see the miscarriages of many their Covetousnesse their Licentiousnesse had hee no other Bible to read in but the lives of some Professors hee would turne back again and resolve never to be made a Christian. Pudet haec opprobria nobis What a shame is this Did Christ walk thus when hee was upon earth His life was a pattern of Sanctity You that are Professors your sinnes are sinnes of unkindnesse they go nearest to Christs heart Do you live as those who have hope of things to come is Christ preparing Heaven for you and are you preparing Warre against him Is this your kindnesse to your friend O consider how you wound Religion Your sinnes are worse then others A staine in a black cloth is not so easily seen or taken notice of but a spot in a piece of Scarlet every ones eye is upon it The sinnes of wicked men are not so much wondred at they can do no other theirs is a spot in black but a sinne in a Professor this is like a spot in a bright Scarlet every ones eye is upon it this wounds the honour of Religion The deviation of the godly is as odious as the devotion of the prophane Oh that there were such a lustre and majesty of holinesse in the lives of Professors that others might say These look as if they had been with Jesus they live as if they were in Heaven already Aaron must not onely have Bels but Pomegranates which were for savour as the other were for sound It is not enough to discourse of godlinesse or to make a noise by a Profession What are these Bels without the Pomegranates viz. a life that casts a savour in the Church of God 2. Walk as Christ did in Humility His life was a pattern of Humility He was the Heir of Heaven the God-head was in him yet he washeth his Disciples feet Iohn 13.6 He poured water into a Bason and began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the Towel No wonder it is said that he came in the form of a servant he stands here with his Bason of water and a Towel nay he did not onely humble himself to the Disciples feet but he humbled himself to the death even the death of the cross Phil. 2.8 Tread in this step of Christ be humble the humble Saint looks like a Citizen of heaven Humility is the vail of a Christian Christs Bride never looks more beautifull in his eye than when she hath on this vail Be ye clothed with humility Humility as it hides anothers error so it hides its own graces grace shines brightest thorow the Mask of humility Moses face shined but he wist not that it shined What are all our duties without humility Incense smells sweetest when it is beaten small when the Incense of our duties is beaten small then it sends forth its most fragrant perfume Humility studies its own unworthinesse it looks with one eye upon grace to keep the heart chearful and with the other eye upon sinne to keep it humble Better is that sinne which humbles me then that duty which makes me proud Humility gives all to Christ as Ioab when he had gotten a victory sends for King David that he might carry away the Crown of it So doth the humble Christian when he hath gotten the victory over a corruption he sets the Crown upon the head of Christ if he hath strength to go thorow duties he writes Christ and free grace upon all I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 You that look for things above let me tell you the way to ascend is to descend the lower the tree roots the higher it shoots up would you shoot up in glory would you be tall Cedars in the Kingdome of God be deeply rooted in Humility Humility is compar'd by some of the Fathers to a Valley we must walk to heaven thorow this valley of Humility Humility is such a precious Herb as growes not in the garden of Philosophy that is rather Humanity then Humility Humility distinguisheth Christs Spouse from harlots Hypocrites grow in knowledge but not in humility Knowledge puffs up 1 Cor. 8.1 'T is a Metaphor taken from a pair of Bellowes that are blown up and fill'd with winde He that is proud of his knowledge the Devil cares not how much he knows It is observable in the old law that God hated the very resemblance of the sinne of pride he would have no honey mingled in their offering Ye shall burne no leaven nor any honey in any offering of the Lord made by fire Indeed leaven is soure but what is there in honey that should offend why no honey because honey when it is mingled with meale or flower maketh it to rise and swell therefore the people of Israel must mingle no honey in their offering This was to let us see how God hated the resemblance of this sinne of pride Be humble 3. Be like Christ in Charity Christs life was a life of charity he breath'd nothing but love he was full of this sweet perfume as his Person was lovely so was his Disposition he was compos'd all of love his lips dropp'd honey his side dropp'd blood his heart dropp'd love You that expect these glorious things to come live as Christ did live in love Oh that this spice might send out its fragrant smell among Christians We know we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren Dost thou love the Person of Christ and hate the picture He that loves him who doth beget loves him also that is begotten There are two Devils which are not fully cast out of Gods own people The devil of vaine glory and the devil of uncharitablenesse Are we not Fellow-Citizens Doe wee not all expect the same Heaven Nay are we not Brethren which should be a sufficient bond to knit us together in amity We have all the same Father God We are borne of the same Mother the Church we are begotten of the same seed the Word We suck the same brests the Promises Wee feed at the same Board the Table of the Lord We wear the same cloathing the Robe of Christ's Righteousnesse We are partners in the same glory the inheritance of the Saints in light And shall we not love There is indeed a blessed strife when the Saints strive for the faith but this is a strife that consists of unity Striving together for the faith of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 You that look for things to come live suitably to your hopes Walke as Christ did that some of his beams may shine in you and his life may be as it were copied out in yours 3. The third duty is If things to come are a Beleevers be content though you have the lesse of things present Having food and rayment let us be therewith content Oh what a rich estate hath a
shall see clearly whether Iezabel had more minde to keep a fast or to get Naboths Vineyard then we shall see whether Herod had more minde to worship Christ or to worry him all the secrets of mens hearts shall be laid open Me thinks it would be worth dying to see this sight We shall then see who is the Achan who the Iudas the womens paint falls off from their faces when they come neere the fire before the scorching heat of Gods justice the hypocrites paint will drop off and the Treason hid in the heart will be visible These mysteries will God reveal to us our knowledge shall be clear CHAP. XI The sixth Prerogative Royal. THE next priviledge is Our Love shall be perfect Love is the Jewell with which Christ's Bride is adorned in one sense it is more excellent then Faith for Love never ceaseth 1 Cor. 13.8 The Spouse shall put off her Jewel of Faith when she goes to heaven but she shall never put off her Jewel of Love Love shall be perfect 1. Our love to God shall be perfect The Saints love shall be joyned with Reverence for a filial disposition shall remaine but there shall be no servile feare in Heaven Horrour and trembling is proper to the damned in hell though in Heaven there shall be a reverencing fear yet a rejoycing fear we shall see that in God which will work such a delight that we cannot but love him And this love to God shall be 1. A fervent love we love him here secundùm studium there secundùm actum as the Schoolmen speak Our love to God in this life is rather a desire but in Heaven the smoak of desire shall be blown up into a flame of love we shall love God with an intensenesse of love here our love is lukewarme and sometimes frozen a childe of God weeps that he can love God no more but there is a time shortly coming when our love to God shall be fervent it shall burn as hot as it can the damned shall be in a flame of fire the elect in a flame of love 2. A fixed-love Alas how soon is our love taken off from God! other objects presenting themselves steal away our love Your goodnesse is like a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away In the morning you shall see the grasse covered with drops of dew as so many pearls but before noon all is vanished so is it with our love to God perhaps at a Sermon when our affections are stirred the heart melts in love and at a Sacrament when we see Christs blood as it were trickling downe upon the crosse some love-drops fall from the heart but within a few dayes all is vanished and we have lost our first love this is matter of humiliation while we live But O ye Saints comfort your selves in Heaven your love shall be fixed as well as fervent it shall never be taken off from God any more such beauty and excellency shall shine in God that as a divine loadstone it will be alwayes drawing our eyes and hearts after him 2. Our love to the Saints shall be perfect Love is a sweet harmony a tuning and chiming together of affections It is our duty to love the Saints 1. Though they are of bad dispositions sometimes their nature is so rugged unhewn that grace doth not cast forth such a lustre it is like a gold ring on a leprous hand or a Diamond set in iron yet if there be any thing of Christ it is our duty to love it 2. Though they in some things differ from us yet if we see Christ's image and portraiture drawn upon their hearts we are to separate the precious from the vile But alas how defective is this grace how little love is there among Gods people Herod and Pilate can agree wicked men unite when Saints divide For the divisions of England there are great thoughts of heart Contentions were never more hot love never more cold Many there are whose musick consists all in discords whose harp is the Crosse that pretend to love truth but hate peace Divisions are Satans Powder-plot to blow up Religion Sin brought forth separation and this daughter of separation hath brought forth the grand-childe of division For these things there are great searchings of heart It were not strange to hear the harlot say Let the childe be divided but to heare the mother of the child say so this is sad If Pope Cardinall Jesuite all conspire against the Church of God it were not strange but for one Saint to persecute another this is strange For a Wolfe to worry a Lamb is usuall but for a Lamb to worry a Lamb is unnatural For Christs Lily to be among the thorns is ordinary but for this Lily to become a thorne to teare and fetch blood of it self this is strange How will Christ take this at our hands Would he not have his Coat rent and will he have his Body rent Oh that I could speak here weeping Well this will be a foyl to set off heaven the more there is a time shortly coming when our love shall be perfect there shall be no difference of judgement in heaven there the Saints shall be all of a piece Though we fall out by the way and about the way we shall all agree in the journies end When once the blessed Harp of Christs voice hath sounded in the ears of the Saints the evill spirit shall be quite driven away When our strings shall be wound up to the highest peg of glory you shall never hear any more discord in the Saints Musick In Heaven there shall be a perfect Harmony CHAP. XII The seventh Prerogative Royal. THe next glorious priviledge to come is the Resurrection of our bodies This is an Article of our faith Now for the illustration of this there are three things considerable 1. That there â—s such a thing as the Resurrection 2. That this is not yet past 3. That the same body that dies shall rise again 1. I shall prove the Proposition that there is a Resurrection of the body There are some of the Sadduces opinion that there is no resurrection then let us eat and drink for to morrow we die 1 Cor. 15.32 To what purpose are all our prayers and tears and indeed it were well for them who are in their life-time as bruit beasts if it might be with them as beasts after death but there is a resurrection of the body as well as an ascension of the soul which I shall prove by two Arguments 1. Because Christ is risen therefore we must rise the head being raised the rest of the body shal not alwayes lye in the grave for then it would be an head without a body his rising is a pledge of our resurrection 1 Thes. 4.14 2. Ex AEquo in regard of justice and equity the bodies of the wicked have been weapons of unrighteousnesse and have joyned with the
spiritual the spiritual revives the natural Observe how the spiritual life distils sweetnesse into the natural in three cases 1. In case of Poverty This oft eclipses the comfort of life But what though poverty hath clipped the wings Poore in the world yet rich in faith Jam. 2.5 The one humbles the other revives 2. In case of Reproach This is an heart-breaking Psal. 69.20 Reproach hath broken my heart Yet a Christianhath his Cordial by him 2 Cor. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience Who would desire a better Jury to acquit him then God and his own conscience 3. In case of losses 'T is in it selfe sad to have an interposition between us and our dear relations A limb as it were pull'd from our body and sometimes our estates strangely melted away yet a believer hath some gleanings of comfort left and such gleanings as are better then the worlds vintage Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing in your selves that you have in heaven a better and an induring substance Heb. 10.34 They had lost their estate but not their God Here is you see the drie rod blossoming The spiritual life distils comfort into the natural Take the sourest part of a Christians life and there is comfort in it When you heare him sighing bitterly it is for sin and such a sigh though it may break the heart yet it revives it The tears of the godly are sweeter then the triumph of the wicked The comfort that a wicked man hath is only imaginary it is but a pleasant fancy as rejoycing yet alwayes sorrowing He hath that within spoiles his musick But life is yours When a believers life is at the lowest ebbe yet he hath aspringtide of comfort CHAP. IV. The Augmentation of the Charter AMong these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things present There are yet three other priviledges which are in the beleevers Charter 1. Remission of his sin 2. Regeneration of his nature 3. Adoption of his person §. 1. Shewing That remission of sin is a jewel of the Believers Crown 1. The Remission of his sin This is 1. A costly mercy 2. A choice mercy 1. It is a costly mercy That which inhanceth the price of it is 't is the great fruit of Christs blood Without shedding of blood is no remission Christ did bleed out our pardon he was not onely a Lamb without spot but a Lamb slaine Every pardon a sinner hath is written in Christs blood 2. It is a choice mercy This jewel God hangs upon none but his Elect. 'T is put into the Charter I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more This is an enriching mercy it entitles us to blessednesse Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not his sinne Of all the debts we owe our sinnes are the worst now to have the booke cancelled and God appeased to heare God whisper by his Spirit Sonne be of good chear thy sinnes are forgiven I will not blot thy name out of my book but I will blot thy sinnes out of my book This is a mercy of the first magnitude Biessed is that man in the Originall it is in the plurall Blessednesses Hast thou but one blessing my father saith Esau lo here a plurality a whole chain of blessings Pardon of sin is a voluminous mercy there are many mercies bound up with it You may name it Gad for behold a troop comes When God pardons a sinner◠now he puts on if I may so speak his brightest robe Therefore when he would proclaim himselfe in his glory to Moses it was after this manner The Lord the Lord mercifull His mercy is his glory and if you read a little further you shall see it was no other then pardoning mercy Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin c. 'T is an high act of indulgence God seals the sinners pardon with a kisse This made David put on his best cloathes and anoint himselfe It was strange his childe newly dead and God had told him that the sword should not depart from his house yet now he falls anointing himselfe the reason was David had heard good news God sent him his pardon by Nathan the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sin This oile of gladnesse which God had now poured into his heart made way for the anointing oile Quest. How shall I know that this priviledge is mine Answ. He whose sins are pardoned hath something to shew for it There are two Scripture-evidences 1. The pardoned sinner is a weeping sinner Never did any man read his pardon with drie eyes Look upon that weeping penitent She stood behinde Christ weeping Her heart was a sacred limbeck out of which those teares were distilled Quest. But to what purpose is all this cost what needs weeping after pardon Answ. Because now sinne and mercy are drawne forth in more lively colours then ever The Spirit comes thus to a sinner Thou hast sinned against God who never intended thee evill thou hast abused that mercy that saves thee all this thou hast done yet behold here is thy pardon I will set up my mercy above thy sin nay in spight of it The sinner being sensible of this falls a weeping and wisheth himselfe even dissolved into teares He looks upon a bleeding Christ with a bleeding heart Nothing can so melt the heart of a sinner as the love of God and the blood of Christ. 2. He whose sins are pardoned his heart burnes in love to God thus we reade of Mary Magdalene as her eyes were broached with tears so her heart was fired with love to Christ For she loved much Gods love in pardoning a sinner is attractive The Law hath a driving power but love hath a drawing power §. 2. Shewing That Regeneration goes along with Remission and is a branch of the Charter 2d. Priviledge The Regeneration of his nature which is nothing else but the transforming the heart and casting it into a new mould you have a pregnant place for this Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minde In the Incarnation Christ did assume our humane nature and in Regeneration we partake of his divine nature This blessed work of Regeneration is in Scripture called sometimes the new birth because it is begotten of a new seed the Word Iam. 1.18 And sometimes the new creature new not in substance but in quality This is the great promise Ezek. 36.26 A new heart also will I give you Observe Remission and Regeneration are two twins When God pardons he takes away the Rebels heart Where this work of Regeneration is wrought the heart hath a new Byas and the life a new Edition How great a priviledge this is will appear two wayes Till this blessed work of Regeneration we are in a spiritual sense 1.
necessary inferences from adoption This blessed state of adoption doth strongly infer two things 1. Gods love 2. Gods care 1. Adoption sets forth Gods complacency or love to the Saints Adoption is enriched with love For a King to take a galley-slave and adopt him for his son what is this but love When we were galley-slaves to the devil then did God invest us with the priviledge of son-ship 1 Ioh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love hath the Father bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God It is mercy that feeds a sinner but it is rich mercy that adopts him If the Saints are children all Gods transactions toward them are love Let him do what he will with them yet he loves them they are adopted Object But God is angry with them Answ. Gods love and his anger towards his children are not opposita but diversa they may stand together he is angry in love As many as I love I rebuke and chasten A bitter pill may be as needfull for preserving health as a julip or cordial God afflicts with the same love he adopts Deus irascitur cùm non irascitur God is most angry when he is not angry Affliction is an argument of son-ship If you endure chastnings God dealeth with you as with sonnes God had one Sonne without sinne but no sonne without stripes Afflictions are refining Prov. 17.3 The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for Gold Fiery trials make golden Christians Afflictions are purifying Dan. 12.10 Many shall be tried and made white We think God is going to destroy us but he only layes us a whitening God will make us at last bless him for our sufferings Oculos quos peccatum claudit poena aperit The eyes that sin shuts affliction opens When Manasseh was in chaines then he knew the Lord was God Every Christian must go to heaven upon the crosse First the stones in Solomons Temple were hewn and polished and then set up into a building first the Saints who are called lively stones must be hewen and carved by sufferings as the corner-stone was and so made meet for the celestiall building Object 2. But sometimes those that are adopted are under the black clouds of desertion How doth this consist with love Answ. 1. Yet God leaves a seed of comfort He that believes hath the seed of God in him Gods children when they want the Sun yet they have a day-sâ—ar in their heart They have the work of sanctification when they want the wine of consolation Grace is better then comfort 2. I answer God may forsake his children in regard of vision but not in regard of union Thus it was with Jesus Christ when he cried out My God my God There was not a separation of the union between him and his Father only a suspension of the vision When the Moon doth intervene between us and the Sun there follows an eclipse Gods love through the interposition of our sins may be darkned and eclipsed but still he is a Father The Sun may be hid in a cloud but it is not out of the Firmament The promises in time of desertion may be as it were sequestred we have not that comfort from them as formerly but still the believers title holds good in law 3. Wheâ— God hides his face from his childe his heart may be towards him God may change his countenance but not his heart It is one thing for God to desert another thing to dis-inherit How shall I give thee up O Ephraim Hos. 8.11 This is a Metaphor taken from a father going to dis-inherit his son and while he is going to set his hand to the deed his bowels begin to melt and to yearn over him though he be a prodigal childe yet he is a childe I will not cut off the entail So saith God How shall I give thee up though Ephraim hath been a rebellious son yet he is a son I will not dis-inherit him Gods heart may be full of love when there is a vaile upon his face The Lord may change his dispensation towards his children but not his disposition The believer may say I am adopted and let God do what he will with me let him take the rod or the staffe 't is all one he loves me 2. Adoption sets forth Gods tender care Will not a father take care for his child This care of God shines forth in two things 1. Prevention 2. Provision 1. In Prevention God ever lies sentinell to keep off evill from us 1. Temporal evill There are many casualties and contingencies to which we are incident God shields them off he keeps watch and ward for his people Psal. 121.4 He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The eye of providence is ever awake and God gives his Angels charge over us Psal. 91.11 A believer hath a guard of Angels for his life-guard There is an elegant expression to set this out He bare you as upon Eagles wings an emblem of Gods providendentiall care to his adopted The Eagle fears no bird from above to hurt her young only the arrow from beneath therefore she carries them upon her wings that the Arrow must first hit her before it can come at her young ones Thus God carries his children upon the wings of providence and they are such that there is no clipping these wings not can any Arrow hurt them 2. Spirituall evils Psalm 91.10 There shall no evill befall thee God doth not say No afflictions shall befall us but no evil Question But sometimes evil in this sense befals the godly viz. sin they spot their garments Answer 1. But that evill shall not be mortall As quick-silver is in it selfe dangerous but by oyntments it is so tempered that it is killed so sinne is in it self deadly but being tempered with repentance and mixed with the sacred ointment of Christs blood the venemous damning nature of it is taken away 2. Though sinne in it selfe be evil yet to believers God will bring good out of that evil he will humble them and every trip shall make them the more watchful Poison is in it selfe evil but the wise Physician can turne it to a sovereign medicine 2. In Provision Hath God adopted us for children and will he not provide for us Behold the fowls of the aire c Doth a man feed his bird and will he not feed his childe Consider the lilies of the field Doth God cloath the lilies and will he not cloath his lambs The Lord careth for us 1 Peter 5.7 As long as his heart is full of love so long his head will be full of care §. 5. Shewing The signes of adoption Quest. But how shall I know that I am adopted Answ. If thou hast in thee a child-like heart which is 1. A tender heart 2 Chr. 34.27 Because thy heart was tender The heart that was before
a flinty is now become a fleshy heart The heart is fearful of sin the least haire makes the eye weepe so the least sin makes the heart smite Davids heart smote him when he cut off the lap of King Saul's garment what would it have done if he had cut off his head A tender heart is like melting wax to God he may set what seale he will upon it A tender heart is like adamant to the threatnings of men in this sense the more tender the heart is the more hard 2. A childe-like heart is a praying heart The Spirit of adoption is a Spirit of supplication Ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father Before the childe is out of the womb it cannot crie While men lie in the womb of their natural estate they cannot pray so as to be heard but when they are born again of the seed of the Word then they crie Abba Father Prayer is nothing else but the souls breathing it selfe into the bosome of its Father Prayer is a sweet and familiar intercourse with God He comes down to us upon the wings of his Spirit and we go up to him upon the wings of prayer It is reported in the life of Luther that when he prayed it was tanta reverentia ut si Deo tanta fiducia ut si amico it was with so much reverence as if he were praying to God and with so much boldnesse as if he had been speaking to his friend This prayer must have constancy and instancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.12 continuing constant The heart must boile over Prayer is compared to groanes unutterable it alludes to a woman that is in pangs we should be in pangs when we are travelling for mercy such prayer commands God himselfe 3. A childe-like heart is a loyall heart it is moulded into obedience 't is like the flower that opens and shuts with the Sun so it opens to God and shuts to tentation This is the language of obedience it is written in the volume of my heart I delight to do thy will O my God 4. A childe-like heart is a zealous heart 'T is impatient of Gods dishonour Moses was cool in his own cause but hot in Gods When the people of Israel had wrought folly in the golden calfe he breaks the Tables As we shall answer for idle words so for sinful silence It is dangerous in this sense to be possessed with a dumb devil David saith the zeale of Gods house had eaten him up Many Christians whose zeal once had almost eaten them up now they have eaten up their zeal Let men talk of bitternesse for my part I can never believe that he hath the heart of a childe in him that can be patient when Gods glory suffers Can an ingenuous childe endure to heare his father reproached Though we should be silent under Gods displeasure yet not under his dishonour When there is a fire of zeal kindled at the heart it will breake forth at the lips Zeale tempered with holinesse this white and sanguine is the best complexion of the soule Of all others let Ministers be impatient when Gods glory is eclipsed and impeached Let not them be either shaken with fear or seduced with flattery they are Gods ensign-bearers his warriours and therefore must discharge against sin God never made Ministers to be as false glasses to make bad faces look fair â—or want of this fire of zeale they are in danger of another fire even the burning lake Rev. 21.8 into which the fearfull shall be cast CHAP. V. Shewing that things to come are a Believers AND so I slide into the second part of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things to come are yours here is portion enough It is a great comfort that when things present are taken away yet things to come are ours Me thinks the very naming this word Things to come should make the spirits of a Christian revive It is a sweet word our happinesse is in reversion the best is behinde all is not yet come that is promised Truly if we had nothing but what we have here we were miserable here are disgraces martyrdomes we must taste some of that Gall and Vineger which Jesus Christ drank upon the Crosse but O Christian be of good chear there is something to come The best part of your portion is yet unpaid All things to come are yours God deals with us as a Merchant that shews the worst piece of cloath first We meete sometimes with course usage in the world that piece which is of the finest spinning is kept till we come at heaven It is true God doth chequer his work in this life a white spot with a black he gives us something to sweeten our pilgrimage here the Praelibations and tastes of his love these are the earnest and first-fruits but what is this to that which is to come Now we are the sonnes of God 1 Iohn 3.2 But it doth not yet appear what we shall be expect that God should keep his best wine till last Things to come are yours CHAP. VI. The first Prerogative To Come BUt what are those things that are to come Answ. There are twelve things yet to come the which I call twelve Prerogatives Royal wherewith the Believer shall be invested The first is set down in the Text which I will begin with 1. Death is yours Death in Scripture is called an Enemy 1 Cor. 15.26 Yet here it is put in a Christians Inventory Death is yours 'T is an enemy to the mortal part but a friend to the spiritual It is one of our best friends next to Christ Death is a part of the joincture When Moses saw his rod turned into a serpent it did at the first affright him and he fled from it but when God bade him take hold of it he found by the miraculous effects which it wrought it did him and the people of Israel much good so death at the first sight is like the rod turned into a serpent it affrights but when by Faith we take hold of it then we finde much benefit and comfort in it As Moses rod divided the waters and made a passage for Israel into Canaan So death divides the Waters of Tribulation and makes a passage for us into the land of promise Death is called the King of Terrours but it can do a childe of God no hurt the sting is pull'd out The Bee by stinging loseth its sting While death did sting Christ upon the Crosse it hath quite lost its sting to a Believer It can hurt the soule no more then David did King Saul when he cut off the lap of his garment Death to a Believer is but like the Arresting of a man for a Debt after the Debt is paid Death as Gods Sergeant at Armes may Arrest us and carry us before Gods Justice but Christ will shew our discharge the
yet there can be no faith without knowledge They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee Psal. 9.10 Philo calls it fides oculata quick-sighted faith Knowledge must carry the Torch before faith 2 Tim. 1.12 For I know whom I have believed As faith without works is dead so faith without knowledge is blind Devout ignorance damnes which condemns the Church of Rome that think it a piece of their religion to be kept in ignorance these set up an Altar to an unknown God they say Ignorance is the mother of devotion but sure where the Sun is set in the understanding there must needs be night in the affections So necessary is knowledge to the being of faith that the Scripture doth sometimes baptize faith with the Name of knowledge Isa. 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many knowledge is put there for faith Now this knowledge of Christ which goes before faith or rather is the embrio and first matter of which faith is formed consists in four things The soul through this optick glasse of knowledge sees 1. A preciousnesse in Christ he is the chief of ten thousand the pearl of price Christ was never poor but when he had on our rags there is nothing in Christ but what is precious he is precious in his Name in his Nature in his Influences he is called a precious stone he must needs be a precious stone who hath made us living stones 2. A fulnesse in Christ the fulness of the Godhead Col. 2.9 all fulnesse Col. 1.19 a fulnesse of merit his blood able to satisfie his Fathers wrath a fullnesse of Spirit his grace able to supply our wants by the one he doth absolve us by the other he doth adorn us 3. A suitablenesse in Christ that which is good if it be not adaequatum suitable it is not satisfactory If a man be hungry bring him fine flowers this is not suitable he desires food if he be sick bring him musick this is not suitable he desires Physick in this sense there is a suitablenesse in Christ to the soule he is quicquid appetibile as Origen speaks whatever we can desire If we hunger and thirst he is pabulum animae the food of the soul therefore he is called the bread of life If we are sick unto death his blood is a sacred balm he may be compared to the trees of the Sanctuary which were both for meat and for medicine 4. A Propensenesse and readinesse in Christ to give out his fulnesse Isa. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no mony buy and not c. Behold here at what a low price doth God set his heavenly blessings it is but thirsting bring but desires Behold the Propensenesse in Christ to â—â—spense and give out his fulnesse buy without money a strange kind of buying there 's bounty in Christ as well as beauty As he is all fulnesse so he is all sweetnesse of a noble and generous disposition he doth not only invite us but charge us upon pain of death to come in and believe he threatens us if we will not lay hold of mercy he waits to be gracious This is the lenocinium and enticer of the affections this draws the eyes and heart of a sinner after him what are the blessed Promises but Christs golden Scepter held forth what are the motions of the Spirit but Jesus Christ coming a wooing and such a knowledge and sight of Christ is necessary to usher in faith now the soul begins to move towards him he sees all this variety of excellency in Christ and withall sees a possibility nay a probability of mercy there is nothing that hinders him God doth not exclude him unlesse he exclude himself Then he thinks thus What is it keeps me off from Christ is it my unworthinesse behold there is merit in Christ is it my wants there is enough in the fountain and Jesus Christ doth not expect that I should carry any thing to him but rather that I should bring something from him he doth not expect that I should carry water to the well only an empty vessel why then should not this fulnesse in Christ be for me as well as others While he is thus parlying with himself the Spirit works a kind of perswasion that Christ is willing that he in particular should taste of this mercy then follows the second act which faith puts forth and that is consent Well I will have Christ whatever it cost me §. II. That Consent is requisite to faith Though Knowledge be a necessary antecedent to Faith yet it is not enough there must be secondly Consent Faith is seated as well in the heart and will as in the understanding as well in the affection as in the apprehension With the heart man believes Scepticks in religion may have a faith in the head but not in the heart they are more Notion then Motion the soul consents to have Christ and to have him upon his own terms 1. As an Head the head hath a double office it is the fountaine of spirits and the seat of government the head is as it were the Pilot of the body it rules and steers it in its motion The believer consents to have Christ not only as an Head to send forth spirits that is comfort but as an head to rule A sinner would take Christs Promises but not his Laws he would be under Christs benediction but not under his jurisdiction A believer consents to have whole Christ non eligit objectum he doth not pick and choose but as he expects to sit down with Christ upon the throne so he makes his heart Christs Throne 2. The believer consents to have Christ for better for worse a naked Christ a persecuted Christ faith sees a beauty and glory in the reproaches of Christ and will have Christ not only in purple but when with Iohn Baptist he is cloathed in Camels haire Faith can embrace the fire if Christ be in it Faith looks upon the Crosse as Iacobs ladder to carry him up to Heaven Faith saith Blessed be that affliction welcome that Crosse which carries Christ upon it 3. The Believer consents to have Christ purely for love if the wife should give her consent only for her husbands riches she should marry his estate rather then his person non est amicitia sed mercatura it were not properly to make a marriage with him but rather to make a merchandise of him the believer consents for love amat Christum propter Christum he loves Christ for Christ Heaven without Christ is not a sufficient dowry for a believer there 's nothing adulterate in his consent it is not sinister there 's nothing forced it is not for feare that were rather constraint then consent a consent forced will not hold in Law it is voluntary The beauty of Christs person and the sweetness of his disposition draws the will
and Repentance but wheÌ„ God throws down the comforts of his Spirit we either begin to leave off duty or at least slacken the strings of our Vial grow remiss in it thou art taken with the mony but God is taken with the musick thou art taken with comfort but God is more taken with thy faith when there is too much sunshine oftentimes there follows a drought in our graces 2. The second thing to support the heart is Things to come are yours it is but staying a while and you shall be brim-full of comfort now a beleever is an heir of this joy let him stay but while he is of age and hee shall bee fully possessed of the joyes of Heaven For the present God leaves a seed of comfort in the heart the seed of God there 's a time shortly coming when we shall have the full flower We shall drink of the fruit of the vine in the Kingdome of Heaven As Paul said of Onesimus Philem. v. 15. For perhaps he therefore departed for a season that thou mightest receive him for ever so I say of the comforts of Gods Spirit they may bee withdrawn for a season that we may have them for ever there 's a time coming when we shall bathe our selves in the rivers of divine pleasure 8. The next duty is If all Christs things are ours then all our things must be Christs this is Lex Talionis justice and equity require it There 's a joynt interest between Christ and a believer Christ saith All mine are thine things present and things to come then the heart of a believer must echo back to Christ Lord whatsoever I have is for thee my parts my estate it was the saying of a reverend Father Lord thou art my all and my all is thine Oh be willing to spend and be spent do and suffer for Christ. 1. Let us to our power advance the Honour and Interest of Jesus Christ Alas what is all that we can do If a King should bestow upon another a Million per annum with this proviso that in lieu of his acknowledgement he should pay a Peppercorn every year to the King what proportion were there between this mans rent and his revenue Alas we are but unprofitable servants all that we can do for Christ is not so much as this peppercorn yet up and be doing Christ hates complements we must not only bow the knee to him but with the Wise men present him with gifts gold frankincense and myrrhe Be not like the sonnes of Belial who brought their King no presents But saith the Christian I am poor and can do little for Christ. Canst thou not make a Deed of gift and bestow thy love upon Christ In the Law he that could not bring a Lamb for an offering if he brought but two Turtle-doves it was sufficient The woman in the Gospel that threw in but her two mites yet it was accepted God is not angry with any man because he hath but one Talent but because he doth not trade it 2. Suffer for Christ be willing to sell all nay to lose all for Christ we may be losers for him we shall never be losers by him if he calls him for our blood let us not deny it we have no such blood to shed for Christ as he hath shed for us It was Luthers saying That in the cause of God he was contâ—nt totius mundi odium impetum sustinere to indure the odium and fury of the whole world Basil affirmes of the Primitive Saints they had so much courage in their sufferings that many of the Heathens seeing their Heroick zeal turned Christians they snatched up torments as so many Crowns Oh think nothing too dear for Christ. We that look for things to come should be wiling to part with things present for Christ. 9. Lastly If all things to come are ours be content to wait for these Great Priviledges it is not incongruous to long for Christs appearing and yet to wait for it you see the glory a beleever shall be invested with but though the Lord gives a great portion he may set a long day for the paiment David had the promise of a Crown but it was long before he came to weare it God will not deny yet he may delay his promise to teach us to wait 't is but a short-spirited faith that cannot waite The husbandman waites for the seed there is a seed of Glory sowne in a beleevers heart waite till it spring up into a harvest Truly it is an hard thing to waite for these things to come so many discouragements from without so many distempers from within that the Christian is willing to be at home therefore we need patience Heb. 10 36. For yee have need of patience But how shall we get it nourish faith ver 35. Cast not away your confidence Patience is nothing else but faith spun out if you would lengthen patience be sure to strengthen faith There 's a great deale of reason why a beleever should be content to wait for Heaven 1. God is faithfull who promiseth Gods Word is security enough to venture upon his Bond is as good as ready money all the world hangs upon the word of his power and cannot our faith hang upon the word of his promise we have his hand and seal nay his Oath 2. While we are waiting God is tuning and fitting us for glory Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet for the inheritance Col. 1.12 we must be made meet Perhaps our hearts are not humble enough not patient enough our faith is but in its swadling bands we should be content to wait a while till we have gotten such a vigorous faith as will carry us full-sail to Heaven As there is a fitting of vessels for hell Rom. 9.22 so there is a ripening and a preparing of the vessels of mercy ver 23. A Christian should be willing to wait for glory till he be fit to take his degree 3. While we are waiting our glory is encreasing while wee are laying out for God he is laying up for us 2 Tim. 4.8 If we suffer for God the heavier our Crosse the heavier shall bee our Crown Would a Christian be in the Meridian of glory would he have his robes shine bright let him stay here and do service God will reward us though not for our works yet according to our works the longer We stay for the principall the greater will the interest be 4. Wait for these things to come out of ingenuity The longer a Christian lives the more glory he may bring to God Faith is an ingenuous grace as it hath one eye at the reward so it hath another eye at duty The time of life is the only time we have to work for God Heaven is a place of receiving this of doing Hence the Apostle being enflamed with divine love though he could with all his heart