as thy resolution fails thee of leaving all for Christ so far is my fear of thee that thou art not in union with Christ Fourthly To be one spirit with Christ doth denote the constancy and perpetual tye that is between Christ and the soul No knot will be lasting and holding but this between Christ and believers Couple our selves to flesh never so strongly yet all will be broken couple our selves to sin never so strongly This shall you have of Gods hand ye shall lie down in sorrow your vanity shall be bound up in vexation of spirit No conjunction can hold but that which is spiritual nor no spiritual conjunction but that which is between Christ and believers Sin will make a separation though God be thy Creator Preserver these knots between the Creature and God will all be broken But this union with Christ and our spirits it is a constant perpetual and an everlasting holding I have read of one that writing to his Consort would use this salutation Eternal thine This was an expression of excess that can never be made good to any but Christ and believers and therefore for thy comfort thou doubting believer Christ and thee being one spirit bear up the head against all temptations for thy head and husband salutes thee with Eternal thine Jer. 31. 3. The Lord hath appeared unto me saying I have loved thee with an everlasting love A love that is both boundless and endless with such a love hath Christ loved his Church and people And therefore though all fails as it will flesh and heart and all will fail yet this spiritual union between Christ and the soul shall never fail Rom. 8. 35 36 37 38 39. Summon all these into one Tribulation distress famine persecution peril sword life angels principalities powers things present things to come now follows your triumph Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. But may the soul say If there be such Obj. affinitie between Christ and his Church and every believer and that all believers are partakers of one and the same spirit as Love Joy Peace Meekness Patience c. What is the reason of all that variance discord and dissention that is amongst even believers and professors The difference and disagreement amongst believers themselves ariseth from themselves Ans because our own spirits are most predominate If Christ did but Lord it whose spirit is righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost wranglig and discord would not be found amongst brethren we would not so strive and contend the faithful should contend onely for the faith not against the faithful members should not strive against members None should hate his own flesh Believers are flesh of one flesh and bone of the same bone all one in Christ why not so one with another This is our fault and indeed our misery we keep the spirit of Christ under and we exalt our own passions Christians therefore consider what you do in all your wranglings and disputings keep to this rule So far as you have attained walk together with a spirit of forbearance and complyance and bow your passions and your principles to the scepter of Christ for that is not a wangling but a righteous scepter I would have all Christians to keep to this rule against sin even to hate the Garment spotted with the flesh not to touch any unclean thing for what concord hath Christ with Belial light with darkness sin with saints No saith the Lord 2 Cor. 6. 17. Be ye separated and I will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters And Christians for your Saviours sake Let all bitterness and envyings and wranglings be put away from you as becometh Saints Ephes 5. 3. And thus much for the first thing considerable How Believers and Christ may be said to be one spirit CHAP. II. Touching Evidence whether we be one Spirit with Christ 2. THe next thing to be toucht upon is What Evidence may I have that Christ and my soul are one in this spiritual union For this is very considerable before we can draw any saving and solid comfort in the benefits and spiritual Incomes the soul hath by being one Spirit with Christ 1. As an Evidence for this union try your union with Christ by your communion with Christ Not that you should measure out your union by your communion for it is possible for the soul to be united unto Christ that as yet hath no acquaintance and familiarity with Christ As Mary did Ioh. 20. 15. talk with Christ as well as believe in Christ and yet she did not know him and why might not she have supposed him to be Christ as well as the Gardiner Therefore let us not measure our union with Christ by our communion but let us try our union by our communion and enjoyment Can thy soul say from experience as the Spouse Can. 2. 4. He brought me into the banqueting house and his Banner over me was love Without question so was house and table and all Hath thy sovl ever been fed with his dainties have you been at his table tasted of his wine It may be thou wilt say This I know that Christ hath stood Rev. 3. 20. at my door and knockt at my heart as he doth at many a Sinners in a Sermon But when was the time that Christ came in and supped with thee and when did you sup with him What inward feastings and familiarity hath there been between Christ and the soul We know the tie of Nature will constrain some exchanges and intercourses of love between man and wife but much more the band of Grace between the soul and Christ Try therefore thy union by thy communion 2. If you would know your Union try not only by your Communion but also by Convincement as Communion is an Evidence so Convincement We know that there can be no true marriage without convincement of love No more can there be between Christ and thy soul Now when was thy soul convinced of Christs alsufficiencie and thy self of thy own natural misery For this is the way Christ takes to wooe and win the soul unto himself Ioh. 16. 7 8. 3. They that have union with Christ flie the pollutions of the world None can be one with Christ and one with Swearing one with Drunkenness not one with Christ and one with Covetousness In such pollutions there is not communion with Christ and therefore no union For what communion hath light with darkness Christ with Belial The Spirit of Christ clears the heart of such guests as drive a trade with sin And would to God I might say of all you Professors as Paul saith of many of these Corinthians 1 Cor. 16. 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God 4. They that are one with
fears must be removed as well as outward favors must be remembred not by sword but by shines the Fathers saying I am with thee Now the Lord himself make you victorious over all dismayings and lead you and your Precious Pious and Elect Consort into the Chambers of his own Special Presence where you may enjoy the Full Fruition of the Sweetest Promises the Richest Graces the Noblest Hopes and the Highest Priviledges Which are the unfained wishes of him who is the meanest in the things of Christ Rich. Coler To the Christian Inhabitants in the Parish of Broughton in the county of Southampton and to the godly professors of the Gospel of Christ in some of the places adjacent Grace and Peace be Multiplyed c. Friends I Could not chuse but make mention of you in the front of this Discourse and that for these two Reasons amongst many others First Because most of you did sympathize with me in my late sorrows and were very willing and freely active for my enlargement Secondly Because most of you at sundry times either publiquely or privately have been partakers in hearing of what is here presented unto your reading And because most have want of memory especially to retain spiritual and heavenly truths I have put forth this for your hands that through the grace of Christ every one may put home unto their hearts according as every one hath need But to be as quick as my intent I shall cast what I have to say to you and those whom it most concerns into two or three words as followeth 1. A Word or two by way of Account 2. A word by way of Caution 3. But a word and that by way of Councel First By way of Account To testifie that about six moneths since a Thanksgiving Sermon for that great deliverance at Worcester was published under my name intituled Goodness and works of wonder which Sermon I own and doubt not but that it is both Orthodox and Consonant to the Doctrine of the Scripture and the harmony of the late reformed Churches And this I testifie against any such scandal of Recantation or Satisfaction knowing nothing therein for substance but what is agreeable to the word of God And if any can prove or make appear the contrary namely any error or untruth worthy recantation or any thing of wrong which meriteth satisfaction Let such an offence be worthily pickt out and as publiquely stated and let not any doubt but a ready Account shall chearfully be acknowledged But to give satisfaction where no wrong appears and a recantation where no error is found were to injure truth and stablish error But interdictum esse jure naturae As for any expressions of tartness if they be but words and not untruths why should I be made an offender or any man to be offended for a word words have their weight but it is matter makes an Accusation and my wish is since no man nominally is accused by me that none as from me would accuse themselves And though some have a faculty to take every thing in the worst who have a minde to make things odious I say though such can extract poyson out of any expression yet conscientious hearts will not And as for others let them know I was not light but serious in the similitude And most know that comparisons are not conclusions they are to set off yet they do not conclude Verba in definitionibus posita non actum sed potentiam significant And this is no strange rule amongst Logicians That words used in definition do not signifie the very act indeed but the power aptness or the inclination thereunto And if in definitions why not in illustrations Secondly In way of Account Having been about two years upon the exposition of the 5 6 7 Chapters of Matthews Gospel I delivered for Doctrine from the scope of the 9 Ver. in the 6. Chapter That the Lords Prayer improperly though vulgarly counted and called so was but part of Christs Sermon and none of Christs Prayer For Christ could not pray for pardon of sin in a proper sense who was without sin neither guile found in his mouth This I thought good to assert in this Epistle to silence if not for the satisfaction of such who think I should be ashamed to publish preach and own such Doctrine because they will wilfully and ignorantly wrangle against the clear truth of the Gospel Thirdly By way of Account which is the least of all yet something therein as a motive unto my self to publish these notes namely to silence such tongues which are too too apt for any Accusation charging me that I preach nothing but other mens labors But to testifie that I do not steal but study and according to my poor mite labor in the Word and Doctrine not what I have received from men but what I have received from the Lord that I have delivered unto you comparing spiritual things with spiritual studying the Scriptures against mens distempers that if by any means I might be a manuductor to draw any out of the fire of their sins into the saving knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus This in way of Account Secondly By way of Caution Take heed of a prejudiced spirit in any of you against truth though it comes unto you in never so plain a stile yet if truth esteem of it though it come unto you in an earthen vessel though the person be despised yet let not the endeavor It is a great fault of some who are very ready and apt to represent the dark part of things but will over look the light All the good endeavored shall not once be mentioned but if but a seeming fault that shall be aggravated and heightned This hath been hitherto my lot and portion and therefore I must give it by way of caution Thirdly and lastly by way of Councel These are evil times wherein too too many depart from the faith which was given to the Saints that trifle and slight the precious truths of the Lord Jesus But O do you keep close with God and to your Christian principles let none take your Crown from you be not ashamed of the Gospel nor a shame to the Gospel hold fast your profession with a holy conversation be burning and shining lights in your generation Fighting the good fight of faith and persevering unto the end that through mercy you may have an entrance into everlasting glory Two things let me intreat 1. Read and consider for it is with Sermons as with a playster Let the playster be never so soveraign yet if not applied unto the soar it profiteth nothing So if Sermons be never so soveraign spread with promises never so precious and threatnings never so searching yet if not applied no comfort is perswaded to a poor perplexed and sick fearing soul nor no malady asswaged or removed from the brawny and sin-festered souls therefore meditate and consider And then 2. Read and resolve as you have
of mirth But now how constant are they in sable their eyes bedewed with tears their hearts with sighs fears and dismayings begirt them round about Well Christians God the Father and Christ the Son takes notice of it Saith Christ Ioh 14 1. Let not your hearts be troubled but rest depend rely Ye believe in God believe also in me Though the wicked rise high in their false and fleeting joy yet know believing soul Christ is for you and the Sera certa vindicta Dei Father is for you And though he comes slow yet he comes sure yea he hath engaged himself on your behalf given you his promise Ioh. 4. 18. and his hearty love is in it I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you And this is not only Christs but the Fathers express too Fear not be not dismayd I will help thee I will uphold thee c. And now what 's the matter thy soul is still cast down thy heart so full of sighs thy eyes so full of tears Come hither in the name of Jesus I summon every ingenuous drooping doubting Christian to bring in all your fears all dismayings yea all objections let them be what they will Here 's that in the Text will answer all let the souls necessities be what they will If the Father of comfort can help if the God of consolation can cure thee if he that trod the wine press alone that led captivity captive and triumphed over death and hell yea if Christ the right hand of Gods righteousness can sustain thee all this in this Text is held out unto thee for so the 14. verse tels thee Fear not thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel Compare this but with the Text and you may clearly gather the scope of the Holy Ghost is to set out the tender care and zeal of God the Father and Christ the Son to stop the current of fears and dismayings which are so incident unto his Church and people This truth speaks Moses Exod. 3 7. Thus saith the Lord I have surely seen the Videndo vidi certò seriò affliction of my people and I have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters for I know their sorrows If God take such acquaintance with his people while in the land of Egypt when the child is in darkness what doth he do the Child being light in the Lord Jesus In the Text you have him like a husband who knowing his wives weakness and mistrustings will lay in symptoms of his love to take off jealousies and fears Though I am abroad saith the husband yet still I am with thee I am at home my Love and my care is still for thee So saith the Head and Husband Jesus Christ unto his Church Thou harbourest fears and jealousies of my love thou thinkest I am like a wayfaring man staying but for a night but know my love is constant and my care is tender believe it and be comforted I give you no such cause of jealousie and fears The world thinks thee a poor go-by-the ground as one forsaken A worm and so is ready to tread on thee But for my part I am thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel fear thou not but chear thy heart and free thy heart from these dismayings for I am with thee I am thy God c. Thus doubting Christian does thy Head and Husband lay in symptoms of his zeal and realities of his love as Paul sayes to the Colossians c. 2. v. 5. Though I am absent in the flesh yet am I present with you in the spirit c. So says Christ unto his Church and to every believing soul Though I am absent yet I am present and I joy in thee why shouldst not thou joy in me However do not fear be not dismayed Mark how kindly he speaks it as if he would take near and dear acquaintance with thee communicating himself in the life of all relations Were I with thee but as a Lord thou being my servant or as a friend I counting you my friend as at the 8. verse where he sayes Thou believer art my servant the seed of Abraham my friend this were enough But now when God is with thee not only as a Lord but as a friend not only as a friend but as a favourer not only as a favourer but as a Father yea as a Head as a Husband as a Redeemer yea combining all these in one I am with thee what a sweet pledge of love is here Who would be dismayed or rather who would not be in love with such a Love whose presence is fulness of joy Psal 16. 11. In thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand pleasures for evermore Why this gracious presence is about every Believer I do not say glorious And it is the same right hand which if evermore pleasures do attend it why should ever and anon fears and dismayings so affright it Have you not seen the ingenuous Mother sitting up with her beloved Child suckling and feeding it to quiet the crying and complainings and in the swooning fits laying the head in her bosom the child in her lap begirts it round with her arms saying Peace my child thou shalt not fall why dost thou faint c. Just thus is God our Father in the Text you have him as it were sitting up with his Church and people in their swooning state putting his right hand of righteousness round about offering of it wine and milk I am with thee why dost thou faint Be not afraid my Babe of grace thou Petty fidian Having me by thee what wouldst thou more Therefore be not faithless but believing be not fearful but be chearful I may do as the Nurse doth sometimes she takes away the stool that the Child may close and clink more fast to her hand So may I says God who am a Father and Mother both to a fearing Christian I may take away all outward supports on which thou art so apt to lean but if I stand by thee my self and support thee with the right hand of my own righteousness be not afraid be not dismayd And that God does all this is very clear in the face of the words yea and that he might fasten this upon every believer do but mark how the Lord avers it over and over again I will strengthen thee I will help thee yea I will uphold thee As if he should say If you had but my bare word you may believe me but if yea and yea and yea will serve turn you may perceive my heart is in it too Yea poorest believer to take off thy feares and troubles my bowels yearn I am in the earnestness of my affections and that 's the reason I double and redouble my expressions Therefore fear thou not nor be dismayed I am with thee I am thy God And thus much for the scope
heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire but thee All the glory honour and riches of this Creation cannot administer one word of comfort to my bleeding heart but the shining of thy face is better then life Oh how excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord They that shelter here are safe and they that seek here have succor yea satisfaction yea abundance they shal be abundantly satisfied w th the fatnes of thy house how much more with the beauty of thy presence For with thee is the fountain Ps 36. 9. of life and in thy light we shall see light For God is a fountain fulness running over all tears and fears Be but in his presence as his presence is with thee and thou shalt in his light have light and everliving comforts The special presence of God that is about a believing soul is a glorious graciousness and a gracious gloriousness made up only of mercy love kindness and that on purpose to banish fears and dismayings Now mercy love and kindnesses of Mercy is a royalty for the fearing soul to boast in God is such a royalty that may be boasted in Psal 34. v. 2. My soul shall boast in the Lord. And sayes David this truth is to be made good on such that are cast down The humble or the tamed as the word signifies shall rejoyce in it and be glad And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he would have such souls presently to wind up unto this key he brings in the Chorus in the next verse O come magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together And his case was the same with a doubting soul full of fears But saith David I sought the Lord that is his special presence and there I found such a glory of mercy grace and love that it hath delivered me from all my fears So v. 4. Oh but may the soul say David was one Obj. of ten thousand a man after Gods own heart a type of Christ and would you have me to do as David did Why yes Thou having Davids principle Ans why not Davids practice If thy portion be the same why not thy joy the same Thou hast faith in Christ David had no more He had this special presence and thou hast as much Yea though thou thinkest thy self a worm God singles thee out in special with this Fear not I am with thee And though David was a Type of Christ thou art a Member and that is more A shadow hath the lineaments by reflection from the substance but the least and meanest Believer is a member and so bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh And if the same sympathizing in fears and tears why not the same heroick spirit over fears and dismayings It was a precious expression and a precious experience that David reports to a doubting soul Psal 85. 9 Surely his salvation is neer unto them that fear him that glory may dwell in our land This surely is thy certainty For what is true of the whole is of every part nay in particular unto such that fear Salvation is nigh to them that fear him This is Davids experience who had but faith And thou hast faith and God himself saying Fear thou not I am with thee To what end Why David tels thee that glory may dwell in thee Which is as much as if he had said There is a beauty and splendor about every Believer that one would not expect such an Inhabitant at least to dwell there as fears and doubtings but love and joy and peace that glory may dwell c. And this is but the language of the Text I am with thee hath a glory in it for a gracious soul for saith the Lord there is such a glory in my grace such a beauty in my presence that the very shines of I am with thee I am thy God is enough to dispell all slavish fears doubts and dismayings But now may the believing soul say Quest There is a glory in this I am with thee and I see clearly that it is darkness that causeth drooping but now God being with me and with such a beauty and splendor what 's the reason that I cannot see him so that I may not fear nor be dismayed First It may be thou lookest for an outside Ans glory when this special presence is rather an inside glory And so I may say unto thee as the Apostle sayes Ye have not because ye ask not Or Ye receive not because Jam. 4. 3. ye ask amiss So fearing soul thou perceivest not because thou look'st amiss Turn but the eye of faith inward and there is Christ in us the hope of glory What saith David Ps 45. 13. compared with v. 15. The Kings daughter is all glorious within The believing soul is clad with all the Needle-work graces but we must look within if we would see this beauty and splendor And therefore it follows They shall enter into the Kings palace Kings daughters are not to be expected in common but in the Chamber of presence Enter therefore into thy Graces there shalt thou see this glorious excellencie with gladness and rejoycing But secondly thou seest not the glory that is round about thee by Gods special presence because though thou lookest aright yet thou lookest through an infirm I will not say a false medium God sees thee face to face beyond fears A similitude and dismayings but thou dost not see him Faith is like the Prospective glass it makes things that are afar off seem to be neer but yet with a great deal of weakness So Faith it discovers visions of God yea and it brings it neer but because it is an infirm medium we see fears and doubtings when indeed the object of faith is full of joys and chearings So that we may say of this special presence as David sayes of the mouth Psal 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it so may it truly be said of the eye of faith Open it wide yea wider and Gods special presence will shine unto the full assurance of light and life and glory Heaven and happiness it self is but this special presence So saith David Ps 16. 11. speaking of Gods glorious presence In thy presence is fulness of joy at his right hand pleasures for evermore Why now the difference between Gods glorious presence and his gracious presence lies mainly in this God seeing us with the eye of glory through a gracious Christ we seeing him with the eye of grace through a glorious Christ The special presence of God is no less then heavenly joy and glory only to us it is contracted to the narrow eye of faith and because of this we do not see clearly the things that are given us of God Like A similitude a great Volume that is put into a very narrow Print which one can hardly read with the choicest and
clearest Spectacle So Heaven it is a great volume but to every believing soul it is contracted into a very small print so that though the Creature put on the choisest Spectacle of Reason he cannot read a word and the Christian though he hath on the Spectacle of Reason and that which is suited to the Print which is Grace yet he can read but darkly yet read he can but 't is obscurely with ifs and ands fears and doubtings And what 's the reason Because he looks through an infirm medium But now put but off or rather put but on the Spectacle of Glory and then we shall see face to face know as we are known Yea and the sum of this the Apostle speaks in that 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a glass darkly but then when the eye of faith is opened to fruition we shall see face to face c. CHAP. IV. The second Excellencie The Lords presence proclaims comfort And what will not this do against fears and dismayings SEcondly Although the fearing soul The Lords presence speaketh comfort to believers against fears and dismayings doth not see this special presence so beautiful and so full of splendor yet know that for the answering of all thy fears and dismayings it shines forth abundance of comfort And thus I charge all you that are the beloved of Gods soul to make use of it for thus God is present with you on purpose to administer comfort to you by his Spirit which Spirit is no less then Gal. 5. 22. love and joy and consolation And what will not this administer against all fears and dismayings 1. First what will not the love of God Gods love is in his presence administer Canst thou say by experience that earthly things administer comfort and refreshment to thy body and shall not Gods love much more refresh and chear thy fearing soul All earthly comforts are but Wine and Wine may chear the heart as the Psalmist speaks Ps 104. 15. But now the love of Christ is ten thousand times better and the Spouse finds it more sweet Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine Now this love of God is with thee by this special presence And if the love of earthly relations as of Father Husband Wife can administer comfort what will not the love of my heavenly Father and Christ my Husband who hath loved me with an everlasting Jer. 31. 3 love Yea when this love is round about me yea such a love that passeth Eph. 3. 19 2 Cor. 5. 14. knowledge Yea such a love that is about Saints is above Angels a love of an attractive sweetness not straitning but constraining the soul to comfort against all fears and dismayings 2. Though the love of God may administer enough comfort yet in this I am Gods kindness yea loving kindness about Believers with thee there is not only Gods love but Gods kindness yea his loving kindness And what will not the loving kindness of a God answer The kindness of a faithful friend is much but the kindness of a Father that 's more But what is this to the loving kindness of a God David tels you it is better then life Ps 63. 3. Thy loving kindness is better then life And he speaks this when his straits were as great as thine can be He was in a bewildered condition yet the loving kindness of the Lord administred comfort above life And that his loving kindness is round about thee by his special presence mark how familiarly the Lord speaks to thee Fear thou not for I am with thee As if he would lay all in thy lap whereby thou mightst be comforted 3. This special presence brings special This special presence hath in it special mercy to remove fears mercy with it yea God thus proclaims himself altogether a God of mercy In this I am with thee there is not so much as a moment of anger for if he was in any way with the soul but mercy the soul might fear as if he had said I am with thee a God of terror the soul might tremble but there is not the least of terror to affright thee in this my special presence but all mercy love and kindness to stir thee up against terrors and dismayings And therefore mark how the Text opposeth all slavish fears saying I am with thee fear not And as perfect love should cast out slavish fear so should mercy take in only hope and to that soul that hopes in mercy mercy alone is about such a soul without the least of terror yea against all terror and affrighting Therefore fear thou not but be thou comforted and hope in mercy Psal 33. v. 18. 4. This special presence is with thee to It is a full joy for a fearing soul against fears comfort thee as it is a full joy and a full tyde of comfort against all thy sorrowings So that if the question should be To what end the Lord encompasseth the soul with his special presence it is that our joy might be full for in his special presence there is fulness of joy Ps 16. 11. And if we take this fulness only to be in glory why should a night of sorrow so much trouble us for that joy comes in the morning And yet being a Believer thou art not benighted Although the Sun be not in the Meridian or in his highest altitude yet he is risen and shines above the Horizon of fears and doubtings So that to you must be applied that of the Prophet Mal. 4. 2. To you that fear my name that is to the poorest believing soul shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings And what joy must this administer when these wings that overshadow thee are no less then all the saving benefits of Christ Redemption Justification Sanctification yea the entrance into glory And to comfort thee they all encompass thee with healing A precious balm for comfort and refreshment against fears and dismayings So that though the soul flag through fears so that it cannot be upon the wing of prayer unto God as Christ speaks unto his Disciples Joh. 16. 24. Ask that your joy may be full the Father doth as it were prevent the soul that is fainting with fears and brings his wings over the soul saying Though you faint and ask not yet do not doubt but fear not I am with thee and in me there is such a full joy that may comfort thee against all thy sorrowings 5. This special presence of God doth There is in Gods being with believers all support to succor against fears not only administer comfort as it hath love in it and kindness mercy and joy but it hath in it for thy comfort all strength power and support So that grant thou art feeble weak and staggering why yet if thou hast a Stander that which way soever thou reelest thou
break thy quiet And that this is the mind of God to engage for thee mark but his resolution Yea I will yea I will yea I will strengthen help uphold He speaks it as a vehement undertaker of thy cause and quarrel as if he would in no wise suffer his Child to be so battered and abused by any fears and troubles and temptations Says the Creature I have spent both time and strength and mony and do you think I will suffer this No I will rather spend so much and so much more I will engage all but I le accomplish As the faithful Subject saith in his Countries cause Our father 's bought such and such a priviledge with such and such expence and shall we now be so incroacht on nay my life and fortune shall lie at stake first I will venture all and engage all but I will accomplish such dear-bought priviledges Even thus saith God the Father to a doubting Christian I have not only bought thee with the precious blood of my dear Son but through him I have also priviledged thee with the graces of my holy Spirit whereby thou mayst be comforted against fears and troubles But I see these guests are inmates in my houses still yea these slaves which should be underfoot are oft usurpers lording it over my sons and daughters But children be of good chear I your Father will not suffer this I will stand by you and engage for you Hath my Son redeemed you from your sins and shall you now be overwhelmed by servile fears No believe it drooping spirit Call forth all my strength all my power all my love it s all at stake for you and all engaged for you You know I sent my Son for you and in his low estate he slew the King of fears Death and Hell and led Captivity captive And now I am exalted I in him and he in me and you in both and shall I now suffer you to suffer No I will not suffer you to be tempted to be feared but I will succour you I will relieve you and support you When the offending Child hath got but a friend to stand between it and its offended Father how will it wipe the eyes and cherish hope and creep behind because it knows it hath gotten one to stand between it and home Ah but how much more may the Child of God who hath such a friend as Christ to intercede and such a Father as is so far from being offended with his Child in case of fears that he comes forth himself and engageth all his love all his grace the least drop whereof is enough to remove mountains of sins and why not fears and dismayings specially considering that he by his special presence singles out thee alone as if so be he had no more but thee for so the Text implies and expresses I am with thee poor fearing Christian and and all my mercy power and grace is engaged for thee and what will not the Bow of my power do being bent with resolution and that against all your servile fears I come I shoot I engage all my power mercy love Fear thou not for I am with thee And this is no more then what the Prodigal found at the hands of his Father Luk 16. who leaves all for him and engages all for him although a Prodigal and a Spend thrift yet because a Son the Father 's out to meet him and no cost must be spared the fatted Calf must be kill'd And if our Heavenly Father have such a resolution for a prodigal Son what will he not have for thee who art a Son but yet a fearing one The Children of God may say indeed that the sons of Zerviah have been too hard for them Temptation Sin and Satan had made them slaves The sorrows of death encompassed me and the pains of hell caught hold on me yea I found trouble and sorrow saith David as our President Psal 116. 3. but v. 5 6. Gratious is the Lord for he preserveth the simple I was brought low and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to be thin and poor naked he helped me That 's the fearing soul And upon this he sings this Requiem Return unto thy rest return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And thus may every doubting Believer not only say but sing from Gods special presence that is round about them Turn out fears and dismayings turn out troubles sighs and sorrowings turn out distrusts and droopings And turn in my love and joy my comfort my consolation For my God hath dealt bountifully with me engaging all by his special presence And who would not subscribe to such an engagement such an engaging Father and such an engaging Son who is about me with all his power and love to oppose all my fears and affrightings How often have our fearing hearts said as David did in his case with Saul 1 Sam. 1 Sam. 27. 27. Surely I shall one day perish by the hands of Saul So says the weak Believer Surely I shall perish Sin doth so assault me and Temptation like the floating Sea daily riseth high and how can I chuse but fear when my life is in jeopardy every houre Ah but consider so oft as thou hast feared perishing who hath delivered thee 'T was not thy faintings and thy fearings for it is not by the best of our might or power why then it must be by the Spirit of God in his special presence which hath been with thee in the time of all thy straits and troubles only it may be thou hast not thought that God was thy assistant that he was so neer at hand by his special presence to comfort thee and sustain thee And if thou hadst known and thought of this thou wouldst have trusted more and doubted less However for the future still keep this in mind That God is with thee yea engaged for thee and that against all thy fears and dismayings And if one Attribute of God may administer a world of comfort and if one Attribute of God is an infinite support what then are all the Attributes of God which are about every Believer to comfort and engage against all their fears and troubles Surely we may all say We will not fear though the earth were removed for the Lord is a present help Yea though I be but as a worm a poor go-by the ground for so the Text expresses v. 14. Fear thou not worm Jacob yea the Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Psal 46. 1. 11. God being with us what need we fear any that are against us And why Because all is engaged for us All his Grace all his Love all his Mercy all his Wisdom all his Strength indeed all in God and God in all I shall in a word or two hint unto you four things which are engaged by this I am with thee
presently believe and draw refreshment against all thy fears And for that end the Lord affords us his special presence which speaks not the least of terror but only comfort and consolation And as Christ saith Joh. 14. 19. so saith the Father by this Text My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you Not as the world giveth which are ready to grumble and to take it away again but saith v. 18. that it may abide with you for ever And why should your hearts be troubled or afraid I am with you saith the Father and my promise is for thee at the present and see believing souls that you approve it There are three special times of fears but this special presence of God to every believing soul will answer all 1. The hour of Temptation is a time of fear when the soul is as a bird insnared by the fowler but then God by his special presence makes way for the soul to escape so that though the Tempter tempt never so craftily yet God hath so promised to succour and relieve the soul that the soul gets cost and by being thus try'd hath this crown set upon the head of it Jam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life A wicked man way-lays Satan as well as Satan way-lays him and being dead in trespasses and sins he is not capable what Temptation means and therefore is it 2 Tim. 2. 20. said the Devil takes them captive at his will But now Gods child he finds it to go very hard sometimes with him through temptation and he wrestles tugs and toyls which is a clear sign by his complainings that his soul is capable But fear not holy soul this Job 5. 19. is the hour God will be seen in the Mount and make way for thee to escape out of six and seven troubles Yea when thou art thus try'd thou shalt be crowned hereafter with glory and life and for the present by Gods special presence thou art pronounced blessed for Blessed is the soul that endures c. Jam. 1. 12. 2. As the hour of temptation so the hour of death this is called the King of fears and may truly be so to an unbeliever But fear not thou their fear for God is with us in this hour And though thou thinkest death to be an enemy to thee and a hard passage for thee to dispute yet if thou believest nothing too hard for God then fear thou not this hour of fear for by this special presence God being with thee thou hast no less then the right hand of the Lords righteousness and this delivers thee from death Pro. 10. 2. which is but a parallel to the Text to let us know we should not fear this hour of fear for God being with us we have the right hand of his righteousness And though treasures of gold and silver will not for that will profit nothing in that day and therefore wicked men may fear but fear not thou God is with thee and righteousness delivers from death 3. Being thus delivered from death there is no fear to thee to come to Judgment which is and will be a time of fearful fear Pro. 13. 21. to all wicked men Ah but to a child of God this is no time of fear but of everlasting refreshment Wicked men in their life time have the powerful presence of God their conscience bearing of them witness that they thus were always in his presence and they could not flie it as David Ps 139. 7. speaks but this is their misery they gave no regard to it And therefore Death and Judgment are times of fear because they have Gods fearful presence Christ appears to them as a fearful Judge and as an Avenger of all those injuries offered to him his Cause and Saints And this is the cause why they call to the rocks and mountains to fall upon them it is to hide them from the presence of the Lord Whereas Rev. 6. 16. the child of God hath the Judge his friend and Christ his Advocate and nothing is brought in against him but he himself is brought in with shouts and with welcome love and kindness And therefore believing soul since Gods special presence will own you at that great day of fears and tremblings Mat. 25. 34. saying Come ye blessed come my children come my servants See that you own this special presence now when God is with you and bids you Fear not yea and is so earnest you should believe him Be couragious doubting soul by answering Gods kindenesse saying Come Lord Jesus come quickly Lastly It may be objected Am not I Obj. bid to fear the Lord yea and is it not a Scripture precious qualification yea and that for Saints Psal 34. 9. O fear the Lord all ye his Saints and so likewise Prov. 14. 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life and the Text saith Fear not How standeth these Scriptures and such like against this expresse Prohibition I Answer The Scripture is very plentiful A double fear in scripture a slavish and a filial in a double fear A slavish or a distrustful fear a filial or a depending fear a fear as a Passion and fear as a Grace or a gracious fear The first of these is that of our Saviours warning unto his Disciples Mat. 10. 28. Fear not them that can kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but fear him that can cast both body and soul into hell But now a gracious fear is that of the Prophet Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts Wicked men are often upon this slavish fear and therefore the childe of God is called to fear not their fear Gods children must not have such doubts Prov. 29. 25. and fears and dismayings but rather flie such fears for Gods special presence about believers is perfect love And perfect love casts out fear 1 Iohn 4. 18. perfect love it may take in filial fear but not the least of slavish or distrustful fear And therefore doubting Christian take heed Me thinks I hear thy sighs and see thy tears Let not thy tears be tears of distrust or fearful sorrowing for God is with thee by his special presence forbiding any such tears or sorrows And if tears will needs flow let them be tears of kindnesse let them be like Mary's not onely Luke 7. 37 38. tears of contrition but tears of compassion if thou wilt bedew Christs feet with tears wipe them with the hairs of thy head and kisse them to let all flow from constrained love in the consideration of this special presence that God is with thee Know therefore as thou art a Believer all thy fears should be filial more for love then want and all thy tears should be joyful more from comfort then grief No men laugh louder then wicked men but this is
makes the Devil tremble he trembles at Gods greatness but thou art hardned under all Soveraignty and power and wrath fears the Devil but nothing will make wicked men to fear at least to be filial And judge you Righteous what 's the difference And if any would know a reason why the Devil is more obedient then many incorrigible creatures it is nor wilt be so for God commands the contrary And what though thou wilt say the Devil tempts know also the Devil cannot constrain but mark the desperate wickedness of thy own base and corrupt spirit For this is the condemnation that light is come into the world but men love darkness rather or more then light because their deeds are evil John 3. 19. CHAP. IX A word of Aggravation and Application to Common Professors THus having the demonstration take a word or two of Aggravation and also of Application 1. By way of Aggravation Know thou that art an incorrigible prophane person thou art worse then the Devils are in regard thou art under dispensation of Providence Grace and Mercy Thou art taught by judgements and by mercies but cannot be wrought upon thou hast use of means the Devil hath not the word of God and the works of God knocks daily at the door of thy hard and frozen heart saying Sinner return return May not I say to desperate and impenitent sinners as Christ saith of Chorazin and Bethsaida Luke 10. 13. Wo unto thee Chorazin and wo unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you they had long ago repented in sackcloth and ashes So wo unto you searedhearted sinners and wo unto you that are professors but still prophaners had the means of grace been proclaimed to devils as unto you they might have improved more for under lesser means nay without any hopes they are obedient yet thou under all means yea all sorts of means remainest obdurate 2. The Devil lives not under daily mercies as wicked and prophane men do God giving them fruitful seasons and feeding them with food and gladness yet how doth the Devil own Gods call and keep to his Commission and trembles at his word and power but wicked men at neither 3. Thou livest in the sense of temporal mercies so that thou must needs confess thou hast in a measure tasted of Gods common bounty and providence the Devil hath not had the same relish of temporals nor any offers of spirituals But how will this aggravate thy condemnation when the Devil yields better obedience when not one drop of mercy is offered unto him thou art nothing more then disobedient and yet behold a fountain opened of grace and mercy unto thee 4. Although the Devil be without hope so that if he would repent yet he cannot yet the Devil goes when God commands yea he dreads and trembles at Gods Soveraignty So long as there is life we say there is hope O be ashamed or shame the Devil for he obeys that cannot repent repent thou and obey least thou be eternally hardened 5. Salvation by Jesus Christ is that which thou livest under in these days of the Gospel which is tydings of gladness and by the Apostle called great salvation Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect such great salvation that is more then the Ministry of Angels even Jesus Christ himself in his own dispensations is offered and tendred And if salvation be so great and the tender of it so large as to the worst of sinners calling upon thee but rejecting the Devil yet the Devil more yielding this must needs be a great aggravation for the Devil trembles under the sence of power and wrath thou as an unbeliever art obdurate under the tender of grace and love and therefore thou wilt he unexcusable whosoever thou art that living under the means of grace neglecting the means thou wilt be found a rejecter of mercy And how wilt thou escape thou bringest upon thy self swift destruction which the devil would not do Lastly There is this aggravation in every unbelievers misery that notwithstanding the Devil be first in torment yet wicked and incorrigible persons will be most in torment for though the Devil be a Prince of darkness yet is he a miserable slave yet if thou live and dye in unbelief thou wilt be a slave unto this slave yea all the Devils will tyrannize over thee And know to thy fear and trembling there is the aggravation of mercy and providence will burn thee in hell which will not scorch the Devil The Devil shall have the fire of wrath but the aggravation of mercy will be all cruelties on such that obey not the Gospel the mercy of God will be in wrath and judgement all will be to wicked men a consuming fire therefore fear and tremble and consider if mercy will not melt you wrath and fury will pierce you and consume you 1. As a word of use What terror is this to such that are implacably wicked Oh the fears and torments that will shortly be on such that are wanton and negligent under mercy now the day of vengeance is approaching and think never so slightly there is no escaping 2. Use by way of restraint Will all be against wicked men at last What a misery is it that love and mercy will not constrain you Now my delight is not in this to inlarge but would the love of God in Christ might constrain you if not let the fear of wrath restrain you or else for certain the Devil will take you And who would be a childe to such a father a slave to such a slave Do not let the Devil shame thee but let the wrath of God fear thee and his Love and Mercy melt thee Last of all Saints heighten up your spirits and your expectation though the wicked now laugh and you mourn yet when death comes their bands begin no end of the wickeds torment nor of your consolation for it is but a night of sorrow and to morrow your redemption shall be compleated Even the expectation of your faith the salvation of your souls Counsel unto Saints As they are Sojourners and Strangers in the Earth Psal 119. 19. I am a stranger in the earth hide not thy Commandments from me CHAP. I. Shewing the Division of the words ond the Doctrines therein A Strange Text may some say for this occasion Why grant it so yet it is no more strange then true and I doubt not to understanding Christians the Text will very well suit the time and this present solemnity In the former Sermon you had something of the Son now something from the Father The difference betwixt the Father and the Son is to be observed it lay not in their David and Solomon Offices they were both Kings David was a King so was Solomon his Son but the one knoweth much the other experienceth more Solomon had abundance of knowledge but David more spiritual experience
none can say certainly what they expect but I hope the best as well as others would you have me to say certainly that is more then Paul doth or I think any Saint Nay but do not so reckon Mark the Apostle not onely in the behalf of himself but of others also 2 Cor. 5 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Mark Christians the Christians expectation not that every childe of God doth come up to this faith of certainty and assurance but we are all for to desire it as all strangers they desire home and know their home and travel after it though it be but by steps and strides yet a constant pace goes far so Christians must all keep journeying and going on though not coming to this attainment and thou poor weakling faith though thou canst not say so much yet think the more press hard and follow after though thou canst not go so fast as such whose evidence is sure Though thou canst not say I know and we know yet say I hope and it is best yea happy for that soul whose evidence is clear though we all cannot say We know yet let us not be sad but say We may know In this Pronoune We lies much divinity for the comfort of a Christian for we know we have tabernacles of clay poor bodies of dust and ashes And why should not we know we have a building of God with all such properties as not made with hands eternal in the heavens Methinks every Christian is like a stranger and a traveller that comes into his Inn and takes up his lodging for a night the people bring him meat and drink and gives him bed and board but they know not whence he comes nor whether he goes but now he knows himself where he goes and whether he would so Christians though the world knows not yet they do For we know c. I am a traveller and a stranger but I have a home a house a heaven a building I expect it saith Faith c. I am a stranger saith Patience but I have a building I wait for it saith Patience It is but to day and to morrow and the next day it shall be perfected so saith Patience I must have its perfect work a little to day more to morrow the third day I shall have possession I am a stranger in the earth saith Love but I have a building and O how I long for it Psal 42. 2. My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God! Now unto such souls that make out after home heaven and happiness with such a triplicity of We We expect it saith Faith wait for it saith Patience long for it saith Love to such gathering of a heart in Grace the Lord doth make a gracious answer Cant. 1. 11. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver Mark poor soul here is a We to answer thy We not a Wo but a We not to dismark thee but to make thee gracious and glorious Thou that hast an I of faith expecting and I of patience waiting and an I of love longing this is a Christians We Now the Lord unto thy soul hath his We We will make thee I will saith God the Father and I will saith Christ the Son and I will saith the blessed Spirit All this makes this We to make the soul graciously glorious and gloriously gracious Now be perswaded O soul upon this thy future expectation here thou art a stranger living in thy houses of clay bedecked onely with furniture of infirmity weakness and crosses and a few broken comforts and crackt enjoyments but in heaven there is brightness and purity there is blessedness and peace there is never broken joys and everlasting comforts there are houses richly furnished with furniture free from all infirmity bordered with gold and set forth with silver all variety interwoven for soul satisfaction Hasten O strangers O strangers hasten without lingring long for this thy expectation But may some say I know every childe of Obj. God shall be well provided for of their heavenly Father Eye hath not seen nor ear heard 1 Cor. 2. 9. neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what the Lord hath prepared for them that love him but there is that to be passed would make one fear the straits of death is not an easie passage it fills my heart with grief and my eyes with tears at the present sence of my deceased friend but what fears and pain and staggering may it be if I should be called to pass the straits of death the Lord knows In Answer unto this and so as pertinent to our present occasion I shall adde but a word of comfort and consolation and so conclude the time and Doctrine CHAP. VII Containing comfort for dejected souls in their loss of Christian friends and encouragements for estranged Saints in this world 3. IF it be so that the Saints are strangers on the earth then Saints be you freed from fear grieve not for the death or departure of the faithful nor being faithful be thou not afraid to dye To all Gods children death is but a messenger of life and a calling from the cross to the crown You know every one will hasten to a father or a friends house and what though there be a plash of water and a few bryers to go through if we do wet our feet or tear our garments so long as we are going home such things are nothing home and the father makes us through all Christians I will not say all your way is paved and smooth to heaven and happiness but some rubs fears sorrows may be in your way but know assuredly Christ hath sweetned the grave for every childe of God what though you do wet your feet by fears and pricks your hearts with sorrow let the hope of home and father and Christ make you be comforted and encouraged Captain Death hath taken away a friend now and he stands in the way to press thee too but may not we be comforted in this My friend was a stranger here and he is now gone home to his dwelling place where father and friends are yea where he shall want for nothing freed from fears and cares aches and pains but fed with favor love and life such dishes that the world never had at their tables The Saints indeed have meat in heart and hand I mean at present that the world knows not of but alas Saints though this be wine and milk yet this is but the first mess in this spiritual banquet Our Master Christ keeps the best wine and the best chear and best welcome until the last After death every thing to a faithful soul is disht out and disht up unto Eternity the longing soul through the straits of death is satisfied and