modesty by the woful experience of his false heart answers not to the degree of love but only that he loved Christ 4. It is possible that many Christians may hate Christ as much as we doâ— the memory of those Jews that crucified him albeit we be strongly perswaded that if we were called to formal trial we would rather dye than openly deny him or his Gospel Do we from our hearts detest the mention of Annas Caiaphas Judas and that rabble which conspired the death of the Lord of life In like manner did those Jews abhor the memory of Korah Dathan Abiram and the rest of those that rebelled against Moses Do our spirits rise in indignation against them that stoned Stephen persecuted the Apostles forbiding them to Preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved 1 Thes 2.16 With no less displeasure were they moved against the memory of Ahab and Jezebel and those though their own Princes who slew the Lord's Prophets Matt. 23.30 If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers c. The name of Abraham they had in high esteem he being the prime person of their Progenitors with whom God Almighty made that glorious Covenant wherein they had the priviledges of the First-Born The memory of Moses was amongst them very precious with whom God was pleased to talk face to face who received the lively Oracles to give unto them Acts 7.38 To have upbraided the softest spirit in that Rebellious people with treachery or disloyalty against the Messias when he should be revealed would as much have moved his choler as to tell some forward professor amongst us he would betray his Lord were he now on the earth for half the money that Judas did yet these men brake first in their love to Abraham so our Saviour telleth them John 8.39 then in their fidelity to Moses John 5.45 46. and the Prophets Matt. 23.35 No marvel then if they took offence at our Saviours life his carriage and conversation amongst them and afforded him such entertainment as they did Let not then Hypocrisie deceive us by suggesting these or the like suppositions they are the words of Dr. Jackson if we should be urged by the Turk or Jew to deny him we would sooner dy the death he did then do it or were he present in person to exhort us to such duties as his Messengers enjoyn us we should sure be as forward as any man living to do them these or the like imaginations do but foretoken our need of that apology and argue our inclination to use it though alas it cannot stead any in that day of tryal Lord when saw we thee naked or an hungred When in the Pulpit or preaching in our streets deterring us from evil and exhorting us unto good Much more to this purpose see in Dr. Jackson of Justifying Faith That we may not therefore deceive our selves with vain pretences of love let us try the sincerity of it and weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary Notes of sincere love to Christ. 1. The first shall be that which you have in Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil Lovers have enemies and friends in common Gen. 12.3 I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee God will be a Friend to Abrahams friends an Enemy to his enemies Who love Christ unfeignedly hate sin which he hateth Rev. 2.6 Sin is evil the greatest of evils The work of the Devil which Christ came into the world purposely to destroy 1 John 3.8 If thou art a friend to sin any way of wickedness If thou love Ignorance superstition If thou love a false oath Zech. 8.17 If thou love flaggons of wine Hos 3.1 If thou delightest in scorning Prov. 1.22 if thou make a mock at sin Prov. 14.9 If thou hate knowledge despise duty scoff and scorn at Holiness which Christ commandeth thou lovest him not If thou regard iniquity in thy own heart if thou allow of it in thy children thy friends if thou plead for sin undertake the patronage and defence of it thou proclamest thy enmity and hostility to Jesus Christ But if thou hate and abhor the way of lying Psal 119.163 If thou hate every evil way Psal 119.128 in thy self first then in others as he that hates a Toad hates it most in his own bosome as saith D. Sibbs if thy hatred of it be universal against the whole kind if thy hatred be rooted irreconcilable so as there is no appeasing of it but by the crucifying and abolishing of thy hated corruptions this is right hatred of sin which argueth thy conversion to be sound and thy self an unfeigned lover of Jesus Christ Note 2. Who love Christ in sincerity love what ever hath relation to him As 1. His House and Worship there performed Saints love Communion with Christ love to be where he is The Lord loveth the gates of Zion his People love the threshold of the Sanctuary Psal 120.14 Thy servants take pleasure in her stones they favour the dust thereof Psal 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thy Honour dwelleth Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said Let us go up to the House of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem 2. Saints dearly love the Truth and Word of the Lord. As their voice is sweet to him in prayer Cant. 2.14 So his voice in his Word is sweet to them Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast Yea sweeter then honey to my mouth vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is dearer to me then thousands of Gold and Silver The very reproofs of Christ are precious to them Psal 141.5 Our love to Christ is not right if we be impatient of admonition if we cannot endure reproof for sin but swell against it it is a sign we love sin which cannot consist with unfeigned love to Christ 3. His Messengers are welcom their feet beautiful Rom. 10.14 Because they are the servants of Christ and shew us the way of savation therefore we have them in reputation Phil. 2.29 Because they are over us in the Lord and admonish us therfore we esteem them highly in love for their works sake 1 Thes 5.13 But if we repine stomach or maligne his Embassadors taxing our crimes though in sharpest terms or if we neglect to examine our hearts and consciences at their request or instance it is a sure token our perswasions of Faith and love unto him are but fancies that we are still in the gall of bitterness enemies as cruel to him as these Jews were c. Dr. Jackson 4. His Day the Lords Day Rev. 1.10 is to all sincere lovers of Christ a joyful Day a Day of delight Isa 58.13 On this Day Christ appeared to his Disciples after his Resurrection upon this Day he still appeareth to his People making neer approaches to their souls in his blessed Ordinances teaching them inlightning them comforting their hearts
be broken they will not bend Rough Trees must be hewn with Axes so old Sinners must find rough dealing at conversion If you would come home to God comfortably come quickly and early The sooner you begin the more sweetness you will find All God's Wayes afford Pleasantness and in all his Paths there is Peace 2. Having delivered the Counsels that concern you all in general let me now direct my speech to the Regenerate in particular To you whom the Word of God hath been the Power of God to Salvation I would commed these things that they may be kept in remembrance II. COUNSEL 1. Be very thankful for any good which God hath wrought in you by the means of Grace God is takeing away in some measure the pure and powerful dispensation of his Ordinances and this is matter of sorrow O but God hath made them advantagious to your souls already and this is matter of praise 1 Thess 1.3 5. Give thanks to God seeing the Gospel hath come to you not in word only but in the power of the holy Ghost You then that can experience a new Light in your minds Conviction in your conscience a change in your wills and holiness in your affections and union with Christ give God the praise It had been a misery indeed if God had taken us away from Ministers or Ministers from us before we had got any good by them Those amongst you that are ignorant hard-hearted unbelieving sinners have reason to be grieved at the very heart The Sun of the Gospel is eclipsing and you are not yet enlightened by it the fire is putting out before your souls be warmed It is a sad sign those are in the number of the sons of perdition from whom the clear Gospel is hid 2 Cor. 4.3 If the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost The Child unborn cannot midwife it self into the world when the Mother is dead but there is hopes that an Infant that is born may be nourished up even unto a perfect man Why Brethren unconverted persons are unborn and if Faithful Ministers and Ordinances should be altogether taken from you both Father and Mother dye and then who shall make you partakers of the new Birth But now you that are born again you will be able in some measure to feed your selves the meat is before you in the Scriptures and the holy Ghost will help you to feed on it If there should not be a succession of Pastors amongst you your condition may be sad but it is safe if you should dye without the continuance of Ordinances having a part in the Resurrection from sin to a new Nature and holiness of life the second Death shall have no dominion over you If you live longer you have former Experiences former Truths former Promises old Store to live on You have the granary of Experiences and of the Scriptures to maintain you in spiritual Life if there should come a Famine of publick Ordinances God hath not dealt with every soul as with yours Two or three of you have lived under the same Ministry have sit and heard together in the same Seats yea one of you is taken the other is left Say then with a thankful heart as Christ Why hast thou revealed thy self to me and not to others Even so Father because it seems good in thy sight Mat. 11.25 2. Walk humbly before God in a sence of your insufficency to good and proness to evil Mic. 6.8 walk humbly with thy God Never walk securely ever be jealous of your deceitful hearts Take heed of falling into sin though at present you stand Ever live under the sence of that truth that the heart is deceitful above all things and madly wicked What Master that knows the deceitfulness of a Servant would trust him too far and so who that hath had frequent experience of the falsness of his heart would put too much confidence in it for the future Ever keep low thoughts of your selves live continually in dependance upon God for strength to perform duties to subdue corruptions resist temptations and to bear afflictions Paul prayed thrice i. e. often when he had a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet him 3. Beware of every sin have and express godly sorrow for it break off every iniquity by repentance Beware especially of and keep your selves from your iniquities Psal 18.23 Cut off your right hand and pluck out your right-eye-sins Mat. 5.29 God hates it Jer. 44.4 it grieves him They rebelled and vexed his Spirit it will grieve you also 1 Pet. 2.11 and wars against the soul i. e. against the Peace and Tranquilty of your minds every sin contracts guilt and guilt creats trouble It 's impossible a Christian should walk comfortably whilst he showes any liking to any sin Sin doth especially prejudice us as to Prayer both before in and after Prayer it shuts our eyes that we dare not lift them up to Heaven O my God I blush and am ashamed to look up Ezra 9.6 It stops our mouths that we cannot speak and manacles our hands and contracts our hearts that we cannot lift them up to God If we would lift up hearts and hands in Prayer without doubting we must lift up holy hands 1 Tim. 2.8 Sin makes a Christian act like an enemy towards God and to think God is justly turned to be his enemy and who can with any heart ask any favour from an enemy If we would draw near to God in full assurance of Faith we must come with an heart sprinkled from a guilty and defiled conscience and our lives washed with pure water Heb. 10.22 Again the least sin smiled upon puts us back in our Christian course it weakens Faith takes away our Courage disheartens us from doing our very duty How canst thou reprove another with courage saith conscience when thou thy self knowest thou standest in need of reproof well than exercise daily repentance for daily failings sue out a pardon every day and get one Seal more added to your Pardon daily you have as much need to pray for daily forgiveness as for daily bread 4. Grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 Make progress in holiness take heed of decaying beware lest God's Ministers lose the things they have wrought upon and amongst you 2 Ep. John ver 8. Increase your knowledge Follow on to know the Lord let your repentings for sin be kindled go from one degree of Faith to another let your love to God abound more and more The more Grace you have the more you will glorify God the fitter you will be to do him service the more able to bear affliction a little Grace is not enough to bear great Trials and the more Grace the fitter for Glory yea and very probably the more Glory To this end continue in the use of those means that uphold and encrease Grace Ex eisdem nutrimus ex quibus constamus Feed upon the Milk of God's Word and the
Calls his Sheep hear his Voice and know not the voice of strangers give him your eye look unto him and be saved give him your hand and feet to do what he commandeth and come when he calleth give him your knee to bow to him not meerly in a complement but to submit to his Laws and obey him as King and Lord especially give him your hearts let him be enthroned there Lift the everlasting Doors that the King of Glory may enter With the tongue you must confess and with the heart believe that you may be saved And take him for yours for ever abide for him for many dayes Beware of Apostacy by which Judas lost the Blessing and went to his own place You see Brethren al blessings are to be expected only through Christ I beseech you go home and work these things on your hearts by meditation wrestle for a Blessing say Lord Jesus who blessedst thy Disciples bless me even me also I will not let thee go unless thou bless me cry to him as the blind lame and diseased cryed when he was on earth Jesus have Mercy on us and believe that he is able willing and ready to bless you As for me God forbid I should cease to pray for you that the Lord would put his Blessing on you One thing further let me mind you of That you be much in blessing God for his Love and Faithfulness in giving his Son and ascribing Blessing and Praise to the Lord Jesus for all spiritual Blessings and for going to Heaven blessing his People Especially I charge you be careful to spend the Lords Day which is precious time which he hath sequestred and set apart for himself in a thankful Commemoration of Jesus Christ his Grace and Compassion to poor sinners and not in sports and past-times study what you shall render to him in lieu of such superlative and incomparable Love and in a due Sanctification of the Lord's Day endeavour that the Name of Christ may be remembred through out all Ages The third and last Use is Consolation for I would not leave you comfortless 1. Here is abundant Encouragement to poor sinners to come to Christ you that have trembling hearts and dare scarce look up to Christ by reason of your sins lest he call you Dogs and cast you out who are ready to say There is indeed Consolation in Christ and he hath Blessings enough to bestow but they are not for me let me tell you it is good to be humble and sensible of your own vileness but not to be faithless and unbelieving for unbelief is highly derogatory dishonourable to Jesus Christ and wrong to your own souls a rejecting of your own mercy I could also tell you it is the most unreasonable thing for you to question Christ's pitty and tenderness towards poor heavy laden sinners after that he hath from Eternity had his delights with the sons of men Prov. 8.31 And in Noahs time he was preaching to save souls would they have believed and obeyed He sent all his Prophets of old to testifie remission of sins to all that believe in Him Acts 10.43 The Prophets testifie his tenderness Consult Isa 55. the seven first verses Ho every one that thirsteth He will abundantly pardon Isa 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs and carry them in his bosome Isa 42.3 A bruised Reed shall he not break Isa 61.1 2 3. He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted Ezek. 18.23 Have I any pleasure that the wicked should dye Psal 72.12 13 14. He shall save the souls of the needy You have his own Testimony John 6.37 Them that come to me I will in no wise cast out You have the Experiences of the Saints recorded for your encouragement The Apostle Paul who was a Persecutor and confesseth himself the chief of sinners yet he obtained Mercy The thief upon the Cross though before he reviled Christ yet praying obtained a very gracious Answer Nay consider what Christ hath done to shew himself in good earnest to save souls He knew what a bitter Cup he must drink yet Loe I come he became our Surety and longed to have our debt paid and his People redeemed Luke 12.50 He was wondrously straitned till his Baptism of Blood was accomplished He hath sent his Apostles after such signal Manifestations of Grace to testifie it And in his Name my Beloved I am this day declaring to you That he is very willing and ready to receive any that will come to him and would gather you as a Hen doth her Chickens under her wings never did any find him backward nay He is more willing to bless you than you are to receive his Blessings It 's some satisfaction when men will come that he may see the travel of his soul Isa 53.11 He taketh it ill that we are so backward in coming He loved the young-man that came running kneeling enquiring Good Master what shall I do c. and had the young-man liked the terms the match had been made the breach was not on Christ's part Nay Luke 15. he sheweth there is joy in Heaven over one repenting sinner in three Parables Draw near then thou drooping dejected soul come and see not only the Hands and Feet of thy Saviour put not only thy hands into his pierced Side But behold the heart of thy Redeemer behold thy Lord lifting up his Hands and Blessing and see if there be not ground to cry out My Lord and my God Had you seen Him after sweating drops of Blood for you ascending with such Expressions of hearty Love could you have doubted Had you seen his Hands lifted up in blessing his People on Earth at his last farewel could you doubt of his willingness to bless you 2. Here is Comfort for the People of God amidst all the Curses and Persecutions of the world Be not afraid no matter who curse so Christ bless Psal 109. Let them curse but bless thou Christ's Blessing is your Pavilion from the strife of tongues For first Christ blesseth effectually Psal 37.22 when Christ will bless men cannot let Secondly Irrevocably When Christ blesseth men cannot reverse it Balaam could not curse Israel when God had blessed The Blessings of Christ are without Repentance Men now cry Hosanna anon crucifie but they whom Christ blesseth shall be blessed everlastingly Thirdly he blesseth such as bless his Servants and curseth them that curse them Gen. 12.3 Fourthly He blesseth his People for mens cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 Fifthly He turneth the Curse into a Blessing Deut. 23.5 Sixthly He hath variety of Blessings Blessings of the Dew of Heaven and of the Deep Esau cryed Hast thou but one Blessing bless me also O my Father But Christ's Blessings are an Ocean never exhausted He is a Sun full of Light after so many thousand years emanation of Blessings and irradiation of the World therewith he is as full as ever He is a Fountain always flowing and ever full He hath national Blessings pardon of sin
is as the driving home of the nail That which one forgets another may remember Improve private conference and speak often one to another and when you meet together be more spiritual savory and profitable in your discourse than heretofore you have been and then especially when you may have fewer publick opportunities Time may come when this may be one of the best helps you may have It may be God may cut you short of many publick advantages to chasten you for your not using or improving private communion of Saints and to quicken you to use and improve holy conference and other private duties more and better 5. A fifth means to help you to remember what and how you have received and heard is Earnest and fervent prayer to God that He would strengthen your memories and give his Spirit to you according to his promise to bring all things to your remembrance Commit Truths to the Spirit 's keeping and trust not onely to your own memories Often plead that promise with God John 14.26 Christ would not trust his Disciples alone with his Sermons He knew their memories were slippery But He intrusts his Spirit to bring things to their remembrance and the Spirit can and will bring Truths to your remembrances in the most seasonable time And lastly Endeavour to practise the things you have received and heard and that will be a means to help you to remember them Labour to get good by the Word and Ordinances and you will not soon forget them He who daily writes after a Copy wil be better able to remember it long after Psal 119.93 I will never forget thy Precepts for by them thou hast quickned me Those Sermons Sacraments and other Ordinances in and by which God hath quickned and comforted you you will not forget So much for handling this Doctrine Might I have had liberty to preach to you as long as I hoped and the Law allowed I should have handled the two other Directions in the Text Hold fast and Repent But seeing I am like to preach to you no more I shall briefly touch upon them and leave them with you in a way of Exhortation A fourth Direction Christ gives to this Church in order to recovering of her from her deadness and formality is To hold fast what she had received The Doctrine is That it is the duty of Christians and a means to recover declining Churches and Christians to hold fast what they have received and heard And indeed without this you cannot be strengthned by it That which you have lost and let slip will do you but little good You must not onely remember but also hold fast I shall not handle this Doctrinally Time will not permit it And besides I have formerly insisted on this Doctrine and duty from the 13th and 25th verses of the second Chapter I shall therefore onely leave the Exohortation with you Hold fast what you have received and heard And here I shall briefly shew you first What you should hold fast 2ly Against what 3ly How you may do it First What you should hold fast 1. Hold fast the Doctrine of the Gospel you have received and heard Do not let go any Truth of God Buy the Truth but sell it not at any rate Prov. 23.23 You may meet with those that would pluck it from you but be sure you hold it fast 2 Tim. 1.13 14. 2. Hold fast the plain pure and powerful Ordinances of God Oh do not let these go at least not through your default Let them not go for want of prayers and tears to keep them But may some say How if they should be gone How if God for our sins should take them away Why however yet 3. Be sure you hold fast a high estimation of the Word and pure Ordinances of God If ever you should want them yet prize and esteem them as your treasure let the want of Spiritual Mercies teach you more to value the worth of them Though you should lose many of your mercies and opportunities yet be sure you do not lose your esteem of them 4. Be sure you hold fast your love to the Truths and Ordinances of God as wel in the want as in the enjoyment of them Love the Word and love the Ministers of Christ even then when you may be deprived of them 5. Hold fast your appetite and stomach to the Word Ordinances of God though you should lose some of your meat take heed you lose not your stomach with your meat If you have lesse food yet you should labour to have the better stomachs Oh beg of God that though he should suffer your food to fail yet that he would not take away your appetites but keep them fresh and lively In temporals it would be a mercy if men wanted meat to want a stomach but in Spirituals it will be a mercy though you should have little food yet to have a good stomach continued This will be a pledge of Gods returning and restoring wanted and desired mercies For God hath said He will satisfie the hungry soul with bread 6. Lastly be sure you hold fast the good you have got by the Word Prayer Sacraments the Ministers and Ordinances of Christ Though you should part with these things themselves yet be sure you retain and hold fast the good you have got by them and those impressions of God's Spirit that have bin made on your hearts through under them And all this you must hold fast which leads to the 2d Particular against 1. The fraud and deceit of Seducers and Deceivers who would go about to cheat and cozen you of the great and precious Truths of the Gospel and of the true instituted Worship of God The Apostle tells you that such will a rise that will privily bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. and the Apostle Paul speaks of the sleights and cunning craftiness of men their methods to deceive They will perhaps plead Antiquity Tradition the Authority of the Church the Suffrage of Ancient Fathers Custom Example yea seeming Reason for many Opinions and Practices But Christians be not cheated of your Religion but that which you have received of the Lord Christ and hath been delivered to you by the Apostles in the Word those Truths and instructions of Christ do you hold fast Secondly Hold fast the Truths and Ordinances of Christ as against the fraud of Deceivers so against the force and violence of Persecutors As you should not be fawned so neither should you be frighted out of any one Truth or Ordinance of God or out of your love to desires after or owning of them Thirdly And the means to enable you to hold fast what you have received are 1. Diligent attendance on the publick Ordinances and Worship of God if and when you can enjoy them in any measure according to Gods will though not altogether in that manner you desire and they should be administred in I hope that for those many praying
doth he preach Christ afterwards as you see Acts 2. c. 4. Walk circumspectly If you would not halt observe every step you take take heed of falls yea of the least stepping awry Give not a little way to sin O fear at any time deliberately to venture upon any sin or on any temptation to sin Do not wilfully dash your foot upon the stones To be afraid of the least sin to be ready to flee from temptations is no argument of cowardise or pusillanimity of spirit but a proof of spiritual wisdom a necessary piece of Christian Policy And the more we are afraid of sin the less danger of our shrinking at sufferings Indeed it is wisdom to take heed of the least slips When we begin to fall none knows how far we may fall or how long it may be ere we recover our selves again The sin is great to account any sin little We ought to be so afraid of sin as not to venture on those things that have the appearance of evil 1 Thess 5.22 5. Set to the mortification of thy beloved sin especially Cut off the right foot that would offend thee and cause thee to stumble It is thy beloved sin that right eye that right foot which most enclines thee to halt is the greatest impediment to even upright walking He that sets up any Idol in his heart and puts the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face estranges and separates himself from the Lord Eâ—ek 14.4 5 7. Covetousness the love of money seems to have been Judas his beloved sin and what did this bring him to at last not onely to the forsaking but further put him upon the betraying of his Master Where any darling-lust is spared and indulged there a Barabbas is preferred to Christ This may seem a very hard saying as it is sharp service to mortifie ones earthly members to pluck out a right eye and cut off a right foot yet it is indispensibly necessary for the cure of halting while men favour the right foot they cannot but halt in their course On the other hand we shall then walk uprightly before God when we keep our selves from our own iniquities Psal 18.23 6. Set forth in Religion with a serious purpose and fixed resolution never to draw back There is a force and vertue a vis impressa that comes from an holy resolution here that carries the souâ— on in a more even course The stronger our resolutions are provided they be not taken up in our own strength the more steady and uniform will our motion be Therefore Barnabas exhorted them Acts 11.23 that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sayes the Psalmist Psal 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgements So Dan. 1.8 But Daniel purposed that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's meat nor with the wine which he drank Daniel purposed resolved and this kept him free amidst temptations to defilement that way offered Holy resolution for God is a strong Bank against a flood of Temptations is a good Bulwark against the shot and assaults of Adversaries And no taking of the Garison till a breach is made here Yea it is to be noted that though to sin against clear conviction doth very much aggravate sin yet not so to sin besides ones serious purpose and resolution When the heart is resolved for God devoted to his fear hath freely chearfully sworn Alleagiance to him and yet is drawn to some sin this would rather argue weakness than wilfulness or the violence of temptation rather than any eagerness of such a soul to break forth in a way of transgression Therefore as we read of engaging the heart to approach to God Jer. 30.21 so let us see we engage our hearts to stick close to God Say not alwayes Shal I shal I but at last come to this resolve If the Lord be God to follow him If this or that be the Truth to stick to it if this or that be a sin to avoid it and in our places oppose it If such a thing be a duty and well-pleasing to God to countenance and practise it come on 't what will 7. Walk humbly with thy God Be ever sensible of thine own weakness how unable thou art to stand or go alone Take this along with the foregoing Direction When you have resolved on your way yet you ought to consider that the way of man is not in himself It is the Lord that keepeth the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 A proud creature one that is lifted up in his own conceits is near a fall Vzziah's heart was lifted up to his destruction Hab. 2.4 Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him While he would seem some great Mountain he is a meer empty bubble Junius Ternov that cracks and breaks and vanisheth into air We reade of some of the Martyrs that when they saw the storm coming were very jealous of themselves that they should never be able to endure the brunt that they should never hold out who yet stood unmoved in the evil day Again others there were as full of self-confidence as the former were of self-suspition who triumphed before the victory or fight that in the day of tryal soon turned back and forsook their colours Some that boasted very much before they put on their Armour who put it off with shame We may say of this sin of Pride It hath cast down many wounded yea many strong ones have fallen by it 8. Set the Lord ever before you as the Psalmist did Psal 16.8 The Lord before whom I walk sayes Abraham Gen. 24.40 See Gen. 48.15 And particularly eye and get clear apprehensions of these Attributes of God c. 1. His Alsufficiency Gen. 17.1 I am God Alsufficient walk before me and be thou perfect or upright If you should meet with enemies with opposition in a way of upright walking yet know God is Almighty to defend you If you should be put upon straits or sustain great losses here God is alsufficient to supply your wants repair your losses and every way to bestead you 2. His unchangableness Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not However men may vary from what they have formerly professed He is still the same However the times may change the Lord changes not And so the Truth is as dear to him integrity and constancy in his Servants are of the same value and account with him as ever they were 3. His faithfulness He is the Faithful God that keepeth Covenant that forsaketh not his Saints unto whom we may most safely commit our selves in wel-doing 1 Pet. 4.16 And these Divine Attributes presented to the soul would increase Spirits very much encourage us to close and even walking with God Moses endured as seeing him who is invisible And had we such a sight of
God did we see him to be an alsufficient unchangable faithful God it would help us to hold out to follow him fully 4. Again eye His Omnisciency His eyes are upon the wayes of man and He seeth all his goings Job 34.21 He telleth all our wanderings When Peter was turning his back on Christ his Lord and Master looked on him all the while As he beheld guile-less Nathaniel under the Fig-tree So he likewise beheld Peter halting in the High Priests Palace 5. His Omnipresence O that we had Moses eyes to see him that is invisible Doubtless he is not far from any of us No fleeing from his presence Psa 139.7 c. That we cannot sin but in the face of our Judge What are ye not afraid to turn aside from God his Truth his Commands while the Lord himself stands by and observes all our carriage 6. His Holiness Justice and Severity against sin If any draw back his soul can take no pleasure in that man Only such as are upright in the Way that are his delight Pro. 11.20 As God is displeased at mens halting before him so he is ready to manifest his displeasure And what a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God even as to fall into a consuming fire Such of God's Attributes as these last mentioned would very much awe us make us fear to depart or turn aside in the least from him But so much of the eighth Direction 9. Look to Jesus as your best guide And strive to follow his steps Observe how Christ carried in this world He did no sin neither was guile found in His mouth His love to man without dissimulation His zeal for God free from the least mixture of self-seeking He had the wisdom of the Serpent and the Doves innocency most exactly contempered duly proportioned in him He knew how to converse with sinners without the least communicating in their sins He was one and the same in all places at all times Far from studying a compliance with a corrupt and sinful generation rather he made it his work to do all that might be to change and amend it to set a crooked generation streight He was ever more careful to discharge duty than to provide for his own safety here In doing the work his Father sent him about into the world he wav'd and set aside self-respect John 5.30 8.49 50. The Truth and Honour of God was dearer to him than his own life O Christians follow this your Guide If we are Christians we ought to walk as Christ also walked 1 John 2.6 We are unworthy of the name of Christians if it be not our care and indeavour to follow Christ Now wherein we are followers of Christ we may be confident we go right so far we halt not in our course Therefore observe and eye Christ more Consider how he carried upon earth And where you are at a stand think if you can how Christ would have carried what he would have done in the like case with yours 10. Reckon upon troubles in this world Expect to meet with crosses in your Christian course As Paul and Barnabas confirmed the souls of the Disciples and exhorted them to continue in the Faith and that through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 When we look to meet with the Cross in our way we shall not so soon stumble at it On the contrary the Disciples were offended at Christs passion and shrunk away from him being in a great measure surprized with it for as many fair warnings and express items as they had from our Saviour to prepare for his sufferings yet they would not let those sayings sink down into their hearts still their thoughts were upon Christs reigning here as an earthly King and on some great worldly advancement which they expected under Christ 11. Be going forward The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Though I do not determine this to be the sense of the place yet it is a truth if we take it thus The further we go on in the ways of God the more strength we shall find to hold out and continue in them The way of the Lord is strength to the upright The Righteous shall hold on his way and wax stronger and stronger Here they that run fastest are least weary Whereas if we sit still we shall soon grow lame and stark O take heed of standing still Be going forward Grow in Grace Let it be your care to grow in Grace as you fear to fall from your own steadfastness Weaklings are aptest to stumble and fall Therefore let us be going on from strength to strength It is a good thing indeed that the heart be established with Grace Heb. 13.9 Where note it is one property of Grace to establish the heart And the more Grace the more inward establishment Adde to Faith Vertue sayes the Apostle Peter Let these things be in you and abound And if ye do these things ye shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. Here I might instance in sundry particular Graces that you should be growing in especially You heard before what corruptions especially and most frequently are a cause of halting Now strengthen those Graces that are opposite thereunto Labour to increase and excel in Faith By Faith Enoch walked with God By Faith Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin In sincerity Being really what we seem to be The more truth in our inward parts the more Evenness and Uniformity in our outward Conversations In self-denial They that would follow God fully as Moses did must deny themselves as he did who refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter that he might be found the faithful Servant of God In an holy contempt of the world Labour to sit looser in your affections to the world if you would stick close to God Demas falling in love with this present world and affecting its embraces shook off holy Paul once and as some tell us turned Priest afterwards in an Idols temple Though others suppose he fell not so far but soon recovered again However the danger was very great see 1 Tim. 6.9 10. Many alas stick fast in the world stick fast here so that they know not how to take a step how to set a foot forward in the way to Heaven In love to God his Truth and Wayes This would cause you to cleave to him In Patience We have great need of Patience too that we be not wearied nor faint in our minds We must run with patience the race set before us Without patience we should soon be run out of breath 12. Lean ever upon Christ As you would not halt in your course lean hard upon Christ While we desire to grow in Grace yet we should fear to trust to Grace received It was the cause of Peters foul and shameful fall his self confidence conceiting that he was
strong enough now to stand alone A Christian is stronger in the Grace that is in Christ than in the greatest measure of grace inherent and derived from him Our Cisterns would soon fail were they not fed with an Everlasting Spring Rest not in what you have received ceived but be continualy going out to Christ for more It is not enough that his Grace and Spirit hath once entered into us to set us on our feet but he must also take us by the hand There is a promise Zech. 10.12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in His Name saith the Lord. And as the little Child soon falls if it holds not by its Nurse or by its Father so we have met with many a knock many a fall many a slip and strain by letting go our hold of Jesus Christ A Believer never walks safely but in the hand of Christ or leaning on his arm 13. Get under the sense of God's love to walk in the Light of his Countenance as it is Psal 89.15 The joy of the Lord would be your strength This would make His Wayes Paths of pleasantness Did we but see all fair and clear over head how might it encourage us to go on in our Christian course though it should be a little foul under foot Yea if the Lord had once cast his mantle had cast a skirt of Love over us this would engage us to follow him we could not chuse then but follow hard after Him If enemies rise up against us though a multitude of dangers and outward evils should surround us yet we should not be dismaied but think our selves safe enough under the Banner of His Love We might more quietly repose our selves under the Banner of his Love than under the protection of an Army with Banners It is something to have a sense of the Truth of Religion but more to have experience of the Goodness thereof How hardly should any perswade or draw us contrary to our own experience should we not resolutely stick to continue and persevere in those wayes wherein we have met with God and have many times been delighted ravished with his presence 14. Be much in the duty of self-examination Be frequent in that noble spiritual act of self-reflection Often ask your hearts this question Whether they are in the way or no and how uprightly they carry in it One that hath a jealousie a suspition of his servant would not let him go long without calling him to a reckoning Our hearts are very wily and deceitful we had need every day take account of them as Achish of David Whither have ye made a rode to day Though we should fear being deluded by them as Achish was by him Without often reckoning with without a serious and strict examination of our hearts we shall never keep them true to God or our selves 15. Desire others of the Faithful to watch over you to admonish you and tell you of it when at any time they see you starting aside Let the Righteous smite me Entreat those your fellow-travellers to put forth their helping hand when they see you slipping and ready to fall 16. Lastly Let this be your earnest suit daily unto God that he would hold up your goings that your footsteps slip not As the Psalmist prayes Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path He must not only shew us our way but also lead us on in it So again Psal 143.8 10. Let us be earnest with God here As the Psalmist Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee and mark what follows thy right hand upholdeth me And here let us plead that Branch and Article of His Gracious Covenant where he promiseth I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 The Lord is faithful to establish you and keep you from evil Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and ever Amen SERMON V. Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity I Shall look no further back to the precedent verses than may give light to the present Text. Ver. 21. The Apostle drawing to a conclusion of this Epistle giveth an honourable Testimony of Tychicus one dear to him and faithful in his Ministry shewing the causes moving him to send him to them 1. That by him they might know the state of his affairs how it went with him 2. That he might minister comfort to their hearts Ver. 23. contains his Valediction to his beloved Ephesians in which he desires all health and happiness for them Peace be to the Brethren In which words we may consider 1. What he desires Peace Faith and Love By Peace some understand according to the Hebrew phrase of the Old Testament Salutem faelicitatem all kind of good Others more sutable to the New Testament phrase understand Peace of Conscience acceptation of our persons and reconciliation to God in Christ Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By Faith and Love he means the increase of those Graces Pacem â—c faelicitatem fratribus omnibus exopto una cum Charitatis Fidei incremento c. as one paraphraseth on the place 2. For whom he desireth these things to the Brethren that is the Faithful in Christ whether Ministers or others who are sometimes distinguished from private Christians Acts 15.23 The Apostles Elders and Brethren But here we may take them joyntly For at Ephesus were many Ministers Acts 20.17 Ministers and private Christians are all Brethren in Christ Gal. 3.28 Paul though not inferiour to the chief of the Apostles is not ashamed to own Christians of the lowest form for his Brethren Philem. 16. he calls Onesimus a servant a brother beloved Faith by which Believers are united to Christ is a like precious in the highest Apostle and the lowest Christian 2 Pet. 1.1 To them that have obtained like precious Faith with us Nay Christ himself disdains not to call his poorest members Brethren Heb. 2.11 3. From whom he desires these Graces from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ even from the Fountain of all Grace which is God the Father as the first cause and Jesus Christ as the second cause as he is Mediator between God and man by and through whom the Father is wont to dispense to us all things necessary to Salvation all things pertaining to life and godliness As all the plenty of Egypt passed through the hands of Joseph Gen. 41.55 Go to Joseph what he saith to you do said Pharoah to the People when they cryed to him for corn So if any man lack Wisdom Love Faith let him go to God the Father by Christ Heb. 13.15 By him c. The Text
be commanded 2. It is to love him more than all other things to love him with a transcendant love John 21.15 Lovest thou me more than these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more than these Nets Gain Profits Pleasures Credit or Life it self or more than these persons thy fellow Disciples Luke 14.26 If any man come after me and hate not his father and mother wife and children brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple So Mat. 4.20 22. The Disciples left their Father Nets Ships they forsook all to follow Christ Abraham forsook his Country and his Father's house in obedience to God's Call Acts 19.19 Those Converts forsook their Gain and their gainful Trades for Christ and the Gospel 3. It is to love whole Christ Christ in all his Offices to love him as our Prophet to submit to his instruction Acts 3.23 every soul that will not hear that Prophot shall be destroyed from amongst the People It is to love him as our King to submit to his Goverment to be ruled by his Laws to live according to his Gospel to suffer no other Lord besides him to have Dominion over us Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies which would not that I should Reign over them c. It is to love him as our Sanctification to be as willing to save 〈◊〉 from our sins as from Hell 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made of God to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification c. 4. To love him for himself and not only for his benefits This is love of complacency love of delight when we love Christ as the Apostles and the good Women who loved him in disgrace in his poverty that ministred to him of their substance Luke 8.3 who followed him naked stripped condemned hanging on the Cross Luke 22.33 Lord I am ready to go with thee into prison to death That is Amor concupiscentiae Love of our selves when we love him only foâ— gaine for what he brings along with him as the People John 6.26 who followed him for the loaves who would needs have made him King when he fed so many thousands with a few loavs they thought him a fit man to victual a camp to maintain an Army with light charge to deliver them from their subjection to the Romane Empire This is not sincere love such love is not lasting when the hope of gain and advantage is gone this love will be gone Now follow the Reasons of the Point 1. It is the character of a right Christian to love Jesus Christ in sincerity Because he is altogether lovely In him concurre what ever is requisit to the object of love As 1. Goodness is lovely Non amatur certe nisi bonum c. What ever we love we look upon it as good It either is so indeed or it appears so to us Jonâ—â—han upon this account loved David for his Vertue his Valour Prov. 24.26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer Wisdome Learning Ingenuity and such like graces procure Love Mark 10.21 Jesus beholding him loved him for his ingenuity Therefore Saints love the Lord Jesus Christ for he is good goodness it self Psal 45.2 Grace is poured into thy lips Cant. 1.3 Therefore do the Virgins love thee There is none good but God and Jesus Christ he is eminently good infinitely good he received not the Spirit of Grace by measure but in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily He is the Fountain of all goodness the good in the creature is derived from his goodness a drop of his Ocean a beam from the Sun of Righteousness of his fulness we all receive 2. Beauty is amiable therefore Jacob loved Rachel Ahasuerus loved Esther Upon this account Jesus Christ is most lovely who is the brightness of his Fathers Glory the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Though carnal eyes see not his beauty Isa 53.2 3. He hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him But the Faithful who looked on him with spiritual eyes beheld his Glory The Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth John 1.14 3. Similitude likeness of nature and manners procureth love except it be by accident as a proud person hateth one that is as proud as himself and so doth one of the same calling envy another of the same profession Non in quantum est similis sed in quantum est proprii boni impeditivus as Aquinas gives the reason Now in this respect Jesus Christ hath highly merited a Christians love because he took on him humane nature and became like to us in all things save sin Heb 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Noah by falling into sin fell into shame and lay uncovered in his tent to the derision of his ungracious son Ham Sem and Japhet his better-natured sons took a garment and for grief went backward not enduring to look upon their Fathers nakedness Our First Parents by disobedience exposed themselves to shame and derision and all their Posterity to ruine remediless had not the Lord Jesus gone backward that is from Heaven to earth and so covered poor man with his skirt lest the shame of our nakedness should appear There is a Law Lev. 25.25 If thy brother be poor c. Our Father Adam was seized on a fair Possession but he sold it for no valuable consideration he was never able to redeem it nor any of his kin for it cost more to redeem a soul The good Angels though as friends they might commiserate lost man yet were they not able to recover for him his forfeited inheritance Gods Favour and Eternal Happiness and if they had been able yet by Law they might not do it being not in a capacity because they were no kin to man The Son of God therefore being able to do this unspeakable kindness for fallen man as being God blessâ—â— for ever mighty to save took on him our flesh that he might be of kin to us and so by right in Law redeem that possession which our Father sold O therefore love the Lord all ye his Saints For 4. He hath loved us Magnes amoriâ— amor Love bâ—getteth love We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.10 Lord he is worthy Luke 7.5 much more is Christ worthy For he loveth our Nation Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me The tongue of men and Angels is not able to set forth the height and length depth and breadth of the Love of God in Christ God so loved the World c. Rev. 1.5 To Him that loved us and washed away our sins in his own Blood be Glory and Love Service c. I purposely spare to add more Reasons of the point it being of it self so agreeable to reason and a thing confessed by all Christians Use 1. Of Instruction If
sincere Love to Christ be a distinguishing character of a right Christian then surely there be but few right Christians for there be few that love Jesus Christ in sincerity 1. There be many complemental lovers of Christ that say They love him withal their heart as the Papists who wear his Picture and bow to a Crucifix yet crucifie him afresh in his Saints the superstitious persons who cringe and make low courtesie at the rehearsing of the syllables of the Name Jesus yet do they not blaspheme that worthy Name by their unchristian practices Do they not take his Name in vain whilst they seem to shew reverence to his Name Did the Jews honour Abraham really to whose memory they pretended much respect We have Abraham to our Father say they we be Abrahams Seed Joh. 8.33 To whom our Saviour answers ver 39. If ye were Aâ—â—ahams Children ye would do the Works of Abraham If these men loved Christ with all the heart they would not hate whom he loves darely nor persecute his faithful Members nor take his Name in vain How canst thou say I love thee when thy heart is not with me said Dalilâ—h to Sampson Psal 78.36 They did flatter with their mouths and lyed unto him with their tongues 2. There are that love Christ but not with a transcendent Love they love Him a little but the world much more 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God Joh. 12.43 They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Can that man be said to love his wife with a conjugal Love that loveth another woman above her Can those be said to love Christ sincerely that love themselves or their lusts and prefer them before Christs Commands that make provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts contrary to Rom. 13. ult Do they love Christ or filthy lucre who laugh in their sleeves and applaud themselves in their covetous practices whilst the Minister is preaching against his covetousness Luke 16.14 The Pharisees who were covetous heard these things and they derided him Do they love Christ or money better who are so void of charity that though they see a Brother or Sister naked or destitute of daily food yet will neither fill them nor warm them nor give those things which are needful to the body but hide themselves from their own flesh Christ will one day confute their fond pretences of love to himself to be meet self-delusion when they shall hear from the mouth of Him the Judge Depart c. for I was hungry and ye fed me not c. 3. There are Christians that love Christ as a Saviour but not as a Prophet as a Priest but not as a King Do these love him in sincerity 〈◊〉 Christ divided Did the Harlot love the Child with the love of a Mother who would have had it divided Solomon was wise enough to discern she was not the true Mother that had not the bowels of a mother And the Lord Christ who is greater than Solomon whose eyes are as a flame of fire Rev. 1.18 Who tryeth the reins and heart will easily perceive that man is no lover of Christ in deed and truth whatever he may affirm in word and tongue who divideth between Salvation and Sanctification who opposeth one of Christ's Offices to another who refuseth to take Christ's Yoak upon him will not stoop to the Scepter of his Rule and Government though 't is a Golden Scepter of Grace and his Yoak is easie and his Commandments are not grievous Christ came to set us an example That we should walk in his steps he came not only to suffer and dye for our sins but to rule over us to take upon him the Government of his Church Isa 9.6 He shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever Luke 1.33 The Gospel is his Royal Law Jam. 2.8 which he establisheth in his Kingdom and to which he expecteth a conformity in all his Subjects The Turks own Mahomet's Law for their Rule and live up to it The Jews receive Moses Doctrine and live exactly according to the letter of it and the sence they have of it And how can those Christians be said to love Jesus Christ sincerely who profess to receive his Doctrine as a Rule but walk contrary to it 4. There are Christians who love Christ not for himself but for something else Some follow him in hope of gain as Judas Demas like those mungrel people that went along with Israel out of Egypt Exod. 12.38 which were the first that fainted and set them on murmuring and lusting Numb 11.4 Some followed Christ for the Miracles they saw him work and professed to believe John 2.24 but he did not commit himself to them because he knew their hearts were not right with him Some followed him Joh. 6.66 but took offence at his Doctrine and so went away Who ever follow Christ for by-ends love him not in sincerity not for himself but as boyes and idle persons love many holidayes not for Holiness sake or Saints sake but for playes sake So these love Christ for commodity sake or credit sake which respects when they faile there is an end of such love Use 2. The principal Use of this Doctrine had need be for tryal Let every one that nameth the Name of Jesus Christ prove the sincerity of his Love Give me leave to perswade you my Beloved as to try your Faith in so your Love to Jesus Christ Gal. 6.4 Let every one prove his own work so shall he have rejoycing in himself c. 1. Christ will not take good words a fair profâ—ssion of friendship for sincere Love He tryeth reins and heart Rev. 2.23 His eyes behold his eye-lids try the Children of men Metaph a palpebris pressis From them that press down their eye-lids that they may look wishly narrowly He will weigh our Love in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and quickly espie if it be too light He can distinguish between flattery and sincere love 2. Many pretenders there are in the world but few unfeigned lovers of Christ Mat. 25.44 Lord when saw we thee an hungry c. Lord we have been in thy Name Baptized we have worn thy Livery we have heard many a Sermon we have been oft feasted at thy Table as Luke 13.27 yet the answer is sad I tell you I know not whence you are depart from me c. Had these loved the Lord with an unfeigned Love they had not received so harsh a doom which they might easily have understood had they in time taken a tryal of their Love 3. Our hearts are also false and deceitful in this very point of love to Christ Peter was as confident of his sincere love to Christ as we can be though all men should deny yet he would dye first yet ye know what proof he made Insomuch that afterwards John 21.15 when our Saviour put to him this question Lovest thou me more then these he being taught more
given because Jesus was not yet glorified Whether we take the holy Ghost there for gifts and spiritual endowments or the Efficacy of the Spirit accompanying those gifts in neither sense was the holy Ghost given so plentiously before as after Christ's Ascention on the day of Pentecost and afterwards Eph. 4.8 When he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men God the Father reserved the â—aâ—â— donative of his Grace for honour of his Sons Ascention unto the last times as the Gospel-times are called whereby so many millions of souls have been converted to Christ So then it being our lot with Capernaum to be lifted up to Heaven in regard of spiritual enjoyments take heed with the same people lest we be cast down to Hell for want of good improvement of so high priviledges Take with us therefore these brief Directions that we may not fail or come short of Grace 1. Be sure thou have an high esteem of Grace for God will not cast his Pearls before Swine carnal people that prize them not We may easily over-value these sublunary things bestow more serious thoughts labour sweat time money on them than they are really worth But we cannot possibly set too high a rate on Grace which we are bidden to covet follow or pursue seek ask knock for strive for 1 Cor. 12. ult Heb. 12.14 2. This estimate we shall not set upon Grace except we be sensible of our want of it We need not seek a thing we have in our hands Most men perish through lack of Grace which they seek not labour not for because they perswade themselves they have it already Be thou poor in spirit destitute blind naked If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth liberally viz. to them that ask so in sence of want God is not like unto man in this respect Men send gifts and presents where is least need and so for them they that are poor may be poor still Semper eris pauper si c. God giveth Grace where most need is He feedeth the hungry he inviteth the poor Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth Survey the state of thy soul when thou goest to Prayer to the Word Saâ—â—ament As when you go or send to the Market you consider what is wanting that supply may be made When thou goest to God's Ordinances thy Spiritual Market enquire what is lacking and there pour out thy heart to God put up earnest cryes for the work of Grace and Conversion for a new heart God hath promised no less than the holy Spirit to them that ask Luke 11.13 i. e. that ask so as in that parable our Saviour teacheth with fervency and importunity 3. See thou hunger and thirst after Grace keep a continued desire and longing after it for so the Participle implyeth Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that are hungring and thirsting Psal 143.6 My soul thirsteth after thee as the thirsty Land How is that When the Earth is chapt and gapes through long drought it never ceaseth gaping and craving till the Heavens hear the Earth according to Hos 2.21 So let the thirsty soul do Psal 123.2 As the eyes of a servant c. so our eyes wait on the Lord until he have mercy on us 4. Delay not the time take the first opportunity slip not one Market-day to gain so excellent a Commodity Seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is nigh When Shops are shut up it is too late to make our Markets Many are afraid of having Grace too soon they are loth to be holy too soon to be sanctified too soon as if Grace were a burden But why not rather fear we lest we should come too late as did the foolish Virgins who dearly rued it as all shall who in this their day will not know the things of their peace 5. If thou wilt have Grace be content to buy it though without money without price in buying you part with one thing for another whereof you have more need so must thou here though heavenly commodities are not to be valued for Silver you know what Simon Peter said to Simon Magus Thy money perish with thee c. yet must thou part with that which it may be thou valuest above Silver i. e. thy lusts Isa 2.20 Idols of Silver costly sins must be parted with of them thou hast no need if thou part not with them they wil ruine thee if thou cast not them away they will cast thee away Sin and Grace reigning sin a way of wickedness is inconsistent with Grace God and Belial the Ark and Dagon will not agree under the same roof The Spirit of God is a holy pure delicate Spirit will be grieved and at last will be gone if that unclean spirit the Devil be entertained by a voluntary resignation of thy heart to the love of any course of sin or impiety If the blessed Spirit of Grace will vouchsafe to be thy guest O prepare him a lodging as Paul writes to Philemon ver 22. of that Epistle Purge thy self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 6. Diligence in the use of means constant attendance on the Ordinances of Grace is necessary to the obtaining of Grace Frequent daily the Throne of Grace by fervent prayer wait duly at the posts of wisdoms house by attentive hearing the Word make conscience of sanctifying the Lords day be not thou absent from Gods house when he deals his dole of Grace and Blessing to his People use the society of Gracious persons whose communication is savory and their words minister Grace to the hearers and be constant in exercises of Godliness follow Pauls counsel to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate on these things continue in them give thy self much unto them that thy profiting may appear The diligent hand maketh rich when drowsiness clotheth a man with rags which is as true in spiritual as in temporal things 2d Branch of Exhortation If Grace be the best thing in the world let Christians that have Grace already labour for further degrees of it Grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 Grace and sanctification is not perfect at once but hath its several ages and periods of growth We read of the Embrio or the forming the new man in the womb Gal. 4.19 The new-born babe 1 Pet 2.2 little children 1 John 2.13 young men ib. aged Christians ib. and Psal 92.14 shall bring forth more fruit in old age To this purpose are the commands in Scripture to abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 that your love may abound Phil. 1.9 alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult They are likewise commended who are rich in Grace and fruits of holiness Matt. 15.28 O woman great is thy Faith Matt. 8.10 I have not sound so great Faith no not in Israel So on the contrary dwarfs in Christianity are blame-worthy Matt. 6.30 O ye of little Faith 1 Cor. 3.4 Are ye not yet carnal that is babes in
that rest thou keepeth the Sabbath of the Ox. As in this so in Prayer though thou maist be under a kind of promise to one kind of Prayer yet all promises are made to all Prayer Obj. If thou replyest My Prayers should be perfect if I did like those publick Prayers Answ Observe this in publick Prayers let this parallel guide thee I have known Pillars in the Church who though they could preach ably and powerfully at home had the choice labours of the Learned by them yet durst not absent themselves from publick Preaching though the Minister accounted none of the wisest nor his Sermons free from light mixtures The sincere milk of the Word was that they desired and the publick instituted Ordinance regarded by them did silence them at their own houses they would walk with the Assembly upon the roof so long as the unmoved Foundations would bear them Prayer is tolerable for the manner when I go to the Father through Jesus Christ assisted by the Spirit Obj. I like not Prayers with such a mixt company Ans We may reade in David's Psalms of the constitution of the Church-visible in Saul's time Unsound hypocritical wicked Professors amongst David and others who were sincere In those times David wisheth to have occasion of publick worshipping again and accounts highly of what he did formerly enjoy having gone with the multiâ—ude to serve God in publick III. Publick Prayer First If thy All be only in publick 1. I must crave leave modestly to mind thee of my mistrust that thou hast thoughts that the place it self makes prayers efficacious and thou groundest the special promise of Audience on it and not upon Communion of Saints 2. I fear there is much of self in thee Thou mayest go for a good Church-man in the account of thy neighbours and mayest have that reward for thy service when in the account of God thou art an ill Christian Mat. 6.5 And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men Verily I say unto you they have their reward 3. Admit the best as Isaac to his father Behold the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb Here is indeed Sacrifice and fat of Rams but where is Obedience and hearkning to all that the Lord hath given in charge Secondly But giving thee the allowance of that weighty duty of Family-Prayer and yet thou wantest weight Though thy house be a Church resembling it in this duty of Prayer Domum vestram non parvam Christi Ecclesiam deputamus as of Juliana to whom Augustine writ For thou wouldst take it ill to be told that thou prayest at the Church and swearest at home as Bernard reproves Eugerius that the Laws of Justinian made a greater noise in his Palace than the Laws of God Admit I say this yet thou art not altogether such an one as I would have thee For as in Faith when Charity is wanting we may call it right Faith but it is not right saving Faith So of thy Prayers It 's well thou prayest but thou prayest not well If thou shouldest withdraw thy belief from a Truth revealed in the Scripture thy Faith is partial So is thy Obedience when a duty is declared in the same and is neglected when all comes to all thou fallest short of that singular and necessary duty of secret Prayer 1. What if I be bold to say thou art nothing but what thou art in secret The Kingdom of God appeareth what it is when it cometh not with observation Luke 17.20 21. It 's not Spectability but Glory within which makes the King's daughter like her self Hidden ones under the Fig-tree are his indeed whom he especially eyeth 2. Let the truly practical judge whether I be too bold in saying that those that resolutely turn aside to crooked wayes of judgment of manners are such as enter not constantly into their Closets daily exercising themselves in this difficult differencing duty of Secret Prayer SERMON X. Luke 24.50 51. And He led them out as far as to Bethany and he lift up his hands and blessed them And it came to pass while He blessed them He was parted from them and carried up into Heaven IN the preceding Chapters the holy Evangelist Luke had by the guidance of the holy Ghost given account of the state of humiliation and in this Chap. holdeth out the Exaltation of Jesus Christ This he doth in declaring two great Articles of the Christian Faith The first is the first step and degree of Christ's Exaltation namely his Resurrection which is confirmed by Scripture by Witnesses who saw him handled him and saw him eat which the same Luke Acts 1.3 calleth infallible Proofs from ver 1. to the 50th The second is this in my Text He ascended into Heaven Wherein you have four parts 1. Christ leading out as a Captain or Shepherd his Diciples from Jerusalem to Bethany 2. You find him parted from them in respect of bodily presence 3. You have his Ascension He was carried up into Heaven 4. Here is his Valediction or Farewel to his Disciples And surely he who all the time of his abode with them spake kindly called them friends excused their failings and would not over-drive them nor put them on too harsh services lest the bottles should break and the garments rent He cannot be unkind at last He who began his first Sermon with nine Blessings Mat. 5. cannot conclude as the old Testament concludeth with a Curse He who was alwayes in the days of his flesh on Mount Gerizzim to Bless and Pray for his Disciples cannot be so changed as to ascend Mount Ebal to Curse at last No but having loved his own he loved them to the end here is a parting but neither height nor depth could separate them from his love When the time of his departing drew near he let out his love more abundantly and gave most signal expressions of entire affection that love that brought him from his Fathers bosome was not quenched nor abated by many waters He had paid dear and suffered deeply for his People he had given his life and shed his precious blood for them yet he is at further cost He lift up his hands and Blessed them In this last part Christs Valediction you have 1. An Agent and that is Jesus Christ who is blessed for ever to whom all power in Heaven and Earth was given who undertook no Office without Call nor exercised any without Authority he Blessed them and that not without Commission for God sent him to Bless 2. The persons blessed and they were a select number chosen out of the world given into his hand called to be Witnesses of Christ's Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension and to Preach the Gospel Observe here Judas who betrayed Christ was not amongst them but lost the Blessing and came under the Curse prophesied of long before Psal
glorious House incorruptible Inheritance and a biding Kingdom for us We have an Advocate with the Father our Redeemer liveth and we shall see him All his Enemies shall be made his footstool Christ is glorified his Members however vilified on earth shall be like Him and abide with Him and He will be admired in his Saints He is gone to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us John 14.3 And thus much briefly for this first branch Christ Ascended The second is Christ blessed his Disciples at his Ascension But may some one say How did Christ bless them I answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To bless is to speak well So Christ alwayes spake well Never man spake like Him Grace was poured in his lips and gracious Words proceeded out of his mouth But it hath a more special Importance 1. To bless is to acknowledge the Blessedness and Perfection of another So the greater is blessed of the less So with the tongue we bless God even the Father and our Souls bless the Lord. 2. To bless is sometimes to pray for a Blessing So Isaac blessed Jacob when he prayed God give thee of the Dew of Heaven Gen. 27.27 And God Almighty bless thee Gen. 28. The 1st and 3d. Thus Jacob blessed Josephs Sons when he prayed The Angel that redeemed me from all evil bless the lads Gen. 48.9 16. 3. To bless is to pronounce a blessing and that either in the way of an ordinary Ministry Thus Aaron and his Sons were to bless the People saying The Lord bless thee and keep thee c. Numb 6.23 So Simeon Levi and Judah Issachar Joseph and Benjamin were appointed to stand upon Gerizzim to bless the People Deut. 27.12 Or else by an extraordinary Spirit of prophesie So Jacob blessed his Sons when he told them what should befal them in the last dayes Gen. 49. And Balaam prophesying the prosperity of Israel is said to have blessed them altogether Numb 24.10 4. To Bless is to make blessed to give as well as speak a blessing So Israel was blessed effectually Numb 22.12 Curse them not for they are blessed Thus there are Blessings spiritual and Blessings temporal Blessings of basket and store c. 5. To bless is to set apart from a common to a holy and spiritual use So Christ blessed the Bread when he set it apart to signifie his Body Mat. 26.26 Now when Christ blessed his Disciples the four last of these acceptions of Blessing may very well be comprized and intended The gesture used in blessing them lifting up his hands may well suit with pronouncing of a Blessing in way of prayer The Gifts and Graces poured on them soon after his Ascension speak the efficacy of his Blessing and that it was not empty words but Spirit and Life And it is evident that at his Ascension he set them apart and gave them a Commission to go and preach the Gospel Other Texts might be cited proving that Christ's Ascending did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak well to his Disciples as Mark 16.17 18 19. and Acts 1.8 9. But the Text so fully assureth us that Christ lifted up his hands and blessed just at his Parting and Ascension that we need no other Confirmation To come then to the Reasons why Christ Ascended blessing The two main springs whence his Blessing slowed are his Love and his Faithfulness which two were the reasons of his Humiliation and Transactions He loved his Elect and He was faithful to him that appointed him Heb. 3.2 Out of Free-grace and Faithfulness He laid down his Life a Ransome for many He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Rev. 1.5 His Father had appointed Him and promised Him to bless and he faithfully performed it He came to bless and went to Heaven blessing There are eight special Reasons or Ends which Christ had in his eye in blessing his Disciples so solemnly when he was leaving Earth to go to his Father 1. He would assure his Disciples that his affection to them was the same now at parting as they had found it from his first choosing them they might have thought it strangeness had he gone and not left a Blessing behind him after all his kindness and compassion And this is one end to which are directed all those gracious and comfortable Expressions recorded in the 12 13 14 15 16th Chapters of John with that pathetical Prayer John 17. shewing him as tender-hearted towards them at last as ever He displayeth his Banner of Love over them in this gracious Valediction going to Heaven Blessing 2. Jesus Christ would have his Disciples and all that should believe in his Name to know that he carried the same Heart to Heaven with him that he had on Earth so that though his bodily presence was removed yet his Love continued and he would be as mindful of them in his Kingdom as ever he had been on Earth And this is another End of his gracious Expressions at and a little before his Ascension He knew how ready they might be through weakness and temptation to question his care and doubt of his Love as the Israelites about Moses Exod. 32. As for this Moses we wot not what is become of him He would not have them think Now Jesus Christ is gone and his Mercy is at an end he hath forgotten to be gracious and so sink in despairing thoughts No He assureth them John 16.26 I say unto you I will pray the Father for you rest satisfied question not but I will remember you and set you as a seal upon my Heart as a seal upon mine Arm I will carry your names engraven on my Brest-plate and make intercession for you and here he would assure them of lasting Love in parting from them with the most notable expression of it He solemnly blessed them 3. Jesus Christ would have his People assured that he is the Messiah the promised Seed in whom all Nations shall be blessed Gen. 18.18 The Apostle mentioneth this Covenant with Abraham Acts 3.25 26. and sheweth that Christ came to bless in pursuit of that Covenant and to fulfil Scripture It was prophesied of Christ Psal 72.17 Men shall be blessed in Him And Blessing was his beginning and conclusion in his Ministry upon Earth the beginning of his first Sermon and the close of his Last 4. He blessed them that he might not leave them overwhelmed with grief nor swallowed up of sorrow at his departure John 14.1 18 27. I will not leave you comfortless let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid He knew the loss of his Presence might strike cold to their hearts The Children of the Bridechamber might mourn alas the Bridegroom is taken away they might cry after so good a Teacher and Master My Father my Father the Horsemen of Israel and Chariots thereof and sorrow most of all that they must see his face on Earth no more Well The Lord God had
given Him the Tongue of the Learned to speak a word in due season to him that is weary anointed Him to comfort them that mourn and he giveth his Disciples a Cordial to keep them from swooning and fainting something to allay their grief and bear up their hearts they could ill let him go except he bless them and He giveth them a rich Legacy My Peace I give unto you John 14.27 and here a Blessing which proved very effactual to turn their grief into Joy For it followeth in the next verse after my Text They returned to Jerusalem with great Joy 5. Jesus Christ would have all his People know That He will pour down Showrs of Blessing on his Church and People to the End of the World This Blessing at his parting shall prevail on all Ages to the strong Consolation of Believers The Efficacy of it abideth and shall be on the head of Joseph on the top of the heads of such as are chosen out of the world Christ's good Will was not only to his Disciples but also to all that shall believe through their word John 17.20 6. Jesus Christ ascended Blessing that he might arm his Disciples against Persecutions and Difficulties which they must afterwards encounter He knew they must meet with much Contradiction in preaching of the Gospel that they must seal his Truths with their Blood and drink of the Cup which he drank And to animate them he will have them eye-witnesses of his Ascension and as Elijah let his Mantle fall on Elisha he lets a Blessing alight upon them 7. The Lord Jesus would declare That he hath taken away the Curse from his People and hath Authority to bless Gal. 3.13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us that the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath turned the Curse into a Blessing blotting out the hand-writing against us and as Conquerours use to give gifts so He in his Ascension gave and pronounced Blessings among his People It was his Coronation Day the Day of the gladness of his heart he was entring into his Ivory-Palace with gladness where all the Host of Heaven must ascribe Glory to Him And He will have some of his Oyl of Gladness run down upon his Members here on Earth 8. Lastly Jesus Christ would well fill up all Relations in which he stood to his Disciples and be as good and better in point of Love and Faithfulness in such Offices and Relations than ever any was Four sorts of Offices and Relations used to bless especially at parting 1. Parents did bless their Children so did the godly Patriarchs and Job and David c. 2. Masters their Housholds and Servants Abraham blessed his Servant Gen. 24.7 3. Kings and Rulers blessed their People Moses Solomon Hezekiah and Esther prayed for their People Melchisedec King of Salem blessed Abraham Gen. 14.18 Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God 4. Ecclesiastical Officers Priests and Levites and Prophets under the Law Melchisedec Priest of the Most High God blessed Abraham And Ministers extraordinary and ordinary under the Gospel bless People Now Jesus Christ stood in such Relations to his People He is their Father Isa 9.6 Heb 2.13 14. and puts the Blessing of a Father on them their Master and blesseth the Houshold of Faith Their King and fulfilled that Type of Melchisedec's Blessing Heb. 7.1 6. As Prophet and Priest yea Apostle and High Priest of our Profession at his entring into Heaven he with hands lift up imparteth a Blessing on his People I come now to make some use of this point And first Seeing the Lord Jesus went to Heaven blessing his Disciples let us all learn of him to bless and not curse yea to bless them that persecute us Rom. 12.14 Here you have an exact patern the best Teacher follow his steps Render not railing for railing but contrariwise Blessing for ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a Blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 Here is a fair Copy to write after a good Lesson well becoming true Christians When Christ was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not 1 Pet. 2.23 His last farewel was Blessing Alas Christians we know not what spirit we are of for trivial injuries ready to be calling for fire from Heaven and to have our tongues full of deadly poyson and set on fire of Hell Therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we man made after the similitude of God Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing My Brethren these things ought not so to be Jam. 3.8 9.10 O consider for the moderating of our spirits and tongues Jesus Christ suffered Contradiction of sinners was spit upon and had the highest injuries and greatest affronts offered him and though he could have commanded twelve Legions of Angels to have aided him yet he came as a Lamb to the slaughter and opened not his mouth nay he prayed Father forgive them Luke 23.34 His own Disciples shewed a great deal of unbelief and disobedience forsook him in the hour of darkness and had many ambitious thoughts and much selfiish discourse yet his Love covered a multitude of faults so as he blessed them at parting O let the same mind be in you that was in Christ be meek and lowly be courteous and pittiful forbearing one another and forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Let the Fruits of the Spirit Love and Peace and Meekness be found in you and abound 2. Use Christ going to Heaven solemnly blessing should teach us to expect all Blessings from Heaven only through Christ and that all the Blessings of the New-Covenant are dispensed by the hand of the Mediator only in him shall men be blessed Mens blessings are but blanks cyphers vain and of no value except Christ bless There is that blesseth himself in his wickedness saying I shall have peace Deut. 29.19 but in vain God's anger will smoke against that man There is no peace to the wicked The wicked flattereth himself Psal 26.2 but his iniquity will be found to be hatefull There are that bless the covetous but the Lord abhoreth them Psal 10.3 A sorry bargain to have mâ—n acquit and the Lord held guilty mans blessing will stand in little stead when the Lord shall say Depart ye cursed It is not in all the creatures to render him a blessed man whom Christ doth not bless To proceed There is no blessing to be had from God but only through Christ Christ is the Emmanuel through whom there is peace on Earth and goodwill towards men he is the true Mercy-Seat with the wings of the Cherubims spread over it whence the Lord will commune with his People He is the true Jacobs Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven from the top whereof the Lord declareth he is his Peoples God and will be with them in all places whithersoever
the occasion of a Sermon that enlightened me quickened me This breach brought me to Christ acquainted me with my necessity of interest in Christ I am not of the temper of that Emperour who said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when I dye let the Earth be burned But O that my Civil Death might minister occasion of your Spiritual and Eternal Life O that this divorcing day betwixt you and me might be the day of your Espousals to Christ Dying David bespeaketh Solomon I go the way of all the Earth Keep the charge of the Lord thy God that thou mayest prosper 1 Kings 2.1 2 3 4. My loving People I am this day going the way of all that will live godly in Christ Jesus the way of tribulation I charge you keep the Lord's way as you expect any blessing and prosperity look for them only through Christ the Way the Truth and the Life I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge both quick and dead as the Apostle when his time of departure was at hand charged Timothy that ye rest not without Interest in Christ and I leave this Sermon as Joshua did the Pillar as a Memorial that I admonished and besought you to come to Christ and become his Servants O let not the Word I have spoken to keep my self pure from your blood condemn you in the day of Christ You cannot plead We were not bidden to the Wedding-Feast we were not called to Christ No if you be found out of Christ at that great day how will it torture you to consider How have we hated Instruction and have not obeyed the voice of our Teachers In vain may you wish O that we had the day of Grace once again Domine cur non modo c. said Augustine at his conversion Lord why not now an end of my filthiness So say I to you Why not now a parting with sin and closing with Christ Take these Considerations or Motives 1. The Lord Christ calleth you whilst we are testifying these things to you Whilst Noah was preparing the Ark Christ was preaching See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh from Heaven 2. Others who have had as great hindrances as you have followed Christ at his Call James and John Mat. 4 22. left the ship and their father immediatly and followed Christ neither enjoyments not imployments nor relations could hinder them Zacheus a rich man of low stature in a great press yea of a wicked Sect a Publican great obstacles yet he breaketh through all he runs and climeth to see Jesus If you come not to Christ you will be inexcusable 3. Let the Loveliness of Christ draw you he is the Rose of Sharon the Lilly of the Valley the bright and morning Star the Sun of Righteousness chiefest among ten thousands and altogether lovely O let his Fulness and Perfections win your hearts and attract your affections 4. Let the Love of Christ constrain you his condescending and dying for you to save you from everlasting death Will not such bonds of Love hold you 5. The Lord taketh exact notice how long your Teachers are labouring with you what means you have and what fruit appeareth These three years have I come seeking fruit Luke 13.7 6. You must shortly appear before the Judge to give account how you have profited by all the Sermons and Lectures you have heard c. 7. Now is the Ax laid at your roots Judgment begining at the house of God your Teachers ready to be removed into corners possibly you may go from Sea to Sea and not find that refreshing food for your souls nor those advantages which you have had Now therefore what mean you O sleepers are you set on fire round about and not lay it to heart Let the time past of your life suffice you to have been servants of sin It is high time for you to awake out of sleep and to follow Christ 8. If you will not come this day what if the Lord should write you Christless and swear in his wrath You shall never enter into his Rest nor tast of his Supper saying I would have purged you and ye were not purged never be purged dye in your sins he that is filthy let him be filthy still 9. Christ is willing to be yours if you will be his he will not reject you if you come you have as fair Encouragement to come as ever any had 10. They are very fair terms propounded Is it not fit you serve him if you expect him to save you that you obey him if you hope for his Salvation Had he bidden you do some great thing should you not have done it how much more when he requireth nothing but what is your reasonable service befitting you as his Creatures They are fair terms Repent and be conuerted that your sins may be blotted out Come to me and find rest Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Be faithful unto death and obtain the Crown of Life 11. And lastly Let your necessity drive you to Christ Is there but one Ark in the world to save you from drowning but one City of refuge to keep off Vengance from you O hie thither apace Is there but one day-Star to shine into your hearts but one Son of Righteousness with Healing under his wings but one Sacrifice for sin accepted But one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus O get interest in Him Oh! why do any of you linger and not hasten to this Zoar when Fire and Brimstone are so nigh so certain to all that reject Christ Oh! why do you draw back when drawing back is unto Perdition Know my Brethren these things as much concern you as ever any souls in the world what need have you of Christ to be your Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption without Him you are cursed captivated and condemned John 3.18.36 without Christ ye are deaf and dead poor and polluted and have no title to Heaven to the Promises nor any thing but sin and its wages Death Nay if you obey not whilest Christ calleth Come unto me you must with honour hear that other voice Depart ye cursed Those mine enemies that would not that I should rule over them bring forth and slay them before me Let me hint to you on what terms you must be in your coming to Christ 1. You must be divorced from your sins make sure you take off the heads of your dearest lusts 2. Disclaim all other Saviours besides Christ renounce confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 rest not in your outward priviledges nor performances but when you have done all you can say We are unprofitable servants 3. Rest not in a bare notion of Christ take heed lest you sit down with Fancy instead of Faith 4. Take a whole Christ Christ to rule you to teach to sanctifie you as well as save you 5. Give your selves wholly to Christ without reserve give him your ear open to his
joyn with the Wicked in censuring their afflicted Brethren as suffering out of obstinacy and perversness because their consciences are not of the same latitude with their own yet how ordinary is it If the conscience of a poor Christian have a more quick and lively sence of humane impositions be more tender of violating Oaths of corrupting God's Worship by mens Traditions of doing things which are doubtful or carry in them an appearance of evil though he never so patiently sit down under his sufferings yet he shall be whispered about as either an ignorant scrupulous or obstinate fool even by those who profess to own the power of Godliness though in these respects taking to themselves a greater latitude both for their principles and practice This O this next the sence of God's wrath is one of the bitterest ingredients in the cup of the Godlies afflictions yet they often meet with it And against this we may reasonably think that David prayes in the Text viz. that the Godly might neither censure nor be ashamed of him because of his sufferings 2. Sometimes men stumble at the way and profession of the Godly which follows upon the former they take up hard thoughts even of Godliness it self when it goes hardly with the Godly thus David because of his own sufferings begun to think his piety vain Psal 73.13 Though the Word hath expresly told us that we must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God and men in Thesi in the general believe it yet when sufferings befall themselves or others for Holiness-sake they forget that Word which speaks to them as to Children Heb. 12.6 they conclude that is not the right way which is strewed with so many crosses and therefore turn out of it Hence David saith Psal 125.4 The rod of the Wicked lest the Righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity q.d. Even the Righteous are apt by long and grievous afflictions to be turned out of the way of Righteousness and to turn aside into crooked wayes as ver 5. therefore God will take care to prevent it by a seasonable deliverance of his People How many have turned their backs on Christ when they have seen others carrying his Cross upon their shoulders The story of that King of Morocco is sufficiently known who would not be baptized into the Christian Faith because he saw many poor and ragged creatures who he was told were the servants of Christ Men will shun that Road upon the Sea where they meet with many pieces of Ships split upon the Rocks nor will they take up a Calling the Professors whereof are generally poor beggarly Doubtless the sufferings of the Godly occasion in many a prejudice against Godliness in some a turning from it Against this therefore we may rationally conclude David to pray in the Text viz. that as none might mis-judge his person so neither his profession because of his afflictions 3. Sometimes men stumble at the weaknesses of the Godly in their afflictions if they see them never so little despond or faint or any way waver not considering the greatness of their troubles nor allowing those grains they ought to humane infirmity one dead Fly a cowardly carriage or act of slavish fear or sinful compliance in a Godly man shakes and stumbles others there is indeed a scandal given in such miscarriages which is the great sin of those that give it yet others should be careful not to take it offences of this nature will come while men are men encompassed with humane infirmities but blessed are they that are not offended at such things Some such thing is intimated in that of Solomon Prov. 25.26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain or a corrupt spring A learned Commentator gives this sense Cartwright A righteous man falling down that is improborum sive illecebris sive comminationibus fraude aut vi ab officio depulsus one that 's drawn or driven from his duty by the flatteries or threats of the wicked such a one is like a troubled Fountain or corrupt Spring that is hurtful to others As a poisoned fountain is a publick mischief poisons all the streams that issue from it and all those that drink of it so the miscarriages of such stumble and offend many grieve some and pervert others When a Pillar of the Church is shaken it must needs unsettle those that lean upon it Such a one was Peter Gal. 2.9 and you know that not only the Jews but even Barnabas himself was drawn away with his dissimulation ver 12 23. This then may be the sense of David's Petition in the Text. Lord let me not by any weaknesses or despondent carriages cast a stumbling-block before them that fear thee The sense of the Petition is well exprest in the singing Psalm Let no man doubt or shrink away for ought that chanceth me Thus you see at what men are apt to stumble in reference to the Sufferings of the Godly 3. Let us enquire whence it is that men are thus apt to stumble what may be the reason of it Take three 1. Reas From that carnal tenderness and sinful self-self-love which is deeply rooted in every mans nature Men are loth to undergo hardships themselves and therefore take up hard thoughts and sinister opinions of those that do the flesh shrinks at Sufferings and therefore they shrink from those that suffer lest they should be necessitated to suffer with them From this principle it was that Peter diswaded our Saviour from suffering Mat. 16.22 as appears by our Saviours reply ver 24 25. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me q. d. I perceive Peter what thou drivest at 't is care of thy self more than me that suggests this counsel thou wouldst not have me lead in Sufferings lest thou shouldst be compelled to follow but I tell thee it must be so both thou and all others that will follow me must take up their Cross c. It is hard to drag the Carcass to the Prison to the Rack to the Flames therefore men though otherwise good are willing to think those in an errour or else too heady and rash in owning the Truth that expose themselves to sufferings especially upon the account of some smaller Truth if they should conclude such to be in the right they must needs ship in the same bottome and run the same hazzard hereupon the flesh for its own security finds some fault in those forward Sufferers wherewith to cloak its own backwardness Apparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto 2. This stumbling at the Godlies sufferings proceeds fâ—â— want of due consideration of what the Word of God speaks as to the state of the Godly the Word is very plain and positive Christ hath not dealt as an Impostor but hath told us the worst as well as the best of Christianity Mat. 16.25 he hath told us of forsaking houses
not approve of But I must tell you that to mine and my Brethrens apprehensions they are forbidden in those general Prohibitions Deut. 12.32 Prov. 30.6 Col. 2.15 surely he that adds to the Worship adds by consequence to the Word of God If you say What hurt is in them I ask Have they not a tendency to draw men off the spiritual Part of God's Worship to rest in Formalities do they not bring us into more bondage than the Jewish Church since they had a stated number of Ceremonies and those of God's own Appointment but we as to the nature and number of ours are at mens arbitrement and must not cease obeying till they cease imposing Do they not prove a sad stumbling-block to the more tenderly consciencious Christians and to add no more they must needs do hurt in that they do no good I fear not to say that whatsoever doth no good I speak of mens inventions must needs be prejudicial and corrupting to God's Worship I hope then you will forbear to throw after us those rash and harsh Censures as if we wilfully ran our selves into sufferings I think it a Truth worth our bearing witness to by the greatest sufferings That men ought not to impose nor we submit to humane Inventions in God's Worship when introduced upon pretence of Edification or engaging men to their duty Since such things would reflect upon the Wisdom of God as if he had not known how to make his own Ordinances effectual But I forbear other Instances I might give and hasten to what remains Thirdly There is yet a third thing which may be an occasion of stumbling and sinning to the prophane and that is They will rejoyce at our sufferings because we have sometimes been Troublers of their Consciences They look upon us as pestilent Fellows movers of Soul-Sedition they could not swear or drink nor oppress c. but the Pulpit must ring of it they hate us because we never prophesied good concerning them and now they are glad not only to be rid of us but to see us suffer c. 1. But let me tell you It 's no good argument of Christianity to rejoyce in the sufferings of any though your worst enemies The Command is Rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep Rom. 12.15 remember them that are in bonds as if bound with them Heb. 13.3 How contrary is your spirit and practice to these and the like Precepts as for our troubling you we did it in faithfulness to your souls And for our present troubles suppose it were upon the account of an erroneous Conscience which is the worst that can rationally be supposed of us yet so long as it is upon the account of Conscience methinks it calls for your Pitty and Compâ—ssion But 2. Let me tell you There 's no such cause of rejoycing as you imagine if you sin more quietly when we are silenced Conscience will speak at last the flames of Hell at furtherst will awaken it and then you will wish that you had both enjoyed and improved your faithful Monitors who out of Love to your souls durst not but speak against your sins Besides our sufferings presage you no good 1 Pet. 4.17 If Judgement begin at the house of God the Cup may pass from us to you When God gives order to begin at his Sanctuary he intends utter desolation In Ezek. 12.3 4. the Prophet is commanded to remove his stuffe as one going into captivity for a type to the People You will see us ere long removing our stuffe what if this be a type to you sure I am it is a warning Let our sufferings be supposed never so just and righteous yet are there not among you even among you sins as heinous and provoking Luke 23.40 Do you not fear God since you are in the same condemnation Alas poor souls were you sensible it would be small joy to you to have your Ministers driven into Corners But so much to the first sort 2. I am now to turn my speech to you whom the Text directly concerns who look upon our removal as a Judgement who are burdened for the reproach of solemn Assemblies there is danger of your stumbling as the Text intimates and therefore let me caution you also Take heed you be not offended by or stumble at our sufferings many wayes you may miscarry it may possibly be a purling case with you how to reconcile our suffering in this case with God's Justice but remember with the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 12.1 to hold the conclusion however things go You may also meet with temptations to call in question the Truth of that Doctrine we have delivered to you or to doubt whether we have taught you the good and the right Way but that which is most ordinary and against which you need to be most cautioned is Lest your hands be weakned and your hearts discouraged in the Profession of the Truth lest the Shepherds being smitâ—en the Sheep be scattered lest by our Sufferings you be moved from the Hope of the Gospel To prevent which or the like miscarriages consider 1. Our Sufferings are not to weaken or discourage to confirm and encourage you you quite pervert the End of our Afflictions if you draw arguments of discouragement from them 2 Cor. 1.6 Whether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation We are put to lead that you may the more chearfully follow if called to it Phil. 1.14 Many of the Brethren in the Lord waxed confident by my bonds That was indeed a right Improvement of Paul's Sufferings I mean not that you should run your selves upon sufferings or do any thing unlawful or unwarrantable to pull Afflictions upon your own heads The Serpents wisdom is commendable when in conjunction with the Doves simplicity and innocency but if the Cup which ordinarily goes round be put into your hands our Example should be your Encouragement to drink it more cheerfully As for doing any thing or so much as speaking against Authority upon our account far be it from us to urge you to it nay we charge you to keep the way of Duty and Loyalty to Sovereign Authority The wrath of man works not the Righteousness of God but if you be call'd out to bear witness as we conceive we now are to the Truth of God or the Purity of his Worship and Ordinances then we say to you look on us and do likewise than chuse rather to suffer than sin We have preach'd the Truth and we now are called to seal it with the loss of our Livelihood and Liberty in some measure Let not our Sufferings weaken or dis-settle but rather strengthen your Faith and heighten your resolution our Afflictions should be your Encouragements 2. Nor should the bitter Scoffs and Reproaches which you may undergo for our sakes at all move you I doubt not you will have the scorn as well as the loss It will be said to you in way of derision as the Sons of
Jacob to all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles to such as are the most Excellent of the Earth the Worlds wonder Angels delight the Chariots and Horsemen of the Nations the brazen walls and gates of the Kingdoms they live in Grace investeth us with the same priviledges as the richest Saints of the world ever have enjoyed the same Justification the same Reconciliation the same Adoption the same Life eternal and Glorification Secondly If true Christians be Brethren than this may exhort us to several duties 1. To live in love amongst our selves the very term bespeaketh affection and the affection should never cease so long as the relation endures Who should love more than those who are united in the same Head and Hope and cemented with the same blood of Christ It was an honour to Religion once and therefore the Heathens said Aspice ut se mutuo diligunt Christiani See how these Christians love one another But alas may we not say See how they hate one another O take heed of discreditting your Profession of opening the mouths and hardening the hearts of the wicked by envie hatred or want of love one to another It was the Exhortation of John to his People when he could preach no more in the Pulpit that they love one another and it shall be mine in these my dying words that you love as Brethren And as the foundation of this relation is more excellent than others so let our love be more fervent and intensive 2. Labour to maintain peace and unity This is good and pleasant to behold Psal 135.1 Let it not be said that a legion of Devils can live in one man in peace and unity and yet Christians cannot Let not inferiours go beyond the bounds of their duty and place neither let Superiors stand too much upon their Prerogatives but rather for peace sake to abate of what they might justly chalenge upon their superiority the richer the elder the nobler you are the more endeavor to be good examples to others condescending to the infirmities of the weak that the golden bond of peace be not broken we see this in Abraham who though he was elder yet for peace sake gave liberty to Lot his younger to chose which way he would go to feed his cattel And Abraham said to Lot Let there be no strife between me and thee between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen for we are Brethren Gen. 13.4 Labour to be of the same judgment in matters of Religion it is pleasant to see Brethren of the same mind in matters of Religion Consonant sounds upon Musical Instruments sweeten the melody there was no hammer nor ax nor any tool of Iron heard in Solomons Temple while it was in building neither should there be heard or seen discords in the House of God Divisions of judgments blunt the edge of Christians love abate the fervency of affection create distance and shiness of society amongst familiars gratifies Satan grieves the Spirit of God weakens Christ's Kingdom and exposeth a People to ruine A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand and if one member of the body should fight with another and each member of the body scratch tear and rend one another how deformed weak and near to ruine would that be Unapt sounds upon Musical Instruments spoyl the melody the divisions of the Church of Corinth sounded harshly in the Apostles ears some said they were of Paul others of Apollos others of Cephas If you would be comforts and helps one to another if you would be a credit to your Profession and comfort and rejoyceing to your Minister live in unity of judgment in matters of Religion contend not for the shadow and lose the substance Be not substantial about circumstances and circumstantial about Substances In the language of the Apostle I beseech you Brethren that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same judgment 1 Cor. 1.10 4. Be ready to help and succour one another Nature hath created a Sympathy and Compassion in every relation The mother pitties and abundantly tenders her sick child doth all she can to do it good to ease it under pain to recover it from pain and sickness One brother is ready to condole with the sufferings of another to supply his wants to defend him in danger As Moses the Israelite whom the Egyptian wronged Exod. 2.11 12. and how much more should Brethren in Grace the dearer the Relation the more tender Affection As Brethren sympathize ye one with another Succour such as are tempted reduce such as wander satisfie the scrupulous confirm such as are staggering and raise such as are fallen by Prayers for them by Counsels by Exhortations Improve your Gifts and Abilities your Graces and Experiences to relieve and succour them in spirituals as you would be ready to assist them in temporals with your estates 5. Ministers should not lord it over Gods Heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 they should not imperiously lord it over them nor lay greater burdens upon their Consciences than Jesus Christ hath impos'd We must do all things for their edification not any thing for their destruction We must further not hinder them in their progress to Heaven take away occasions not lay stones of stumbling before them How disgraceful and intolerable would it be to see one Brother to grow proud lordly and domineering over the other would not every one cry shame upon it And shall those whom Grace hath made equal usurp Authority and rule one over another when Christ hath not given such authority and jurisdiction And as Ministers must not lord it over the Consciences of their Flock so one Minister must not act Authority over another The Apostle Paul was a man extraordinarily called and qualified and so had an Authority over other Ministers but when this extraordinary Mission ceased the Superiority of Jurisdiction ceased also And though he was an Apostle yet he acted not imperiously over the Presbyters but called them Brethren neither had he Jacobs voice and Esaus hand he spake not as a Lamb and acted like a Lyon but his carriage and deportment was a comment upon the name Where Christ hath given no superiority of power and jurisdiction let no man claim it lest he be found an Usurper whom the Apostle calls in one place Bishops in another place he calleth Presbyters as in this place he calleth the Ministers of the Church of Ephesus Presbyters ver 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He called together the Presbyters of the Church And in ver 28. he calls them Bishops Take heed therefore to your selves and to all the flock over whom the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath made or placed you Bishops or Overseers And the same Apostle in his Epistle to Titus calls Ministers Presbyters Chap 1.5 and the same he calls Bishops ver 7. Now if Presbyters Bishops had not been one and the same but names of dinstict Office Jurisdiction and Power the Apostle's reasons
Tokens into the midst of Egypt upon Pharoah and upon all his Servants Why did he smite great Nations and slay mighty Kings Sion King of the Amorites and Og King of Bashan and all the Kings of Canaan Psal 135.8 9 10 11. Was it not because he had chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure ver 4. And again I gave Egypt for thy ransom Ethiopia and Sheba for thee Since thou hast been precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Isa 43.3 4. God in his Love thinks nothing too good nothing too great to be done for his Church and People He not only gives famous Kings and potent Nations up to ruine for his Peoples temporal deliverance but in the stupendiousness of his Love hath given his Son for their eternal Salvation John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and in and by him hath made a full compleat and abundant provision all things needful for your Salvation He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 The faithful apprehension and application of this Love will steel you against all sufferings and make you Reproach-proof and Persecution-proof that you shall not be ashamed of a despised Gospel a reproached Religion and a persecuted Christ and Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5.5 This Love will comfort you against all temptations concerning sin in doubtings concerning Gods presence perseverance in Faith and assurance of Salvation I am perswaded saith the Apostle that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jâ—sus our Lord Rom. 8.38 39. To these add the dearness strength constancy and inviolableness of God's Lewe unto his Children dearer than a mothers to her swâ—â—etest babe Isa 49.15 stronger than the mountains Isa 54.19 more constant than the courses of Heaven Jâ—r 31.35 36. 33.20 21. it is as sure as God him self is sure Psal 89.34 35. And for a People to be committed to such a Love is ground of security and comfort When Ministers are taken from you this will â—bide with you 2. To commit you to God is to commit you to the tenderest mercy Mercy is the best refuge to the miserable Whither shall the malefactor flee for pardon but to the mercy of his Prince whither shall the captive go for safety but to the mercy of his Conqueror The pity of an armed Conqueror is better safety than the flinty-heartednes of a naked captive Compassion unarms the Armed blunts sharpened swords enfeebles the strong and sinewy arms when an astorgy arms the unarmed sharpens the sword addes strength to weak arms and blocks up all wayes and means of securiâ—y and comfort A man's pity subdues him when the valour policy strength and weapons of his enemies cannot conquer him and makes him a security to his adversary This encouraged Benhadad to humble himself to Ahab whom and his Kingdom he had twice before attempted to destroy by two formidable Armies Behold we have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings let us we pray thee put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life and it was so 1 Kings 20.31 c. And shall the Kings of Israel have mercy to save their enemies and shall not the KING of the Kings of Israel have mercy on his Children Mercy makes the tender heart partaker of the misery of him that is distressed Misericordia quasi miseria cordi it translates the misery of another into the heart of the merciful and enclines them to relieve and succour them It is pity that makes you to bind up the wounds of the wounded to wash Lazarus his sores to cloath the naked to feed the hungry to refresh the thirsty Now the God to whom I leave you is the God of pity and Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 all the pity and compassion in the creatures is derived from him and were it all contracted into one yet it were but a drop to his Ocean and as the mercifulness of tender Parents causeth them to pitty their sick Children so God like a tender Father pitties them that fear him Psal 103.10 yea he sympathizeth with them in all their sufferings accounting their sufferings his Are they reproached so is he are they persecuted so is he are they imprisoned banished tormented put to cruel deaths he accounts it as done to himself and whatsoever Satan doth to you in tempting you to sin to dispair in buffeting you filling your hearts with heaviness your mouths with sighs and complaints your eyes with showers of tears he takes it as done to himself In all their afflictions he was afflicted Isa 63.9 And as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we from our own suffering learn more to pitty others in the like distresse so Christ's experiences of the worlds hatred and persecution of Satans rage and temptation doth cause Christ to pitty his suffering Members more We have not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted as we are yet without sin and in that himself suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 4.15 chap. 2.18 Here is a rise of Compassion according to the degree of suffering How do the screechings of a sick Child the deep sighs and groans of a sick tormented Child make the bowels of the Parents roul within them and melt their affections into tears The Harlot whose the living Child was could not endure to suffer and see her Babe to be cut asunder but denied and acquitted her interest in him because her bowels yearned towards him 1 Kings 3.26 God's Pitty to his People is the most intensive when their Afflictions are the most increased His soul was grieved for the Misery of his People Israel Judg. 10.16 It grieves God to see his lie laden with Iron-fetters to lye in long and loathsome Imprisonments under cruel Tortures and Tormenting Deaths When you are buffeted with Satan bewailing your sins and miseries God's Bowels of Compassion are moved towards you Jer. 31.18 19 20. Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised c. After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Thus Ephraim bemoaned himself and God heard him and marked his expressions weighed the sorrow and burden of his spirit and pittieth him Is Ephraim my dear
faithful to preserve your Graces your Knowledge Faith Love Hope Patience Humility c. if God did not keep them they would soon wither decay and come to nothing Satan would soon rob you of them sin would soon wast and destroy them but he will not lose the least dust of this Gold He is faithful to preserve your Joy and Peace of conscience Our Comforts have need of his protection as well as our Graces How soon would temptations sin and persecution blow our Comforts away if not preserved by him In the world yee shall have tribulation but in me ye shall have peace John 16.33 Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you ver 22. Neither reproaches nor imprisonments nor persecutions shal quench your joy for he can make you sing in prisons and rejoyce in tribulation for his Name Acts 16. Rom 5. And though your Graces be weakened and your Comforts eclipsed yet he will revive and strong then your Graces he will restore your Comforts Though he cast down yet he is faithful he will not cast off though he may suffer your bodies to be imprisoned banished tortured burned yet he is faithful to keep them safe until the Resurrection the great and general Spring when they shall be raised and reunited to your souls and reflourish in a glorified manner to eternity And here is great security concerning temporal danger temptation Graces Comforts and all To which I commend you and your All for Protection and Comfort 4. This is to commit you to the greatest care and diligence Diligence is as necessary in those that will secure and protect others as well as Mercy and Faithfulness Sleepy Guards and Watchmen betray strong Castles and fortified Garisons as well as unfaithful Guards The men of Laish were a secure and negligent People and the men of Dan took their City and destroyed them with the edge of the Sword Judg. 18. Whilst Abner and the Army slept Abisha would have slain Saul their King if David would have permitted him 1 Sam. 26.11 12. How many famous and formidable Armies have been utterly routed and thousands of men slain by an handful of people through carelesness and negligence better is a weak defence with care and diligence than a strong fortified place with negligence But Jesus Christ is very diligent and watchful for the preservation of his Church and People even as the diligent Keeper of a Vineyard alwayes watcheth that none spoil his Vineyard that wild beasts break not in and spoil it so God watcheth and defendeth his Church I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Isa 27.3 He knows all the plots and contrivances of ungodly men against his Church Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing and the Kings of the Earth take counsel together against the Lord and his Anointed Psal 2.1 2. He knew all the devices of Senacherib against Jerusalem I know saith God thy abode thy comming in thy going out and thy rage against me Isa 37.28 Many are the devices of wicked men against God's Children and they know them not but God knows them when they are in their deep consultations God's eye is upon them he stands by and hears them God knows the confederacy of Syria and Ephraim against Judah and Jerusalem to take it and set up a King for themselves Isa 7.5 6. He knew the bloody design of Herod against Christ notwithstanding his pretence of worshipping him He saw the desperate Popish Gun-Powder Plot here in England God is very diligent to know all the designs of his Churches enemies He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Psa 121.3 4. Though the enemies of the Church are vigilent politick and strong yet the Defender of the Church is more vigilent more politick more strong he opposeth his Wisdom to their wisdom his Counsels to their counsels his Power to their power he out-wits them and out-powers them He bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought and makes the devices of the People of none effect Psal 33.10 He taketh the wise in their craftiness he maketh them to fall into the same Snare they have laid and into the same Pit they have digged for others Psal 7.15 16. He hangs Haman on the same Gallows he had raised for Mordecai And as he is diligent to discover the plots of his Peoples enemies so he is diligent to defend his People even as the Governour of a besieged Garison is diligent to look to every place and bring fresh aid and new supply where there is most need he encourages them that are fainting saves them that are in danger his care and diligence is a great security and comfort So God is every where with his People diligent to save them to refresh to strengthen them He is with his Josephs in Prison with his Jobs on the Dunghil with his Daniels in the Lions-Den with the three Children in the fiery Fornace Are they imprisoned banished sick pesecured in great dangers God is careful to save them The eyes of the Lord run to and fro upon the whole Earth to shew himself Mighty on the behalf of them that fear his Name 2 Chron. 16.9 He is diligent to preserve the souls as well as the bodies of his People from Satans temptations the allurements of the world and inward corruptions and though he suffers them to be tempted yet he is with them and will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear He is diligent to preserve the Graces of his People even as the Goldsmith is careful and diligent to keep and save all the filings and dust of his Gold because the least grain of it according to its proportion is precious so the least of your Graces though weak and small in your account is precious and of great worth in the account of God and he will not suffer the least to decay He will not break a bruised reed nor quench smoaking flax God's People are very precious in his esteem they are his Jewels Mal. 3. as dear to him as the apple of his eye Zeph. 2. As a man when his house is on fire is wonderful diligent to keep and save from the flame whatsoever is dear and precious to him his Wife and Children his Silver and Gold and his Jewels So when the World or a Nation is on a flame God is wonderfully careful to preserve his People that are his Jewels his Spouse his Children they are dear to him Are you afraid that the Furnace will be heated too hot that the Temptation will be too strong or the burden of Afflictions too great to bear Let this be your comfort he is your Security and will proportion afflictions to your strength or give strength proportionable to the burden And if he give strength to bear a burden it is as if he laid no burden at all upon you he
not that any of you should say concerning us as Pharoah concerning the Children of Israel Ye are idle ye are idle and therefore ye take occasion where none is given to relinquish your People and your Service it is not matter of will but Conscience if it lay in our wills God that knows all things knoweth that many hundreds of his Servants would rather chuse to work than sit all their dayes idle But you are to understand that such things are propounded to them as their Consciences cannot bear we have studied read enquired and prayed for direction and satisfaction and after all we see our Consciences would check us and reproach us if we should close with all that is proposed to us and would be imposed upon us we may not in any case do any evil that good may come He doth not require Ministers to take any indirect courses to do his work He can bring about his own Glory without their sin He that doth any thing religious moral or civil must in the first place be groundedly perswaded that that which he doth will be acceptable to or allowed of God Now as yet we for our own parts do not see any reason to convince us that we shall do that which is pleasing to God in closing with every thing that is propounded to those that will stay in their places Particular reasons why we cannot assent and declare a full consent c. I have not now time so much as to mention Having said this little to prevent prejudice and to silence wonder in you at this sudden Declaration of our prefixed leaving of you give leave to read the words once more with a little variation Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my Departure to have these things in remembrance The words of dying men use to be much regarded seeing in some sence we preach as dying persons be intreated diligently to attend to dying words I have studied that ye may keep in remembrance what ye have already heard and to that end of the things that have been spoken and of the things that should have been spoken Heb. 8.1 if time and opportunity had been continued I shall give you the sum That which we would have you keep in remembrance after we are gone may be contained under two general Heads of Directions viz. First Duties relating to God and your own Souls Secondly Duties relating to your selves and others The things that relate to God and â—â—r Souls are either such as relate 1. To the Unconverted and Converted in general Or 2. To the Converted in particular That which I have to say to you that are our Auditors in general or as mixt being some of you unconverted and some converted some whose hearts the Lord hath touched and some upon whose hearts the Spirit of God hath not effectually moved shall be contained in these following Counsels COUNSEL I. 1. Labour in good earnest to be born again John 3.3 study to be new Creatures strive for the Truth of Godliness Most of you have a form and shew of Godliness but O labour for the Truth and Power of it get sanctified Knowledge into your understandings Obedience in your wills get your affections fixt upon divine and right Objects never think it 's well with your souls till you find your anger sorrow and hatred principally set against sin your Love Joy and Desires upon God Christ and communion with him till you find the bent of your souls towards the Wayes of Holiness Labour for tender Consciences such as will be afraid of committing the least known sin or of omitting the least known duty Outward Reformation is nothing without inward Renovation Regeneration makes men perform Duties as from a Spring and Fountain of Goodness without Regeneration men act move in Religion just as Clocks and Jacks which never moves but when some external weight hangs on consider without this we shall never get to Heaven John 3.5 It is not thy promises of being a new man bâ—â—â—hy being a new creature it is not thy being chained but thy being changed that will fit thee for communion with God The brute creatures are not fit to converse with men Because they want a principle of Reason which should make them sutable companions Unregenerate men are not fit companions for God nor Saints in Heaven Because they want a principle of Holiness which should make them take delight in the work of Heaven To this end 2. Get acquainted with and live under the sence of inherent inbred corruption This is the foundation of experimental Christianity Live under the sence of that principle of evil we carry about us every day VVhen Paul was throughly converted he was primarily convinced of this Rom. 7.17 18. when he had a spiritual understanding of the Law or of the Spirituality and internal extent of it he saw there was all manner of concupiscence in him that is an inclination and vehement desire after those things that were forbidden and an unlawful desire after things lawful in themselves he saw there was in him a forwardness to all kind of sin This sight kept him low in his own eyes and drave him out of a dependance upon his own righteousness to depend upon the Righteousness of Christ And so this would maintain humility and lowliness in our souls and take away all opinion of our own goodness Every man will boast of the goodness of his heart the reason is because he doth no see nor consider that inherent secret pollution that is in his nature Were we enough sensible of the privation of original righteousness and inclination to all manner of wickedness we would look upon our selves as the chiefest of sinners yea as bad as the worst in the world Is thy heart good that naturally prompts thee to Atheistiâ—â—â— blasphemous thoughts concearning God that would lead thee to Idolatry to Carelesness in the use of God's Name Titles Word and Worship That heart which leads thee to irreligion neglect of Prayer Sabbaths c. Is that heart to be boasted of that is full of Envie Covetousness Anger Revenge unclean Imaginations and Desires Why this and all this is contained in every of your hearts be convinced of and affected with it 3. Often think of your actual transgressions call to mind former sins forget not old iniquities David though a grown Saint remembers bewails and prayes for pardon of the sins of youth Psal 25.7 Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions Job calls to mind the sins of younger years Thou makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth Job 17.26 And so for sins of riper years often think of them reflect upon the sins of thoughts of your words and actions call to mind the ignorance the impenitance the unbelief the unthankfulness the wanderings and distractions of former Prayers call to mind how dull sleepy and unaffected you have been in the hearing of many a precious Sermon Compare your lives with the
thy walls are continually before me 9. Expect and prepare for Troubles A Christian's way to Heaven is not alwayes strewed with Roles Piety hath heen persecuted from the beginning of the world Wicked Cain killed righteous Abel because Abel's deeds were righteous Ishmael persecuted Isaac even in Abraham's family Christ left this Lesson to his Disciples when he left the world John 16.2 These things have I told you beforehand that ye should not be offended They shall excommunicate you from the Synagogues Yea the time comes when he that kills you shall think he doth God service If you resolve to follow Christ you must resolve to bear his Cross after him as Simon did Forgo the love of friends rather than the love of God 2 Tim. 3.12 Christ doth not always call His do die for him but he expects they should be willing and prepared to do so if he require it See Luk. 14.26 27. Whosoever leaveth not father and mother cannot be my Disciple Leaveth not that is in affection and disposition and when the time comes in execution and reality Every Christian must be an habitual Martyr though all are not so actually To this end lay up suffering Graces as Faith Love Patience c. get your hearts warmed with a sense of Christs love to you in doing and suffering so much for us let your love be so vehement that many waters may not be able to quench it and then sit loose to every creature A man will with ease part with that to which he is dead already 10. Prove all things 1 Thess 5.21 Take not upon trust do not jurare in verba Doctoris believe any Doctrine meerly because such an one delivers it as is cryed up in the world for some-body Be like the Bereans who searched the Scriptures daily to see whether the things they heard were so or no. Whoever shall preach to you if he brings any Doctrine or adds any new Article of Faith try them Every Christian hath a Judgment of discretion left him whereby he may try whether that which is pressed upon him either for belief or practice be according to the Analogie of Faith We must not rest in a blind implicit faith it 's for Romanists to believe as the Church believes and what it is the Church believes they understand not Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to that it is because there is no light in them And so if they preach any new Worship bring it to the Touch-stone see if it be not without Warrant from the Scriptures try whether it be not gilded Superstition or will-worship under the cloak of Decency and Order If any scruple arise in your minds and you not able to satisfie your selves consult with able Christians or some able and faithful Guide Seek knowledge at the Priests lips even in private as well as publick All is not Gold that looks like it See what the great Doctor of his Church saith Matth. 23.7 9. Call no man Rabbi that is do not tye your Faith to his Dictates do not believe because he saith it Many dubious and controverted things are creeping even at this time into the Church therefore â—â—y them Satisfie your minds and judgments before you proceed to practice Be sure that what you do shall have God's approbation Worship God from Judgment not from Presidents 11. Be frequent and diligent in reading and meditation For ought I know this may be one of the greatest helps we may have 1 Tim. 4.13 Take that advice of Paul to Timothy Till I come give attendance to Reading So till God's Ministers be returned to you again give attendance to Reading When you cannot have Scriptures read and preached in God's House then make a Church of your own house Phil. 2. Paul commends himself to Philemon and the Church in his house this is a high Commendation of him that he had Domesticam Ecclesiam a house-hold Church As Calvin in loc In Mal. 4.4 we meet with this Exhortation Remember the Law of Moses my Scrvant which I commanded to all Israel with the Statutes and Judgements Doubtless they had been commanded frequently before this time to remember the Commandments of God therefore there is a peculiar reason why the Prophet repeats it and concludes his Prophecy as it were with this Exhortation the reason is this Malachi was the last of the Prophets after him the Jews were not to have any more Prophesying till the coming of the Messiah he knew how prone they were to follow the dictates of their own hearts and to walk in their own inventions to swerve from God's Institution as how soon did Israel fall to Idolatry when their Prophet Moses was absent from them but forty dayes Exod. 32.1 2 3. he therefore adviseth them in this interim to attend to the Law of God delivered by Moses and the Writings of the Prophets which were as Commentaries upon that Law that they would continue to reade and meditate and act according to that Law till the great Prophet should come Brethren I cannot say that we that are about to be silent are the last Ministers you shall hear no I suppose you may have others succeed us whose Apprehensions and Judgments concerning the things in controversie may be different from ours and may suffer them to condescend to and close with more for the continuance of their Opportunities than others can Now if God doth provide you a Successor if he be one that speaks according to the Law and prophesies according to the Analogy of Faith I would not advise you to separation from publick Ordinances no when they may be had in God's Way when the preaching of the Word is sound and the Substantials of the Ordinances observed and may be enjoyed without sinful Appendixes though you should take pains to fetch them or go some considerable way to enjoy them they are to be prefered before private exercises But this I say if it should be your hard lot after our departure from you to be deprived of publick Ordinances at home and to be out of a capacity to enjoy them abroad then I say you may freely and comfortably close with the advise propounded In this fore-mentioned case let the Bible preach to us when Ministers cannot when we cannot hear living Prophets let dead Prophets preach to us I mean this see what good you can get out of the wholesome Discourses of God's departed Prophets Many Ministers preach by their surviving Works when they themselves are in their Graves by their works though they be dead do yet speak Let the Bible be your rule alwayes refer to that in things to be believed and in things to be practised Scholars use to study their Rules well and then they cannot do amiss 12. Endeavour to walk in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost This was Christ's advice to his Disciples when he was about to leave them John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled In the world ye shall
thereby taken away from the evil to come And then 3. The shortning of this life doth but the sooner bring them to a Life of Glory in Heaven Indeed if their condition were the same with the condition of the ungodly if they lost Heaven and Earth the lives of their souls and bodies together If their death were an eternal death and the end of their temporal miseries the beginning of eternal torments it were a very sad argument but the case is not so bad Whatever they lose for Christ in this world shall be recompensed a thousandfold in the world to come with eternal Life Now lay all these things together and consider that this strictness or preciseness is commanded by God and is most sutable to the Rules of Christianity And dost thou profess thy self a Christan a Disciple of Christ a Servant of God and one that lives in hope of everlasting Life and hast thou not yet learn'd to forsake all deny thy self take up thy cross and follow Christ Certainly if thou be a Christian indeed and hast received that Wisdom which is from above none of these things will move thee neither wilt thou count thy life so dear to thee as for the saving it to forsake the holy Commandment Having now vindicated this Truth from those Objections that might seem to weaken it I proceed to give a brief hint what use may be made of it Use 1. If they that live most exactly are the wisest men then it is so far from being a shame to live exactly Psal 119.6 that it tends much to the justification and commendation of those that so order their conversations And certainly the world is much mistaken in their censure and judgment concerning them They think it strange that all do not run to the same excess of riot with them 1 Pet. 4.4 and speak evil of them as fools and mad men because they willingly forgo the pleasures and advantages of this present life for things future and invisible but the end will make it sufficiently to appear who are the fools and who are the wise men Therefore 2. Be exhorted and perswaded to exercise this piece of wisdom Wisdom it is and that of the best sort for it is Divine and Heavenly Wisdom So the Apostle tells us Jam. 3.17 That Wisdom which is pure and full of good fruits comes from above it is saving Wisdom In 2 Tim. 3.15 the Apostle tells us that the Scriptures are able to make a man wise to Salvation in as much as they were given by God to make men pefect throughly furnished unto all good works Labour then for this Scripture-Wisdom and search for it as for hid treasures it alone shall abide and the good fruits thereof remain with thee to Eternity when all other wisdom in the world shall perish and by its fall shall ruine the owners and professors thereof I have now finished the third Observation I must use much more brevity in those which remain and so I pass to the fourth which is this Doct. 4. That then especially in evil times we have much need of spiritual wisdom for the circumspect and exact ordering of our conversations Thus the Apostles Argument runs Walk circumspectly and redeem time because the dayes are evil This is a duty at all times but especially in evil times it is both a Duty and an Advantage That we may understand what is meant by evil times or Dayes we must know that there are two sorts of evil First The evil of sin whereof Devils and men are the only authors Secondly The evil of punishment or misery in this sence it is used in Jer. 17.17 18. Amos 6.3 and though sin be the meritorious cause of this evil and Devils and Men yea and good Angels also are made use as instruments of it yet God takes it upon himself as the Author thereof Amos 3.6 Thus the Times or Dayes are evil First When they are sinful Times such times as our Saviour foretold Mat. 24.11 12. When false prophets should arise and deceive many When iniquity should abound and the love of many should wax cold Secondly The Dayes are evil when they are full of trouble and misery These evil Dayes of both sorts are either 1. Common by reason of that sin and misery which are incident to every mans life Eccles 12.1 in respect whereof Jacob told Pharoah that the dayes of his life had been few and evil Gen 47.9 2. Or special When both sin and trouble do abound in more than ordinary measure Again these evil Dayes are either 1. General When both sin and misery do more than ordinarily abound in the World or in a Kingdom 2. Or particular When a man 's own particular life hath been extraordinarily full of sin and trouble The Apostle in the Text doth principally respect the special and general sinfulness and troublesomness of the times but in what kind soever the dayes are evil the evilness of them is an argument for circumspect walking and exact ordering of our conversations For if the Times be sinful 1. In sinful Times there is much liberty and encouragement to sin The Multitude run to sin the stream goes that way and it is an easy thing to go along with the stream but it is certain that the stream will carry a man to perdition So that if we would not perish in sinful times we must strive against the stream by circumspect walking These are those perillous Times from the authors whereof the Apostle warns Timothy to turn away 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6. 2. In Sinful Times there are many temptations and enticements to sin in which respect the Apostle calls such dayes evil dayes and therefore adviseth at such times especially to put on the whole Armour of God that we may be able to stand and keep our selves unspotted from the pollutions of the world Ephes 6.13 If the Times be evil in respect of the trouble and misery that attends them Then 1. In Times of Trouble and Misery a man hath most need to get and keep peace of conscience Oh! it is a sad thing for a man to be lost as much with storms of guilt within as with waves of trouble without But there is no getting or keeping true peace of conscience without circumspect and exact walking The fruit of Righteousness is sown in peace Jam. 3.18 2. In Troublesome Times a man had most need to get and keep the love and favour of God and thereby an interest in the Promises of this life or if those be forfeited yet to be sure of an interest in the Promises of the Life to come But this cannot be done without circumspect walking for it is only Godliness that hath the promises of the life that now is and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Use How preposterous and foolish a course is it then for any man to think to secure himself from the evil of the times by complying with the times to comply with the evil