is able to give forth his beams of light unto all the world But you will say How may it appear that Christ will be as gracious and communicative in his love unto us now in heaven as he would have been had he been here on earth You know what he said when he was here on earth And let him that is athirst come John 7.37 In the last day the great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Now he is in heaven look into the Book of the Revelation which he speaks from heaven he speaks more than that And let him that is athirst come there 's that And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely here 's more now he is in heaven And I pray when did our Lord and Saviour Christ wash his Disciples feet Give the glorious testimony of his condescending love unto his Dâ—sciples 〈◊〉 when he was going to the Father Jesus knowing 〈◊〉 that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God he arose from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a Towel and girded himself Knowing that all power was given into his hand he gives that reason He did thus condescend in this way of love knowing that all power was given into his hand Now that he is in heaven all power is given into his hand and therefore now certainly he will be as gracious and communicative in his love and goodnesse as if he had been here on earth and rather over and above Surely therefore it is our work and our duty to rejoyce in this Exaltment of Christ though in some respects it may be to our debasement or present losse But then Thirdly How shall we do this Why true love to the Person of Christ will enable us to do this It will enable us to rejoyce in the Personall Exaltment of Christ though it may be to our own present losse and abasement It is a sweet thing to the Lover to suffer for the Person loved that is where love fixt upon the Person and not upon the benefits If love be fixt upon the benefit it is not so but if upon the person it is so So if our love be fixt upon the Person of Christ this love will enable us to rejoyce in the Exaltment of Christ though it be in our own debasement Christ rejoyced in our Exaltment though it was to his own debasement why because he loved our persons who loved us and gave himself for us So that true love unto the Person of Christ will make us rejoyce in his Exaltment though it may be to our own present debasement You will say then How few are there that do love Christ indeed Chrâ—st is hardâ—y loved for Christ Christ himself is hardly lâ—ved fâ—r himself To love the Person of Christ how few are there that do that And so I come unto the fourth thing Fourthly 'T is possible that Christ's own Disciples may be wanting in their love to Christ's Person T is somewhat strange this If a Prince or Noble-man should take a poor woman a Beggar off the Dunghill and marry her it would be somewhat strange that she should not love his Person If he should not love her you would not think it so strange If Boaz should not love Ruth you would not have thought it so strange but that Ruth should not love the Person of Boaz this may seem strange So now such beggars were we when the Lord came and took us off the Dunghill and said Now is a time of love If the Lord Jesus should not love our persons it would not seem so strange but that we should be wanting in our love to the Person of Christ this is strange yea Friends 't is possible that Christ's own Disciples may be wanting in their love to the Person of Christ They may be wanting in the manner of their love to Christ's Person They may be wanting in the measure of their love to Christ's Person If ye loved me saith he and yet they left all to follow him possibly then the best Disciples of Christ the best men may be wanting in their love to the Person of Christ To make this out a little to you 1. First of all The more we love the Person of Christ the more diligent and observant we shall be in keeping Christ's Commandments that are properly his If ye love me keep my Commandments Why now how many are there of God's own people that are too negligent in keeping Christ's Commandments the Commandment of Love the Institutions of Christ and why so but because they are wanting in their love to the Person of Christ If ye love me keep my Commandments 2. If a good man may be wanting in his zeal for for Christ possibly he may be wanting in his Love tâ— Christ's Person what is zeal but fired love inflamâ— love angered love Now possibly a man that love Christ in truth may be wanting in his zeal Old Eâ— loved God without all doubt and yet he was wanting in his love to God Peter loved Christ Thou knowest that I love thee and yet wanting in his love by denying of Christ Good men may be wanting in theiâ— zeal for Christ why but because they are wanting in their love to the Person of Christ 3. The more a man loves the Person of Christ thâ— more he doth love the Servants the people of Christ It was a good speech of Jerom when there was 〈◊〉 difference between Austin and him I love Chriâ—â— dwelling in Austin even at that very time when there was a difference betwen them And certainly if we love the Person of Christ we shall love Christ dwelling in the Saints But now don 't we find by wofull experience that even in good people their love to the Saints is wanting why but because their love to the Person of Christ is wanting 4. The more a man doth love the Person of Christ the more he will be speaking and thinking of him Love is busied and exercised in thoughtfulnesse about the person loved and in speech If a man love a Person or Thing he will be thinking much on 't and speaking much on 't But now by our experience cannot we go a whole day together and have no thought of Christ Don't we sit down at our meals frequently and not one word of Christ Good Conference where art thou Good and holy Conference where art Come to Professors Tables one Dish after another one Cup of Wine after another but nothing of Christ It 's gone it 's gone what 's the reason but because we are wanting in our love to the Person of Christ Certainly if we were not wanting in our love to the Person of Christ we would be thinking more of him and speaking more of him 5. The more we love the Person of Christ the more we shall desire to be dissolved that we may be with
him in the enjoyments of himself and those heavenly embracements I desire to be dissolved saith S. Paul why and to be with Christ to have the Person of Christ But how many good people are there that cannot desire to be dissolved why because there is a want in their love to the Person of Christ-Possibly then you see by all these things 't is possible that a good man Christ's own and best Disciples may be wanting in their love to the Person of Christ But Fifthly You will say Suppose that my heart be not drawn out in love to the Person of Christ but my love is rather fixt upon Christ's benefits spirituall benefits Is not that good is it not good that I should have love for Christ in reference unto the benefits that I have from him Good yes I sate down under his shadow with great delight saith the Spouse and his fruit was sweet unto my taste Fruit that is the Fruit of Justification the Fruit of Sanctification of Consolation and his fruit was sweet unto my taste 'T is good without all doubt that our hearts should be drawn out to Christ by occcasion even of his benefits But I pray don't mistake me I grant therefore 1. It is good and a lawfull thing to love Christ in reference to his benefits But 2. 'T is our duty to love Christ's Person to have our hearts drawn out with love to the very Person of Christ But 3. The excellency of Christ's Person is not the object of my Faith but Christ crucified But 4. Though Christ crucified be the object of my Faith yet the Personall Excellencies of Christ are the object of my Love Yea it is a more excellent thing yet to love the Person of Christ than the benefits of Christ A more excellent thing to have my heart drawn out in love to the Person of Christ than to have my heart drawn out in love to him for his benefits But you will say Wherein doth our love to the very Person of Christ exceed or excell our love upon the account of benefits though spirituall Many ways First of all If your hearts de drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ by your loving him you make him your own 'T is not so in other loves By my loving Gold I don't make it my own by my loving Silver I don't make it my own but by loving his Person I make him my own 'T is not so in regard of benefits By my loving the benefits of Christ the comforts from Christ I don't make Christ my own but by my love unto the Person of Christ I make Christ my own 2. The lesse of Self in your love to Christ the more pure and clean it is and so the better Now if your heart be drawn out in love to the benefits of Christ your love is more selfish you love him in reference unto your selves because you have such enjoyments and such benefits But if your hearts be drawn out in love to the Person of Christ your love is lesse selfish so the more pure the more holy and clean 3. If your heart be drawn out unto Christ himself and the Person of Christ you will more readily accept of any thing frâ—m Christ though it be never so small yea though it be afflictive If that your love be placed and founded upon the benefits of Christ then you will not so easily and readily accept of any thing from Christ especially if afflictive True love interprets all things in the best sense that is love to the â—erson but love to the benefit don't Love the Perâ—on of Christ and you will interpret every dispensation â—n a good sense for you love his Person but Love to the benefit will not do so 4. If your love be drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ then you will sympathize with Christ in all his Concernments of the Gospel whether matter of joy or matter of grief If your love be â—ounded upon Christ's benefits you will not sympaâ—hize with him so but love his Person and you will â—ympathize with him in all his Concernments 5. If your hearts be drawn out in Love to the very Person of Christ then you will abound therein The â—nely measure of love is to know no measure that is â—here the Person is loved But if love be placed upon â—he benefit it knows stints and limits and measures â—ut if your heart be drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ you will be abundant therein and â—ou will never think you can love enough 6. If your heart be drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ then you will long after the presence of Christ and you will be afflicted for his absence Love Christ â—pon the account of benefits and it will not be so but love Christ upon the account of his Person and then it will be so You will long after his presence and you will be afflicted for his absence 7. The more your heart is drawn out in love to Christ and the Person of Christ the more you will love the Seed of Christ the Posterity of Christ â—he Children and the People of Christ David loved â—onathan's seed why for he loved his Person not his benefits so love but the Person of Christ anâ— then you will shew kindnesse to the Seed of Christ anâ— be more loving to the Seed of Christ 8. The more your heart is drawn out to the verâ— Person of Christ the more will your love continue That 's perpetuall that hath a perpetuating Cause Thâ— Personall Excellency of Christ is a perpetuall Causâ— of love but the benefit that doth come from Christ 〈◊〉 not so Let the benefit be never so great if your lovâ— be founded upon the benefit that doth come froâ— Christ as the benefit dies your love will die but your love be founded upon the very Person of Chrisâ— and drawn out to the Person of Christ then will yoâ— love continue and never die 9. Lastly as to this If your heart be drawn oâ— in love to the very Person of Christ to Christ himself then you have gained the heart of God the Father fâ— ever Look into John 16. saith Christ at the 27. veâ— For the Father himself loveth you because ye have lovâ— me Not because ye have loved my benefits but bâ—cause ye have loved me ye have gotten the heart my Father saith he Therefore doth my Father loâ— you because ye have loved me because ye love 〈◊〉 Person Now is it not a blessed thing Friends 〈◊〉 have the heart of God the Father Why if your heart 〈◊〉 drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ yâ— have gained the heart of the Father for ever 〈◊〉 and the Father loves you and the Son loves you aâ— they will come and make their abode with you Oh whaâ— blessed thing is it then for to have ones heart draâ— out in love to the very Person of Christ Certaiâ— it is
the last thing if you be in Covenant with the Lord go away walk humbly and be thankfull that God should ever enter into this great Covenant this Covenant of Grace with you even with you And so now I have done with the first argument that there is a Covenant stricken with the Children of men The second follows Jesus is the Mediator of this Covenant Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant SERMON IV. Heb. 11.24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel I Shall now come unto the second Observation raised from the words namely Observ 2. That Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant For the opening and prosecuting whereof 1. We must enquire what is the proper work oâ— a Mediator that is a Mediator between God and us 2. I shall labour to shew you that Jesus was and is the fittest person in the World to mediate between God and us 3. That Jesus hath undertaken this work of Mediation and will certainly carry it on unto duâ— perfection 4. How and in what respects Jesus is said to bâ— the Mediator of the New Covenant 5. What are the benefits that we do gain by Jesus his being Mediator of the New Covenant 6. Give you some doctrinal Corrolaries and practical Duties that do flow from hence 1. And First If you ask what is the proper work of a Mediator that is a Mediator between God and us I answer It is to make peace and reconciliation between God and us At the first in the state of innocency there was peace and friendship between God and Man there was no enmity in Gods heart towards his creature nor no enmity in Mans heart towards his Creator but upon the Fall a breach and separation was made between God and us insomuch as we are all by Nature the children of wrath God is angry And an enmity is in us towards God The wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God saith the Apostle Now therefore the work of a Mediator is to reconcile God to us and to reconcile us unto God both which you have in 2 Cor. 5. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of reconciliation to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself There is reconciliation on Gods part for it is said He was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Not imputing their trespasses unto them Then at the 20. verse you have reconciliation on our part Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be â—e reconciled unto God Here is both reconciliations Only you must know That we do not find in express tearms in Scripture that God is said to be reconciled to us but we are said to be reconciled to him because we are the parties offending and God the Party offended Now the Scripture alwayes speaks so that the Party offending is to reconcile himself or to be reconciled as in the 5. of Math. If thy brother hath ought against thee leave thy gift and first be reconciled to thy brother Thou that hast offended go and be reconciled to thy brother and so we say in ordinary speech if a man have justly provoked another Go and reconcile your self unto him that is do that whereby he may be pacified and satisfied And so God is reconciled unto us when we do that whereby his anger may be turned away and he pacified which is the work of a Mediator Quest But what need a Mediator for this work say the Socinians for God was alwayes willing to be reconciled to us God so loved the World that he gave his Son He loved them first before Christ what need a Mediator then say they And say the Arminians to invalidate and inervate Election If we be elected and so loved from all eternity what need a Mediator to bring about actual reconciliation in time To all which I answer Answ Yes very much For First You must know that affections are giveâ— to God in Scripture according to effects and dispensations somtimes Sometimes God is said to love or hate in reference to his eternal Decree so Rom. 9. Jacob haâ— I loved and Esau have I hated before they had doâ— good or evil Some times God is said to love or to be angrâ— or to hate in reference to his dispensations and so the Elect that are loved from all Eternity are born the children of wrath in regard of legal dispensation Elect we are and so loved in regard of Gods eternal good will and yet under wrath when we are born in regard of legal dispensation 2. You must know that this reconciliation with God or God being reconciled to us doth not make a real change in the inward affection of God but in the outward dispensation of God 3. You must know this That God may be willing to be reconciled unto us in regard of his eternal good will and yet not be actually reconciled in regard of his dispensations As David was willing to be reconciled to Absolom but he was not actually reconciled and therefore Joab comes as a Mediator between them to bring about the actual reconciliation And if you look into the last of Job you will find as Macovius doth well observe to the purpose in hand That when God was very angry with Eliphaz and his friends insomuch as the Lord said to Eliphaz at the 7th verse My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends that yet notwithstanding then God puts them upon a means of taking away his displeasure Therefore take unto you now seven Bullocks and seven Rams and go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you and mediate for you So that God was angry and his wrath kindled yet he was willing to be reconciled and finds out a Mediator to bring about this actual reconciliation And so here although God be angry with his own Elect in regard of the dispensation yet notwithstanding he may be willing to be reconciled in regard of his eternal good will But 4. You must know this also that God may and doth Will this for that sometimes and yet not for this will that as Aquinas speaks For Example God doth will Rain for Corne and Rain is the cause of Corn will'd He doth will Rain for Corn yet Corn is not the cause of his will willing the Corn. So here God doth will Christs Mediation for Reconciliation and the Mediation of Christ is the cause of Reconciliation but yet notwithstanding the Mediation of Christ is not the cause of Gods Will willing Reconciliation So that thus now you see what the proper work of a Mediator is that is to mediate between God and us it is to reconcile God to us and to reconcile us unto God That 's
IV. Now Fourthly Why will God carry on the work of his Mercy in a way of Preventing Love 1. First Because the heart of God is full of love to the children of men Ordinary love will shew kindness upon kindness but where the heart is full of love it delights to prevent the person loved with kindness Now the heart of God is full of love for the children of men That 's one thing 2. God will so carry on the work of his Grace and mercy that all his mercies and blessings now may be conformed to the womb that bare them The Child follows the womb that bare it The first in every Kind is the Rule of the rest Now Election is the womb of all our mercies and doth not preventing Love sway there I have loved Jacob and hated Esau before they had done either good or evil there 's preventing love Now I say God will so carry on the work of his mercy that all his mercies and blessings may be conformed to their first original Election and there preventing mercy is very sweet 3. But thirdly God will so carry on the work of his mercy as it may be most taking and effective upon the souls of the children of men and what is more taking then preventing love What more Operative what more Powerfull what more taking I say You know the Parable some were invited to the Supper and some not invited some came and some came not who were those that came who were those that came not those that came not were such as were invited those that came were such as were in the Lanes High-wayes and Hedges compelled to come in Ay preventing love is the most taking now God will so carry on the work of his mercy as it may be most taking and most effective upon the souls of the children of men 4. Again God will so carry on his mercy as that it may be holding and sure The more any mercy is laid upon that which is in God himself and the less laid upon that which is in us the more holding and sure it is Now Mercy laid upon Grace is sure and therefore God will carry on the work of his Mercy in a way of preventing love that his mercy may be sure that it may be holding 5. Again God will so carry on the work of his mercy as that it may be most ingaging and most obliging with the hearts of men What is there in all the world that is more ingaging to an ingenious spirit then Grace And what is there more gracious then preventing love Thereby a soul is engaged to God Ah sayes a poor soul I was going on in the way of my sin lay snorting in my sin and never thought on the good wayes of God unless it were to oppose them and speak against them but then before I was aware I know not how God did reveal himself and his wayes to me Oh now what shall I do for God! I will spend and be spent for God any thing for Christ who hath thus overcome me with his preventing love Of all those that are called the Ancients Austin did most magnifie the Grace of God Bradwardin called him the Son of Grace and of all in those dayes none that we read of tasted so much of the preventing mercy of God as he When he was young he prayed for the mortification of his sin and yet he confesses that he secretly desired that God would not grant his prayer yet God prevented his prayer Another time being alone he heard a voice saying tolle lege tolle lege take and read take and read and he opened the Bible and pitched upon some words in the first of John that proved the beginning of his Conversion Another time going a Journey he misses his way and missing his way he escaped his Enemies that lay in the way for him several times God prevented him insomuch that he brake out into this expression Lord I did not first come to thee but thou didst first come and stir me up to come unto thee And who ever magnified the freeness of the riches of the Grace of God like Paul and why Of all the men in the world he lay under the greatest preventions of Divine Love no wonder therefore Paul of all men magnified the free Grace of God for he of all other lay under the preventions of Divine Love 6. Again further God will so carry on the work of his Grace and Mercy that no flesh may glory in it self that we may not rest upon any thing that we do or have or suffer When we are to come to duty we are unwilling to it after we have performed it we are as apt to rest upon it as before we were unwilling to come unto it what is the reason but because men think that they do come to God before God comes to them but let a man be once fully convinced of Gods preventing Love and he rests no more upon what he doth but sayes he then if God hath prevented me in reference to my prayer why should I rest on my prayer if God hath prevented me in reference to my duty why should I rest on my duty sayes Paul to the Corinthians He calleth things that are not that no flesh may glory in his sight And in Job 33 sayes Elihu there In deep sleep in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction Why That he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man There is no such way in the World to take down the pride of man to keep him from resting upon duty as to be well seen well experienced in the preventing love of God And therefore God carries on the work of his Grace and Mercy in a way of preventing love that no flesh may glory in it self 7. God will so carry on the work of his mercy and goodnesse and of his grace that men may be made most gracious and in case they sin against him they may be reduced to true repentance What is there in all the World will make one so gracious as a sight of Grace and what gives one a greater sight of Grace then preventing love And what is there in all the world that will reduce a soul to true repentance having sinned like preventing love It is said of Peter he went out and wept bitterly all his tears came out of the eyes of preventing Grace Christ looked upon him first it was preventing love that brought forth that repentance I say no such way to reduce a poor soul that hath sinned to true Repentance as the consideration of Gods preventing love Do you therefore ask why God is pleased to carry on his mercy thus in a way of preventing love for these six or seven reasons And so you have the fourth thing V. Well but then in the fifth place What is there in
carried it â—to the holy of holyest the typicall satisfaction and reâ—emption had not been obtained And so here though â—e blood of Jesus had been shed and poured out upâ—n the Crosse if he had not gone unto the Father and â—rried his blood into heaven into the holy of holyest his â—tisfaction for our sin had not been accepted and ouâ—â—edemption had not been perfected Secondly If Christ had not gone unto the Father he had not made the application of his Death and Blood and Merits unto our Souls He came into the world that we should have Repentance and Remission both were purchased by his Death But now if he had not gone unto the Father there had not been an application Both were purchased by his Death on earth But was the businesse so left at a loose no but by his going to the Father what he purchased by his Death he doth apply In Acts 5. it 's said Him hath God exalteâ— with his Right hand to be a Prince and Saviour for to givâ— Repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins So that haâ— he not gone unto the Father there had not been aâ— application of his Blood and Death and Merit untâ— our souls Thirdly If Christ had not gone unto the Fatheâ— the Holy Ghost the Comforter had not come If go not away the Comforter will not come But whâ— might not the Comforter or the Holy Ghost come though Christ had been here on earth if he had nâ— gone unto the Father I answer The gifts graces and comforts of thâ— Holy Ghost were the Dona Regia which were giveâ— out upon the Coronation of Christ for by this goinâ— to the Father he was crowned with glory and honour 〈◊〉 in Heb. 2. When the Holy Ghost comes he do bear witnesse to our spirits that we are the childreâ— of God and God reconciled to us But how shouâ— God give such a testimony of his Reconciliation unâ— us if Christ had not first gone into heaven and give up his accounts of what he had done here on earth 〈◊〉 is said expresly in John 7. This spake he of the spirâ— which they that believe on him should receive for the Hâ— Gh st was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet gloâ—fied And if Jesus Christ had not gone unto the Fâ—ther and so sent the Spirit how should we haâ— known that he had so much care for us and love to us when he was in heaven as by the sending of the Holy Ghost We are never more fit for the Holy Ghost than when we are weaned from the carnall presence of Christ And therefore if Christ had not gone unto the Father the Spirit the Holy Ghost had not come Fourthly If our Lord and Saviour Christ had not gone unto the Father we should have had no Advocate in heaven to plead our Cause in heaven upon all occasions 'T is a great matter we say to have a Friend at Court an Agent there that may plead for us What a mercy is it to have an Agent in heaven to negotiate our businesse there why now saith the Apostle If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous If Christ had not gone unto the Father we had not had this Advocate in heaven to plead for us upon all occasions And Fifthly If Christ had not gone unto the Father we should have no entrance into heaven heaven was locked up the Gates of Paradise were shut and kept by an Angel with a a flaming sword This Paradise was opened upon the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and we enter into it by Christ's going into heaven by his going into the holy of holiâ—est I go to prepare a place for you not as sent before to take up your Lodgings but as one Friend goes before another to make a great entertainment for his Friends But I say if Christ had not gone unto the Father we had had no entrance into heaven Why now is it not a matter of Joy and of great Comfort that we have entrance into heaven That the Comforter is come That we have always one in heaven to plead our Cause upon all occasions These and many other things we obtain by Christ's going to the Father This for our own concernment And Secondly As for the concernment of Christ By his going to the Father he was exalted and glorified as Mediatour I speak And if you ask what was the Glory and greatnesse that was put upon Christ as Mediatour by his going to the Father It consists in two things The Royalty of his entertainment when he came unto his Father And the greatnesse of his advancement And if yoâ— ask yet what was the Entertainment that he had when he came unto the Father Why it was an Entertainment suitable to such a Father and to such a Son When that great Sinner the Prodigall returned unto his Father his Father fell upon his neck and kissed him Bring out the Robes kill the Fatted Calf bring out the Ring And if such an entertainment for a Prodigall Son what entertainment then for the Naturall Son of God the obedient Son of God that had been upon his Father's great concernment in the world Great was this Entertainment surely beyond all my expression But now more particularly 1. No sooner did he come into heaven unto his Father but he was Justified in all that which he did and suffered for us as you have it in the 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh Justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory 2. No sooner did he come unto the Father but he was mightily declared to be the Son of God as you have it in Rom. 1. Thou art my Son this day that is upon the Resurrection this day have I begotten thee The Apostle explains it concerning the Resurrection in Acts 13. 3. No sooner did he come unto the Father but he was annointed with a new and fresh Annointing with the oyle of gladnesse above all his fellows For as David the Type had a double Annointing one by the hand of Samuel after which he was thrust out into the Wildernesse and another at the day of his Coronation so Christ Typified had a double Annointing one upon his Incarnation in which respects he saith The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath annointed me to preach and another upon his Coronation when he was crowned with Glory and honour And therefore in Heb. 1. he is annointed twith the oyle of gladnesse above his fellows comes in upon his exaltation And 4. No sooner did he come into the presence of his Father but his Father said unto him Sit thou down at my Right hand the most honourable place in heaven sit thou at my Right hand my Son Why now is it not a matter of great rejoycing to us that Christ going to heaven with our names upon his shoulder and heart
the more yoâ— love it If you have a good Friend the more you uâ—â— him the more you prize him and the more yoâ— prize him the more you love him If you have good Horse the more you use him the more yoâ— prize him and the more you prize him the moâ—â— you love him If you have but a good Knife the moâ— you use it the more you will prize it and the moâ— you prize it the more you will love it Would yoâ— love Christ use him much and then the more yoâ— will prize him and the more you will love him Indeed we don't use Christ enough and what 's the reâ—son we don't love him but because we don't uâ—â— him Either your sins be great or else they be smalâ— â—f your sins be great you are afraid to use Christ for â—hem If your sins be small you think you need not â—se Christ for them Either your wants be great or else they be small If they be great you dare not â—se Christ for them and if your wants be small you will not you think it not worth your time to use Christ for them Indeed we don't use Christ enough Use Christ much and then you will prize him much and if you prize him much you will love him much 5. If you would have your hearts drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ go then to God and beseech the Lord to circumcise your hearts for to love him Mark how the promise runs The Lord hath promised to unite our hearts to fear him and he hath promised to circumcise our hearts to love him why then would you fear the Lord go to God to unite your hearts unto him to fear him would you love him go to God and beseech him to circumcise your hearts to love the Lord and to love himself And oh that the Love that now I have been speaking of unto the very Person of Christ might this day be begotten in any one heart or encreased where it is wanting I fear we are wanting in our love to Christs Person wherefore think on these things and the Lord blesse them to you Christ Crucified the object of our Faith SERMON II. 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified HAving spoken of the Personall Excellencies of Christ the object of your Love there is a necessity upon me of speaking something concerning Christ crucified the object of your Faith that your Love and Faith may go together and therefore have made choice of these words onely for this time Wherein the Apostle Paul doth give an account of the reason of the plainnesse of his Preaching And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdome for saith he I am to Preach Christ crucified A gallant eloquent speech excellency of words and pleated sentences don't become a crucified Christ If I should speak at that rate my speech would not be suited unto the subject that I have in hand for I Preach Christ crucified saith he For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and hâ—m crucified Some Books read it I desire not to know any thing among you but rather I judge it I decreed I determined not to know any thing among you Not to know any thing among you Not to make any think known unto you I would Preach as if I knew nothing else but Christ and him crucified Christ and him crucified is the great thing I desire to make known and that ye should know So that plainly then the Observation is this Obs The knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable thing in the world The knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable knowledge and the most desirable thing in the world That which the Apostles taught and the Churches learned must needs be the most desirable Now this is that the Apostles taught and this is that the Churches learned and therefore this knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable But for the opening and prosecuting hereof 1. We must a little enquire what it is to know Christ crucified and when a man may be said to know Christ crucified 2. That it is our great work and businesse in the world to know Christ crucified 3. What there is in Christ crucified that is so desirable to be known 4 Whether a man may live under the Gospel and not know Christ crucified 5. What are the benefits that we do get or gain by the knowledge of Christ crucified And then 6. What we should do that we may know Christ crucified in a right manner And 7. In case we do know him what is our duty that flowes from hence First of all If you ask what it is to know Chrisâ— crucified or when a man may be said to know Christ crucified I answer shortly A man is said to know a thing nakedly and barely or else effectually and truly Barely and nakedly a man knowes God and Christ when he doth understand that there is a God and Christ a Saviour of the world so the Devil said I know theâ— whom thou art the holy one of Israel But truly and effectually a man is said to know Christ crucified when he doth know the mind and will of God the Father in Christ crucified having a disposition and affections suitable thereunto Words of knowledge note an affection and words of affection in Scripture note an effect accordingly therefore in Scripture phrase a man is said to know when he doth go round about a businesse doth consider of it and look well into it and so Christ saith Behold me behold me and saith the Apostle Consider the High Priest of your profession This knowledge of Christ crucified is not a bare knowledge of Christ crucified in the history but it is a serious looking into the mystery thereof In Scripture phrase a man is said to know when he doth approve approbation is put for knowledge so at the last Christ shall say Depart from me for I never knew you that is I never approved of you knowledge being put for approbation And so a man is said to know Christ crucified when he doth understand and know the mind and will of God the Father in that great mystery and doth approve thereof In Scripture phrase again a man is said to know God or know Christ when he doth believe or repose in Christ so This is life eternall to know thee and him whom thou hast sent that is to believe knowing being put for believing And in Scripture phrase a man is said to know and to know Christ when the power and the efficacy of the Death of Christ is shed abroad into his heart and upon his life and so Paul speaking to the Philippians saith I account all things drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ that I may be conformed to his sufferings So that I say look when a man doth not onely understand
Christ then though in heaven hath a body still and this we are still to know And in this Verse he saith Henceforth know we no man after the flesh are we therefore to think that men have no bodies of flesh here on earth the same is said of Christ that therefore cannot be the meaning of these words but we are not to know Christ after the flesh that is say some upon any fleshly or carnall account or in any fleshly or carnall manner but I rather think that the Apostle here speaketh in reference to the Jews times were when we thought that the Messiah and salvation by him did belong to the Jews onely but now saith he we know that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not the Jews onely but the Gentiles also ver 19. and that Christ did not die onely for the Jews but for the Gentiles and he died for all that they which live should not live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again wherefore see how it comes in henceforth know we no man after the flesh though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature whether he be a Jew or a Gentile 't is all one to us whatsoever he be if he be in Christ he is a new creature wherefore now know we no man after the flesh no not Christ himself upon any such Jewish and restrained account for he died for all one as well as another wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh no not Christ himself And thus this Scripture being opened the one place is not contrary but a light to the other And so much in answer to that objection and for the second thing namely that it is our great work and businesse to know Christ crucified 3. The third thing is what is there in Christ crucified that is so desirable to be known I answer There is the Conjunction of all the Attributes of God The Power the Wisdome the Justice the Mercy and Righteousnesse of God In the day that you know Christ crucified that day doth all the Attributes of God passe before you which is the Glory of God 2. There also in Christ crucified you may seâ— the wealth and riches not onely of the Saints buâ— of the World Christs Sepulchre is our Treasury 〈◊〉 And have made his Grave with the Rich Isa 53. Glassiâ— reads it He hath placed Riches in his Grave For thâ— wealth and riches of the Saints lie in the grave anâ— sufferings of Christ 2. There in Christ crucified you see the condescending love of God in the heighth thereof the greatest condescension of divine love There are two Travells of Christ that we read of Christ once travelling in the greatnesse of his strength in the 63. oâ— Isaiah and that is for the destruction of his Enemies and the deliverance of the Churches Another travell which you read of in the 53. of Isaiah He shalâ— see the travell of his soul and be satisfied and that is Christ travelling in the greatnesse of his affections in the day of his sufferings so that when you know Christ crucified then you see him and know the greatest condescension of Divine love that ever was 4. There also you may see the greatnesse and the vilenesse and the misery of sin for which Christ the Lord of Life and Glory died 5. There you may see the greatest Sacrifice for sin that ever the world did see Four things saith Aâ—stin concurre to a Sacrifice The thing sacrificed the Sacrificer the person sacrificed unto and those that he sacrifices for I will adde a fifth the Altar And all these meet in one in Christ upon the Crosse He himself the Sacrifice the Sacrificer the Person sacrificed to as God and as Man the Person for whom was the Sacrifice and the Altar so that here 's the greatest Sacrifice that ever the world saw 6. There you may see our great High-Priest in all his Robes and Garments rol'd in blood 7. Therein Christ Crucified you may behold and see the Covenant sealed and all the Promises confirmed all the Promises being Yea and Amen in Christ 8. There you may see your Reconciliation with God begun and the day-break of your eternal happiness This is eternall Life to know thee and him whom thou hast sent 9. There you may see your Right and Title unto all your Priviledges and the root of all your Injoyments As the man being shown a Table full of Silver still had his eye under the Table to see the root of it and being led to another Table of Gold still he lookt under the Table to see the root of it So here see but Christ crucified and you see your Title to all the Ordinances and the â—oot of all your Enjoyments 10. There you may see all your Afflictions sanâ—ified all your Curses turned into Blessings upon he Cross of Christ 11. There you may see the gates of Paradise â—pened afresh This day shalt thou be with me in â—aradise said Christ upon the Cross 12. There you may see the Ladder that the Anâ—els ascend and descend upon for your ministry as â—n the first of John and the last 13. There you may see your desire upon all your â—piritual Enemies Law Sin and Satan It is not â—ely a promise that you shall have your desire â—on your Enemies but you shall see your desire â—on your Enemies look upon Christ crucified â—d you see your desire upon all these Enemies 14. There you may see the foundation of youâ— Union and Communion with God the Father 15. There you may see again the accomplishment of that great contrivance between God thâ— Father and Christ in reference to our Salvation What shall I say there in Christ crucified yoâ— may see a full answer to all your wants to all you fears to all your doubts What do you wanâ— but you may see it in Christ crucified Do yoâ— complaine of your own unworthiness Oh! I aâ— a poor unworthy Creature Do but look on Chrâ—â— crucified you see him suffering without the Gatâ— Why saith Austin did he suffer without tâ—â— Gates not onely to fulfill the Scripture He wâ— numbred among transgressors But he suffered witâ—out the Gates not in the Holy City because 〈◊〉 suffered for the Gentiles as well as the Jews 〈◊〉 suffered for the ungodly for the unworthy Noâ— look upon Christ crucified and there you see hâ— suffering without the Gates for the most unworthy Or will you instance in your own sin and guiâ— why do but look upon Christ crucified and yâ— see that sacrifice for sin that the world never sâ— the like and that before your sin was committed Will you instance in the dominion of sin aâ— your bondage under it look but upon Christ câ—cified and there you see your Ransome Who gâ— himself a ransome for many in whom we have â—â—demption through his blood Will
humble Christ a crucified Christ will make you humble If I have gallant and brave cloaths on and go abroad and swagger with them and a man comes and tells me Sir you owe for these cloaths it s enough to take down my Plumes So now Though a man be proud of this or that good thing yet if he do but see Christ crucified he shall there be told that Christ hath paid for all and this will take down his pride Do you complain of a hard heart The sight of a broken Christ will break your heart or nothing will So that the knowledge of Christ crucified is that that will furnish you and prepare you to every good word and work And therefore O friends who would not labour to know Christ crucified Let me speak a little more 11. This is the knowledge that is the soul-humbling knowledge Other knowledge puffs up but if you know Christ crucified you may glory in your knowledge without pride Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the learned man glory in his learning If I glory in my wisdom I am proud if I glory in my strength I am proud but if I glory in that that I know Christ crucified the more I glory in Christ crucified the more humble I am That is a soul-humbling knowledge 12. This is that knowledge which is the highest experimental knowledge in the World A man may have the experience of his own sins yet be a wicked man Oh I have such a proud heart such a vain heart may he say why for his sins are within him and he may easily though a wicked man have experience of what is within him by nature But to have experience of a crucified Christ is not by nature This is the highest experience in the World Christ in me the hope of glory this is the most true experimental knowledge 13. This is that knowledge that will make a man wise indeed Other knowledge may make a man wise quoad hoc to this or that thing but the knowledge of Christ crucified doth make a man wise at large And therefore I say O what a blessed thing is it to know Christ crucified and who would not labour to know Christ crucified in a right manner 6. You will say then in the sixth place What shall we do to know Christ crucified in a right manner For we have heard men may live under the Gospel sit upon the highest form of profession and yet not know Christ crucified in a right manner What shall we do then that we may know Christ crucified in a right manner Somthing I shall speak to the manner and somthing to the means As to the manner If you would know Christ crucified in a right manner you must look upon him as the Great institution and appoyntment of the Father When God doth deal with us in a way of Institutions he hath not respect unto the strength of the Means or the worth of the Persons When God deals with us in a way of nature there is respect had to the strength of the Means or the worth of the Person As in Physick God deals in a way of nature there respect is had to the strength of the Means But when God deals with us in a way of institution there he hath neither respect to the strength of means nor to the worth of persons Now Jesus Christ is the great Institution of God the Father and so if we would know him rightly we must look upon him For though the stung Israelite was cured by the brazen Serpent yet he was not cured by the brazen Serpent in regard of the mettle of the Serpent but as it was an appointment and as an institution So if a man would know Christ to purpose he must know him and look upon him as the great institution and appointment of the Father Him hath God the Father sealed And what is the reason that many go to and get no good by a crucified Christ but because they never did to this day look upon Christ crucified as the great Institution of the Father 2. If you would know Christ crucified in a right manner you must then look upon him as sent you must look upon this crucified Christ under the mission of the Father There are three great Missions that you read of in the New Testament There is the mission of Ministers they are sent out to preach There is the mission of the Holy Ghost I will send the Comforter There is the mission of the Son sent from the Father Now the mission of Christ from the Father is the original of all the â—ther missions and you cannot know the other missions rightly if you do not know this original mission If you would know Christ crucified in a righâ— manner you must know him as sent In the 17. 〈◊〉 John saith Christ in his prayer to the Father But have known thee and these have known that thoâ— hast sent me So that if you would know Chriâ—â— crucified in a right manner you must know himâ— and look upon him as under a mission from the Father 3. If you would know Christ crucified in a righâ— manner you must look well unto the design drifâ— and scope of the Father in the sufferings of Chriâ—â— Then you know Christ when you know the Father and you know the Father when you knowâ— the Fathers Design What is the great Design of tâ—â— Father in sending Christ to die but To magnifâ—â— his love To save poor sinners To justifie thâ—â— ungodly Would you know Christ crucified arighâ— be sure you have an eye to the design of the Father iâ— the matter of a crucified Christ 4. Be sure of this That you look as well upoâ— the Testamentalness of Christs sufferings as thâ— greatness of his sufferings Some look much at thâ— greatness of the sufferings of Christ as the Fryaâ— and Monks and never look at the Testamentalnesâ— of Christs sufferings Oh say they Christ death was a painful reproachful and a lingrinâ— death and thus they aggravate as truly theâ— may the sufferings of Christ but not one worâ— of the Testamentalness of his sufferings But Christ death was to seal the Covenant Therefore if yoâ— would know Christ crucified rightly you must aâ— well look upon the Testamentalness of his sufferings as the greatness of his sufferings Thus in regarâ— of the manner if you would know Christ rightly And 2. for the Means I shall speak two or three things If you would know Christ crucified in a right manner for Means Then go unto God the Father to create this knowledge of Christ crucified in you All Light was at the first by a word of Creation Let there be Light And as in the old Creation the Creation of the World so in the new Creation Let there be Light Let there be Knowledge God that commanded the Light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light
but because they are under the Law As there were two in Aâ—rahams house the Bond-woman and the Free-woman Hagar and Sarah So in these Gospel Times there will be some that shall be freely for the Grace of God and the Covenant of Grace some again that will turn in to the Covenant of works and be Legal and Mosaical And If that we be Legal and Mosaical in these Gospel times we shall be more Lâ—gal â—nd more Mosaical than before As when a Servant was bound and the year of freedom came and he might go free and would not then his ear was bor'd and he was to be a servant for ever So now for what is our Gospel time but a time of Spiritual freedom And if men will be servants still and under the Law still their ears are bor'd and they are more Mosaical and more Legal than before But friends This ought not to be for you know what the Lord saith from Heaven concerning Christ Hear ye him Once in the 3d. of Matth. ye have those words from Heaven over Christ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And a second time ye have those words at the Transfiguration in the 17 of Matth. 5. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Why are those words hear ye him added here In the 3d. of Matth. these words are not added but only thus This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased There 't is not said hear ye him but in the 17 of Matth. 't is said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Why is hear ye him added here Why if you look into the former verse ye find Peter answered and said unto Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Moses gave out the Law and Elias restored the Law now they being present now comes the voice hear ye him That is not Moses not Elias but now hear ye him in opposition to Moses in opposition unto Elias hear ye him And if you look into the 7th of the Rom. you shall find that now in these Gospel times we are to be dead unto the Law which the Apostle clears by a very great similitude Saith he Know ye not Brethren how that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to her Husband so long as he liveth but if the Husband be dead she is loosed from the law of her Husband So then if while her husband liveth she be married to another man she shall be called an Adulteress but if her husband be dead she is free from that Law so that she is no Adulteress though she be married to another man Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Luw by the body of Christ that ye should be marryed to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God Ye are married to another therefore ye are dead to the Law dead how dead why ye are freed from the Law he expresses it so elsewhere freed from the Law How so What are we freed from the Commandment of the Law From the precept of the Law No saith the Apostle The Commandment is hâ—ly and just and good How then are we freed from the Law Why you are free from the Vail of the Law 2 Cor. 3. And you are free from the Dominion of the Law Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6. And ye are free from the Pedagogy of the Law the Law is not your School-master to bring to Christ Gal. 3. And ye are free from the Covenant of the Law as a Covenant And thus are ye in these Gospel times dead to the Law and free But now though we are thus dead and be thus free yet possibly a man may be too Legal in these Gospel times That 's the Second 3. But then thirdly When may a man be said to be Legal or Mosaical in opposition to this Mediator Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant And when may a man be said to be Evangelical in opposition to Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant Or in short What is the Way and Spirit of the Old and of the New Testament and wherein do they differ First of all An Old Testament legal Spirit is a servile spirit that serveth God upon the account of wages or reward mostly chiefly or onely An Evangelical Gospel spirit is a Filial spirit Moses therefore the Head of that Covenant is called a Servant and Jesus the Head of this Covenant is called a Son Moses as a Servant Christ as a Son Heb. 3. And if you look into Rom. 8. you shall find it s said there by way of difference For ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again unto fear So you read it but the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have not received the spirit of Servitude again or a servile Spirit or the spirit of Servants But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Compare this with Gal. 4. and you shall see the opposition doth not lie between the Spirit of Adoption and Bondage but Servitude v. 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Aâ—ba Fâ—ther wherefore thou art no more a Servant but a Son In the 1. verse Now I say that the heir as long as he is a Child differeth nothing from a Servant though he be Lord of all but is under Tutors and Governours until the time appointed of the Father But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Women made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into yâ—ur hearâ—s crying Abba Father wherefore thou art nâ— mâ—re a Serv nt So that it is a servile spirit and the spirit of a servant that is here opposed to this Adoption And would you know the difference between the spirit of a Servant and the spirit of a Son Why a Servant serves for wages and a Son serves out of love and duty And are there not many in these times of the Gospel that do serve God onely or mâ—stly upon the account of wages and reward Ye know what men ordinarily say What need ye be so strict in your life you may go to Heaven with less ado So then it seems 't is Heaven that is their measure of obedience Why because men are legal and serve God upon the account of wages 'T is Heaven and Reward and Wages that 's the business Why because men are legal I grant It is lawful to have an eye to the recompence of
Reward Christ himself had All love of reward is not Mercenary But for a man to serve God mostly chiefly onely upon the account of wages and for reward this is plainly Legal A man of a Gospel spirit knows that he lives upon a better Purse than all his own earnings can amount unto But 2. A legal Spirit also is a fearing Spirit put on rather by the Threatning than by the Promise a Gospel spirit rather by the promise than the threatning In the times of the Old Testament the Threatning reigned And if you look into Deuteronomy you shall find that when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached and declared the mind of God unto the people he begins with Curses and Threatnings Deut. 27. They were upon two Hills and v. 14. The Levites shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice Cursed be the man that maketh any Graven or Molten Image an abomination unto the Lord. Cursed be he that setteth â—eight by his Father or his Mother And Cursed be he that removeth his Neighbours Land-mark and so he goes on with Curses In the 28. Chap. then comes the blessings It shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice â—f the Lord thy God to observe and do to all his Commandments which I command thee this day That the Lord thy God will set thee on High above all Nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy Cattel the increase of thy Kine and the flocks of thy Sheep Mark how the Blessing comes after First comes the Curse when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached But now look into the 5th of Matth. and ye find that when Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant comes to preach that he begins with Blessing Blessed are the poor in spirit and blâ—ssed are the meek and blessed are those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness and blessed and blessed First comes the blessing and then afterwards in the following part of the Chapter comes the Law and the curse And if you look into this Scripture you find the difference also for saith the Apostle here We are not come unto the Mount that might be touched that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet and the voice of words which they could not endure so terrible was the sight thereof But ye are come to mount Sion Would you know the difference between the dispensations the one is terrible the other comfortable The one is fearing and the other comforting Look in the 10th of Rom. The Apostle there also makes the difference between the Spirit of the Law and the Gospel Moses saith he v. 5. describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them Do and live but at the 6. verse The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven It don't hold the soul in suspence and anxiety and fear and trouble Christ hath ascended and Christ hath descended Quest But you will say May not a man that is of a Gospel spirit and that is come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant be full of fears May not a good and gratious soul be full of fears about his condition Answ I answer He may but his fears do arise from the weakness of his Adherence and Faith The other's fears do rather arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon As for example Two men are affraid of drowning one stands upon a Rock and he is affraid of being drown'd the other stands upon a Quick-sand and he 's affraid of being drown'd both are affraid He that stands upon a Rock is affraid of drowning why because he is affraid he shall be washt off His fear arises from the weakness of his Adherence But the other's fear arises from the unsoundness of the ground he stands upon for it is upon a Quick-sand So here are two fears a gracious Gospel-heart fears and a Legalist fears One fears from the weakness of his Adherence I am upon the Rock but I am affraid I shall be washt off But the other's fears arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon he stands upon the Quick-sand upon his own duties and his own works so that a legal Spirit is a fearing Spirit He is put on rather by the Threatnings than the Promise The other by the Promise rather than the Threatning The one is kept from evil by his delight in good and the other is put on to good by his fear of evil That 's the second 3. In the times of the Old Testament they did very much measure the love of God by outward things For the Promises as you know then were mostly concerning Temporal things and so they measured the love of God much by those outward things But now in the times of the New Testament our Promises are mostly spiritual and therefore a New Testament spirit measures the love of God most by Spiritual things and not by these outward things 4. A legal Old Testament spirit trades much or most or altogether with conditional Promises for the Old Covenant Promises were most conditional and ran conditionally But now when God promises the New Covenant he gives out an absolute Promise and therefore a New Testament spirit trades much with absolute promises For he knows and you may know that though a promise be conditional the Lord hath promised the very condition in another Scripture and that without a condition And he knows and you may know that when God gives a promise with an Oath though the promise do run conditionally it shall be fulfilled absolutely 5. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the promise for Christ was not yet come but promised But now in the times of the New Testament we come first to Christ and so unto the Promise for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ 6. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the Law and without the Law they might not come to Christ For the Law was a School-master for to bring to Christ But now in the time of the New Testament The Law is not our School-master for to bring to Christ And though seldome any go to Heaven but come by the gates of Hell And seldome men do come to Christ now but they have some
sufferings are your servants for all things are yours for you are Christs who is the Head of the Covenant And in case that you are under any spiritual desertion Then praise God for his love to Jesus when you cannot praise God for his love to you A true Gospel spirit will praise God the Father for his love to Christ his Son when he cannot praise God for his love to himself because he wants assurance Again if you would yet walk up unto this condition of the Gospel whereunto now we are come then whatsoever you do be sure that you do it upon Gospel Principles Principles of Love principles of Thankfulness principles of Ingenuity Principles are the springs of Actions If your principles be Evangelical your actions will be Evangelical if your principles be legal your actions will be legal Stock therefore and store your selves with Gospel principles principles of Love principles of Thankfulness and principles of Ingenuity doing all in the Name of Jesus this Mediator of the Covenant And when you have wrought and done all Rest upon Jesus this Mediator as if you had done nothing Yet repent work and do as if you had no such Mediator I say Work and pray and read and meditate and confer and repent as if you had no Mediator for to rest upon but onely your works and yet rest upon this your Mediator as if you had done no work at all Thus do and thus shall you comply and comport with your Gospel state Which that you may do consider This is that you are now called unto you are now come to Jesus not to Moses you are now come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant VVhy then As in the time of the Old Testament they had recourse unto Moses so now in the times of the New Testament ye are in all things to have recourse unto Jesus VVhat saith Jesus to this business Here 's VVorship VVhat saith Jesus to it Here 's an Ordinance VVhat saith Jesus to it Here 's an Officer of the Church VVhat saith Jesus to it This is suitable unto the state that now you are come unto And thus shall all your Convictions Graces and your duties be refined you shall have much in a little room A legal work may be great for the bulk yet be but little a Gospel work though but little hath a great deal in it for 't is refined And thus also shall you have the wedding Garment on For pray What is the wedding Garment but a Gospel disposition sutable to a Gospel dispensation this is the wedding Garment Not Faith nor Repentance nor this nor that particular Grace But a Gospel disposition sutable to a Gospel dispensation is the wedding Garment and thus shall you be cloathed with it Thus also your Onely shall stand in its proper place For mark where the Apostle places your onely Onely saith he let your Conversation be as it becomes the Gospel there stand a Christians onely upon a conversation becoming the Gospel Thus also shall you please the Father The more that you come to Jesus the Mediator whom the Father hath appointed And the more your Conversation suites thereunto the more you please the Father You can never please the Father more than in coming to the Son Now therefore as ever you do desire that you may please the Father As you do desire that your onely may be found in the right and proper place As you do desire that you may be found having the wedding Garment on As you do desire that all your Convictions Graces Duties may be more refined and so preserved and kept As you do desire to be found doing according to the state whereunto you are called so let it be your work your and business to stand clear from Moses and to stand upon clear Gospel ground and to come off fully unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant For saith this Doctrine In these Gospel times we are not come unto Moses the Mediator of the Old Testament or of the Old Covenant but unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant And so I have done with this third Observation There is a fourth thing yet behind which concerns the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel The Blood of Sprinkling SERM. VI. Hebr. 12.24 And to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel VVHen I made entrance into these Words I took up four Observations from them And having gone through three of them I now come unto the fourth which more largely runs thus Observ 4. That it is a very great priviledge which in these Gospel times we are partakers of To come unto the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel For the clearing and prosecuting whereof First I shall shew you what this Blood of Sprinkling is what are the grounds and use of this Sprinkling 2. That this Blood of Sprinkling is a speaking-Blood and speaketh better things than that of Abel 3. That we are now come unto this blood of Sprinkling 4. What are the priviledges of coming to this Blood of sprinkling and of being sprinkled with this Blood of Sprinkling And then 5. What we must do that we may get our hearts sprinkled with this Blood of Sprinkling First If you ask what this Blood of Sprinkling is I answer That it is no other than the blood of Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant called the Blood of Sprinkling Because it was and is the thing specified by all the Sprinkings of Water and Blood in the Old Testament In the dayes of the Old Testament it was their way and manner then to mix water and blood together and to sprinkle it upon Persons and Things which was a Pattern and Type of this Blood of Jesus as you read from the 13. verse unto the 24. of the 9. of the Heb. When our Lord and Saviour Christ died upon the Cross there came water and blood out of his side saith John And if you look into the 1 of John c. 5. you shall see that John his beloved Disciple insists much upon it at the 6. v. This is he that came by Water and Blood even Jesus Christ not by Water onely but by Water and Blood Again This is he even Jesus Christ that came by water and blood which blood of Sprinkling is the blood of Jesus saith Peter expresly in his 1 Epist 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge â—f God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ So that plainly then and briefly this Bâ—ood of Sprinkling is the blood of Iesus Called the Blâ—od of Sprinkling in reference unto those Types and Ceremonies of sprinkling blood in the time of the Old Testament For our better understanding whereof I shall labour to shew you briefly what were the grounds and reasons of their sprinkling blood in the times of the Old Testament and how that is appliable to
Meditations of my heart It is an intense and a vehement application of the soul unto truth But thirdly There must be also a Fixation of the soul upon the thing It is not every slight and transient thought that makes Meditation My meditation shall be of thee all the dâ—y Psal 119. 'T is Actio cunctabunda saith Alvares A man may think on God every day and meditate on God no day There must be a fixation of the soul upon some truth a dwelling and fixing of the soul upon some thing But then This must be in reference to ones own profit and benefit Though I do think and think much of sin if I do not think thereof to leave it it is not Meditation Though I think on the life and the death of Christ if it be not to conform unto him these thoughts will not amount to Meditation Though I think on the love and goodness of God yet if it be not to get my heart inflam'd with love thereby it will not amount to Meditation Plainly then Meditation for the true Nature and the Notion of 't is a vehement an intense application of the soul unto a thing whereby a mans mind doth dwell and insist and abide upon it for his profit and benefit that 's the first 2. But then Secondly How and in what respects may a man be said to meditate on God Why look when a man doth meditate on the Name Nature Titles and Attributes of God then he is said to meditate on God On the Nature of God so in Psal 63. When I remember Thee upon my Bed and meditate on Thee in the night watches And look when a man doth meditate on Christ the Son of God then he is said for to meditate on God For Christ is God and therefore saith the Apostle Consider the high Priest of your Profession looking unto Jesus And look when a man doth meditate on the Word of God the Law and Statutes of God then he is said to meditate on God Psal 1. He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate And look when a man doth meditate on the works and Concernments of God then in Scripture-phrase he is said to Meditate on God And so in the 77. Psal I will Remember the works of the Lord I will Remember thy wonderes and I will meditate also of all thy works So that briefly Then a man is said to meditate on God Not onely when he doth meditate on the nature of God but when he doth meditate on the Son of God meditates on the Word of God meditates on the Works and Concernments of God And that 's the second 3. But how may it appear that it is a sweet thing to meditate on God That meditation-work is sweet work and that it is a sweet thing to a gracious soul to meditate on God Something first in the General and then more particularly in reference to a gracious soul In General It is a sweet to meditate on God Will you instance in the Nature Name and Attributes of God First is it not a sweet thing to Injoy God Injoyment of God is the life of our lives And how do we Injoy God God doth come down to us and we do Ascend and go up to him Some-times God doth come down into our souls Some-times there is an ascent of the soul unto God And what is the Ladder whereby we ascend unto God and take our turnes in Heaven with God but believing Meditation The more perfect any thing is the more sweet it is to lay out ones thought there on Now God is all perfection There is nothing not perfect in God If you have a nose-gay made up of flowers and but one weed the sweetness of the nose-gay is spoyl'd There are perfections in God and no weeds among them If there be a Musical Instrument and one string out of order all jarr's There is no string out of order among Gods perfections perfection and nothing not perfect in God You account it a sweet thing to see your Lands and your estate lie together a sweet thing to see all your Children together Do but look and meditate on God and you see all your wealth lie together And if the Names Titles Attributes of God be your relief in all Conditions Then it must needs be a sweet thing to meditate on God in this respect Why now The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous fly thereunto and are safe A sweet thing it is therefore to meditate on God in this respect 2. Will you Instance in the meditating on Christ the Son of God You know what is said by the Spouse in the Canticles I sate down under his shaddow Sate down how 'T is meditation sets the soul down under the shaddow of Christ And then his fruit whether Justification be the fruit or sanctification or Consolation Then his fruit was sweet unto my tast And If Jesus Christ be our standing relief against all Temptations and Desertions Then it must needs be a sweet thing to meditate and think much on him Now he is our Brazen Serpent our standing relief against all our Temptation and our Desertions But 3ly will you Instance in meditating on the Word of God 'T is a sweet thing to behold the light and the word is a light and Lanthorn unto our feet Is it not a sweet thing to taste honey David saith The word of the Lord was as hony and the hony-Comb And the more 't is meditated on the more fully tasted And if the Consideration and the meditation of the word of God be our great relief against all the scorns and reproaches and oppositions of the World then certainly 't is a sweet thing to meditate on the word of God Now do but look into the 119th Psal and you shall find David speaking thus Remove from me reproach and contempt Princes did sit and speak against me what relief had he But thy servant did meditate in thy Statutes Here 's his relief Princes Great-men They sate and spake against me and they reproach'd me and they opposed me but here was my relief I did meditate in thy word But Fourthly will you Instance in the works of the Lord There are Three sorts of Gods works There 's the work of Creation And the work of Providence And the work of Redemption As for the work of Creation If it be a sweet thing to behold and to consider the workmanship of the Finger of human wisdome What a pleasure and sweetness is it to behold the workmanship of the Finger of Infinite wisdome And as for the works of Providence If the meditation and the Consideration of the Providence of God be our great help against the pain of unbelieving thoughts Then it must needs be a sweet thing to meditate on God in this respect Friends ye thaâ— know God have experience how painful unbelieving thoughts are Great is the pain of unbeliâ—ving thoughts well but what help against
dispensation then God is said to repent So it repented the Lord that he had made man in the 6. of Gen. 2. Secondly If you ask Whether God doth or will at any time repent I Answer yes Expressly in the 32 Exod. 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people 'T is a direct Answer of prayer to the very words At the 12. v. Moses prayes Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil agâ—inst thy people And at the 14. v. The Lord repented of the â—vâ—l which he thought to do unto his people God doth and will some times repent Onely you must know God will more easily repent of his Judgments than of his Mercies And you must know that the gifts of God are of two sorts Ordinary and Common gifts and so God repents of them and he takes them away It repented the Lord that he had made man Of the gifts of God that concern effectual vocation so God repenteth not For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance Those gifts that concern our effectual Vocation those God repents not of 3. But then Thirdly how may it appear that when the Lord doth return unto his people that then he will repent him concerning his Servants Why that appears by the thing it self If a man say he will go from such a Town and never return again and then do return he doth repent him concerning the thing by his return And so concerning God In the 18th Jer. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pul down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them Well 4. But then 4thly How shall we know in case God be absent or God be departed how shall we be able in the time of Gods absence or departure to know that God will return again Suppose that God be withdrawn from my soul in particular I am this day under a spiritual desertion how shall I know that God will return again to me Or suppose that God have forsaken and departed much from the Nation how shall we know whether God will return again or no Indeed it is a very hard thing to bear the departures of God But yet if I did know that God would return again I should be comforted How therefore shall I know both in reference to my own soul in particular and in reference to the Nation that God will return again Here are two cases and I shall speak all along to both If your Question do relate unto your own particular case and soul I Answer thus You may know it by your Relations If you be in Covenant with God God will return again to you though now he be absent Though he afflict you with Rods his loving kindness will he not take away nor suffer his faithfulness to fail Will a Father or Mother leave their Child no I am sure God will not Joseph was under a great displeasure with his Brethren yet notwithstanding at the last he could hold no longer but he bursts out and saith I am your Brother Joseph And so though you be under some great displeasure from Christ yet there is a time when Christ will break forth and say unto you I am yous Brother Jesus And I say if you be in Covenant with God you may conclude it for so doth the Psalmist Psal 42. ult I shall yet praise him My soul thou art cast down and disquieted but be quieted for I shall yet praise him Why he is the health of my Countenance and my God You may know it then by your Relations But 2. Though God or Christ be gon and in a great measure departed from your souls yet If you cannot leave God God cannot leave you In our conversion God comes to us before we come to him But in Apostasie we depart from God before he departs from us How is it therefore with you Can you say truly My soul cannot leave God then conclude and say God will return again and cannot leave you But 3. Though God be very much gon and departed from you in a great measure Yet if in the time of his absence he doth send you letters and tokens of love you may know for certain he will return again Possibly God or Christ may appoint an affliction to bring you a token or to bring you a message of love in the time of his absence Possibly he may appoint or order some providence to bring you a Token or some message of love Possibly he may order and appoint upholding mercy to be a pledge to you of delivering mercy And believe it upholding mercy is alwaies a pledge of delivering mercy How is it therefore with you are you deserted is Christ gon yet have you not had the upholding presence of God all this while then be of good Comfort Christ is not gon but he will return again 4. If your case and condition be such that although you cannot find Christ Christ is gon though Christ be gon and departed from you and you cannot find him yet If you can direct others to the finding of him when you cannot find him then certainly he is not gon but he will return again unto you The Spouse in the Canticles seeks after Christ saith she he hath withdrawn himself and I cannot find him Chap. 5. The Daughters of Jerusalem say whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee my Beloved is gon down into his Garden to the beds of spices Mark she could not find him her self and yet she can direct others to the finding of him What doth this signifie but plainly teach us thus much that though Christ be gon and we cannot find him yet if we can direct others to the finding of him he is not quite gon but he will return again Now is it thus with you when Christ is gon cannot you direct others to the finding of him If you can then build upon it he is not so gon but he will return again But then Secondly suppose that the Lord be departed from this Nation much we are under a very great displeasure of the Lord this day God is departed from us how shall we know now in the time of Gods departure that he will return again to this Nation First you know how it is with a man that doth leave his house though he go away yet if his Children be there and his goods be there his Plate and his Jewels there he will either come again to them or send for them to himself Believe it Christians God hath a very great Cupbord of Plate in this Nation Christ hath much plate in England as much as in any Nation in the World and he will not lose his plate There are three things very pretious in the eies of God His truth His worship His
Nation but so long as he hath any Agents among you he is not quite gone And 3. If ever God begins to return to us again be thankful for the beginnings of his return He that is thankful for little shall have much and he that is thankful for the beginnings of return shall have a whole return Thus do then and who knows but that the Lord may yet return and leave a blessing behind him That he may do so let us now pray and say with the Psalmist Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy Servants Preventing Mercy SERMON X. Psalm 21.3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodnesse Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips Selah For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodnesse THis Psalm is a Psalm of Thanksgiving wherein the Psalmist doth profess that he will joy in the Lord vers 1. The King shall joy in thy strength O Lord and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoyce Why so because that the Lord had heard and granted his Petition Thou hast not with-holden the request of his lips vers 2. yea more then so Thou hast given him his hearts desire vers 2. yea more then so thou hast given him more then he asked for he asked life of thee and thou gavest it him even length of dayes for ever and ever vers 4. Yet more then so thou hast not onely given him his hearts desire an answer to his Prayer and more then he prayed for but thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness As if he should say Lord I never asked a Kingdome I never thought of a Kingdome but thou hast prevented me with the blessings of thy goodness and thou hast set a Crown of pure Gold on my head blessings of goodness in the Hebrew is put for good blessings wherewith the Lord did anticipate the Psalmist for thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness in the consideration of which preventing Love and Grace his heart was much warmed and affected From whence then I take up this Note or Doctrine Doct. That it is a sweet thing and worthy of all our thankful acknowledgements to be prevented with the blessings of Gods goodness or Gods good blessings Preventing mercy is sweet mercy soul-refreshing mercy which a thankful gracious heart doth well observe and in the observation thereof is much refreshed therewithall For the opening and prosecution of which Argument first I shall labour to shew that it is no new thing for God to walk in the way of preventing mercy with the Children of Men. Secondly How and in what respects God will prevent us with his mercies or his blessings Thirdly What those choise blessings are wherewith God will prevent the Children of Men. Fourthly Why God will carry on the work of his mercy in a way of preventing Love Fifthly What there is in this preventing Love that should be so sweet and soul-refreshing to a thankful gracious heart And Sixthly In case that God hath prevented any of us with his love or mercy what is our duty that doth flow from thence 1. It is no new thing for God to walk in a way of preventing love and mercy with the Children of Men Thus he hath alwayes dealt doth deal and will deal so thus he hath alwayes dealt so with the World so with the Nations of the World so with great Towns and Places so with Families and so with particular Souls 1. As for the World Did not God first come with his mercy to the World before the World made after it God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son But how did he give this gift Did we beg it first did we seek it first or did he first prevent us with it When Adam and all the World in Adam had sinned fallen did Adam and the World first go to God for Christ or for the promise of Christ or did God first give out the promise of Christ before Adam or the World sought it The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head God first gave out this promise of Christ before Adam or the World sought it Thus in regard of the World 2. And as he hath dealt thus with the World in regard of preventing mercy so with the Nations of the World with the Nation of the Jews so in the 16 of Ezek. When thou layedst in thy blood and no eye pittied thee I passed by thee and said unto thee live So when the Nation of the Jews shall yet be converted again He is found of those that seek him not it is spoken of the calling of the Jews And as for the Nations of the Gentiles sayes our Saviour Christ to his Disciples go teach all Nations Did the Nations of the Gentiles come to Christ and say Lord the Nation of the Jews have rejected thee now then let the Gospel come to us and we will receive it No but sayes our Saviour Christ Go teach all Nations whatever they be Rich or Poor High or Low whatever they be Go teach all Nations and I will be with you for their Conversion for their Salvation to the end of the World Thus in regard of Nations 3. So also in regard of Towns great Towns Places Corporations What worse Town then that of Capernaum which afterward was exalted to Heaven But did Capernaum first come to Christ or did Christ first go to Capernaum Christ first went to them Mat. 4. Ye read of several Towns in the Acts of the Apostles that did receive the Gospel by the hands of the Apostles Iconium Derbe Lystra but did these Towns first seek to the Apostles and say Pray come and Preach Christ to us or did the Apostles first go to them The Apostles first went with Commission from God to them Thus in regard of Towns 4. And as God dealt thus with Towns preventing Towns and Corporations with the means of Grace when they never thought on it so in regard of Familes Who doth not know how God by his mercy did prevent the Family of the Jaylor converting that Family by his preventing Love Who doth not know how God dealt by Zacheus and his Family Zacheus got up the tree may be in curiosity among the multitude to see Christ go by but Christ seeing him invites himself to his house Come down Zacheus for to day I must abide at thy house Did Zacheus first invite Christ or did Christ first invite himself Christ first invited himself Thus in regard of Families 5. And as for particular souls you know how it was with Mathew the Publican sitting at the receit of Custome Come and follow me says Christ preventing of him And you know how it was with Paul I was a Blasphemer and I was a Persecutor but I obtained Mercy How so Did he seek it first No sayes he I went breathing out threatnings against the people of God and God met me And unhorsed me