Glory and then our Profit for the End is the first thing intended by any rational Agent 2. As we are the Children of God by Adoption The great Duty of Children is to honour their Parents God pleads for Honour upon this account Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Father where is my Honour So that if you consent to the Preface and say Our Father then the next request will be Hallowed be thy Name If we would own our selves in such a Pâ—lation then we must make it our chief desire and care that God might be glorified by our selves and others Every kind of Honour will not serve the turn of our Heavenly Father He must not be honoured as an ordinary Father in a common Notion but as an Inâ—inite and Eternal Majesty and to prefer any thing to his Interest or Glory or to equal any thing to him it is to make an Idol of him and to renounce him to be our Father The case of earthly Parents is not always so But now you renounce God when an Idol is set in the Throne when any Interest or Concernment of yours is preferred before God and before his Interest and Concernment 3. That which is of most value and consideration should be sought first Now God's Glory it hath an inâ—inite Excellency above all other things The Glory of God is of more worth than all Creatures than their Being and Happiness The End is more worthy than that which serveth and conduceth to the End Meats and Drinks they were made for the Body therefore are not so good as the Body Who would dig for Iron with Mattocks of Gold The Means or Instrument is better worth than the Purchase Now no matter what becomes of us so God may be glorifyed As it is said of David Thou art better than ten thousand of us therefore tho they exposed their Bodies to hazard they thought it not safe for him So is God better than the whole World of Men or Angels Our first care must be that he may be glorifyed then let other Things succeed in their place 4. The Example of Christ shews how much the Glory of God should be cared for and preferred before the Creatures Good Joh. 12. 27 28. Father save me from this hour There was the Innocent and sinless Inclination of his Human Nature But For this Cause came I unto this Hour Father glorify thy Name He doth not so earnestly insist upon that but submits all his Human Concernments tho exceeding precious that they might give way to the Glory of God and he had no respect to his own Ease or to the innocent inclination of his Human Nature or to the felt Comforts of the God-head Now Christ's Example it is the best Instruction he taught us how we should behave our selves to our Heavenly Father and therefore we should learn to prefer the Honour of God before our own ease And if God but get up tho we be kept low and poor yet we should be contented Look as all natural Things will act against their particular Inclination on for a general Good as to avoid a Vacuity the Air will descend and the Water ascend that there may not be a Confusion or Dissolution of the Frame of Nature So hath Christ taught us still to prefer a general Good Father glorify thy self that is it we must insist upon tho it be with our Loss Suffering Trouble yea sometimes with our trouble of Conscience we must be content 5. From the Nature of Prayer The whole Spiritual Life it is a living to God Gal. 2. 19. I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God The whole Tendency and Ordination of all acts of the Spiritual Life they are to God Even the Natural Life is over-ruled and directed to this End there is an Eating and Drinking to God the Meat and Drink we take if God be not the last End of it it is but a Meat-Offering and a Drink-Offering to our own Appetite and a Sacrifice to Moloch Now much more in acts of immediate Worship there God will be principally regarded for their respect and tendency is mainly to God In our whole Life we are God's dedicated to him Every Godly Man is set apart for God A Man that is a Christian must Be holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. A Christian must look upon himself as one that is dedicated to God when he is at his Meals in his Trade and Calling and Grace is to run out in every Act. But much more is this tendency of Grace to bewray it self in our solemn Sequestration of our selves when we make our nearer approaches to him Lev. 10. 3. I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the People will I be glorified What is it to sanctify God A thing is sanctified when it is set apart And God is sanctified when we set apart our selves wholly for him when he hath more than common Affections and common Respects And therefore in Prayer in the firstâ— place we should go to God for God and surely in such a Request we are likely to speed 6. Love to God if it be unfeigned and hath any Strength in the Soul will necessarily put us upon this Love seeks the good of the Party beloved as much or more than its own Those which love have all things in common between them and one counts it done to himself what is done to the other So it is in the Love between us and God Look as Christ loves the Saints and counteth what ever you do to them it is done to him because done to those whom he loved Mat. 25. So reciprocally the Saint which loves God what is done to God is done to us when God is honoured we are comforted as much or more than with our own Benefit And when God is dishonoured we have the Grief and Sorrow Psal. 69. 9. The Reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Or if they hear God's Name rent in pieces and Men dishonour him by their filthy Lives it goeth to their Hearts for God and they have but one common Interest Nay they prefer God's Interest before their own or any others Ioh. 21. 15. Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these By the Worlds Maxim Love should begin at home but by Christ's Direction it beginneth with God They are more tender of God's Glory than their own Lives and outward Comfort I count not my Life dear to me saith Paul Thus you see what reason there is why our main Care and Thoughts should be taken up about the Concernments of God and about the Glory of his Holy Name Vse 1. To reprove us that we are no more affected with God's Glory O how little do we aim at and regard it in our Prayers We should seek it not only above the Profits and Pleasures of this Life but even above Life it self yea above Life present and to come But alas since the Fall we are
where he discovereth his Glory in the utmost Latitude It is notable in Scripture sometimes God is said to dwell in Light 1 Tim. 6. 16. And sometimes to make Darkness his dwelling place Psal. 18. 11. How doth he dwell in Light and how in Darkâ—ess Because of the glorious maniâ—estations which are above therefore it is said he dwells in Light and because of the weakness and incapacity of our apprehension therefore he is said to dwell in Darkness 2. To try our Faith and our Obedience that he might see whether we would live by Faith yea or no whether a Believer would love him and obey him tho he were invisible and withdrawn within the Curtain of Heaven You know when the Israelites saw the Glory of God then they cryed All that God hath commanded us we will do Deut. 5. 27. But as soon as that Manifestation ceased they were as bad as ever If all were liable to Sense there would be no trial of this World but God hath shut up himself that by this means the Faith of the Elect might be manifested for Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. Where there is no sight there is exercise for Faith And that our Love might be tried 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love in whom tho now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory And this is that which discovereth the Faithless and disobedient World Job 22. 12 13 14. Is not God in the height of Heaven How doth God know Can he judg through the dark Cloud Thick Clouds are a Covering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of Heaven 3. It is fit there should be a better place into which the Saints should be translated when the course of their Obedience is ended Eph. 1. 3. He hath blessed us with Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places The main of Christ's Purchase we have in Heavenly Places It is fit the place of Trial and place of Recompence should differ therefore the place of Trial that 's God's Foot-stool and the place of Recompence that 's God's Throne The World that 's a place of Trial it is a Common Inn for Sons and Bastards for the Elect and Reprobate a Receptacle of Man and Beast Here God will shew his Bounty unto all his Creatures But now in the place of his Residence he will show his Love to his People Therefore when we have been tried and exercised there is a place of Preferment for us Fourthly What Advantage have we in Prayer by considering God in Heaven Very much whether we consider God absolutely or with respect to a Mediator both ways we have an Advantage First If we consider the Father Son and Holy-Ghost who have their Residence in Heaven consider them without respect to a Mediator Why the looking up to God in Heaven 1. It sheweth us that Prayer is an act of the Heart and not of the Lips that it is not the sound of the Voice which can pierce the Heavens and enter into the Ears of the Lord of Hosts but Sighs and Groans of the Spirit Christians in Prayer God is near to us and yet far from us for we must look upon him as in Heaven and we upon Earth How then should we converse with God in Prayer Not by the Tongue only but by the Heart The Commerce and Communion of Spirits is not hindred by local Distance but God is with us and we with him when our Heart goeth up 2. It teacheth the great work of Prayer is to lift up the Heart to God To withdraw the Heart from all created things which we see and feel here below that we may converse with God in Heaven Psal. 123. 1. Vnto thee lift I up mine Eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens And Lam. 3. 41. Let us lift up our Heart with our Hands unto God in the Heavens Prayer doth not consist in a multitude and clatter of Words but in the getting up of the Heart to God that we may behave our selves as if we were alone with God in the midst of glorious Saints and Angels There 's a double Advantage which we have by this getting the Soul into Heaven in Prayer It 's a means to free us from Distractions and Doubts To free us from Distractions and other inter-current Thoughts Until we get our Hearts out of the World as if we were dead and shut up to all present things how easily is the Heart carried away with the Thoughts of earthly Concernments Until we can separate and purge our Spirits how do we interline our Prayers with many ridiculous Thoughts It is too usual for us to deal with God as an unskilful Person that will gather a Posy for his Friend and puts in as many or more stinking Weeds than he doth choice Flowers The Flesh interposeth and our carnal Hearts interline and interlace our Prayers with vain Thoughts and earthly Distractions When with our Censor we come to offer Incense to God we mingle Sulphur with our Incense Therefore we should labour all that we can to get the Heart above the World into the Presence of God and company of the Blessed that we may deal with him ad if we were by him in Heaven and were wholly swallowed up of his Glory Tho our Bodies are on Earth yet our Spirits should be with our Father in Heaven For want of practising this in Prayer these Distractions encrease upon us So for Doubts when we look to things below even the very manifestations of God to us upon Earth we have many Discouragements Dangers without and Difficulties within till we get above the Mists of the lower World we can see nothing of Clearness and Comfort but when we can get God and our Hearts together then we can see there is much in the Fountain tho nothing in the Stream and tho little on Earth yet we have a God in Heaven 3. This impresseth an Awe and Reverence if we look upon the Glory of God manifested in Heaven that Briâ—ht and Luminous Place This is urged by the Holy-Ghost Eccles. 5. 2. Thou art upon Earth and God is in Heaven therefore let thy Words be few Gen. 8. 27. Who am I that I should take upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but Dust and Ashes We are poor crawling Worms and therefore when we think of the Majesty of God it should impress an holy awe upon us Mean Persons will behave themselves with all Honour and Reverence when they supplicate to Men of Quâ—lity So should we to God who is so High and so much above us he is in Heaven It is a Diminution of his Greatness Mal. 1. 14. when we put off God with any thing and come slightly and carelesly into his Presence 4. It teacheth us that all our Prayers should carry a Correspondence with our great Aim What 's our great Aim To be with God in Heaven as remembring that 's the Center
holy Name God can turn the Hearts of Men this way and that way according as he pleaseth Prov. 21. 1. The King's Heart is in the hand of the Lord as the Rivers of Water he turneth it whithersoever he will As a Man can dispose of a Water-Course turn it hither and thither as the Necessities of his Field or Garden require So can God draw out the Hearts and Respects of Men. Surely there would not be so many Disorders in the World if we did often reflect upon 〈◊〉 Attribute or did deal with God about his Power over the Spirits of Men. We are wrathful and think nothing but the Confusion of Men would serve the Turn and there is no Riddance of our Burthen but by the Destruction of those who stand in our way Whereas the Conversion of Men a Change of their Spirits and Hearts would be a better Cure and bring more Honour to God and Safety with it The truth is we look more to Men than to God and that is the Reason why we pitch rather upon the Destruction than the Conversion of others Destruction that may be executed by the Creature but Conversion that is a Power to order and regulate the Spirits of Men which God hath reserved in his own hands One Angel could destroy above an Hundred and Eighty Thousand in Sennacherib's Camp in one Night but all the Angels with their united Strength cannot draw in one Heart to God But now the God of the Spirits of all Flesh who is too hard for him O did we often reflect upon this we would be dealing with God about this Matter that he would work upon the Spirits of Men. If there be a wicked Ruler or an obstinate Child or Servant c. that he would sanctify himself upon them and change their Hearts 2. You discover much Love to God when as you would not dishonour him your selves so you are careful others may not dishonour him Praise him all ye Ends of the Earth Psal. 98. 4. 100. 1. You would have all the World own him Private Spirits that would impale and enclose Religion that they may shine alone they do not love God but themselves their own Credit and their own Profit Would to God all the Lord's People were Prophets Numb 11. 29. That was a free and noble Speech God is resembled to the Sun because it is He that must shine alone but the Church is compared to the Moon and Stars where all may shine but every Star in its own glory True Christians would have all to be as they are unless it be with respect to their Bonds and Incumbrances 3. You discover Love to others you would have them glorify God The Angels they rejoice when a Sinner is converted they have a great Love to Souls Luke 15. 7. And so do Christians the more spiritual they are the more they come near to the blessed Spirits above and the more affected they are with the good done to others and with their Conversion Saith Paul Rom. 9. 3. I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the Flesh Such a Zeal and entire Affection he had to the Souls of others that he could lay all his personal Happiness at Christ's feet And thus you see what need we have to deal seriously with God in this Business if indeed we make this our Aim Especially those which are in publick Relations as Paul was which had an Office put upon him to procure the Salvation of others how will their Hearts run out upon it Secondly It is needful we should deal with God about the sanctifying of his Name as in regard of Persons so of Things and Events God hath the disposal of all Events in his own hands There are many Things which concern the Glory of God that are out of our Reach and are wholly in God's hands and therefore it discovers our Love to his Glory and our Submission to his wise and powerful Government of all Affairs when we deal with God about it and refer the Matter to his disposal and say Lord hallowed be thy Name take the Work into thy own hands We discover our Love to his Glory because we make it a part of our Request that all these Events may conduce to the glory of his Majesty As Ioshua when Israel fell before their Enemies Iosh. 7. 9. Lord what wilt thou do for thy great Name There was his Trouble And Moses Numb 14. 15 16. What will the Nations say round about Because the Lord was not able to bring this People into the Land which he sware unto them therefore he hath slain them in the Wilderness It goeth near to the Heart of God's Children when they see any thing that will tend to God's Reproach But that is not all it is not enough we discover that but also our Submission to his wise and powerful Government when we refer the Matter to his disposal and can see that he can work out his own Ends out of all the Confusions which happen there out of Sins Errors Wars Blood Psal. 76. 10. The Wrath of Man shall praise thee the Remainder of Wrath shalt thou restrain In the Septuagint it is the Wrath of Man shall keep Holy-Day to thee shall increase a Festival for thee God many times gets up in the World upon Satan's Shoulders When Matters are ravell'd and disordered he can find out the right End of the Thread and how to disentangle us again and when we have spoil'd a Business he can dispose it for good and make an Advantage of those things which seem to obscure the Glory of his Name By the way both these must go together our Love to his Glory and our Submission to his Providence Our Love to his Glory for we should not be altogether wretchless and careless how Things go and yet not carking because of the Wisdom and Power of his Providence The truth is we should be more sollicitous about Duties than Events The Glory of Events belongeth to God himself and we are not to take his Work out of his hand but mind him in it Look as some would lern their School-fellows Lesson better than their own so we would have Things carried thus and thus And so by murmuring we tax Providence rather than adore it and we eclipse the Glory of God Yet we must be sensible of the Reproaches cast upon God and must pray the Lord to vindicate and right his Name to take the Way and Means into his own hands Thus you have seen the Necessity of putting up such a Request to God Hallowed be thy Name Vse 1. Is for Information It informs us That whatever we bestow upon God we have it from God at first 1 Chron. 29. 11. Of thine own have we given thee The King of all the Earth we cannot pay him any Tribute but out of his own Exchequer When we are best affected to God's Interest and pray for God's Concernments we must beg the
for that time when Christ shall be seen in all his Glory that he may be dishonoured no more that Sin and Opposition may have an end Here God haâ—h not his perfect Glory neither from us nor from the Wicked neither from Angels nor Devils Not his perfect Glory from us and therefore the Saints long for that time when Christ may be more admired in them it is the Comfort of their Souls that God is glorified in their Glory that there will a Time come when he shall be admired and glorified in their Glory and when they they shall praise him for evermore without weakness and distraction And then the Wicked that they may oppose and dishonour him no more that the whole Course of Justice may be seen in the History of the World which shall be produced at the Day of Judgment that his Power may be seen when Devils and all ungodly Men are trodden under foot and all Offences taken away and all opposite Powers are abolished First Christ would zealously affect us to the Glory of God Hallowed be thy Name then he would have us pray Thy Kingdom come That our Zeal for God's Glory might make us earnest and instant for his Kingdom Then 3. There are certain Experiences that we have here which set us a longing and groaning for this time Rom. 8. 23. We which have the First-fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body When they have tasted of the Clusters of Canaan O they long to see the Land they long that Jesus the Captain of their Salvation the spiritual Ioshua may lead them into the good Land The Church hath here enjoyed Christ in her House I brought him into my Mother's House Cant. 3. 4. Now they would enjoy him in his own House have a more plentiful enjoyment of him Wherefore have we a taste but to long for a fuller Banquet Why doth God give out such a Pittance but to awaken our Desires to look for more Indeed these Beginnings are sweet and are a wonderful Mercy to hear Christ say in a Promise Come to me that you may have Life But when once they have embraced this they will be longing for another Call for the great Voice to say Come ye blessed of my Father c. When Christ biddeth them welcome into the Kingdom of Heaven to the Crown of Glory When we can get any Joy in the Holy-Ghost a little Peace of Conscience any sweet Experience of our being cleansed from Sin this is reviving and comfortable But why is this given but to set us a longing for the whole Harvest for this is but the First-fruits It is sweet now to find Pardon of Sin and any comfortable feeling of God's Love in the Conscience to have any Doubt resolved any Fear silenced and supprest to have a glimpse of the Light of God's Countenance a little Elevation of the Heart in Duty Now this draws on the Soul to long for more for we begin then to think what a sweet reviving will it be when we enjoy the Full of all these things If there be but one Promise now set home upon our Hearts tho here we haâ—e only the Right not Enjoiment if we have but our Right cleared up to a Promise it is very reviving God gives us this Experience that we may long to enjoy the thing promised the full Possession of it When you have gone away feasted with Loves at the Lord's Table thou hast said One Hours Communion with God is better than all the World If thy Heart was melted a little in Duty if it was affected with godly Sorrow for Sin it hath yielded thee more Comfort than all the Mirth and Musick which fond Worldlings chear themselves withal than all their Jollity Now this is but given as a Foretaste as a Prelibation and to awaken our Desires after more In the Lord's Supper many times we come and drink of that Cup which God hath tempered for us this is but a dark Presignification of the new Wine we shall drink in our Father's Kingdom Mat. 26. 29. and of those eternal Comforts we shall have there and those unmixed Joys in the presence of Christ. Therefore because of the Tastes they have had and those Beginnings of Glory their Hearts will be more enlarged and drawn out to look for more and long for that happy time when all this shall be accomplished III. There may be Arguments taken and drawn from the Coming it self that they long for his Coming Wherefore doth Christ come what are the Ends of it It is to manifest his Love to the Saints mainly as to punish his Enemies and glorify his Justice 1. I 'll mention the first to gather the Saints together to draw all his scattered People into one holy Body and Communion Psal. 50. 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice Now they are scattered up and down as God hath Service for them to do one here another there they are spread in several Places where they are like two or three Berries in the uppermost top of the Bough That Psalm is generally acknowledged to be spoken of the Day of Judgment then they are gathered to meet in one great Assembly the Psalmist speaks of the great Congregation of the Righteous where the Sinners shall not stand Psal. 1. 5. At that great Day when Christ comes all the Saints shall make but one Assembly and one Congregation As the Wicked shall be bundled together and the Tares cast into unquenchable Fire so all the Saints shall be gathered together into one great Assembly and this glads their Hearts Therefore we are not feasted to the full because we have not all our Company all the Guests do not meet together until the Day the Son of God comes to bless the Elect. 2. He comes to proclaim our Pardon and to pronounce the Sentence of our Acquittance juridically in Court as Judg upon the Throne Our Pardon is past and seal'd as to Conscience then he will blot out all our Sins therefore it is said Acts 3. 19. That your Iniquities may be blotted out when the Times of refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord. He comes then to comfort and refresh the Souls of the Saints by proclaiming their Pardon in the Ears of all the World To whomsoever the Throne of Christ is terrible it should not be terrible to the Saints If he comes as a Judg to them he comes to acquit them upon the Throne he means no trouble to them 3. He comes to crown us Certainly there is a longing for this Day and Coming for what is his Work He comes to crown the Saints 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Iudg shall give me at that Day Then he comes to put the Crown of Righteousness upon our Heads and invest us with all the Fruits of
and our pardoning of others whether we respect the Persons that are interrested in this Action or the Sâ—bject Matter or Manner and way of doing or the Fruit and Issue of the Action First In the Persons pardoning what Proportion can there be between God and Men the Creator and the Creature God he is most free and bound to none of infinite Dignity and Perfection which can neither be increased or lessened by any Act of ours for him or against him but we live in perfect Dependance upon God's Pleasure are subject to his Command and bound to do his Will and therefore what is our forgiving our fellow Creatures made out of the same Dust animated by the same Soul and every way equal with us by Nature when they wrong us in our petty Interests what Proportion is there between this forgiving and God 's forgiving he that is of so infinite a Majesty his forgiving the Violations of his holy Law And 2ly To the subject Matter that which is forgiven there is no Proportion When we compare the Multitude or Magnitude the Greatness and the Number of Offences forgiven of the one side and the other we see there 's a mighty Disproportion we forgive Pence and God Talents we an hundred Pence he ten thousand Talents Mat. 18. So 3dly the manner of forgiving on God's part by discharging us freely and exacting a full Satisfaction from Christ therefore our forgiving can hold no Comparison with it which is an Act of Duty and Conformity to God's Law And 4thly As to the Fruit and Issue of the Action our Good and Evil doth not reach to God Though our forgiving of others be an Action of Profit to our selves yet no Fruit redounds to God And therefore there being no Proportion between finite and infinite there can be no such proportion between our forgiving and God 's forgiving as that this Act may be meritorious before God Thus it is not brought here as Merit as that which doth oblige and bind God meritoriously to forgive us 2. It is not a Patern or Rule We do not mean our forgiving should be a Patern of forgiving to God So as is taken indeed ver 10 Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven there it implies a Conformity to the Patern But when we say Forgive us as we forgive it doth not mean here a Patern or Rule We imitate God but God doth not imitate us in forgiving Offences And it would be ill with us if God should forgive us no better than we forgive one another God is matchless in all his Perfections there is no Work like his Psal. 86. 8. As God is matchless in other Things so in pardoning Mercy As the Heavens are above the Earth so are his Ways above our Ways and his Thoughts above our Thoughts Isa. 55. 9. And upon this very occasion the Lord will multiply to pardon As far as the Heavens c. This is the greatest Distance we can conceive The Heavens they are at such a vast distance from the Earth that the Stars tho they be great and glorious Luminaries yet they seem to be but like so many Spangles and Sparks This is the distance and disproportion which is made between God's Mercy and ours Hos. 11. 9. I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not Man If God should forgive but only as Man doth it would be ill for Ephraim if he had to do with revengeful Man God acteth according to the Infiniteness of his own Nature far above the Law and manner of all created Beings Therefore it is not put here as a Patern and Rule 3. It doth not import Priority of Order as if our Act had the precedency of God's or as if we did or could heartily forgive others before God hath shewed any Mercy to us No in all Acts of Love God is first his Mercy to us is the Cause of our Mercy to others As the Wall reflects and casts back the Heat upon the Stander-by when first warmed with the Beams of the Sun So when our Hearts are melted with a sense of God's Mercy his Love to us is the Cause of our Love and Kindness to others 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us that is we love him and others for his sake For Love to God implies that why because he hath been first with us And then it is the Motive and Patern of it In that Parable Mat. 18. 32 33. God's forgiving is the Motive to our forgiving I forgave thee all thy Debt and shouldest not thou have compassion on thy Fellow-Servant In those that have true Pardon it causeth them to forgive others out of a sense of God's Mercy that is they are disposed and inclined to shew Mercy to others But in others that think themselves pardoned and have only a temporary Pardon and Reprieve such as is there spoken of it is a Motive which should prevail with them tho it doth not Nay it is the Patern of our Love to others Eph. 4. 32. Forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you in that manner and according to that Example 4. It doth not import an exact Equality but some kind of Resemblance As it is a Note of Similitude not Equality either of Measure or Manner it only implieth that there is some correspondent Action something like done on our part So Luke 6. 36. Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful As notes the certainty of the Truth tho not the exact proportion there will be something answerable to God 2. But positively to shew what respect it hath 1. It is a Condition or moral Qualification which is found in Persons pardoned Mat. 6. 14. For if ye forgive Men their Trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But ver 15. If ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses These two are inseparably conjoin'd God's pardoning of us and our pardoning of others The Grant of a Pardon that 's given out at the same time when this Disposition is wrought in us but the Sense of a Pardon that 's a thing subsequent to this Disposition And when we find this Disposition in us we come to understand how we are pardoned of God 2. It is an Evidence a Sign or Note of a pardoned Sinner when a Man's Heart is entender'd by the Lord's Grace and inclined to shew Mercy here 's his Evidence Mat. 5. 7. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain Mercy The Stamp or Impression shews that the Seal hath been there so this is an Evidence to us whereby we may make out our Title to the Lord's Mercy that we have received Mercy from the Lord. 3. It is a necessary Effect of God's pardoning Mercy shed abroad in our Hearts for Mercy begets Mercy as Heat doth Heat Titus 3. 2 3. Shew meekness to all Men for we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient c. There 's none
Souldiers to follow their Captain We are to pledg him in this Cup. He was tempted therefore we shall be tempted Partly and chiefly because now he is more likely to pity us It is said Heb. 2. 18. Wherefore he is able to succour those that are tempted Jesus Christ hath felt the weight and trouble of Temptations therefore sure he will pity us if we lie under Griefs and Dangers as a Man that hath been Shipwrack'd himself is the more likely to pity others in their distress when they have lost all One that knows Evils by guess and imagination knows them only at a distance and doth not know how evil they are but he that knows them by Experience he knows them at hand and by such a smart sense as must needs leave a deep stroke and impression upon the Soul So Jesus Christ that hath had an experimental Knowledg that knows the Heart of a tempted Man can more feelingly succour those that are tempted his Heart becomes tender by Experience he knows the Danger and Troubles we are subject unto therefore be not dismayed And partly too because by suffering this Evil in his own Person he hath pull'd out the Sting of Temptation Christ sanctified every Condition that he passed through his being poor hath pull'd out the Sting of Poverty It is the more comportable now to a godly poor Man one that hath an Interest in Christ his dying hath pull'd out the Sting of Death so that what is to him a Prison Isa. 53. 8. He shall be taken from Prison and from Iudgment is to us a Bed of ease Isa. 57. 2. They shall râ—st in their Beds so his being tempted hath unstung Temptations and hath made them not so grievous And partly too as he hath directed us how to stand out and with what kind of Weapons to foil Satan Christ that is a Pattern of doing and suffering is also a Pattern of resisting He that left us an Example of doing the Will of God and by suffering with Meekness and when he was reviled reviled not again So in resisting Temptations hath he left us an Example hath taught us how to grapple with the Devil and in what manner to repress his Temptation therefore we should not be altogether dismay'd 4. Consider the Comforts of the Tempted Abundantly hath God provided for his Servants in their Conflicts 1. Jesus Christ our General the Captain of our Salvation in whose Quarrel we are engaged hath overcome all our Enemies we are interested in his Victory Iohn 16. 33. In the World ye shall have tribulation but be of good chear I have overcome the World We may have many pressing and searching Troubles but the Sting of them is gone Non pugna sublata est sed Victoria Christ hath not taken away the Combat we must fight but the Victory is sure He hath overcome the World This is our Comfort when we are full of Faintings and Fears that all things are vanquished and overcome by Christ that though they terrify us yet they shall not hurt us Though Christ will not exempt us from Battel yet we have to do with the Devil the World and Death which are all vanquished Enemies 2. He hath a tender sense and a knowledg of our Estate Christ saith to Peter Satan hath a desire to have you that he may sift you as Wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Luke 22. 32. Christ's Love and Mercy is never more at work for his People than when they are most assaulted by Satan then is he interceding for them John 13. 1. Iesus having loved his own which were in the World he loved them unto the end When Christ was about to go to Heaven he thought my own are to be left in the World they are exposed to great Temptation and that set his heart a-work as if he had said Poor Creatures they are undone if I help them not So Zech. 3. 1 2. And he shewed me Joshua the High Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him And the Lord said unto Satan The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee Is not this a Brand pluckt out of the Fire And he shewed me our whole Case and Danger it is clearly known to Christ. He knows how Satan molests and troubles you in your approaches to God how he seeks to divert your Thoughts to weaken your Confidence We have a Friend and Advocate that puts forth the strength of his Mediation and Intercession and is zealous and affectionate for the welfare of his People The Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee 3. He is engaged in the Battel and fights with us by renewing the strength of his own Grace Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me He gives relief and help according to the nature of the Conflict If there be Duty to be done Burden to be born or Battel to be fought Christ is giving in supply As the Olive Trees Zech. 4. 11 12. were always dropping into the Lamps so is he dropping in strength and Grace into the Heart Psal. 16. 8. I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved When a Man hath an able Second he doth with the more courage go to the Conflict God is on our right Hand he is our Second his Grace comes into the Combat and then the Field cannot be lost If we would exercise Faith in God we might be the more confident 4. He will reward us when we have done Hold fast to the end and I 'le give thee a Crown of Life a Garland of Immortality that shall never wither If you will but hold out continue to fight the good Fight of Faith there will a time of triumph come He that 's now a Souldier shall be a Conqueror when the Crown of Righteousness shall be put upon his Head 2 Tim. 4. 8. And mark that Rom. 16. 20. And the God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly 'T is troublesome to be in the World but shortly God shall bruise Satan Mark he doth not only say God shall tread Satan but tread him under your feet triumph over him As Ioshua call'd upon his Companions come set your feet upon the Necks of these Kings when they were hid in the Cave so the God of Peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly Then your Comfort will be greater the more Dangers you have gone through As Travellers when they are come to their Inn and to their Home they sweetly remember the Trouble and Danger of the Road So when we are come to Heaven these Temptations will increase our rejoicing and our triumph in God 5. Even before the Battel a Believer may be sure of Victory In other Fights the Event is uncertain Non aequè glorietur accinctus ac discinctus Let not him that girdeth on
there 2. He seeth how you pray Rom. 8. 27. It is propounded as the Comfort of the Saints And he that searcheth the Heart knoweth what is the Mind of the Spirit God knoweth you throughly and can distinguish of your Prayers whether they be customary and formal or serious Acts of Love to God and Communion with him 2. The other thing which is propounded here is God's Reward And he will reward thee openly How doth God reward our Prayers Not for any Worth or Dignity which is in them What Merit can there be in begging what doth a Beggar deserve in asking Alms But it is out of his own Grace and Mercy having by Promise made himself as it were a Debtor to a poor faithful and believing Supplicant But He will reward thee openly how is that Either by a sensible Answer to thy Prayers as he doth often to his Children by granting what they pray for as when Daniel was praying in secret God sent an Angel to him Dan. 9. 20. Or by an evident Blessing upon their Prayers in this World for the conscionable Performance of this Duty Abraham Isaac and Iacob that were Men of much Communion with God were eminently and sensibly blessed they were rewarded openly for their secret Converse with him Or it may be by giving them Respect externally in the Eyes of others A praying People dart Conviction into the Consciences of Men. It is notable that Pharaoh in his Distress sent for Moses and Aaron and not for the Magicians The Consciences of wicked Men are open at such a time and they know God's Children have special Favour and great Audience with him and he having the Hearts of all Men in his hands can manage and dispose Respect according as he pleaseth And when they are in Distress this Honour God hath put upon you they shall send for you to pray with them and those which honour him tho but in secret God will openly put Honour upon them 1 Sam. 2. 30. But chiefly this is meant at the Day of Iudgment then those which pray in secret their heavenly Father will reward them openly When thou relievest the Poor and shewest Comfort to the Needy they cannot recompence thee but then thou shalt be recompensed at the Resurrection of the Just Luke 14. 14. There 's the great and most publick Reward of Christians 1 Cor. 4. 5. Then he will bring to Light the hidden Things of Darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart and then shall every Man have Praise with God That is every Man that is praise-worthy however he be mistaken and judged of the World for the Apostle speaks it to comfort them against the Censures of Men. And mark this is opposed to the reward which the Pharisees pleased themselves with It was much with them to be well thought of in such a Synagogue or before such a Company of Men but your Father which seeth in secret will reward you openly that is not only in the Eyes of such a City or Town but before all the World The Point is this Doct. That private solitary and Closet-Prayer is a Duty very necessary and profitable It is a necessary Duty for Christ supposeth it of his Disciples to whom he speaks But thou when thou prayest c. And it is profitable for unto it God makes Promises you have a Father which seeth in secret and one day shall be owned before all the World First It 's a Duty Necessary and that will appear 1. From God's Precept That Precept which requireth Prayer requireth secret and Closet-Prayer For God's Command to pray first falls upon single Persons before it falls upon Families and Churches which are made up of single Persons therefore where God hath bidden thee to pray you must take that Precept as belonging to you in particular I shall give some of the Precepts Col. 4. 2. Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving And 1 Thes. 5. 17. Pray without ceasing These are principally meant of our personal Addresses to God every Man for himself for in joyning with others the Work is rather imposed upon us than taken up upon choice and that can only be at stated Times when they can conveniently meet together but we our selves are called upon to continue to pray and that without ceasing that is to be often with God and to keep up not only a praying Frame but a constant Correspondence with him Surely every Man which acknowledgeth a God a Providence and that depends upon him for Blessings much more every one that pretends he hath a Father in Heaven in whose Hands are the Guidance of all the things of the World is bound to pray personally and alone by himself to converse with God 2. I shall argue it from the Example of Christ which bindeth us and hath the force of a Law in things moral as Christ's Word is our Rule so his Practice is our Copy This is true Religion to imitate him whom we worship In this you must do as Christ did Now we often read that Christ pray'd alone he went aside to pray to God therefore if we be Christians so it should be with us Mark 1. 35. And in the Morning rising up a great while before Day he went out and departed into a solitary Place and there prayed He left the Company of his Disciples with whom he often joyned that he might be alone with God betimes in the Morning And again you have it Mat. 14. 23. And when he had sent the Multitude away he went up into a Mountain apart to pray and when the Evening was come he was there alone And Luk. 6. 12. It is said He went out into a Mountain to pray and continued all Night in Prayer to God You see Christ takes all Occasions in retiring and going apart to God Now the Pattern of Christ is both engaging and encouraging It is very engaging Shall we think our selves not to need that Help which Christ would submit unto There are many proud Persons which think themselves above Prayer Christ had no need to pray as we have he had the Fulness of the God-head dwelling in him bodily yet he was not above Prayer And if he had need of Prayer he had no need of Retirement to go and pray alone his Affections always served and he was not pestered with any Distraction and all Places and Companies were alike to him and yet he would depart into a solitary Place that he might be private with God Then the Pattern of Christ is very encouraging For whatever Christ did he sanctified in that respect his Steps in every Duty leave a Blessing Look as Christ sanctified Baptism by being baptized himself and made the Water of Baptism to be saving and comfortable for us and the Lord's-Supper by being a Guest himself and eating himself at his own Table So he sanctified private Prayer when he prayed a Virtue went out from him he left a Strength to enable us to pray
And it is encouraging in this respect because he hath experimented this Duty he knows how soon human Strength is spent and put to it for he himself hath been wrestling with God in Prayer with all his Might His submitting to these Duties gave him Sympathy he knows the Heart of a praying Man when wrestling with God with all Earnestness therefore he helpeth us in these Agonies of Spirit Again his praying is an Encouragement against our Imperfections Christians when we are alone with God and our Hearts are heavy as a Log and Stone what a Comfort is it to think Christ himself prayed and that earnestly and was once alone wrestling with God in human Nature Matth. 14. 23. and when the Enemy came to attach him he was alone striving with God in Prayer he takes all occasions for Intercourse with God and if you have the Spirit you will do likewise 3. I might argue from God's end in pouring out the Holy-Ghost wherefore hath God poured out his Spirit Zech. 12. 11 12 13 14. I will pour out the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication c. He poureth out the Spirit that it may break out by this Vent the Spirit of Grace will presently run into Supplication the whole House of Israel shall mourn there 's the Church they have the Benefit of the pouring out of the Spirit and every Houshold hath benefit that he and his Family may mourn apart and every Person apart that we may go and mourn over our Case and Distempers before God and pour out our Hearts in a holy and affectionate manner This Argument I would have you to note that this was God's end in pouring out his Spirit for a double reason both to take off Excuses and to quicken Diligence Partly to take off Excuses because many say they have no Gifts no Readiness and Savouriness of Speech and how can they go alone and pray to God Certainly Men which have Necessities and a sense of them can speak of them in one Fashion or other to God but the Spirit is given to help Such is God's Condescention to the Saints that he hath not only provided an Advocate to present our Petitions in Court but a Notary to draw them up not only appointed Christ for help against our Guilt and unworthiness but likewise the Spirit to help us in Prayer When we are apt to excuse our selves by our Weakness and Insuffâ—ciency he hath poured out the Holy-Ghost that we may pray apart Partly to this end the more to awaken our Diligence That God's precious Gift be not bestowed upon us in vain to lie idle and unimployed he hath poured out the Spirit and therefore we should make use of it not only that we may attend to the Prayers of others and joyn with them but that we may make use of our own share of Gifts and Graces and open and unfold our own Case to God 4. That it is a necessary Duty I plead it from the Practice of the Saints who are a praying People O how often do we read in Scripture that they are alone with God pouring out their Souls in Complaints to him nothing so natural to them as Prayer they are called a Generation of them that seek God Psal. 24. 6. As light Bodies are moving upward so the Saints are looking upward to God and praying alone to him Daniel was three times a day with God and would not omit his hours of Prayer though his Life was in danger Dan. 6. 10. And David seven times a day do I praise thee Psal. 119. 164. And Cornelius 't is said that he prayed to God always Acts 10. 2. not only with his Family but alone in holy Soliloquies He was so frequent and diligent that he had gotten a Habit of Prayer he prayed always Well then if this be the Temper of God's People then to be altogether like them when we have no delight in these private Converses with God or neglect them it gives just cause of Suspition 5. Our private Necessities shew that is a necessary Duty which cannot be so feelingly spoken to and exprest by others as by our selves and it may be are not so fit to be divulged and communicated to others we cannot so well lay forth our Hearts with such largeness and Comfort in our own Concernments before others There 's the Plague of our own Hearts which every one must mourn over 1 Kings 8. 38. As we say no Nurse like the Mother so none so fit humbly with a broken Heart to set forth our own Wants before the Lord. There is some Thorn in the Flesh that we have cause to pray against again and again For this I sought the Lord thrice saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. We should put Promises in suit and lay open our own Case before the Compassions of God It is a Help sometimes to joyn with others but at other times it would be a Hinderance we have peculiar Necessities of our own to commend to God therefore must be alone Secondly This Closet and Solitary Prayer as it is a necessary Duty so it is a profitable one 1. It conduceth much to Iâ—largement of Heart The more earnest Men are the more they desire to be alone free from Trouble and Distraction When a Man weeps and is in a mournful Posture he seeks Secreâ—y that he may indulge his Grief They were to mourn apart Zech. 12. and Ier. 13. 17. My Soul shall weep sore for your Pride in secret Places So here when a Man would deal most earnestly with God he should seek Retirement and be alone Christ in his Agonies went apart from his Disciples When he would pray more earnestly it is said He was withdrawn from them about a Stones cast Luke 22. 41 44. it is said He went apart Strong Affections are loth to be disturbed and diverted therefore seek Retirement And it is notable Iacob when he would wrestle with God it is said Gen. 32. 24. And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the Day When he had a mind to deal with God in good earnest he sent away all his Company A Hypocrite he finds a greater flash of Gifts in his publick Duties when he prays with others and is the Mouth of others but is slight and superficial when alone with God if he feels any thing a little overly matter serves the turn But usually God's Children most affectionately pour out their Hearts before him in private where they do more particularly express their own Necessities there they find their Affections free to wrestle with God In publick we take in the Necessities of others but in private our own 2. As it makes way for Enlargement of Heart on our part so for secret Manifestations of Love on God's part Bernard hath a Saying The Churches Spouse is bashfull and will not be familiar and communicate his Loves before Company but alone The sweetest Experiences which God's Saints receive many times are
5. 2. Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thine Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy Words be few Remember you have to do with a great God and do not babble things over impertinently in his Ears It is a Truth evident by the Light of Nature Paucis verbis rem divinam facito Platinus If you be to worship God a needless Prolixity doth not become Addresses to him But because this Text may be abused I shall endeavour to clear it a little further There are two Extremes the slight and careless Spirit and Babling 1. There is the slight and careless Spirit who doth the Work of an Age in a Breath and is all for Starts and sudden Pangs which pass away like a Flash of Lightning in a dark Room whose good Thoughts are gone as soon as they rush into the Heart A poor barren and slight Spirit which is not under the Influence and Power of that Celestial Love which keeps the Soul in converse with God cannot endure to be any while with God Alas we need Stroke upon Stroke to fasten any thing upon the Heart We are like green Wood that will not presently take Fire until it lie long there and be throughly and well warmed so until we have gone far in the Duty we can hardly get any warmth of Heart They which are short in Prayer had need of much habitual preparation of Heart The Babler is another Extreme who thinks the Commendation of a Duty is to be long in it and affects to say much rather than well whereas serious and short Speech makes the best Prayer Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of Words there wanteth not Sin Either to God or Men 't is true but especially when affected So they do but beat the Air rather than pray to God These then are the two Extremes Shortness out of Barrenness or Slightness or Length out of Affectation â—â—d we must carefully avoid these Christ would 〈◊〉 justify that Shortness which comes from Slightness and Barrenness of Heart nor on the other side indulge the Affectation of Length in Prayer Therefore let us a little see I. What is the Sin II. Give you the Force of our Lord's Reasons here urged or how conclusive our Saviour's Arguments are against this Practice What is the Sin That 's necessary to be known for all Repetitions are not vain nor is all Length in Prayer to be accounted Babling First For Repetitions 1. When they express Fervency and Zeal they may be used And so we read Christ prayed over the same Prayer thrice Mat 26. 44. O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me And another Evangelist sheweth that he did this out of special Fervency of Spirit Luk. 22. 44. Being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly And so we read of the Prophet Daniel chap. 9. 17 18 19. O our God hear the Prayer of thy Servant O my God incline thine Ear and hear O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not for thine own sake O my God All this was out of vehemency he goes over again and again the same Request When we use many Words of the same kind and signification and it be out of vehemency and fervency of Spirit it is not forbidden 2. This Repetition is not to be disproved when there is a special Emphasis and spiritual Elegancy in it as Psal. 136. you have it twenty six times repeated For his Mercy endureth for ever because there was a speciâ—â—â—eason in it his purpose there being to sheâ—â—â— Unweariedness and the unexhausted Riches of God's free Grace that notwithstanding all the former Experiences they had had God is where he was at first We waste by giving our Drop is soon spent but God is not wasted by bestowing but hath the same Mercy to do good to his Creatures as before Tho he had done all those Wonders for them yet his Mercy was as ready to do good to them still All along God saved and blessed his People For his Mercy endureth for ever But as there are Repetitions which have their Use so there are useless Tautologies and vain Repetitions And such they are when they neither come from the Heart nor go to the Heart when they come not from the abundance of the Heart but rather the emptiness of the Heart because we know not how to inlarge our selves to God therefore fall upon idle and useless Repetitions of the same Words and Requests As a Man that hath small Skill in Musick doth only play over the same Note so when Men have not a full spiritual Abundance they waste themselves in Prayer in these idle Repetitions And then they go not to the Heart they do not conduce to warm the Affections A vain clamorous ingeminating the same thing without Faith and without Wisdom meerly to fill up the Tale of Words or to wear out a little time in a religious Exercise that 's it which is here condemned under the notion of vain Repetitions Secondly For the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or much speaking Every long Prayer is not forbidden for our Lord Jesus himself centinued all Night in Prayer Luke 6. 12. And in extraordinary Duties of fasting Length seems to be very necessary Esther 4. 16. They fasted and prayed together for three days and nights without eating any Bread And Solomon pray'd long at the Dedication of the Temple But that which is forbidden is when Men speak Words without need and without Affection a needless lengthening out of Prayer and that upon a Conceit that it is more acceptable to God 1. In the General Prayer should be short as all Examples of Scripture teach us and the Lord's Prayer you see how concise and short it is for presently upon this our Lord teacheth his Disciples to pray For Prayer is a spending rather then a feeding Duty Those which affect long speaking many times run into this they make it a feeding Duty for they mingle Exhortations with Prayer which is a great Abuse A Man can bear up under the hearing of the Word for an Hour or two better than half an Hour in Prayer with that necessary Vigor of Spirit which God hath required Therefore the general Rule is Let your Words be concise but full of Affection Look as in vast and great Bodies the Spirits are more diffused and scattered and therefore they are more unactive than those which are of a smaller Compass so in a long Prayer there may be more of Words but less of Life 2. The Affectation of Prolixity is naught usually it comes from some evil Ground either from Pride and Ostentation of Gifts Thus we read the Pharisees were taxed for making long Prayers Mat. 23. 14. that under the colour of them they might devour Widow's Houses that is be credited and trusted with the Management of their Estates Or else it may come from Superstition such
Humility and Reverence His Goodness in your Soul 's rejoycing His Greatness and Iustice in your trembling before his Throne The Worship must be like the Worshipped it must have his Stamp upon it 2. For the other Notion God is a Spirit therefore the Soul must be the chief Agent in the Business not the Body or any Member of the Body Spirits they converse with Spirits The Body is but employed by the Soul and must not guide and lead it but be led by it Therefore see whether there be the Spirit otherwise that which is most Essential to the Worip is wanting To have nothing employed but the Tongue and the Heart about other Business is not to carry your selves as to a God and a God that is a Spirit Recollect your selves where 's my Soul in this Worship And how is it affected towards God Secondly As there must be Thoughts to direct us in his Being and Nature so also in his Relation as a Father As one that is inclinable to pardon pity and help you We have the Spirit of Adoption given us for this very end and purpose that we may cry Abba Father and Gal. 4. 16. Because you are Sons therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father And Rom. 8. 15. We have received the Spirit of Adoption crying Abba Father that we may come to God in a Child-like manner dealing with him as with a Father acquainting him with our Wants Necessities Burdens with a hope of Relief and Supply Object Ay saith a distressed Soul if my Heart be thus carried up to God if I could discern such a Spirit of Adoption prompting me to go to God as a Father then it would be better with me To this I answer 1. Many times there is a Child-like Inclination where there is not a Child-like Familiarity and Boldness What 's that Child-like Inclination The Soul cannot keep away from God and that 's an implicite owning him as a Father Jer. 3. 19. Thou shalt call me My Father and shalt not turn away from me It is a Child-like act to look to him for all our Supplies and to recommend our Suit As when a Child wants any thing he goes to his Father 2. There 's a Child-like Reverence many times when there is not a Child-like Confidence the Soul hath an awe of God when it cannot explicitely own him as our God and Father yet it owns him in the humbling way Luk. 15. 18. I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son Tho we cannot confidently approach to God as our reconciled Father yet we come with Humility and Reverence Lord I would fain be but I deserve not to be called thy Child 3. There 's a Child-like dependance upon God's General Offer tho we have not an Evidence of the Sincerity of our particular Claim God offereth to be a Father in Christ to all penitent Believers Now when a broken-hearted Creature comes to God and looks for Mercy upon the account of the Covenant tho he cannot see his own Interest for then we come to God tho not as our Father yet as the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and that 's a Relief in Prayer as Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. And vers 17. The God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory And Eph. 3. 14. I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Mark when we come to him as the Father of Christ we believe what God offereth in the Covenant of Grace namely that he will deal kindly with us as a Father with his Children that he will be good to those that come to him by Christ. The Term Father is not only to be considered with respect to the Disposition or Qualification of the Persons but the Dispensation they are under 'T is the New Covenant In the new Covenant God undertakes to be Fatherly that is to pitty our Miseries to pardon our Sins to heal our Natures to save our Persons Now all that come for refuge to take hold of this hope set before them may come to God as a Father if they believe the Gospel in general tho they are not assured of God's love to themselves 4. There may be a Child-like Love to God when yet we have not a Sense and Assurance of his Paternal Love to us God hath a Title to our choicest and dearest Love before we can make out a Title to his highest Benefits We owe our Hearts to him Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thy Heart If you give him your Hearts you are Sons tho you know it not God may be owned as a Father either by our Sense of his Fatherly Love or by our Choice and Esteem of him Optando si non affirmando Come as Fatherless without him Hos. 14. 3. or to speak it in other Words the unutterable Groans of the Spirit do discover the Spirit of Adoption as well as the unspeakable Joys of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1. 8. There is an Option and Choice tho we be not assured of our special Relation 5. God is glorified by an Affiance and a resolute Adherence where there is no Assurance When you are resolved let him deal with you as an Enemy you will stick to him as a Father Job 13. 15. Tho he slay me yet will I trust in him Faith can take God as a Friend and Father and put a good construction upon his Dealings when he seems to come against us as an Enemy And we give Glory to God when we can adhere to him as our only Happiness and trust his Fatherly Kindness and Goodness tho he cover himself with Frowns and hide himself from our Prayers and you own him as the Father of Mercies tho it may be you have no Sense and Feeling of his Fatherly Love to you 6. There is a difference between the Gift it self and the Degree We cannot say we have not the Spirit of Adoption because we have not so much of the Spirit of Adoption as others have I mean as to the Effects We may have the Spirit as a Sanctifyer tho not as a Comforter tho he doth not calm our Hearts and rebuke our Fears yet if he doth sanctify us and incline us to God The Spirit was only given to Christ without measure but to Christians in a different Measure and Proportion and usually as you submit more to his gracious Conduct and overcome the Enemies of your Peace the Devil the World and the Flesh. The impression is left upon some in a smaller and upon others in a larger Character All are not of one growth and size some are more explicitely Christians others in a Riddle Much Grace doth more discover it self than a little Grace under a heap of Imperfection Some are more mortified and Heavenly-minded than others 7. When all other Helps fail Faith will make use of our common Relation
you believed you were sealed by the holy Spirit of Promise Ephes. 1. 13 14. 2. There is a Witness which is given to the Saints that the thing may not be always dark and doubtful The Holy-Ghost is given as a Witness If you would know whether or no you are the Children of God see that of the Apostle Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God As under the Law in the Mouth of two Witnesses every doubtful Thing was to be established Deut. 17. 6. So here the Spirit beareth Witness together with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Our Spirits alone may be lying deceitful we may flatter our selves and think we are the Children of God when we are Children of the Devil All certainly comes from the Holy-Ghost and therefore the great Question which is traversed to and fro in the Heart is Whether we be God's Children What is the Spirit 's Witness 1. He lays down Marks in Scripture which are the Ground and Decision of this Debate for the Scriptures are of the Holy-Ghost's inditing and so may be said to bear witness Rom. 8. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God 1 John 3. 10. In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother Thus the Spirit beareth witness to our Spirits by laying down such Marks as we by our own spiritual Sense and renewed Conscience feel to be right within our selves And this is the main thing called the Witness of the Spirit 2. He worketh such Graces as are peculiar to God's Children and are Evidences of our Interest in the Favour of God and therefore it is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thess. 2. 13. and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Look as Iohn knew Christ to be the Son of God by the Spirit 's descending and abiding upon him Iohn 1. 32. So by the Spirit 's Work and the Spirit 's Inhabitation we know whether we are the Children of God or no whether we dwell in God and God in us because of his Spirit that he hath given us that is because of those Graces wrought in us And this is called the Seal of the Spirit for the Holy-Ghost stamping the Impress of God upon the Soul working in us an answerable Likeness to Christ is said to be the Seal then we have God's Impress upon us 3. The Spirit goes further he helpeth us to feel and discover those Acts in our selves There is a stupid Deadness in the Conscience so that we are not always sensible of our spiritual Acts. Hagar saw not the Fountain near her until God opened her Eyes So we may not see the Work of the Spirit without the Light of the Spirit We cannot own Grace in the midst of so much Weakness and Imperfection there is a misgiving of Conscience therefore the Spirit of Sanctification is also a Spirit of Revelation Eph. 1. 17. The Author of the Grace is the best Revealer and Interpreter of it He works and he gives us a sight of it As a Workman that made a thing can best warrant it to the Buyer he knows the Goodness and Strength of it and how it is framed and made So the Holy-Ghost which works Grace he reveals and discovers this Grace to us 4. The Spirit helps us to compare them with the Rule and accordingly to judg of their Sincerity The Spirit opens our Understandings that we may be able to discern the Intent and Scope of the Scripture that so we may not be mistaken We must plow with God's Heifer if we would understand the Riddle In thy Light we shall see Light We shall be apt to misapply the Rule so as to judg of our own Actions Rom. 9. 1. I lie not the Holy-Ghost bearing me witness when he had spoken of some eminent Thing wrought in him We are apt to lie and feign and misapply Rules Comforts and Privileges But now the Holy-Ghost bearing witness with our Spirits by this means we come to have a Certainty There are so many Circuits Wiles Turnings in the Heart of Man that we are not competent Judges of what is wrought in us therefore it is usually ascribed to the Spirit to be the Searcher of the Heart Psal. 139. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence Acts 5. 4. Thou hast not lied unto Men but unto God The Holy-Ghost is rather spoken of than any other Person because it is his personal Operation to abide in the Hearts of Men and to search and try the Reins It is more particularly ascribed to him tho it belongs to all the Persons 5. As the Spirit helps us to compare that which is wrought with the Rule the impression or thing sealed with the Stamp or the thing sealing so he helps us to conclude rightly of our Estate For many times when the Premises are clear the Conclusion may be suspended either out of Self-Love in case of Condemnation or out of legal Fear and Jealousy in case of Self-acquitment Therefore the Conclusion is of the Holy-Ghost 1 John 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit There 's a great deal of do to bring us to Heaven with Comfort There needs a Person of the Godhead to satisfy us as well as to satisfy God and help us to determine concerning our Condition 6. He enlivens and heightens our Apprehensions in all these Particulars and so fills us with Comfort and raiseth our Joy upon the feeling of the Sense of the Favour of God for all this is the Fruit of his Operation Therefore it is said Rom. 5. 5. The Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy-Ghost which is given unto us Those unspeakable Glimpses of God's Favour and sweet Manifestations of God's Love in the Conscience which we have these are given by the Holy-Ghost There is not one Act of the Soul but the Holy-Ghost hath a stroke in it for our Comfort in every degree all comes from God So that if you would know what the Witness of the Spirit is consider What are the Marks in Scripture What Graces are wrought in your Hearts How doth the Spirit help you to discern those Graces to compare them to the Rule to make accordingly in these Things a Determination of our Condition And what Joy and Peace have you thereupon wrought in your Hearts by the Holy-Ghost For an immediate Testimony of the Spirit the Scripture knows of no such thing All other is but Delusion besides this 3. There are certain Fruits and Effects which do more sensibly evidence it unto the Soul What are those Fruits of the Spirit of Adoption in our Hearts by which we may further evidence it whether we are the
with God in Prayer that he might be glorified then we shall count it as great a Blessing when he is glorified as when we are saved Prayer makes way for the increase of our Esteem and engages us to observe the return When we have asked it of God we will be affected with it then When we see all his Works praise him what a Comfort will this be to the Soul Bless the Lord O my Soul Psal. 103. ult But Secondly Let me shew the Necessity of dealing with God about it The Necessity will appear both in respect of Persons and Things when we beg that God's Name may be Hallowed we beg Dispositions of Heart and Occasions First The Necessity will appear in respect of Persons both as to our Selves and Others First In respect of our Selves There is a great Necessity that we should deal with God about the Hallowing of his Name because we need Direction Quickning Sincerity Submission to God Humility and Holiness To instance in these six Things 1. We need Direction The Habits of Grace are God's Gifts and the Exercise of Grace is another thing to actuate quicken guide and direct it 2 Thess. 3. 5. The Lord direct your Hearts to the love of God And so in Prayer and in honouring of God In Prayer We know not how or what to pray for as we ought Tho we have Grace yet we need Direction A Ship that is well rigg'd yet needs a skilful Pilot. Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought How much are we to seek to give God his due Honour Of our selves we cannot so much as think a good Thought 2 Cor. 3. 5. There is an utter insufficiency in us to meditate of God and conceive aright of his Excellency and give him the Honour which is due to him None of us but needs daily to go to God that we may be taught how to hallow and sanctify his Name 2. We need Quickning being so backward to this Duty All the Lepers could beg Help and but one returned to give God the Glory There is much dulness and deadness of Heart as to the praising of God and glorifying of God self-Self-Love will put us upon other Things but it is Grace must quicken us to glorify him and praise him When we go to God for our selves our Necessities will sharpen our Affections and put a shrill Accent upon our Prayers But now when we beg of God for God then there is a greater Restraint upon us And therefore David saith Psal. 51. 15. Open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy Praise We need God to open our Mouths that is enlarge our Hearts and quicken our Affections How apt are we to turn the back upon the Mercy-Seat Ezek. 46. 9. If a Man came in at the North Gate he was to go out at the South Gate but never at the same Door why That he might not turn his Back upon the Mercy-Seat When we have prayed we are apt to forget that God which hath blessed as and therefore that our Hearts might be inlarged and quickned we need to go to God 3. We need Vprightness and Sincerity that we may mind the Glory of God This is not a Work of Nature but Grace Phil. 2. 21. All Men seek their own not the Things which are Iesus Christ's There is the Fruit and Effect of Nature it puts Men upon seeking their own Things worldly Ease Profit and Pleasure every Creature naturally seeks its own Welfare But to make the Glory of God our great Aim and Pursuit it is â—raâ—e puts upon that Water ascends no higher than it descends so Nature cannot rise beyond it self The Stream cannot rise above the Founâ—ain and above the Principle A Man that hath nothing but Nature he cannot unfeignedly seek the Things which are of God The Old-Man with the deceitful Lusts that 's the natural Man The upright Heart that unfeignedly seeks God needs Grace from above Without Influence from God our Actions cannot have a tendency to God We shall prefer our Interest before God's Glory if we have no higher Principle than what our Hearts could furnish us with 4. We must go to God for Submission Now there is a double Submission required which if we have not we shall find it marvellously difficult to glorify God One as to the choice of Instruments another as to the Way and Means by which God will bring about his own Glory 1. As to the Choice of Instruments There is in us an Envy and wicked Emulation O how hard a matter is it to rejoice in the Gifts and Graces and Services of others and be content with the Dispensation when God will cast us by as unworthy and use others for the glorifying of his Name Therefore that we may refer the Choice of Instruments to God we need go to him and say Lord hallowed be thy Name do it which way and by whom thou pleasest We are troubled if others glorify God and not we or more than we if they be more holy more useful or more serious Self will not yield to this Now by putting up this Prayer to God we refer it to him to chuse the Instrument whom he will employ It was a commendable Modesty and Self-denial in Iohn Baptist which is described John 3. 13. He must increase I must decrease When we are contented to be abased and obscured provided Christ may be honoured and exalted and be content with such a Dispensation tho with our Loss and Decrease Many are of a private Station and straitned in Gifts and can have no publick Instrumentality for God now these need to pray Hallowed be thy Name that they may rejoyce when God useth others whom he hath furnished with greater Abilities 2. A Submission for the Way that we may submit to those unpleasing Means and Circumstances of his Providence that God will take up and make use of for the glorifying of his holy Name Many times we must be content not only to be active Instruments but passive Objects of God's Glory And therefore iâ— God will glorify himself by our Poverty or our Disgrace our Pain and Sickness we must be content Therefore we need to deal with God seriously about this Matter that we may submit to the Lord's Will as Jesus Christ did Iohn 12. 27 28. Save me from this Hour but for this cause came I unto this Hour Father glorify thy Name And there was a Voice from Heaven that said I have glorified it and will glorify it again Put me to Shame Suffering to endure the Cross the Curse so thou mayest be gloriâ—ied This was the humble Submission of Christ Jesus and such a Submission should be in us The Martyrs were â—â—ntented to bâ— bound to the Stake if that way God will use them to his glory Phil. 1. 20. saith Paul So Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether it be by Life or by Death If
Lord to whom I have entirely given up my self in a way of Subjection This is a Sign you are brought under his Government 8. None can obey his Laws but by the virtue and power of his Spirit The new Covenant it is not only a Law but the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ so it is called by the Apostle Rom. 8. 2. It is not a bare literal Command that shall urge us to Duty but it giveth strength and efficacy to the Heart Other Kings they give Laws that Men may keep them by their own Strength But now Christ he would be owned as a King not only in a way of Subjection but establish a constant Dependance He is a King not only to require but to give Repentance Acts 5. 31. not only to make a Law but to write and work a sense of this new Govenant-Gift upon the Heart Heb. 8. 10. He doth not only set up his Ordinances Laws Constitutions but there is Power goeth along with the Dispensation of this Kingdom and thereby we are fitted and enabled to love serve and please God and then are we under the Kingdom of God when we are under the spiritual Power of it It is not only necessary to obey his Laws but that we do it by virtue of his Power and Spirit The Kingdom of God stands not in Word but in Power 1 Cor. 4. 20. That we may both acknowledg his Authority and wait for his Strength This is a true Submission when we look for all from him and serve him in the strength of his own Grace 9. All those that act through the virtue and power of his Spirit they do unfeignedly seek his Glory and make Christ to be not only their Principle but their End for having a new Principle they have a new Tendency acting in the Power of the Spirit their Hearts are carried out to seek Christ's Interest and Christ's Glory when they can say with the Apostle Phil. 1. 21. To me to live is Christ when their whole Business is to set up Christ. We set up our selves in the room of Christ if he be not at the end of all 2 Thess. 1. 11 12. That God might fulfill all the good Pleasure of his Goodness and the Work of Faith with Power and that Christ may be glorified in you If you have the Power of Christ's Kingdom this will be the immediate Result and Issue of it that Christ may be honoured and set up not only as a Law-giver and Fountain of Grace but as the last End If to us to live is Christ then is the Kingdom of God come into our Heart For this we pray that the Lord would so break the Yoke and Government of Satan that we may receive the Lord Iesus into our Heart that we may come under the Awe of his Laws and in the Power of his Grace may seek his Kingdom and Glory To conclude All this Grace is offered to you if you refuse the Offer your Condition is worse than if it had never been tendred to you The Lord hath sent his Son to help you out of the Power of the Devil and bring you in Heart and Life again to himself if you refuse this then This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light John 3. 19. The Lord Jesus when he comes in flaming Fire to render Vengeance it shall be upon them that do not obey his Government 2 Thess. 1. 8. that did not acknowledg God to be their Sovereign There will be a sore Vengeance on them which had the Gospel tendred and this wonderful Provision brought home to them and left to their Choice and yet have turned their Backs upon it Secondly We beg the Continuance of it that he would maintain this Kingdom in our Heart and preserve us in this State for those which can call God Father are still to say Thy Kingdom come It is not enough to go to Christ to begin it but to carry it on and to keep and preserve us unto his heavenly Kingdom 2 Tim. 4. 18. That we may not revolt to the Devil's Side after we have chosen God for our God and so our latter End be worse than our Beginning Thirdly We pray for the Increase of it that it may get ground more and more There are some Reliques of the Kingdom of Darkness yet left and there is something wanting to the Kingdom of Grace we are troubled and molested still Tho Sin doth not get the Throne tho the Regency of it is cast down yet it is not cast out in regard of Inherence Sin shall not have Dominion over you that is all we can hope for Rom. 6. 14. We cannot hope for an Extinction of Sin but only that it shall not have Dominion As the Beasts in Dan. 7. 12 tho their Dominion was taken away yet their Lives were prolonged for a season and time The Reign Power and Dominion of Sin is taken down yet it continues for our Exercise and Molestation Now we desire he might rule in us by his Grace and that of the Increase of his Government there may be no End II. For the Kingdom of Glory which in this private Consideration as it concerns each Person is to begin at Death And when we desire the coming of the Kingdom of Glory we do two things we express our Readiness for it or our Desire after it 1. Our Readiness for it at least the Kingdom of God is ready for us if we were ready for it as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4. 5. God is ready to judg but we are not ready to be judged And therefore we read of the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for us and of Men prepared for the Kingdom of Heaven It is prepared for the Saints Mat. 25. 34. A Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World And the Saints prepared for it Rom. 9. 23. Vessels of Mercy which he had afore prepared unto Glory And this is that which the Apostle gives thanks for unto the Father which hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1. 12. Before we come to Heaven there is a Right to Heaven we are made meet more mortified and weaned from present Things often in Communion with God here and so for ever with the Lord hereafter We are still to have our Eyes to our Rest and happy State that we may be made ready for it We express our Readiness or we beg it 2. That we may express our Desires after the Enjoyment of it A Christian is to desire the Company of Christ. Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And he is to hasten the coming of the Day of God 2 Pet. 3. 12. Now because this cannot be but by our Death therefore here we may examine a Case or two Case 1. First about longing for Death Is it lawful to desire Death The Law doth not
the Covenant of Grace Christ hath taken a Token from us and left a Token with us He hath taken humane Flesh carried our Nature to Heaven that he might be mindful of us and hath left the Spirit with us Now there will be a longing looking and waiting for this Day of Solemn Espousals And as he is Lord so he is Jesus a Saviour With what melting Wishes doth the Captive long for a Saviour and Redeemer Now we look for a Saviour from Heaven Christ is a Saviour now but not a perfect Saviour to the uttermost never till then Therefore the Day of Judgment is called the Day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. There is something left that every Coming of Christ might bring some Benefit something of Misery left upon us to the last Day Here we have Enemies within and without Within mighty Lusts and therefore his Coming is like a Refiner's Fire Mal. 3. 2. and Fullers Sope. His first and second Coming we find oft in the Old Testament put together His Coming is to present us holy without spot and blemish Eph. 5. 27. Our present State is but a Convalescency a Recovery out of Sickness by degrees there is some Fruit of Sin left upon the Body until the Day of the general Resurrection that we may have new Matter of glorifying God just as we are entring into Heaven Therefore that every Coming of Christ might bring us a new Benefit the Body is to die the old Adam is not quite abolished until God be All in All. And so for Enemies without us Here we dwell among wicked Men whose Sins are a Grievance to us and whose Injuries are a very great Molestation and Trouble We live here like Lot in Sodom His righteous Soul was vexed with their ungodly Deeds their filthy Conversation But then there will be a perfect Separation between the Sheep and the Goats Here we are exposed to many Persecutions here Antichrist is but consuming there he shall totally and utterly be abolished II. If we respect the Persons desiring this Coming there is something in them to move them to it There is 1. The Spirit of Christ. 2. Certain Graces which do necessarily issue themselves into this Work 3. Certain Experiences they have which put thâ—m upon this longing 1. There 's the Spirit of Christ The Spirit and the Bride saith Come Rev. 22. 17. The Holy-Ghost breedeth this Desire in the Church Nature saith It is good to be here but this is a Disposition above Nature the Spirit in the Bride The Flesh and corrupt Nature saith Depart but the Spirit saith Come The great Work of the Spirit is to bring us and Christ together he comes from the Father and the Son to bring us to the Father by the Son All he doth is to bring Christ and the Spouse together therefore he enkindleth in the Hearts of God's People a strong and earnest desire of his Coming 2. There are Graces planted in us Faith Hope Love Zeal Faith that is the ground of this Desire Christ saith he comes quickly and this provokes and draws up the Desire to believe Christ will be as good as his Word Iohn 14. 2 3. I go to my Father and will come again to receive you to my self Christ hath ever been plain-hearted with us he saith I come and the Church saith Amen in a way of Faith Even so come If Christ had gone away in discontent and with a Threatning in his Mouth that we should never have seen his Face more then we could have had but cold Hopes and faint Desires but he parted in Love and left a Promise with us The Church and the believing Soul saith I have his Word for it He hath ever been punctual hitherto and kept his Word to a tittle and hath said I will come again This upholdeth the Hearts of Believers during his Absence For they reason thus What need had Christ to flatter or deceive us or promise more than he will perform Would we flatter a Worm that we can easily crush He can strike us dead if we do not please him He hath been true in all things and we have ever found him plain-hearted Then there is Hope planted in the Saints Hope is Faith's Handmaid it looks for that which we believe Faith determines the Certainty of the Thing then Hope looks for it This Grace was made on purpose that we might reach out to Heaven and see if our Beloved be coming that we might expect our full and future Happiness God not only provides a glorious Estate for us but Grace to expect it he works this Hope in us that we might look after it 1 Pet. 1. 3. He hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope Then there is Love in the Saints to Christ. This is an Affection of Union it desires to be with the Party beloved he desireth to be with us and we with him Love awakeneth earnest Longings O come come why is his Chariot so long a coming As a loving Wife stands upon the Shore as ready to welcome her expected Husband So doth Love in the Saints they desire to be with Christ therefore they long for the Kingdom of God coming to themselves out of Love Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And upon the same ground they desire the general Resurrection of the Church Especially is this inflamed with the thoughts of Christ's Love to us He hath removed his bodily Presence from us yet he cannot be satisfied until he and we meet again John 14. 3. I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also And John 17. 24. And that you may be there with me to behold my Glory Christ is not satisfied in his glorious Estate until we be with him till he hath our Company and we be beatified with the sight of him Before his coming in the Flesh he delighted to be with the Saints before the World was Prov. 8. 31. And when the World was made before his Incarnation he took pleasure to come and appear in the fashion of a Man and converse with his People in humane Shape In the Days of his Flesh he delighted to spend his Time and busy himself among them that are faithful And when he was to go from us he did assure us of returning and cannot be quiet until we be with him So reciprocally and according to our measure doth Love work in us we cannot be without Christ therefore we long to be with him Then Zeal is planted in the Saints and a Tenderness for his Glory It is not their Interest only which makes them desire his Coming but that the King may sit upon the Throne that Christ may reign in the most perfect manner that the Day of Manifestation may come that all Mists and Clouds which are upon his Person may vanish The Saints that love the Glory of God as well as their own Salvation nay above their own Salvation are longing
inordinate Desire of Reputation and Respect with Men. Now when we are plucking out our right Eye and cutting off our right Hand Mat. 5. 29. When we are mortifying and subduing our Lusts when we can deny our selves in those things to which the Heart is most wedded that 's a Sign of Compliance with the Will of God The second Point Doct. 2. That it is the Lord which giveth to will and to do those Things which are pleasing in his sight Therefore we ask it of him Thy Will be done that is as I explain'd it we ask of him a Heart Skill and Strength to do his holy Will Here I shall tell you 1. What I mean by the Point 2. Give you the Proof of it I. What I mean by the Point 1. I mean thus That in the Work of Conversion God doth all Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one Heart and I will put a new Spirit within you and I will take the stony Heart out of their Flesh and I will give them an Heart of Flesh. The Benefit of a tender sanctified Heart is God's Gift Ezek. 36. 26 27. A new Heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony Heart out of your Flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes Mark a new Heart that is another Heart a Heart to understand a Heart to love a Heart to do the Will of God he gives it He doth not only remove it or prepare it make way for it but I will give you a Heart of Flesh. 2. This is that I mean That after Conversion God still concurreth He doth not only give Grace but actual Help in the Work of Obedience He worketh all our Works in us Isa. 26. 12. His actual Help is necessary to direct quicken strengthen protect and defend us To direct us Psal. 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by thy Counsel and bring me to thy Glory In our way to Heaven we need not only a Rule and Path but a Guide The Rule is the Law of God but the Guide is the Spirit of God To quicken and excite us by effectual Motions A Drousiness and a Deadness is apt to creep upon our Hearts and we see in the same Duty it is a hard matter to keep up the same Frame of Spirit the same Vigor of Affection Life and Warmth and therefore vve had need go to God often as David Psal. 119. 37. Quicken thou me in thy Way It is God vvhich doth renew the Vigor of the Life of Grace upon all occasions when it begins to languish and droop To corroborate and strengthen vvhat vve have received Ephes. 3. 16. the Apostle prays there that he would strengthen with might by his Spirit in the inner Man and 1 Pet. 5. 10. Make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you There are many Words heaped up there to shew how God is interested in maintaining and keeping afoot that which he hath planted in the Soul In protecting and defending them against the Incursions and Assaults of the Devil who always lieth in wait to surprize the Soul to withdraw us from God The Regenerate are not only escaped out of his Clutches but are advanced and appointed to be Satan's Judges which an envious and proud Spirit cannot endure therefore he maligns assaults and besiegeth them with Temptations daily Now it is God that defends Iohn 17. 11. Keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me By thy Name that is by thy Power 3. God must not only help us in the general and upon weighty occasions but in every Act from the beginning of the Spiritual Life to the end It is not enough to say that the first Principles and Motions are of God but the flowing forth of all Motions and Actions according to those Principles Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure God not only gives the Desire and Purpose but he gives Grace to do the Good which we will and purpose to do These two are distinct and we may have Assistance in one kind and not in another Willing and Doing I mean are different Paul saith Rom. 7. 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not To will is more than to think and to exert and put forth our Will into Action it is more than both and in all we need God's help We cannot think a good Thought nor conceive a holy Purpose much less perform a good Action without God so that every moment we need renewed Strength As long as the Work of Grace is powerful and renewed in us so long we are kept in a warm and healthful Frame but we grow vain loose earthly carnal again and off from God when this Heat and Warmth of Grace is withdrawn And therefore God still concurreth in the whole Business of our Obedience to him II. Having shewed what I mean and how far God is interested in this Work what need we have to desire we may do his Will let us prove it And because it is a weighty Point I shall prove it by parts 1. As to the first Grace that it is God alone which frames our Hearts to the Obedience of his Will 2. That vvhen vve are thus framed by Grace after Conversion it is God still concurs and must help us to do his Will First As to the first-Grace I shall prove that it is God alone by the Power of his own Spirit vvhich frames our Hearts to the Obedience of his Will This vvill appear by considering 1. What Man is by Nature 2. The Words by which our Cure is expressed and the Way God takes to put us into a Course of Obedience 3. What the Scripture speaks as to the utter Impotency of Man to the framing of his â—eart to the Obedience of God's Will First This will appear by those Motions or emphatical Terms by which the Scripture doth set forth Man's Condition before God works upon him He is one that is born in Sin Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me and things natural are not easily altered And as he is born in Sin so he is greedy of Sin Iob 15. 16. He drinketh in Iniquity like Water it noteth a vehement Propension as greedy to Sin as a thirsty Man to Drink Thirst is the most implacable Appetite Hunger is far better born It is the constant frame of his Heart Gen. 6. 5. Every Imagination of the thoughts of his Heart is only evil continually O how many aggravating and increasing Circumstances are there named c. There is a Mint that is always at work the Mind is coining evil Thoughts and the Heart evil Desires and carnal Motions and the Memory is the Closet and Store-house where they are lodged and kept This is the case of Man
taking away his Prey from him Luke 11. 21 22. 1 Iohn 4. 4. By bringing into Captivity every proud thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. These Expressions the Scripture useth to set out the Mystery of Grace the Power of God that worketh in us What is wanting in one is supplied in another The third thing I shall produce That the Scripture doth expresly deny any Power in Man to convert himself to God 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural Man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned and as he cannot know so he cannot obey Rom. 8. 7. The carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be and they cannot please God ver 8. And they cannot come to Christ John 6. 44. No Man can come to me except the Father draw him and they cannot do any thing without Christ John 15. 15. And they cannot think a good Thought 2 Cor. 3. 5. And they cannot bring forth good Fruit Mat. 7. 18. And they cannot speak a good Word Mat. 12. 34. And they cannot believe Iohn 12. 39. And they cannot do that which is good Ier 13. 23. Ye that are accustomed to do Evil cannot do Good From whence doth all this Deficiency in them arise partly from Nature partly from Custom Besides the natural there 's a customary and habitual Depravation By Nature we are averse from God and by Custom we are more confirmed in this evil Aversation from God Man by lying long in his Unregeneracy hath his Aversness from God increased and strengthened upon him Naturally we are in love with the World and have declined God and the things of God Consider him in his Naturals he cannot know the things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 14. And the carnal Mind cannot be subject to the Law of God being at Enmity against him Rom. 8. 7. There are other places express this cannot which derive it from Custom they are become Slaves to their Lusts and their Sins have gotten such a hand over them that they know not how to break them off Ier. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his Skin or the Leopard his Spots Then may ye also do Good that are accustomed to do Evil. And so where it is said Iohn 12. 39. They could not believe Naturally man is unable but that place speaks of another degree of Impossibility through contracted Obstinacy and judicial Obduration Thus you see Man is wholly impotent as to this Work and it is the Lord alone must do it Object But here 's an Objection If it be so that Man hath such an utter Impotency to convert himself to God how can it stand with the Mercy of God as the Creator of Mankind to require the debt of Obedience from him that is not able to pay How can it stand with the Iustice of God to punish him with eternal Death for the neglect of that which he is not able to do and how can it stand with the Wisdom of the Supream Law-giver to exhort him by Promises and Threatnings who hath no power to do what he is exhorted to do I answer 1. As to the first How it can stand with the Mercy of God to require the debt of Obedience from him that is not able to pay God hath not lost his Right though Man hath lost his Power their Impotency doth not dissolve their Obligation A drunken Servant is a Servant still It is against all reason a Master should lose his Right by the Servant's default A prodigal Debtor hath nothing to pay yet he is liable to be sued for the Debt without any Injustice God contracted with us in Adam and gave us a Power which we lost by his Fall and therefore though our Power be gone yet God may demand his due to obey and please him especially since this Obedience God required of Adam was not only due by Covenant and positive Law but by immutable Right and natural Justice of Man Men think it harsh to suffer for Adam's Fault to which they were not conscious and actually consenting Yea but consider every Man will find an Adam in his own Heart the Old-man is there we are still sinning away those Reliques of natural Light in Conscience and those few moral Inclinations which are left There is a little Ability and Strength he hath as a Man and shall not God challenge the Debt of Obedience from a proud prodigal Debtor that is weakning and wasting himself more and more We are proud therefore God may exact it of us we think we are able to obey and do his Will when we are weak we are poor yet think our selves rich therefore God may admonish us of our Duty demand his Right to shew our Impotency and Beggary and that we may not pretend we were not called upon for what we owe. But Man is not only a proud Debtor but we are prodigal Debtors those Reliques of Conscience and moral and human Inclinations which escaped out of the Ruines of the Fall we lose those things every day and embeâ—el them away by the Service of Sin Therefore it standeth fully with the Clemency of God as Creator of Mankind to require the Debt of him that wasts that little Stock he hath 2. As to the other part How it can stand with the Justice of God to punish him with eternal Death for the neglect of that he cannot do I answer Besides natural Impotency there 's voluntary We must not consider Man meerly as impotent to Good but as delighting in Evil as loving it with all his Heart This cannot indeed is a will not it is a voluntary Impotence You will not come to me that ye might have Life John 5. 40. Our Impotency lies in our Obstinacy So Man is left without excuse because we freely refuse the Grace offered and by continuing in Sin we increase our Bondage and draw an inveterate Custom upon our selves and so grow every day more obstinate against God 3. As to the last How can it stand with the Wisdom of God to exhort him with Promises and Threatnings that hath no Power to do that vvhich he is exhorted to I answer These Exhortations they carry their own Blessing with them to those to vvhom God means them for good As God's 〈◊〉 Word carried vvith it its Povver Be there Light and it was Light And as Christ's Word carried forth his Povver it vvas not in vain to say Laâ—â—rus come forth tho he vvas dead and could not hear it there vvas a mighty Povver vvent vvith the Word So there 's Power goes along vvith the Exhortations of the Gospel to vvork Grace in the Hearts of those to vvhom God intends it as a Blessing Yea but if this be for the Elects sake only and to convey that Power to them to what use doth it stand to others If the Elect did dwell alone and were a distinct Community among themselves the Objection were plausible
but they are hidden among others Therefore Reprobates are called obiter by the by as others are called according to purpose and therefore they have the Benefit of the common Call and the common Offer The World stands for the Elects sake yet others have the Benefit of the World and worldly Things So the Word is preached for the Elects sake yet others have the Benefit of an external Call The Sun shines tho blind Men see it not The Rain falls upon Rocks and Mountains as well as fruitful Valleys So God may suffer these Exhortations to light upon wicked Men. And again as to them it is for their Conviction it is to bridle their Corruptions it is at least a means to civilize them and keep them from growing worse Therefore such kind of Doctrines and Persuasions restrain their Wickedness Therefore it stands well enough with the Wisdom of the Law-giver to call upon Men and invite them with Promises and Threatnings to Repentance Therefore now let me shew How doth God reduce and frame our Hearts to the Obedience of his Will The Ways God useth are of two sorts Moral and Real 1. God works morally so as to preserve Man's Nature and the Principles thereof therefore he works by sweet Inclination not with Violence So he comes with Blandishments and comfortable Words Hos. 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her So Gen. 9. 27. The Lord shall persuade Japhet and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. By fair and kindly Words he draweth on Men to the liking of the Gospel He offereth no violence to our natural Principles but to our Corruptions God doth not make the Will to be no Will but to be a good Will He restoreth the Faculties to their right Use and Exercise He layeth forth the Beauty and Excellency of his Grace and a glorious Estate he sets before our Eyes and â—o out-bids Temptation and draweth our Hearts to himself And God not only doth work suitably to our general Nature as we are reasonable Creatures but suitably to the particular Frame of the Heart Some are of a stout and stubborn Temper and will not be subdued by milder Means and Motives therefore God breaks them with Fears and Terrors and with a Spirit of Conviction And others he draws them on by Love and by a gentle Application That God hath respect to Mens particular Tempers was figured in those extraordinary Ways of Appearance and Manifestation they are fitted according to the State of Men. To Moses that was a Shepherd and was acquainted with Bushes God appears in a Bush of Fire And to the Wise Men that were skill'd in the Motions of the heavenly Bodies he appears in a Star And to Peter that was a Fisherman he appears to him and shews his Power first in the Draught of Fishes So still these are Pledges of this kind of Dispensation that God will work suitably not only to our general Nature as Men but to our particular State and Temper Yea yet further to set on this moral Way of working there is a fit Subordination of the Circumstances of Providence God takes the wild Asses in their Month and he hath his Season wherein to surprize the Heâ—rts of Sinners Prov. 25. 11. A Word fitly spoken is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver God comes in in a fit Season as when a Soul is humbled by some sudden Accident As one was converted by seeing a Man fall down dead suddenly by him God ordereth some Providences to work and awaken the Hearts of Men. Or else by some great Affliction Hos. 2. 14. I will bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her God finds many a Sinner in the Briars as Abraham found the Lamb. Stubborn Humors are then most broken Metal in the Furnace is capable of any Form God may suit and dispose us so that he may come in in a fit season to the Soul Or in Terrors of Conscience when the Heart is scourged with remorse for great Sins All this is God's moral Work 2. There is a real Work which goes along with this Persuasion there is an Almighty Power For bare Persuasion cannot make the Blind to see the Dead to live or open the Heart of Man that is so desperately and obstinately wicked until he puts his Fingers upon the Holes of the Lock until he begins to open the Heart Concerning this real Work observe it is secret yet thorow and prevailing so as the Effect doth follow when God will convert The exact Manner of God's drawing is unknown Austin calls it an inward hidden and unspeakable Power which God putteth forth together with the Word it is marvellous in our Eyes but he that knew how to creat Souls knows how to work upon them This Power it is like the Influences of the Heavens which so insinuate themselves with the Operation of second Causes that they cannot be seen so there is such a mighty Power working in us tho we cannot tell how to express it We cannot say there is no such Power because we do not know what it is And as this Power is secret so when this Power is put forth it is prevailing he works prevailingly so as the Effect must necessarily follow The Grace God gives to Men to convert them it is not a Power to be converted repent and believe if they will no but he gives Repentance he gives Faith and works so as the Effect shall succeed He works efficaciously and determinately so as to oppose all the Resistance of the Will and accomplish his Work That 's the first Branch Secondly When we are thus framed by Grace after Conversion God still concurreth and must help us to do his Will He doth not only give us the Habit of Grace but actual Help in the Work of Obedience Isa. 26. 12. Thou hast wrought all our Works in us But why is it that still the Lord worketh in us both to will and to do unto the last and not only begins with us but still keeps Grace in his own hands so as we shall have our Supplies from Heaven from day to day There are several Reasons 1. Because it endeareth God to a gracious Soul The more Visits we have from God and the more he is mindful of us at every turn the more is God endeared to us In such a Duty there we met with Comfort and Enlargement because God was there that is noted and regarded so that the Lord is rendred the more precious The Experiment we have of God in every Duty doth the more make us prize his Grace As David Psal. 119. 93. I will never forget thy Precepts for with them thou hast quickned me I shall never forget such a Sermon and such a Prayer because there I met with God So in Affliction Rom. 5. 3. Patience worketh Experience or in such a Conflict we had such a Support this endeareth God to the Soul As mutual Acts of
overcome the wicked One. They are most assaulted with Pride with youthful Lusts suitable to their Age. So from Custom and Education Psal. 18. 23. I kept my self from mine Iniquity Every Man hath his Iniquity that is such as his Education and Custom hath wrought upon him which makes the Sin prevail over other Sins A Child of God hath a predominant Sin not over Grace for that 's inconsistent with sincerity but some Master-Sin which prevails over the rest according as the Channel is cut so corrupt Nature runs but some in this Channel and some in that Every Man hath his special Sin and accordingly the Devil plies him Then our Calling is a special Temptation 1 Tim. 3. 6. the Apostle speaks that a Bishop should not be a Novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil Pride and Ostentation of Gifts and vain-Glory in such publick Service Many other Sins follow every Calling Therefore if you would be skill'd in Satan's Enterprises you must mind Temper Age Calling So Company As a Man's Company is his Soul is insensibly tainted As a Man that walks in the Sun is tann'd before he is aware so are the Souls of Men sullied and defiled by Carnal Company before they be aware A Man would think of all Sins Passion is so uncomely that it should not tempt another Man Yet it is said Prov. 22. 24 25. Make no friendship with an angry Man and with a furious Man thou shalt not go lest thou learn his ways and get a Snare to thy Soul for the more accustomed to them the less odious they seem so by little and little our Spirits are shaped and fitted for such a Sin There are certain Sins that are more special Temptations Look as every Disease hath a Diet which suits with it so all Sins in the Soul Satan knows what Baits we will catch at It may be a Man that is addicted to the Pleasures of the Flesh may despise Profit and therefore the Devil will not ply him that way So a Man that is addicted to Gain despiseth pleasure The Devil suits him with a Bait that suits the Disease of his Soul It is an Opinion the Devils have their several Wards and Quarters some for such a sort of Sinners others for another sort Look as the Heathens had several Gods which were indeed Devils as Baccus the God of Riot or Patron of Good-fellowship and Venus of Wantonness and Love and Mars the Devil of revengeful and angry Spirits And we read of Mammon for Wealth Mat. 6. 24. I know it is a fictio personae to make the Matter more sensible there is a Person feigned But there may be something of this Truth in it that the Devils have several Quarters some to humour the Covetous others inticing the Wanton others lie Leigers in Taverns and Drinking-Houses to draw Men to beastly Excess and others about the Revengeful to awaken their Rage But all this however it be 't is the Opinion of some should make us watchful over our own Desires and Inclinations for that 's it the Devil makes use of to set upon us 3. The Sin of the Devil tempting must be distinguished from our Sin in consenting If the Devil tempt and we consent not it is his Sin The envious Man may throw Weeds over the Garden-wall but if we do not suffer them to root there it is not the Gardiner's fault but the fault of the envious Man so the Devil may fling in Temptations Fiery Darts Atheistical or Blasphemous Thoughts yet if we throw them out with indignation and give no harbour and entertainment to them there it is our misery but the Devil's sin and therefore if our Hearts abhor them at the very first rising though they be Man's Cross they will be put upon Satan's account 4. Satan if he cannot prevail by the first Temptation to draw us to Sin he will seek to prevail by a second or subsequent Temptation to draw us to trouble and discomfort If he cannot weaken Grace he may molest and disturb our Comfort by flinging in a blasphemous Thought which is abhorr'd by a Christian. If he cannot draw you to deny God then he will seek to cloud things that you may suspect your own estate and thus our way is made wearisom to us Look as a Candle which sticks to a Stone-Wall though it cannot burn the Wall yet it smutcheth and defileth it So the Children of God when the Devil seeks to make their Temptations stick though he doth not burn their Hearts with these fiery Darts of Blasphemy and Atheism they catch not there yet they weaken our Comfort and then his second Temptation is to bring us to doubt of God's Love to doubt of our own Faith and to draw us to impatiency and murmuring at God's Hand Therefore it should be our care not only to withstand the Devil's first Temptation but his second also 5. Certainly they cannot stand long that seem to give up themselves to Satan's Snares How may this be done Any Carnal Affection unmortified layeth us open to the Devil 1 Tim. 6. 9. They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition If a Man cherish his Worldliness and do not mortify it he lieth ready to be seized upon as a ready Prey for Satan Iudas he had the Bag and he lay open to the Devil his Worldliness increased upon him so the Devil entreth into him Again when we ride into the Devil's Quarters and will parly with Temptation when we freely open the Windows of the Senses unto alluring Objects and can dally with the Snare and play about the Temptation then we do but tempt God to leave us and tempt the Devil to surprise us And therefore be sober be watchful for your Adversary the Devil walketh about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober What is sobriety A holy Moderation in the use of Worldy Things be sure not to leave any Carnal Affection unmortified And then be watchful take heed not to play about the Temptation nor put your selves upon occasions of Sin for then we lie open to the Devil and give him an advantage against us Thus much for the second sort of Temptations such as come from Satan The Third sort of Temptations are those which arise from our own Hearts so we call these Urgings and Solicitations to sin which we feel in our Bosoms Concerning this also I shall give some Observations 1. If there were no Devil to tempt us yet the Heart of Man is fruitful enough of all that is evil Mat. 15. 19. Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts false Witnesses Blasphemies There 's a black Catalogue and all comes out of the Heart of Man And among the rest observe there 's Murder which strikes at the Life of Man and Blasphemy which strikes at the
better security to their worldly Interests than possibly thorow Christians could have Now to avoid both these the Apostle when he presseth Christians to all those Graces which are necessary he presseth them to Temperance and Patience 2 Pet. 1. 5 6. Add to Knowledg Temperance and to Temperance Patience Both these are Armor of Proof against worldly Temptations Temperance against the Delights and Patience against the Evils and Troubles of the World It was never yet so well with the World but that Christians those that are so in good earnest that mean to go to Heaven and keep a good Conscience will be assaulted on both sides 6. That there is no avoiding either of these Snares and Temptations as long as any Carnal Affection remaineth unmortified For until a Man be dead to worldly Comforts and hardned against worldly Sorrows he doth but lye naked and open to Satan 1 Tim. 6. 9. He that will be rich falls into Temptation and a Snare And what is said of Riches the same is true of Pleasure he that is vehemently addicted that way will soon come to put God out of the Throne and make his Belly and his Pleasure his God 2 Tim. 3. 4. Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God Any Lust that is cherished and indulged will betray us As for Honour John 5. 44. How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only True Faith cannot be planted in that Heart that is not purified until there be a prevailing Interest established for Christ over all Carnal Affections Grace bears no sway in us and hath no power over us The ambition and love of respect from Men will necessarily make us unsound in the profession of Godliness Well then it stands us upon to allow and cherish no secret Sin but to observe what are the tender parts of our Hearts or which way our Corruptions lie where subjection to God is most apt to stick with us Psal. 119. 133. Order my Steps in thy Word and let not any Iniquity have dominion over me Though we seem to have a Zeal in other things yet if one Lust be indulged we shall soon swerve from our Duty True Obedience to God is inconsistent with the Dominion of any one Lust or corrupt Affection I say though a Man out of some slender and insufficient touch of Religion upon his Heart may go right for a while and do many things gladly yet that corruption which is indulged and under the power of which a Man lieth will at length draw him off from God and therefore no one Sin should have dominion over us When doth Sin reign or have dominion over us When we do not endeavour to mortify it and to cut off the Provisions that may feed that Lust. Chrysostom's Observation is The Apostle doth not say Let it not tyrannize over you but let it not reign over you that is when you suffer it to have a quiet Reign in your Hearts 7. The more we sin upon the meer impulsion of the Flesh and without an external Temptation the more hainous is our Offence for then the Heart is carried of its own accord to sin Ezek. 16. 33 34. They give Gifts to all Whores but thou givest thy Gifts to all thy Lovers and hirest them that they may come unto thee for thy Whoredoms And the contrary is in thee from other Women in thy Whoredoms whereas none followeth thee to commit Whoredoms and in that thou givest a Reward and no Reward is given unto thee therefore thou art contrary These are Expressions to set forth their Idolatry But that which is intended there is this That they were not desired or solicited but meerly carried to sin by their own proper Motion which exceedingly aggravateth Sin Why for then it is a sign the Heart is carried of its own accord by its own weight as a heavy Body is moved downward not by the impression of outward Force but by its own natural propension Now when do Men thus meerly sin upon the impulsions of the Flesh I 'le instance in three Cases 1. When the Temptation is so small and inconsiderable that it should not sway with any reasonable Man It is said in Amos 2. 6. They sold the Poor for a pair of Shoes And for a piece of Bread will that Man transgress Prov. 28. 21. When Pleasure and Profit is so inconsiderable as that it could not rationally make up a Temptation then Men sin meerly upon the Corruptions of their own Flesh. When the Devil hath to do with great Souls such as Christ was he propounds the Glory of all the World Mat. 4. O! but a lesser price will serve the turn with those that are deeply engaged already that are byassed with their own propension for instance a little ease and carnal satisfaction a slothful Humour is enough to take them off from the sweetness of Communion with God and the pleasure and contentment that they might enjoy with him in holy Exercises Look as in general it is a great aggravation of all Sin that for such paltry Trifles we turn the back upon God and his Grace all Sinners do so they part with all their Hopes by Christ for a Mess of Pottage for a little present Pleasure that 's prophaneness indeed Heb. 12. 16. So in particular things when the smallest Temptation seems to be strong enough to draw off our Hearts from our Duty to bring us to a Sin of Omission when it is needful to go and converse with God in secret a little ease and sloth hangs upon us and we cannot shake it off or when we are drawn to a Sin of Commission by an inconsiderable Matter by the smallest worldly Interest as can be mentioned for a piece of Bread and a pair of Shoes 2. When Men tempt themselves or provoke Satan to tempt them As those which make provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. that cater for their Lusts and contrive how to feed them and how to cherish those inordinate Affections in their Hearts that run into the Devil's Quarters that bespeak a Temptation or as it is Iames 5. 5. That nourish their Hearts as in a day of slaughter To nourish our Hearts is to feed our Lusts to put strength into the Enemy's Hand When a Commander sent to his Prince to know how he should keep such a rebellious Town in order He sent him this Answer That he should starve the Dog and strengthen the Clog that he should weaken the City and strengthen the Garison that was his meaning Truly what was his advice in that outward Case that 's the Duty of a Christian to weaken his Lusts and still to be strengthning Grace He should be increasing the better Part and putting the Spirit in heart by godly Exercises by treasuring up Promises getting Arguments and fresh Encouragements against Sin and by weakning the Flesh starving and cutting off Provisions for the Flesh. But on
his Harness boast himself as he that putteth it off 1 Kings 20. 11. When a Field is won then they will rejoice But a Believer when he goes to fight is sure to have the best of it before-hand in Bello the War though not in Praelio the particular Conflict Why Because the Father and Jesus Christ are stronger than all his Enemies they cannot pluck the Believer out of his Hands John 10. 28 29. I give to them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Father's Hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's Hand This is the Priviledg which Christ conferreth upon his Sheep upon those which have an Interest in him tho they have many shakings and tossings in their Condition yet their final perseverance is certain Christ is so unchangeable in the purposes of his Love I will give to them Eternal Life and so invincible in the Power of his Grace None shall pull them out of my Father's Hand nothing shall be able to hinder their perseverance Now though the Fight be long and troublesom yet this is one of God's Encouragements you are sure of Victory at last Therefore how much doth it concern us to get an Interest in Christ that we may keep on in this Way and in this Hope Secondly Let us be provided and prepared against Temptations And to this end I shall First Give some Directions how to resist Temptations in General Secondly What to do in a special Hour of Temptation which comes upon the World When there are Terrors without and we know not what Evil may be a coming and our Hearts are full of Doubt how we may support and bear up our selves First To direct you as to Temptations in General 1. You must be compleatly armed Ephes. 6. 11. Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil Not a piece only but the whole Armor of God otherwise you will never come off with Honour and Safety from the Spiritual Conflict The Poets feign of their Achilles that he was vulnerable only in the Heel and there he got his Death's Wound A Christian though he be never so well furnished in other parts yet if any part be left naked you are in danger Our first Parents were wounded in their Heel Who would have thought that they which had such vast knowledg of God and his Creatures that they should be inticed by Appetite And Solomon who had the upper part of his Soul so well guarded that he should be enticed by Women To see Men of great knowledg to be unmortified and miscarry by their sensual Appetite is sad A Christian must have no saving-Grace wanting 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledg c. There 's all the Graces and they must come out in their turn We need Faith and Vertue Zeal and Holiness and Knowledg to guide it and Patience to arm it against the Troubles of the present Life and we need Temperance to moderate our Affections to our worldly Enjoyments and Godliness that we may be frequent in communion with God and Brotherly-kindness that we may preserve Peace among our Brethren and may not make Fractions and Ruptures in the Church and we need Charity that we may be useful to all that are about us There is use and work for all Graces one time or other Sometimes we shall be tempted to a neglect of God at other times we shall be tempted to make a breach upon Brotherly-kindness at other times there will be a breach of Charity Sometimes the Devil seeks to tempt us to fleshly wickedness therefore we need Temperance sometimes to spiritual Wickedness to Error therefore we need Knowledg sometimes to raging with despair then we need Faith We need the whole Armour of God for Satan hath his various ways of Battery and Assault sometimes through Ignorance we miscarry and run into Error sometimes for want of Faith we run into Despair and Discomfort sometimes for want of Temperance violent corrupt Lusts over-set the Soul 2. We must often pray to God for renewed Influences we must not only get habits of Grace but pray for a renewed Influence It is notable next to the Spiritual Armour the Apostle mentioneth Prayer Ephes. 6. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all Perseverance We never receive so much from God upon Earth as to stand in need of no more And therefore though you put on the whole Armour of God yet praying always with all supplication in the Spirit Why Because without the Lord 's special Assistance whereby he actuates those Graces we can never defend our selves nor offend the Adversaries or do any thing to purpose in the Spiritual Life Strength of Grace inherent will not bear us out against new Assaults Habitual Grace it needs Actual Influence partly that these Graces may be applied and excited to work Phil. 2. 13. He giveth to will and to do God giveth to do that is excites that strength you have and carrieth it out to work and then that it may be directed in work 2 Thess. 3. 5. And the Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Every time we would make use of the Helmet of Salvation when we would lift up the Head and wait for the Mercy of God the Lord direct you we must be directed And not only so but that it may be supplied with new strength for it is said Isa. 40. 29. He giveth Power to the faint and to them that have no Power he increaseth strength And he doth continue it Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Thus will God keep us in dependance for those liberal Aids and constant Supplies of his Grace without which we cannot use the Grace that we have 3. You must resist 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith James 4. 7. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you Stand your Ground and then Satan falls In all those Assaults Satan hath only Weapons Offensive as fiery Darts none Defensive We have not only the Sword of the Spirit which is an Offensive Weapon but the Shield of Faith that 's a Defensive piece of Armour Therefore your Safety lieth in resisting Now this Resistance must be 1. Not faint and cold but strong and vehement 2. Thorow and total 3. Constant and perpetual 1. Not faint and cold Some kind of Resistance may be made by general and common Grace The Light of Nature will rise up in defiance of many Sins especially at first but this must be earnest and vehement it is against the Enemies of your Soul Paul's Resistance was with serious Dislikes and deep Groans Rom. 7. 15. 24. The Evil that I hate And O wretched Man how shall I be delivered In
exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. The second Point is this Doct. 2. That if we would not be overcome by the Evil of Temptations we should earnestly deal with God about them For so doth our Lord direct us here Lead us not into Temptation to come to God himself There are two Reasons I shall consider of in this Discourse First We cannot be tempted without the Will of God Secondly Nor resist without the Power of God Therefore we should deal with God earnestly in all our Temptations First We cannot be tempted without the Will of God That God hath a Providence in and about Temptations is clear from the Scripture Mat. 4. 1. Then was Iesus led up of the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil The Holy Spirit had a hand in it as well as the Evil Spirit So 2 Sam. 24. 1. God moved David to number Israel and Judah But in 1 Chron. 21. 1. it is said And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel Satan he cannot tempt without leave from God As a Lion cannot stir out of his â—â—ge until the Keeper brings him out so the Devil this roaring Lion is held by the irresistible Chains of God's Providence and cannot stir until God brings him out Consider two things 1. To be led into Temptation is more than simply to be tempted God's permitting us to be tempted is not so much as God's leading us into Temptation for these are two distinct Phrases God may permit or suffer us to be tempted as a Lord or Soveraign which hath power over his own Creature for the trial and exercise of Grace and can absolutely dispose of it according to his own Will but he leads us into Temptation as a Iudg. And therefore this is one of the Comforts which Iob propounds to himself when Satan had a liberty to molest him Iob 9. 12. He taketh away who can hinder him who shall say unto him What dost thou The General of an Army may according to his discretion lead which Band he pleaseth and set them in the Forlorn-Hope in a place of the greatest Danger and appoint for Reserves which part of the Army he pleaseth So God may single out his Champions to Combat for his Glory and may leave others in a more quiet Posture according as he pleaseth Thus as a Soveraign Agent God may suffer to be tempted But now to lead into Temptation that 's another thing and implieth something of Punishment or as it is expressed Mat. 26. 41. Pray that ye enter not into Temptation We enter into it by our own voluntary motion as having forfeited his Protection But then God leads us in as a Iudg puts the Malefactor into the Executioners or Officers hands so doth God lead us into Temptation it 〈◊〉 judicial Act especially when left to perish under the weight of a Temptation 2. Consider God as a Judg he may lead us into Temptation two ways either he may act in way of Correction to manifect his fatherly Indignation or by way of strict Punishment And so in respect of his fatherly Correction God may give us up to a vexing or to an insnaring Temptation He may lead the Godly into Temptation that they may be molested and troubled and may lead the Wicked into Temptation that they may be seduced and led away for their eternal Ruin There 's a vexing Temptation God useth for the Correction of his own Children and thus Paul was buffeted by Satan lest he should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. The Shepherd sets his Dog upon the stray'd Sheep not to worry him but to lodg him and bring him back again into the Fold so doth God suffer his Children to be buffeted and exercised by Satan to their great trouble but for their good in the issue for he knoweth how to turn all these things for good Then there is an insnaring Temptation by which the Wicked are intangled in a way of Sin and so Satan as God's Executioner is said sometimes to blind the Eyes of Wicked Men lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. 4. and sometimes to harden their Hearts John 12. 40. lest they should be converted and healed for the punishment of former Sins God may give up the Wicked to be blinded and hardned by Satan to their own destruction which is one of the most dreadful Acts of God as a Judg on this side Hell Certainly then when we are tempted we have great cause to deal with God about the Temptation for he hath a hand either he may suffer us to be tempted as Lord and Soveraign or may lead us into Temptation either in a way of fatherly Correction or as a meer Punishment that we may more ruin and destroy our selves I come now to the second Reason Secondly God alone can give strength to resist and overcome the Temptation and therefore we should deal with him very earnestly about it Rom. 16. 20. The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly It is God that treads down Satan but under your feet We fight it out but the Author of the Victory is the God of Peace We are interested in it for we trample upon Satan with our own feet but God's is the Grace Our Faculties are not only exercised but our Graces Briefly two ways doth God concur with the Saints in resisting Temptations First God plants all those Graces in their Hearts that are necessary to the Conflict To speak of those three Essential Graces Faith Fear and Love these are all necessary for the resistance of a Temptation That Faith is necessary 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith And Fear and Love that they also are necessary I shall prove thus Satan's Weapons against us and his way of assaulting are either subtil Wiles or fiery Darts That ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil and quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked Ephes. 6. â—1 16. As he assaults us by fiery Darts by raging and boisterous Temptations take the Shield of Faith cover all with the Righteousness of Christ and with a sense of your Privileges by Christ and that 's it which maintains the Heart and keeps it against the fiery Darts of the Devil But as he assaults us by his Wiles there Fear and the Love of God comes in and is necessary for us For there are two sorts of Wiles that Satan useth for the destroying of our Souls One is to convey the Temptation by such means as are most taking with the Person tempted and the other is disguising and turning himself into an Angel of Light colouring the Temptation For the first Namely as he suiteth every Distemper of our Souls with a proper Diet or Food or tempts us by such means as are likely to prevail As if a Man were tempted by sensual Delight there the Love of God is necessary Why
The Things of the World the Men of the World 1. The Things of the World All Conditions of Life become a Snare to us Prosperity Adversity Pro. 30. 8 9. Give me neither Poverty nor Riches feed we with Food convenient for me c. Lest I be full and deny thee c. Either Condition hath its Snares A Garment too short will not cover our Nakedness and too long proves Lacinia â—raependâ—ns ready to trip up our Heels and therefore both the one and the other Condition are very dangerous Many carry themselves well in one Condition but quite miscarry in another As â—â—phraim was as a Cake not turned baked on the one side Hos. 7. 8. quite Dough on the other Or as 't is said of Ioab 1 King 2. 28. He turned â—fter Adonijah thâ— he turned not after Absalom Some miscarry in Adversity others in Prosperity â—ndeed more under Prosperity Diseases which grow out of Fulness are more rife than those which grow out of Want and fat and fertile Soils are most ranck of Weeds God's Children most miscarry when all things are prosperous and flow in upon them when they have lived in Plenty David was not foiled while he wandred up and down in the Wilderness but when he walked upon the Tarras of his Pallace in Ierusalem then he fell to Lust and Blood The unsoundness of a Vessel is not seen when it is empty but when fill'd with Water then we see whether it be stanch or leaky or no. But the other Condition is not without its Snares neither In Adversity we are apt to be impatient as well as in Prosperity to be forgetful of God and therefore we had need learn how to go up Hill and down Hill to know how to abound and how to be abased Phil. 4. 12. Look as the Wind doth rise from all Corners so do Temptations When we are kept low and bare or in Danger then we are full of worldly Fears Distrusts Cares grow base Pusillanimous and have not the Spirit and Generosity of a Christian in a high Condition we are Proud Secure forgetful of Changes Vain Wanton and press towards Heaven less and grow dead to good Things 2. As from the Things of the World so from the Men of the World We are apt to be poisoned by their bad Example and easily catch a Sickness one from another Good Men may receive a taint Isa. 6. 5. I am a Man of unclean Lips and I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean Lips Open Excesses do soon manifest their own Odiousness I confess a Man that runs into open Excess we are not so much in danger of being inticed by him to the like Practice but we learn of one another secretly to be cold careless and less mortified I say tho we are not carried into inordinate Practices and gross Wickednesses by the Example of others yet we learn to be cold in the Profession of Godliness formal less stirring in the way of Holiness and sometimes ensnared by their Counsels the Flood and Torrent of Evil Examples and Counsels is so great that it carrieth away Men. Gal. 2. 13. Barnabas also was carried away with their Dissimulation And the Wills of Men is one of our Snares 1 Pet. 4. 2. And besides we are in danger to be terrified by their Frowns and act unseemly Isa. 8. 13. Fear not their Fear nor be afraid out of the fear of Men we are apt to miscarry in our Duty to God Well then we need to go to God to be delivered from the Evil of the World that we may not be infected nor terrified by the Men of the World or which is the more usual Temptation corrupted by the Things of the World The World doth secretly and slighâ—ly insinuate with us and therefore keep us from Evil. Now how comes the World to be Evil In two things when both our Care and our Delight is lessened towards Heavenly Things 1. When our Care is lessened when we are not so serious so frequent in Communion with God as we were wont to be as Martha that was cumbred about many things but Mary had chosen the better part Luke 10. 42. When you begin to lessen your Cares of Duty and Hagar thrusts Sarah out of Doors when the Son of the Bond-Woman begins to mock at the Son of the Free-Woman when Religion begins to be looked upon but as Mopishness to be so nice precise and so careful to maintain constant Commerce with God and begin to have lessening Thoughts of God and Religion goes to the Walls So 2. When our Delight is less in heavenly things when we have lost our favour of the Word and Ordinances and Sabbaths and they are not so sweet as before 1 Joh. 2. 16. If any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him When the Love of the World hath made you weary of the Love of God when your Heart goes a whoring from God the chief Good As when the Affections are scattered a Man is tempted to look upon other Objects the Wife of the Bosom is defrauded of her Right So God is defrauded by an over-delight in the Creature the World intercepts your Delight Psal. 73. 27 28. Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee But it is good for me to draw nigh to God When our Delight in Communion with God is lessened by Delight in the Creature 't is Spiritual Adultery Now when worldly Objects are so continually with us solliciting our Affections and drawing us away from God Oh! what need have the best of us to pray Lord keep us from Evil The Soul doth easily receive a taint from the Objects to which we are accustomed therefore they which live in the World had need to take heed of a worldly Spirit The continual Presence of the Object doth secretly intice the Heart as long Suits prevail at length and green Wood kindles by long lying in the Fire Insensibly is the Heart drawn away from God and you shall find less favour in Holy Things 3 dly We had need to pray earnestly Lord keep us from Evil because we are in danger of that other Enemy the Flesh. There is not only an Evil without us as the Devil and the World but an Evil within us An Evil Heart of Vnbelief in departing from the Living God Heb. 3. 12. An Evil Heart that is full of urgings and sollicitations to Sin There are not only Snares and Temptations in the World but there is a flexibleness in the Party tempted Jam. 1. 14. Every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his own Lusts the Fire burns in our own Hearts Satan doth but blow up the Flame there is bad Liquor in the Vessel Satan doth but only give it vent and set it abroach with violence We carry sinning Natures about with us therefore Lord Deliver us from Evil. The Evil of the World would do no more hurt
corrupt and wholly poisoned with Self-Love we prefer every base Interest and Trifle before God nay we prefer carnal Self before God Some are wholly brutish and so they may wallow in Ease and Pleasure and eat the Fat and drink the Sweet never think of God care not how God is dishonoured both by themselves and others And then some O how tender are they in matters of their own Concernment and affected with it more than for the Glory of God! Ioh. 12. 43. They are more affected with their own Honour and their own Loss and Reproach than with God's dishonour or God's Glory If their own Reputation be but hazarded a little O how it stings them to the Heart But if they be faulty towards God they can pass it over without Trouble A Word of Disgrace a little Contempt cast upon our Persons kindles the Coals and â—ills us with Rage but we can hear God's Name dishonoured and not be moved with it When they pray if they beg outward Blessings if they ask any thing it is for their Lusts not for God 't is but to feed their Pomp and Excess and that they may shine in the Pomp and Splendor of external Accommodations If they beg Quickning and Enlargment it is for their own Honour that their Lusts may be fed by the Contributions of Heaven So by a wicked Design they would even make God to serve the Devil The best of us when we come to pray what a deep Sense have we of our own Wants and no desire of the Glory of God If we beg daily Bread Maintenance and Protection we do not beg it as a Talent to be improved for our Master's use but as Fuel for our Lusts. If we beg Deliverance it is because we are in pain and ill at ease not that we may Honour and glorify God that Mercy and Truth may shine forth If we beg Pardon it is only to get rid of the Smart and enlarged out of the Stocks of Conscience If they beg Grace it is but a lazy Wish after Sanctification because they are convinced there is no other way to be happy If they beg eternal Glory they do not beg it for God it appears plainly because they can be content to dishonour God long provided they at length may be saved Most of us pray without a Heart set to glorify God and to bring Honour unto his great Name Tho a Man hath never so much sense and feeling in his Prayer yet if his Hâ—art be not duly set as to the Glory of God his Prayer is turned into Sin It is not the manner of the Vehemency only for a Carnal Spring may send forth High-Tides of Affection and Motions that come from Lust may be earnest and very rapid Therefore it is not enough to have Fervour and Vehemency but when our aim is to honour and glorify God Zech. 7. 5 6. When ye fasted did ye at all fast unto me even to me And when ye did eat and when ye did drink did you not eat for your selves and drink for your selves Vse 2. For Exhortation to press us to seek the Glory of God above all things Take these Arguments 1. How necessary it is the Lord should have his Glory The World serves for no other purpose it is made and continued for this End Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power For thou hast created all things and for thy Pleasure they are and were created All that God hath made it was for his own Glory And Rom. 11. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things To whom be Glory for ever Amen Of him in a way of Creation Through him by way of Providential Influence and Supportation that they may be To him in their final tendency and result God did not make us for our selves but his own Glory 2. It is a singular Benefit to be admitted to sanctify God's Name O that poor Worms should come and put the Crown upon God's Head And that he will count any thing we can do to be a Glory to himself â— Chron. 29. 14. But who am I and what is my People that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 3. Consider how much it concerneth us that we may make some Restitution for our former dishonouring of God therefore we should be more zealous in this Work How forward have we been to dishonour God in Thought Word and Deed before the Lord wrought upon us There is not a Mercy but we have abused it nor any thing we have medled with but one way or other we have turned it to the Lord's Reproach and Dishonour Now when the Lord hath put Grace in our Hearts When we are a People formed for his Praise Isa. 43. When he hath made us anew we should think of making some Restitution some amends to God and should zealously affect his Glory above all things Vse 3. For Trial. Do we prefer the Glory of God in the first place Take these Marks 1. Then we would be content with our own loss provided the Name of God may gain any respect in the World and so he may be magnified no matter what becomes of us and our Interest and Concernment Phil. 1. 20. The Apostle expresseth there a kind of Indifferency So Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether it be by Life or by Death O then it is a sign you make it your purpose drift and care when you are contented to do or be any thing that God will have you to be or do This holds good not only in temporal Concernments when you are content to want necessary Food c. But it holds also in Spiritual Concernments As to sense of Pardon tho God should suspend the Consolations of his Spirit yet if it be for the Glory of his Grace I am to be content Nay in some Cases God's Glory is more to be cared for than our own Salvation if they two could come in competition but that case never falls out with the Creature our Salvation is conjoyned with the Glory of God But yet in supposition if it should as Paul and Moses puts the Supposition Exod. 32. 32. Blot me I pray thee out of the Book which thou hast written So God might be honoured in saving that People So Rom. 9. 3. For I could wish that my self werâ— accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the Flesh. It was not a rash Speech a thing spoken out of an unadvised Passion see but with what a serious Preâ—ace it is ushered in vers 1. God is my Witness I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost He calls God to witness this was the real disposition of his Heart and he speaks advisedly and with good deliberation Object But is it lawful thus to wish to be accursed Certainly Paul could not
wish himself to love Christ less or to be less beloved of him for these things we cannot part with them without Sin but in our enjoyment of Christ there is a happy part some personal Happiness which resulteth to us now all this he could lay at God's Feet How so What for others A regular Love begins at home and every Man is bound to look to his own Salvation first and then the Salvation of others But that was not the case it was not their Salvation and Paul's Salvation which was in Competition but the Glory of God and the common Salvation of the Iews and Paul's particular Salvation It was a mighty prejudice to the Gospel that the People from whom Christ's Messengers proceeded for the Law went out of Sion the Gospel came out from among the Iews that so many of them were prejudiced and a mighty Eclipse to the Glory of God Now he could lay down all his personal Happiness at God's Feet he speaks in Supposition if such a Case falls out But however this is a clear Rule the Glory of God must be preferred before our own Salvation In some Cases there will be need of this Rule For Instance there 's many a Man that possibly is convinced of a false Religion and the first Question Men make is if they can be saved in such a Religion but many Men are hardned in Popery When therefore a Man is contented to continue in a false Religion and dishonour God with his complyance there provided he may be saved he prefers his own Salvation before the Glory of God And in case of the delay of Repentance when Men dally with God and put off the work of returning to the Lord until another time or hereafter it is time enough to repent these Men prize their Salvation before the Glory of God If it were true upon that Supposition that if ever they shall be saved they are contented God shall be dishonoured a great deal longer and that if they be saved at length this will satisfy them Quest. But how may we discern that we make the Glory of God the first and chief thing we aim at in Prayer 1. Partly by the work of your own Thoughts The End is first in Intention tho last in Execution When you are praying for a publick Mercy against an Enemy what runs in your Thoughts Revenge Safety and your own personal Happiness or God's Glory What wilt thou do O Lord unto thy great Name Josh. 7. 9. Are you pleasing your selves with Suppositions of your Escape and Deliverance and reeking your Wrath upon your Adversaries So in Prayer for Strength and Quickning what is it that runs in your Mind Are you entertaining your Spirit with Dreams of Applause and feeding your Minds with the sweetness of popular Acclamation 2. By the manner of praying absolutely for God's Glory but for all other things with a sweet Submission to God's Will Joh. 12. 27. Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Father glorify thy Name Then came there a Voice from Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again Christ is absolute in the Request and he receives an Answer Is this enough Do you mainly press God with this that he might provide for his own glorious Name that his Name might not lye under Reproach But now carnal Aims do make Affection impetuous and impatient of check and denial Rachel must have Children or dye When the Heart is set upon earthly Success Pleasure or Comfort then they cannot brook a denial without Murmuring The Children of God only accept of God's Glory and in all other things they leave themselves to God's disposal and therefore this is the main thing 3. Partly too by the Disposition of your Hearts when your Prayers are accomplished and God hath given any Blessing you pray for we do not ask it for God's Glory if we do not use it for God's Glory The time of having Mercies is the time of Trial and therefore when we consume our Mercies upon our Lusts when they do not conduce to check our Sins it is a sign God's Glory is not the thing intended as it should be Thus for the Order of this Petition II. The Necessity of putting up such a Request to God 'T is his charge to us in the Third Commandment That we should sanctify his Name Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain The positive part of that Commandment is Thou shalt sanctify it Now here we make it matter of Prayer to God Hallowed be thy Name From whence let me observe Doct. Those that would have God's Name Hallowed and Glorified must seriously deal with God about it There are several Reasons why we must put up such Requests to God I might argue from the Utility and the Necessity of it First the Utility We put up these Requests to God 1. That we may more solemnly warn our selves of our own Duty In Prayer there is an implicit Vow or solemn Obligation that we take upon our selves to prosecute what we ask It is a Preaching to our selves in God's hearing So that every Word we speak to God is a Lesson to us and our Requests are as so many Exhortations to glorify his Holy Name With what Face can we ask that which we are wholly wretchless and neglectful of Then we shall certainly come under that Character Mat. 15. 7 8. This People draweth nigh unto me with their Mouth and honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me It is the greatest Mockage of God to ask unless we have a Mind to pursue and diligently to attend to this Work and Business that the Name of God may be glorified in us and upon us 2. That we may have a due Sense and Grief for God's Honour God's Children they are troubled to see God dishonoured Lot's righteous Soul was vexed not with Sodom's Injuries but with Sodom's Sins 2 Pet. 2. 8. And David saith Rivers of Tears run down mine Eyes because Men keep not thy Law Psal. 119. 136. Many will scarce weep for their own Sins where they have advantage of remorse of Conscience but when they are zealously affected with God's Glory they will weep for others Sins When his Name is torn and rent in pieces it is a grief of Heart to them Now God will have us ask this that this Holy Sense of Spiritual Grief may be kept up for when it is become the matter of our Requests then we are interested in the Glory of God We are loth to see things miscarry where we have petitioned and begged for others so when we have begged the Glory of his Name it will further this Spiritual Sense and Grief of Heart when his Name is dishonoured 3. That we may count it as great a Blessing when God is glorified as when we are saved Continue in Prayer saith the Apostle and watch thereunto with Thanksgiving When we have been instant