be Kings But the distance is far greater and more admirable betwixt the weakness of these New born babes the small beginnings of grace and our after perfection that fulness of knowledge that we look for and that crown of Immortality that all they are born to that are born of God But as in some Childrens faces or actions have appear'd some characters and presages of their after greatness as a singular beauty in Moses's face as they write of him and Cyrus made King among the Shepherds Children with whom he was brought up c. so also certainly in these children of God there be some Characters and evidences that they are born for Heaven by their new birth That Holiness and Meekness that Patience and Faith that shine in the actions and sufferings of the Saints are Characters of their Fathers Image and shew their high Original and foretel their glory to come such a glory as doth not only surpass the Worlds thoughts but the thoughts of the Children of God themselves 1 Ioh. 3.2 Now that the Children of God may grow by the word of God the Apostle requires these two things of them 1. The Innocency of Children 2. The appetite of Children For this As I conceive is relative not only to the desiring the milk of the word but to the former Verse the putting off malice as the Aposte Paul 1 Cor. 14.20 as concerning malice be ye children Wherefore laying aside This imports that we are nâ—turally prepossess'd with these evils therefore exhorted to put them off our hearts are by nature no other but cages of those unclean birds malice envy hypocrisie c. The Apostles sometimes name some of these evils and sometimes other of them But they are inseparable all one garment and all comprehended under that one word Eph. 4. the old Man which the Apostle there exhorts to put off And here 't is press'd as a necessary evidence of their New birth and furtherance of their Spiritual growth that these base habits be thrown away ragged filthy habits unbeseeming the Children of God they are the proper marks of an unrenewed mind the very Characters of the Children of Satan for they are his Image He hath his names from enmity and envy and slandering and he is that grand hypocrite and deceiver that can transform himself into an Angel of Light So on the contrary the Spirit of God that dwells in his Children is the spirit of meekness and Love and Truth That dove-like spirit that descended on our Saviour is from him communicated to Believers 'T is the grossest impudency to pretend to be a Christian and yet to entertain hatred and envyings upon whatsoever occasion for there is nothing more recommended to them by our Saviour's own doctrine and more imprest upon their hearts by his spirit than love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken generally but I conceive t is that which we particularly call malice Malice and envy are but two branches growing out of the same bitter root self-self-love and evill speakings are the fruit they bear Malice is properly the procuring or wishing anothers evil Envy the repining at their good and these vent themselves by evil speaking This infernall fire within smoaks and flashes out by the tongue which S. Iames sayes is set on fire of hell and fires all about it miscensuring the actions of those they hate or envy aggravating their failings and detracting from their vertues taking all things by the left Ear for as Epictetus sayes Every thing hath two handles The art of taking things by the better side which charity alwayes doth would save much of those janglings and heart burnings that so abound in the world But folly and perverseness possess the hearts of the most and therefore their discourses are usually the vent of those For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth must speak The unsavory breaths of Men argues their inward corruption Where shall a Man come almost in societies but his ears shall be beaten with the unpleasant noise sure 't is so to a Christian mind of one detracting and disparaging another And yet this is extreme baseness and the practice only of false counterfeit goodness to make up his own esteem out of the ruines of the good name of others real vertue cannot endure nor needs not that dishonest shift It can subsist of it self and therefore ingenuously commends and acknowledges what good is in others and loves to hear it acknowledged and neither readily speaks nor hears evil of any but rather where duty and conscience require not discovery casts a vail upon Mens failings to hide them this is the true temper of the Children of God These evils of Malice and envy and evil-speakings and such like are not to be dissembled by us in our selves and conveyed under better appearances But to be cast away not to be covered but put off and therefore that which is the upper garment and cloak of all other evills the Apostle here commands to cast that off too namely hypocrisie What availes it to wear this mask a Man may indeed in the fight of Men act his part handsomely under it and pass so for a time but know we not There is an eye that sees through it and a hand that if we will not put of this mask will pull it off to our shame either here in the sight of men or if we should scape all our life and go fair off the stage under it yet there is a day appointed wherein all hypocrites shall be
life from Christ First there 's his own dignity express'd then his dignifying us who is himself the first begotten among the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth Revel 1.5 and then as followes Verse 6 hath made us Kings and Priests unto God the Father A Royal Priesthood That the Dignity of Believers is express'd by these two together by Priesthood and Royalty teaches us the Worth and Excellency of that Holy Function taken properly and so by analogy the dignity of the Ministry of the Gospel which God hath plac'd in his Church in stead of the Priesthood of the Law for therefore doth this Title of Spiritual Priesthood fitly signify a great Priviledge and Honour that Christians are promoted to and is joyn'd with that of Kings because the proper Office of Priesthood was so Honourable Before it was establish'd in one Family the chief the first born of each Family had right to this as a special Honour and amongst the Heathens in some places their Princes and greatest Men yea their Kings were their Priests and universally the performing of their Holy things was an imployment of great Honour and esteem amongst them Though humane ambition hath strain'd this consideration too high to the favouring and founding of a Monarchical Prelacy in the Christian World yet that abuse of it ought not to prejudge us of this due and just consequence from it that the holy Functions of Gods House have very much Honour and Dignity in them And the Apostle we see 2 Cor. 3. preferr's the Ministry of the Gospel to the Priesthood of the Law so then they mistake much that think it a disparagement to Men that have some advantage of Birth or Wit more than ordinary to bestow them thus and judge the meanest Persons and things good enough for this high calling sure this conceit cannot have place but in an unholy Irreligious mind that hath either none or very mean thoughts of God If they that are called to this Holy Service would themselves consider this aright it would not puff them up but humble them comparing their own worthlesness with this great work and wonder at Gods dispensation that should have honour'd them so Eph. 3.8 So the more a Man rightly extols this his Calling the more he humbles himself under the weight of it and would make them very careful to walk more like it in eminency of holiness for in that consists the true dignity of it There is no doubt that this Kingly Priesthood is the common Dignity of all Believers this honour have all the Saints they are Kings have victory and Dominion given them over the powers of darkness and the lusts of their own hearts that held them captive and domineer'd over them before Base slavish lusts not born to command yet are the hard taskmasters of unrenewed minds and there is no true subduing them but by the power and spirit of Christ thay may be quiet for a while in a Natural Man but they are but then asleep as soon as they awake again they return to hurry and drive him with their wonted violence Now this is the benefit of receiving the Kingdom of Christ into a Mans heart that it makes him a King himself all the Subjects of Christ are Kings not only in regard of that pure Crown of Glory they hope for and shall certainly attain but in the present they have a Kingdom that is the pledge of that other overcoming the World and Satan and themselves by the power of Faith Mens bona regnum possidet 't is true but there is no mind truly good but that wherein Christ dwells There is not any kind of Spirit in the World Noble like that Spirit that is in a Christian the very Spirit of Jesus Christ that great King the spirit of glory as our Apostle calls it infr c. 4. This is a sure way to enoble the basest and poorest amongst us this Royalty takes away all attendors nothing of all that is past to be laid to our charge or to dishonour us They are not shut out from God as before But being in Christ are brought neer unto him and have free access to the Throne of his grace Heb. 10. They resemble in their Spiritual estate the legal Priesthood very clearly 1. In their Consecration 2. In their service and 3. In their Laws of living 1. They were wash'd therefore this express'd Revel 1.5 He hath washt us in his Blood and then followes made us Kings and Priests There were no coming near unto God in his holy Services as his Priests unless we were cleans'd from the guiltiness and pollution of our sins This that pure and purging Blood doth and it alone no other Laver can do it no water but that fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness No blood none of all that blood of Legal Sacrifices Heb. 9. but only the Blood of that spotless Lamb that takes away the sins of the World So with this we have that other Ceremoany of the Priests Consecration which was by Sacrifice as well as by washing for he at once offer'd up himself as our Sacrifice and let out his blood for our washing and with good reason is that prefix'd there Revel 1.5 He hath loved us and then it followes washed us in his blood that precious stream of his heart blood for our washing told clearly that it was a heart full of unspeakable Love that was the source of it 3. There is anointing Namely The graces of the Spirit confer'd upon Believers flowing unto them from Christ For 't is of his fulness that we all receive grace for grace and the Apostle St. Paul sayes 2 Cor. 1.21 that we are establish'd and anointed in Christ it was poured on him as our head and runs down from him unto us He Christ and we Christians as partakers of his anointing The consecrating Oyl of the Priests was made of the richest Oyntments and Spices to shew the preciousness of the graces of Gods Spirit that are bestow'd on those Spiritual Priests and as that holy Oyl was not for common use nor for any other Persons to be anointed withal save the Priests only so is the Spirit of grace a peculiar gift of Believers others might have costly oyntments amongst the Jewes but none of that same sort with the Consecration-Oyl Natural Men may have very great gifts of Judgment and Learning and eloquence and Moral Vertues but they have none of this precious Oyl Namely the spirit of Christ communicated to them No all their endowments are but common and profane that Holy Oyl signified particularly Eminency of light and knowledge in the Priests therefore in Christians there must be light they that are grosly ignorant of Spiritual things are sure not of this order this anointing is said to teach us all things 1. Iohn 2.27 That holy Oyl was of a most fragrant sweet smell by reason of its precious composition but much more sweet is the smell of that Spirit wherewith believers
a Natural Man so little understands that is the cause of all that Spiritual Light of Grace that a Believer does enjoy No right knowledge of God to Man once fallen from it but in his Son no comfort in beholding God but through him Nothing but just anger and wrath to be seen in Gods lookes but through him in whom he is well pleased The Gospel shews us the Light of the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 4.6 but 't is in the face of Iesus Christ therefore the Kingdom of light oppos'd to that of Darkness Col. 1. is called the Kingdom of his dear Son or the Son of his Love There is a Spirit of Light and Knowledge flowes from Jesus Christ into the Souls of Believers that acquaints them with the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God which cannot otherwise be known And this Spirit of Knowledge is withal a Spirit of Holiness for Purity and Holiness is likewise signified by this Light he remov'd that huge dark body of sin that was betwixt us and the Father and eclips'd him from us the light of his countenance sanctifieth by truth 't is a light that hath heat with it and hath influence upon the affections warmes them towards God and divine things this darkness here is indeed the shadow of death and so they that are without Christ till he visit them are said to sit in darkness and in the shadow of death So this Light is Life Ioh. 1.4 Doth enlighten and enliven begâ—ts new actions and motions in the Soul the right notion that he hath of things as they are work upon him and stir him accordingly discovers a man to himself and lets him see his own Natural filthiness and makes him loath himself and fly from himself run out of himself And the excellency he sees in God and his Son Jesus Christ by this new Light enflames his heart with their Love takes him up with estimation of the Lord Jesus and makes the World and all things in it that he esteemed before base and mean in his eyes Then from this Light arises Spiritual Joy and Comfort so Light signifies frequently as in that of the Psalmist the latter clause expounds the former Light is sowen for the Righteous and joy for the upright in heart As this Kingdom of Gods dear Son that is this Kingdom of Light hath righteousness in it so it hath Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 'T is a false prejudice the World hath taken up against Religion that 't is a sowr Melancholly thing There is no truly Lightsome and Comfortable life but it All others have what they will they live in darkness and is not that truly sad and comforâ—less Would you think it a pleasant life though you had fine Cloathes and good Dieâ— but never see the Sun and were still kept in a Dungeon with them thus are they that live in Worldly Honour and Plenty but still without God they are in continual darkness with all their injoyments It is true the light of Believers is not here perfect and therefore their joy is not perfect neither sometimes over clouded but the comfort is this that it is an everlasting light it shall never go out in darkness as is said in Iob of the light of the Wicked â—nd it shall within a while be perfected There is a bright morning without a Cloud that shall arise The Saints have not only Light to lead them in their journey but much purer Light at home an Inheritance in Light Colos. 1. The Land where their Inheritance lyeth is full of Light and their Inheritance it self is light For the Vision of God for ever is that Inheritance that City hath no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof As we said that increated Light is the happiness of the Soul the beginnings of it are our begun happiness they are beams of it sent from above to lead us to the Fountain and fulness of it With thee sayes David is the Fountain of Life and in thy Light shall we see light There are two things spoken of this Light to commend it His Marvellous Light that it is after a peculiar manner Gods and then that is is Marvellous All light is from him the light of sense and that of reason therefore he is called the Father of Lights but this Light of Grace is after a peculiar manner his being a light above the reach of Nature infus'd into the Soul in a supernatural way The light of the Elect World where God specially and graciously recides Natural Men may know very much in natural things and it may be in supernatural things after a natural manner They may be full of School-Divinity and able to discourse of God and his Son Christ and the Mystery of Redemption c. and yet want this peculiar light by which Christ is known to Believers they may speak of him but 't is in the dark they see him not and therefore they love him not the light they have is as the light of some things that shine only in the night a cold Glow-worm-light that hath no heat with it at all Whereas a Soul that hath some of His Light Gods peculiar Light communicated to it sees Jesus Christ and loves and delights in Him and walks with Him A little of this light is worth a great deal yea more worth than all that other common speculative and discoursing knowledge that the greatest Doctors can attain unto 't is of a more excellent kind and original 't is from Heaven and ye know that one beam of the Sun is more worth than the light of ten thousand Torches together 't is a pure undecaying Heavenly light whereas the other is gross and earthly be it never so great and lasts but a while Let us not therefore think it Incredible that a poor unletter'd Christian may know more of God in the best kind of knowledge than any the wisest and Learnedest natural Man can do for the one knowes God only by Mans Light the other knowes him by his own light and that 's the only right knowledge as the Sun cannot be seen but by its own light so neither can God be savingly known but by his own revealing Now this Light being so peculiarly Gods no marvel if it be Marvellous the common light of the world is so though because of its commoness we think not so The Lord is Marvellous is Wisdom in Power in all his works of Creation and Providence But above all in the workings of his Grace This Light is unknown to the World and so Marvellous in the rareness of beholding it that there be but a few that partake of it And to them that see it is Marvellous because in it they see so many excellent things that they knew not before As if a Man were born and brought up till he came to years of understanding in a Dungeon where
though God remain faithful and true but the New Covenant of Grace makes all sure on all hands and cannot be broken the Lord not only keeping His own part but likewise performing ours in us and for us and establishing us that He departs not from us first so we shall not depart from Him I will betroth thee to me sayes he there for ever 't is an indissoluble Marriage that is not in danger to be broke either by Divorce or Death My People There is a treasure of Instruction and comfort wrapt up in that word not only more than the profane world can imagine for they indeed know nothing at all of it but more than they that are of that number are able to conceive of a deep unsoundible My People They his portion and He theirs He accounts nothing of all the World beside them and they of nothing at all beside Him For them He continues the World Many and great are the priviledges of his people contain'd in that great Charter the Holy Scriptures and rich is that Land where their Inheritance lies but all is in this reciprocal that he is their God All his power and Wisdom is engag'd for their good how great and many soever are their enemies they may well oppose this to all he is their God they are sure to be protected and prosper'd and in end to have full victory Happy then is that People whose God is the Lord. Which had not obtained Mercy The Mercies of the Lord to his Chosen are from everlasting yet so long as His Decree of mercy runs hid and is not discover'd to them in the effects of it they are said not to have receiv'd or obtain'd mercy and when it begins to act and work in their effectual calling then they find it to be theirs it was in a secret way moving forward towards them before as the Sun after Midnight is still coming nearer to us though we perceive not its approach till the dawning of the Day Mercy The former word teaches us how great the change is that is wrought by the Calling of God this teaches us how free it is the People of God that 's the good attained in the change obtain'd Mercy that 's the Spring whence it flowes 't is implied indeed in the words of the change of no People such as have no right to such a Dignity at all nor in themselves no disposition for it to be made His people can be by no other but free grace such mercy as supposes nothing nor seeks nothing but misery in us and works upon that As it is express'd to have been very free to this people of the Jews in chusing them before the rest of the World Deut. 17. So 't is to the Spiritual Israel of God and to every one particularly belonging to that company Why is it that he chused me of a Family and leaves another But because it pleaseth him he blots out their transgressions for his own Name sake And 2. as 't is free mercy 't is Tender mercy the word in the Prophet signifies tenderness or bowels of compassion and such are the mercies of our God towards us Ier. 31.20 The bowels of a Father Psal. 103.13 and if you think not that tenderness enough those of a Mother yea more than a Mother Isa. 49.15 3. 'T is Rich mercy delights to glorifie it self in the greatest misery Pardons as easily the greatest as the smallest of Debts 4. A constant unalterable Mercy a stream still running Now in both these the Apostle drawes the eyes of Believers to reflect on their former misery and view it together with their present Estate This is very frequent in the Scirptures Ezek. 16. Eph. 2. 1 Cor. 6.11 c. And it is of very great use works the soul of a Christian to much Humility and Love and Thankfulness and Obedience It cannot chuse but force him to abase himself and magnifie the free Grace and Love of God and this may be one reason why it pleaseth the Lord to suspend the Conversion of many for many years of their life yea to suffer some of them to stain those years with grievous and gross sins that the riches and glory of his Grace and the freeness of his choyce may be the more legible both to themselves and others Likewise those apprehensions of Wrath due to sin and sights of Hell as it were that He brings some unto either at or after their Conversion make for this same end That glorious Description of the New Ierusalem Revel 21.16 is abundantly delighful in it self and yet the firy Lake spoke of their makes all that 's spoke of the other sound much the Sweeter But universally all the Godly have this to consider that they were Strangers and Enemies to God and think whence was it that I a lump of the same polluted clay with those that perish should be taken and purified and moulded by the Lords own hand for a Vessel of Glory There is nothing here but free mercy makes the difference and where can there be Love and Praises and service found to answer this all is to be ascribed to the Mercy Gifts and calling of Christ and His Ministers as St. Paul 2 Cor. 4.1 But alas we neither enjoy the comfort of this Mercy as obtain'd nor are griev'd for wanting it and stirr'd up to seek after it as not yet obtain'd What do we think Seems it a small thing in your eyes to be shut out from the presence of God and bear the weight of His wrath for ever that you thus slight this Mercy and let it pass by you unregarded or will that an imagin'd obtaining divert you from the real pursuit of it Will you be willingly deceiv'd And be your own deceivers in a matter of so great importance You cannot think too highly of the riches of Divine mercy 't is above all your thoughts but remember and consider this that thereis a peculiar people of His own to whom alone all the riches of it do belong And therefore how great soever it is unless you find your selves of that number you cannot lay claim to the smallest share of it And you are not ignorant what is their character what a kind of people they are that have such a knowledge of God as himselfe gives they are all taught of God enlightned and sanctified by his spirit a holy People as he is a holy God such as have the riches of that His grace by which they are saved in most precious esteem and their hearts by it enflamed with his love and therefore their thoughts taken up with nothing so much as studying how they may obey and honour Him rather chusing to displease all the world than offend him and accounting nothing too dear yea nothing good enough to doe him service if it be thus with you then you have indeed obtain'd mercy But if you be such as can wallow in the same pudle with the profane world and take a share of their
ungodly wayes or if your outward carriage be somewhat more smooth tho you regard iniquity in your hearts have your hearts ardent in the love and pursuit of the World but frozen to God if you have some bosome Idol that you hide and entertain cannot find in your heart to part with some one beloved sin whatsoever it is for all the love that God hath manifested to Man in the Son of his love Iesus Christ In a word if you can please and delight your self in any way displeasing unto God though His People while they are here have spots yet these are not the spots of His people that I am now speaking oâ— I can give you no assurance that as yet you have obtain'd mercy but on the contrary 't is certain that the wrath of God is yet abiding on you if you continue and you are in apparent danger to perish under it you are yet Children of Spiritual darkness and in the way to utter and everlasting darkness Know we what it is to be destitute of this mercy 't is a wofull estate though you had all worldly enjoyments and were in the top of outward prosperity but shut out from the mercy and love of God There is nothing doth so kindly work repentance as the right apprehension of the mercy and love of God the beams of that love are more powerfull to melt the heart than all the flames of Mount Sinai All the threatnings and terrours of the Law Sin is the root of our misery and therefore 't is the proper work of this mercy to rescue the soul from it both from the guilt and the power of it at once Can you think there is any suitableness in it that the peculiar People of God should despise his Laws and practise nothing but rebellions that those in whom He hath magnified his mercy should take pleasure in abusing it and that He hath wash'd any with the blood of His Son to that end that they may still tumble themselves again in the mire as if we were redeemed not from sin but to sin As if we should say We are delivered to do all these abominations as the Prophet speaks Oh Let us not dare thus to abuse and indignify the free grace of God if we mean to be sav'd by it as many as would be fouâ—d amongst those that obtain mercy walk as his people whose peculiar inheritance is His mercy And seeing this grace of God hath appeared unto us Let us embrace it and let it effectually teach us to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts And if you be perswaded to be earnest suiters for this mercy and to fly in to Iesus who is the true mercy Seat then be assured it is yours Let not the greatest guiltiness scar you and drive you from it But rather drive you the more to it the greater the weight of that misery is under which you ly the more is your necessity of this mercy and the more will be the glory of it in you 'T is a strange kind of argument and yet a sure one concludes well and strongly Psa. 25. Lord pardon my iniquity for it is great The Soul press'd with the greatness of its sin lying heavy upon it may by that very greatness of it pressing it presse the forgiveness of it at the hands of free mercy 't is for thy name sake that makes it strong the force of the inference lyes in that Thou art nothing and worse than nothing true but all that ever obtain'd this mercy were once so they were nothing of all that which it hath made them to be they were not a People had no interest in God were strangers to mercy yea Heirs of wrath yea they had not so much as a desire after God untill this mercy prevented them and show'd it self to them and them to themselves and so moved them to desire it and caus'd them to find it caught hold on them and pluckt them out of the dungeon And it is unquestionably still the same and fails not ever expending and yet never all spent yea not so much as at all diminish'd flowing as the rivers from one age to another serving each age in the present and yet no whit the less to those that come after The Lord forgiving iniquity transgression and sin to all that come unto him and yet still keeping mercy for thousands that come after You that have obtain'd this mercy and have the Seal of it within you it will certainly conform your hearts to its own nature it will work you to a mercifull compassionate temper of mind to the souls of others that have not yet obtain'd it you will indeed as the Lord doth hate sin but as he doth likewise you will pity the sinner You will be so far from misconstruing and grumbling at the long suffering of God as if you would have the bridge cut because you are over as St. Augustin speaks that on the contrary your great desire will be to draw others to partake of the same mercy with you knowing it to be rich enough And you will in your station use your best diligence to bring in many to it both in love to the souls of Men and to the glory of God And withall you will be still admiring and extolling this mercy as it is manifested unto you considering what it is and what you were before it visited you They confess'd at the offering of the first fruits to set off the bounty of God A Syrian ready to perish was my father and their Captivity in Egypt far poorer and baser is our naturall condâ—tion and more precious is that land of which this free mercy doth possess us Do but call back your thoughts you that have indeed escap'd it and look but into that pit of misery whence the hand of the Lord hath drawn you out and you cannot miss to love him highly and still kiss that gracious hand even while 't is scourging you with any affliction whatsoever because it hath once done this for you namely pluckt you out of everlasting destruction As the thoughts of this change will teach us to praise Psa. 40.23 He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit then followes He hath put a new song in my mouth even praise unto our God not only redeem'd me from destruction but withall crown'd me with glory and honour Psa. 103.4 He not only doth forgive all our debts and lets us out of prison but enriches us with an estate that cannot be spent and dignifies us with a crown that cannot wither made up of nothing of ours These two will stretch and Tune the heart very high to consider from what a low estate grace brings a Man and how high it doth exalt him in what a beggerly vile condition the Lord finds us and yet doth not only free us thence but puts such dignities on us raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the dunghill that he may set him with Princes
we owe Honour to all is nothing but a conformity to this inward temper of mind for he that inwardly despiseth none but esteemeth the good that is in the Lowest at least that they are men and loves them as such will accordingly use no outward sign of disdain of any will not have a scornful Eye nor a reproachful tongue to move at any not the meanest of his servants nor the worst of his Enemies but on the contrary will acknowledge the good of every Man and give unto all that outward respect that is convenient for them and that they are capable of and be ready to do them good as he hath opportunity and ability But in stead of walking by this rule of honouring all Men. What is there almost to be found amongst Men but a perverse proneness to dishonour one another and every Man ready to dishonour all Men that he may honour himself reckoning that what he gives to others abates of himself and taking what he detracts from others as good booty to make up himselfe Set Mens own interest aside and that common Civility that for their own Credit they use one with another and truly there will be found very little of this real respect to others out of their obedience to God and love to Men tendring their esteem and good Name and their wellfare as our own For so the rule is but mutual disesteem and Defaming filling almost all Societies And the bitter root of this Iniquity is that wicked accursed self love that dwells in us every Man is naturally his own grand Idol would be esteem'd and honoured by any means and to magnifie that Idol selfe kills the good Name and esteem of others in sacrifice to it Hence is the narrow observing Eye and broad speaking tongue upon any thing that tends to the dishonour of others and where other things fail the disdainful upbraiding of their Birth or Calling or any thing that comes next to hand that serves for a reproach And hence arises a great part of the jarrs and strifes amongst Men the most being drunk with an over weening opinion of themselves and the Worthlessest most A fool sayes Solomon is wiser in his own conceit then ten Men that can render a reason and not finding others of their mind this frets and troubles them they take the ready course to deceive themselves for they look with both Eyes on the failings and defects of others and scarce give their good half an Eye on the contrary in themselves they study to the full their own advantages and their weaknesses and defects as he sayes they skip over as Children do the hard words in their lesson that are troublesome to read and making this uneven parallel what wonder the result be a gross mistake of themselves Men miscount themselves at home they reckoning that they ought to be regarded and their mind should carry it and when they come abroad and are cross'd in this this puts them all out of frame But the humble man as he is more conform to this Divine Rule so he hath more Peace by it for he sets so low a rate upon himself in his own thoughts that 't is scarce possible for any to go lower in judging of him and therefore as he payes due respect to others to the full and so gives no ground of quarrel that way so he challenges no such debt to himself and thus avoids the usual contests that arise in this Only by Pride comes contention sayes Solomon a Man that will walk abroad in a crowded Street cannot chuse but be often justled but he that contracts himself passes through more easily Study therefore this excellent Grace of Humility not the Personated acting of it in appearance which may be a chief agent for Pride but true lowliness of mind to be nothing in your own Eyes and content to be so in the Eyes of others Then will you obey this Word you will esteem as is meet of all Men and not to be troubled though all Men disesteem you As this Humility is a precious Grace it is the preserver of all other graces and without it if they could be with out it they were but as a Box of precious Powder carried in the wind without a cover in danger to be scatter'd and blown away If you would have Honour there 's an ambition both allow'd you and worthy of you whosoever you are Rom. 2.7 2 Cor. 4. other honour though it have the Hebrew Name from weight is all too Light and weighs onely with cares and troubles Love the Brotherhood There is a love as we said due to all included under that word of honouring all but a peculiar love to our Christian Brethen which the Apostle Paul calls by a like word the Houshold of Faith Christian Brethren are united by a threefold cord two of them common to other Men but the third the strongest and theirs peculiarly their Bodies descended of the same Man and their souls of the same God but their new life by which they are most entirely Brethren is deriv'd from the same God-Man Jesus Christ yea in him they are all one body receiving life from him their glorious head who is called the first born among many Brethren and as his unspeakable love was the source of this New being and Fraternity so out of question it cannot but produce indissolluble love amongst them that are partakers of it The Spirit of Love and concord is that Precious Oyntment that runs down from the Head our great High Priest to the skirts of his Garment The life of Christ and this Law of Love is combin'd and cannot be sever'd Can there be enmity betwixt those hearts that meet in him Why do you pretend your selves Christians and yet remain not only Strangers to this Love but most contrary to it Biters and Devourers one of another and will not be convinced of the great guiltiness and uncomliness of Strifes and Envyings amongst you is this the badge that Christ hath left his Brethren to wrangle and maligne one another Doe you not know on the contrary that they are to be known by mutual Love By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if you love one another How often doth that Beloved Disciple press this he drank deep of that wellspring of Love that was in the Breast on which he leaned and if they relate right he died exhorting this Love one another Oh that there were more of this Love of Christ in our hearts arising from the sense of his Love to us and that would teach this Mutual Love more effectually which the Preaching of it may set before us but without that the other cannot work it within us Why do we still hear these things in vain Do we believe what the Love of Christ did to us and suffer'd for us And will we do nothing for him not forgive a shadow a fancy of Injurie much less a real one for his sake And love him that
reward of sin this I say is not incongruous with the estate of the Sons of God yea 't is their duty and their property even thus to fear 1. This is the very end for which God hath publish'd these intimations of his justice and hath threatned to punish Men if they transgress to the end they may fear and not transgress So that not to look upon them thus and to be affected with them answerably to their intendment were a very grievous sin a slight and disregard put upon the words of the great God 2. Of all others the Children of God have the rightest and clearest knowledge of God and the deepest belief of his word and therefore they cannot chuse but be affraid and more afraid then all others to fall under the stroak of his hand They know more of the greatness and truth and justice of God then others and therefore they fear when he threatens My flesh trembleth for fear of thee sayes David and I am affraid of thy judgements yea they tremble when they hear the Sentence against others or sees the execution on them it minds them when they see publick executions and knowing the terrour of the Lord we persuade Men sayes S. Paul they cry out with Moses Psa. 90. Who knowes the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath 'T is not an imagination nor invention that makes Men fear more then they need his wrath is as terrible as any that fears it most can apprehend and beyond So that this doth not only consist with the estate of the Saints but is their very character to tremble at the word of their Lord the rest neglect what he sayes till death and judgement sieze on them But the Godly know and believe that it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God And though they have firme promises and a Kingdome that cannot be shaken yet they have still this grace by which they serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear even in this consideration that our God even he that is ours by peculiar covenant is a confirming fire Heb. 12.28 29. But indeed together with this yea more then with these they are perswaded to fear the Lord by the sense of his great love to them and the power of that love that works in them towards him and is wrought in them by his They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes Hos. 3.5 In those dayes his goodness shall manifest it self more then before the beams of his love shall break forth more abundantly in the dayes of the Gospel and shall bear more direct and hotter on the hearts of Men and then they shall fear him more because they shall love him more This fear agrees well both with faith and love yea they work it compare Psa. 31.23 with Psa. 34.9 and that same Psa. 34. Ver. 8. with 9. and Psa. 112. Ver. 1. with 7. The heart touch'd with the load-stone of divine love trembles still with this godly fear and yet looks fixedly by faith to that star of Iacob Jesus Christ who guids it to the Haven of happiness The looking upon God in the face of Jesus Christ takes off that terrour of his countenance that drives Men from him and in the smiles of his love that appear through Christ there is such a power as unites their hearts to him but unites them so as to fear his name as the Psalmist's prayer is He puts such a fear in their hearts as will not cause them depart from yea causes that they shall not depart from him And this is the purest and highest kind of godly fear that springs from love and though it excludes not the consideration of wrath as terrible in it self and some fear of it yet it may surmount it and doubtless where much of that love possesses the heart it will sometimes drown the other consideration that it shall scarcely be sensible at all and will constantly set it aside and persuade a Man purely for the goodness and loveliness of God to fear to offend him though there were no interest at all in it of a Man 's own personal misery or happiness But do we thus fear the Lord our God What mean then our oaths and excesses and uncleanness our covetousness and generally our unholy and unchristian conversation This fear would make Men tremble so as to shake them out of their profane customes and to shake their beloved sins out of their bosomes the knowledge of the holy one causes fear of him Prov. 9.18 But alas We know him not and therefore we fear him not knew we but a little of the great Majesty of God how holy he is and how powerful a punisher of unholiness we would not dare to provoke him thus he that can kill both body and soul and cast them into hell as our Saviour tells us and he will do so with both if we will not fear him because he can do so and 't is told us that we may fear and so not feel this heavy wrath A little lively spiritual knowledge would go far and work much that a great deal such as ours is doth not Some such word as that of Ioseph would do much being engraven on the heart shall I do this evil and sin against God it would make a man be at no more liberty to sin in secret then in publick no not to dispense with the sin of his thoughts more then of openest words or actions If some grave wiseman did see our secret behaviour and our thoughts would we not look more narrowly to them And not suffer such rovings and follies in our selves sure therefore we forget Gods eye which we could not if we thought right on 't but respect more then if all men did see within us Nor is this only the main point to be press'd upon the ungodly but the Children of God themselves have much need to be put in mind of it and to increase in it how often do they abuse the indulgence of so loving a father and have not their thoughts so constantly full of him are not in his fear as Solomon advises all the day long but many times slip out of his directing hand and wander from him and do not so deeply fear his displeasure and so watch over all their wayes as becomes them and keep close by him and wait on his voyce and obey it constantly and are not so humbled and afflicted in their repentings for sin as this fear requires but slight and superficial They offer much lip labour which is but dead service to the living God These are things My beloved that concernes us much and that we ought seriously to lay to heart for even they that are freed from condemnation yet if they will walk fearlesly and carelesly at any time he hath ways enough to make them smart for 't and if there were no more should it not wound them deeply to think
what he is and what we are he the Son of his love and we Enemies Therefore it is emphatically express'd in the words he himself bare our sins God so loved the World but love amounts to this much that it was so great as to give his Son But how great that is cannot be utter'd In this sayes the Apostle God commendeth his love to us sets it up to the highest gives us the richest and strongest evidence of it The foundation of this frame this appearing of Christ for us and undergoing and Answering all in our stead lyes in the Decree of God where it was plotted and contriv'd in the whole way of it from Eternity and the Father and the Son being one and their thoughts and will one they were perfectly agreed on 't and those likewise for whom it should hold were agreed upon and their Names written up according to which they are said to be given unto Christ to redeem And just according to that Model did all the work proceed and was accomplished in all points perfectly answering to the pattern of it in the Mind of God As it was preconcluded there that the Son should undertake the business this matchless piece of Service for his Father and that by his interposing Men should be reconciled and saved so that he might be altogether a fit Person for the Work it was resolv'd that as he was already fit for it by the Almightiness of his Deity and Godhead and the acceptableness of his Person to the Father as the Son of God so he should be further fitted by uniting wonderfully weakness to Almightiness the frailty of Man to the Power of God because that suffering for Man was a main point of the work so as his being the Son of God made him acceptable to God his being the son of Man made him suitable to Man in whose business he had engaged himself and to the business it self to be perform'd and not only was there in him by his humane nature a conformity with Man for that might have been by a new created Body but a consanguinity with Man by a Body framed of the same piece a Redeemer a Kinsman as the Hebrew word is only purified for his use as was needful and fram'd after a peculiar manner in the womb of a Virgin as 't is Heb 10. Thou hast fitted a body for me having no sin it self because ordained to have so much of our sins as 't is here he bare them on his own body And this looks back to the Primitive transaction and purpose Lo I come to do thy will sayes the Son and behold my servant whom I have chosen sayes the Father this Master-piece of my works none in Heaven or Earth fit to serve me in it but mine own Son and as he came into the World according to that decree and will so he goes out of it again in that way the Son of Man goeth as is determined it was wickedly and malitiously done by Men against him but determined which is that he there speaks of wisely and graciously by his Father with his own consent As in those two faced pictures Look upon the Crucifying of Christ one way as complotted by a treacherous Disciple and Malicious Priests and Rulers and nothing more deform'd and hateful than the Authors of it but view it again as determin'd in Gods Counsel for the restoring of lost Mankind and so 't is full of unspeakable beauty and sweetness infinite wisdom and Love in every tract of it Thus to the persons for whom as their coming unto him reflects upon that first donation as flowing from that all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me Ioh. 6. Now this being Gods great design that he would have Men eye and consider more than all the rest of his works and yet is least of all considered by the most the other Covenant made with the first Adam was but to make way and so to speak to make work for this for he knew that it would not hold therefore as this New Covenâ—nt became needful by the breach of the other so the failing of that other sets off and commends the firmness of this the former was with a Man in his best condition and yet he kept it not even then he prov'd vanity as 't is Psal. â—9 So that the second to be stronger is made with a Man indeed to supply the former but he is God-man to be surer than the former and therefore it holds and this is the difference as the Apostle expresses it that the first Adam in that first Covenant was laid as a foundation and though we say not that the Church in its true notion was built on him yet the estate of the whole race of Mankind the Materials that the Church is built of lay on him for that time and it failed But upon this Rock the second Adam is the Church so firmly built that the gates of Hell cannâ—t preâ—ail against 〈◊〉 The first Adam was made a quickening or life giving Spirit The first had light but he transfer'd it not yea he kept it not for himself drew in and transfer'd Death but the second by Death convey life to all that are reckon'd his seed he bare their 〈◊〉 He bare them on the tree in that outside of his suffering the visible kind of death inflicted on him that it was hanging on the tree of the Cross there was an Analogy with the end and main work and was order'd by the Lord with regard unto that being a Death declar'd accursed by the Law as the Apostle St. Paul observes and so declaring him that was God blessed for ever to have been made a curse that is accounted as accursed for us that we might be blessed in him in whom according to the Promise all the Nations of the Earth are blessed But that wherein lay the strength and main stress of his sufferings was this invisible weight that none could see that gaz'd on him but he felt more then all In this there are three things 1. The weight of sin 2. The transferring of it upon Christ. 3. His bearing of it 1. He bare as a heavy burden so the word of bearing in general and those two words particularly us'd by the Prophet whither these allude are the bearing of some great mass or load and thus sin is for it hath the wrath of an offended God hanging at it indissollubly tyed to it which who can bear the least of it and therefore the least sin being the procuring cause of it will press a man down for ever that he shall not be able to rise Who can stand before thee when once thou art angry sayes the Psalmist and the Prophet Ier. 3. Return backsliding Israel and I will not cause my wrath to fall upon thee fall as a great weight or as a Milstone crushes the soul. But sensless we go light under the burden of sin and feel it not complain not of it therefore truly
still cleave to sin and love sin better than him that suffered for it But you whose hearts the Lord hath deeply humbled in the sense of sin come to this depth of consolation and try it that you may have experience of the sweetness and â—iches of it study this point throughly and you will find it answer all and quiet your consciences Apply this bearing of sin by the Lord Jesus for you for it is publish'd and made known to you for this purpose this is the genuine and true use of it as of the Brazen Serpent not â—emptily to gaze on the Fabrick of it but to cure those that look'd on it when all that can be said is said against you ' its true may you say but it is satisfied for he on whom I rest made it his and did bear it for me The person of Christ of more worth than all Men yea than all the creatures and therefore his life a full ransome for the greatest offender And for outward troubles and sufferings which were the occasion of this Doctrine in this place they are all made exceeding light by the removal of this great pressure Let the Lord lay on me what he will seeing he hath taken off my sin and laid that on his own Son in my stead I may suffer many things but he hath bâ—rn that for me which alone was able to make me miserable And you that have this perswasion how will your hearts be taken up with his love Who thus lov'd you as to give himself for you and by interposing himself to bear off from you the stroke of everlasting death and that encountered all the wrath due to us and went through with that great work by reason of his unspeakable love Let him never go forth from my heart who for my sake refus'd to go down from the cross That we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousnesse The Lord doth nothing in vain hath not made the least of his work to no purpose in wisdom hath he made them all sayes the Psalmist and that is not only in regard of their excellent frame and Order but of their end which is a chief Point of Wisdom so then to the right knowledge of this great work put into the hands of Jesus Christ it is of special concern to understand what is this end This is the thing thâ—t his wisdom and love aim'd at in that great undertaking and therefore will be our truest wisdom and the truest evidence of our reflex Love to intend the same thing that in this the same mind may be in us that was in Christ Iesus in his suffering for us and for this very end is it express'd In this there are 3. Things 1st What this death and life is 2. The intendment of it in the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ. 3. The effecting of it by them Whatsoever this is sure 't is no small change that bears the Name of the great and last natural change that we are subject to a death and then another kind of life succeeding to it and in this the greatest part are mistaken that they take any light alteration in themselves for true conversion There be a World deluded with superficial Moral changes in their Life some rectifying of their outward actions and course of Life and somewhat too in the temper and habitude of their mind far from reaching the bottom of Natures wickedness and laying the axe to the root of the Tree 't is such a work as Men can make a shift withal by themselves but the Renovation that the Spirit of God worketh is like himself so deep and through a work that it is justly called by the Name of the most substantial works and productions a new birth and more than that a new Creation and here a Death and a kind of life following it This death to sin supposes a former living in it and to it and while a Man is so he is said indeed to be dead in sin and yet withal this is true that he lives in sin as the Apostle joynes the expressions speaking of Widowes she that lives in pleasures is dead while she liveth So Eph. 2. dead in trespasses and sins and he addes wherein ye walked which imports a life such an one as it is and more expresly Verse 3. We had our conversation in the lusts of our flesh Now thus to live in sin is call'd to be dead in it because in that condition Man is indeed dead in respect of that Divine Life of the Soul that happy being which it should have in Union with God for which it was made and without which it had better not be at all For that Life as it is different from its natural being and a kind of Life above it so it is contrary to that corrupt being and life it hath in sin and therefore to live in sin is to be dead in it being a deprivement of that Divine being that Life of the Soul in God in comparison whereof not only the base life it hath in sin but the very natural life it hath in the Body and the Body by it is not worthy the Name of Life You see the Body when the threed of its union with the Soul is cut becomes not only straightway a motionless lump but within a little time a putrified noysome Carcase and thus the Soul by sin is cut off from God who is its life as is the Soul of the Body it hath not only no moving faculty in good but fills full of rotteness and vileness as the word is Psal. 14. they are gone aside and become filthy The Soul by turning away from God turns filthy yet as a Man thus Spiritually dead lives naturally so because he acts and spends that Natural life in the wayes of sin he is said to live in sin yea there is somewhat more in that expression than the mere passing of his life in that way for in stead of that happy life his Soul should have in God he pleases himself in the miserable life of sin that which is his death as if it were the proper life of his Soul that natural propension he hath to sin and the continual delight he takes in it as in his Element and living to it as if that were the very end of his being In that estate his Body nor his mind stirreth not without sin setting aside his manifest breaches of the Law those actions that are evidently and totally sinful his natural actions his eating and drinking his religious actions his Praying and hearing and Preaching are sin at the bottom and generally his heart is no other but a forge of sin every imagination every fiction of things framed there is only evil continually or every day and all the day long 't is his very trade and Life Now in opposition to this life of Sin living in it and to it a Christian is said to dy to sin to be cut off or separated from it In
hath no other purpose in his being and living but only to honour his Lord that 's to live to righteousness he doth not make a by-work of it a study for his spare houres no 't is his main busines his all In this law doth he meditate day and night This life as the other is in the heart and from thence diffuses to the whole Man he loves righteousness and receiveth the truth as the Apostle speaks in the love of it A natural Man may do many things that for their shell and outside are righteous But he lives not to righteousness because his heart is not possess'd and rul'd with the love of it but this life makes the godly Man delight to walk uprightly and to speak of righteousness his Language and wayes carry the resemblance of his heart Psa. 37. Ver. 30.31 I know 't is easiest to act that part of Religion that is in the Tongue but the Christian ought not for that to be Spiritually dumb Because some Birds are taught to speak Men do not for that give it over and leave off to speak the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his Tongue talketh of judgement and his feet strive to keep pace with his Tongue which gives evidence of its unfainedness None of his steps shall slide or he shall not stagger in his steps but that which is betwixt these is the common Spring the Law of God is in his heart of both and from thence as Salomon sayes are the issues of his life that Law in his heart is the principle of this living to righteousness 2 The Second thing here is the design or Intendment of this death and life in the sufferings and death of Christ he bare sin and died for it that we might dye to it Out of some conviction of the consequence of Sin many have a confus'd desire to be justified to have sin pardon'd and look no further think not on the importance and necessity of sanctification the nature whereof is express'd by this dying to sin and living to righteousness But here we see that sanctification is necessary as inseparably connexed with justification not only as its companion but as its end which in some kind raises it above the other that it was the thing which God ey'd and intended in taking away the guiltiness of sin that we might be renew'd and sanctified If we compare them in point of time either backward holiness was alwayes necessary unto happiness But satisfying for sin and the pardon of it was made necessary by sin or if we look forward the estate we are appointed to and for which we are delivered from wrath is an estate of perfect holiness When we reflect upon that great work of Redemption we see it aim'd at there Redeem'd to be holy Eph. 5.25 26. Tit. 2.14 And go yet higher to the very Spring the decree of Election And then it s said Chosen before that we should be Holy and in end it shall Suit the designe Nothing shall enter into the new Ierusalem that is defiled or unholy Nothing but all purity there not a spot of sinfull pollution not a wrinkle of the Old Man for this end was that great work undertaken by the Son of God that he might frame out of polluted Mankind a new holy generation to his Father that might compasse his throne in the Life of glory and give him pure praises and behold his face in that eternity Now for this end it was needfull according to the all-wise purpose of the Father that the guiltiness of sin and sentence of Death should be once removed and thus the burden of that lay upon Christs shoulders on the Crosse and that done it is further necessary that Souls so deliver'd be likewise purg'd and renew'd for they are design'd to perfection of holiness in end and it must begin here Yet is it not possible to perswade Men of this that Christ had this in his eye and purpose when he was lift up upon the crosse and look'd upon the whole company of those his Father had given him to save that he would redeem them to be a number of holy Persons We would be redeem'd who is there would not but he would have his redeemed ones holy and they that are not true to this his end but crosse and oppose him in it may hear of redemption long and often But litle to their comfort Are you resolv'd still to abuse and delude your selves Well whither you will believe it or no this is once more told you there is unspeakable comfort in the death of Chirst but it belongs only to those that are dead to sin and alive to righteousness This Circle shuâ—s out the impenitent world there it closes and cannot be broke through but all that are penitent are by their effectual caling lifted in to it translated from that accurs'd condition wherein they were So then if you will live in your sins you may but then resolve withal to bear them your selves for Christ in his bearing of sin meant of none but such as in due time are thus dead and thus alive with him 3. But then in the Third place Christs Sufferings and death effects all this 1. As the exemplary cause the lively contemplation of Christ crucified is the most powerful of all thoughts to separate the heart and sin But 2. besides this working as a Moral cause as that example Christ is the effective natural cause of this death and life For he is one with the Believer and there is a real influence of his death and life into their Souls This Mysterious Union of Christ and the believer is that whereon both their Justification and Sanctification and the whole frame of their Salvation and Happiness depends and in this particular the Apostle still insists on it speaking of Christ and Believers as one in his Death and Resurrection crucified with him dead with him buried with him and risen with him Rom. 6. Being arisen he applies his death to those he dyed for and by it kills the life of sin in them and so is aveng'd on it for its being the cause of his death according to that of the Psalm raise me up that I may requite them He infuses and then actuates and stirres up that faith and love in them by which they are united to him and these work powerfuly in this 3. Faith look's so stedfastly on its suffering Saviour that as they say intellectus fit illud quod intelligit it makes the Soul like him assimilates and conformes it to his Death as the Apostle speaks That which some fable of some of their Saints of receiving the impression of the wounds of Christ in their body is true in a Spiritual sense of the Soul of every one that is indeed a Saint and a believer it takes the very print of his Death by beholding him and dyes to sin and then takes that of his rising again and lives to righteousness as it applies it to justify so
equally from every Minister alike yet it must be acknowledged that there is something we know not what to call it more acceptable reception of those who at first were the means of bringing men to God then others like the opinion some have of Physitians whom they love The Apostle comforts these strangers of this dispersion by the spiritual union which they obtained by Effectual calling and so calls off their eyes from their outward dispersed and dispised condition to look above that as high as the spring of their happiness the free love and Election of God Scattered in the Countries and yet gathered in Gods Election chosen or pickt out Stangers to men amongst whom they dwelt but known and foreknown to God removed from their own Country to which men have naturally an unalterable affection but made heirs of a better as followes verse 3.4 And having within them the evidence both of Eternal Election and that expected salvaâ—ion the Spirit of holiness verse 2. At the best a Christian is bâ—t a Stranger here set him where you will as our Apostle teacheth after and 't is his priviledge that he is so and when he thinks not so he forgets and disparages himself and descends far below his quallity when he is much taken with any thing in this place of his Exile But this is the wisdom of a Christian when he can solace himself against the meaness and any kind of discomfort of his outward condition with the comfortable assurance of the love of God that he hath called him to holiness given him some measure of it and an endeavour after more and by this may he conclude that he hath ordained him unto salvation if either he is a Stranger where he lives or as a stranger deserted of his friends and very near stript of all outward comforts yet may he rejoyce in this that the Eternal unchangable Love of God that is from Everlasting to Everlasting is sealed to his soul O what will it avail a man to be compassed about with the favour of the world to sit unmolested in his own home and possessions and to have them very great and pleasant well moneyed and landed and befriended and yet estranged and sever'd from God not having any token of his special Love To the Elect The Apostle here denominates all the Christians to whom he writes by the condition of true Believers calling them Elect and sanctified c. And the Apostle St. Paul writes in the same stile in his Epistles to the Churches not that all in these Churches were such indeed but because they professed to be such and by that their profession and Calling as Christians they were obliged to be such and as many of them as were in any measure true to that their Calling and profession were really such Besides it would seem not unworthy of Consideration that in all probability there would be fewer false Christians and the number of true believers usually greater in the Churches in those Primitive times then now in the best reformed Churches because there could not then be many of them that were from their Infancy bred in the Christian Faith but for the greatest part were such as being of years of discretion were by the hearing of the Gospel converted from Paganisme and Iuduisme to the Christian Religion first and made a deliberate choise of it to which there were at that time no great outward Encouragements and therefore the lesse danger of multitudes of hypocrites which as Vermine in Summer breed most in the time of the Churches Prosperity Tho no Nation or Kingdom had then universally received the faith but rather hated and persecuted it yet were there even then amongst them as the writings of the Apostles testifie false Brethren and inordinate walkers and men of corrupt minds earthly minded and led with a spirit of envy and contention and vainglory Howsoever the question that is moved concerning the necessary qualifications of all the members of a true visible Church can no way as I conceive be decided from the Inscriptions of the Epistle but eertainly they are useful to teach Christians and Christian Churches what they ought to be and what their holy profession requires of them and sharply to reprove the gross unlikeness and inconformity that is in the most part of man to the description of Christians As there be some that are too strait in their Judgement concerning the being and nature of the visible Church so certainly the greatest part of Churches are too loose in their practice From the dissimilitude betwixt our Churches and those we may make this use of reproof That if aâ— Apostolical Epistle were to be directed to us it behoved to be Inscribed to the Ignorant prophane maliâ—ious c. As he who at the hearing of the Gospel read said Either this is not the Gospel or we are not Christians So either these Charâ—cters given in the Inscription of these Epistles are not true Characters or we are not true Christians Verse 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinckling of the blood of Iesus Christ. IN this verse we have their Condition and Causes of it Their Condition Sanctified and Iustified the former expressed by Obedience the latter by sprinkling of the blood of Christ. The Causes 1 Eternal Election 2. The Execution of that Decree Their Effectual Calling which I conceive is meant by Election here the selecting them out of the World and joyning them to the fellowship of the Children of God so Ioh. 15.19 The former Election particularly ascribed to God the Father the latter to the Holy Spirit And the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God is here the cause of their Justification and so the whole Trinity concurring dignifie them with this their Spiritual and happy estate First I shall discourse of these seperately and then of their Connection 1. Of the state it selfe and first of Iustification tho named last This sprinkling has respect to the Rite of the Legal Purification by the sprinkling of Blood and that appositely for these Rites of sprinkling and Blood did all point out this Blood and this Sprinkling and exhibited this true ransome of souls which was only shadowed by them As the use and end of Sprinkling was Purification and Expiation because sin merited death and that the pollutions and staines of human nature was by sin Such is the pollution that it can be no manner of way washt off but by Blood Heb. 9. â—2 Neither is there any Blood able to purge from sin except the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 That the stain of sin can only be washt off by Blood inâ—imates that it merits Death And that no Blood but that of the Son of God can do it intimates that this stain merits Eternal Death and it had been our portion except the death of the Eternal Lord of life had freed
is first impressed on the mind hence flowes out pleasant obedience and full of love hence all the affections and the whol body with its members learn to give a willing obedience and submit unto God whereas before they resisted him being under the standerd of Satan This Obedience tho imperfect yet hath a certain if I may so say imperfect perfection It s universal three manner of wayes 1. in the subject 2. In the Object 3. In the duration the whole man subjected to the whole Law and that constantly and perseveringly The first universality is the cause of the other because it s not in the tongue alone or in the hand c. but has its root in the heart therefore doth not wither as the grasse or flower lying on the superfice of the earth but it flourishes because rooted and therefore it embraces the whole Law because it arises from a reverence it has for the Lawgiver himself Reverence I say but tempered with Love hence it accounts no Law nor command little or of small value which is from God because he is great and highly esteemed by the pious heart No command hard tho contrary to the flesh because all things are easie to Love there is the same authority in all as St. Iames divinely argues And this Authority is the golden chain of all the commandments which if broke in any link all falls a pieces That this three fold perfection of obedience is not a picture drawn by fancy is evident in David Psal. 119. where he subjects himself to the whole Law His feet v. 105. his mouth v. 13. his heart v. 11. the whole tenor of his life v. 24. He subjects himself to the whole law v. 6. and he professes his constancy therein in v. 16. and 33. teach me the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the end According to the foreknowledge of God the Father The exactest knowledge of things is to know them in their causes it is then an excellent thing and worthy of their endeavours that are most desirous of knowledge to know the best things in their highest Causes and the happiest way of this knowledge is to possess those things and to know them in Experience to such the Apostle here speaks and sets before them the excellency of their spiritual condition and leads them to the causes of it Their Estate is that they are sanctified and justified the nearest cause of both these is Iesus Christ he is made unto them both Righteousness and Sanctification the sprinkling of his blood purifies them from guiltines and quickens them to obedience Now followes to consider the appropriateing or applying Cause the Holy and holy making or sanctifying Spirit the Author of their selecting from the world and effectual calling unto grace The source of all the appointing or decreeing Cause is God the Father for though they all work Equally in all yet in order of working we are taught thus to distinguish and particularly to ascribe the first work of Eternal Election to the first Person of the blessed Trinity In or through Sanctification for to render it Elect to the sanctification is strained so then I conceive this Election is their Effectual Calling which is by the working of the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 26.27.28 where Vocation and Election are used in the same sense Ye see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise after the flesh c. but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to condemn the wise 't is the first act of the decree of Election the beginning of its performance in these that are Elected and 't is in it self a real seperating of men from the profane and miserable Condition of the world and an appropriating and consecrating of a man unto God and therefore both in regard of its relation to Election and in regard of its own nature it well bears that name Rom. 8.28.30 Act. 2.47 13.48 Ioh. 15.19 Sanctification in a narrower sense as distinguished fâ—om Iustification signifieth the inherent holiness of a Christian or his Inclinement and Innablement to obedience mentioned in this verse but 't is here more large and so extends with the whole work of Renovation and is the severing and seperating of men to God by his holy Spirit drawing them unto him and so it comprehends Justification as here and the first working of faith by which the soul is justified through its apprehending and applying the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Of the spirit The Word calls men externally and by that Eternal calling prevails with many to an External receiving and professing of Religion but if it be left alone it goes no further it is indeed the means of sanctification and effectual calling Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth But this is doth when the spirit that speaks in the Word works in the heart and causes it to hear and obey The Spirit or Soul of a man is the chief and first subject of this work and 't is but slight false work that begins not there but the Spirit here is rather to be taken for the Spirit of God the Efficient then the Spirit of man the Subject of this sanctification And therefore our Saviour in that place prayes to the Father that he would sanctifie his own by that truth and this he doth by the concurrence of his Spirit with that word of truth which is the life and vigour of it and makes it prove the power of God unto salvation to them that believe 't is a fit means in it self but 't is then a prevailing meanes when the Spirit of God brings it in to the heart 't is a Sword and sharper then a two edged Sword fit to divide yea even to the dividing of Soul and Spirit But this it doth not without it be in the Spirits hand and he applyes it to this cutting and dividing The word calls but the Spirit Drawes not sever'd from that word but working in it and by it 'T is a very difficult work to draw a Soul out of the hands and strong chains of Satan and out of the pleasing Entanglements of the world and out of its own natural perversness to yield up it self unto God to deny it self and live to him and in so doing to run against the main stream and the current of the ungodly world without and Corruption within The strongest Rhetorick the most moving and persuasive way of discourse is all too weak the tongue of Men and Angels cannot prevail with the soul to free it self and shake off all that deteins it although it be convinced of the truth of those things that are represented to it yet still it can and will hold out against it and say non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris The hand of Man is too weak to pluck any soul out of the croud of the world and set it in amongst the select number of Believers Only the Father of Spirits hath absolute command of Spirits viz. the Souls of Men
Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God Who can conceive whence this should be that any man should believe unless it be given him of God and if given him then it was his purpose to give it him and if so then is it evident that he had a purpose to save him and for that end he gives faith not therefore purposes to Save because Man shall believe 4. This seems cross to these Scriptures where they speak of the subordination or rather Coordination of those two as here Foreknown and Elect not because of Obedience or sprinkling or any such thing but to Obedience and sprinkling which is by faith So he predestinated not because he foresaw Men would be conform to Christ but that they might be so as Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and the same order Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church dayly such as should be saved and 13.48 And as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed This Foreknowledge then is his Eternal and Unchangable Love and that thus he Chuseth some and rejecteth others is for that great End to manifest and magnifie his Mercy and Justice but why he appointed this Man for the one and the other for the other made Peter a vessel of this mercy and Iudas of wrath this is even so because it seemed good to him This if it be harsh yet is Apostolick Doctrine Hath not the Potter saith St. Paul power over the same Lump to make one Vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour This deep we must admire and alwayes in considering it close with this O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Now the Connexion of these we are for our profit to take notice of that effectual Calling is inseparably tyed to this Eternal Foreknowledge or Election on the one side and Salvation on the other These two links of the chain are up in Heaven in Gods own hand but this middle one is let down to earth into the hearts of his Children and they laying hold on it hath sure hold on the other two for no power can sever them and therefore the reading the characters of Gods Image in their own souls those are the counterpain of the golden characters of his Love in which their names are written in the Book of Life Their believing writes their names under the promises of the revealed Book of Life the Scriptures and so ascertains them that the same names are in the secret Book of Life that God hath by himself from Eternity So finding the stream of grace in their hearts tho they see not the Fountain whence it flowes nor the Ocean into which it returns yet they know that it hath its source and shall return to that Ocean which ariseth from their Eternal Election and Salvation and shall empty it selfe into Eternity of happiness Hence much joy ariseth to the Believer this tye indissolvable as the Agents are the Father the Son and the Spirit So Election and Vocation and Sanctification and Iustification and Glory and therefore in all conditions they may from the sence of the working of the Spirit in them look back to that Election and forward to that Salvation but they that remain unholy and dissobedient have as yet no evidence of this Love and therefore cannot without vain presumptions and self delusion Judge thus of themselves that they are within the peculiaâ— Love of God but in this Let the Righteous be glad and let them shout for joy all that are upright in heart 'T is one main point of happiness that he that is happy doth know and judge himselfe to be so this being the peculiar good of a reasonable creature 't is to be enjoyed in a Reasonable way 't is not as the dull resting of a Stone or any other natural body in its natural place but the knowledge and consideration of it is the fruition of it the very relishing and tasting its sweetness The perfect blessedness of the Saints is abiding them above but even their present condition is truly happy tho incompleatly and but a small beginning of that which they expect and this their present happiness is so much the more the more clear knowledge and firm perswasion they have of it 't is one of the pleasant fruits of the Godly to know the things that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Therefore the Apostle to comfort his dispersed Brethren sets before them a description of that excellent Spiritual Condition to which they are called If they be inseparably linkt together then by any one of them a man may lay hold upon all the rest and may know that his hold is sure and this is that way wherein we may attain and ought to seek that comfortable assurance of the Love of God Therefore Make your Calling sure and by that your Election for that being done this follows of it self We are not to pry immediately into the Decree but to read it in the performance though the Mariner sees not the Pole-star yet the Needle of the Compass that points to it tells him which way he sails thus the heart that is touched with the Loadstone of Divine Love trembling with godly fear and yet still looking towards God by fixed believing it points at the Love of Election and tells the soul that its courss is heavenward towards the Haven of Eternal rest He that Loves may be sure he was loved first and he that chuses God for his delight and Portion may conclude confidently that God hath chosen him to be one of those that shall enjoy him and be happy in him for ever for that our Love and Electing of him is but the return and repercussion of the beams of his Love shining upon us Find thou but within thee Sanctification by the Spirit and this argues necessarily both Justification by the Son and the Election of God the Father 1 Ioh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit 'T is a most strange demonstration ab Effectu reciproco He Called those he hath Elected he Elected those he Called where this sanctifying Spirit is not there can be no perswasion of this Eternal Love of God they that are Children of disobedience can conclude no otherwise of themselves but that they are the Children of wrath Although from present unsanctification a Man cannot inferre that he is not Elected for the Decree may for part of a Mans life run as it were under-ground Yet this is sure that that estate leads to death and unless it be broken will prove the black line of reprobation A man hath no Portion amongst the Children of God nor can read one word of Comfort in all the Promises that belongs to them while he remains unholy Men may please themselves in prophane Scoffing at the Holy Spirit of Grace but let them withal know this that that Holy Spirit
they mock and despise is that Spirit that seals men to the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 If any pretend they have the Spirit and so turn away from the straight rule of the Holy Scriptures they have the Spirit indeed but 't is a fanatical Spirit the Spirit of Delusion and Giddiness but the Spiâ—it of God that leads his Children in the way of truth and is for that purpose sent them from Heaven to guide them thither squares their thoughtts and wayes to that Rule And that Word whereof it is Author which was inspired by it sanctifies them to Obedience He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Ioh. 2.4 Now this Spirit that sanctifieth and sanctifieth to Obedience is within us the Evidence of our Election and Earnest of our salvation and whoso are not sanctified and led by this Spirit the Apostle tells us what is their Condition Rom. 8.9 if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Let us not delude our selves this is a truth if there be any in Religion they that are not made Saints in the estate of Grace shall never be Saints in Glory The Stones that are appointed for that Glorious Temple above are hewen and polished and prepar'd for it here as the stones were wrought and prepared in the Mountains for building the Temple at Ierusalem This is the Order Psal. 84.12 He gives Grace and Glory as Moralists can tell us that the way to the Temple of Honour is through the Temple of Vertue They that think they are bound for Heaven in the wayes of sin have either found a new way untroden by all that are gone thither or will find themselves deceived in the end We need not then that poor shift for the pressing of Holiness and Obedience upon Men. to represent it to them as the meriting cause of Salvation this is not at all to the purpose seeing without it the Necessity of Holiness to Salvation is pressing enough for holiness is no less necessary to Salvation then if it were the meriting Cause of it it is as insepararably tyed to it as the purpose of God and in the Order of performance Godliness is as certainly before Salvation as if Salvation did wholly and all together depend upon it and were in point of Justice deserved by it Seeing then there is no other way to Happiness but by Holiness no Assurance of the Love of God without it Take the Apostles advice study it seek it follow earnestly after holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Grace unto you and peace be multâ—plyed It hath always been a civil custom amongst Men to season their intercourse with good wishes one for another this the Apostles use in their Epistles in a spiritual divine way suitable to their holy Writings It well becomes the Messengers of Grace and Peace to wish both and to make their salutation conform to the main scope and subject of their discourse The Hebrew word of salutation we have here Peace and that which is the spring both of this and these good things are all in the other word of Salutation used by the Greeks Grace All right Rejoycing and Prosperity and Happiness flowes from this source and from this alone and is sought elsewhere in vain In general this is the Character of a Christian spirit to have a heart fill'd with Blessing with this sweet good will and good wishing to all especially to those that are their Brethren in the same Profession of Religion And this Charity is a precious Balm diffusing it self in the wise and seasonable expressions of it upon fit occasions and those expressions must be cordial and sincere not like that you call Court Holy-water in which there is nothing else but falshood or vanity at the best This manifests Men to be the Sons of Blessing and of the ever blessed God the Father of all Blessing when in his name they bless one another yea our Saviours Rule goes higher to bless those that curse them and urges it by that Relation to God as their Father that in this they may resemble him That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven But in a more eminent way it s the duty of Pastors to bless their People not only by their publick and Solemn Benediction but by daily and instant Prayers for them in secret And the great Father who seeth in Secret will reward them openly They are to be ever both endeavouring and wishing their increase of knowledge and all Spiritual grace in which they have St. Paul a frequent Pattern They that are Messengers of this Grace if they have Experience of it 't is the Oyl of gladness that will dilate their heart and make it large in Love and spiritual desires for others Especially their own Flocks Let us 1 Consider the matter of the Apostles desire for them Grace and peace 2. The measure of it that it may be multiplyed 1 Grace We need not make a noise with the many School-distinctions of Grace and describe in what sense 't is here to be taken for no doubt 't is all saving Grace to those dispersed Brethren so that in the largest Notion that it can have that way we may safely here take it What is preventing Grace assisting Grace Working and Co-working Grace as we may admit these differences in a sound sense but divers Names of the same effectual saving Grace in relation to our different Estate as the same Sea receives different names from the different parts of the shoar it beats upon First It Prevents and Workes then it Assists and Prosecutes what it hath wrought he worketh in us to will and to do but the whole sense of saving Grace I conceive is comprehended in these two 1 Grace in the Fountain that is the peculiar Love and Favour of God 2. In the Streams the Fruits of this Love for 't is not an empty but a most rich and liberal Love viz. All the Graces and spiritual Blessings of God bestowed upon them whom he hath freely chosen The Love of God in it selfe can neither Diminish nor Increase but it is Multiplied or abounds in the Manifestation and Effects of it so then to desire Grace to be multiplied to them is to Wish to them the living Spring of it that Love that cannot be exhausted but is ever flowing forth and in stead of abateing makes each day richer then another And this is that which should be the top and summe of Christian Desires To have or want any other thing indifferently but to be resolved and resolute in this to seek a share in this Grace the free Love of God and the sure Evidences of it within you the fruit of holiness and the Graces of his Spirit but the most of us are otherwise taken up We will not be convinc'd how basely and foolishly we are busied though in the best and most respected employments
spero 'T is a fearful thing when a Man and all his hopes dye together Thus saith Solomon of the Wicked when He dyeth many of them before but at the utmost then all of them then dye his Hopes Prov. 11.7 but the Righteous hath hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Death that cutts the sinews of all other Hopes and turns men out of all other Inheritances it alone fulfils this Hope and ends it in Fruition As a Messenger sent to bring the Children of God home to the possession of their Inheritance By the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead This referrs to both Begotten again by his Resurrection and having this living Hope by his Resurrection and well suits both it being the proper cause of both in this order First then of the Birth then of the Hope The Image of God is renewed in us by our Union with him who is the express Image of his Fathers person Gal. 4 19. Therefore this new birth in the Conception is exprest by the forming of Christ in the Soul and Resurrection particularly is assign'd as the cause of our New Life this New Birth is called our Resurrection and that in conformity to Christ yea by vertue and Influence of His. His Resurrection is called a Birth he the first begotten from the dead Rev. 1.5 and that Prophesie Psal. 2.7 Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee is applyed to his Resurrection as fulfilled in it Act. 13.33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Iesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Not only is it the Exemplary but the Efficient cause of our new birth Thus Rom. 6. at large and often elsewhere and thus likewise it is the cause of our Living hope that which indeed inspires and maintains life in it because he hath Conquered Death and is risen again and that implyed which followeth is set down at the right hand of God hath entered Possession of that Inheritance This gives us a Living Hope that according to his own Request where he is there we shall be also Thus this Hope is strongly underset on the one side by the Resurrection of Christ on the other by the abundant mercy of God the Father Our hope depends not on our own Strength or Wisdom nor on any thing in us for then if it did it would be short-liv'd would die and dye quickly but on his Resurrection that can dye no more for in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Rom. 6.10 This makes this Hope not to imply in the notion of it Uncertainty as worldly hopes but 't is a firm stable inviolable hope an Anchor pitch'd within the vail According to his abundant mercy Mercy is the Spring of all this yea great Mercy and manifold Mercy for as St. Bernard saith Great sins and Great Miseries need Great Mercy and many sins and Miseries need many Mercies and is not this great Mercy to make of Satans slaves Sons of the most high Well may the Apostle say Behold what manner of Love and how great Love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the Sons of God The World knows us not because it knew not him they that have not seen the Father of a Child cannot know its Resembling him for the World knowes not God and therefore discerns not his Image in his Children to esteem them for it But whatever be their Opinion this we must say our selves Behold what Love to take fire-brands of Hell and to appoint them to be one day brighter then the Sun in the firmament To raise the poor out of the dunghil and set them with Princes Psal. 11.38 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Lastly we see it stirs up the Apostle to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ This is the stile of the Gospel as formerly under the Law the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the God that brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt c. This now is the Order of the Government of Grace that it holds first with Christ our Head and in Him with us so he sayes I go to my Father and your Father and my God and your God Which as St. Cyril of Hierosol in his Catechism observes shows us not only our Communion with him that might have been exprest thus I go to my God and Father but the Order of the Covenant First my Father and my God and then yours Thus ought we in Consideration of the mercies of God still take in Christ for in him they are conveyed to us Thus Eph. 1.3 With all spiritual Blessings in Christ Iesus Blessed He blesseth us really benefaciendo benedicit We bless Him by acknowledging His goodness And this we ought to do at all times Psal. 34.1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth All this is far below Him and His mercies What are our lame praises in comparison of his Love Nothing and less then nothing but Love will stammer rather then be dumb They that are amongst his Children begotten again they have in the Resurrection of Christ a lively hope of glory as 't is Col. 1.27 which is Christ in you the hope of Glory This leads them to observe and admire that rich mercy whence it flowes and this consideration awakes them and strains them to break forth into praises To an Inheritance incorruptible As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather and as Vinegar upon nitre so is he that singeth Songs to a heavy heart Prov. 25.20 Worldly Mirth is so far from curing Spiritual Grief that even worldly Grief where 't is great and takes deep root is not allayed but increased by it a man that is full of inward heaviness the more he is compassed about with mirth it exasperates and enrages his Grief the more like ineffectual weak Physick that removes not the humour but stirs it and makes it more unquiet but spiritual Joy is seasonable for all Estates In prosperity 't is pertinent to crown and sanctifie all other Enjoyments with this that so far suspasses them and in distress 't is the only Nepenthe the cordial of fainting Spirits So Psal. 4. He hath put joy into my heart this mirth makes way for it selfe which other mirth cannot do these Songs are sweetest in the Night of distress Therefore the Apostle writing to his scattered afflicted Brethren begins his Epistle with this Song of Praise Blessed be the God and Father c. The matter of it is the Joyful Remembrance of the Happiness laid up for them under the name of Inheritance Now this Inheritance is described by the singular Qualities of it They Contain 1. The Excellency of its Nature 2. The certainty of its attainment the former in these three Incorruptible Vndefiled and that fadeth
Defended they perish not according to the Prayer of our Saviour poured out for them Ioh. 17.16 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but that thou shouldest keep them from the Evil. They have the Prince of the power of the Air and all his Armies all the forces he can make against them Though his power is nothing but Tyranny and Usurpation yet because once they were under his yoak he bestirres himselfe to pursue them when they are led forth from their Captivity as Exod. 14.5.9 Pharaoh with all his Chariots and Horses and Horsemen pursues after the Israelites going out of Egypt The word in the Original here translated Kept is a Military term used for those who are kept as in a Fort or Garrison Town besieged So Satan is still raising Batterries against this Fort using all wayes to take it by Strength or Sratagem unwearied in his Assaults and very skilful to know his Advantages and where we are weakest there to set on And besides all this He hath Intelligence with a Party within us ready to betray us to him so that it were impossible for us to hold out were there not another Watch and Guard then our own and other walls and Bulwarks then any that our skill and Industry can raise for our own Defence In this then is our safety that there is a Power above our own yea and above all our Enemies that guards us Salvation it selfe our Walls and Bulwarks We ought to watch but when we do in Obedience to our Commander the Captain of our Salvation yet it is his own Watching who sleeps not nor so much as slumbers 't is that preserves us and makes ours not to be in vain Psal. 126.1 Isa. 27.3 And therefore those two are joyntly Commanded â—atch and Pray that ye enter not into Temtation Watch there 's the necessity of our Diligence Pray there 's the Insufficiency of it and the necessity of his Watching by whose Power we are effectually preserv'd and that Power is our Fort. Isa. 26.1 Salvation hath God appointed for walls and Bulwarks what more safe then to be wall'd with Salvation it self â—o Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the Righteous fly into it and are safe Now the Causes are two 1. Supream the Power of God 2. Subordinate Faith The Supreme Power of God is that on which depends our Stability and Perseverance When we consider how weak we are in our selves yea the very strongest amongst us and how Assaulted we wonder and Justly we may that any can continue one day in the Estate of Grace but when we look on the strength by which we are guarded the power of God then we see the reason of stability to the end For Omnipotency supports us and the Everlasting Armes are under us Then Faith is the 2d cause of our Preservation because it applies the first Cause the Power of God our Faith layes hold upon this Power and this Power strengthens Faith and so we are preserved It puts us within those walls setâ— the Soul within the Guard of the Power of God which by selfe confidence and vain presuming in its own strength is exposed to all kind of danger Faith is a humble self-denying Grace makes the Christian nothing in himself and all in God The weastest Persons that are within a strong Place Women and Children though they were not able to resist the Enemy if they were alone yet so long as the place wherein they are is of sufficient strength and well man'd and every way accommodate to hold out they are in safety thus the weakest Believer is safe because by believing he is within the strongest of all Defences Faith is the Victory and Christ sets his strength against Satans and when the Christian is hard beset with some Tentation too strong for himselfe then he looks up to him that is the great Conquerour of the powers of darkness and calls to him Now Lord assist thy Servant in this Encounter and put to thy strength that the Glory may be thine Thus faith is such an Engine as draws in the power of God and his Son Jesus into the works and conflicts that it hath in hand This is our victory even our faith 1. Iohn 5.4 'T is the property of a good Christian to magnifie the power of God to have high thoughts of it and therefore 't is his Priviledge to find safety in that power David cannot satifie himselfe with one or two Expressions of it but delights in multiplying them Psa. 18.1 The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower Faith looks above all both that which the soul hath and that which it wants and answers all Doubts and Fears with this Almighty Power upon which it rests To be revealed in the last time This Salvation is that great work wherein God intended to manifest the Glory of his Grace contriv'd before Time And in the severall Ages of the world brought forward after the decreed manner and the full accomplishment of it reserved for the End of Time The souls of the faithfull do enter possession when they remove from their houses of Clay yet is not their happiness compleat till that great day of the appearing of Jesus Christ they are naturally Imperfect till their bodies be raised and rejoyned to their Souls to partake together of their Bliss And they are mistically Imperfect till all the rest of the members of Jesus Christ be added to them But then shall their joy be absolutely full when both their own bodies and the misticall body of Christ shall be Glorified when all the Children of that glorious Family shall meet and sit down to that great Mariage Supper at their Fathers Table Then shall the Musick of that new song be full when there is not one wanting of those that are appointed to sing it for Eternity In that day shall our Lord Jesus be glorified in his saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1.10 You see what it is that the Gospel offers you and you may gather how great both your folly and your guiltiness will be if you neglect and slight so great salvation when 't is brought to you and you are intreated to receive it this is all that the preaching of the word aimes at and yet who hearkens to it How few lay hold on this Eternal life This Inheritance this Crown that is held forth to all that hear of it Oh that you could be perswaded to be saved that you would be willing to embrace salvation You think you would but if it be so then I may say though you would be saved yet your custome of sin your Love to sin and Love to the world will not suffer you And these will still hinder you unless you put on holy Resolutions to break through them and trample them under
for the word of God speaks to Men and therefore it speaks the Language of the Children of Men thus Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not with held thy Son thine onely Son from me God delights to call forth his Champions to meet with great Temptations to make them bear Crosses of more then ordinary weight as Commanders in War put Men of most valour and skill upon the hardest services God sets some strong furious triall upon a strong Christian made strong by his own grace and by his victory makes it appear to the world that though there is a great deal of counterfeit coyne of profession in Religion yet some there are that have the power the reality of it and that 't is not an Invention but there is Truth in it that the invincible Grace the very spirit of God dwells in the hearts of true believers that he hath a number that doe not onely speak big but doe indeed and in good earnest despise the world and overcome it by his strength Some men take delight to see some kind of beasts fight together but to see a Christian mind encountering some great Affliction and conquering it to see his valour in not sinking at the hardest distresses of this life nor the affrightfullest End of it the cruelest kindes of death for his sake this is as he said dignum Deo spectaculum this is a combat that God delights to look upon and he is not a meer beholder in it for t is the power of his own grace that Enables and Supports the Christian in all those Conflicts and Temptations Multitude of Temptations and of divers kindes many and manifold It were no hard condition to have a Triall now and then and long ease and prosperity betwixt but to be plied with one Affliction at the heels of another to have them come thronging in by multitudes and of different kindes uncouth unaccustomed evils such as a Man hath not been acquainted with before this is that which is often the portion of those that are the beloved of God Psa. 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water spouts all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me Ye are in Heaviness This the Apostle blames not but aimes at the moderating of it seek not altogether to dry up this stream but to bound it and keep it within its banks Grace doth not destroy the life of Nature but add's to it a life more excellent yea Grace doth not onely permitt but requires some feeling of Afflictions There is an affected Pride of spirit in some men instead of Patience Sutable to the Doctrine of the Stoicks as 't is usually taken they strive not to feel at all the afflictions that are on them but this is to despise the Correction of the Lord which is alike forbidden as fainting under it Heb. 12. We should not stop our ears but Mic. 6.9 Hear the Rod and him that hath appointed it as the Prophet speaks Where there is no feeling at all there can be no Patience Consider it as the hand of God and thence argue the soul into submission Psa. 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it But this Heaviness is mitigated and set as it were within its banks betwixt these two Considerations 1. The Utility of it 2. The Brevity profitableness and shortness of it To a worldly Man great Gain sweetens the hardest Labour and to a Christian Spiritual profit and Advantage may do much to move Him to take well with those Afflictions that are otherwise very unpleasant though they are not joyous for the present Heb. 12.11 Yet this allayes the sorrow of them the fruit that grows out of them that peaceable fruit of Righteousness Abundle of folly is in the heart of a Child but the Rod of Correction shall beat it out saith Solomon Tho the Children of God are truly as our Saviour calls them the Children of wisdom Yet being renewed only in part they are not altogether free from those follies that call for this Rod to beat them out and sometimes have such a bundle of follies as require a bundle of Rods to be spent upon it many and manifold afflictions 'T is not an easy matter to be drawn from nor to be beaten from the Love of this World and this is that which God mainly requires of his Children that they be not in Love with the World nor the things of it for that is contrary to the Love of God and so far as that is entertain'd this is wanting And if in the midst of afflictions they are sometimes subject to this disease how would it grow upon them with Ease and Prosperity when they are beaten from one worldly Folly or Delight they are ready through Natures corruption to lay hold upon some other being thrust out from it at one door to enter at some other and as Children unwilling to be weaned if one breast be imbitter'd they seek to the other and therefore there must be somewhat to drive them from that too Thus 't is clear there is need yea great need of Afflictions yea of many Afflictions that the Saints be chastened by the Lord that they may not be Condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 Many Resemblances there are for Illustration of this Truth in things both of Nature and of Art Some common and others choycer But this is not needful The experience of Christians tells them how easily they grow Proud and Secure and Carnal with a little Ease and with outward things going smoothly with them and therefore what unhappiness were it for them to be much happy that way Let us learn then that in regard of our present frailty there is need of afflictions and so not promise our selves Exemption how calm soever our Seas are for the present and then for the Number and Measure and Weight of them to Resign that wholly into the hands of our wise Father and Phisitian who perfectly knows our mould and our maladies and what kind and quantity of chastisment is needful for our cure Though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness The other Consideration that moderates this Heaviness is its shortness because we willingly forget Eternity therefore this moment seems much in our eyes but if we could look upon it aright of how litle concernment is it what be our condition here if it were as prosperous as we could Wish or Imagine it is but for a little season the Rich man in the Gospell talk'd of Many Years but Thou fool this night shall thy Soul be required of thee was the longest period The many years quickly drawn to a very great abatement and if full of pains and griefs those do help to put an end to themselvs and hasten to it Then well might St. Austin say Hic ure caede modo ibi parcas use me here as pleaseth thee so as that hereafter it may be well with me Wherein This
it shall appear in its full brightnesâ— at the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The peculiar treasure of a Christian being the Grace that he receives from Heaven and particularly that Soveraign Grace of Faith whatsoever he can be assur'd will better him any way in this he will not only bear it patiently but gladly imbrace it Rom. 5.3 Therefore the Apostle sets this before his Brethren in those words of this verse where is 1. The Worth and Excellency of Faith 2. The usefulness of Temptations in relation to it The trial of Faith is call'd more precious a work of more worth then the tryal of Gold because Faith it selfe is of more value then Gold the Apostle chuses this comparison as fitting his purpose for both for the Illustration of the worth of Faith and likewise the use of Temptations representing the one by Gold and the other by the trying of Gold in the Fire The worth of Gold is 1. Real the purest and preciousest of all mettals having many excellent properties beyond them as they that write of the nature of Gold observe 2. Far greater in the Esteem and Opinion of Men. See how Men hurry up and down over Sea and Land unwearied in their pursuit with hazard of life and often with the loss of Uprightness and a good Conscience and not only thus Esteem it in it self but make it the Rule of their Esteem one of another valuing Men less or more as they are more or less furnish't with it and we see at what a height that is for things we would commend much we borrow its name to them viz. Golden Mediocrity and that Age which they would call the best of all they name it the Golden Age and as Seneca observes describing heavenly things as Ovid the Suns Pallace and Chariot still Gold is the word for all And the Holy Scriptures descending to our reach do set forth the Riches of the new Ierusalem by it Rev. 21. And the Excellency of Christ. Cant. 5.11.14 And here the preciousness of Faith whereof Christ is the Object is said to be more precious then Gold I will not insist in the parallel of Faith with Gold in the other Qualities of it as that it is pure and sollid as Gold And that ' it s most ductile and malleable as gold beyond all other mettals it plies any way with the Will of God But then Faith truly Enriches the soul And as Gold Answers all things so Faith gives the Soul propriety to all the rich Consolations of the Gospel to all the promises of Life and salvation to all needful Blessings it draws vertue from Christ to strengthen it self and all other Graces And thus 't is not onely precious as Gold but goes far above the Comparison 't is more precious yea much more precious 1. in its Originall the other is dig'd out of the bowels of the Earth but the Mine of this Gold is above it comes from Heaven 2. In its Nature answerable to its Originall it is Immateriall Spirituall and pure we refine Gold and make it purer but when we receive Faith pure of it self we mix dross with it and make it Impure by the allay of Unbelief 3. in its Endurance flowing from the former it perisheth not Gold is a thing in it selfe Corruptible and perishing and to particular owners it perisheth in their loss of it being depriv'd of it any way Other Graces are likewise tryed in the same Furnace but Faith is named as the Root of all the rest Sharp afflictions give a Christian a tryal of his Love to God whether it be single and for himself or not for then it will be the same when he strikes as when he Embraces and in the fire of affliction will rather grow the hotter and be more taken off from the world and set upon him Again the Grace of Paâ—ience is put particularly upon triall in distresses but both these spring from Faith for Love rises from a right and strong belief of the Goodness of God and patience from a persuasion of the Wisdom and Love of God and the truth of his promises He hath said I will not fail thee And that we shall not be tempted above our strength and he will give the Issue Now the belief of those Causes patience The triall of faith worketh Patience Iam. â— 3 For therefore doth the Christian resigne up himselfe and all that concerns him his triall the measure and length of them all unto Gods dispose because he knowes that he is in the hands of a wise and loving Father Thus the trial of those and other particular Graces doe still resolve into this and are compris'd under it the triall of Faith This tryal as 〈◊〉 of Gold may be for a 〈◊〉 â—old end 1 for Experiment of the truth and pâ—reness of a Christians faith 2. for râ—fining it yeâ— more and to raise it to a higher pitch or degree of pâ—reness 1. The furnace of Affliction shows upright â—eal Faith to be such indeed remaining stâ—ll the same even in the fire the same thaâ— it was undiminished as good Gold 〈◊〉 none of its quantity in the fire Doubtless many are deceiv'd in time of ease and prosperity with imaginary Faith and Fortitude so that there may be still some doubt while a Man is under set with outward helps as Riches Friends Esteem c. whether he leanes upon those or upon God who is an Invisible support though stronger then all that are visible and is the peculiar and alone stay of Faith in all Conditions But when all these outward props are pluckt away from a Man then it will manifest whether something else upholds him or not for if there be nothing else then â—e falls but if his mind stand firm and unremoved as before then 't is evident he laid not his weight upon these things he had them about him but was built upon a foundation though not seen which is able alone to stay him although he be not only frustrated of all other supports but beatâ—n upon with stormes and tempests as our Saviour sayes the house fell not because it was founded upon a rock Mat. 7.25 This testified the truth of Davids Faith who found it staying him upon God when there was nothing else near that could do 't I had fainted unless I had believ'd Psa. 27.13 So in his strait 1. Sam. 30.6 Where it s said that David was greatly distressed but he encouraged himself in the Lord his God Thus Psa. 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion for ever The Hearts naturall strength of spirit and Resolution may beaâ— up under outward weakness or the failing of the flesh but when the Heart it self fails that is the strength of the flesh what shall strengthen it nothing but God who is the strength of the heart and its portion for ever Thus Faith worketh alone when the Case suites that of the Prophets Haback â— 17 Although the fig
tree shall not Blossom neither shall fruit be in the vine c. yet vers 18. I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation In spirituall tryalls that are the sharpest and fieryest of all when the furnace is within a Man when God doth not onely shut up his loveing kindness from its feeling but seems to shut it up in hot displeasure when he writes bitter things against it yet then to depend upon Him and wait for his salvation this is not onely a true but a strong and very refined Faith indeed and the more he smites the more to cleave to him well might he say When I am tried I shall come forth as Gold who could say that word though he slay me yet will I trust in him though I saw as it were his hand lifted up to destroy me yet from that same hand would I expect salvation As the furnace shews faith to be what it is so also it betters it and makes it more precious and purer then it was The Graces of the spirit as they come from the hand of God that infuses them are nothing but pureness but being put into a heart where sin dwells which till the body be dissolved and taken to pieces cannot be fully purg'd out there they are mixed with Corruption and dross And particularly Faith is mixed with Unbelief and Love of earthly things and dependance upon the Creature if not more then God yet together with him and for this is the furnace needfull that the soul may be purified from this droâ—s and made more sublime and spirituall in believing T is a hard talk and many times comes but slowly forward to teach the heart by discourse and speculation to sit loose from the world at all sides not to cleave to the best things in it though we be compass'd about with them though Riches do increase yet not to set our hearts on them not to trust in such uncertain things as they are as the Apostle speaks Therefore God is pleas'd to chuse the more effectual way to teach his own the right and pure exercise of Faith either by witholding or withdrawing those things from them makes them relish the sweetness of spirituall Comfort by depriving them of those outward Comforts wherein they were in most danger of excess to have doted on them and so forget themselves and him when they are necessitate and experimentally train'd up easily to let go their hold of any thing Earthly and to stay themselves onely upon their Rock this is the very refining of their faith by those losses and afflictions wherewith they are exercised they that learn bodily Exercises as fencing c. Are not taught by sitting still and hearing Rules or seeing others practise but they learn by exercising themselves The way to profit in the art of believing or comeing to this spirituall activity of faith is to be often put to that work in the difficultest way to make up all wants and losses in God and to sweeten the bitterest griefs with his loving kindness Might be found unto praise and honour and glory This is the end that is intended and shall be certainly obtain'd by all these hot trials Faith shall come through them all and shall be found unto praise c. An unskillfull beholder may think strange to see Gold thrown into the fire and left there for a time but he that puts it there would be loath to lose it his purpose is to make some costly piece of work of it every believer gives himself to Christ and he undertakes to present them blameless to the Father not one of them shall be lost nor one dram of their faith they shall be found and their Faith shall be found when he appears That faith that is here in the furnace shall be then made up into a Crown of pure Gold it shall be found unto praise and honour and Glory This Praise and Honour and Glory may be referr'd to believers themselves according to the Apostle S. Pauls Expression Rom. 2.7 or to Christ that appears but the two will agree well together that it be both to their Praise and to the Praise of Christ for certainly all their praise and glory shall terminate in the Glory of their Head Christ who is God blessed for ever they have each their Crown but their Honour is to cast them all down before his Throne He shall be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe They shall be glorious in Him and therefore in all their glory he shall be glorified for as they have derived theâ—r glory from him it shall all return back to him again At the appearance of Iesus Christ This denotes the Time when this shall come to pass For Christ is faithfull and true he hath promised to come again and to Judge the World in Righteousness and he will come and will not tarry he shall Judge Righteously in that day that was himself unrighteously judged here on Earth T is called the Revelation all other things shall be Revealed in that day the most hidden things good and evil unvail'd but 't is eminently the day of His Revelation it shall be by his Light by the brightness of his coming that all other things shall be reveal'd but he himself shall be the worthiest sight of all All eyes shall behold Him He shall then gloriously appear before all Men and Angels and shall by all be acknowledged to be the son of God and Judge of the World some shall with joy know him and acknowledge him to be foâ— others â—o their Horrours and amazement How beautifull shall he be to those that Love him when he as the glorious Head shall appear with his whole body mysticall together with him Then the Glory and Praise that all the Saints shall be honoured with shall recompense fully all the Scorns and Ignominies and Distresses they have met with here And they shall shine the brighter for them Oh! if we Consider'd often of that solemn day how light would we seâ— by the opinions of Men and all ouâ—ward hardships that can befall us digest dispraise and dishonour here and pass through all cheerfully providing we may be then found in him and so partakers of Praise and Glory and Honour in that day of his appearing Verses 8 9. 8. Whom haveing not seen yee Love in whom tho you see him not yet believing ye reâ—oyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 9. Receiveing the End of your faith even the Salvation of your Souls IT is a paradox to the world that the Apostle hath asserted that there is a Joy that can subsist in the midâ—â— of sorrow therefore he insists in the Confirmation of it And in all those words proves it to the full yea with advantage that the Saints have not only some measure of Joy in the griefs that abound upon them here but excellent and eminent Joy such as makes good all that can be said of it cannot
be spoke too much of for 't is Vnspeakable nor too much magnified for it is Glorious To Evidence the truth of this and to confirme his Brethren in the experienc'd knowledge of it he expresses here more particularly and distinctly the causes of this their Joy which are 1. The Object or Matter of it 2. The Apprehension and appropriation of that Object which two conjoyn'd are the entire cause of all Rejoyceing The Object is Jesus Christ verse 8. And the Salvation purchased by him verse 9. For these two cannot be sever'd and these two Verses that speak of them require as is evident by their connexion to be considered together 2. The apprehension of these 1. set forth negatively not by bodily sight 2. Positively whereas that might seem to abate the certainâ—y and liveliness of their Rejoyceing that 't is of things they had not seen nor do yet see that is abundantly made up by three for one each of them more excellent then the meer bodily sight of Christ in the flesh which many had which were never the better by 't the three are those three prime Christian Graces Faith Love and Hope The two former in ver 8. the 3 d. in ver 9. Faith in Christ begetting Love to him and both these giving assured Hope of salvation by him making it as certian to them as if it were already in their hand and they in possession of it And from all those together results this Exultation or leaping for joy Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory This is that one thing that so much concerns us and therefore we mistake very far and forget our own highest interest too much when we either speak or hear of it slightly and apply not our hearts to it What is it that all our thoughts and endeavours drive at What means all that we are doing in the World tho we take several wayes to it and wrong wayes for the most part yea such wayes as lead not to it but set us further off from it yet that which we all seek after by all our labour under the Sun is something that may be matter of Contentment and rejoycing to us when we have attain'd it now here it is and in vain is it sought for elsewhere And for this end 't is represented to you that it may be yours if ye will entertain it not only that you may know this to be a truth that in Jesus Christ is laid up true Consolation and Rejoyceing that he is the Magazine and Treasury of it but that you may know how to bring him home into your hearts and lodge him there and so to have the spring of Joy within you That which gives full joy to the Soul must be something that is higher and better then it self in a word he that made it can only make it glad after this manner with unspeakable and glorious joy but the Soul remaining guilty of Rebellion against him and unreconcil'd cannot behold him but as an Enemy any belief that it can have of him while 't is in that posture is not such as can fetch Love and Hope and so Rejoycing but such as the Faith of devils produceth only begetting terrour and trembling but the light of his Countenance shining in the face of his Son the Mediator glads the heart and 't is the looking upon him so that causeth the soul to Believe and Love and Hope and Rejoyce Therefore the Apostle Eph. 2. In his description of the estate of the Gentiles before Christ was preach'd to them joynes these together without Christ that was the cause of all the rest therefore without comfort in the Promises without Hope and without God in the world So he is here by our Apostle exprest as the object In all these therefore he is the matter of our Joy because our Faith and Love and Hope of Salvation The Apostle writing to the dispersed Jewes many of whom had not known nor seen Christ in the flesh commends their Love and Faith for this reason that it did not depend upon bodily sight but was pure and spiritual and made them of the number of those that our Saviour himselfe pronounces blessed who have not seen and yet believe You saw him not when he dwelt amongst men and walked to and fro Preaching and working Miracles Many of those that did then hear and see him believed not yea they scoff'd and hated and persecuted him and in the end Crucified him you that have seen none of all those things yet having heard the Gospel that declares him you have believed Thus Observe the working or not working of Faith doth not depend upon the difference of the external Ministry and gifts of Men for what greater difference can there be that way than betwixt the Master and the Servants betwixt the great Prophet himself and his weak sinful Messengers and yet many of those that saw and heard him in Person were not converted believ'd not in him and thousands that never saw him were converted by his Apostles and as it seems even some of those that were some way accessory to his death yet were brought to Repentance by this same Apostles Sermon Act. 2. Learn then to look above the outward Ministry and any difference that in Gods dispensation can be there and know that if Jesus Christ himself were on Earth and now Preaching amongst us yet might his incomparable words be unprofitable to us not being mix'd with faith in the bearers But where that is the meanest despisable conveyance of his Message received with humility and affection will work blessed Effects Whom not seeing yet believeing Faith elevates the Soul not only above sense and sensible things but above Reason it selfe as reason corrects the Errours that sense might occasion So supernatural Faith corrects the Errours of natural Reason judging according to Sense The Sun seems less then the wheel of a Chariot but Reason teaches the Philosopher that 't is much bigger then the whole Earth and the cause why it seems so little is its great distance The Naturally wise man is as far deceiv'd by this carnal Reason in his estimate of Jesus Christ the â—un of Righteousness and the cause is the same his great distance from him as the Psalmist speaks of the wicked Psal. 10.5 Thy Iudgements are far above out of his sight He accounts Christ and his Glory a smaller matter then his own Gain Honour or Pleasure for these are near him and he sees their quantity to the full and counts them bigger yea far more worth then they are indeed but the Apostle St. Paul and all they that are enlightened by the same Spirit they know by Faith which is divine Reason that the Excellency of Jesus Christ far surpasses the worth of the whole Earth and all things earthly Phil. 3.7.8 To give a right assent to the Gospel of Christ is Impossible without divine and saving Faith infused in the Soul to believe that the Eternal Son of God cloath'd himselfe with humane
flesh and dwelt amongst Men in a Tabernacle like theirs and suffered death in the flesh that he who was Lord of Life hath freed us from the sentence of Eternal Death that he broke the bars and chains of Death and rose again that he went up into Heaven and there at the Fathers right hand sits in our flesh and that glorified above the Angels This is the great Mistery of Godliness And a part of this Mistery is that he is Believed on in the World 1 Tim. 3.16 This Natural Men may discourse of and that very knowingly and give a kind of natural Credit to 't as to a History that may be true but firmly to believe that there is divine Truth in all these things and to have a perswasion of it stronger then of the very things we see with our eyes such an assent as this is the peculiar work of the spirit of God and is certainly saving Faith The Soul that so believes cannot chuse but Love 't is commonly true the Eye is the ordinary door by which Love enters into the Soul and it is true in this Love though t is denied of the Eye of sense yet you see 't is ascrib'd to the Eye of Faith though you have not seen him you Love him because you believe Which is to see him spiritually Faith indeed is distinguish'd from that Vision that is in Glory but it is the Vision of the Kingdom of Grace 't is the Eye of the New Creature that quicksighted Eye that pierces all the Visible Heavens and sees above them that looks to things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4.18 And is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 that sees him that is invisible v. 27. 'T is possible that one may be much Lov'd upon the report of their worth and Vertues and upon a Picture of them lively drawn before sight of the party so commended and represented but certainly when they are seen and found answerable to the former it raises the Affection that it first begun to a far greater height We have the report of the perfections of Jesus Christ in the Gospel yea so clear a description of him that it gives a picture of him and that together with the Sacraments are the only lawful and the only lively pictures of our Saviour Gal. 3.1 Now this Report Faith believes and beholds this picture and so lets in the Love of Christ to the Soul but further it gives a particular experimental knowledge of Christ and acquaintance with him It causes the Soul find all that is spoken of him in the Word and his beauty there represented to be abundantly true makes it really taste of his sweetness and by that possesses the heart more strongly with his Love perswading it of the truth of those things not by reasons and arguments but by an Inexpressible kind of Evidence that they only know that have it Faith perswades a Christian of these two things that the Philosopher gives as the causes of all Love Beauty and Propriety the Loveliness of Christ in himself and our interest in him The former it effâ—ctuaâ—s not only by the first apprehending and believing of those hâ—s Excellencies and Beauty but by frequent beholding of him and Eyeing him in whom all Perfection dwells and looks so ofâ— on him till it sets the very Impression of his Image as it were upon the Soul that it can never be blotted out and forgot The latter it doth by that particular Uniting Act which makes him our God and our Saviour Ye Love The distinctions that some make of Love need not be taken as of differing kinds but different actings of the same Love by which we may try our so much pretended Love of Christ which in truth is so rarely found There will then be in this Love if it be right these three qualities Goodwill Delight and Desire 1. Goodwill earnest wishing and as we can promoting Gods Glory and stirring up others so to do They that seek more their own things then the things of Jesus Christ more their own Praise and Esteem then His are strangers to this divine Love-For it seeks not her own things This bitter Root of self-love is most hard to pluck up this strongest and sweetest Love of Christ alone doth it actually though gradually This Love makes the Soul as the lower Heaven slow in its own motion most swift in the motion of that first that wheels it about so the higher degree of Love the more swift It Loves the hardest tasks And greatest difficulties where it may perform God service either in doing or in suffering for him It is strong as death and many waters cannot quench it The greater the task is the more real is the testimony and expression of Love and therefore the more acceptable to God 2. There is in true Love a complacency and delight in God A Conformity to his will Loving what he Loves and studious of his will ever seeking to know more clearly what it is that is most pleasing to him contracting a likeness to God in all his actions by conversing with him frequent contemplating of God and looking on his beauty as the Eye lets in this Affection so it serves it constantly and readily looks that way that Love directs it thus the soul that is possess'd with this Love of Jesus Christ hath its eye much upon him thinks often on his former sufferings and present Glory the more it lookes upon Christ the more it loves and still the more it loves the more it delights to look upon him 3. There is in true Love a Desire for 't is but small beginnings and tastes of his Goodness that the soul hath here therefore 't is still looking out and longing for the day of Marriage the time is sad and wearisome and seems much longer then it is while 't is deteind here I desireâ— to be dissolved saith St. Paul and to be with Christ. God is the Sum of all things lovely thus excellenâ—ly Greg. Nazian expresseth himself Ovat 1. If I have any Possessions Health Credit Learning this is all the contentment I have of them that I have somewhat I may despise for Christ who is totus dâ—sâ—derâ—bilis totuâ— desiderabile And this Love is the sum of all he requires of us 't is that which makes all our meanest Services acceptable and without which all we offer to him is distasteful God doth not only deserve our Love by his matchless Excellency and Beauty but by his Matchless Love to us and that is the strongest Loadstone of Love He hath loved me saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 How appears that in no less then this he hath given himself for me Certainly then there is no other Character of our Love then this to give our selves to him that hath so loved us and given himself for us This affection must be bestowed somewhere there is no Man but hath some prime choyce somewhat that is the predominant delight of his soul will it
the safe possession of perfect happiness when the soul shall be out of the reach of all Adversaries and adverse Accidents no more subjected to those Evils that are its own properly namely the Conscience of Sin and fear of Wrath and sad Defections nor yet subject to those other Evils it endur'd by Society with the body outward distresses and Affliction Persecutions Poverty diseases c. 'T is call'd Salvation of the soul not excluding the body from the society of that Glory when it shall be rais'd and reunited to the Soul but because the soul is of it self an Immortall substance and both the more Noble part of Man and the prime subject both of Grace and glory and because it arrives first at that blessedness and for a time leaves the body in the dust to do homage to its Originall therefore it is only named here but Jesus is the Saviour of the body too and he shall at his coming change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body The End End or Reward for it is both It s the End either at which Faith aimes or wherein it Ceaseth it s the Reward not of their Works nor of Faith as a work deserving it but as the Condition of the New Covenant which God according to the tenour of that Covenant first works in his own and then Rewards as if it were their work And this Salvation or Fruition of Christ is the proper Reward of faith which Believes in him unseen and so obtains that happy sight 't is the proper work of faith to believe what thou seest not and the Reward of faith to see what thou hast believed This is the Certainty of their Hope that 't is as if they had already receiv'd it if the promise of God and the merit of Christ hold good then they that believe in him and Love him are made sure to salvation The promises of God in Christ are not yea and nay but they are in him yea and in him Amen sooner may the Rivers run back-ward and the course of the Heavens change and the frame of nature be dissolv'd then any one soul that is united to Jesus Christ by Faith and Love can be sever'd from him And so fall short of salvation hoped for in him and this is the matter of their rejoycing Ye Rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable The naturall Man sayes the Apostle receiveth not things of God for they are foolishness unto him and he adds the Reason why he cannot know them for they are spiritually discern'd he hath none of that faculty by which they are discern'd there is a vast disproportion betwixt those things and Natures highest Capacity it cannot work beyond its Sphere Speak to the Naturall Man of the matter of Spirituall grief the sense of Guiltiness and the Apprehension of Gods displeasure or the hiding of his favour and the Light of his countenance from the soul these things stirre not him he knows not what they mean Speak to him again of the Peace of Conscience and sense of Gods Love and the Joy that arises hence He is no less stranger to that As our Saviour speaks mourn to him and he laments not pipe to him and he dances not Mat. 11. but as it there follows there is a wisdom in those things though they seem Folly and Non-sense to the foolish world and this wisdom is justified of her own Children Having said somewhat allready of the Causes of this spirituall Joy the Apostle speaks of here It remains now that we consider those two things 1. How Joy ariseth from those Causes 2. the Excellency of this Joy as 't is here express'd There is here a sollid sufficient Good and the heart made sure of it being partly put in present possession of it and in a most certain Hope of all the rest And what can be more required to make it joyfull Jesus Christ the treasure of all blessings received and united to the soul by Faith and Love and Hope Is not Christ the Light and Joy of the Nations such a light as Abraham at the distance of many ages of more then two thousand years yet saw by faith and seeing Rejoyced Besides this brightness that makes light a joyfull object Light is often in Scripture put for Joy Christ this Light brings Salvation with him He is the Sun of Righteousness and there is healing under his wings I bring you said the Angel good tydings of great Ioy that shall be to all people And their Song hath in it the matter of that Joy Glory to God in the Highest peace on Earth and good will toward Men. But to the end we may Rejoyce in Christ we must find him ours otherwise the more Excellent he is the more Cause hath the heart to be sad while it hath no portion in him my spirit hath Rejoyced saith the Blessed Virgin in God my Saviour Thus 1. Ioh. 1.3 Having spoken of our Communion with Christ he adds these things I write that your Ioy may be full Faith worketh this Joy by uniteing the Soul to Christ and applying his merites and from that application arises the pardon of sin and so that load of misery which was the great Cause of Sorrow is removed and so soon as the Soul finds it selfe lightned and unloaded of that burden that was sinking it to Hell it cannot chuse but leap for Joy in the Ease and Refreshment it finds Therefore that Psalm that David begins with the doctrine of the Pardon of Sin he Ends it with an Exhortation to Rejoyceing Blessed is the Man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Psal. 32.1 Thus he begins but he ends vers 11. Be glad in the Lord and Rejoyce ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are â—pright in heart S. Peter speaks to his hearers of the Remission of sins Act. 2.38 and verse 41. 't is added they received his words Gladly and our Saviour joynes these two together be of good Comfort thy sins are forgiven thee Thus Isaiah 61.1 Good tidings of Liberty to Captives is proclaimed and a notable change there is of their Estate Who mourn in Zion Giving them beauty for ashes the Oyle of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the Spirit of Heaviness Think with what Joy the long imprison'd debter drown'd in debt recâ—â—ves a full Discharge and his Liberty or a condemned Malefactor the news of his Pardon and this will somewhat resemble it but yet fall far short of the joy that Faith brings by bringing Christ to the Soul and so forgiveness of sins in him But this is not all This Believing Soul is not only a debter acquitted and set free but Enrich'd besides with a new and great Estate not onely a pardon'd Malefactor but withall highly preferr'd and advanc'd to honour having a Right by the promises to the unsearchable Riches of Christ as the Apostle speaks and is receiv'd into favour with God and unto the Dignity of Sonship taken from the dunghill
and set with Princes As there is Joy from Faith so also from Love Though 't is in it self the most sweet and delightfull passion of the Soul yet as we foolishly misplace it it prove often full of bitterness but being set upon Jesus Christ the only right and worthy Object it Causeth this unspeakable Delight and Rejoycing 1. T is matter of joy to have bestowed our Love so worthily and though our Saviour seems to withdraw himselfe and sometimes sadden the soul that loves him with absences in regard of sense yet even in those sad times the soul delights to Love him and there is a pleasure in the very pains it hath in seeking after him And this it knowes that his mercies are Everlasting and that he cannot be long unkind but will return and speak comfortably unto it 2. Our Love to Christ gives us assurance of His to us so that we have not only chosen worthily but shall not be frustrate and dissapointed and it assures us of his not as following but preceeding and Causing ours for our Love to Jesus Christ is no other but the reflex of his on us Wine maketh glad the heart but thy love is better then wine saith the Spouse And having this perswasion that he hath loved us and wash'd us in his blood and forgets us not in our conflicts that though he himself is in his Glory yet that he interceed's for us there and will bring us thither what condition can befal us so hard but we may Rejoyce in it And in them so far as we are sure to arrive at that full Salvation and fruition of him who hath purchas'd it Then there is the third Cause of our Rejoyceing viz. our Hope Now Hope is our anchor pitch'd within the vail that stayes us against all the stormes that beat upon us in this troublesome Sea that we are tossed upon The Soul that strongly Believes and Loves may confidently Hope to see what it believeth and Enjoy what it loves and in that rejoyce It may say whatsoever hazards whether ontward or inward whatsoever Afflictions and Temptations I endure yet this one thing puts me out of hazard and in that I will Rejoyce the salvation of my Soul depends not upon my own strength but is in my Saviours hand my life is hid with Christ in God and when he who is my Life shall appear I likewise shall appear with him in Glory The Childish world is hunting shadows and gaping and hoping after they know not what but the Believer can say I know whom I have trusted and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day Now we have not only right to those things but withal there must be frequent Consideration of them to work Joy The Soul must often view them and so Rejoyce My meditation of him shall be sweet saith David I will be glad in the Lord Psal. 104. And the Godly failing in thiâ— deprive themselves much of that Joy they might have and they that are most in these sublime thoughts have the highest and truest Joy The Excellency of this Joy the Apostle here expresseth by these two words Vnspeakable and full of glory That 't is Vnspeakable no wonder seeing the matter of iâ— is Inconceivable it is an Infinite Good God reconciled in Jesus Christ and testifying and sealing his Love unto the soul and giving assured hope of that blessed Vision of Eternity what more unspeakable than this And for the same Reason 't is Glorious or glorified joy having the highest and most glorious Object for it derives all its Excellency from thence Vnspeakable The best worldly Joyes are easily speakable they may be express'd to the uâ—most yea usually more is spoke of them then they are indeed Their name is beyond their worth they are very seldom found upon experience equal to the opinion and expectation that men have of them But this spiritual Joy is above the report any can make of it say what they can of it who are of happiest Expression yet when a Man comes to know it in his own breast he will say as that Queen said of Salomons wisdom the half was not told me of it Again earthly Joyes are Inglorious Many of which Men are asham'd of and those that seem most plausible yet are below the Excellency of the Soul and cannot fill it but the Joyes that arise from Union with Christ as they are most avowable a Man needs not blush to own them so they are truly contenting and satisfying and that 's their Glory and the Cause why we may glory in them My soul shall make her boast in God sayes David For Application of all this If these things were believed we would hearken no more to the foolish prejudice that the World hath taken up against Religion and wherewith Satan endeavours to possess mens hearts that they may be scarr'd from the wayes of Holiness 't is that they think it a Sour Melanel oly life that hath nothing but Sadness and Mourning in it but to remove this prejudice Consider 1. Religion barres not the lawful delights that are taken in natural things but teaches the moderate and regular use of them which is far the sweeter for things lawful in themselves are in their excess sinful and so prove Bitterness in the end and if in some cases it require the forsaking of lawful Enjoyments as of pleasure or Profits or Honour for God and for his Glory this is Generous and truly more delightful to deny them for this reason then to enjoy them Men have done much this way for the Love of their Country and by a Principle of Moral Vertue but to lose any delight or to suffer any hardship for that highest End the glory of God and by the strength of love to him is far more Excellent and truly Pleasant 2. The delights and pleasures of sin Religion indeed banishes but 't is to change them for this Joy that is unspeakably beyond them it calls men from sordid and base delights to those that are pure delights indeed it calls to Men drink ye no longer of the pudle here are the Crystal streams of a living fountain There is a delight in the very despising impure delights as he said how pleasant is it to want these pleasures But for such a change to have in their stead such delights as in comparison the other deserve not that name To have such spiritual joy as shall end in Eternal Joy 't is a wonder we hasten not all to chuse this joy but 't is indeed because we believe it not 3. 'T is true the Godly are subject to great Distresses and Afflictions but their Joy is not extinguished by those no nor diminished either but often sensibly increasâ—d When they have least of the Worlds joy they abound most in Spiritual Consolations and then Relish them best They find them sweetest when their taste is not depraved with Earthly enjoyments We rejoyce in
his promise because I live ye shall live also Ioh. 14.19 Christ and the Believer are One this is that Great Mystery the Apostle speaks of Eph. 5. though ' it s a common known truth the words and outside of it obvious to all yet none can understand it but they that indeed partake of it by vertue of that Unction their sins were accounted His and Christs sufferings are accounted theirs and by consequence His Glory the consequent of his sufferings is likewise theirs there is an indissoluble connection betwixt the life of Christ and of a Believer Our life is hid with Christ in God and therefore while we remaine there our life is there though hid and when he who is our life shall appear we likewise shall appear with him in glory Colos. 3.14 Seeing the sufferings and Glory of our Redeemer are the maine subject of the Gospel and the Causes of our salvation and our comfortable persuasion of it ' it s a wonder that they are not more the matter of our thoughts should we not daily consider the bitterness of that cup of Wrath he drunk for us and be wrought to Repentance and Hatred of sin to have sin imbitter'd to us by that Consideration and find the sweetness of his Love in that he did drink it and by that be deeply possessed with Love to him these things we now and then speak of but they sink not As our Saviour exhorts where he is speaking of those same sufferings O that they were engraven on our hearts and that sin were Crucified in us and the world Crucified to us and we unto the world by the crosse of Christ. And then considering the Glory wherein he is And to have our eye often upon that and our hearts solaceing and refreshing themselves frequently with the thoughts of that Place and condition wherein Christ is and where our hopes are ere long to behold lin Both to see his Glory and to be Glorified with him is it not reason Yea ' its necessary it cannot be otherwise if our Treasure and Head be there that our hearts be there likewise The Third Expression here of the Gospell is that 't is the Doctrine of Grace The work of Redemption it self and severall parts of it and the Doctrine revealing it have all the name of Grace because they all flow from free Grace that is their spring and first Cause And 't is this wherein the Doctrine of Salvation is mainly comfortable that it is free ye are saved by Grace Eph. 2.8 't is true God requires faith it is through faith but he that requires that gives it too that 's not of your selves 't is the gift of God 't is wonderfull Grace to save upon believing believe in Jesus for Salvation and live accordingly and 't is done there is no more requir'd to thy pardon but that thou receive it by faith But truely Nature cannot do this 't is as impossible for us of our selves to Believe as to doe this then is that which makes it all Grace from Beginning to End that God not onely saves upon believeing but gives believeing it self Christ is called not onely the Author and finisher of our Salvation but even of our Faith Free Grace being rightly apprehended is that which stayes the heart in all Estates and keeps it from fainting even in its saddest times what though there is nothing in my self but matter of sorrow and discomfort it cannot be otherwise ' its not from my self that I look for Comfort at any time but from my God and his free Grace Here is Comfort enough for all times when I 'm at the best I ought not I dare not rely upon my self when Im at the worst I may and should rely upon Christ and his sufficient Grace Though I be the vilest sinner that ever came to him yet I know he is more Gracious then I am sinfull yea the more my sin is the more Glory will it be to his Grace to pardon it it will appear the richer doth not David argue thus Psa. 25.11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great But 'T is an empty fruitless notion of Grace to Consider it onely in the Generall and in a wandring way we are to look upon it particularly as address'd to us and 't is not enough that it comes to us in the message of him that brings it onely to our ear but that we may know what it is it must come into us then 't is ours indeed but if it come to us in the message only and we send it away again if iâ— shall so depart we had better never have heard of it it will leave a Guiltiness behind it that shall make all our sins weigh much heavier then before Enquire whether you have entertain'd this grace or not whether it be come to you and into you or not whether the kingdom of God is within you As our Saviour speaks 't is the woefullest condition that can be not to be far from the kingdom of God and yet to fall short and miss of it The Grace of God revealed in the Gospell is intreating you daily to receive it is willing to become yours if you Reject it not were your eyes open to behold the Beauty and Excellency of this Grace there would need no deliberation yea you would endure none desire your eyes to be opened and light from above that you may know it and your hearts open'd that you may be happy by receiving it The Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ as the foundation of our Faith calls him the same yesterday and to day and for ever Yesterday under the Law to day in those primitive times neerest his Incarnation and for ever in all succeeding ages And the Resemblance holds good between the two Cherubims over the Mercy-seat and the two Testaments those had their faces towards one another and both toward the Mercy-seat and these look to one another in their Doctrine agreeing perfectly and both look to Christ the true Mercy-seat and the great Subject of the scriptures This we see here the things that the Prophets foretold to come and the Apostles reported were accomplished were the same and from the same spirit they were the sufferings of Christ and his after Glory and in them our Salvation by free Grace The Prophesies look forward to the times of the Gospel and the things then fulfilled look back to the Prophesies and each confirms the other meeting all in Christ who is their truth and Center We have spoken already of the Author and subject of this salvation Now we come to say something of those who are Employed about it as well in Administring to it as in Admiring it And those are the Prophets and Apostles the first foretold what was to come the second Preached them when they came to pass In the Prophets there are three things here remarked 1. Their Dilligence 2. The Success of it 3. The Extent of its usefulness This
lodging it in our hearts and from thence diffusing it into all our actions A child is then truly like his father when not only his visage resembles him but more his mind and inward disposition Thus are the true children of God like their heavenly father in their words and in their actions but most of all in heart 'T is no matter though the profane world that so hate God that it cannot indure his Image do mock and revile 't is thy honour as David said to be thus more vile in growing still more like unto him in holiness and though the civil Man count thy fashion a little odd and too precise 't is because he knows nothing above that model of goodness he hath set himself and therefore approves of nothing beyond it he knowes not God and therefore doth not discern and esteem what is likest him When Courtiers come down into the Country the common homebred People possibly think their habit strange but they care not for that 't is the fashion at Court What need then the Godly be so tender foreheaded as to be out of countenance because the world lookes on holiness as a singularity 't is the only fashion in the highest Court yea of the King of Kings himself For I am holy As it will raise our endeavour high to look on the highest pattern so it will lay our thoughts low concerning our selves Men compare themselves with Men and readily with the worst and flatter themselves with that comparative betterness this is not the way to see our spots to look into the muddy streams of profane Mens lives but look into the clear fountain of the Word and there we may both discern and wash them and consider the infinite holiness of God and this will humble us to the dust when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord and heard the Seraphims cry holy holy holy he cried out of his own and the Peoples unholiness Woe is me for I am undone for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Verse 17. And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojurning here in Fear THe tentations that meet a Christian in the world to turn him aside from the straight way of obedience and holiness are either such as present the hope of some apparent good to draw him from that way or the fear of some evil to drive and affright him from it And therefore the word of God is much in strengthning the Christian mind against these two and it doth it mainly by possessing it both with hopes and fears of a higher nature that do by far weigh down the other The frequentest assaults of tentation are upon these two passions of the mind therefore they are mainly to be fortified and defended by a hope and fear opposit to those that do assault us and sufficiently strong to resist and repel them These two therefore our Apostle here exhorts 1. The hope of that glory that the Gospel propounds and so outbids all the proffers of the World both in the greatness and the certainty of its promises 2. The fear of God the greatest and justest judge only worthy to be fear'd and reverenc'd the highest anger and enmity of all the world being less then nothing in comparison of his smallest displeasure There is here 1. This fear 2. The reason enforcing it 3. The The term or continuance of it In fear But how suites this with the high discourse that went before of perfect assured hope of faith and Love and Joy yea Joy unspeakable and glorious arising out of these How are all those excellencies fallen as it were into a dungeon when fear is mention'd after them doth not the Apostle St. Iohn say that true love casteth out fear and is it not more clearly opposiâ—e to perfect or assured hope and to faith and joy If ye understand it aright this is such a fear as doth not prejudge but preserve those other graces and the comfort and joy that arises from them And they all agree so well with it that they are naturally helps each to other It were superfluous to insist on the defining this passion of fear and the manifold distinctions of it either with Philosophers or Divines The fear here recommended is out of question a holy self suspicion and fear of offending God which may not only consist with assured hope of salvation and with faith and love and spiritual joy but is their inseparable companion as all Divine Graces are linkt together as they said of their three graces and as they dwell together they grow or decrease together The more a Christian believes and loves and rejoyces in the love of God the more unwilling sure to displease him and if in danger the more afraid of it and on the other side this fear being the true principle of a wary and holy Conversation flying sin and the occasions and tentations of sin and resisting them when they set on is as a watch or guard that keeps out the Enemies and disturbers of the soul and so preserves its inward peace keeps the assurance of faith and hope unmolested and that joy which they cause and the intercourse and societies of love betwixt the soul and her beloved uninterrupted all which are then most in danger when this fear abates and falls to slumbring for then readily some notable sin or other breaks in puts all into disorder and for a time makes those graces and the comfort of them to present feeling as much to seek as if they were not there at all No wonder then if the Apostle having stirr'd up his Christian Brethren whatsoever be their estate in the World to seek to be rich in those Jewels of faith and hope and love and spiritual joy and then considering that they travel amongst a world of Thieves and Robbers no wonder I say that he addes this advises them to give those their jewels in custody under God to this trusty and watchful grace of godly fear and having earnestly exhorted them to holiness he is very fitly particular in this fear which makes up so great a part of that holiness that it s often in Scripture nam'd for it all Solomon calls it the beginning or the top of wisdom the word signifies both and it is both The beginning of it is the beginning of wisdom and the progress and increase of it is the increase of wisdom That hardy rashness that many account valour is the companion of ignorance and of all rashness boldness to sin is the most witless and foolish There is in 〈◊〉 as in all fear an apprehension of an evil whereof we are in danger The evil is sin and the displeasure of God and punishing following upon sin The Godly Man judgeth wisely as the truth is that sin is the greatest of
evils and the cause of all other evils 't is a transgression of the just Law of God and so a provocation of his just anger and the cause of those punishments temporal and spiritual and Eternal which he inflicts And then considering how mighty he is to punish both the power and reach of his hand that it is both most heavy and unavoidable All these things may and should concurre to the working of this fear There is no doubt a great difference betwixt those two kinds of fear that are usually differenc'd by the name of servile and filial fear but certainly the most genuine fear of the Sons of God that call him father doth not exclude the consideration of his justice and of the punishment of sin that his justice inflicts we see here 't is us'd as the great motive of this fear that he judgeth every Man according to his workes And David in that Psalm wherein he so much breaths forth those other sweet affections of love and hope and delight in God and in his Word yet expresseth this fear even of the justice of God My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements Psal. 119.120 The flesh is to be enaw'd with divine judgements though the higher and surer part of the soul is strongly and freely ty'd with the cords of Love temporal corrections indeed they fear not so much in themselves as that Impression of wrath that may be upon them for their sins Psal. 6.1 c. That is the main matter of their fear because their happiness is in his Love and the light of his countenance thaâ—'â— their life they regard not how the world lookâ—â— upon them care not who frown so he smile 〈…〉 and because no other enemy nor evil in 〈…〉 can prejudge them in this but their own sin 〈◊〉 it is that they fear most As the evil is great so the Christian hath great reason to fear in regard of his danger of it considering the multitude and strength and craft of his enemies and his own weakness and unskilfulness to resist them and his sad experience in being often foyled reacheth him that it is thus he cannot be ignorant of it he finds how often his own resolves and purposes deâ—eive him Certainly a godly Man is sometimes driven to wonder at his own frailty and unconstancy what strange differences will be betwixt him and himselfe how high and how delightful at some times are his thoughts of God and the glory of the life to come and yet how easily at another time base tentations will bemire him or at the least molest and vex him and this keeps him in a continual fear and that fear in continual vigilancy and circumspectness When he looks up to God and considers the truth of his Promises and the sufficiency of his grace and protection and the Almighty strength of his Redeemer these things fill his soul with confidence and assurence But when he turnes his eye downward again upon himself and finds so much remaining corruption within and so many tentations and dangers and adversaries without this forces him not onely to fear but to despair of himself and it should doe so that his trust in God may be the purer and more entire That confidence in God will not make him secure and presumptuous in himself nor that fear of himself make him diffident of God This fear is not opposite to faith but high-mindedness and presumption is Rom. 11.20 To a naturall mind it would seem an odd kind of reasoning that of the Apostle Phil. 2.12.13 'T is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Therefore would he think you may save a labour you may sit still and not work or if you work you may work fearlesly being so sure of his help but the Apostle is of another mind his inference is therefore Work out your own salvation and work it with fear and trembling But he that hath assurance of Salvation why should he fear if there is truth in his assurance nothing can disappoint him not sin it self 't is true but it is no less true that if he do not fear to sin there is no truth in his assurance 't is not the assurance of faith but the mispersuasion of a secure and profane mind 2. Suppose it so that the sins of a godly Man cannot be such as to cut him short of that salvation whereof he is assur'd yet they may be such as for a time will deprive him of that assurance and not onely remove the comfort he hath in that but let in horrours and anguish of conscience in its stead though a Believer is freed from hell and we may overstrain this assurance in our doctrine beyond what the soberest and devoutest Men in the world can ever find in themselves though they will not trouble themselves to contest and dispute with them that say they have it so that his soul cannot come there yet some sins may bring as it were a piece of hell into his soul for a time and this is reason enough for any Christian in his right wits to be affraid of sin No man would willingly hazard himself upon a fall that may break his leg or some other bone though he could be made sure both that he should not break his neck or that his life were not at all in danger and that he should be perfectly cur'd yet the pain and trouble of such a hurt would scarre him and make him warry and fearfull when he walks in danger The broken bones that David complains of after his fall may work fear and warriness in these that hear him though they were ascertain'd of a like recovery This fear is not cowardise it doth not debase but Elevates the mind for it drownes all lower fears and begets true fortitude and courage to encounter all dangers for a good Conscience and the obeying of God The Righteous is bold as a Lyon he dares doe any thing but offend God and to dare that is the greatest folly and baseness and weakness in the world From this fear have sprung all the generous Resolutions and patient sufferings of the Saints and Martyrs of God because they durst not sin against him therefore they durst be imprison'd and impoverish'd and tortur'd and dye for him Thus the Prophet I say sets carnall and godly fear as opposite and the one expelling the other Isa. 8.12.13 And our Saviour Luke 12.4 Fear not them that kill the body But fear him which after he hath kill'd hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you fear him fear not but fear and therefore fear that you may not fear This fear is like the trembling that hath been observed in some great Courages before their battels Moses was bold and fearless in dealing with a proud and wicked King but when God appeared he said sayes the Apostle I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 The Reason that we have here to perswade
he forget who he is and by what means he attain'd to be what he is therefore the Apostle persuading his Brethren no holiness puts them in mind of this as the strongest incentive not onely have you the Example of God set before you as your father to beget in you the love of holiness being your liveliest resemblance of him and the justice of God as your Judge to argue you into a pious fear of offending him but Consider this that he is your Redeemer he hath bought out your liberty from sin and the world to be altogether his and think on the price laid down in this Ransome and these out of question will prevaile with you We have here The evil dissuaded from viz. A vain Conversation 2. the dissuasion it self 1. 't is called Their vain Conversation 2. Receiv'd by tradition from their fathers By this I conceive is not onely understood the superstitions and vain devices in Religion that abounded amongst the Jews by tradition of which our Saviour often reproved them while he was conversant amongst them as we find in the Gospel and all this was mean't Verse 14. by the Lusts of their former ignorance but generally all the corrupt and sinfull customes of their lives for it seems not so pertinent to his purpose exhorting to Holiness of life to speak of their superstitious Traditions as their other sinfull habitudes which are no less hereditary and by the power of Example traditionall which by reason of their common Root in Mans sinfull nature do so easily pass from parents to Children Nature making their Example powerfull and the Corruption of Nature giving iâ— most power in that which is Evill And this is the rather mention'd to take away the force of it and cut of that influence which it might have had into their mindes there is a kind of Conversation that the authority of your fathers pleads for but Remember that it is that very thing from which you are delivered and called to a new estate and form of life and have a new patterne set before you instead of that corrupt Example 'T is one great Errour not onely in Religion and manners but even in humane science that Men are ready to take things upon trust unexamin'd from these that went before them partly out of easiness and sparing the paines of triall partly out of a superstitious overesteem of their Authority but the chief Reason why corruptions in Religion and practice of preceeding ages take so much with posterity is that before mention'd the universal sympathy and agreement that those evils have with the corrupt Nature of Man The Prophet Ezekiel observes this particularly in the Jewes Chap. 20. Verse 24. That their eyes were after their Fathers Idols Contrary to Gods express forewarning Verse 18. This was the great quarrel of the Heathens against the Christian Religion in the Primitive times that it was new and unknown to their Fathers and the ancient Writers of those times are frequent in shewing the vanity of this exception particularly Lactantius Instit. lib. 2. cap. 7 8. The same prejudice doth the Church of Rome sing over continually against the Reform'd Religion where was it before Luther c. But this is a foolish and reasonless diversion from the search of Truth because Errour is more at hand or from the entertaining it being found because falshood is in possession As in Religion so in the course and practise of Mens lives the stream of sin runs from one age into another and every age makes it greater adding somewhat to what it receives as Rivers grow in their course by the accession of Brookes that fall into them and every Man when he is born falls like a drop into this main current of Corruption and so is carried with it down and this by reason of its strength and his own nature which willingly dissolves into it and runs along with it In thiâ— is manifest the power of Divine Grace in a Mans Conversion that it severs him so powerfully from the prophane World and gives him strength to run contrary to the great current of wickedness that is round about him in his Parents possibly and in his Kindred and Friends and in the most of Men that he meets withal The voice of God that powerful word of Effectual calling that he speaks in to the heart makes a Man break through all and leave all to â—ollow God as Abraham did being called out from his kindred and Fathers house to journey towards the Land that God had promis'd him And this is that which is spoke to the Church and to each believing soul by the spirit of God Forget also thine own People and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly delight in thy beauty regard not what others think though thy nearest friends but study only to please him and then thou shalt please him indeed do not deform thy face with looking out a squint to the custom of the World but look straight forward on him and so thou shalt be beautiful in his eyes When God calls a Man in a remarkable manner his prophane Friends are all in a tumult what needs this to be more precise then we and all your Neighbours But all this is a confused noise that works nothing on the heart that the Lord hath touched it must follow him though by trampling upon friends and kindred if they lye in the way we see how powerfully a word from Christ drew his Disciples to leave all and follow him The Exhortation is against all sinful and unholy conversation by what Authority and Example soever recommended to us the Apostles Reasons in those words are strong and pressing there is one express'd in the very Name he gives it 't is vain Conversation The mind of Man the Guide and source of his actions while it is Estranged from God is nothing but a forge of vanities the Apostle St. Paul speaks this of the Gentiles that they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned Rom. 1.21 Their great Naturalists and Philosophers not excepted and the more they strove to play the wise men the more they befool'd themselves thus likewise Eph. 4.17 and thus the Lord complains by his Prophet of the extream folly of his People Isay. 44.20 and by Ieremy that their bearâ—s are lodges of vain thoughts and these are the true cause of a vain Conversation The whole course of a Mans life out of Christ is nothing but a continual trading in Vanity running a Circle of toyle and labour and reaping no profit at all This is the vanity of every natural Mans Conversation that not only others are not benefited by it but it is fruitless to himself there arises to him no solid good out of it That is most truly vain that attains not its proper end Now all a Mans endeavours aiming at his satisfaction and Contentment that Conversation that gives him nothing of that but removes him further from it is justly called
so much and spake so many tongues yet I determined sayes he to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 And again he expresses this as the top of his Ambition that I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death That Conformity is this only knowledge He that hath his lusts unmortified and a heart unweaned from the World though he know all the history of the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ and can discourse well of them yet indeed he knows them not If you would increase much in holiness and be strong against the Tentations of sin this is the only art of it view much and so seek to know much of the death of Jesus Christ Consider often at how high a raâ—e we were redeem'd from sin and provide this answer for all the enticements of sin and the world except you can offer my soul something beyond that price that was given for it on the cross I cannot hearken to you Far be it from me will a Christian say that considers this Redemption that ever I should prefer a base lust or any thing in this World or it all to him that gave himselfe to death for me and payed my Ransom with his blood his matchless love hath freed me from the miserable Captivity of sin and hath for ever fastened me to the sweet yoke of his Obedience Let him alone to dwell and rule within me and let him never go forth from my heart who for my sake refus'd to come down from the Cross. Verse 20. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you OF all those Considerations and there are many that may move Men to Obedience there is none that persuades both more sweetly and strongly then the sense of Gods goodness and mercy towards Men and amongst all the Evidences of that there is none like the sending and giving of his Son for Mans redemption therefore the Apostle having mentioned that insists further in it and in these words expresses the performance and the Application of it 1. The purpose or Decree foreknown but 't is well rendred fore ordained for this knowing is Decreeing and there is little either solid truth or profit in the distinguishing them We say usually that where there is little wisdom there is much chance and comparitively amongst Men some are far more foresighted and of further Reach then others yet the wisest and most provident Men both wanting skill to designe all things aâ—ight and power to act as they contrive meet with many unexpected Casualties and often Disappointments in their undertakings but with God where both wisdom and power are infinite there can be neither any Chance nor Resistance from without nor any Imperfection at all in the contrivance of things neither himself can give that cause to add or abate or alter any thing in the frame of his purposes The modell of the whole world and of all the course of time was with him one and the same from all Etenity and whatsoever is brought to pass is exactly answerable to that pattern for with him there is no change nor shaddow of turning Iam. 1.17 There is nothing dark to the father of lights he sets at one view through all things and all ages from the beginning of time to the end of it yea from Eternity to Eternity And this Inccomprehensible wisdom is too wonderfull for us we do but childishly stammer when we offer to speak of it It is no wonder that Men beat their own braines and knock their heads one against another in the contest of their opinions to little purpose in their severall Mouldings of Gods Decree Is not this to cut and square Gods thoughts to ours and Examine his Soveraign purposes by the low principles of Humane wisdom how much more learned then all such knowledge is the Apostles Ignorance when he crys out O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 Why then should any man dâ—bate what place in the series of Gods decree is to be assign'd to this purpose of sending his son in the flesh Let us rather seeing it is manifest that it was for the Redemption of lost Mankind admire that same Love of God to mankind that appears in that purpose of our recovery by the word made flesh that before Man had made himself miserable yea before either he or the world was made this thought of boundless love was in the bosome of God to send his son forth from thence to bring fallen Man out of misery and restore him to happiness and to do this not onely by taking on his nature but the curse to shift it off from us that were sunk under it and to bear it himself and by bearing it to take it away he laid on him the iniquity of us all And to this he was appointed says the Apostle Heb. 3 2. Before the foundation of the world This we understand by Faith that the world was framed by the word of God Although the Learned probably think it evincible by humane Reason yet some of those that have gloried most in that and are reputed generally masters of Reason have not seen it by that light therefore that we may have a divine belief of it we must learn it from the word of God and be persuaded of its truth by the spirit of God that the whole world and all things in it were drawn out of Nothing by his almighty power that is the onely Eternal and Increated being and therefore the fountain and source of being to all things Foundation In this word is clâ—ar the Resemblance of the world to a building and such a building it is as doth evidence the greatness of him that fram'd it so spacious Rich and comely so firm a foundation and rais'd to so high and stately a roofe and set it with variety of stars as with Jewels therefore call'd as some conceive it Psa. 8. the work of his fingers to express the curious artifice that appears in them Though Naturalists can give the reason of the earth's stability from its heaviness which stayes it necessarily in the lowest part of the world yet that abates nothing our admiring the wisdom and power of God in laying its foundation so and establishing it for it is his will that is the first cause of that its nature and hath appointed that to be the property of its heaviness to fix it there and therefore Iob alledeges this amongst the wonderfull works of God and evidences of his power that he hangeth the earth upon nothing Before there was Time or place or any Creature God the blessed Trinity was in himselfe and as the Prophet speaks inhabiting Eternity compleatly happy in himself but intending to manifest and communicate his goodness he
make Christ once the Medium our pure Redeemer and through him as clear transparent Glass the beams of Gods favourable Countenance shine in upon the soul the Father cannot look upon his wellbeloved son but graciously and pleasingly God lookes on us out of Christ sees us rebels and fit to be condemn'd we look on God as being just and powerfull to punish us but when Christ is betwixt God looks on us in him as justified and we look on God in him as pacified and see the smiles of his favourable countenance Take Christ out all is terrible interpose him all is full of peace Therefore set him always betwixt and by him we shall believe in God The warrant and ground of believing in God by him is this that God rais'd him from the dead and gave him glory which evidences the full satisfaction of his death and in all that work both in his humiliation and exaltation standing in our room we may repute it his as ours if all is payed that could be exacted of him and therefore he set free from death then are wee acquitted and have nothing to pay If he was rais'd from the dead and exalted to glory then so shall we he hath taken possession of that glory for us and we may judge our selves possessed in it already because he our head possesseth it And this the last words of the Verse confirm to us in meaning this to be the very purpose and end for which God having given him to death raised him up and gave him glory it s for this end expressly that our faith and hope might be in God The last end is that we may have life and glory through him the nearer end that in the mean while till we attain them we may have firme belief and hope of them and rest on God as the giver of them and so in part enjoy them before hand and be upheld in our joy and conflicts by the comfort of them and as St. Steven in his vision faith doth in a spirituall way look through all the visible heavens and see Christ at the Fathers right hand and is comforted by that in the greatest troubles though it were amidst a showre of stones as he The comfort is no less than this that being by faith made one with Christ his present glory wherein he â—its at the Fathers right hand is assurance to us that where he is we shall be also Verse 22. Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned Love of the brethren see that ye Love one another with a pure heart fervently JEsus Christ is made unto us of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 'T is a known truth and yet very needful to be often represented to us that Redemption and holiness are undivided Companions yea that we are redeem'd on purpose for this End that we should be Holy The pressing of this we see is here the Apostles scope and having by that reason enforc'd it in the general he now takes that as concluded and confess'd and so makes use of it particularly to exhort that main Christian Grace of brotherly love The Obedience and holiness mention'd in the foregoing Verses comprehends the whole duties and and frame of a Christian life towards God and Men and having urg'd that in the general he specifies this Grace of mutual Christian Love as the great Evidence of their sincerity and the truth of their Love to God for Men are subject to much hypocrisie this way and deceive themselves if they find themselves diligent in religious Exercises they scarce once ask their hearts how they stand affected this way Namely in love to their Brethren They can come constantly to the Church and pray it may be at home too and yet cannot find in their hearts to forgive an Injury As forgiving Injuries argues the truth of Piety so 't is that which makes all converse both sweet and profitable and besides it Graces and commends Men and their holy profession to such as are without and strangers to it yea even to their Enemies Therefore is it that our Saviour doth so much recommend this to his Disciples and they to others as we see in all their Epistles He gives it them as the very badge and Livery by which they should be known for his followers by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye Love one another And St. Paul is frequent in exhorting and extolling this Grace Rom. 12.10 13.8 1 Cor. 1.13 Gal. 5.13 Eph. 4.2 and in many other places Colloss 3.14 he calls it the bond of perfectness that Grace which unites and binds all together Our Apostle here and often in this and the other Epistle and that beloved Disciple St. Iohn who leaned on our Saviours brest drunk deep of that spring of Love that was here and therefore it streams forth so abundantly in his writings they contain nothing so much as this divine Doctrine of Love We have here 1. The due Qualifications of it· 2. A Christians Obligation to it The Qualifications are three Namely sincerity purity and fervency The sincerity express'd in the former clause of the Verse unfeigned Love and repeated again in the latter part that it be with a pure heart as the purity is in fervency It appears that this dissimulation is a disease that is very incident in this particular The Apostle St. Paul hath the same word Rom. 12.9 And the the Apostle St. Iohn to the same sense 1 Ioh. 3.18 That it have that double reality which is opposed to double dissembled love that it be Cordial and Effectual that the professing of it arise from truth of affection and as much as may be be seconded with action that both the heart and the hand may be more the seal of it than the tongue Not Court-holy water an empty noise of Service and affection that fears nothing more than to be put upon tryal Although thy Brother with whom thou conversest cannot it may be see through thy false appearances he that commands this Love looks most within seeks it there and if he find it not there hates them most that most pretend it so that art of dissembling never so well studied cannot pass in this Kings Court to whom all hearts are open and all desires known When after Variances Men are brought to an agreement they are much subject to this rather to cover their remaining malices with superficial verbal forgiveness than to dislodge them and free the heart of them this is a poor self deceit as the Philosopher said to him that being ashamed that he was espyed by him in a Tavern in the outer Room withdrew himself to the inner he called after him that 's not the way out the more you go that way you will be the further within it When hatreds upon admonition are not thrown out but retire inward to hide themselves they grow deeper and stronger than before and those
constrained semblances of reconcilement are but a false healing do but skin it over and therefore usually it breaks forth worse again How few are there that have truly maliceless hearts and find this intire upright affection towards their Brethren meeting them in their whole Conversation this Law of love deeply impress'd on their hearts and from thence express'd in their words and actions and that is unfeigned love as real to their Brethren as to themselves 2. It must be pure from a pure heart this is not all one with the former as some take it 'T is true doubleness and hypocrisie is an impurity and a great one but all impurity is not doubleness one may really mean that friendship and affection he expresses and yet it may be most contrarie to that which is here requir'd because impure such a brotherly Love as that of Simeon and Levi brethen in Iniquity as the expressing them brethren Gen. 49. is taken to mean When hearts are cemented together by impurity it selfe by ungodly conversation and society in sin as in uncleanness or drunkenness c. This is a swinish fraternity and friendship that is contracted as it were by wallowing in the same mire call it good fellowship or what you will all the fruit that in the end can be expected out of unholy friendliness and fellowship in sinning together is to be tormented together and add each to the torment of another The mutual Love of Christians must be pure arising from such causes as are pure and spiritual from the sense of our Saviour's Command and of his example For he himself joynes that with it A new Commandment give I you saith he that as I have loved you so you also love one another They that are indeed Lovers of God they are united by that their hearts meet in him as in one center They cannot but love one another where a godly Man sees his Fathers Image he is forc'd to love it he he loves those he perceives Godly so as to delight in them because that Image is in them and those that appear destitute of it he loves them so as to wish them partakers of that Image And this is all for God he loves Amicum in Deo inimicum propter Deum That is he loves a friend in God and an Enemy for God And as the Christians love is pure in its Cause so in its Effects and Exercise his society and converse with any tends mainly to this that he may muâ—ually help and be helpt in the knowledge and love of God desires most that he and his brethren may joyntly mind their journey heavenwards and further one another in their way to the full Enjoyment of God And this is truly the love of a pure heart that both begins and ends in God Fervently Not after a cold indifferent manner Let the Love of your Brethren be as a fire within you consuming that selfishness that is so contrary to it and is so natural to Men let it set your thoughts on work to study how to do others good let your love be an active Love intense within you and extending it selfe in doing good to the souls and bodies of your Brethren as they need and you are able Alium re alium concilio alium gratiâ as Sen. de benef Lib. 1. cap. 2. It is selfe-love that contracts the heart and shuts out all other Love both of God and Men save only so far as our own Interest carries and that is still self-love But the Love of God dilates the heart purifies Love and extends it to all Men but after a special manner directs it to those that are more peculiarly beloved of him and that is hero the particular love required Love of the Brethren In this is Implied our Obligation to it after a special manner to love those of the houshold of faith because they are our Brethren This concludes not only as Abraham said that there ought to be no strife but it binds most strongly to this sincere and pure and fervent love and therefore the Apostle in the next Verse repeats expresly the Doctrine of the mysterious New-birth and explains it more fully which he had mention'd in the entrance of the Epistle and again referr'd to it Verse 14 17. There is in this fervent Love sympathy with the griefs of our Brethren desire and endeavour to help them bearing their Infirmities and recovering them too if it may be raising them when they fall admonishing and reproving them as is needful sometimes sharply and yet still in Love Rejoycing in their good in their Gifts and Graces so far from envying them that we be glad as if they were our own there is the same blood running in their veins you have the same Father and the same spirit within you and the same Jesus Christ the head of that glorious fraternity the first born among many Brethren of which the Apostle saith Eph. 1.10 that he hath recollected into one all things in heaven and in earth The word is gathered them into one head And so suits very fitly to express that our union in him in whom sayes he in that same Epistle c. 4.16 The whole body is fitly compacted together and addes that which agrees to our purpose that this body grows up and edifies it selfe in love All the members receive spirits from the same head and are useful and serviceable one to another and to the whole body Thus these Brethren receiving of the same spirit from their head Christ are most strongly bent to the good one of another If there be but a thorn in the Foot the Back boweth the Head stoops down the Eyes look the Hands reach to it and endeavour its help and case In a word all the members partake of the good and evil one of another Now by how much this body is more spiritual and lively so much the stronger must the union and love of the parts of it be each to other You are brethren by the same new birth and born to the same Inheritance and such an one as shall not be an Apple of strife amongst you to beget debates and contentions No 't is enough for all and none shall prejudge another but you shall have joy in the happiness one of another seeing you shall then be perfect in love all harmony no difference in judgement nor affection all your harps tun'd to the same new Song which you shall sing for ever let that love begin here which shall never end And this same union I conceive is likewise pressed in the first words of the verse seeing you are partakers of that work of sanctification by the same word and the same spirit that works it in all the faithfull and by that are called and incorporate into that fraternity therefore live in it and like it You are purified to it therefore love one another after that same manner purely Let the profane world scoffe that name of Brethren you will not be so foolish
which is able to save our souls Thus ought they that Preach to speak it to endeavour their utmost to accommodate it to this end that sinners may be converted begotten again and believers nourish'd and strengthned in their spiritual life to regard no lower end but aim steddily at that mark Their hearts and tongues ought to be set on fire with holy zeal for God and love to souls kindled by the Holy Ghost that came down on the Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues And they that hear should remember this as the end of their hearing that they may receive spiritual life and strength by the word for though it seems a poor despicable busines that a frail sinful Man like your selves speak a few words in your hearing yet look upon it as the way wherein God communicates happiness to them that believe and works that believing unto happiness alters the whole frame of the soul and makes a new creation as it begets it again to the Inheritance of glory Consider it thus which is its true notion and then what can be so precious Let the world disesteem it as they will know ye that it is the power of God unto salvation The Preaching of the cross is to them that perish foollishness but unto them that are saved it is the power of God sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.18 And if you would have the experience of this if you would have life and growth by it you must look above the poor worthless Messenger and call in his almighty help who is the Lord of life As the Philosophers affirm that if the Heavens should stand still there would be no generation nor flourishing of any thing here below 't is the moving and influence of the spirit that makes the Church fruitful Would you do this before you come here present the blindness of your minds and the deadness of your hearts to God and say Lord here 's an opportunity for thee to shew the power of thy word I would find life and strength in it but neither can I that hear nor he that speaks make it thus unto me that 's thy prerogative say thou the word and it shall be done God said let there be light and it was light In this Exhortation to the due use of the word the Apostle continues the resemblance of that new birth he mention'd Chap. 1. As new born babes Be not satisfied with your selves till you find some evidence of this new this supernatural life There be delights and comforts in this life in its lowest condition that would perswade us to look after it if we knew them The most cannot be made sensible of those consider therefore the end of it Better never to have been than not to have been partaker of this new being Except a man be born again sayes our Saviour he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Surely they that are not born again shall one day wish they had never been born What a poor wretched thing is the life that we have here a very heap of follies and miseries now if we would share in a happier being after it that life that ends not it must begin here grace and glory is one and the same Life only with this difference that the one is the beginning and the other the perfection of it or if we do call them two several lives yet the one is the undoubted pledge of the other 'T was a strange word for a Heathen to say that that day of death we fear so aeterninatalis est is the birth day of Eternity Thus it is indeed to those that are here born again this new birth of grace is the sure earnest and counter-pawn of that birth day of glory Why do we not then labour to make this certain by the former Is it not a fearful thing to spend our dayes in vanity and then ly down in darkness and sorrow for ever to disregard the life of our soul while we may and should be provident for it and then when its going out cry quo nunc abibis whither art thou going O my soul But this new life puts us out of the danger and fear of that Eternal death we are passed from death to life sayes St. Iohn speaking of those that are born again and being passed there is no repassing no going back from this life to death again This new birth is the same that St. Iohn calls the first Resurrection and pronounces them blessed that partake of it Blessed are they that have part in the first Resurrection the second death shall have no power over them The weak beginnings of grace in comparison of further strength attainable even in this life are sometimes express'd as the infancy of it and so believers ought not to continue Infants and if they do 't is reprovable in them as we see Eph. 4.14 1 Cor. 2.2 1 Cor. 14.20 Heb. 5.12 though the Apostle writes to new Converts and so may possibly imply the tenderness of their beginnings of grace yet I conceive that Infancy is here taken in such a sense as agrees to a Christian in the whole course and best estate of his Spiritual life here below and so likewise the milk here recommended is answerable to this sense of Infancy and not to the former as 't is in some of those cited places where it means the easiest and first Principles of Religion and so is oppos'd to the higher mysteries of it as to strong meat but here it signfies the whole word of God and all its wholesome and saving truths as the proper nourishment of the Children of God And so the Apostles words are a standing Exhortation for all Christians of all degrees And the whole estate and course of their Spiritual life here is called there Infancy not only as oppos'd to Corruption and wickedness of the old man but likewise as signifying the weakness and imperfection of it at its best in this life compar'd with the perfection of the life to come for the weakest beginnings of grace are nothing so far below the highest degree of it possible in this life as that highest degree falls short of the state of glory so that if one measure of grace is called Infancy in respect of another much more is all grace Infancy in respect of Glory And sure as for Time the time of our present life is far less to eternity than the time of our natural Infancy is to the rest of our life so that we may be still call'd but new or lately born Our best pace and strongest walking in obedience here is but as the stepping of Children when they begin to go by hold in comparison of the perfect obedience in glory when we shall follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes all our knowledge here is but the Ignorance of Infants and all our expressions of God and of his Praises but as the first stammerings of Children in comparison of the knowledge we shall have of him hereafter
God was given to be tasted in the promises before the coming of Christ in the flesh But being accomplish'd in his coming then was the sweetness of grace made more sensible Then was it more fully broacht and let out to the Elect world when he was pierc'd on the Cross and his blood poured out for our redemption Through those holes of his wounds way we draw and taste that the Lord is gracious sayes S. August 2. Taste There is a tasting of temporary believers spoke of Heb. 6.4 Their highest sense of spirituall things and it will be in some far higher than we easily think yet is but a taste and is call'd so in comparison of the truer fuller sense that true believers have of the grace and goodness of God which compar'd with temporary taste is more than tasting the former is tasting rather an imaginary tast then real but this is a true feeding on the graciousness of God yet call'd but a tast in respect of the fulness to come though it is more than a tast as you difference it from the hypocrites sense yet 't is no more but a tast compar'd with the great marriage feast we look for Jesus Christ being all in all unto the soul faith apprehending him is all the spirituall senses it is the eye that beholds his matchless beauty and so enkindles love in the soul and can speak of him as having seen him and taken particuliar notice of him Cant. 5.9 'T is the eare that discernes his voyce Cant. 2.8 'T is faith that smells his name poured forth as an ointment faith it touches him and draws vertue from him and faith that tastes him Cant. 2.3 And here If ye have tasted c. There must be 1. a firme believing the truth of the promises wherein the free Grace of God is exprest and exhibited to us 2. A particular application or attraction of that grace to our selves which is as the drawing those breasts of consolation namely the promises contain'd in the old and new Testament 3. There is a sense of the sweetness of that grace being applied or drawn in to the soul and that is properly this tast No unrenewed Man hath any of these in truth not the highest kind of temporary believer he cannot have so much as a real lively assent to the generall truth of the promises for had he that the rest would follow but as he cannot have the least of these in truth he may have the counterfit of them all not only of assent but application yea and a false spiritual joy arising on it and all these so drawn to the life that they may resemble much the truth of them and to give clear characters of difference is not so easie as most imagine but doubtless the true living faith of a Chiristian hath in it self such a particular stamp as brings with it it s own evidence when the soul is clear and the light of Gods face shines upon it Indeed in the dark we cannot read nor distinguish one mark from another but when a Christian hath light to look upon the work of God in his own soul although he cannot make another sensible of that by which he knows it yet he himself is ascertain'd and can say confidently in himself this I know that this faith and â—ast of God I have is true the seal of the spirit of God is upon it and this is the reading of that new name in the white stone that no Man knowes but he that hath it There is in a true Believer such a constant love to God for himself and continual desire after him simply for his own excellency and goodness that no other can have On the other side would an Hypocrite deal truly and impartialy by himself he would readily find out something that would discover him more or less to himself but the truth is Men are willing to deceive themselves and thence arises the difficulty One Man cannot make another sensible of the sweetness of Divine Grace he may speak to him of it very excellently but all he sayes in that kind is an unknown language to a natural Man he hath many good words but he cannot tell what they mean The natural Man tastes not the things of God for they are spiritually discern'd A Spiritual Man himself doth not fully conceive this swetness that he tastes of 't is an infinite Goodness and he hath but a taste of it the Peace of God is a main fruit of this his goodness it passeth all understanding sayes the Apostle not only all natural understanding as some modifie it but all understanding even the supernatural understanding of those that enjoy it and as the Godly Man cannot conceive it all so that which he conceives he cannot express it all and that which he doth express the carnal mind cannot conceive of it by his expression But he that hath indeed tasted of this goodness O how tastless are those things to him that the World call's sweet as when you have tasted somewhat that is very sweet it disrelisheth other things after it Therefore can a Christian so easily either want or use with disregard the delights of this earth His heart is not upon them for the delight that he finds in it God carryeth it unspeakably away from all the the rest makes them in comparison seem sapless to his tast Salomon tasted of all the delicacies the choisest dishes that are in such esteem amongst Men and not only tasted but eat largly of them and yet see how he goes over them to let us know what they are and passes from one dish to another this also is vanity and of the next this also is vanity and so through all and of all in general All is vanity and vexation of Spirit or feeding on the Wind as the word may be rendred 3. We come in the third place to the Inference If ye have tasted c. Then lay aside all Malice and guile and Hipocrisies and Envies and all evil speakings Verse 1. For it looks back to the whole Exhortation sure if you have tasted of that kindness and sweetness of God in Christ it will compose your spirits and conform them to him it will diffuse such a sweetness through your soul that there will be no place for malice and guile There will be nothing but love and meekness and singleness of heart therefore they that have bitter malitious Spirits evidence they have not tasted of the love of God as the Lord is good so they that taste it are made like him Eph. 4.32 Be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you Again if ye have tasted then desire more and this is the truest sign of it he that is in a continual hunger and thirst after this graciousness of God sure he hath tasted of it My soul thirsteth for God saith David he had tasted before Verse 4. he remembers that he went to the
house of God with the voice of Ioy. This is that happy circle wherein the soul moves the more they love it the more they shall tast of this goodness and the more they taste the more they shall still love and desire it But observe if ye have tasted that the Lord is gratious then desire the milk of the Word This is the sweetness of the word that it hath in it the Lords graciousness gives us the knowledge of his love this they find in it that have Spiritual life and senses and those senses exercis'd to discern good and evil and this engages a Christian to further desire of the Word These are fantastical deluding tastes that draw Men from the writen Word and make them expect other Revelations This graciousness is first conveyed to us by the Word there we tast it and therefore there still we are to seek it to hang upon those breasts that cannot be drawn dry there the love of God in Christ streames forth in the several promises the heart that cleaves to the word of God and delights in it cannot but find in it daily new tastes of his goodness there it reads his love and by that stirs up his own to him and so growes loves every day more than the former and thus is tending from tastes to fulness 'T is but little we can receive some drops of joy that enter into us but there we shall enter into joy as vessels put into a Sea of happiness Verse 4 5. 4. To whom coming unto a living Stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and pretious 5. Ye also as lively Stones are built up a Spitual House an holy Priesthood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. THe spring of all the dignities of a Christian and therefore the great motives of all his duties is his near relation to Jesus Christ. Thence it is that the Apostle makes that the great subject of his Doctrine both to represent to his distress'd Brethren their Dignity in that and to press by it the necessary duties he exhorts unto Having spoke of their Spiritual life and growth in him under the resemblance of natural life he prosecutes it here by another comparison very frequent in the Scriptures and therefore makes use in it of some passages of those Scriptures that were Prophetical of Christ and his Church Though there be here two different similitudes yet they have so near Relation one to another and meet so well in the same subject that he joynes them together and then illustrates them severaly in the following Verses a Temple and a Priesthood comparing the Saints to both The former in these words of this Verse We have in it 1. The nature of the building 2. The materials of it 3. The structure or way of building it 1. The nature is a spiritual building Time and place we know receiv'd their being from God and he was Eternaly before both therefore stiled by the Prophet the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity but having made the World he fills it though not as contain'd in it and so the whole frame of it is his Palace or Temple but after a more special manner the higher and statelier part of it the highest Heaven Therefore call'd his holy place and the habitation of his holiness and glory and on earth the houses of his Publick Worship are called his houses especially the Jewish Temple in its time having in it such a relative typical holiness which others have not but besides all these and beyond them all in excellency he hath a house wherein he dwells more peculiarly than in any of the rest even more than in Heaven taken for the place only and that is this spiritual building And this is most suitable to the nature of God as our Saviour sayes of the necessary conformity of his Worship to himself God is a spirit and therefore will be worshipped in spirit and in truth So it holds of his house he must have a Spiritual one because he is a spirit So Gods Temple is his People And for this purpose chiefly did he make the world the heaven and the earth That in it he might raise this spiritual building for himself to dwell in for ever to have a number of his reasonable creatures to enjoy him and glorifie him in eternity and from eternity he knew what the demensions and frame and materials of it should be The continuance of this present world as now it is is but for the service of this work like the scaffolding about it and therefore when this Spiritual building shall be fully compleated all the present frame of things in the world and in the Church it self shall be taken away and appear no more This building is as the particular designing of its materials will teach us the whole invisible Church of God and each good man is a stone of this building but as the nature of it is spiritual it hath this priviledge as they speak of the soul that ' it s tota in toto tota in quâlibet parte as the whole Church is the spouse of Christ and each believing soul hath the same title and dignity to be called so thus each of these stones is called a whole Temple Temples of the holy Ghost though taking the temple or building in a compleater sense they are but each one a part or a stone of it as here it is express'd The whole excellency of this building is compris'd in this that 't is called spiritual differencing it from all other buildings and preserving it to them and because he speaks immediately after of a Priesthood and sacrifices it seems to be call'd a spiritual building particularly in opposition to that material Temple wherein the Iews gloried which was now Null in regard of its former use and was wholly after destroyed But when it stood and the legal use of it stood in fullest vigour yet in this still it was inferiour that it was not a spiritual house made up of living stones as this but of a like matter with other earthly buildings The spiritual house is the palace of the great King of his temple The Hebrew word for palace and temple is one Gods temple is a palace and therefore must be full of the richest beauty and magnificence But such as agrees with the nature of it a spiritual beauty In that Psalm that wishes so many prosperities one is that their daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace thus is the Church that is called the Kings daughter Psa. 45. but her comliness is invisible to the World She is all glorious within through sorrowes and Persecutions she may be smoaky and black to the World's eye as the tents of Kedar but in regard of Spiritual beauty she is comely as the Curtains of Salomon and in this the Jewes Temple resemble it right which had most of its riches and beauty in the inside Holiness
sense which crosses not this it must not be whole but broken Psal. 51. But if thou find it unbroken yet give it him with a desire that it may be broken and if it be broken and when thou hast given it him he break it more yea and melt it too yet thou shalt not repent thy gift for he breaks and melts it that he may refine it and make it up in a new and excellent frame and may impresse his own Image on it make it holy and so like to himself Let us then give him our selves or nothing and to give our selves to him is not his advantage but ours as the Philosopher said to his poor Scholar that when others gave him great gifts told him he had nothing but himself to give 'T is well said he and I will endeavour to give thee back to thy self better than I received thee Thus doth God with us and a Christian makes himself his daily Sacrifice he renews this gift of himself every day to God and receiving it every day better'd again still he hath the more light to give it as being fitter for God the more 't is sanctified by former Sacrificing Now that whereby we offer all other Spiritual Sacrifices and our selves withal is Love that is the holy fire that burns up all sends up our Prayers and our hearts and our whole selves a whole burnt offering to God and as the fire of the Altar it is originally from Heaven being kindled by Gods own love to us and by this the Church and each Believer ascends like a straight Pillar of smoak as the word is Cant. 3.6 going even up to God perfum'd with Aloes and all the Spices all the graces of the Spirit receiv'd from Christ but above all with his own Merits How far from this is the common Multitude of us though professing to be Christians Who considers his holy calling As the peculiar holiness of the Ministry should be much in their Eye and thoughts that are call'd to 't to study to be answerably eminent in holiness so all that are Christians consider you are Priests unto God being called a Holy Priesthood thus you ought to be but if we speak what we are indeed we must say rather we are an unholy Priesthood a shame to that Name and holy Profession in stead of the Sacrifices of a godly Life and the incense of Prayer and Praise in Families and alone what is with many but the filthy vapours of prophane speaking and a profane life as a noysome smell arising out of a dunghil But you that have once offered up your selves unto God and are still doing so with all the services you can reach Continue so and be affur'd that how unworthy soever your selves and all your offerings be yet they shall not be rejected The 3. thing here observable is the success of that Service acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Heb. 13.16 The Children of God do delight in offering Sacrifices to him but if they might not know that they were well taken at their hands this would discourage them much therefore this is added how often do the Godly find it in their sweet experience That when they come to Pray he welcomes them and gives them such evidences of his love as they would not exchange for all Worldly pleasures and when this doth not so presently appear at other times yet they ought to believe it he accepts themselves and their wayes offer'd in sincerity though never so mean though they sometimes have no more but a sigh or groan 't is most properly a Spiritual Sacrifice Stay not away because thou and thy gifts thou offer'st are below others no none are excluded for that only give what thou hast and act with affection for that he regards most Under the Law they that had not a Lamb were welcome with a pair of Pigeons so that the Christian may say What I am Lord. I offer my self unto thee to be wholly thine and had I a thousand times more of outward or inward gifts all should be thine had I more Estate or Wit or Learning or Power I would endeavour to serve thee with all What I have I offer thee and it is most truly thine it is but of thy own that I give thee None needs forbear Sacrifice for Poverty for that he desires is the heart and there is none so poor but hath a heart to give him But meanness is not all there is a guiltiness on our selves and on all we offer our Prayers and Services are all polluted But this hinders not neither for our acceptance is not for our selves but for one who hath no guiltiness at all Acceptable by Iesus Christ In him our Persons are cloath'd with righteousness and in his cloathing we are as Isaac said of Iacob in his Brother's garments as the smell of a Field that the Lord hath blessed And all our other Sacrifices our Prayers and Services if we offer them by him and put them into his hand to offer to the Father then doubt not they will be accepted in him for this by Iesus Christ is relative both to our Offering and acceptance we ought not to offer any thing but by him Heb. 13.15 And so we are well pleasing for he is his wellbeloved Son in whom his soul is delighted not only delighted and pleas'd with himself but in Him with all things and Persons that appear in him and are presented by him And this alone answers all our doubts for we our selves for as little as we see that way yet may see so much in our best Services so many wandrings in Prayer so much deadness c. as would make us still doubtful of acceptance and might say with Iob although he had answered me yet would I not bâ—lieve that he had hearkned to me were it not this that our Prayers and all our Sacrifices pass through Christs hand he is that Angel that hath much sweet odours to mingle with the Prayers of the Saints he purifies them with his own Merits and Intercession and so makes them pleasing unto the Father How ought our hearts to be knit to him by whom we are brought into favour with God and kept in favour with him in whom we obtain all the good we receive and in whom all we offer is accepted In him are all our supplies of grace and our hopes of glory Verse 6. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner stone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded THat which is the chief of the works of God is therefore very reasonably the chief Subject of his word as both most excellent in it self and of most concernment for us to know And this is the saving of lost Mankind by his Son therefore is his name as precious Ointment or perfume diffus'd through the whole Scriptures all these holy leaves smell of it not only those that were written after his coming but those
he had never seen light and were brought forth on a sudden or not to need that imagination take the Man that was born blind at his first sight after Christ had cur'd him what wonder think we would seize upon him to behold on a sudden the beauty of this visible World especially of that Sun and that Light that makes it both Visible and Beautiful But much more matter of Admiration is there in this Light to the Soul that is brought newly from the darkness of corrupt Nature They see as it were a new World and in it such wonders of the rich Grace and Love of God such matchless worth in Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness that their Souls are fill'd with admiration and if this Light of Grace be so Marvellous how much more Marvellous shall the Light of Glory be in which it ends Hence learn 1. To Esteem highly of the Gospel in which this Light shines unto us the Apostle calls it therefore the Glorious Gospel 2 Cor. 4. sure we have no cause to be asham'd of it but of our selves that we are so unlike it 2. Think not you that are grosly ignorant of God and his Son Christ and the Mysteries of Salvation that you have any Portion as yet in his Grace for the first Character of his renewed Image in the Soul is Light as it was his first work in the World What availes it us to live in the Noon-day-light of the Gospel if our hearts be still shut against it and so within we be nothing but darkness as a House that is close shut up and hath no entry for light though 't is day without still 't is night within 3. Consider your delight in the works of Darkness and be affraid of that great Condemnation this is the Condemnation of the World that light is come into it and Men love darkness rather than Light Joh. 3.19 4. You that are indeed partakers of this happy change Let your hearts be habitations of light Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Study much to increase in Spiritual light and knowledge and withal in holiness and obedience if your light be this Light of God truly Spiritual Light these will accompany it Consider the rich Love of God and account His Light marvellous as in it self so in this that he hath bestow'd it on you and seeing you were once darkness but now are light in the Lord I beseech you nay 't is the Apostle and in him the Spirit of God does it Walk as Children of the Light But to proceed to speak to the other parts of this Verse 'T is known and confess'd to be a chief point of Wisdom in a Man to consider what he is from whom he hath that his being and to what end When a Christian hath thought on this in his Natural being as he is a Man he hath the same to consider over again of his Spiritual being as he is a Christian and so a New Creature And in this notion all the three are very clearly represented to him in these words 1. What he is First by these Titles of Dignity in the first words of this Verse And again by an estate of Light in the last clause of it 2. Whence a Christian hath this Excellent being is very expresse here He hath called That God who is the Author of all kind of being hath given you this called you from darkness to his marvellous Light if you be a Chosen Generation it is he that hath chosen you 1 Pet. 1.2 if you be a Royal Priesthood you know that 't is he that hath anointed you If a Holy Nation he hath sanctified you Iob. 17.17 If a Peculiar or Purchasd People 'T is he that hath bought you 1 Cor. 6.20 All are in this calling and they are all one thing 3. To what end to shew forth his Praises Of the first of these in all the several expressions of it we have spoken before now are to be considered the other two 2. Called you They that live in the Society and profess the faith of Christians are called unto Light the light of the Gospel that shines in the Church of God Now this is no small Favour and Priviledge while many People are left in darkness and in the shaddow of death to have this Light arise upon us and to be in the Region of it the Church the Goshen of the World for by this outward light we are invited to this happy State of saving inward Light and that is here to be understood as the means of this These Jewes that were called to the Profession of the Christian Faith to whom our Apostle writes were even in that called unto a Light hid from the rest of their Nation and from many other Nations in the World But because the Apostle doth out of doubt describe here the lively Spiritual Estate of true Believers therefore this calling doth further import the effectual work of conversion making the day-light of Salvation not only without but within them the day star to arise in their hearts as he speaks 2 Ep. 1.19 When the Sun is arisen yet if a Man be lying fast in a dark Prison and in a deep sleep too 't is not day to him he is not call'd to Light till some open the doors and awake him and bring him forth to it this God doth in the calling here meant That which is here called Calling in regard of the way of Gods working with the Soul in regard of the power of it is called a rescuing bringing forth of the soul so the Apostle St. Paul speaks of it Col. 1.13 Delivered from the power of darkness and translated to the Kingdom of his dear Son That delivering and translating is this calling and 't is from the Power of Darkness a forcible Power that detains the Soul Captive as there are chaines of Eternal darkness upon damned Spirits which shall never be taken off wherein they are said to be reserv'd to the judgment of the great day so there are chaines of Spiritual darkness upon the Soul unconverted that can be taken off by no other hand but the Powerful hand of God He calls the sinner to come forth and withal causes by the power of that his voyce the bolts and fetters to fall off and inables the Soul to come forth into the Light 't is an operative word that effects what it bids as that in the creation He said let there be Light and it was Light To which the Apostle hath reference 2 Cor. 4.6 God calls Man he works with him indeed as with a reasonable creature but sure he likewise works as himself as an Almighty Creator He works strongly and sweetly with an Almighty easiness One Man may call another to this Light and if there be no more he may call long enough to no purpose as they tell of Mahomet's miracle that misgave he call'd a mountain to come to him but it stirr'd
not but His call that shakes and removes the mountains doth in a way known to himself turn and wind the heart which way he pleaseth The voyce of the Lord is powerfull and full of Majesty Psa. 29. If he speak once to the heart it cannot chuse but follow Him and yet most willingly chuses that The workings of grace as oyl to which it is often compar'd do insensibly and silently penetrate and sink into the soul and dilate themselves through it that word of his own calling disentangles the heart from all its nets as it did the Disciples to follow Christ that call that brought St. Matthew presently from his receit of custom puts off the heart from all its customes and receits too makes it reject gains and pleasures and all that hinders it to go after Christ And it is a call that touches the Soul so as the touch of Elijah's Mantle that made Elisha follow him Go back said he for what have I done unto thee yet he had done so much as made him forsake all to go with him And this every Believer is most really to acknowledge that knows what the rebellion of his heart was and what his miserable love of darkness was that the gracious yet mighty call of God was that which drew him him out of it and therefore he willingly assents to that Which is the third thing that it becomes him to shew forth his praise who hath so mercifully and so powerfully called him from so miserable to so happy an estate For 1. This is Gods end in calling us to communicate his goodness to us that so the glory of it may return to himself The highest agent cannot work but for the highest end so that as the Apostle speaks when God would confirm his Covenant by an oath he sware by himself because he could swear by no greater so in all he must be the end of his own actions because there is no greater nor better end yea none by infinite odds so great or good particularly in the calling and exalting a number of lost Mankind to so great honour and happiness both in designing that great work and in performing it he aimes at the opening up and declaring of his rich grace for the glory of it As the Apostle S. Paul tells us once and again Eph. 1. 2. As this is Gods end it ought to be ours and therefore ours because it is His. And for this very purpose are we elsewhere and here put in mind of it that we may be true to his end and intend it with Him This is His purpose in calling us and therefore our great duty being so called to declare his praises All things and persons shall pay this tribute even they that are most unwilling But the happiness of His chosen is that they are active in it others passive only Whereas the rest have it wrested from them they do declare it cheerfully as the glorious Angels do As the Gospel brings them glad tydings of peace from God declares to them that love and mercy that is in Him they smother it not but answer it they declare it and set forth the glory of it with their utmost power and skill There be in this Two things 1. Not only to speak upon all occasions to the advantage of his grace but that the frame of their actions be such as doth tend to the exalting of God And 2. That in those actions they do intend this end set up this for their aim 1. Their words and actions being conform to their high and holy estate to which they are called do commend and praise their Lord that hath called them to it the vertues that are in them tell us of his vertues as Brooks lead us to their Springs When a Christian can quietly repose and trust on God in a matter of very great difficulty wherein there is no other thing to stay him but God alone this declares that there is strength enough in God that bears him up that there must be in Him that real abundance of goodness and truth that the word speaks of Him Abraham believed and gave glory to God this is that which a Believer can do to declare the truth of God he relies on it he that believes sets to his seal that God is true So also their holiness is for his praise Men hear that there is a God who is infinitely holy but they can neither see him nor his holiness but when they perceive some lineaments of it in the faces of His Children which are in no others this may convince them that its perfection which must be somewhere can be no where else but in their heavenly Father When these that are His peculiar plants bring forth the fruits of holiness which naturally they yielded not it testifies a supernatural work of his hand that planted them and the more they are fruitful the greater is his praise Herein sayes our Saviour is your heavenly Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit Were it not the conscience of this duty to God and possibly the necessity of their station and calling it may well be some Christian had rather altogether look up and keep within any grace he hath than let it appear at all considering some hazards he and it runs in the discovery and it may be could take some pleasure in the worlds mistakes and disesteem of him But seeing both Piety and Charity requires the acting of graces in converse with Men That which Hypocrisie doth for it self a real Christian may and should do for God The other thing mention'd as making up this rule will give the difference that not only what we speak and do should be such as agrees with this end but that in so speaking and doing our eye be upon this end that all our Christian conversation be directly intended by us not to cry up our own vertues but to glorifie God and His vertues to declare his praises who hath called us Let your light sayes our Saviour shine and shine before Men too that 's not forbidden yea 't is commanded but 't is thus commanded Let your light so shine before Men that Men seeing your good works your selves as little as may be your works more than your selves as the Sun gives us its light and will scarce suffer us to look upon it self may glorifie whom You. No but your father which is in heaven Let your light shine 't is given for that purpose but let it shine alwayes to the glory of the Father of Lights Men that seek themselves may share in the same publick kind of actions with you but let your secret intention which God eyes most sever you This is the impress that a sincere humble Chiristian sets upon all his actions to the glory of God He useth all he hath especially all his graces to His praise that gives it and is sorry he hath no more for this use and is daily seeking after more not to bring more esteem to himself
even with the Princes of his people Or as Ioshua the Priest Zach. 3.3 4. So those of this Priesthood are dealt withall Now that we may be the deeper in the sense and admiration of this mercy it is indeed our duty to seek earnestly after the evidence and strong assurance of it for things work on us according to our Notice and apprehensions of them and therefore the more right assurance of mercy the more love and thankfulness and obedience springs from it therefore 't is that the Apostle here represents this great and happy change of estate to Christians as a thing that they may know concerning themselves and ought to seek the knowledge of that so they may be duely affected with it a happy thing to have in the soul an extract of that great Archive and act of grace towards it that hath stood in heaven from eternity it is sure both a very comfortable and profitable thing to find and read clearly the seal of mercy upon the soul which is holyness that by which he is mark'd by God as a part of his peculiar possession that he hath chosen out of the world And When we perceive any thing of this let us look back as here the Apostle would have us to do how God has called us from darkness to his marvelous Light Verse 11. Dearly Beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from Fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul THe right Spiritual knowledge that a Christian hath of God and of himself differenceth it self from whatsoever is likest to it by the power and influence it hath upon the heart and life And in this it hath the lively impression of that doctrine of the holy Scriptures that teaches it Wherein we still find throughout that the high mysteries of Religion are accompanied with practical truths not only as agreeing with them but as drawn out of them and that not violently draw but naturally flowing from them as pure streams from a pure spring Thus in this Epistle we find the Apostle intermixing his divine doctrine with most useful and practical exhortations Chap. 1. Verse 13.22 And in the beginning of this Chap. Again and now in these words And upon this model ought both the Ministers of the Gospel to form their preaching and the hearers their ear Ministers are not to instruct only or exhort only but to do both to exhort Men to holiness and the duties of a Christian life Without instructing men in the doctrine of faith and bringing them to Jesus Christ is to build a house without a foundation And on the other side to instruct the mind in the knowledge of divine things and neglect the pressing of that practice and power of godliness that is the undivided companion of true faith is to forget the building that ought to be rais'd upon that foundation once laid which is likewise a point of very great folly Or if Men laying that tight foundation do proceed to the Superstructure of vain and empty Speculations 't is but to build Hay and stuble in stead of those solid truths that direct the soul in the way to happiness which are of more solidness and worth than Gold and Silver and precious stones 1 Tim. 3.9 Christ and the doctrine that reveals him is called the mystery of the faith and Ver. 16. The mystery of godliness as Christ is the object of faith so he is the spring and fountain of godliness The Apostle having we see in his foregoing discourse unfolded the excellency of Christ and of Christians in Him proceeds here to exhort them to that pure and Spiritual temper of mind and course of life that becomes Christians These hearers are to blame and do prejudge themselves that are attentive only to such words and discourse as stirre the affections for the present and find no relish in the doctrine of faith and the unfolding of those mysteries that bear the whole weight of Religion and are the ground both of all Christian obedience and all exhortations and persuasives to it These temporary sudden stirrings of the affections without a right informed mind and some measure of due knowledge of God in Christ do no good 'T is the wind of a word of exhortation that stirres them for the time against their Lusts but the first wind of tentation that comes caries them away and thus the mind is but Toss'd too and fro like a wave of the Sea with all kind of winds not being rooted and grounded in the faith of Christ. As it is Col. 2.7 and so in the love of Christ Eph. 3.17 Which are the conquering graces that subdue his Lusts and the world unto a Christian 1 Ioh. 5.4 2 Cor. 5.14.15 Love makes a Man dead to himself and the world and to live to Christ that died for him On the other part they are no less yea more to blame that are glad to have their minds instructed in the mysteries of the Christian faith and out of a mere natural desire to know are curious to hear such things as inform them but when it comes to the urging of holiness and mortifying their Lusts these are hard sayings they had rather there were some way to receive Christ and retain their Lusts too and bring them to agreement To hear of the mercies of God and the dignities of his people in Christ is very pleasing but to have this follow upon it abstain from fleshâ—y Lusts this is an importune troublesome discourse But it must be so for all that these that will share in that mercy and happiness must abstain from fleshly lusts c. Dearly Beloved I beseech you There is a faculty of reproving required in the Ministry and sometimes a necessity of very sharp Rebukes cutting ones They that have much of the Spirit of meekness may have a rod by them too to use upon necessity But sure the way of Meekness is that they use most willingly as the Apostle there implies And out of all question with ingenuous minds the mild way of sweet intreaties is very forcible as oyl that penetrates and sinks in insensibly or to use that known resemblance they prevail as the Sun beams that without any noise make the Traveller cast his Cloak which all the blustering of the Wind could not do But made him rather gather it closer and bind it faster about him We see the Apostles are frequent in this strain of Intreaties I beseech you Rom. 12.1 Now this word of intreatie is strengthned much by the other Dearly Beloved scarce can the harshest Reproofs much less gentle Reproofs be thrown back that have upon them the stamp of Love That which is known to come from Love cannot readily but be so receiv'd too and 't is thus express'd for that very purpose that the request may be the more welcome Beloved 't is the advice of a Friend one that truly loves you and aims at nothing in it but your good 't is because I love you that I intreat you and
intreat you as you love your selves to abstain from fleshly lusts that war against your Souls And what is our purpose when we exhort you to believe and repent but that you may be happy in the forgiveness of your sins Why do we desire you to embrace Christ but that through him ye may have everlasting life Howsoever you take these things 't is Our Duty uncessantly to put you in mind of them and to do it with much love and tenderness of affection to your Souls not only pressing you by frequent warnings and exhortings but also by frequent Prayers and tears for your Salvation Abstain 'T was a very wise abridgment that Epictetus made of Philosophy into those two words bear and forbear These are truly the two main Duties that our Apostle recommends to his Christian Brethren as in this Epistle 'T is one and the same strength of Spirit that raises a Man above both the troubles and pleasures of the World and makes him despise and trample upon both We have first briefly to explain what these fleshly lusts mean then to consider the exhortation of abstaining from them Unchast desires are particularly called by this name indeed but to take it for these only in this place is doubtless too narrow That which seems to be the true sense of it here takes in all undue desires and use of Earthly things and all the corrupt affections of our carnal minds Now in that sense these fleshly lusts comprehend a great part of the body of sin all those three the Worlds acccursed Trinity 1 Ioh. 2. are under this name here of fleshly lusts A crew of base imperious Masters they are to which the Natural Man is a slave serving divers lusts Some more addicted to the Service of one kind of lust some of another But all in this unhappy that they are Strangers yea Enemies to God and as the bruite Creatures Servants to their flesh either beasts of the field as covetous with their eye still upon the earth or voluptuous swiming in pleasures as the Fishes of the Sea or Fowls of the air in vain ambition All the strifes that are rais'd about these things all malice and envyings all bitterness and evil speaking which are works of the flesh and tend to the satisfying of its wicked desires we are here requested to abstain from To abstain from these lusts is to hate and fly from the very thoughts and first motions of them and if surpris'd by those yet to kill them there that they bring not forth And to suspect our selves even in those things that are not sinful and to keep afar off from all inducements to those polluted wayes of sin In a word the serving of our flesh either in things forbidden us as unjust gain or unlawful pleasures c. And withal from immoderate desire of and delighting in any earthly thing although such as is lawful yea necessary in some degree to desire and use them to have any feverish pressing thirst after gain even just gain or after earthly delights though lawful is to be guilty of those fleshly lusts and a thing very unbeseeming the dignity of a Christian they that are cloath'd in Scarlet to embrace a Dunghil is a strange sight therefore the Apostle having so cleared that immediately before hath the better reason to require this of them that they abstain from fleshly lusts Let their own slaves serve them you are redeem'd and deliver'd from them a free People yea Kings and suits it with Royal dignity to obey vile lusts You are Priests consecrated to God and will you tumble your selves and your precious Garments in the Mire It was a high speech of a Heathen that he was greater and born to greater things than to be a servant to his body how much more ought he that 's born again say so Being born Heir to a crown that fadeth not Again as the honour of a Christians estate is far above this baseness of serving his lusts so the happiness and pleasantness of his Estate sets him above the need of the pleasures of sin He said before if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious desire the sincere Milk of the Word desire that word wherein you may taste more of his graciousness and as that fitly urgeth the appetites desire of the word so it is strong to perswade this abstinence from fleshly lusts yea the disdain and loathing of them if you have the least experience of the sweetness of his love have but tasted of the Crystal River of his pleasures the muddy pudle pleasures of sin will be hateful and loathsome to you yea the best earthly delights that are will be disrelish'd and unsavoury to your taste The imbittering the breasts of the World to the Godly by afflictions doth something indeed to their weaning from them but the breasts of consolation that are given them in their stead weans much more effectually The true reason why we remain Servants to these Lusts some to one some to another is because we are still Strangers to the Love of God and those pure pleasures that are in him Though the Pleasures of this Earth be poor and low and most unworthy our pursuit yet so long as Men know of no better they will stick by those they have such as they are The Philosopher gives this as the reason why Men are so much set upon sensual Delights because they know not the higher pleasures that are proper to the soul and they must have it some way 'T is too often in vain to speak to Men in this to follow them with the Apostles intreaty I beseech you abstain from fleshly lusts unless they that are spoke to be such as he speaks of in the former words such as have obtained mercy and have tasted of the graciousness and love of Christ whose loves are better then Wine Oh that we would seek the knowledge of this love for seeking it we should find it and finding it no force would need to pull the delights of sin out of our hands we would throw them away of our own accord Thus a Carnal mind prejudices it self against Religion when it hears that it requires an abstinence from fleshly lusts bereaves Men of their mirth and delight in sin But they know not that it is to make way for more refin'd and precious delights there is nothing of this kind taken from us but by a very advantageous exchange 't is made up in the World ye shall have affliction but in me ye shall have Peace Is not want of the Worlds peace abundantly paid with peace in him Thus fleshly lusts are cast out of the hearts of Believers as Rubbish and trash to make room for Spiritual comforts we are barr'd fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness to the end we may have fellowship with God and his Son Jesus Christ this is to make Men eat Angels food indeed as was said of the Manna The serving of the flesh sets Man below
himself down amongst the Beasts and the consolations of the Spirit and Communion with God raises him above himself and associates him with the Angels But let us speak to the Apostles own disuasives from these lusts 1. From the Condition of Christians 2. From the Condition of those lusts As Strangers These Dispersed Jews were Strangers scatter'd in divers Countries as Chap. 1. V. 1 but here that is not intended they are called Strangers in that Spiritual sense that agrees in common to all the Saints possibly in calling them thus he alludes to their outward dispersion but means their Spiritual alienation from the World and Interest in the New Ierusalem And this he uses as a very pertinent enforcement of his Exhortation Whatsoever others do the serving of the flesh and love of the World is most incongruous and unseemly in your Person Consider what you are If you were Citizens of this World then you might drive the same trade with them follow the same lusts but seeing you are chosen and called out of this World and invested into a new Society made free of another City and are therefore here but Travellers passing through to your Countrey 't is very reasonable that there be this difference betwixt you and the World that while they live as at home Let your carriage be such as fits Strangers not glutting your selves with these kind of pleasures surfeiting upon their delcious fruits as some unwary Travellers do abroad but as wise Strangers living warily and soberly and still minding most of all your journey homewards suspecting dangers and snares in your way and so walking with holy fear as the Hebrew word for a Stranger imports There is indeed a miserable party even within a Christian the remainder of corruption that is no Stranger here and therefore keeps friendship and correspondence with the World and will readily betray him if he watch not the more so that he is not only to fly the Pollutions of the World that are round about him and to chuse his steps that he be not ensnared from without but he is to be upon a continual guard against the Lusts and Corruption that is yet within himself to curb and control his own lusts and give them resolute and flat refusals when they sollicit him and to stop up their Essayes and opportunities of intercourse with the World and such things as nourish them and so to do what he can to starve them out of the holds they keep within him and to strengthen that new nature which is in him to live and act according to it tho so he shall be sure to live as a Stranger here and a despis'd mock'd and hated Stranger And 't is not the worse that it be so if Men in Forraign Countreys be subject to forget their own at any time 't is sure then when they are kindlyest us'd abroad and are most at their ease and thus a Christian may be in some danger when he is best accommodate and hath most of the smiles and caresses of the World that though he can never wholly forget his Home that is above yet his thoughts of it will be less frequent and his desires of it less earnest and it may be he may insensibly slide into Customes and habitudes as men will do that are well seated in some other Country But by the troubles and unfriendliness of the World he gains this that when they abound most upon him he then feels himself a Sranger and remembers to behave himself so and thinks often with much delight and strong desires on his own Country and the rich and sure Inheritance that lyes there and the ease and rest he shall have when he comes thither And this will persuade him strongly to fly all polluted ways and lusts as fast as the World followes them it will make him abhorr the pleasures of sin and use the allowable injoyments of this earth warily and moderately never engaging his heart to them as Worldlings do but alwayes keeping that free free from that earnest desire in the pursuit of worldly things and that deep delight in the obtaining of them which the Men of the earth bestow upon them There is a diligence in his Calling and prudent regard of his affairs not only permitted to a Christian but requir'd of him But yet in comparison of his great and High Calling as the Apostle calls it he followes all his other businesses with a kind of coldness and indifferency as not accounting very much which way they go his heart is elsewhere The Traveller provides himself as he can of entertainment and lodging where he comes if it be commodious 't is well but if not 't is no great matter if he find but necessaries he can abate delicacies very well for where he finds them in his way he neither can nor if he could would chuse to stay there though his Inn were dressed with the richest hangings and furniture yet 't is not his home he must and would leave it That 's the character of ungodly Men they mind earthly things Phil. 3. they are drown'd in them over head and ears as we say If Christians would consider how litle and for how litle a while they are concern'd in any thing that 's here they would go through any estate and any changes of estate either to the better or the worse with very composed equal minds always moderate in their necessary cares and never taking any care at all for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Let them that have no better home than this world to lay claim to live here as at home and serve their lusts they that have all their portion in this life no more good to look for than what they can catch here Let them take their time of the poor profits and pleasures that are here But you that have your whole estate all your riches and pleasures laid up in Heaven and reserv'd there for you let your hearts be there and your conversation there this is not the place of your rest nor your delights unless you would be willing to change and to have your good things here as some foolish Travellers that spend the estate they should live on at home in a litle whiles braving it abroad amongst strangers will you with profane Esau sell your birthright for a messe of pottage Sell eternity for a moment and such pleasures as a moment of them is more worth than an eternity of the other It were quarrel enough against fleshly lusts which war against the Soul That they are so far below the Soul that they cannot content no not at all reach the Soul they are not a sutable much less a satisfying good to it Although sin hath unspeakably abus'd the Soul of Man yet its excellent nature and original does still cause a vast disproportion betwixt it and all those gross base things of the earth that concern the flesh and go no further But this is not all these fleshly lusts
are reprov'd for it they say and possibly think so too I will take heed to my self I will be guilty of this no more and because they go no deeper they are many of them ensnared in the same kind again But however if they do never commit that same sin they do but change it for some other as a current of waters if you stop their passage one way they rest not till they find another The conversation can never be uniformly and entirely good till the fram of the heart the affections and desires that lodge in it be changed It is naturally an evil treasure of impure lusts and must in some kind vent and spend what it hath within 'T is to begin with the wrong end of your work to rectify the outside first to smooth the conversation and not first of all purge the heart Evil affections are the source of evil speeches and actions Whence are strifes and fightings sayes St. Iames are they not from your lusts which war in your members Unquiet unruly lusts within are the cause of the unquietnesses and contentions abroad in the world One Man will have his corrupt will and another his and thus they chock and justle one another and by the cross encounters of their purposes as flints meeting they strike out these Sparkes that set all on fire So then according to the order of the Apostles Exhortation the only true principle of all good and Christian conversation in the world is the mortifing of all earthly and sinfull lusts in the heart while they have possession of the heart they do clog it and straiten it towards God and his wayes it cannot walk constantly in them but when the heart is freed from them 't is enlarg'd and so as David speaks fits a Man not only to walk but to run the way of Gods commandements And without this freeing of the heart a Man will be at the best very uneven and incongruous in his ways one step like a Christian and another like a worldling which is an unpleasant and an unprofitable way not according to that word Psa. 18. Thou hast set my feet as hindes feet set them even as the word is not only swift but straight and even and that is the thing here requir'd the whole course and revolution of a Christian's life to be like himself and that it may be so the whole body of sin and all the memberâ— of it all the deceitful lusts must be crucified In the words there are 3. Things 1. One point of a Christians ordinary entertainment in the world is to be evil spokne of 2. Their good use of that evil to do the better for 't 3. The good end and certain effect of their so doing The glory of God 1. Whereas they speak against you as evil doers This is in the general the disease of Mans corrupt nature and argues much the baseness and depravedness of it this propension to evil speaking one of another either blotting the best actions with misconstructions or taking doubtful things by the left ear not chusing the most favourable but on the contrary the very harshest sense that can be put upon them Some Men take more pleasure in the narrow Eying of the true and real faults of Men and then speak of them with a kind of delight All these kind of evil speakings are such fruits as spring from that bitter root of pride and self-self-love which is naturaly deep fastened in every Mans heart But besides this general bent to evil speaking there is a particular malice in the world against those that are born of God which must have vent in calumnies and reproaches If this evil speaking be the hissing that is natural to the Serpents seed sure by reason of their natural antipathy it must be breath'd forth most against the seed of the Woman those that are one with Jesus Christ If the tongues of the ungodly be sharp swords even to one another they will whet them sharper than ordinary when they are to use them against the righteous to wound their name The evil tongue must be alwayes burning that is set on fire of hell as St. Iames speaks but against the Godly it will be sure to be heated seven times hotter than 't is for others Reasons of this are 1. Being naturaly haters of God and yet unable to reach him what wonder if their malice act it self against His Image in His Children and labour to blot and stain that all they can with the foulest calumnies 2. Because they are neither able nor willing themselves to attain unto the Spotless holy life of Christians they bemire them and would make them like themselves by false aspersions they cannot rise to the Estate of the Godly and therefore they endeavour to draw them down to theirs by detraction 3. The Reproaches they cast upon the Professors of Pure Religion they mean mainly against Religion it self and intend them to reflect upon it These evil speakings of the World against pious Men professing Religion are partly gross falshoods invented without the least ground or appearance of truth for the World being ever credulous of evil especially upon so deep a prejudice as it hath against the Godly the falsest and absurdest calumnies will alwayes find so much belief as to make them odious or very suspected at least to such as know them not this is the Worlds Maxime Lye confidently and it will alwayes do something As a Stone taken out of the Mire and thrown against a white Wall tho it stick not there but rebound presently back again yet it leaves a spot behind it And with those kind of evil speakings were the Primitive Christians surcharg'd even with gross and horrible falshoods as all know that know any thing of the History of those times even such things were reported of them as the worst of wicked Men would scarce be guilty of The Devil for as witty as he is makes use again and again of his old inventions and makes them serve in several ages for so were the Waldenses accused of inhumane banquetings and beastly promiscuous uncleanness and divers things not once to be named amongst Christians much less to be practised by them so that it is no new thing to meet with the Impurest vilest slanders as the Worlds reward of Holiness and the practice of pure Religion Then again Consider How much more will the wicked insult upon the least real blemishes that they can espy amongst the Professors of Godliness And in this there is a threefold injury very ordinary 1. Strictly to pry into and maliciously to object against Christians the smallest imperfections and frailties of their Lives as if they pretended and promis'd absolute perfection They do indeed exercise themselves such as are Christians indeed with St. Paul to keep a good Conscience in all things towards God and Men they have a regard unto all Gods Commandments as David speaks they have a sincere love to God which makes them study
devouring fire as 't is in his Parable Iud. 9.20 Fire going forth from Abimelech to devour the Men of Sechem and fire from Sechem to devour Abimelech Verse 15. For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish Men. Verse 16. As free and not using your Liberty for a Cloak of Maliciousness but as the servants of God THis continues the same reason of the same Christian Duty if they will obey the Lord then they must obey Civil Powers for that is his will and they will not deny that their Obligation to him for they are his servants Verse 16. The words indeed are more general than the former but they relate chiefly in this place to the particular in hand so that neither in that kind nor in any other they dishonour their profession and abuse their Liberty mistaking it as an exemption from those Duties to which it doth more straitly tye them so then here the point of civil Obedience and all other good conversation amongst Men is recommended to Christians as conform to the will of God and the effectuallest clearing of their profession and very agreeable to their Christian Liberty The will of God This is the strongest and most binding reason that can be us'd to a Christian mind that hath resign'd it self to be Govern'd by that rule to have the will of God for its Law Whatsoever is requir'd of it upon that Warrant it cannot refuse although it cross a Man 's own humour or the interest of his private advantage yet if his heart be subjected to the will of God he will not stand with him in any thing one word from God I will have it so silences all and carries it against all opposition It were a great point if we could be perswaded to esteem duly of this it were indeed all it would make light and easy work in those things that go so hardly on with us though we are daily exhorted to them Is it the will of God that I should live soberly Then though my own corrupt will and my companions be against it yet it must be so wills he that I forbear Cursing and Oaths though my custom is for it Yet I must offer violence to my Custom and set against the stream of all their customes that are round about me to obey his will who wills all things justly and holily will he have my Charity not only Liberal in giving but in forgiving and real and hearty in both Will he have me Bless them that Curse me and do good to them that hate me and love mine Enemies Though the World count it a hard task and my own corrupt heart possibly find it so yet it shall be done and not as upon unpleasant necessity but willingly and chearfully and with the more delight because 't is difficult For so it proves my Obedience the more and my love to him whose will it is Though mine Enemies deserve not my love yet he that bids me love them does and if he will have this the touchstone to try the uprightness of my love to him shall it fail there No his will Commands me so absolutely and he himself is so lovely that there can be no body so unlovely in themselves or to me but I can love them upon his Command and for his sake But that it may be thus there must be a renewed frame of mind by which a Man may renounce the World and the Formes of it and himself and his own sinful heart and its way to study and follow the only good and acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 To move most under that line not willingly declining to any hand to have our whole minds taken up in searching it and our whole heart in embracing it Be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is sayes the Apostle Eph. 5 17· Being about to exhort to particular Duties as our Apostle here is doing This is the task of a Christian to understand his Lords will and with a practical understanding that he may walk in all well pleasing unto God thus the Apostle likewise exhorts the Thessalonians pathetically 1 Ep. Chap. 4.1 and addes Verse 3. This is the will of God even our Sactification And then proceeds particularly against uncleanness and deceit c. Let this then be your endeavour to have your wills Crucified to whatsoever is sinful yea to will outward indifferent things with a kind of indifferency the most things that men are so stiff in are not worth an earnest willing In a word it were the only happy and truly Spiritual temper to have our will quite rooted out and the will of God placed in its stead to have no other will but his that it might constantly yea so to speak identically follow it in all things This is the will of God therefore it is mine That with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men The Duties of the second Table or well doing towards Men are more sensible to Men void of Religion than these things that have immediate relation to God therefore and so in other Epistles the Apostle is here particular in these for the vindicating of Religion to them that are without Ignorance usually is loud and pratling making a mighty noyse and so hath need of a muzle to silence it They that were ready to speak evil of it are called wittlessor foolish Men there was perversness in their ignorance as the Word imports And generally all kind of Evil speakings uncharitable censurings doe argue a foolish worthless Mind whence they proceed and yet they are the usual divertisement of the greatest part and takes up very much of Mens converse and discourse which is an evidence of the baseness and perversness of their minds for whereas these that have most real goodness delight most to observe what is good and commedadable in others and to pass by their blemishes 't is the true Character of vile unworthy Persons as scurvy Flies sit upon Sores to skip over all the good that is in Men and fasten upon their infirmities But especially doth it discover ignorance and folly to turn the failings of Men to the disadvantage of Religion none can be such Enemies to it but they that know it not and see not the beauty that is in it However the way to silence them we see is by welldoing that silences them more than whole Volumes of Apologies When a Christian walks unreproveably his Enemies have no where to fasten their teeth on him but are forc'd to gnaw their own malignant tongues as it secures the Godly thus to stop the lying mouths of foolish Men so it is as painful to them to be so stopt as muzling is to Beasts and punishes their Malice And this is a wise Christians way instead of impatient fretting at the mistakes or willfull miscensures of Men to keep still on in their calm temper of mind and
wrong'd us who ever it is but especially being one of our Brethren in this Spiritual sense Many are the Duties of this peculiar fraternal love that mutual Converse and admonition and reproof and comforting and other Duties which are in neglect not only amongst formal but even amongst real Christians Let us intreat more of his Spirit who is Love and that will mend this Fear God All the Rules of equity and Charity amongst Men flow from a higher Principle and depend upon it and there is no right observing of them without due regard to that therefore this word that expresses that Principle of Obedience is fitly inserted amongst these The first obligemenâ— of Man being to the Soveraign Majesty of God that made him and all their mutual Duties one to another deriv'd from that A Man may indeed from Moral Principles be of a mild inoffensive Carriage and do Civil right to all Men But this answers not the Divine Rule even in these same things after the way that it requires them The Spiritual and Religious observance of these Duties towards Men springs from a respect to God and terminates there too begins and ends in him and generally all obedience to his Commands both such as regulate our behaviour towards himselfe immediately and such as relate to Men doth arise from a holy fear of his Name Therefore this fear of God upon which followes necessarily the keeping of his Commandements is given us by Solomon as the total Sum of Mans business and Duty and so this way to solid happiness 't is totum hominis after he had made his discoveries of all things besides under the Sun gone the whole circuit and made an exact valuation and found all to amount to nothing but vanity and vexation of Spirit The account he gives of it it was all for this purpose to illustrate and establish this truth the more and to make it the more acceptable to be a repose after so much weariness and such a tedious Journey and so as he speaks there Verse 10. A word of delight as well as a word of truth that the mind might sit down and quiet it self in this from the turmoyl and pursuit of vanity that keeps it busy to no purpose in all other things but whereas there was emptiness and vanity that 's just nothing in all other things there was not only something to be found but all in this one this fear of God and that 's keeping of his Commandments which is the proper fruit of that fear All the repeated declaring of Vanity in other things both severally and altogether in that Book are but so many stroakes to drive and fasten this nail as 't is there Verse 11. This word of Wisdom which is the Summe of all and contains all the rest So Iob after a large inquest for Wisdom searching for its Vein as Men do for Mines of Silver and Gold hath the return of a Non inventium est from all the Creatures The Sea sayes it is not in me c. But in the close finds it in this The fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding Under this fear is comprehended all Religion the inward and outward of it all his worship and Service and all the observance of His Commandements which is there Eccles. 12. and elsewhere expresly joyned with it and therefore is included in it when 't is not express'd so Iob. 28. to depart from evil that is understanding repeating the former words by that So Psal. 111. Verse 10. It hath in it all holiness and Obedience they grow all out of it It is the beginning and it is the top or consummation of wisdom for the word signifies both Think it not then a trivial common matter to speak or hear of this Subject but take it as our great lesson and business here on earth that the best proficients in it have yet need to learn it better and that it requires our uncessant dilligence and study all our dayes This fear hath chiefly these things 1. A reverent esteem of the Majesty of God which is a main fundamental thing in Religion and that moulds the heart most powerfully to the obedience of his will 2. A firm belief of the Purity of God and of his power and justice that he loves holiness and hates all sin and can and will punish it 3. A right apprehension of the bitterness of his wrath and the sweet of his Love that His incensed Anger is the most terrible and intollerable thing in the World absolutely the fearfullest of all evils and on the other side His Love of all good things the best the most blessed and delightful yea only blessedness Life is the Name of the sweetest good we know and yet this loving kindness is better then life sayes David 4. It supposes likewise Soveraign love to God for his own infinite Excellency and goodness 5. From all these things springs a most earnest desire to please him and in all things and unwillingness to offend Him in the least and because of our danger through the multitude and strength of tentations and our own weakness a continual selfe-suspition a holy fear least we should sin and a care and watchfulness that we sin not and deep sorrow and speedy returning and humbling before him when we have sinned There is indeed a base kind of fear that in the usual distinction they call servile fear But to account all fear of the Judgements and Wrath of God a Servile fear or not to stand upon words to account such a fear improper to the Children of God I conceive is a wide mistake Indeed to fear the punishment of sin without regard ro God and his Justice as the inflicter of them or to forbear to sin only because of those punishments so as if a Man can be secur'd from those he hath no other respect to God that would make him fear to offend this is the character of a slavish and base mind Again for a Man so to apprehend wrath in relation to himself as to be still under the horrour of it in that notion and not to apprehend Redemption and deliverance by Jesus Christ is to be under that Spirit of bondage which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 8. And such fear though a Child of God may for a time be under it yet the lively actings of faith and persuasion of Gods love and the feeling of reflexe love to him in the Soul doth cast it out according to that of the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.18 true love casteth out fear But to apprehend the punishments the Lord threatens against sin as certain and true and to consider the greatness and fearfulness of them but especially the terrour of the Lords anger and hot displeasure above all punishments and though not only no nor chiefly for these yet in contemplation of those as very great and weighty to be affraid to offend that God who hath threatned such things as the just
to Mortify drawes vertue from it Thus sayd one Christ aim'd at this in all those Sufferings that with so much love he went through and shall I disappoint him and not serve his end 4. That other powerfull grace of Love is joynt in this work with faith for Love desires nothing more than likeness and conformity though it be a painfull resemblance so much the better and fitter to testify love therefore 't will have the Soul dye with him that dy'd for it and the very same kind of death I am crucified with Christ sayes the great Apostle The Love of Christ in the Soul takes the very Nails that fastned him to the Crosse and crucifies the Soul to the World and to Sin Love is strong as Death particularly in this the strongest and liveliest Body when Death siezes it must yield and so becomes motionless that was so vigorous before And the Soul that is most active and unwearied in Sin when this Love siezes it it is kill'd to Sin and as Death seperates a Man from his dearest Friends and Society this Love breaks all the tyes and friendship with Sin Generally as Plato hath it Love takes away ones living in them selves and transfers into the party loved but the divine Love of Christ doth it in the truest and highest manner By whose stripes ye were healed The misery of fallen Man and the mercy of his deliverance are both of them such a deep as no one expression yea no variety added one to another can reach their bottom Here we have divers very significative ones 1. The guiltiness of sin as an intollerable burden pressing the Soul and sinking it and that transfer'd and layed on a stronger Back He bare Then 2. The same wretchedness under the same notion of a strange disease by all other means incurable healed by his stripe's And 3. again represented by the forlorn condition of a Sheep wandring and our Salvation to be found only in the love and wisdom of our great Shepherd And all these are borrow'd from that sweet and clear prophecy Isa. 53. The polluted nature of Man is no other but a bundle of desperate diseases he is spiritually dead as the Scriptures often teach Now this contradicts not nor at all Lessen's the matter But only because this misery justly called death is in a Subject animated with a natural life therefore so it may bear the Name and sense of sickness or wound and therefore 't is gross misprision they are as much out in their Argument as in their conclusion that would extract out of these expressions any evidence of remains of Spiritual life or good in our corrupted Nature But they are not worthy the contest tho vain heads think to argue themselves into life and are seeking that life by Logick in Miserable Nature that they should seek by faith in Jesus Christ Namely in these his stripes by which we are healed It were a large task to name our Spiritual Maladies how much more severally to unfold their Natures such a multitude of corrupt false Principles in the mind that as Gangrens do spread themselves through the Soul and defile the whole Man and total gross blindness and unbelief in Spiritual things and that stone of the heart hardness and impenitency Lethargies of senslesness and security and then for there be such complications of Spiritual diseases in us as in Naturals are altogether impossible such burning fevers of inordinate affections desires of lust and Malice and envy such racking and tormenting cares of Covetousness and feeding on Earth and Ashes as the Prophet speaks in another case according to the deprav'd appetite that accompanies some Diseases Such tumours of Pride and self-conceit that break forth as filthy botches in Mens words and carriage one with another And in a word what a wonderful disorder must needs be in the Natural Soul by the frequent interchanges and fight of contrary passions within it and to these from without how many deadly wounds we receive from the tentations of Satan and the World We receive them and by the weapons they furnish us we willingly wound our selves as the Apostle sayes of them who will be rich they fall into divers snares and noysome lusts and pierce them selves through with many sorrowes Did we see it no Infirmery nor Hospital ever so full of loathsome and miserable Spectacles as Spiritually our wretched Nature is in any one of us apart How much more when multitudes of us are met together But our evils are hid from us and we perish miserably in a Dream of happiness That makes up and compleats our wretchedness that we feel it not with our other diseases And this makes it worse still This was the Churches disease Rev. 3. Thou sayest I am rich and knowest not that thou art Poor c. We are usually full of complaints of triffling griefs that are of small moment and think not on nor feel not our Dangerous Maladies as he who shewed a Physician his fore finger but the Physician told him he had more need to think on the cure of a dangerous Impostume within him which he perceiv'd by looking to him though himself did not feel it In dangerous Maladies or wounds there be these evils a tendency to death and with that the apprehension of the terrour and fear of it and the present distemper of the Body by them and this is in sin 1. There is the guiltiness of sin binding over the Soul to death the most frightful eternal Death 2. The terrour of conscience in the apprehension of that death or wrath that is the consequent and end of sin 3. The raging and prevailing power of sin which is the ill habitude and distemper of the soul But these stripes and that blood that issued from them are a sound cure applied unto the soul they take away the guiltiness of sin and death deserved and free us from our engagement to those everlasting scourgings and lashes of the wrath of God and likewise they are the only cure of those present terrours and pangs of Conscience arising from the sense of that wrath and sentence of death upon the Soul Our Iniquities that met on his back laid open to the rod which in it self was free those hands that never wrought iniquity and those feet that never declined from the way of righteousness yet for our workes and wandrings were pierced and that Tongue dropping with Vinegar and Gall on the Cross that never spoke a guileful nor sinful word The Blood of those stripes are that Balm issuing from that tree of Life so pierced that can only give ease to the Conscience and heal the wounds of it and they deliver from the power of sin working by their influence and loathing of sin that was the cause of them they cleanse out the vitious humours of our corrupt nature by opening up that issue of Repentance they shall look on him and mourn over him whom they have pierced Now to the end it may
of the World So long as we neglect our noblest trade of growing Rich in Grace and the comfortable enjoyment of the Love of God Our Saviour tells us of one thing needful Importing that all other things are comparatively Unnecessary By-works and meer Impertinences and yet in these we lavish out our short uncertain time we let the other stand by till we find leasure Men who are altogether prophane think not on it at all some others possibly deceive themselves thus and say When I have done with such a business in which I am engaged then I will sit down seriously to this and bestow more Time and pains on these things that are undeniably Greater and Better and more worthy of it but this is a slight that is in danger to undo us what if we attain not to the end of that business but end our selves before it or if we do not yet some other business may step in after that Oh then say we that must be dispatch'd also thus by such delayes we may loose the present opportunity and in the end our own souls Oh be perswaded it deserves your dilligence and that without delay to seek somewhat that may be constant enough to abide with you and strong enough to uphold you in all Conditions and that is alone this free Grace and Love of God While many say Who will shew us any good set you in with David in his choise Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me and this shall rejoyce my heart more then the abundance of Corn and Wine This is that Light that can break into the darkest dungeons from which all other Lights and Comforts are shut out and without this all other enjoyâ—ents are what the world would be without the Sun nothing but darkness Happy they who have this light of Divine favour and Grace shining into their souls for by it they shall be led to that City where the Sun and Moon are needless for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21.23 Godliness is profitable for all things saith the Apostle having the Promises of this life and that which is to come all other blessings are the attendants of Grace and follow upon it This blessing that the Apostle here and so St. Paul in his Epistles joynes with Grace was with the Jewes of so large a sense as to Comprehend all that they could desire when they wish'd Peace they meant all kind of good all welfare and prosperity And thus we may take it here for all kind of Peace yea and for all other blessings but especially that spiritual Peace which is the proper fruit of Grace and doth so intrinsecally flow from it We may and ought to wish to the Church of God outward blessiings and particularly outward Peace as one of the greatest so one of the most valluable favours of God thus prayed the Psalmist Psal. 122.7 Peace be within thy walls and Prosperity within thy Palaces But that wisdom that doth what he will by what means he will and works one contrary out of another brings Light out of Darkness Good out of Evil Can and doth turn Tears and Troubles to the advantage of his Church but certainly in it self Peace is more suitable to its increase and if noâ— abus'd proves so too As in the Apostolick Times it s said The Church had Peace and Increased exceedingly Act. 9.31 We ought also to wish for Ecclesiastical Peace to the Church that she may be free from Dissensions and Divisions These readily arise more or less as we see in all times and haunt Religion and the Reformation of it as a malus genius S. Paul had this to say to his Corinthians though he had given them this testimony that they were enriched in all Utterance and Knowledge and were wanting in no guift Cap. 1. v. 5. Yet presently after v. 13 I hear that there are Divisions and Contentions among you The Enemy had done this as our Saviour speaks and this Enemy is no fool for by divine permission he works to his own end very wisely for there is not one thing that doth on all hands choak the seed of Religion so much as Thorny debates and differences about it selfe So in succeeding Ages and at the breaking forth of the Light in Germany in Luther's time Multitudes of Sects arose Profane men do not only stumble but fall and break their necks upon these Divisions We see think they and some of them possibly say it ouâ— that they who mind Religion most cannot agree upon 't Our easiest way is not to Embroyl our selves nor at all to be troubled with the business Many are of Gallio's temper they will care for none of those things Thus these Offences prove a mischief to the prophane World as our Saviour sayes Wo to the World because of Offences Then the erring side that is taken with new opinions and fancies are altogether taken up with them their main thoughts spent upon them and thus the sap is drawn from that which should nourish and prosper in their hearts sanctified useful knowledge and saving grace The other are as weeds that divert the nourishment in Gardens from the Plants and Flowers and certainly these weeds viz. Mens own conceits cannot but grow more with them when they give way to them then solid Religion doth for their hearts as he said of the earth are Mother to those and but Step-mother to this It is also a Loss even to those that oppose Errors and Divisions that they are forced to be busied that way for the wisest and Godliest of them find and such are sensible of it that disputes in Religion are no friends to that which is far sweeter in it but hinders and abates it viz. these pious and devout thoughts that are both the more useful and truly delightful As Peace is a choice blessing so this is the choisest Peace and is the peculiar inseparable Effect of this Grace with which it is here joyntly wish'd Grace and Peace The flower of Peace growing upon the Root of Grace This spiritual Peace hath two things in it 1 Reconciliation with God 2 Tranquillity of Spirit The quarrel and matter of enmity you know betwixt God and Man is the Rebellion the sin of Man and he being naturally altogether sinful there can proceed nothing from him but what foments and increases the Hostility 'T is Grace alone the most free Grace of God that contrives and Offers and makes the Peace else it had never been We had universally perish'd without it Now in this is the wonder of Divine Grace that the Almighty God seeks agreement and entreats for it with sinful clay which he could wholly destroy in a moment Jesus Christ the Mediator and Purchaser of this Peace bought it with his Blood kill'd the enmity by his own Death Eph. 2.15 And therefore the Tenor of it in the Gospel runs still in his name Rom. 5.1 we have Peace with God
how they requite so great so unspeakable love Honour the King This was the particular that the Apostle press'd and insisted on before and here repeats as a special duty of the Second Table and a vindication of Religion wrongfully blamed in this point but of this before This is out of question in the generall only in the measure and rule of it is the difference and sure they cannot possibly be satisfied that are so drunk with power as to admit of none at all no measure nor rate for it no banks nor channel for those rivers the hearts and wills of Kings to run in but if they like to run over all they may This is such a wilde conceit as destroyes both all law of reason in humane societies and all religious obligement to the Laws of God For the qualification and measure I shall mention no other but that in the Text that it be always regulated by this that here goes before it the fear of God that we never think of any such obedience and honour due to Kings as crosseth that fear that is due to God Let Kings and Subjects and all know that they are absoutely bound to this 't is spoke to Kings Psa. 2. serve the Lord in fear and Psa. 9.6 to all men fear before him all the earth for he is great and greatly to be praised He is to be feared above all Gods What is Man in respect of him Shall a worm whose breath is in his nostrils stand in competition with the everliving God Shall an Earthen potsheard strive with his maker Let the potsheardâ— strive with the potsheards of the earth Let them work one against another and try which is hardest and so they shall often break each other but woe to him that striveth with his maker There 's nothing there but certain perishing As we conlude in the question with Rome of the honour due to Saints and Angels honour let them have good reason but not Divine Honour not Gods peculiar so in this give to Caesar the things that are Caesars but withal still give to God the things that are Gods But 't is a miserable estate of a Kingdom when debates arises and increases in this and their happiness is when Kings and People concurre to honour God For those that honour him he will honour And whosoever despises him shall be despised Verse 18. Servants be Subject to your Masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle But also to the froward THy word sayes the Psalmist is a light to my feet and a Lâ—nterne to my paths not only a light to please his eyes by the excellent truths and comforts that are in it but withall a light to direct his feet in the precepts and rules of life that it gives to inform and delight his mind to order his course That Phylosopher was deservedly commended that drew knowledge most this way and therefore was said to have brought Phylosophy from the clouds to dwell amongst Men calling it from empty Speculations to a practicall stram Thus we are taught in Spiritual knowledge by the word of God The Son the etenal word when he came to dwel with Men and so brought life and wisdom and all blessings from the Heavens down unto them he taught them both by his doctrine and perfect example how to walk and his Apostles do conformably aim at this in their holy writings joyning with the mysteries of faith those rules of life that show men the straight way to happiness And as it is spoken of the largness of Solomons wisdom that He spoke of all Trees from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hysope that growes out of the wall So in this we may see the perfection of the Holy Scriptures that they give those directions that are needful to all ranks and sorts of Men they speak not only of the duties of Kings how they ought to behave themselves on their thrones and the duty of their subjects to them in that dignity and how Ministers and others ought to carry in the House of God but they come in to private houses and give aeconomick rules for them teaching Parents and Children and Masters yea and Servants how to acquit themselves one to another Thus here Servants be subject to your Masters As this is a just plea for all the people of God that they have right to the use of this book being so usefull for all sorts and that they ought not to be barr'd it so it is a just plea against a great part of those that barre themselves the use of it through sloathfulness and earthly-mindedness seeing it is so contemper'd that there be many things yea all the main things in it profitable for all Fitted to the use of the lowest estate and lowest capacities of Men yea it takes as we see particular notice of their condition stoops down to take the meanest Servant by the hand to lead them the way to Heaven and not only that part of it which is the general way of Christians but even those steps of it that lye within the walk of their particular calling as here teaching not only the duties of a Christian but of a Christian Servant Obs. 1. The Scriptures are a deep that few can wade far into and none can wade through as those Ezek. 47. But yet all may come to the brook and refresh themselves with drinking of the streams of its living Water and go in a litle way according to their strength and stature now this I say may be spoken to our shame and I wish it might shame you to amendment that so many of you either use not the Scriptues at all or in using do not use them turn over the leaves and it may be run through the lines and consider not what they advise you Masters learn your part and Servants too hearken what they say to you for they pass not you by they vouchsafe to speak to you too But you vouchsafe not to hear them and observe their voyce How can you think that the reading of this Book concerns you not When you may hear it address such particular directions unto you Wisdom goes not only to the gates of Pallaces but to the common gates of the Cities and to the publick highwayes and calls to the simplest that she may make them wise Besides that you dishonour God you prejudge your selves for does not that neglect of God and his Words justly procure the disorder and disobedience of your Servants towards you as a fit punishment from his righteous hand although they are unrighteous and are procuring further judgment to themselves in so doing and not only thus is your neglect of the Word a cause of your trouble by the justice of God but in regard of the Nature of the Word that if you would respect it and make use of it in your Houses it would teach your Servants to respect and obey you as here you see it speaks for you and therefore you wrong