proper right of Church-members Wâ—cked men Hypocrites may put on a face an out-side of profession and for a time may get to the Lords Supper amongst his Saints but such had better forbeare They are usurpers they have no right to this marriage Supper They eate and drinke their own damnation not having faith to discern Christ 1 Cor. 11.29 And so for baptisme wicked and unbeleevers have no right to it nor their Children It is a peculiar priviledg of the Saints of beleevers I do not observe that the Apostles did ever administer this Ordinance to any but beleevers When the Eunuch asked Philip saying what doth hinder me to baptized Philip said If thou beleevest with all thy heart thou maist Acts 8.36 37. Upon this ground the Goaler and his houshold were baptized Acts 16.30.33 Upon this ground Peter told the Jewes that they might be baptized and further adds that unto such beleevers the promises did pertaine For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afar of even as many as the Lord your shall call Acts 2.38.39 That iâ— all you Jews who act faith in your repentance and are desirous to reforme and now close with Jesus Christ you may be baptized into that faith for baptisme is one of your Priviledges It is yours you have a right to it by promise Yea and further your children have a right to it also by his promise to you It is a priviledg God giveâ— to the children of Beleevers I finde not a jot of comfort not a bit oâ— promise in all the holy Scriptures but only to such as shall be convinced and converted and so brought in to God pardoned and priviledged by Jesus Christ I dare not desemble I dare not cry peace peace when security in ignorance and sin may bring damnation to your soules The Lord give you hearts to receive the trueth in the same love and sincâ—rity as I deliver it to you and so I come to the last particular Thirdly and lastly the wicked who have no interest in Christ can have no share in the Churches peace When the Lord shall make up this promise and deliver those that trust to him the wicked shall have no part with Gods people The wicked are not within the promise Nay God has promised the contrary There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa. 48.22 When times of peace riches and honour and liberty given to the Saints when the Gospell times so long promised to the Churches shall come Then will the wicked miseries of the wicked begin Then shall their times of sorrow and sadnesse come in They will but then enter I need not seeke far for Scripture proofes of these trueths It is very plaine all along in this 37. Psalme but that you may know there is other cleare Texts for the purpose Take some time to reade the seven Chap. of Dan. with the 18. 19. Chap. of the Revelation All these do fully hold out what I intend viz. The wickeds misery and the Churches glory when the day of deliverance comes all is for the Saints and against the ungodly Reforming times are discovering times Though Gods people have lain low and long under reproach and persecutions yet God will raise them up bring downe their upholders The Saints are Gods Jewels yea his precious Jewels though they have lyen amongst drosse And when his refining timâ— comas when God sets to purge and reforme Kingdomes God will have a speciall care of his Saints he will spare them as a tender Father spareth his owne sonne Then will God make an apparent difference that others may doscerne bâ—tweene the godly and the wicked Mâ—l 3.17.18 Loving friends I pray you now take up a little time to sit in consultation with your own hearts I beseech you consider of what importance and necâ—ssity this my most serious exhortation is to labour for an interest in Christ Withoâ—â— Christ you are nothing nay you are woâ—se then nothing You had better never to have had a being in this â—iâ—e then meerely to live and dye and go to hâ—ll and that you must doe if you goe not to heaven by Christ Therâ— is no other meanes no other wayes but only by Jesus Christ They are Iesus Christs own words I am the way the trueâ—h and the life no man commeth to the Father 〈◊〉 by me Iohn 14.6 And who woâ—ld not now desire â—nclose with Christ and love Christ and walke wiâ—h Christ Yea who would not be rouled uâ— wholly enclosed in Christ where there dwells so much sweetneste sâ— much fâ—llnessâ— so much freedome What a deepe engagement hath a Christian to become â—ll Christs while Christ is all in all to him we have not these glorious priviledges as men and women but as Christians as being members of Christ And thus we have a right to the creatures friends Ministers Ordinances Peace or what ever may do us good There is a full place which I have reserved to prove what I have so much pressed I pray you observe it and rememâ—er it and the very Text is one of the things expressed in the words which shall be yours Whether Pâ—ul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things presenâ— or things to come name what you can all are yours 1 Cor. 3.22.23 Is not thâ—â— a sweet and plaine Scripture But where comes in all this priviledge Have you this by nature or purchase I meane your own merit have you this from Adam No no in Adam all dye but in Iesuâ— Christ we are made alive Here comes in the Saints priviledges to all All are yours because ye are Christâ— Christ is Gods Object But if all these priviledges belong chiefly to the Saints to the Christians are they only interested in them by being in Christ how then is it that the wicked fâ—r the most part possesse morâ— of the world then the godly do Answ. This objection I have partly answered all along but now I will eâ—deavour to speake fully to it First you know its a generall maxime To every thing there is a season and a time to every puâ—pose under the Sâ—n Eccles. 3.1 And of these there is a time to weepe and a time to laugh vers. â— A tâ—me to get and a time to lose vers. 6. This is Gods own order and he will observeâ— I pray you marke here There is a time to mourn and a time to laugh vers. 4. This is the Saintâ— part There is a time to get and a time to lose vers. 6. That is the doome of the wicked Search all Histories and the Church hath had small beginnings but strong oppositions few friends many enemieâ— little peace much trouble small joy great sorrow This hath hitherto beenâ— the Churches condition as you may see by all Propheticall Emblemes of weaknesse The Church in many places is but compared to a woman Amongst all do but read Rev. 12. There the Church is called
their graces refined them and made them shine bright Though persecutions and wastings may seemingly appeare to threaten the ruine of the Church the people of God Yet the same hand which permits them turns for the good of the Saints they are necessary the Saints could not be without them God sees this and therefore God suffers the wicked to hate his people that they should not fall in love with the world That is dangerous that will undo them indeed That which the wicked doth doth doe the Saints good It fils up the measure of â—heir owne sinne and prepares the Saintâ— for mercy Consider all well and you shall finde that the Churches enemies are her friends their persecutors are her promoters they helpe on the Lords worke mightily all the plottings and powers of the enemy shall promote Gods businesse which he hath in hand mightily God makes use of all their wits parts and powers for the advancement of his glory â—nd the Churches good though the wicked doe it out of self-ends and intend nothing lesse then Gods service and the good of his people yet God doth they shall perish when they have done too I will give you cleare texts for what I say see it first in the 10. of Isaiah there God seems mightily to be taken with the King of Assyria as though now he would set up him and give up Israel into his hand he shall have the whipping beating of poor Israel ver. 5 6. now the King of Assyria thinks all is his owne but little imagines what God has in it he intends one thing and God another he intends to destroy Israel and set up himselfe God intends onely Israels correction and the Assyrians ruine God cals out the King of Assyria only to whip Israel out of hypocrisie into sincerity how be it he the King of Assyria meaneth not so neither doth his heart thinke so but it is in his heart to destroy ver. 7. and doth the King effect his desires no no he doth Gods worke under self-seeking and when that 's done which God looks for when â—srael iâ— humbled and brought in to the Lord Assyria shâ—ll smart for it when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria ver. 12. Self-seekers may doe Gods businesse but you see what they finde God may make use of the wicked great ones of the world the more effectually to accomplish what he intends and yet they are not betterd by it in the end God whips them with their owne rod This the second Answer Thirdly God may suffer the wicked outwardly to prosper and get into great strength and power to show and make known his power in delivering his people from them when they are mighty We account it nothing it s not worth speaking on to see a Gyant a great strong man to winde and turn a little stick out of the hand of a little Boy a poore childe but it would be recorded for a wonder to see such a childe violently to take a weapon out of the hand of a Gyant it would not have been mentioned for a miracle if Goliah had kild little David with his sword and his club but here is the wonder that little David should kill Goliah with a stone out of a sling a boyes play 1 Sam. 17.48 49. And who thinke you did the wonder Truly it was not little David he will not make such an encounâ—er of himselfe he will not own the attempt nor take upon him the killing of Goliah but he saith God will do it and doe it by him too This day will the Lâ—rd deliâ—â—r thee â—nto my 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 then and I will smite thee and take thy head from thee c. ver. 46. I tell you God is not seene but in difficult things where God must doe the businesse or the worke is undone if God doe not more then man can doe man will noâ— confesse its God who doth it this is not onely the fault of men common men but of the best men it 's a fault of Gods people God himselfe speakes of it I presume you know the place Iud. 7.2 Now therefore that he may be owned in delivering his Saints he will suffer the wicked to get into great strength and power You may see it evidently in the case of Israels deliverance out of Egypt God had promised Israel to bring them to Canaan yet he would have them know it was he which did it· and what course doth God take to make Israel sensible of what he intended to doe for them if you marke the History you shall find that God raises up a potent enemy to oppose and oppresse that so his power might be more manifest in Israels deliverance These are the words of God spoken to Pharaoh King of Egypt who would not let Israel goe to Canaan but kept them long in bondage In very deed for this cause have I raised thee up given power and strength into thy hand for to shew in thee my power and that my Name may be declared throughout all the earth Exod. 9.16 Which is as if God should say if Israel did not meet with some opposition in their journey to Canaan if it proved not a difficult businesse I should be little looked at but I have therefore raised up thee Pharaoh and have hardned thy heart to such a pitch of cruelty towards them that now when they are in streights when they are over-powered and cannot help themselves now they may find experimentally of what strength and power I the Lord almighty am of in working this great deliverance for my poore helplesse people and I shall by this have the fame of my goodnesse and greatnesse spread abroad that others may love and feare me And now I hope I have fully and cleerly answered the Objection I will in the next place come to lay downe some directions how a poore soule may get to Christ When I here speak of directions or rules whereby a poore soule is brought to have acquaintance with Christ and so by faith a right and interest in all that is Chists I would be understood that I doe not attribute the worke of Gods free Grace upon the soule to man endeavour as though I put Salvation into his will and power but my intention is so neere as God shall enable me to set you in the way and direct you to the use of such meanes and helps as God hath revealed in his Word and through the sanctification of his spirit makes them effectuall for the bringing of the soule to Christ and working of an assurance in that soule that Christ is his this being presupposed I proceed Direct 1. If thou hast any desire after Christ to have Christ thine if thou wouldst have this cleered to thee I would have thee to study self my meaning iâ— I would have thee learne to know thy selfe under a double condition in a
can doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 Object But if all courage strength and comfort comes from God in Christ what a sad condition am I in I never sought God in any action or owned the hand of God in any deliverance from danger doe you thinke that God would now heare me if I should henceforth seek to him Answ. Yes let me tell thee if thou in thy heart art grieved for thy neglects of God if the contempts thou hast offered to the face of God doe prick and wound thy heart with sorrow and thou be willing to walke with God if he would now receive thee feare it not there is hope enough in Christ to infavour thee with God here and bring thee to the fulnesse of glory hereafter God looks not so much at former sinnes as future obedience if now thou hast a desire to give up thy selfe to Christ thou must count with thy selfe to live as a Christian thou must determine to cast off all thy unwarranted courses and as neere as thou canst endeavour to walke and act according to the rule of Christ The Apostle puts it downe for a Maxim Let who every one that nameth the Name of Christ that will challenge the profession of a Christian depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 Jesus Christ looks not so much what you are as what you would be God is willing to quit scores for all that 's past whatever it is and that for his owne sake that shall never be questioned againe You may thinke this is much but I have Scripture for what I say God charges Iâ—rael with their unkindnesse and miscarriâ—ges towards him Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money neitheâ— hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sinnes thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities Isa. 43.24 This was Israels misery yet the object of Gods unspeakable mercy I even I am he that blotteth out thy traâ—sgressions for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes ver. 25. Here 's engagement enough for poore sinners and if I had named no more I had said enough for the full answer the Objection Obiect But saith the poore soule againe I have been an open enemy to God I have taken up Armes against God I have broken his Sabbaths I have mocked at Religion yea I have persecuted the Saints and can there yet be hope for me Answ. I answer yes there is yet hope for thee this degree of sinne is not ordinary in one elect by God yet all this cannot keâ—p off Christ from saving thy soule if thou findest in thy selfe a sorrow for thy sinnes and an earnest desire to walke in new obedience He against whom thou hast sinned puts this sorrow into thy heart and will save thy soule Remorse for sinne and thoughts of obedience are gifts and graces wrought by the Spirit of God in thee these are not the fruits of nature comming from thee present paine may worke and stirre up a griefe for thy misery and sorrow but never procures a sorrow for sinne I might give you divers presidents but I will take up with this cleere precept It is God who worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 that is all our good thoughts of turning unto God and the strength of all our abilities according to the rule of Christ is all from God God puts them into every one before they have them This might be sufficient for some but if thou beest not yet fully satisfied I will endeavour to find thee out some taking comfort If once thou commest to have earnest breathings and longings after Christ in love to Christ it is not former sinnes that can keep off Christ from thee Christ lookes not to have us perfect but comes to make us perfect Christ found Paul a persectour but makes him a Preacher of the Gospell Acts 26. to ver. 18. Paul doth not from his former sinnes so much question as magnifie the free Grace of God Onely this use he makes of it that the more God had done for him he endeavoured the more in the exercises of his Graces bestowed upon him to publish and advance the glory of God 1 Cor. 15.9 10. If thou beest not a sinner thou hast no need of a Saviour but if thou findest thy selfe in a perishing condition and canst say a God or I am gone a Jesus a Saviour or I am lost for ever thou art such a one as Jesus Christ lookes for they are Jesus Christ's owne words I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Marke 2.17 that is I came not for those who are holy and righteous in their owne eyes but to make rigâ—teous and save poore sinners who lye even in hell to their owne apprehension unworthinesse is no warrant to keep thee from Christ Jesus Christ will make thee worthy it 's the businesse for which God sent Jesus Christ into the world and it was Jesus Christs onely desire to doe the will of his Father and that yet a poore sinner may be further encouraged to seeke after Christ I will lay downe some speciall priviledges which comes into the soule by Christ First by Christ thou shalt have all these soul-destroying sinnes in themselves these heart-trembling sinnes these conscience-biting sinnes as cleerly taken away by Jesus Christ as if thou never hadst committed any such Thy conscience shall be at quiet and the devill himselfe shall not have any thing to say to thee for them God hath laid all thy sinnes and the sinnes of all the Elect upon Christ Isa. 53.6 Christ hath suffered and satisfied the wrath of his Father for them it is finished John 19.30 Jesus Christ hath done this for them and hence is that challenge which the Apostle takes up against the devill the world yea conscience who is it shall lay any thing any manner of sinne to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Rom. 8.33 34. all is put to Christ Christ doth all Secondly Iesus Christ doth not onely justifie a soule before God but he reconciles God to the soule he makes a sweet peace and friendship betweene them who were at enmity and the Apostle makes this worke of reconciliation an argument of eternall salvation from which we may draw the certainty of both For saith Paul if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Sonne much more we being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 Thirdly and lastly because I will hasten Iesus Christ will send the holy Ghost the Spirit to direct and sanctifie all those who have an interest in him If once Christ be thine Christ will have a care of thee thou shalt have a guide to lead thee in all the wayes of truths or God Iesus Christ knowes well the failings of the Saints He therefore promisâ—â— them a guide which his
Father will send in his Name the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said to you Joh. 14.26 I hope I have in this set open a large doore of sweet comfort to every poore soule groaning under the burden of sinne I will now the Lord assisting come to point of tryall of which as briefe as I may I have hitherto endeavoured all along to discover a Christians priviledges he hath by Christ with some directions what a Christian is to doe in himselfe to get an interest in this Christ I am now come to give you some Signes or Evidences by which you may know whether as yet Christ be yours or no they shall be but few and short the Lord help me in the discovery and you in the faithfull examination of the ground upon which your building stands and there will arise abundance of sweet and full comfort to all our Soules Signe 1. The first Signe whereby a Christian may know he hath an interest in Christ is a sound and sincere love to Christ for Christ alone It 's not enough to love Christ for the Loaves so Christ hath lovers and followers too many to love Christ because you outwardly thrive and get by Christ Christ finds fault with this Joh. 6.26 It is not enough to love Christ with the Loaves with the world this also Christ cannot away with this will not doe yee cannot doe it Mat. 6.24 but Christ will be loved for himselfe he will have all your love and have you love him onely that is to love him above all more then all Christ would not have any thing here below to stand in computition with him if any thing must be parted with let it be any thing all things save Christ Goods Friends Life are all to he left for the love of Christ when they cannot stand together This is the meaning of thoâ—e two Scriptures Mat. 10.37 Luk. 14.26 Now if you solemnly and seriously aske your hearts they will tell you whether you love a naked Christ a despised Christ I say your hearts will in some measure tell you how they are disposed what longings have you after Christ what inquires doe you make after Christ what delight have yee in the Saints â—ow doe yee prize the Ordinances what soule-meetings have you with Christ what sweet communion have â—ou with Christ Object But you will say who can doe this Aâ—sw I answer every Christian may doe this nay I say further every true Christian doth doe this in a greater or lesser degree what is prayer but the soules discourse with God and Christ by the help of the holy Ghost what is the Word and preaching but a declaration of the mind of God to us Love these and love Christ neglect these and you care not for Iesus Christ Now then have these taken thy heart and ravished thy soule are these the cause of thy rejoycing and the want of these thy sorrow doest thou prize the Word of God above all the Words wealth doest thou love to follow Christ under all contempts canst thou rejoyce in Christ and account thy interest in him to be dearer to thee then all other honours and priviledges I say here are infallible signes of a sincere love to Christ when you can love any thing for Christ and all things for Christ and onely for Christ can you love Christians as they are Christs Ordinances as they are Christs doe you the more love Christians where there is the more of Christ in them do you the more love pure Ordinances as they are the more agreeable to the mind of Christ certainly unlesse you can doe this unlesse your hearts close with Christ in these I can give you no hopes that you either love Christ or have any interest in Christ This is not my owne rule but the rule of Iesus Christ this is not my word but the Word of Iesus Christ In one place Iesus Christ propounds a brotherly love to be a knowne signe of being in him By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples if yee have love one to another Ioh. 13.35 the other place is Joh. 14.15 If yee love me keep my Commandements that is if you will make it appeared and manifest that you love me let it be knowne by your obedience in walking according to the rule I have given you to observe you see how strict Christ is and therefore it is not good for us to depart from Christ's rule from what he warrants us in I say againe for I cannot say it too often for the Lords sake take heed that you deceive not your selves in the cleering up your Evidences for Heaven your right to Christ you must not thinke because you live in the ayre of the Gospell amongst Christians and Ordinances and Bibles that this can make you Christians and intitle you to Christ no no it 's not faint prayers will bring a man to Heaven every one that saith Lord Lord shall not enter into the Kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Mat. 7.21 Christ requires acting doing his will as well as confession of him nay it 's not barely a civill and strict life will bring a man to Heaven The Scribes and Pharisees went farre in this and yet fell short and therefore did Christ propound this seasonable Caution Except your righteousnesse exceed the righâ—eousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees yee can in no wise enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 5.20 Nay I must goe a little further yet it s not barely your partaking of the Seales of the Covenant doth put you into Covenant it 's not in plainer words your being baptized and receiving the Lords Supper which makes you Christians and interests you in Christ you may doe all these and yet doe nothing you may perish for all To this it is considerable which Paul writes to the Church at Galatia you may see what a stirre they kept about Circumcision Now to stint the strife and take them from their faâ—se bottomes the Apostle tels them plaine it is neither one nor the other will bring them to Heaven it 's onely the worke of faith by love For saith Paul in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Gal. 5.6 all these outward priviledges advantageth a soule nothing unlesse it can sensibly close with Christ in a full perswasion of the love of Christ to the soule in the great worke of Redemption and that it selfe have a pâ—rt therein but if the soule can thus trust Christ and hence really love Christ againe it may assuredly rest upon it it hath an inteâ—est in Christ This is the first signe of a reall love to Christ Signe 2. Secondly the soule that hath an interest in Christ will trust Christ with all the soule that hath an