is he not upright and just and true hath he said it and will he not make it good hath he not said as many as come to him he will in no wise cast out and is â—is word worth nothing indeeed if a man fail once in his word we will hardly trust him the second time and if ever sinners or Satan can come forth and say that the Lord Jesus made a promise and was not as good as his word then you may indeed have a jealousie of him but they cannot they cannot the Devil will tell you his promise of the seed of the woman breaking the Serpents head he hath felt to his wounding and his promise of Satans falling down like lightning and there is not a sinner in hell can charge the Lord Jesus with breach of promise But it may be this is not enough to poor unbelieving souls therefore you shall have it written and sealed and witnessed there are witnesses in heaven and upon Earth and seals the Sacraments the broad seal and privy seal of the spirit yea there is an oath also to make it good what would you have more what can you desire more then this would you see the work done why is not the giving up of Jesus Christ to the death for sinners the greatest part of the work Sure if ever he would have baulkt there and yet you see it stuck not O therefore be not jealous of him who hath so freely and so largely laid out himself for sinners 3. Now then ye that are Saints indeed love the Lord Jesus O love the Lord ye his Saints None have such reason to love him as they that have tasted of his love if there be any ingenuity in us love will beget love as one flame begets another because he hath set his love upon me saith the Psalmist therefore I will deliver him if we could love the Lord Jesus more we should be delivered more from those evils we mourn under How lamentable a thing is it how much love have we for Creatures and how little love for Jesus Christ did Husband or Wife die for us ransom us from the pit and hell I hope there are some of his people believe it that have more affection for Jesus Christ then ever they had for the Creature Ah blessed souls how infinitely are you engaged to him for so fully seizing upon your hearts O who are you that you should be able thus entirely to love the Lord Jesus and admitted to it but thus it is and magnifie his Name But alas for the most part the complaint of the people of God is they cannot love him O labour to get those carnal affections mortified the fore-skins of our heart taken away and our heart circumcised and then we shall love him you have a promise improve it for that end If we could but spare time to set our selves to it to study his heart towards us and ours towards him his excellency and loveliness we could not but love him O beg the spreading abroad of his love sheding it abroad not only upon our understandings but our affections for no further then he sheds it will it spread it will stay in the brain in the understanding if the passages between head and heart be not opened by him we shall never be affected and warmed by it Alas you will say our distances are so great that kils our love No brethren that cannot be the distances are not so great now for the relation between Christ and thy soul if thou believest is the nearest relation he is one Spirit with thee and therefore there is not such a distance and though in respect of dignity and worth there be a distance yet remember now we are 〈◊〉 part of himself and partake with him of his dignities also but however love knoweth not that over-much aw and respect as to kill it but it will be working towards the person beloved Mary Magdalen loving him holds him by the feet and weeps over him If a Prince will marry a begger surely he will take it well and expecteth it to be loved of her and he would not be pleased with such a dejection in respect of her own vileness as to quash her love yea brethren me thinks the meaner we see our selves the more we should love him for what can we do else but love him we have nothing else lovely or desirable but our love our hearts therefore Oh love him and abundantly love him O ye Saints of his whom he hath so loved Alas But our love is little in comparison of his love to us and this discourageth us It is true What proportion between the drop of a Bucket and the ocean Some there is but there is none between the largeness of Christ his heart toward us and ours towards him But shall our love perish and dry up because there is not as much in the little limbeck as in the fountain in the river as in the sea He is love it self brethren and therefore we must be contented to fall infinitely below in love but let us love him according to our measure Again if there be the whole heart to love the Lord Jesus it is as much proportionably for us if we could reach it as it is for him to love us with his whole heart as he is pleased to express it The Creature is infinitely less then Christ and therefore must needs have infinitely less love to him then he hath to us but yet there is nothing wanting where there is Totum therefore rather it should provoke us He hath loved us first aâ—d loved us more abundantly then we can love him therefore labour to get our hearts as much enlarged as we can in love towards him though we fall short of what we might attain to he will make up imperfections there is love enough in him and there is the advantage of his love being above ours that he can cover those imperfections in our love to him which if he had not more abundantly then he could not do What shall I say more Love is that which commandeth all it draweth all the affections along with it which way ever it turns thither the desires are bent there is the hope fixed there the delights are quâ— amat amat nihil aliud novit She that loveth loveth and knoweth nothing else O how shall we not be able to do any thing against sin for Christ if we loved him so entirely then our hearts would be in Heaven we could not grufle as many of us do then we should be more tender of his name and of his honour then now we are but alas I am not able to press these things home the Lord set them home You must love him brethren else you will have little joy of your communion with him which is to endure to eternity Again Labour to rejoyce in him and in his love rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous saith the Psalmist
to this readiness a making the calling and election sure by adding faith to faith and grace to grace as it is in that place of the Apostle Peter Then when Simeon had gotten Jesus Christ into this arms of his faith as well as of his body and saw his salvation with the eye of faith as well as of the body then he cryeth out Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Now he was ready to enter into glory And so the Apostle Paul had such a perswasion and therefore he was ready henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of glory c. 2. There goeth many times if not alway to this abundant entrance as a readiness or preparation to it an earnest waiting of the soul for its change a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better There is many a poor heart when the body of death weigheth them down and tryeth them groan earnestly and could be contented to dye that sin might dye with them As Sampson said let me even dye with the Philistians if no other way will destroy their lusts But alas when they are to seek in point of assurance they look upon death as a dark passage that leadeth them they cannot tell whither this maketh them fly back this kills those desires nippeth them as soon as they put forth they come to no maturity But now when a man hath the right art of believing notwithstanding his body of death he groans under as the Apostle that yet he is perswaded through Christ it is pardoned and shall be utterly dissolved and not hinder him then he can bless the Lord and desires with Paul to be dissolved So many of the Patriarks it is said of them they dyed full of daies satisfied with daies that is to say they lived as long as they desired they had now a desire to be at home knowing that while they are present in the body they are absent from the Lord from that near and sweet and full Communion with him whereof they have had a little taste and earnest but if they know not that they shall be present with him by departure but for ought they know more separate from them no marvel if they go to death with drawing back Yet I deny not but a child of God may be ready before he desire it And may desire it before he be ready for this entrance I say a child of God may be ready before he desire it as in the case before mentioned and upon other grounds as Hezekiah and David that I may declare thy power to this generation may be ready and not have such an assurance but he is not ready for an abundant entrance until the Lord come with a full sealing of his love to his heart 2. He may desire it before he be ready as in some passionate impatient fit as Elijah 1 King 19. 4. weary of his life the King persecuting him and thinking he should fall by his hand would have God take away his life from him but he had not yet done his work And so Job God had not yet done with him he must pass through more changes and prosper and flourish again and hold forth his name to that generation before he departed he had not done his work But I speak of the serious settled well-grounded frame of a Believers heart upon a sound perswasion of the Love of God in Jesus Christ and a knowledge that he hath finished his course then for such a one to wait for his change when the blessed hour will come is a part of readiness for an entrance an abundant entrance into glory But this is not the portion of every child of God many Suns set in a Cloud c. For the second thing which are the arguments of the point they are such as these First because else Gods work would be in vain he hath prepared an inheritance for the Saints a Kingdom prepared before the world was and his work upon our hearts what is it but to prepare us for this Kingdom as the Apostle speaks he that hath wrought us to this self-same thing is God he hath wrought us to it there is no suitableness between heaven and an ungracious heart a glorious Kingdom and a vile filthy spirit therefore the Lord takes much pains with us to purge us to himself to purifie us to adorn us with the rich graces of his Spirit and all is to work us to heaven to salvation to prepare us for this entrance and therefore when God hath done this shall his work be in vain surely no not a soul that is so wrought up by the Lord to a heavenly frame and temper and nature that shall miss of an entrance when it is thus prepared else Gods work were in vain the greatest work of God 2. Because else the Lord Jesus would fail of his purchase and prayer for his poople who did buy us at so dear a rate as his own most precious blood was it think you to suffer us for ever to be at such distances from him whom he so dearly loved did his love to us draw him out of heaven to us and will it not think you draw us to heaven to him he will not have his Spouse that he hath redeemed with his blood to be absent from him any longer then is needful for his Fathers glory and their good It is a fruit of his death and of his prayer Father I will that where I am there they may be for they are the fulness of Christ and he accounteth himself as I may say imperfect without them and therefore he will have them there Indeed Brethren so dear is the heart of Jesus Christ to his people that he would not suffer so long an absence at so great a distance from them but that there is a necessity in it though at his first pitching his love upon us he looks at nothing but notwithstanding all blackness and deformity and loathsomness his love overcometh all Yet before they come to this Communion and fellowship with him they must be purified with spices and odors as those were for the King of Assyria and for other holy ends 3. Because else the promise of God and hope of the Saints would fail and heaven and earth shall sooner fail then the word of promise Christ hath promised not only to give life but eternal life God hath promised to give not only grace but glory there is a Crown laid up in the purpose and promise of God and if they should miss of this they would be made ashamed of their hope now this cannot be the Psalmist prayeth that he might not be ashamed of his hope which is virtually a promise it shall not be never any yet were disappointed that hoped upon right grounds Indeed if men make Promises to themselves of heaven let them live after the imaginations of their hearts or whether they truly believe or
Testament violated Father I will that where I am they shall be also now they cannot come to be where he is except he bring them with him as the Apostle speaks they shall enter in therefore with him having undertaken to save them he will do it to the utmost yea it is the will of his Father also which he hath undertaken to see fulfilled therefore how can he be faithful except he make it good to the utmost this is one 2. His own Communicative He is not willing to be alone in the enjoyment of this glory wherewith he is glorified with the Father he would not ingross those delights and pleasures which are at the right hand of the Father for evermore but would communicate them to some now he is in heaven and his people upon earth yet he would not be alone in those comforts but though himself must sit at the right hand of his Father yet he sendeth the Spirit the Comforter to his people to give them a taste an earnest of those joys of that Feast that is to come indeed so much joy that it is unspeakable and full of glory to many of the people of God many Saints are as I may say in heaven upon earth the Lord Jesus would not eat and drink abundantly and let his people have none that were unkindness indeed where there is little goodness in a creature as all in the creature is but little in comparison of him Job would not eat his morsel alone so will not he Lord Jesus but he will have his people to go in with him to the Feast to the Marriage and drink wine with him as you have it in the Canticles He hath eaten his honey and honey Comb and drank his wine and milk and what then Then drink ye O my friends yea drink abundantly c. 3. Because they have set their love upon him therefore he will put this high favour and honour upon them as it is in the Psalms Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I be with him and deliver him and honour him with long life will I satisfie him and shew him my Salvation Give him to injoy it and not only here but hereafter The Saints they do love the Lord Jesus every one of them their hearts are set upon him and they cleave to him with full purpose of heart in all conditions as the Disciples did they continue with him in his temptations in his poor condition in his imprisoned condition therefore he appointeh them to sit down with him And so you know they are not every one that is admitted to a Marriage Feast they were the friends of the Bridegroom or of the Bride there were thirty young men attending Sampson these were at the Feast among others And so who goeth to the Kings Banquet of wine but the Kings Favorite even Haman he goeth along with him he puts it upon him as a great honour and this is the glory of Jesus Christ the honour which he doth to the man whom he delights to honour who hath set his love upon him even to bring him in to the Feast the Marriage Feast he hath not been ashamed of him before men nor will the Lord be ashamed of him before men and Angels and his Father though while he was here below it may be a man full of infirmities so the Saints are called his friends in many places Abraham my friend Ye are my friends Ioh. 15. and so his Mother and brethren and sisters they are called these are the Favorites which must needs be at the Marriage Feast 4 For his glory as well as for theirs Indeed his glory is theirs and theirs is his now the Lord Jesus cometh to be made glorious in his Saints when the light of the Saints shines before men and they see their good works he is glorified the vertues of him that calls them out of darkness to light are shewed forth but alas this is with so many cloudings interruptions it can scarce be called a glory He shall come to be glorified in his Saints saith the Apostle will not the fulness of the Saints being brought in be his glory they are called the fulness of Christ so that he accounteth not himself full without them but to be as I may say imperfect without some of his Members now at that day he will bring them all and then he will be glorified indeed in them more fully then ever then the general assembly of the first born being gathered together how much honour will he have in it that by his death by his blood he hath redeemed such an innumerable company that he hath by his Spirit sanctified them kept them alive cheared them comforted them raised them and brought them together and put so much glory and beauty upon them all herein he will be much glorified and that every one of them shall have to the full be filled even to admiration of him will not this honour him exceedingly acknowledge and hold forth the glory of his grace before his Father and Angelsglorified 5. He will exceedingly rejoyce in them as well as they in him he spake those things made that prayer in the world that they might have his joy fulfilled in themselves his joy efficienter and his joy subjective for herein he did and doth rejoyce exceedingly surely according to his desire to communicate with his people which is according to his strength of Love to them will be his joy in the communiâ—n therefore saith he thy love is better then wine to see his own love take such an impression upon our hearts as to draw out our love to him this is a great joy to the Lord Jesus I desired with desire to eat this Passover with you saith he to his Disciples great desire so great joy so saith he I have eaten my honey and honey comb he doth as I may say feed upon the graces of his people that is to say they are pleasing delightful to him even when there is mixture in them O what will it be then when there shall be no honey comb no wax no imperfection when grace shall be glorious will it not be his joy and delight to pour out of his love and manifest himself in the most open glorious manner to his people and then to behold them to be filled with love swallowed up of this love and filled with this joy yea swallowed up with that also to see their faces to shine gloriously with grace and joy and comfort unconceiveable O this will be joy to him 6. Because indeed the Saints they are ready to enter in with him they are his Spouse though here considered only as Virgins waiting upon the Bride yet they are the Spouse and sure if any must be brought to the Marriage Feast the Spouse must be there the Angels shall be rather attendants the Saints shall sit down with Jesus Christ at his
Table as his Spouse for ever as the poor man in the Parable his wife is compared to an Ewe Lamb which did lie in his bosome and eat and drink with him so shall the Saints surely because of this relation of theirs to the Lord Jesus Ah blessed are ye Believers ye that are ready for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Again Now the Saints are made ready for this glory now we are not able to bear it old Bottels will not hold this new Wine that he will drink with them in his Fathers Kingdom strong Duties were too strong for the Disciples then in their minority as I may say how much more the Duties of heaven everlasting Hallelujahs and admiring of God in Christ therefore they must be changed before they can be fit for that feast a little joy now would swallow us up so as to unfit us for any thing Alas the Apostle like a wise Nursing Father would not give strong meat to babes they could not bear it and so our Saviour when upon the earth they could not bear many things therefore he fed them with milk if you should give strong meats to children and wine what would sooner ruine them therefore saith the Apostle I speak the Wisdom of God in a Mâ—sterie among them that are perfect yet he had some things which he saw in his Vision that he could not or might not utter to them likely they could not bear them You see Israel could not indure to behold Moses face when it had but a beam of the divine glory within the cloud reflected upon him and the glory of the Angel astonished Iohn so eminent a man in saith and love and holiness therefore I say we shall then be fitted for this Communion the old Bottles be made new the capacities of soul inlarged the mouth opened wider then we can conceive and the body raised in power It must be an extraordinary stomack brethren that can continually sit at a Feast and dâ—gest it and never be satiated therefore it is that the Marriage feast the fulness of it is reserved for heaven and heaven is so compared in Scripture For the Uses of the Doctrine First then Behold what maner of love the Father hath loved us with that we should be made the Favorites a people so near to him that he will take any of us with him into the Marriage The Apostle admireth the condition of the Saints for what they have in hand already What manner of love is this that we should be called the Sons of God that is to say made such his Word is operative he cals things that were not as if they were but saith he this is not all it doth not yet appear what we shall be until Christ who is our life appear then shall we appear with him in glory the Saints in heaven though their apprehensions as well as the rest of their capacities shall be inlarged heightened perfected yet shall not be able to comprehend the depth of the river of pleasures at the right hand of God no more then a Vessel that is put into the Sea can comprehend the Ocean and therefore they shall admire it then the Lord Jesus shall come to be admired in all the Saints their fulness will be unspeakable greater then that of the Saints here though sometimes they are filled with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory yet alas in both conditions far short of comprehending it therefore we should admire it Such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can enter into the heart of man God hath prepared Do you not see how Haman glorieth in it though he had little cause if he knew all that he among all the Courtiers was invited to the feast of Wine to the Queen he accounted it an high favour a significative testimony of his especial love to him above others Ah brethren you that are Saints indeed let me speak to you all in the words of the Angel to Mary you are highly favoured of God you shall all be admitted to this Marriage Feast be thou as poor in outward condition as may be and as poor in Spirit as may be never so low in thine own thoughts thou shalt enter into this Marriage Feast thou thinkest with the poor Publican Thou art not worthy to come near the place where his honour dwels nor lift up thy eys towards heaven nor be reckoned among his people nor come to his Table here below Well be thou as vile as thou canst in thine own eys thou shalt enter with the Lord Jesus into the Marriage Feast if thou be ready for his coming O admire this Love the Lord help poor weak creatures unbelief in this point that they may admire it what will he admit such a one as I such a vile creature such a grieving creature to his holy Spirit yea such as he hath once pitched his heart upon to love them they shall enter with him into this feast Saith Mephihosheth What is thy servant thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I c. 2. If this be so that the state of Glory or Kingdom of glory into which the Saints enter with Christ is such a Marriage-feast it shall be an invitation then to poor sinners to this Feast this Marriage Wisdom hath builded her house hewn out seven Pillars killed her beast mingled her wine made it ready a cup of mixture that is to say a cup made ready and now sends forth her Maidens to cry turn in ye simple ones c. O that the uncircumsicion of our hearts that are the Messngers may not hinder but the Lord Jesus by us brethren doth invite you sinners to this feast he would fain have his Table full of guests how welcome would he make man woman and child if they would but come he would cast out none that cometh to him no no in any wise whatsoever as I have told you sometime from the Text. But for the better understanding of this Exhortation I will note two things and then a little further press it upon us First then That we do not invite you to this Feast this Marriage in heaven to enter in with Christ continuing such as you are in your blood and uncleanness but we do first invite you to come to Jesus Christ here on earth that so you may enter in with him into the Marriage your union with Christ and your communion with him must begin upon earth though it end in heaven and this communion here is two-fold though both spiritual it is internal and external internal a fellowship with the Father in the Son a fellowship with Christ in his death the power of it that we may dye to sin and be free from the condemnation God will not have this Marriage-Feast for his Son in heaven filled with Goal Birds condemned creatures such as have their bolts and fetters upon them the nastiness of the prison upon them
grow in this Grace may he not say to us O ye of little Faith why do ye doubt why do you walk so pensively and hang the head to the dishonour of my Grace may he not say O ye of little Faith why do you perplex your selves and rack your selves with cares of the World what ye shall eat and drink and how ye shall be prvoided for doth not your heavenly Father take care of you O ye of little Faith why do ye in every perplexity and trouble as men at a loss run to this creature and that creature and not to the Lord wherein your help doth lie O ye of little Faith why do you when means fail then cast away your hope as if there were no help in God as if because the streams were dried up therefore the fountain must needs be dry also therefore Brethren labour to grow in this Grace if ever you would do any eminent service for Christ or honour him set the crown on him in any condition labour to be strong in Faith Thirdly In that Grace of Love labour to grow therein First to the Lord himself to Jesus Christ It may be thou dost love him and according to the measure of Faith and Knowledge of him the soul will love him usually but we must labour to love him much more love we take it kindly if it be from the meanest person and so doth the Lord Jesus O love the Lord ye his Saints you cannot love him too much do you alway err in his love the more you love him the more you may for there is no end of his perfections his love his mercy his bowels towards you there is no searching of them you may go yet deeper and deeper and find a ground for the increase of your love still you love Relations Husband Wife Children and more for relation then for any excellency in them many times fond we are O that we could be so fond of Jesus Christ how sick of love was Rachel yea sick to the death for children and so is many a fond mother O we cannot live without them Ah how few are thus sick of love to Jesus Christ well lobour to love him and to this end First Labour to present the Lord and Jesus Christas most lovely to thee while thou entertainest hard thoughts of Jesus Christ thou canst not love him if thou thinkest thus with thy self I would fain have him but he is not willing to have me if thou look upon him as rigorous and cruel and one that delights in your blood it is impossible that you should love him O no labour to present him to your selves as one whose bowels are continually yearning over poor souls poor sinners one full of compassions full of mercy and tenderness he desires not the death of a sinner the Lord Jesus Brethren is altogether lovely it is true for his holiness his purity as well as his grace and mercy but this is that which most moveth to love at least while we are under weakness it is an high pitch to love him for the beauty of Holiness that is in him Think often then seriously upon it what dear thoughts the Lord Jesus had to poor sinners that rather then they should perish he would interpose between them and the everlasting burnings though be were sorely scorched for it O will not this draw love look upon him with his precious blood trickling down and one drop overtaking another O what haste did love make O how lavish was his love he would not spare any pains any travel of soul that sinners might live and can you but love him then O what an heart must that creature have that can look upon the Lord Jesus wrestling with strongest wrath of his Father so that he needed the Ministry of Angels at that time and yet not love him try see whether such considerations as these will not heighten your love to him we complain of want of love Brethren we cannot love a thing we know not or that we consider not see then if you do not find still some new beauty in him for which you should love him yet the more Secondly Let it be much upon your hearts how much he hath forgiven thee Alas saith the poor soul if I knew that that my sins were forgiven I should love him indeed abundantly It may be thou hast not a full perswasion of it but hast thou not a good hope through Grace and such a lively hope as setteth a working out the scum the pollution of thy heart more and more Is not this cause of great love to him why he hath not left thee to sink in despair and perish O how much did that sinner love him because he had forgiven her much therefore she loved much Dear friends could this be think you without her heart dwelt upon this consideration it was fresh upon her spirit O the more she considered it the more apparent were the riches of Grace towards her O so many Devils cast out of me would the Lord Jesus have such precious thoughts toward such a wretch as I what an Harlot a filthy unclean wretch and would he think upon me and pitch his love upon me and pass by many others that had it may be but one devil and make love to me that had seven O she could not hold her bowels within her were ready to break she must love him she must hang upon him even upon his feet she must wash him with her tears and wipe them with the hairs of her head though before as harlots use to do she had been much in tricking and trimming her head yet now they shall be dishrifled and now they shall be a Towel to wipe the feet of Jesus Christ O here is love kiss his feet if she may not kiss his lips and blessed soul that had such an heart given her Now Brethren consider this have not some of us had seven devils have there not been seven abominations in our hearts O it may be we have been fornicators adulterers filthy unclean wretches as vile wretches as ever breathed now consider this often is it so indeed hath the Lord looked upon such as we have been pitched his love upon the vilest of us and to make us so nigh to himself and shall we not love him O where are such workings of love towards the Lord Jesus as that poor woman manifested our hearts are dead and dry So the Apostle Paul His love of Christ constrained him O he was the chief of Sinners and the Lord did so eminently save him and call him out of darkness when he was in the very height of his wickedness that then mercy should â—eet with him that then a pardon should descend from heaven when he was fighting and rebelling against heaven and he should be conquered by the love of Christ whose heart was full of blood against him O this lying upon his spirit did indear his soul to
Jesus Christ Ah dear Friends I beseech you consider this some of us sure that hear this this day our hearts do tell us we have been the chief of sinners never viler then we and hath the Lord met with us not as an enemy but poured out upon us such a stream of love as we could no longer withstand it and yet do we not love him accordingly O labour to grow in love to Jesus Christ Thirdly Mind the particular experiences thou hast had of his love and tenderness to thee So the Psalmist I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice when he was in distress then he cryed to the Lord and he heard him therefore he would love him how many deliverances hath the Lord wrought particularly for us specially he hath kept us from sinning such a time and such a time so that thou didst not go on to the wounding of thy conscience the dishonour of his name and wilt thou not therefore love him O dear friends how often hath he shaken the rod over thee and yet hath spared and canst thou not love him yea though a child thinks the rod cannot stand with love yet when he cometh to lay away childish thoughts and to understand as a man he loveth his father so much the more that he hath chastened him and not suffered him to take the way of his own heart so should it be in this case But consider how many sweet experiences hast thou had of his love which it may be many a poor creature would have given a world for one of them many a kiss of his lips thou scarce ever appearest before him but thou hast a smile from him some refreshing some melting doth not this indear thy heart consider these things there is many a poor child of God that scarce ever findeth such sensible refreshings and yet hang upon him and loveth him and O it is pure love indeed when we hang upon him though he frown upon us though he seem to shake us off not to heed us nor regard us yet our souls it may be are sick of love for him we must follow him still But thou that hast such fore-draughts of his love sometimes yea many times O the remembrance of these me thinks should much increase love to him Now this is of very great moment for it will make us more abundant in the work of the Lord and with much more ease it will come off Paul laboured more abundantly then they all and it was nothing to him O he loved much and so it will be with us if we could get our hearts to it What was it think you that carried our Saviour so chearfully through all his travels and griefs and slightings of men O it was his love nothing is hard to love therefore labour to be like-minded to grow in love to the Lord Jesus But secondly To grow in love one towards another this is matter of rejoycing to the saithful over-seers of the Church of Christ we are bound to thank God alway for you Brethren as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity or love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth So again as touching brotherly love you have no need that I write unto you for ye are taught of God to love one another and ye do the same thing to all the Brethren which are in all Maâ—edonia but we beseech you Brethren to abound more and more you have it in that place of the Apostle to the Corinthians that to be full of contention and dividing zeal is a sign not of growth but childishness I am of Paul and I am of Apollo and I am of Cephas and I am of Christ are you not carnal that is to say I could not write to you as spiritual as grown men but as carnal as unto babes in Christ such in whom the flesh did much prevail surely Brethren the way of love is the edifying-way and therefore the body is said to edifie it self in love knowledge puffeth up and from that pride cometh contention as the wise man speaks but love edifies O how would the Church grow and the Saints grow if all the heat and zeal and pains which is laid out in maintaining breaches factions separations one from another did all run in one stream to build up one another in our most holy faith to make that our business It is sweet when the members have that care one of another that out of a pure spirit of love to consider one another to provoke to love and to good works Now if there be rents and schisms in the body there will not be that â—are one of another and therefore no marvel if the Apostle note such nigro carbone mark them that caused divisions contrary to the Doctrine that you have received and avoid them set a cross upon their doors have no fellowship with them You know in the body if there be a breach a dismembering of the body or some members out of joint or fearful wounds there is a grief of the spirit and the growth is hindered So it is in this case when the Churches walked together with singleness of heart then were they multiplyed then they prospered and increased indeed the Holy-Ghost is grieved with bitterness and wrath and anger when the Sea was divided for Israel to pass through it was weakened but when the waters were united again they are said to return to their strength so when the waters run in one Channel which is love O how strong is the Church of Christ it groweth mightily then then the Egyptians the enemies of Israel are drowned in it but so many fractions so many streams it being divided into each of them is easily passable by the enemies the Lord give a Spirit of love O if there were but more love in Ministers to people how would they do more then they do or at least in another manner then they do And so in people if they would be more earnest for their Ministers then they are therefore if we would grow indeed labour to grow in love to all the Saints wherever indeed the image of Christ is and to love them with a pure heart unfeignedly as the Apostle saith Fourthly To grow in humility to grow downward to be willing to decrease so the Lord Jesus may increase Ah Brethren if we were put to it it may be we should find it very hard to be laid aside as I may say as David was to the building of the Temple because he was such a man of blood or as Moses was for his unbelief at the waters of strife O the daily working this upon our hearts what we were and what we are through grace in Jesus Christ what infinite riches of grace is manifested to the vilest of sinners this will make us lie low before him but enough of this before Fifthly In mercy in bowels and compassions to persons in
of so great weight 7. But negligent in preparation to holy duties publike and private 8. How empty and vain in discourses and unprofitable 9. How distempered in hearing publikely and in conferences with the Church 10. Vile thoughts even in the time of reading and meditation which are deep hypocrisie 11. Yet back-slidden even since the last Lords Supper 12. Yet little pure love to the Saints as Saints 13. Yet not a sensible heart of the dishonour of Christ in these times 14. Yet not a tender nor believing heart in holding out the word of reconciliation 20. In preparation for the Supper-Ordinance he would bring himsels unto the Test and to say the truth was very clear in the discovering and making out of his own condition being well acquainted with the way of Gods dealing with the soul and with the way of the souls closing with Christ Instance April 3. 1653. upon search I find 1. My self an undone creature 2. That the Lord Jesus sufficiently satisfied as Mediator the Law for sin 3. That he is freely offered in the Gospel 4. So far as I know my own heart I do through mercy heartily consent that he only shall be my Saviour not my works or duties which I do only in obedience to him 5. If I know my heart I would be ruled by his word Spirit Behold in a few words the summe and substance of the Gospel 21. The Lord blessed his enquiries with gracious returns when he set himself seriously to clear up his interest in him Instance October 30. 1652. As I was questioning and searching whether I were a child of God or no me thought this was suddenly spoken in me or to me If I be not thy Father what am I then to thee Am I an enemy to thee which did much affect and melt my heart through much mercy In preparation for the Lords Supper Jan. 1. 1652. as I was upon the same Question within my self whether I was a child of God yea or no me thought this was suggested within me If I be not thy â—ather why dost thou follow me so hard and breath after me which also did much affect my heart at that time 22. He got ground on his corruptions and his grave-cloaths fell off apace while he was yet alive Several daies I find good recorded and no evil Instance Good Evil. In morning read a long Hebrew Chapter in closet-duty not altogether without his presence studied for my Sermons and the afternoon spent much what in preparation of my self for the Lords Supper and not altogether without his presence for blessed be his name he humbled me and melted me in the â—ight of my own vileness  About 7. weeks before his translation returning from London he found his Family in a languishing condition by reason of a feavourish distemper which had crept in among them It being the Lords wont to send some forerunning waves to dash against and wet us before he send that mountainous one with which he will overwhelm us His youngest child save one departs this life on Friday night being the 11. of Nov. 1654. How often are the little Lambs taken from the sides of their dams from whom they received life and carried to the place where they met with their deaths An hopeful branch must be lopt off before the Root it self dry up and wither Saturday morning that Chapter came to be read in course which contains Davids Fasting and mourning for his child whilst it lived c. Comparing his own condition with that of David he said Davids mourning went before but mine must follow after The duties of the Family being over he retires again into his study keeps the day as a Fast and being awakened by this affliction is put upon serious self-reflexions and searching endeavours to find out the cause of this smart-stroke of Gods hand an account whereof taken out of his Diary you have as follows God taking away my little babe Job November 11. 1654. Searching my waies c. 1. Not returning according to his multiplyed mercies to us not thankful enough the heart not endeared to him 2. More lax in watching over my thoughts 3. A foolish stupidity and security before this blow from the the Lord far from waiting for changes Jonah-like fast asleep 4. An unnatural heart to him and the rest insensible of his pains 5. Grown very slight in the Lords service though wofully distracted and dead in every duty almost yet not sensible of it nor humbled under it had lost of that spiritualness and heavenly-mindedness once I had through grace 6. Partial affection to the sons more then to the daughters therefore God took this away and smote the other His wife would have had the Funerals deferr'd till Munday but he would not give way saying I have other work to do tomorrow At even the people being come together he accompanied the Corps unto the grave into which he was observed to look very wishly as if he had been curiosly looking for a resting place for himself shortly to lye down in and had thus bespoken his dead child I shall shortly come to thee but thou shalt not return to me Coming home he was very raised and chearful and comforted his wife with this saying among many others Come love he has but got the start of us It being my work to track him and tread upon the print of his heels I must follow him even through the valley of the shadow of death which was not so frightful to him in its approach as to me uncomfortable in its description The time of his departure is at hand and no wonder He was ripe betimes and therefore gathered and taken into Gods Granary He had done his work and must therefore go to receive his wages and this I may be bold to say that he did God more service in a little time then many others whose line of life was twice as long as his He cannot be far off from his center because of the swiftness of his motion He was alwaies much upon the wing but towards his latter end he was wont to soar very high and took many a turn in Paradise every day and would be often hovering about the Casements of the Star-chamber which having delightfully peept and pryed into he came down again though not without much regret and grief yet solacing himself with this consideration that he should shortly meet the Lord in the air and then be ever with the Lord. During the time of his pilgrimage and abode in the Lords Vineyard he served his God and his Generation with all his might He ran faster then others and was therefore sooner out of breath He screwed up the peggs so high that the strings of his several faculties crack and can hold out no longer He did with so much vehemency and contention of spirit continually stir up himself to take hold on God and followed so hard after him that he sunk under the burden of his own
so humble Abigail and from Bâ—az so humble Ruth and shall not this love of Jesus Christ infinitely greater then all humble such poor filthy creatures upon whom he hath set his love Thirdly Let us hence take notice then of the many precious priviledges of the Saints We live much below them because we study them not keep not the relish of them upon our hearts I mean endeavour not so to do the Lord give us hearts now lifted up to him First then As many as by believing are espoused to Jesus Christ they are one with him in the nearest union Surely it is not for nothing that the H. Ghost delights so to set forth the believers relation to Christ by this of a spouse to a husband you know that this is the nearest union among men of one person to another Kindred are near a man his children his brethren they are usually called their bone and their flesh as the men of Judah spake to David we are thy flesh and thy bone but this is aâ— a greater distance but now in Marriage two persons that were strangers one to another never saw the face one of another within a little while by this Ordinance of God are brought to such a nearness as that Father and Mother and Children if they had any before yet they are not so near to them they shall leave Father and Mother and be joyned to their Husband here this union is the stranger by how much greater the distance between the persons were and how much the closer the union is now it is made the distance was great whether we respect the dignity of the person there was no proportion a King and a Beggar are but a shadow and a dark one too to set forth this a King and a worm to take it and lay it in his bosom is nothing to this but chiefly in respect of enmity of mind alas that such as we are at the deadliest feud haters of God and of Christ not only strangers but enemies through evil works that those should be brought so near to Christ as to be made one with him this is something indeed An impotent and weak enemy that could do nothing against him not so much as move any longer then he upheld us and yet we should be look't upon indeed a potent enemy happily in policie may be concerned to such an union but a weak enemy rather would be trampled under foot But then the nearness of the union man and wife are one flesh saith the Apostle but he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit The union of soul and body is nearer then of man and wife if too bodies could be acted by one and the same soul this were a near union indeed Why the Lord Jesus and the saints are one and the same Spirit whereby they are knit together in love this is a near union indeed Is this a light thing a small thing to be made so near the Lord of life and glory even the Children of Israel a people near to him who is like them that have Christ so near them of that are so near him Secondly There is a sweet Communion and Fellowship ariseth upon this a blessed imparting now of all his fulness to such a soul all that is Christ's is now yours his righteousness yours therefore the Holy City the name of it is called the Lord our righteousness Now his honour is yours where he is King you are Queen as in the old custom with the Romanes they used to say where you are Caius I am Caia saith the woman where you are Lord I am Lady be the poor Creature never so contemptible yet marrying with a noble person it dignifieth her with a rich person it enricheth her because she hath an interest in all But beloved that though this be matter enough to insist upon if I could enlarge things for fear of being too tedious There is fellowship-Communion between the Lord Jesus and the soul that others know nothing what it meaneth the Lord Jesus is more open hearted to them his secrets are with them they are the hidden Manna and they again are most free to power out their souls to Jesus Christ into his bosom to power them out like water as he will hide nothing from Abraham so Abraham will hide nothing from him such a confidence hath the poor Believing soul that he speaks boldly freely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with speaking all so the original word properly imports that which none else in the world shall know they will make known to Jesus Christ they can be more free with him then any other And not only because he already knoweth the heart as I conceive but out of a sweet confidence they have in him and experience of his bowels yerning over poor souls in such a Condition so that if he knew not all that was in their hearts they would out of this freedom open it to him Yea the Lord Jesus he dyed our death and grieves our griefs and we rise his resurrection and rejoyce in his rejoycings he partaketh with us yea indeed bears the heavier end and all indeed of our miseries and we partake of his joys the oyl of gladness we are anointed with But this is the second Thirdly another is the cohabitation of Christ with his people I will dwell with them and I will walk in them when the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven the Church of the Jews shall come in then he will especially dwell in them then the Tabernacle of God is with men but now saith the Apostle that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith though he be absent indeed in some respect at the right hand of his father absent in body yet he is present in spirit as the Apostle saith of himself as he would have us to be in Heaven have our hearts there and so to dwell there to have our conversations there our love there and where the heart is there the man is Animus non est ubi animat sed ub i amat well we then dwell with him and he dwels with us with him will I dwell saith the Lord. It is a Marriage duty to dwell one with another and if a believer have an unbelieving yoke-fellow if he or she will live with the believer they must not put them away they must not depart from them so it is here the Lord Jesus dwels with his people and this is no small priviledge to the Husband the Bridegroom at hand alway ready to pity and compassionate us in our sufferings within or without But this the third Fourthly he nourisheth and cherisheth them No man hates his own flesh saith the Apostle but he nourisheth it and cherisheth it as you have it there in Nathan's parable one poor Ewe Lamb and he laid it in his bosom and it did eat of his bread and drink of his cup by which are meant all manner of supplies
riseth he would never let her alone until he had awaked her O this is his course he continually holds with poor souls in the like condition â—onnot many a soul in this Congregation seal to this truth I believe they can brethren though some of us happily have not known it Now it is true brethren it is meet the spouse should smart a little for this her wretched sleepiness for her slighting of his call and shutting him out it is meet she should now when awake follow him and not finde him for a while it cost her something and infinite rich mercy that he would ever be found of her again alas brethren it was more grief to Jesus Christ to behold his poor spouse going up and down mourning after him then it was to her to follow him and therefore that was a part of his pains and after all this love he must himself awake poor soul if that will not awake it as sometimes it will not or at least so much as he holdeth out will not awaken why then happily he seeth it necessary to follow Jonas with a storm put him into the belly of hell do you think this was any delight to him Surely no to hear the cry of his poor people that was in the belly of hell or out of the deep wherein they sink out of the Dungeon where he casts them to awake them Surely no and so for David his condition he was so heavy in a sleep his bones must be broken c. Is this any delight to him no surely brethren it is a grief to Jesus Christ and a part of his pains which we put him to rather then he should lose our souls but here is the comfort he will be at much pains to awaken us 8. And lastly It may be now thou art heavy and sleepy and napping at every turn there is a time when thou wast more diligent more wakeful couldst serve the Lord with more instance and intention of mind and O thou recountest that as a happy time and thy sadness and misery thou hast lost that frame of heart O how far art thou from it Well remember this that the Lord he doth remember the love of thy â—spousals the kindness of thy youth which some expound of their kindness to God in the wilderness which if it be so as divers understand it then it is the more considerable When thou followedst me in the wilderness how did they follow him was it not with murmurings and rebellion every foot almost yet God remembreth this even the love and affection shewed in following him through such an uncouth place O what a depth of bowels are here to cover and forget all their rebellion and to remember their love or else I remember the love I shewed to thee then however it be we may make use of it for what great love doth the Lord shew then in giving a heart to love him and follow hard after him not to slumber and sleep for love will keep awake it being full of solicitous fear Who are we saith David that we should have a heart to offer so willingly The Lord will remember this which it may be the present sense of thy sleeping and sloathfulness hath blotted out of thy remembrance it is before the Lord. 9. One more and that is this He will likely by this heaviness and sloathfulness of thine take occasion to do thee good by it cure and heal thee for will not the shame and sorrow which he casts upon a soul for sleeping keep him more awake for time to come When once they were awaked as with the Disciples they should have little list to sleep afterward Or else happily hereby he would heal the pride and self-confidence which thou art full of and then which nothing more grieveth him I know thou wouldst count it the greatest favor and wouldst be willing to undergo some smart yea much so be thou mightst be delivered from those grieving evils of thine own soul it is the excellency of that heavenly Physician to cure sleep with sleep poyson with poyson sin with sin though it may be matter of sadness to us to put him to it to grieve himself so much with us And for the general condition of the Church and people of God It is matter of mourning indeed that there is such a general sleeping and such sad effects of it every where Magistrates Ministers and People they all sleep and let the envious man do what he will in many places Here is the comfort that he that keepeth Israel never slumbreth nor sleepeth By this means our temptations are increased indeed for false Teachers they are a temptation and a shrewd one too and how dangerous when we are asleep Yet remember he that permitteth it he never sleepeth Ah brethren If the Lord had not kept the Vineyard better then men have done what had become of it long ago it had been a Wilderness and desolation Doth he not see the designs of Satan and Antichrist and all their fetches and slights to wind in themselves at the back door and doth he not laugh them to scorn the Lord shall have them in derision If men will not take the little Foxes that spoyl the grapes he will in his own time and they will finde it most fearful to fall into the hands of God He hath long since set the bounds of the sea which check the prowd waves thereof though a man would wonder when he beholds the mighty mountains and swelling surges of the sea that it should not overflow all but the poor light loose sand and plain ground he maketh a check to it hitherto shall ye go and no farther Can we sufficiently wonder that the earth should be founded upon nothing but onely his word of command Well He hath said he will make manifest their folly to all men and they shall proceed no farther and though he seem to sleep sometime because his people give him rest concerning these things yet surely he doth wake he never slumbers nor sleepeth and he will not permit these things further then he will work his own glory and his peoples good out of them O therefore give him no rest you that are his remembrancers keep not silence until the Lord make it appear to all the world that he did not slumber nor sleep until he awake as a Gyant refreshed with wine and speak and command all these tongues that speak lyes in his name into an everlasting silence Amen The next Doctrine shall be this We are apt to sleep when we had most need to be awake This is raised from the circumstance of time or the season if I may call an unseasonable time a season when they-slept it was just before the cry came which summoned them to meet the Bride-groom coming and wakened them at once The Proposition is universal you see the subject is universal and so is the predicate for the subject the Saints the real Saints are
apt to sleep the Text it self proveth it beyond contradiction for it is spoken of the wise virgins which is comprehensive of all the Church of Christ except the foolish the foolish they slept and no marvel but all the question would be of the wise specially at such a time as this but the Parable plainly holds it out they all slumbred and slept and if they did it actually sure there was an aptitude a disposition to it I know none can plead exemption except they can be of the Church of Christ and yet not come under the notion of foolish or wise Virgins But the difficulty and indeed all that will be worth the time to prove will be the universality of the Predicate they are apt to sleep when they had most need to wake that is to say whensoever they had more need to awake then at another time then they are apt to sleep This I know not how to prove better then by an Induction of particulars here is one in the Text and there is the like aptitude found of their sleeping at all other times of need therefore we conclude it so general that they are apt to sleep when they had most need to awake For this time in the Text I think hardly any will question it for men to be sleeping when they should be making ready and stand ready for the appearing of their Lord Jesus Christ Is to be sleeping when they have greatest need to be awake the carnal mind indeed will be ready to sing a requiem to it self and say it is no matter so we have but a warning a little before he come that we may have time to trim our Lamps before he come though we be found sleeping but surely brethren the spiritual part will judge otherwise that there is great need to be waking at the latter end of the race when they should lay hold on eternal life Now is high time saith the Apostle to awake your salvation is nearer If ever there be need to have our ornaments on our graces in a lively frame and much in act then is the time if ever men would run in a race towards the latter end of it is the time to spur hardest it is a needful time then it is a time of acting grace of spending grace of using all you have you shall have exercise enough likely for it and therefore then to have our graces to trim and fuâ—bish up as it will be if we sleep surely this is to sleep in a most needful time and yet this the Saints are yet apt to brethren how many do we see growing more heavy and dull less life and vigour and power to act their graces then before 2. Again another time of greatest need to be awake is when there are the choicest communications of Christ to the soul to be had that is awake and ready to receive them every one sure will conclude this is a time of greatest need for if we sleep out such a season as that what may we lose It may be that which we shall never have opportunity to have again while we live So the Disciples when they should have beheld Christ in his glory he was praying and took up his Disciples those three favourites to pray with him well he was praying and as he prayed the fashion of his countenance was altered and his rayment was white and glistering and two men Elias and Moses talked with him but Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep and when they were awake they saw his glory c. But how much of this fight did they lose before they were awake O Prayer is a special duty and how doth the heart drowse for the most part when it should come to it and when doth the Lord usually reveal more of his glory when doth he usually make more of it to pass by a poor soul or company of his people then in their praying therefore if at any time they had need to be awake this is the time but you see brethren they themselves were asleep that were the choice of the Disciples and what they lost they were not like to recover they were not like to see such a sight again so much of his glory again And truly brethren ordinary experience teacheth us some of us I believe that in the special Ordinances of grace wherein Jesus Christ is held out Crucifyed held out in his loveliness and glory there our hearts are most apt to he asleep and drowsie and much ado to keep them up to any thing How many are we sometimes in Prayer get but off the legs and we are lively enough for any thing else when there is most need we are apt to sleep 3. After the greatest discoveries of grace and of Christ to a soul after the most melting warming Communion and fellowship with Christ As now after this tranfiguration when they had seen this glory passing by them a man would have thought this should have ravished them so as to have kept them awake Yea after they had the Supper in the iustitution and no question brethren but there was a presence answerable to the Institution and for the honour of the Institutor as when himself was baptized the Spirit came upon him O sure if the bodily presence were there the spiritual would not be wanting he would exalt that New Testament-Ordinance or seal above the other and not likely but he would do so that the Disciples might even take notice that he was leaving the one and taking up the other instead of it At the Dedication of the Tabernacle and of the Temple the glory of God filled them and I cannot believe but there was a wonderful glorious presence at the Dedication of this Ordinance if I may call it so well then after such discoveries of Christ brethren such warnings to lie down and sleep how dangerous is it to catch cold after such a heat how will it grieve the Lord to see so much grace laid out in vain upon us in a great part if we be sleeping so quickly again And it appears that Peter he had his Love and faith much heigthned but here was the mistake he rested too much upon it upon what he had received O saith he though all men forsake thee I will not deny thee c Yet alas you see when he should have prayed with Christ and so the rest there in his agony in the Garden he fals asleep again and again and again so dead asleep nothing would keep him waking O how prone are the best of men to sleep when we had most need to wake after the richest discoveries of Christ when we had most need to be most lively to improve the grace we have received to return love for love even then we fall asleep the Disciples as eminent as any did it sure then they were apt to it And if they then surely then any of the Saints are apt to it now 4. Another
heart of the Lord is most widely opened This should be matter of deep humiliation to us all that we are so apt to sleep when we have most need to be awake The other Doctrine gave us a humbling word but this much more If we consider these two things 1. The more grace we have received the worse we grow turn the grace of Christ into wantonness for usually at the first when the soul is awaked out of its dead sleep O how hard it followeth after God it giveth no sleep to its eyes nor slumber to his eye-lids until he find out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob in the soul Well it is true the Lord hath done something for that poor soul he hath opened his eyes to see the want of Christ and touched his heart so that now he followeth him and cannot but follow him this is unspeakable mercy But now when the Lord hath done much more for the soul hath poured upon it his Spirit given the oyl of gladness as well as of grace that then it should fall asleep the more engagements of Love the Lord Jesus lays upon the soul the more liâ—tless the more lazy it should grow The Apostle took it unkindly and well he might the more he loved them the less he was beloved and this could not but shame them if they had any ingenuity and may not the Lord Jesus take it as unkindly that the more he loveth us the less he should be loved of us as his love groweth hottest our love should grow coldest O for a spiritual ingenuity that we might lie down in shame before the Lord continually for this O what ungodly hearts c. and how unkind may poor creatures be and are they who have received greatest kindness from him Paul labored more abundantly because grace bad more abounded toward him then others We are prone to it if we be not left to it the more grace we have received the more listless to grow which ariseth noâ— from the nature of grace but from self-confidence and resting in our receivings which lays us fast asleep a man that hath one talent improveth it but he that hath ten lays it to sleep c. 2. What a shame is it for us that when we have most need to act our grace we have the least use of it for what was grace given us for brethren but for action not to lie idle and rust for want of using but to exercise it for his glory our own comfort and others good Now how do we fall short of these ends when we cannot use it in our greatest need is in those times before mentioned how would a man be ashamed that is or should be a man of his hands and when there is not such need he can sence and use his hands exactly to defend himself or offend his enemy but when he cometh to it indeed that his life is in danger he is in a deep sleep as the Psalmist speaks and none of the men of might find their hands A man is very rational at all other times only at a pinch when he hath more then ordinary need of it he is a very child and can do nothing this is a great shame The Saints that have received much grace and therefore should act strongly for God what a shame is it that when temptation cometh or when any more then ordinary occasion to exercise their grace they are like Children sleeping in their Cradles can do nothing Then If this be so Let us learn never to trust our hearts when they at the best in their highest frame most spiritual most enlarged Alas they are like a deceitful Bow it seemeth firm until you come to draw it but when you have need of it draw it it will deceive you fall asunder he that trustoth in his own heart is a fool saith the wise man and who more likely to know then he who beside the Spirit whereby he spake had had experience what a sad thing that self-confidence and security had been how fatal it had proved to himself be sure brethren if there be any time more then another that we need our hearts to be present or graces to be in act they will be asleep our corrupt part will cloud them and bear them down Do but observe it if it be but to watch one hour with Christ in an holy duty as prayer or the like It is strange but it is true our hearts will be less present then then at any thing else Let the duty be done or before it begin and you shall not be troubled with such a stream of vain and impertinent if not sinful thoughts but once go about this duty and O how do they thrust upon the soul and how lively sometimes when there is not so much need are the affections and how dull and flat are they then therefore trust not any frame you have at any time received for indeed it will prove a broken reed even grace it self if you lean upon it it will fail you and pierce you also Then what need had we brethren to ply the Throne of grace to sit down by the fountain and fulness of life and quickning influence even Jesus Christ David did even when he was at the best frame as in penning the 119. Psalm when do we find more flaming affections towards God and Heaven and his Law and Worship so strong as to break through all oppositions of men and Satan and Corruption and yet how sensible was he of his falling flat even in the midst of such a rapture O quicken thou me quicken thou me according to thy Word saith he alas this vigor will not continue except thou supply it with continual refreshing and renewing of strength And so in that place O that thou wouldst keep this upon the imagination of the thoughts of their hearts for ever alas else he knew if there were a like occasion for a free spirit in the service of God and his Temple it would be far from them O therefore ply the throne of grace brethren live by the faith of the Son of God Faith will draw water out of the wels of salvation And O what need had we to keep in with the Spirit of grace lest he leave us in a time of need It is true when we aprrehend a danger or an hour of temptation coming and the soul be any thing awake O then what mean it will make for the presence of the Spirit but brethren he deals with us as we deal with him If when we have peace and a calm and in our ordinary waking we slight him and sit loose to him believe it in our time of greatest need he may justly stand at a distance from us and let us see what our own strength is and what can we do without him O therefore let us take heed of grieving this holy Spirit which is that Spirit
thee for the time past yet now sure I am I love thee and that love preferred Jesus Christ before his life If the heart be but upright if there be never so little at first yet it will grow it will continue the Seed of God will abide And if never so much if the heart be not right it will fall short of heaven as these Virgins they went far Well the Lord give us understanding in these things Verse 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 WE have done with the former member that is to say the foolish Virgins trimming their Lamps going so far in a profession of Christ and yet fail when all is done Now we are to consider the second member included in this general and that is that Believers are now to trim their Lamps the wise Virgins were now to do it as well as the foolish the real as well as the formal professor I will only briefly note two things from this clause of the Verse First That though a Believers profession may decline and grow low and that towards his latter end or after he hath long professed Jesus Christ yet it is not altogether extinct it wants trimming indeed but it is not out with the foolish Virgins 2. When this profession groweth thus low it is the Believers duty to renew it to trim up his Lamp Of the first in the first place wherein are comprehended three notes which for brevity sake I wrap up into one partly because some of them have near affinity with what hath been already delivered and partly because I would not dwell too long upon the Text. First then That a Believer his profession may decline and grow low and need a renewing 2. That it may come to this pass after he hath long professed or near the time of his Calling for And 3. That yet notwithstanding it is not extinct altogether as the profession of the foolish is of which afterwards A word or two briefly to each of these First That a Believers profession may decline which is somewhat of kin to what we spoke before and therefore the less here The Lamp may grow low First then The light which appears to be in the Saints may grow low It may admit of mixtures sometimes of darkness which much dimmeth the light I mean they may be much corrupted in their judgements and turned aside from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ this is clear in the Galathians their â—ase ye did run well who hindred you what was the matter It was an errour and a gross one crept in among them to set up the Law and Moses with Christ as necessary to Justification and Salvation What aâ—mist is here about the Lamp this made it twilight with them 2. The lightsomness and joy of faith this also may wear away in great measure yet not altogether the faces of the Saints do shine by a reflexion of the countenance of God upon them as the face of Moses did when he had been with God in the Mount but alas though they walk long in the light of his countenance may it not be lost as we find the Psalmist complaining Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation he had it before but now he had lost it both which are implyed in that word restore And do we not find it in that 50. of Isaiah Who is there among you that walks in darkness and sâ—eeh no light Where is the lightsomness of the Lamp then the pleasant paraphrase upon the works of the grace of Christ in their souls so that they can see nothing at all Look what comfort it is to have a â—ight or a Lamp in the darkest night such comfort it is to have the smiling presence of the Lord. But now this is lost thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Gods face was clouded and his face was covered 3. Believers as they may lose in a great measure their joy of faith so may they lose their confidence of hope so that they may be ready to say many times their hope is even perished from the Lord and hath God forgotten to be gracious and will he be merciful no more this you may see in many cases of the Saints David I shall one day perish by the hands of Saul O I shall never see through this world of wickedness that is in mine heart but sooner or later I shall be swallowed up by it 4. A Believer may lose the degrees of those graces which are radical and which indeed more principally are like the oyl in the vessel yet that may grow low and then no marvel if the Lamp which is fed by them do grow low also As that of their faith how low may they grow in faith Indeed our Saviour hath prayed that their faith fail them not altogether but in a great part it may decline We see it in Asa one while he could trust in God when a great hoast of the Ethiopians and Lybians come against him By by when he was not so hard put to it he rests upon the King of Assyria for which the Lord reproveth him by the Prophet Where was Petersâ—aith â—aith when a little carnal fear turned him aside in so sad a manner and indeed it is the want of faith in the people of God that is the very root of all those turnings aside from the Fountain to the broken Cistern from God to the creature And so that of love as well as faith faith works by love and this also may deâ—line You find the Church of Ephesus She had left her first love and that Angel of the Church also he had it may be heretofore been full of love to Jesus Christ and that love very laborious in feeding the Flock of Christ but now his love was remitted May not every mans heart Seal to this that the Love of his Espousals to the Lord Jesus the love of our youth those springing affections are gone 5. Another is this A Believer may lose the fervor of all those holy affections that he hath had his desires his delight and joy his anger and hatred against sin loathing and abomination time hath been we could have cryed out for the living God their souls break for the longing they had to God but now the Chariot wheels drive more heavily We have felt sometimes the babe springing in the womb but now we can hardly feel in our affections languish towards Jesus Christ Solomon once had a zeal for the house of God when he laid out himself in building a house for his name but what was become of that zeal when he could build a house to Chemosh the God of the Moabites in favour of his Moabitish wives where was his zeal then So Laodicea was grown luke-warm theywere hot at first 6. The outward acts of grace they may be remitted which indeed are a great part of the profession It is not a bare confessing Jesus Christ the Lord with
heightned it shall be so powerful as that we shall be like him indeed then shall we be like him this we know saith the Apostle I will instance in a few things Brethren Then will there be the love of Christ manifested to us It may be thou hast had thy heart touched with him and thou knowest not what aileth thee poor soul but follow him thou must thou canst not give him over thou art sick of love for him but thou hast scarce ever had a good look from him little of his love or as thou thinkest none Now Brethren will it be the Love of God in Jesus Christ to us that will be the feast indeed O thy love is better then wine it is better it is spirits it is life it is that which giveth life and keepeth life and fetcheth life again when it is even going this then is the feast the love of God in Jesus Christ to thy poor silly soul that thou lookest upon as neglected by God and neglected by men no man careth for thy soul Believe it Brethren you that follow Christ thus you shall have a time of making out his love to you and this will be the feast the Love of God will answer all the dainties that can be devised a compleat feast it is virtually all Even among men you see Love will turn a dinner of hearbs into a feast O how much more then where Love it self is the filling of every dish 2. The souls joy in this love not to speak of the souls returns of love again and praises hallelujahs to eternity which are the fruits but the joy in this Love it consists here in joy in that place to the Romans can it chose but be joy to a poor soul think you to see the heart of the Father opened to us in Jesus Christ his bowels of Love all shed abroad upon us therefore the Kingdom of heaven is so expressed by joy enter thou into thy Masters joy or the joy of the Lord. But to speak a little to soul-heightning considerations of this feast in those particulars that we might get our hearts in love with heaven with this feast First consider It is now Brethren to be more immediate then here below it is new wine the most excellent in its kind that is reserved until the last the excellency of this feast of wine in heaven will appear by this among other considerations That the Communion shall be more immediate Dulcius ex ipsofonte waters are most sweet out of the Fountain immediately now God shall be all in all when the Kingdom is given up to him he shall be instead of all Ordinances Now indeed the Conduits run wine and we may drink and that freely but yet it is not so immediately we are indeed not fit for such a condition we must make use of them until he come again use these shadows and types So that the communion is not so immediat 〈…〉 N 〈…〉 e see him not as he is but then we shall saith the Apostle 〈…〉 more through a glass darkly and sullyed glass by our polluted breath our corrupted hearts do sully Ordinances else we should see him much more brightly then we do but there shall be no more need but face to face If the beauty of Christ his love do take us so when we have but dark hints of it as a face in a dim glass O what will it be when we shall see him as he is we shall not need the pipes any more but even go to the Fountain the Rivers the Seas of Love 2. More sincerely it is now altogether without mixture Alas Brethren we now eat the Lord Jesus our Pass-over and feed upon his love but all the while it is with sowr herbs there is a mixture of grief when we look upon our crucified Saviour Crucified by us and for us and so his love is better then wine now to us but alas there is some gall or Vinegar mixed with it some sin some temptation some affliction without that weakens the comfort the soul might take in the love of Jesus Christ But in heaven there shall be none Brethren no mixture at all here the Lord giveth us a cup of trembling to drink a cup of mixture that is to say ready prepared wine and his people drink round of it usually and he seeth it necessary there must be some Acrimony some salt to keep us from corrupting before we come to our glorified state and so be able to bear that his love without any mixture at all of the contrary No anger the meat sweet the sauce sweet the wine sweet the bread sweet 3. More fully infinitely more fully if I may so speak of that which a finite though a glorified creature is capable to receive Now we have a drop or two Brethren but then our fulness then the narrow-mouthed vials shall be enlarged to receive more fully and to express more fully to Jesus Christ again in his high and everlasting praises What is that which cometh through the Conduit to the Fountain the Sea it self Ah Brethren here we are at a loss we do not know what the Lord hath to pour out upon us the fulness of his Love in Jesus Christ so as that we shall be swallowed up It is so much here that the Apostle admireth it behold what manner of love is this that we poor worms should be called the sons of God then they shall admire much more but alas the measure doth not appear it cannot enter into the heart of man it is too narrow and the love too great it cannot enter into his heart to conceive Some of the Saints have had so much of love manifested and joy in that love that they have been fain to beg of God to hold his hand they could hold no more and so great as to quench the flames that they could not hurt nor pain them they could feel nothing O sure this was a flood that could put out such flaming torments But yet this is nothing it appears not what we should be at thy right hand there is fulness of joy and so much as that the Saints are said to enter into it it cannot enter into them they are swallowed up O this will be a full feast indeed here there will be an abundant drinking And it must needs be so Brethren if we consider 1. What it is that maketh this feast or first that it is a feast it is not an ordinary meal Now you know men at a feast do more liberally provide for their friends here below it is a feast indeed but nothing to this 2. Who provideth this feast it is not a poor mans feast but the feast of a King such a feast you see Ahashuerus made for his Princes now a King will make a feast like a King Princes have their names from liberality and free with a free spirit thy Princely spirit all those as a
King did Arauna give to the King liberally freely it was a great gift freely given So here it is a King that maketh this feast Kings usually have larger more noble spirits as they have larger purses and therefore at their feasts they use to shew the Magnificence and glory of their Kingdom And so doth God here Brethren A King yea the King of heaven the King of glory the King of Kings and King of Saints he will shew the glory of his Kingdom and his magnificence the excellency of his greatness in making this feast therefore surely there must needs be fulness of love and joy 3. It is a feast not an ordinary but a Marriage-feast and such used to be more then ordinary also being a time of greatest rejoycing you see the Marriage feast at which Christ was what an abundance of wine there was turned from water by our Saviour if you compute it it will appear some 300. gallons full six water-pots holding three measures a piece or two and each measure an hundred pints very great store indeed 4. It is a feast a Marriage-feast not only for a servant or friend being married but for a Son the only Son a Son and heir of all a beloved Son most dearly beloved all these surely will exceedingly heighten the considerations of the fulness of the feast brethren the fulness of that love which shall there be manifested and of the Believers joy in that love these things are heightned to us in that place of Matthew Indeed the very feast here in the Gospel is heightned by these considerations but much more then this Yea 5. Consider yet further It is a Marriage-feast for which preparation hath been making from eternity God hath been providing for it Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the world in these things he would have us surely to understand the decree and purpose of such a thing And withal we may note the greatness and magnificence of the feast You know men if they would royally entertain a Prince they make provision long before and as long as they can to get all about them the rarities that the earth or Sea affords specially if a King be the provider O Brethren the Lord hath been laying in as I may say this wine preparing it for us from eternity therefore surely it will appear in an unspeakable fulness Lastly It will be more constantly without interruption and lastingly without any end No interruption at all here we have our vicissitudes now we have a sweet cup a draught a full draught a flagon it may be to stay us when we are sick of love by and by we have nothing but our wormwood and our gall to chew upon now we can behold him have a glorious view of him and our hearts ravished with it by and by he is upon the Cross nailed by our sins and we cannot but look upon him with a mourning eye But there Brethren shall be no interruption nothing but eating and drinking this Love of God in Jesus Christ All his thoughts will be love to us and all our thoughts love and joy no room for one sigh for one tear of sorrow for one groan any more and then it is not for a term and then to end but it is for ever at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore For the time when and the place where this shall be It will be at that day in the Kingdom of the Father It will begin at the souls going to the spirits of just men made perfect it goeth to Christ this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise it goeth to the bosom of the Lord Jesus to Abrahams bosom and beginneth this feast But the fulness of it is not until the glorified body shall be united to the glorified soul and then both together shall be filled with this fulness of love and fulness of joy to all eternity For the place It is in heaven where Jesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Father There Stephen saw him and there he abideth where he is there the Saints will be some think this is typified probably by the upper Chamber where they did eat the Pass-over and the Supper but no more of that Now the second thing cometh under hand that is to say That they go in with the Bridegroom to this feast Wherein these things will be considerable First How he brings them in unto the feast And then Secondly Why it is so And then somewhat to the Application First then he may be said to bring them in and they to go in with him into the feast because he is the meritorious cause of their entrance into glory As he is the entrance of a Believer into the grace wherein we stand as the Apostle speaks so also into the glory There is no acceptance with the Father no access but in and through Jesus Christ as a poor creature hath no admittance into the presence and table of a King but that the son takes him by the hand and leads him in the Lord Jesus then is the meritorious cause he went to prepare a place for us Secondly he doth now as I may say when a soul is brought to heaven after the manner of men I may say he doth receive it and so present it they go in with Jesus Christ But Thirdly And chiefly at the last day at that day he shall come again with his glorious Angels to gather all the Saints together and so to bring them to his Father to deliver the Kingdom up unto him to present them as a Spouse without spot or wrinkle or any such thing thus he shall appear the second time without sin to them that look for him and so they shall for ever be with the Lord. Fourthly He brings them unto the Marriage they go with him even into those joyes unto that eternal bliss and glory he leads them into and there sitteth down with them at the Marriage-feast eating drinking with him this new wine in the Kingdom of the Father It is not only his bringing of them or their going in with him into the place where these glorious manifestations of God shall be for ever but even into the very depth of those discoveries and there he sitteth down with them For the Arguments Besides that none else could do it for us as you heard First His faithfulness to them requireth it He hath promised he will never leave them until he had fulfilled for them all the good that he hath spoken now this is spoken that he will give them glory as well as grace that he will give them eternal life and raise them up at the last day else he were not a faithful High-Priest nor a faithful Saviour if he should leave them short you know it was his last Will and Testament in that place of Ioh 17. and will he see his own Will and
heart and see could he do so for his child though a Mother may take down much bitterness for her child yet would she be content to open a vein to bleed to death to redeem its life when ready to perish I know David in his passion said Would God I had dyed for thee but if Absalom had been alive and in cold bood he had been put to it I question though his affections were strong to his Son but they would have been as strong to himself Self is a mans nearest friend but now the Lord Jesus you see did it for his poor sinful people yea for strangers for enemies Brethren consider of it If any of us were Physitians here is a poor wounded creature lies in the way as the poor man in the Gospel fell among thieves left wounded and half-dead which of us now could find in our hearts to open our own veins and be emptied of all our blood and liâ—e that such a poor wretch might be supplied now this the Lord Jesus doth for such Sinners as we are Brethren if there must be pouncing and pricking he endures it lancing he endures it contusion he endures it For he was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquites the chastisement of our peace was upon him and through his stripes we are healed his stripes are not the bodily buffetings his crown of thorns and such things were nothing in comparison no it is the lashing of his spirit the wounding of his soul the travel of his soul the agonies wrestlings with his Fathers displeasure to an agony when God laid on him so heavily that he was ready to faint and sink and his soul almost fetched at every blow O dear Saviour that ever the cure of such sinfull dust and ashes should cost thee so dear and we so little prize it But 2. That which he prescribes to us though there be some bitterness in it yet no more then must needs it may be a sprinkling from the top of the cup of trembling which may put us into a fear and trembling so much as he seeth needfull to imbitter sin to us it is true if love were perfect here below while graces are imperfect and our ingenuity perfect the looking upon a crucified Christ for us would be the greatest imbittering of sin to us in the world but we are very dull an 〈…〉 ow of heart and therefore a little taste we must our selves that we may gather from thence what the Lord Jesus indured for us we that never felt what a wounded Spirit meant and what the clouding of the face of God from us meant though we may hear of the sufferings of Christ we are not able to be sensible of them and so not to prize that love as strong as death but when a poor creature hath had a drop or two of scalding wrath fall upon his conscience a lash or two though gently upon his spirit that maketh him roar in the disquietness of his â—oul O thinketh he then if a drop or two be so full of terror and amazement what then was the whole Cup what was the dregs how should I have born that if my blessed Saviour had not taken it off for me That which did so parch him who was the Green Tree that he said he thirsted surely would have consumed the dry If he were as a Bottle dryed in the smoak it would have consumed us to ashes If it made Him sweat in such a manner it would have altogether dissolved our frame that we should have perished for ever O if a little wrath when God hideth his face be such a Hell in many souls What a Hell then had Jesus Christ in his soul when wrath was poured out to the utmost for he was not spared a jot And then to make us out of love with sin wherein doth lie the very heart of the core and of the cure surely such are the bowels of God in Christ that as he delighteth not in the death of a sinner so neither doth he delight in bringing the creature to life through so much bitterness and grief if any other means would so effectually work us out of love with sin as this for the Wise God surely would take the most effectual course it is all needfull else he would never do it Why but you will say that hatred of sin is never kindly except the love to Jesus Christ be the ground of it ye that love the Lord hate evil this takes the ingenuous spirit off from Omissions and Commissions It is true but yet consider brethren wherefore do we love Him but because he loved us when his love is revealed and manifested this warmeth melteth the heart indeareth the soul to him until the Lord Jesus be pleased to open and unfold his bowels of love to a sinner he will never love him now whereby should we estimate the love of Jesus Christ to poor sinners but by the unsearchably rich 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he paid for them O the price of every drop of that blessed blood that run trickling down to the earth especially if it be considered by what means it was squeezed out of him this setteth a rate upon his love it is not love in word but in deed and in truth if nothing else will be a price to redeem them but his blood it shall go he is not dear of it to the last drop yea not to part with it by opening a vein but to have it extract out of the veins by the pores of his body O by the unspeakable weight of wrath upon his Spirit Now how can we judge of this except we have had a little taste of it our selves when we are put into a little sweat in our own wrestlings with the displeasure of God O then we see what our Saviour indured for us If a man would set the highest estimate upon love among men this should be the rate of it would they willingly have the face of God in Christ hidden from them for a year or two for the dearest friend they have in the world you that have felt what this lashing of your Spirit is that your breath was even gone at every blow and you were ready to perish and you had fainted except you had believed some secret undiscerned support Tell me would you redeem the life yea the souls of your dearest friends that you had in this world by lying under a wounded Spirit having a Hell kindled in your souls that should burn all your days I cannot tell I know dear Friends will do much one for another O saith one I could lay my hands under their feet to do them good O I could redeem their lives with my own Would God I had died for thee and haply because he saw he was in such a sad condition for his soul but David wouldst thou have been content to roar all thy days in the disquietness of thy soul to have his waves and billows to
see it by experience in all things what low minds what poor and weak apprehensions they have that are exercised upon low objects never rise higher what heightens the mind of a Prince but the thoughts of a Kingdom What difference is there between the mind of the meanest Mechanick and the deepest Polititian Such difference must there needs be between the heart of a man that is poring alway upon low things and God is very little dwelt upon It is said of Moses that is the ground of it he waxed great saith the Text not only in body but in mind and Spirit he waxed strong in Spirit was a man of a great mind his eye was upon him that is invisible the great God Jehovah Elohim who giveth being to his promises keepeth Covenant with his people and is Mighty Almighty can do what he will do in heaven and earth and all deep places This made him so great therefore he was above the fears of the Kings wrath he cared not for it Before indeed he was afraid and fled he then had not had so much converse with God and contemplation of him and knowledge of him as afterward he had Well then you say your faith is weak you know not how to get it strengthened lift up your thoughts to this great object do but peruse his name a little now and then yea often the Lord the Lord God gracious and merciful c. See if there be not an abundance there to swallow up all thy doubts and fears O thou art a miserable creature it is true but he is a merciful God and thy misery is but the misery of a creature and his mercy is the mercy of a Creator a God and what are thy thoughts of thy misery when thou hast aggravated it to the height as much as can be they are but finite thoughts and his thoughts of pardon and mercy they are the thoughts of a God infinitely above thy thoughts either of misery or mercy if his thoughts of mercy and pardon were not more then ours we were in a sad condition for then they would never answer his thoughts of our misery which are infinitely above ours of our own misery Alas but I am the most vile unworthy wretch in the world O you know not what I am alas is it for such an one as I to believe Suppose so he is gracious O it is most free infinitely free what he giveth he looks for nothing at thy hands only acceptance O but sure I have wearied out his patience he hath waited upon me so long he is long suffering O but I have such an abundance of sin my heart is so full there is an abundance of goodness abundantly pardon in him yea and truth also c. Alas but I shall never hold out nor keep my heart with him I shall quickly back-slide But he it is that keepeth mercy for thousands O if our hearts were but much in meditation of God his name the Lord our righteousness and this name his works the great things that he hath done how would it raise our spirits to believe and how would it increase our love to him and our fear of him There is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared we should find a very great influence upon all our Graces to increase them even from the greatness the fulness the riches of this Object O his Almighty Arm whereby he laid the foundations of the heavens and earth and hanged the earth upon nothing and what then though thou be nothing he can lay a foundation of eternal comfort and an heavenly Kingdom as well as the earth upon nothing and bestow his riches of Grace as well as his power and wisdom upon nothing therefore labour much to improve this great Object O it will take the heart much off these poor little nothing vanities of the world it will make us contented with our portion it will arm us against all the fears of men and lights of the world what will it not do if the Lord be pleased but to breath upon our endeavours in fixing our hearts upon this so high an Object Eighthly Another is to use the Society of growing Christians there is much in the communion of Saints which presupposeth an union maketh increase of the Body to the edifying of it self in love as the Fellowship of the Graces of the Spirit and their co-operation or working together doth help to strengthen the whole so the Fellowship of the Saints tends very much to building up So the Church When they continued together daily with one accord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one consent with one heart then the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved and not only so but hereby the hands of the people of God are strengthened and their spirits quickened the fire groweth to a flame when many brands are laid together if there be but one live coal and many dead ones lay them together and there will be an increase of the heat he that will walk alone and apart from the communion of Saints I do believe shall quickly know by his own spirit what the want of them is but now there are some that are move growing and grown then others are alas how many are under diseases the world or somewhat as bad that they are at a stand proced not or rather decline there is little to be got by the fellowship of such no no the people that we find are so full they are over flowing continually their lips feed many they are bringing out of the good treasury of their hearts things both new and old they are still telling what the Lord hath done for their souls or still they are stirring up others you shall receive something still if your own hearts be not out of frame to receive O how the example of a lively sensible diligent close-walking Christian will provoke us as the Apostle saith Your charity hath provoked many it will put us upon it to follow harder after God To do the same diligence with them to the full assurance of hope to the end wherefore else are the experiences and examples of the Saints in Scripture written what David found and Jacob found by experience of God in prayer wrestling with him and what their fallings cost them both but that they being dead might yet speak to us and with us and we might converse with their living examples though themselves be dead even as faithful Abel being dead yet speaketh and why should there not be such a Fellowship of Saints to communicate what they have found of God I do believe Brethren some of us may with thankful hearts bless the Lord that ever we saw the faces of some of his people that we have by their examples and by their words been much quickened much stirred up much provoked therefore if we would grow converse with such if thou be weak in faith find out some of the
where there is probability yea certainty of speeding if we come So the Lepers you know their argument If we stay here we must perish if we go we may escape So Esther she knew if she went not into the King at that time her neck was upon the block as well as the rest and if she did go in she might haply speed and prosper and therefore she ventures hard if the Scepter had not been held out to her it had cost her her life there but the body did lie at the stake as being starved for want or else designed to destruction by enemies but here soul and body lie at the stake and are in danger of perishing for ever there was only a possibility of escaping here is a certainty of escaping he will not in any wise cast him out O how cheerfully would Esther have run to the King if there had been such a Law that when ever the Queen cometh the Scepter should be held out to her so it is here there they ran a very desperate hazard but here is no hazard run here is a sure word of promise for it That heaven and earth shall pass away before a tittle of it shall pass away whoever cometh to Christ he will in no wise cast him out Seventhly It is a grief to the Lord Jesus that we should be thus wayward that we will not be perswaded of his good will toward us if we come to him that we should have such unworthy thoughts of Jesus Christ that he should make no more of his Word of promise his death his blood then to slight all falsifie all when poor sinners come to him according to his invitation he was grieved saith the Text because of the unbelief and hardness of their hearts It is said of the Jews O Jerusalem Jerusalem c. he wept over it when nothing would do to perswade them to close with him thou art grieved and Christ is grieved by this frowardness of thine Suppose the Father of the prodigal son in the Gospel had invited him to come to him promised him all the inheritance to put him in his bosom confirm his love to him no saith he I have mispent all I have undone my self fed upon husks as long as I could get them and now I am ready to perish not being able to procure them here I will sit and dye I cannot believe that thou wilt accept of me that thou canst ever love me or receive me more would not this grieve the father think you I know poor mourning soul thou wouldst not grieve the Lord Jesus I tell thee if thou wouldst not thou must come to him accept of his kindness and love believe his faithfulness and truth and so thy soul shall be established Vse 4. The fourth Use shall be then to exalt the riches of the Grace of Jesus Christ to poor sinners we might altus repetere and speak something to the purchasing of us at so dear a rate as his precious blood corruptible things as Silver and Gold are not worthy to be named the same day with the blood of Jesus Christ Alas there had been no possibility for us to come to him except there had been the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paid and then to invite us to come to him and not only so but to draw us with the cords of a man and the cords of love that we should hear and learn of the Father be all taught of God which is the drawing of his Father without which we cannot come which what it is you have heard already formerly Brethren this is abundance of Grace yea more he hath promised and doth and will perform whoever cometh to him he will in no wise cast him out If the Lord Jesus had limited himself to such or such a sort of sinners that he would receive all that should not continue so many years in sin or sâ—all not rise to such an height in sin yet it had been much Grace to receive any but he excludeth none if any man come to Christ he will in no wise cast him out Are there not many souls in the presence of God that can set to their seals that this is a truth in Iesus if he would have cast out any what would become of thee and me who are the chief of sinners if he would have cast out such as have been drunkards covetous unclean effeminate what had become of them in 1 Cor. 6 Such were some of you and what would have become of some of us if he would have cast out all that have been bloody persecutors what would have become of Paul Ah poor soul bethink thy self in what filth and blood thou didst wallow before he put off his own comliness upon thee and then think if the Lord Iesus had limited his receiving of sinners that come to such or such a measure what then had become of thee O what abounding Grace is in the Lord Iesus towards poor sinners let us exalt it meditate much of it labour to heighten it in thy thoughts there will be no thoughts more sweet or profitable more melting of that stone in thy heart we so sadly complain of more indearing and engaging of the heart to the Lord Jesus then these are Vse 5. Vse 5. Then surely there is no falling away from Christ from justifying sanctifying Grace once received for what else is this coming to Christ but coming for righteousness for pardon for he is the Lord our Righteousness the Father hath found a Ransom now in his Son and this the poor sinner maketh after in Christ and for holiness also for he is made of God Sanctification as well as Righteousness and Holiness to the poor soul that cometh to him now he will never cast him out that cometh to him he will in no wise cast him out If he had said I will not cast him out except he sin to this or that degree after my receiving him it had been somewhat but I will not cast him out no in no wise will I do it O blessed bosom which will never shut out the poor soul that is once gotten in to it and if the Lord Jesus cast us not out when we come what can It may be some will say that we our selves may do it Christ will not do it I but the sinner himself may â—all off though he have been received of Christ put in his bosom warmed with his love it is true if a sinner were his own keeper it were somewhat like if it were left to the liberty of our wils whether we would abide in Christ yea or no we should quickly be lost again but it is not the Lord Jesus doth not only not cast us out except we cast our selves out but he holds us in his hand and the Father holds us in his hand and they are stronger then all None shall be able to pluck them out of his hand he lays hold upon the
enabled me to surrender you up heartily at the â—earâ—ng of which he lifting up his hands blessed the Lord. To hâ—s wâ—fe he said haste haste Love for my time is very short and withall told his Sister I shall not reach midnight Then lifting up himfelf he said these raptures tell me I must be gone quickly The consideration of his approaching rest did wonderfully revive The Messenger of the Lord whispered him in the ear and told him his Father had sent for him home which happy tidings made his heart to â—eap for joy within him The glimmerings of the white Throne of the Lamb sitting on that Throne and of the glorious troops of Saints and Angels all in white about the I â—rone with the apprehensions and confident assurance of his bearing a part in the Musick of their Hallelujahs caused in him sublime elevations and springing exultings of spirit in a body depressed and bowed down with pinching pains and the agonies of an approaching death He is now in the Cutfields of Emanuels Land and is gotten almost to the top of the Mount and his soul impatient of delaies is ready to leap out of the crazy and declining Cottage of mouldring Flesh Paper being brought he began thus I resign my spirit into the hands of the Father of Spirits and into the bosome of my dear Lord c. To this there were but three or four lines more added for he was in haste and longed to be at home To his wife having in a very short space dispatched his Will he said Bury me in silence without Funeral Sermon I will have no manner of pomp but was perswaded to yeild to the intreaties of his wife as to a Sermon As his children were called for Doctor Winter came in to visit him who unexpectedly seeing death in his face said with a loud and lamenting voice Brother Murcot are you leaving us who with unaltered countenance said Yes and desired him to pray quickly His children being brought he said to his eldest Will Hester be a good child and serve the Lord His son being presented he expressed himself thus The Lord break thy stubborn heart When the little one hanging on the mothers brest was exposed to his sight he lift up his hands and said The Lord bless thee Being put in mind of his servants he affectionately and even smilingly looked up upon one whom he had been instrumental to convert and said Bess hath a better Master the Lord be with thee Bess The children being taken away and his wife coming to take her last leave and final farewel of him he alone lift up himself and kissed her Dr. Winter desiring an interest in his prayers he said The Lord strengthen you for the double work that now lies on you and withal desired him to pray with him which he did in a most pathetical and doleful manner groaning out his requests unto God The people though desired are loath to leave the chamber and hang so thick on the curtains bed-posts hangings doors having not the power to leave their dear and departing friend so that he is in danger of being smothered and dying before his time Drawing near his end his sister said to him Are you in charity with all the Lords people though differing from you Who lifting up his eyes affectionately said Yes She desiring him to manifest it by his last request he lifted up his hands and requested that all the Lords people might be one as his way was one Then stretching out his arms and lifting himself up he said with a loud and shrill voice Lord Jesus draw me up to thee which sweet expressions by a frequent and fervent repetition wasted his spirits so that afterwards he lay in somewhat a silent posture waiting for his change which was now neer at hand About nine of the clock he breathed out his soul into the bosom of Christ and quietly slept in the Lord. The Wednesday following being the appointed time of his interment great was the confluence of people who attended the corps unto the grave The Lord Deputy Fleetwood followed the Body after him the Council then the Maior Aldermen and Citizens in such numerous troops that the like hath not been usually seen in Dublin Dr. Winter preached his funeral Sermon on Heb. 13. 7. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation Upon the face of the whole Congregation sate a black cloud of sorrow and disconsolation being not able to vent it on that doleful and uncomfortable occasion into showers The Body being brought unto the place of burial the sadned spectators and standers-by sighed him into his grave and mingling his dust with their moist tears departed and left him in his bed of rest Relation I would willing back with Exhortation A few words of spiritual advice in the close of the whole may be of use though from an inferiour hand And first to you my Brethren in the Ministry I address my self and earnestly intreate you in the bowels of Christ Jesus our Lord to remember That you are not only Church-Officers but Christians Spend not your whole time in reading books and studying other men you will do well to study your selves and to be acquainted with the frame of your own hearts The way which you point out unto others walk in your selves and conscientiously practise the duties which you pangatively press Beware of beams in your own eyes whilest you are diligently plucking motes out of your brothers eyes Let not your own cloathes be full of dust when you are brushing other mens backs It s not handsom for us to be alwaies sweeping before the doors of others and picking up the least offensive straw whilest huge heaps of dunghil filth lie before our own doors unremoved It opens the mouths of opposites when we are taken notice of to bind heavy burdens on other mens shoulders we in the mean time refusing to touch them with the least of our fingers Know we not the pleadings of many at the last day Have we not preached in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils whom yet Christ will spurn from his presence and cast forth as an everlasting abhorring What though Judas had the grace of Apostleship so long as he had not grace with his Apostleship It was a wise course that Paul took and deserving imitation who did beat down his own body lest having preached unto others he himself should become a cast-away What though Satan fall down from heaven like â—ightning before us if he be not cast out of our hearts We have more reason to rejoyce in having our names written in the Lambs book of Life then in having the Devils subject to us O whilest we passionately endeavour the salvation of others souls let us have an eye of tender regard unto our own One hint more at parting We cannot be too often put in
have to do with either towards God or towards men or towards our selves but there are many temptations accompanying it and particular conditions have their particular temptations and if we be not very circumspect and exact it is a thousand to one but we miscarry we are snared and taken and carried away captive to some vain imagination to some high thought to some base lust and there kept in strong holds and it may cost us somewhat before we be released again the world was never more full of snares then now brethren for beside the ordinary snares in our trading profession or way of gaining Lord how many snares are there it would be an infinite work to trace them through in all our relations Snares they are apt to steal away our hearts if lovely and desirable or else to occasion much sin another way if otherwise in Reliligion never so many never more seandall by the falls of eminent Professors never were there more various pretences to the Truth more false ways and every one pretending to the Truth so that it is somewhat difficult to find a solution for that Question what is Truth never was the world more full of witcheries then now more powerful in its enticements then now it is hard to bear the frowns of it upon the truth but more hard to avoid the imbraces of it and the smiles upon error and falshood if they think it be the way to thrive to be of this or that opinion men to whom gain is godliness they will rather burn incense to the Queen of heaven and tell the Lord to his face that his Prophet is a lying Prophet to speak against their way of worship which brought them in so much they had their corn and wine and oyl then and therefore they would not be beaten off by a Thus saith the Lord to the contrary will the Silver Smiths let Diana go upon easie terms and will not men stickle for a way of falshood if thereby come in their gain and preferments and will not all the world follow that way almost had we not need to walk exactly then to take heed where we tread besides if there were nothing but our own hearts they are as snares and nets to us how easie is it for us to be intangled in the cords of our own sins our own pride and self-confidence and self-love doting upon our selves and a world of iniquities each of them being a snare Oh brethren if you did walk among pits and pits covered from your eys if men did walk upon a bog ready to sink every step how would they walk Suspenso gradu Secondly The necessity of it to the end if we would reach the end of our faith the salvation of our souls it must be by an exact walking it is not a little form of godliness without the power spreading it self through your lives will do it else those in the 7. of Matthew had had a sufficient plea for themselves else the Pharisees had not been much out when they under a pretence of long Prayers devoured widdows houses but they were miserably mistaken Dear friends be not deceived let no man deceive you with vain words and tell you the way to heaven is broder then it is it is a narrow way and it is up the hill and if you will come to heaven you must not think that any by-path will bring you to it that there is any nearer cut then the Lord hath made Many shall seek to enter and shall not be able and what if that prove any of our cases who never were sensible of such a duty in strict close exact circumspect walking how wâ—ful will our conditions be men seek to enter but they will not strive they will walk hand in hand with the people of God ' but they will not walk exactly they will take a liberty to their spirits though their souls perish by it Thirdly The difficulty of the way should put us upon exactness it is a narrow way there is a necessity you heard before if you miss it you sink and perish but men think it is easie to find and keep but this is ignorance our Savioâ—ur saith it is a straite way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an afflicted way or a way crushed close together a man cannot tell almost how to miss the way to hell he may wink and walk thither he needeth no light to his feet the way of the wicked is as darkness and while they are in that darkness they may be sure they are in the way to destruction and he that is but a fool bungler at the service of sin is not ingenuous may make a shift to come thither how easily to tumble down the hill but to recover a mans self to get up the hill this is the labour indeed It is narrow and then it is not such a beaten path and therefore not so easie found some track there is but it is not so beaten and beautified with the feet of the shining Saints as to be easily discerned but it is rather a way in the ayr and indeed none can see it untill he be in it and therefore there is a necessity of exactness circumspection in walking if a man have a hard way to find be upon a great plain or a waste howling Wilderness where there is no way beaten and among enemies in danger to be destroyed this man had need look well about him to walk exactly indeed A third Motive may be because Iniquity abounds the love of many waxeth cold and therefore from hence it is that there are so many offences so carelesly given and so easily taken if Peter and the men of Knowledge have no more love then to walk so offensively have no more tenderness of others what need had the weak then to walk wisely circumspectly lest you be drawn away with the dissimulation of a Peter as Barnabas was he looked not so well to his steps as he should as on the other hand if you slip and fall and walk not wisely if thy foot slip and thou stumble there are few that are so spiritual and full of love as with the spirit of meekness to restore thee again it is too too apparent even in the eminentest Saints they are rather ready to a withdrawing a casting off communion and fellowship and therefore thou hadst need who ever thou art to walk wisely and circumspectly else thou wilt be in danger of giving offence to some of the little ones and woe be to him by whom offences come or else thou maist be insnared and stumble upon others miscarriages and so thy soul be destroyed or in danger of it as the Apostle speaks will not that man walk warily that hath stumbling block upon stumbling block is in a rough way and if he tread aside is in danger to put out a joynt or break his bones so it is here Fourthly How much honour hath God by a
of man had not where to lay his head you must forecast to meet with many tribulations in the way to heaven if you dream of a vvay strewed vvith Violets and Roses and find Briers and Thorns what a sore discouragement vvill this be and a temptation to forsake the vvay to turn aside from following the Lord expect then that you may be assailed by the frowns yea and smiles of the vvorld vvhich is more dangerous of the two that you may lose friends relations the love of all and be hated of all men for the name sake of Christ the more exactly you walk for the vvorld cannot bear too great a lustre and glory of holiness in any expect this it vvould be no strange thing to you then no more then you look for and then it vvill not be so dangerous to thrust you aside from following the Lord. Tenthly Labour to arm your selves vvith a strong perswasion of the Al-sufficiency of God to keep you in and deliver you from the threatning evils you may meet vvith in your vvays and of the Al-sufficiency of his goodness to be your exceeding great reward though you have but little with righteousness here in this world and then brethren you will hardly be drawn to the right hand or to the left what is the reason that fear turns many men aside and it is very ingenuous to find out diverticula as Calvin saith and as you see in the case of Peter and Abraham when he lyed to save his wife and so David when he spake untruly to Abimelech the Priest first and then afterward to Achish King of Gath as you have it in the Story in the first Book of Samuel his fear overwhelmed him he had forgotten his rock the Lord Jehovah and so for God would men be so full of self-seeking as they are if they did believe that God were able to make an abundant recompence to them though they had little in the world for their service of him it is a very plain case Abraham would not take from a thread to a shoo latchet of the King of Sodoms goods they should not say they had made Abraham rich he had God was an al-sufficient portion to him Oâ—if men were of this spirit of faith in Gods al-sufficiency the smiling world would very little prevail to draw any aside to the thriving side or opinion as I doubt it is well then labour for this perswasion and you shall find it a wonderfnl support to keep us upright in our goings which is a great part of this circumspect walking Alas But you vvill say this is a difficult duty indeed to walk thus exactly and as I may say in a frame and if this be so who then can walk the ways of God if there must be this strictness To this I answer First Plead not the difficulty against a duty for difficult duties must be done by how much the more difficult by so much the more excellent and vvhat else were the difference between the form and the power between a Saint and an Hypocrite if the Saint did not take up the most strict inward spiritual difficult services as well as the more slight and outside and overly lay the necessity then in the other ballance against the difficulty and see which will weigh down the other Secondly Suppose thou be weak and find thy self far short of this duty yet there is no reason thou shouldest be discouraged but lift up the hands that hang down and stir up your souls to it and buckle to the work there is nothing so hard but diligence will overcome specially if you consider the condition thou art in if thou be in Christ for then thou hast a fulness of strength in Christ through him saith the Apostle I am able to do all things and why not thou as well as the Apostle is there not as much fulness now and is not Christ as free to communicate it now as then only thou sittest down discouraged and wilt not go to the Fountain for relief Again 2. In Christ thou hast all the Promises Yea and Amen now how many such promises are there He will give the Spirit to them that ask and he keepeth the feet of his Saints and such as have no might he will renew their strength and they shall run and not be weary and walk and not faint and the way-faring man though a fool shall not err therein in this way of God which is cast up you let these precious Promises lye dead why do you not improve them plead them with the Lord Say then with the Psalmist O that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes say to him Lord thou requirest a circumspect an exact walking before thee there are so many stumbling blocks and snares within and without and I am so foolish and weak I am ignorant of Satans devises I cannot order one of my steps to avoid them thy promise is the foolish shall not wander thy Promise is to give strength to them that have no might I am the poor creature that hath no might to will is present I would fain walk thus circumspect but how to perform it I find not O see if the Lord do not condescend to take you by the arm and to teach you to go and to keep you close to himself in his ways and in every respect be as good as his word to you and at the end himself be your exceeding great reward for your so walking before him We have done with the Apostles Exhortation to walk wisely now we come to the Argument he enforceth it with Not as fools but as wise Sapientia primâ— stultitia caruisse the Apostle setting the contraries one against another would make it the more clear and emphaticall and therefore this maner of speaking is often used in Scripture If we spake to one part the other will follow by the rule of contraries and we shall in the enlargement meet with it by way of Doctrine The Doctrine therefore is this It is an Effect and an Argument a Proof of Christian Wisdom indeed to walk circumspectly exactly If you would approve your selves to be wise memas you profess your selves to be then walk circumspectly exactly this is one of the highest demonstrations of it you can give I shall endeavour to prove this by some Scripture and then shew in some particulars how it is apparently wisdom thus to walk and then make some Application of it For the proof of it there are many Scriptures which make it appear walk wisely toward them which are without redeeming the time where exact and circumspect walking towards them which are without lest we offend them drive them away from Christ prejudice them against the ways of Truth is called a walking wisely there is great need of wisdom then to all other parts of this circumspect walking it is of the like force with that of the Spouse I charge you by the Roes
sitâ—ing or standing may sometimes but presently awake aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus But then the sleep is a deeper security when the eyes are altogether closed and a man is fast though some sleep faster then others do some set themselves to sleep they give themselves to it others are overtaken with it it seizeth upon them like an armed man sometimes and herein they agree the Saints and hypocrites formal and powerful professors of Christ they all slumbered and slept they were all it seemeth overcharged with the cares of this world or somewhat or other that their watch was down and they were surprized And alas Brethren if the day of the Lord Jesus should come upon us almost any day would it not find us sleeping or if not sleeping yet slumbering at least but of this more afterwards Sixthly They all arose saith the text when the cry came at midnight It was high time then to awake as souldiers that watch for an enemy they fall asleep set some to watch suddenly there is an out-cry an alarum O how quickly are they raised If the last trumpet be the cry it shall raise all both hypocrites as well as Saints only the dead in Christ shall rise first be awakened out of the sleep of death If the cry be the Ministry of the word by some smart visitation it will rouze them all let hypocrites be as secure of their condition as they will they shall have a time of awakening Seventhly and lastly They trimmed their Lamps Some say only the wise Virgins trimmed their Lamps for the foolish had only dead Lamps such as gave no light shining before men but why then are they said to be extinguished or to be gone out Beloved the words of the Text carry it for all they all arose and trimmed their Lamps the copulative joines both sentences together and therefore the universal reacheth the latter part as well as the former except there were some limitation It should seem Brethren that hypocrites may make as fair a shew and deceive themselves or being deceived by their own hearts even very long to the very last they thought now to arise with Sampson and shake themselves when they have been sleeping upon the lap of their Dalilah but alas their Lamps were out they trimmed them and stirr'd them up to see if they would burn any longer but they were gone out or going out as some render it A sad thing Brethren for us to deceive your selves even to the very last cast until there be no remedy O what treacherous hearts have we Eighthly They agree also in the number here in the Parable five were wise and five were foolish for this we must remember what was premised that every particular is not to be squeezed and prest too sore nor can we conclude from hence an equal number of real Saints or painted hypocrites in the Church no more then where there are Chap. 13. three evil sorts of ground and but one good we can cònclude that there are three to one unsound professors who receive the word to one honest and good heart which bringeth forth fruit to perfection there may be more there may be less our Saviour in the general tells us many are called but few are chosen he might therefore here haply have some respect to the number of Virgins which might accompany the Bride which some say were five because the number consists of the first equal and the first unequal number even two and three because in a marriage a superiour and inferiour male and female are joyned together but that is a nicity however this we may take up from it in the general that there are some which are not what they profess some are foolish and some are wise in the Church Now I come to speak somewhat to that which is distinguishing in the Parable between formal and real professors of Jesus Christ in this Kingdom First then in the general the one are foolish and the other are wise all are not wise that are within the Church there are some fools Why but is it folly then for any man to prosess Christ No it is not folly simply considered in it self but a duty to confess him and hold him out before men but to stick here is folly as we shall see more hereafter blessed be the Lord that there are some wise though there be many foolish some that will not be put off with forms nor shadows but must have the substance the bread of life and not husks they will not satisfie them O that we were every one of us such Brethren Secondly The foolish they took no oyl in their vessels though their Lamps burned afterward were extinguished when they should stand them in stead to enter with the Bridegroom they had no oyl What is meant here by oyl and what by vessels for the first some say one thing some another some as the Papists say good works is the oyl which is the life of faith without which it is dead which is as if a man should call the flame of a Lamp the oyl that feeds it therefore Brethren according to the Scripture expression elsewhere by oyl I understand the saving grace of the spirit of Jesus Christ true justifying faith repentance never to be repented of and love out of a pure heart unfeigned faith unfeigned repentance unfeigned love and indeed all the graces of the spirit These are they that feed the flame in the Lamps of the Saints whatever hypocrites have which maketh a flame and their Lamps do burn by it of which more afterward because I would not stay you too long in the opening of it this they wanted they cared not to make sure of this to have this true saving grace so they had but as much as would make a blaze among men that they might be seen to have Lamps burning and shining as well as others the rest they cared not for Secondly For the vessels some say the Lamps they had no oyl in them but me thinks the Text distinguisheth between the Lamps and the vessels they took no oyl with their Lamps he doth not say in them but with them and the next verse the wise took oyl in their vessels with their Lamps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is of a large extent but it signifieth somewhat believed the Lamp It is likely they had some vessels they carried about with them full of oyl that when the Lamp needed they supplyed it still else it would go out so here the vessel may be meant the heart brethren a truly contrite heart is the vessel into which the Lord pours the oyl of his grace and spirit and hence there is a continual supply like the oyl in the Cruse it fails not Now this the foolish they cared not for but they had somewhat at present that would make their Lamps burn for holding out they forecast not for that therefore provided no oyl in their vessels no
person Alas our hands are withered as to any thing that is good and our Legs are Lame throug Hypocrisie we halt between two we are very Criples indeed no strength not so much in our Ankle-bones as to stand upon our Legs We are blinde and cannot see deaf and cannot hear pride like a Tympany swells us All manner of deformities gathered into one are the very picture of a poor sinner O brethren who could affect such a creature were not this free altogether free We must have something or else we cannot take a person into such a relation we must have beauty and parts and birth and wealth and wisdom and what not we are blacker then Ethiopians more bruitish then fools viler then the earth poor and naked and miserable and what not and O that ever the Lord Jesus should take such as we are in such a condition well this is the first 2. He doth it so willingly as to rejoyce in it It may be it may make a man more serious and Melancholly in such a condition if he be sensible of the weight of the things he goeth about but now the Lord Jesus knowing the issues of things and that it will be eternally happy for the poor soul and he shall have glory in it he doth it and not onely so but he rejoyceth in it even â—s a Bride-groom rejoyceth over his Bride as the Prophet hath it The words of the Text are very Emphatical as a young man marryeth a virgin so shall thy sons marry Thee he speaks of the Church of the Jews their sons shall abide with her as one that marrieth another and dwells with her and they shall not be removed but a young man marryeth a virgin a chosen young man the freely chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 happily because they used to choose young men for explâ—its in war or otherwise as being of more strength and activity such an one marrying a virgin not an old man a virgin nor a young man marrying a widow or Ancient woman but a young man a virgin so an old man an old woman the reason of it is that hereby God might set forth how every way there being a suitableness to give full content and satisfaction he rejoyceth therefore over his people he thus espouseth as a young man over his virgin his Bride that he marryeth therefore she is called Hephsibah my delight is in her and Beulah she is marryed And this if it be not full enough take another place and it is that of Zeph where he prophecyeth in like manner of the restoring of Jerusalem and Gods taking her again after she was put away as it were the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing Minde you he will rejoyce over thee with joy that is to say exceedingly rejoyce as in another case the friend of the Bridegroom rejoyceth with joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he rejoyceth with joy that is to say GREATLY yea he will rest in his love he is fully satisfied and contented yea rejoyceth with singing an outward expression of it How many expressions are here whereby he would have us know the largeness of his heart towards us in this his espousing any of us to himself and Alas all little enough to poor trembling souls to raise a drooping spirit to believe any thing of this kind and it is not onely a flashy ungrounded empty joy but he will rejoyce over such a soul to do them good I will rejoyce over them to do them good as if he had said it is the very joy and rejoycing of my heart to do you good Though you think happily that Jesus Christ is hard to be intreated and you have sought him long c. and you finde little O entertain not such thoughts for surely he doth rejoyce over his people to do them good but so much for that 3. He doth it brethren so firmly in every respect to all after-claps being provided for it shall never be broken There is many a man espouseth a wife and happily through weakness of the disposition or some disease or the like which afterwards being discovered procures a disrelish and happily breaks all or the like but I will a little insist upon this because it is very considerable and therefore 1. The Lord Jesus he doth it in such a way as that sure he will be that Justice shall be satisfied to the utmost in the behalf of a soul whatever the debts brethren have been if 10000 Talents whatever the offences have been you have been guilty of which happily may lie sore upon you O you are afraid of the justice of God he is just and dreadful and though he may forbear me for a while thinketh the poor doubting soul yet he may afterward come upon me for all and what will become of me then no the Lord Jesus he hath before-hand satisfyed all that can be demanded he hath paid to the uttermost for them being a Saviour to the utmost all the black and bloody bills chargeable upon thee were charged upon him It is true indeed hrethren if this contract or espousal between Christ and the soul were made without provision of satisfaction to justice he might come UPON THE SOUL AFTERWARDS and break and undo all again but our Saviour is wiser in his negotiations then so he hath first cleared all as to the merit and having taken satisfaction in his son and given him an acquittance being well pleased in the Lord Jesus he cannot now again return upon thee for arrearages that is a great and rich Scripture indeeed he came to be a propitiation then through faith in his blood that God might be just the justifier of them that believe that he might be justifier and yet so as himself be just not onely in fulfilling his promises of Christ his coming but be just that is to say his justice fully satisfied and yet his infinite mercy take place 2. That he is real in what he doth he doth not mock and delude poor creatures indeed a man that is variable and changeable as the shadow he may make a shew of much love and carry on a Match far and when all cometh to all cast her off and take up other resolutions but the Lord Jesus surely he is real in what he doth indeed God hath much ado with us many times to perswade us to this that he meaneth as he saith and we shall finde him full as good as his word and his offers because alas we judge him by her own unconstancy because our hearts are so hollow we think his may be also but remember his thoughts are above our thoughts and his ways above ours saith the Lord I will betroth thee unto me I will betroth thee to me and again the third time he repeateth it I will I will I will
as the soul is ready to say O O sure he will not look upon me such a one as I yea I will I will saith he yea notwithstanding all your mis-doings I will your unkindnesses I will your jealousies of me I will your back-sliding I will betroth thee to me 3. It is done with that wisdom and Council that it will never be overthrown Counsel is so called from a word signifying to Found because it is the foundation of actions that which is done rashly and unadvisedly many times men are fain to come off with a non putaram to retreat with shame or when through weakness they cannot see through things Now this is not to be thought of Jesus Christ Brethren for he is the wonderful Counseller the wise God a God of understanding and wisdom and by him actions are weighed yea his own actions are weighed his choice of some persons to life and glory it is the counsel of his will not onely his will but the counsel of his will he doth it with such wisdom as foreseeth all the events It was not a rash thing that God brought Israel into the Land of Canaan no he did it with Counsel and therefore he saith that he knew what they would do before hand Ah! may a poor soul think the Lord Jesus indeed hath made love to me but did he think I would be such a wretch under all this his love I would carry so unkindly towards him yea he knew this and considered it before hand He did sit down brethren from eternity consider what it would cost him the bringing of such sinners as thou art to glory that many a grief he must have many a slighting of his love many a kick in his very bowels Jerusalem would wax fat and kick against him he knew this and yet notwithstanding he resolved upon it he would go through with his work if he could not have born these things brethren and covered them he would not have made love to us if he could not have taken us with all our weakness and imperfections for he would undertake nothing that he could not bring to pass that were weakness therefore he is said to do it in judgement also 4. It is with that faithfulness that the Lord Jesus will not onely not c 〈…〉 st off when once he hath taken a soul so near him in this relation but his heart being once pitched it is never removed more it is not with him as it is with men for however when once we have betrothed persons we are ingaged by the Law of God to take them and our Consciences do bind us though it may be between the espousal and marriage though there be not a casting off yet there may something intervene that may carry away the heart so that the heart is not so towards her as before and the person could be content to be loose if it were not that he is intangled i such â—ands he cannot break but now it is otherwise with the Lord Jesus his heart if once pitched is never removed more if he loveth he loveth to the end It is for ever that he betrotheth when he betrotheth Alas there is little comfort or sweetness in injoyment of such near relations if their hearts be not towards one another It is true they may live together and do duties one toward another outwardly but if the heart be gone there is little comfort in it so it cannot be with Jesus Christ He may indeed sometimes suspend the outward acts if I may call it so and withhold himself sometimes and not give that free communion of himself to the soul but yet his heart all that while is never the further off his heart is never gone which is indeed all in all One of the Churches eyes at any time will ravish his heart that he cannot well hold longer from revealing himself again to the soul after he hath withdrawn 5. For after-sinnings there is also a treasury of pardoning mercy laid up there is a treasury of Merit which he hath expended to purchase mercy for us which is alway before the father not only for the sins past before we believed but for all after since the pardon is purchased already though it be not applyed nor the sins pardoned before they be committed yet there is forgiveness with God there it is and ready to be issued forth as occasion serveth And he himself at the right hand of the father continually i 〈…〉 eceding for the Application of it Whereby he is able to save us to the uttermost Brethren if we could say thus far or thus far he can help and save and there is forgiveness indeed our hearts might fail us but it is to the uttermost to all perfections or all end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And yet let not graceless sinners abuse this but rather fear him so much the more there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared not that we may wax wanton under it Againe on the other hand He maketh the soul also to close with him and give it self up considerately and in truth sincerely First Considerately and not rashly the soul giveth it self to Jesus Christ promiseth to be his the love of J. Christ Constraineth us because we thus judge if one dyed then were all dead It is the act of the judgement convinced that Jesus Christ is the chief of ten thousand that he is onely lovely altogether lovely of our necessity of him of his all-sufficiency to answer our wants and onely sufficiency his willingness to accept of us No depth of earth no judgement no rooting in it self Mat. 13. There is many a poor creature for a flash a sudden motion hath some velleities some wishings and wouldings but this is a serious and judicious closing with him promising to be his to take him for better for worse to go through with him in all conditions if he go to prison to go with him to death to go with him And he only can work up the heart to this Then secondly It is in sincerity as well as thus judiciously he loveth truth in the inward parts and therefore looks at the heart more then at the outward Alas how often did Israel turn to the Lord but fainedly not sincerely But now the Lord his people indeed give up themselves to him cordially though it be but weak yet it is in truth their resignation of themselves to him and taking him for theirs not for by-ends or reports but for himself not for riches honours a name any thing but for himself no not onely for peace but for himself who is the Prince of peace no nor meerly for the grace and glory which cometh by him but for himself To love a man and choose him meerly for his wealth or his honor which a woman shall have by him it is false and dissembling she loveth him not indeed no it is the person that she
would have if it be in truth let the other accomplishments be less or greater so the soul O thy self thy self give me Christ or else I dye What wilt thou give me if I go Christ less wilt thou give me a name riches a portion in this world a fellowship with thy people in the Ordinances yea grace it self if it may be given without Christ O none but him none but him Well thus now thy Lord works a poor soul to close with him so that choosing Christ for himself while we have him we are well enough If a man follow him for Loaves when they cease farewell Christ or for riches or prosperity when that ceaseth all is gon They will not go to prison with him they will not suffer with him no they never intended it but to have such a Christ as to be kept from those things Well this is not sincere nor upwright which is wrought in every heart whom the Lord doth thus espouse to himself which may serve for a word of tryal to us all I have onely a word to speak to the solemnity of the Marriage-Feast you see Marriages used to be made with feasting it being a time of rejoycing so Sampson he made a Feast seven days that was the manner it seemeth and so Laban saith to Jacob fulfil her week the solemnity of the Marriage And our Saviour himself was at a marriage-feast at the first miracle that he wrought And though this feast it seems was rather at the compleat marriage then the espousal yet this Feast is at his espousal and continueth until the consummation and yet a greater feast to be expected The Kingdom of Heaven saith our Saviour is like a King that made a Marriage-Feast for his son and bid the Guests Here he speaks I take it of the administrations of grace in the visible Church of Christ for one was there that had not a wedding-garment O Brethren A Feast of Fat things of Wines on the Lees well refined a Feast the Lord maketh saith the Prophet Their Feasts were rather in drinking then eating and therefore they had their name in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A drinking a Feast so Ahasuerus feast a drinking And so the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a drinking together so here brethen such dainties are provided as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can enter into the heart of man as a man that never tasted hony though he may hear speaking of it cannot conceive what it is Eat my friends and drink ye yea drink abundantly saith he in the song It is observed by some that Matthew calls it a dinner and Luke calls it a supper both indeed for we dine and sup with him and he with us in the Administrations of his grace and those sweet communions that we have with him while he sitteth with us at the Table as not long since you heard Yea we have continually brethren such as are believers indeed have continual meat at his Table as Mephibosheth at David his Table a dayly portion the things of the day in its day so we our daily refreshings from his presence so Jeconiah had his portioâ—n from the Kings Table dayly Some say the dinner is here but the supper in Heaven and this not comparable to that now we have flagons but there will be springs and Rivers or rather an Ocean of wine to all eternity here we drink and take in the comfort there the comfort takes in us we enter into the joy because it cannot enter into us O blessed is he that shall be brought brethren to the supper of the Lamb forever and forever Lastly The consummation of this marriage when the Bridegroom cometh to take his Bride to himself to take her now from among the pots wherein she hath lien to take her now nearer to himself to his bosom indeed now she hath had some smiles from him to keep the heart alive now and then a Kiss but then continual embraces Now and then he hath met with her here and there and then withdraw again but then we shall be alway in the glorious light of his countenance O Brethren If a smile from Jesus Christ will sweeten the bitterest cup of Affliction here below yea very gall and wormwood it will sweeten the mouth and fill us with comfort what will it be then when nothing but pouring out of love upon the soul to eternity and when there shall be no bitterness at all to abate it and no mixture no interruption no fear of losing that sweet and ravishing communion with him Oh heaven will be Heaven indeed But so much for the Doctrinal part Now for the Application First then I pray you let us be more serious in taking notice of the great transcendent love of Jesus Christ to such as we are that we should be made a spouse to him O brethren what condescention is this he being so high and we so low such poor abject creatures Alas conception fails us brethren comparison fails us for there is no proportion between an infinitely glorious God and vile dust and ashes Who regardeth a drop of a Bucket or thedust of the ballance they are poor contemptible things who desireth a poor worm or an Ant every one trampleth them underfoot and thinketh he doth them no wrong though he never gave them no being alas brethren we that are less then nothing in comparison of him that he should set his love upon us and become espoused to himself how shall we conceive of it much less speak of it You would think it much for one of you brethren one of us to have our hearts drawn out thus to a poor abject forlorn maid lying in the street that we must take her to a nearer relation to a bosom-communion and fellowship this were strange but for a â—rince to do so is yet more strange but all is nothing to this of the Lord Jesus to our souls It was Condescention for the Cedar to marry the Thistle as it was ambition for the Thistle to seek to the Cedar O such thoughts if they rise they are even stifled in the very birth A begger will not fall in love with a King she thinketh it is impossible to compass it there is no hope and therefore no desire and truly I think it is as rare for a King to fall in love with a begger he is so far above her and hath objects more suitable to himself to set his love upon so that it would be one of the wonders of the world if such a thing should be why brethren much more then this is acted dayly while the Lord Jesus the King of Kings the Lord of Lords maketh love to such poor worms as we are and yet it is not wondered at It is true we think our selves something and therefore we are the less taken with it Tell a Pharisee how great Condescention it is for the God of Heaven
to set his love upon his soul he believeth no such things nor the Papists neither Nor many a poor hypocrite Alas they think they have somewhat that deserveth him I some beauty is in us that the Lord saw and so it was meet for him to lay out his love upon us proud wretches that we are it is well we have an infinitely condescending love yea and powerful that can overcome our pride and swallow it up and love not onely poor creatures nothing-creatures but such as falsly suppose themselves somewhat when they are nothing else what would become of many of us Well sure it is because we know not our selves or know not what this love means else we should all of us easily subscribe to this 2. That he would be at such a price for such for alas brethren 〈◊〉 who would lay down his life almost for the cho cest of persons though some in an Agony of Passion and discontent have made themselves away for them they have doated upon yet here was some proportion between the persons loving and loved yea happily the person loved might be the more eminent person and therefore might stand off and a man when he doth this alas he is beloved himself he is wrapt by the violence of his passion out of his choice his understanding and judgement dethroned and then the Affections like wild horses O whither will they not hurry a man but in such a case a man is not a man but now in sobriety of minde consider it and who would lay down their lives and dye for the obtaining the rarest creature in the world for a spouse surely none O no Skin for skin saith the Devil and though a man imagine more to be in what he hath never injoyed then he findeth by experience in what he hath had the flower and cream of yet notwithstanding if a man be himself he will prize his life above all but if he would dye would he dye a most shameful death to have his life taken away by the most violent destructions and convulsions of minde so strongly working upon the body as to moulder it away by degrees surely hardly any man would ever venture in such a case as this Alas What is this to what the Lord Jesus hath willingly undertaken for worms what man would dye for a worm that it might live and he might have it put in his bosom or rather would be contented to â—ay down his body take up the form of a worm and therein dye the most miserable death that he might have worms saved from death and be his nearest relations for ever O doth not this transcend the love of Angels brethren Alas what is this to what Jesus Christ hath paid for poor worms at the best sinful dust and ashes and that we might live and live in union and fellowship with himselfe for ever Ah Brethren if God would but make us sensible what we are at the worst and what the Lord Jesus underwent in some measure for apprehend it fully we cannot but such as have ever tasted what it is to sip of the cup may apprehend more then others what dregs were at the bottom a drop how doth it put the soul into an Agony upon the rack that thou wouldst choose death rather then life O what then was the whole cup brethren that he should undergo this and should with his most precious blood be willing to purchase such poor abjects forlorn Creatures to be a spouse to him yea with his blood drawn from him through the very pores of the body by the very distractions of his soul and wresâ—ling with wrath O was there ever grief like this that the father put him to and was there ever love like this brethren O that we had hearts indeed to admire it 3. That after all this is done he should be at such pains to bring us to himself to wooe us to come himself to send us his messengers to strive with us by his Spirit as you know he strivd long with the old world and strived long with the Israelites in the wilderness and many of our souls can say it by experience he hath striven long with us by his spirit when we have been convinced our ways have been folly and misery and yet we would not yield how hath he followed us up and down with motions of his spirit and waited to be gracious and all but to have our consent to take him for ours Dear friends who are we that the Lord Jesus should thus ambire make so much ado with us to have our consent to take him to accept of him for a Husband O what desperate enmity is in our hearts against him that there must be so much ado to overcome it You would think that poor begger either a very crooked cross piece full of bitter hatred against a Prince or Noble-man that sues to her with all the intreaties that can be sends messenger after messenger cometh himself and beseecheth her to accept of him and yet she will not no is she well where she is desireth not either you will say she believeth not what he saith that it is in reality it will not enter into her heart to think he is real he is so far above her though he tell her he knew that is sensible of it yet maketh love to her meerly because he will and his heart is towards her not for any thing in her self she believeth not or else that she is a desperate enemy and hater of such a Noble-man and would rather perish there or languish in such a condition as an abject then accept of him O this is the condition of many of us brethren some poor deject dunbelieving souls alas their hearts even fail within them to hear that J. Christ should make love to them O it canot be sure to such a worm such a wretch so poor so filthy so full of rags vermin so full of sores and wounds full deeply indebted so deformed and loathsom every way O they know not how to receive this Others they are even stout and proud and care no more for these things then if Jesus Christ had said nothing at all as for them they are well enough if he will let them alone they desire not to mend their conditions by closing with him Now brethren to both these how doth the Lord Jesus apply himself Never were there more powerful Arguments used and never more powerfully prest then he presseth them and that with more diligence and patient waiting upon us and O what love what manner of love is this that all this floweth from A little to touch upou each of them brethren happily the Lord may be pleased to breath in them to some poor soul and as he doth at other times thus so this day brethren Even to you he is pleading with you for this very end that some poor sinners would be perswaded to close with him First then The Arguments are the most
pressing that we are capable of indeed For he setteth before us Life and Death life if we close with him death if we refuse him reject him It is not a thing wherein we may choose or refuse and no wrong to our souls no brethren but he tells us let our condition be what it will be we as dead as we may if we close with him we shall be quickned there is warmth enough in his bosom to revive us there are spirits enough in his love to fetch us again O we shall live condemnation shall be taken away for there is no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ our bolts and shakles shall be removed the obligations of our souls to the Justice of God it shall cease O brethren here is the case now a poor condemned woman ready to perish the Prince hath so much compassion on her that he intreats her but to accept of him to be espoused to him promise him marriage if so he will pardon all that is past she shall have her life Is not this a pressing Argument 〈…〉 doubtless it is to such a one as this when death is even present to her before her face is ready to be turned off the Ladder and now an offer cometh O if you will but Marry the Prince you shall be saved though before she refused and the Argument had not such force in it because the thing was at a distance yet now you would think her desperate indeed that should refuse it So brethren the Lord Jesus he doth at other times yea and when the soul is as it were on the wrack upon the Ladder under strong convictions the Sentence is received and it is even going forth to execution O now here is life and death before thee wilt thou now marry me be a spouse to me saith the Prince the Lord Jesus the King of Kings Are not these pressing Arguments 2. Again another he useth is his precious blood that he hath not thought too dear for us O brethren when he beseecheth us by such an Argument as this is by the Mercies of God as the Apostle hath it will it not turn all that is within us to him If a man though but inferior to a woman should shew so much love as to expose his life to hazard for her would it not be strong a Argument when he cometh to wooe her O remember my life my blood is not dear to me that it may go well with you will not this move her there 's a heart of stone it must needs be so Why truly brother this is the Argument every time that you have Jesus Christ held out Crucified before your faces O do you not hear how every wound speaks to you as well as for you to the Father O sinners why are your hearts no more towards me have I not dyed for you my blood my life was not dear to me for your sakes If you will not believe me Behold my hands and my feet yea my sides and my heart look upon me in the Garden trace me there where it trickled down my weary body and see how I have loved you and will you still refuse me will you still think that my heart is not towards you or shall your hearts not yet be towards me Yea have I not been willing to lose the light of my fathers countenance to be under a defection to be eclipsed for you which was so much the purer though nothing so dear to me as his love and it were upon me in the greatest heat and glory and my heart most affected with it yet to suffer an eclipse for you and will you not close with me will you not be perswaded 3. Again once more in the most pressing manner and powerful he followeth us up and down with these Arguments O with what bowels how do they yâ—rn over us every step he followeth us O why will you dye why will you endure the everlasting chains to pay the uttermost further when I offer you my merits my satisfaction for all your debts Look upon him weeping over Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem O with what affection that is the edge indeed of an invitation O if he were now Preaching to you I believe brethren he would do it with bowels And so did Paul that Saint in whom grace did so abound and to him O he warned them day and night with tears O why will ye dye will ye not believe will you not close with me can you find in your hearts to slight me set light by my love that is so drawn out towards you O what love is here brethren And then with what diligence and patience often he would have done this and wayts long How many years have some of us been thus besought to close with a Crucified Christ Again secondly This may serve for ever to keep us low if love work kindly so it works it melteth down the heart the very mountains high and towring thoughts and imaginations flow at his presence you see how it humbled Abigail when David sent to woo her she bowed her self with her face to the earth and said behold let thine hand mayd be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord. A Spouse to David Gods Anointed I am not worthy let me be a servant not worthy to wash his feet yea the meanest servant a servant to his servants to do the meanest offices for them to wash their feet So Ruth when Boaz took but notice of her and spake kindly of her Whence is it saith she that my Lord should take knowledge of me who am but a stranger yea thou hast spoke comfortably to me or to my heart though I be not like one of thy hand-mayds It is true the Lord would not upbraid his people with what they have been nor doth he ever do it yet they should keep it before them continually to keep them low So he saith he will betroth his people after their going a whering from him there is much in that expression and one thing among the rest is conceived to be this by Mr. Burroughs upon Hos That he would forget her former unkindness and unfaithfulness and she should be now not onely as an unfaithful wife received again but Marryed as a virgin as if she never had departed But though the Lord will not upbraid us as James saith yet we should keep upon our hearts the sense of our former vileness when the Lord first met with us in the way of his love so Paul doth I am sure God never tells them after the first time Why persecutest thou me he never told him afterward he had been a persecuter and what a blasphemous wretch he had lived But Paul by the spirit of grace and power in him he often looks upon his feet upon what he had been and that kept him in so sweet an humble frame O I am less then the least Saint Shall the thoughts of love from David
tenderly and freely ministred to a yoke-fellow as afterward by the opening of the parable it appears well now thus doth the Lord Jesus dwell with us as many as believe he cherisheth us and nourisheth us 1. He lay's his people in his bosom The Church is said to lay him between her breasts which only is an expression of her love to him not for that he needed any cherishing from thence as David did from Abishai when he was old he must have a young virgin to keep warmth in him This is the case here if we had not such cherishing from Jesus Christ alas brethren we should quickly be benummed and frozen and stiff and unfit for any service he calls us to where should the spouse in her fainting swouning fits lye but in her Husbands bosome this the Prophet setteth forth in another simile of a shepheard the Lambs that are feeble and are not able to go or drive the pace of others he puts them in his bosom saith the Text thence they may gather heat and so the Chicken from the wings of the Hen there is warmth and cherishing so the son of righteousness when they are spread over a soul there is healing and strength in them 2. But then they eat of his bread and drank of his cup when he was upon Earth you know he did eat and drink with his Disciples he desired to eat that Passover with them O blessed are they that eat bread with him at his Table in his Kingdom he speaks of drinking wine new with them that which is a refreshing to them is a refreshing to him as I may say what is the satisfaction of a soul brethren but when he eats the flesh of Christ and drinketh his blood when he feeds upon those real dainties and what is the satisfaction of Christ but to see this He shall see his Seed and be satisfied to see his mercy and his bowels the precious fruits of his death and resurrection made over to a soul to see them living by Faith upon them and eating and drinking abundantly to their souls satisfaction this is the satisfaction of the soul of the Lord Jesus also well he nourisheth them it is the Saints priviledge a man will not feed strangers continually at his Table nor enemies but when once this relation is made up this is the result O what filling is to the hungry and thirsty soul they shall be satisfied Fifthly which should have been before this he will purify his Church his spouse the more Communion he hath with her the more pure she is what is humbling in other Marriages is advancement in this blessed Marriage It is said that the virgins which were to come to King Ahashur were to purify themselves before they came to him much ado there was to purify them with oyl of Myrrh which they say was to make the skin smooth to clear the beauty to free them from Wrinckles and to keep it from decaying The sweet Odours were to make them delightful in their savour to make them lovely to the eye of a man so curious they were but the case is otherwise here Alas he is fain to put his comeliness upon us else we should not have beauty at all that he should desire us as you have it in Ezek. 16. And therefore the Apostle to the Ephesians he gave himself for his Church that he might purify it Though we were nasty sluttish lothsom creatures before the Lord Jesus will not have us continue so but wash us in that fountain opened for sin and uncleanness that Jordan with us to wash away our Leprosy And therefore he himself came by water as well as by blood Alas what should the Lord Jesus do with us bretbren if we should retain our swinish disposition to wallow in the myre and then think to come and lye down in his bosom No he cannot away with this he must wash away this disposition and hath done it for all that are his that now they shall no more delight in sin but if they miscarry now it shall be their grief as well as it is his he purifieth his people A sad word to such as yet mallow in their uncleanness a sign they have nothing to do with Christ An encouragement to poor Creatures who labour under the lothsomeness of their corruptions he gave himself that he might purifie to himself a Church he can do it he will do it his blood doth lye in pawn he will not lose the price of his blood nor shall his people lose such mercies as this which cost the heart-blood whatever they go without they shall not go without this Sixthly He will make them fruitful Marriage-communion is a fruitful communion This is the general complaint of the people of God of their barren hearts and empty lives but he will make them fruitful he will not have a barren spouse whether we speak collectively or distributively of the Church of Christ Collectively Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all a way that is barren and God doth not own with bringing in souls to Jesus Christ hath cause to fear whethether in such a constitution they be the Church of Christ yea or no It is true the Gentiles before they were marryed had no children and the Jews that were the marryed wife when God was casting her off grew very barren but now more are children of the unmarryed then of the marryed woman saith the Lord. But it is clearer to us to speak distributively he will make us fruitful When a man is marryed to the Law which is the strength of sin as the Apostle calls it O how fruitful is he in works of darkness and shall not Jesus Christ be as vigorous and fruitful a husband as the Law can be and sin can be Let Sarahs womb be as dead as it may yet he can make her fruitful Let a mans heart be as dead to good works as you can imagine he can renew strength again as he did Abrahams and Sarahs If he speak the word a green tree is withered if he speak the word a barren tree is fruitful the Apostle his expression we are dead to the Law saith he and so free from our former husband that we might be marryed to another even to Jesus Christ that you might bring forth fruit unto God see what riches of fruitfulness or seeds of it are in the womb of that one Text God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye alway having all-sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work minde you here is good works and abounding in them that is more yea in every good work good works of all kinds and abounding in them all And whence cometh this he is able to make grace abound towards you though if you had but a Cistern you might be drawn dry or the stream yet there is a fountain which continually overfloweth he is able to make grace abound
yea all grace abound that you should have all things and all-sufficiency in all things yea and alway have it so that you may abound O brethren there is more riches in such a promise then in a thousand worlds if we could but live by faith in such a promise we should be fuller handed and freer hearted and more abound in good works of all kinds Well this is the sixth Seventhly He will present them to his Father without spot or wrinkle or any such thing a glorious Church as there it is now alas Brethren the Saints sometimes lye among the Pots here the Apostle speaks of the top of the Saints perfection that which is due or which they are capable of There shall be no privation any more we are now but changing into his image from glory to glory then he will bring us to his father in full brightness of glory If the Church on earth brethren the glory of the Bride be so great as to be compared in her primitive purity to the glory of the Sun a woman cloathed with the Sun what will it be when Christ shall appear with him in glory No deformity shall there then be brethren but the Church shall be altogether lovely But here further by spot or wrinkle are meant the stain and deformity of sin onely or else the deformity of sin and suffering both Of sin if so then by spot we may understand any greater stain or blemish by wrinkle any less deformity by spot a gross sin by wrinkle an ordinary infirmity Or else by spot any sinful work by wrinkle any failing even in good works there shall be nothing but uprightness or else as some even Mr. Caryl making a double Metaphor yet to the like purpose there shall be no deformity which usually followeth age in things and persons In things an old garment is usually spotted and defiled In persons wrinkles use to deform them you know the moisture consuming the skin shrivels up and the beauty is gone now saith the Lord there shall be none of all this no such deformity no old things all shall be done away and all things shall become new they shall be like the purest garment in its gloss and lustre like the purest face in its flower no deformity at all Or else by spot we may understand sin and by wrinkle sorrow and so we know that sorrow will dry up the bones and marrow and moisture my flesh and my skin he hath made old that is to say by reason of sorrow it wrinkles the face breaks the beauty sarrows the Cheeks brings deformity upon the greatest beauty now there shall be no such thing sin there shall be none all pardoned yea all far removed none inherent as you heard before all glorious no deformity no vileness and then no sorrow neither to abate our fulness of joy but a merry heart a joy to swallow up now the wings shall be covered with silver and feathers with yellow gold yea those very afflictions wherewith we have been racked shall work out an exceeding and far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory specially if they be for Christ here is a priviledge indeed brethren nor any such thing any thing which themselvs or others may suspect to be a spot c. But then his presenting them to his father this is after the manner of men you know Isaac took his spouse and presented her to his father and brought her into his mothers Tent so will the Lord Jesus present his Church to his father here is my spouse now in that glory which I have put upon her the price of my blood this is my glory and he will not be ashamed to confess his people to own them for his Bride before his father at that day and then he will bring them into his fathers house there to abide with the Lord forever there to be swallowed up of his love and likeness forevermore O blessed soul that labours now under a body of sin and death and art loathsom in thine eyes lift up thy head this day draweth nigh every spot shall be done away yea there shall be nothing like a wrinkle upon thy soul O what will this be to the soul that is weary of sin indeed 4. Vse of the Doctrine shall be then to teach us the Dignity and Duty of a Gospel-Ministry Their dignity they are such as are intrusted with this great work to fit a spouse to Jesus Christ to reconcile her to him to espouse her to him they are no ordinary servants the Lord sends about such works yea even you see Eleazer was no mean servant the ruler of the house Princes send their Embassadors to treat about Marriages for them So we saith the Apostle in Christs stead as if he did beseech you To be the friends of the Bridegroom is no small priviledge but I will not stand upon this but rather a word or two of the Duty you may see how great it is that you may be the more moved to pray for them 1. Then the Duty lyes in this that we woo for Christ and not for our selves he that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom saith John but the friend of the Bridegroom envyeth him not that happiness but would further it what he can and that is his rejoycing this my joy is fulfilled saith he that people come in to Christ It is a sad thing brethren when we shall be found at the day of account to have spoken it may be but one word for Christ and two for our selves the Apostle tells us of some that should arise in the Church of Ephesus speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them I pray you mind to draw Disciples after them not after Christ It is sad I say when men shall compass the Sea and Land to make a Proselyte to an Opinion much pains laid out this way and when all cometh to all it shall prove but Copper and not gold but Jesus Christ is little beholding to them or if we preach Jesus Christ and intend our selves to lift up our own names and not the name of Christ O this is great unfaithfulness saith the Apostle Paul speaking of that Corinthian Church much like ours I am of Paul c. were you baptized into the name of Paul was he crucified for you c. Alas saith he I have done nothing but wooed you for Christ espoused you to one Husband and not to so many The children of the Bride-Chamber are never called together to prostitute the Bride to them but to rejoyce and celebrate the Marriage with more solemnity Yea by how much the greater honor it is to have the charge of the Bride by so much the greater sin it is to deal falsly with Christ in it and to draw them after our selves when we should draw men after the Lord Jesus 2. Their Duty is to present them to the Lord Jesus as a pure virgin having espoused
them to one Husband now to watch over them to take such care of them and pains with them that having escaped the pollutions of the world they may not return any more to them but be kept pure and holy to the Lord and therefore saith the Apostle I am jealous over you with a godly jealousie jealousie is a kinde of fear sorrow and anger It is the rage of a man saith Salem indeed it doth as it were raise a man above himself carry him out of himself therefore saith the Apostle bear with me if by reason of my earnestness I seem to be out of my self it is for your sakes I am jealous for you saith the Apostle And what was the matter they were in danger to be seduced by false Apostles to be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and this was that the Apostle was jealous over them for and surely brethren it is commendable and imitable I plead not for passion and wild-fire but a holy zeal for the glory of Christ the well-fare of souls we ought not to be cold but zealous jealous for you brethren if in danger of seducing at any time this is a large duty indeed we are apt to sleep especially if sang asleep by the delusions of weakness and mildness and love falsly so called and then the mischief is done but enough of this I hope you see there is cause enough to pray for us 5. Another Vse then shall be tending to the wooing of some poor souls this day to accept of the Son of God the Lord Jesus and of his love and to make up the match with him this is our work indeed And O that it might prosper in the hand of a poor unworthy servant and friend of the Bridegroom this day you have heard Who he is and What he is you have heard already the glorious priviledges which arise from a closure with him yea how often have you heard these things and yet you are coy and hang back I am come this day brethren to tell you the sum of the message is that the Lord Jesus is willing to have you if you be willing to have him How long shall the Lord Jesus follow you with these mercies the price of his most precious blood and yet you slight him What can you desire that is not to be had in Jesus Christ If you would have beauty he is the chief of ten thousand If you would have riches you shall have all things with Christ how shall he not with him give us all things Would you be honourable those are truely honourable that God honours now he will honour them that will honour him and honour his Son And wherein is he and his Son honoured but in this if we believe in his name give him the glory of his mercy and faithfulness 〈…〉 at I were able to speak of him so as that you might some of you fall in love with him this day Shall I a little stir you up to this First If you have him not you are like to live and dye under that cruel husband the Law and Sin the Law as it is the strength of sin which is the cruellest bondage in the world the Law 1. It commands a most absolute obedience and conformity to it self there must not be the least turning aside to the right hand or to the left not a lota be missed all things obeyed and continued in and that upon pain of an eternal curse cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing which is written to do it it is a most rigorous exacter of obedience to its cominands there is no pitying no sparing as there is now in Jesus Christ he pityeth and spaâ—eth as a father his son as a husband his spouse If a man could from his youth up keep all and but miss it in a word in a vain thought all his life time there is no pity no sparing it condemneth to the lowermost â—ell O what a condition are you in sinners upon whom all your breaches of this Law doth lye 2. It is a cruel bondage because it giveth no strength if it did impose never so much if it did give any strength it were something It is true we had strength which God gave us at the first until we wantonly fell and broke our bones so brought weakness upon our selves but now in this condition yet we are under the Law as a husband which will command peremptorily but giveth us no power like the the Egyptians task-masters they would have them make bricks and yet give them no straw and yet the Law is holy just and good Now the Lord Jesus what he commandeth he giveth strength to perform 3. It admitteth of nosurety we must do it our selves obey to the utmost our selves or else be ruined to the utmost perish to the utmost cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing one man cannot be accepted for another the soul that sinneth it shall dye And 4. Yea more then all this It provokes us as we are corrupt to break it as a bank against a strong stream it maketh it swell and rage the motions of sin which were by the Law this is by the Law but not from the Law but from our corrupt hearts but sin takes occasion by the commandment nitimur in vetitum cupimusque negata like wild Asses Colts when the law cometh to yoak us and hamper us we break the yâ—ak and the bands as the Prophet speaks will not endure to be held Now is not this a sad condition to be under such a hus 〈…〉 d as this and yet how many of us are in this case and contented so to be Well remember brethren the end of these things will be bitterness and death that is the wages 2. Another Motive may be this he is ready to close with you if ye be ready to close with him be you what you will never so vile in your own eyes for it may be this is the discouragement of many they would rather then their lives have the Lord Jesus for a husband but alas there is no beauty in them he is the chief of ten thousand and they are the vilest of ten thousand the chief of sinners he altogether lovely they altogether loathsom He is white and ruddy they are black and bloody lying in their blood and filthiness cast out to the loathing of their persons and what hope can they have that he will accept of them very great hopes brethren for this is the tenour of the Gospel to be preached to every Creature without exception or Limitation and every one that believeth in him cometh to him he will in no wise cast out if he would what had become of Paul or Manasseh say not then Alas I am poor and miserable and naked yea Leprous and filthy and therefore it is not for for such a one as I to think on Christ indeed thou canst
Rejoyce in the Lord saith the Apostle and again I say rejoyce it is a duty of that moment he cannot leave it he goeth over and over with it do not think I am mistaken when I bid you rejoyce because happily your condition may be afflicted other ways again I say rejoyce I am still of the same mind The Lord Jesus rejoyceth over you as sad thoughts as you have concerning your selves he rejoyceth over you he is glad to communicate his love and shall not we rejoyce then in the receiving of it Can the Children of the Bride-chamber mourn while the bridegroom is with them saith our Saviour it is not sutable to their condition when he shall be taken away then they shall mourn I deny not Brethren but if the Lord do withdraw himself we should lament after him and seek him sorrowing as Mary the Mother of Jesus did and the more love we have received if we grieve him this will be the more grief of heart but if you that have his presence in a sweet manner and yet hang the head and droop as if our joyning to the Lord had been the undoing of our souls So pensively and sadly we many of us walk that indeed we are a shame and dishonour to the Lord Jesus If you should see a Virgin espoused to a man and should from that day forwad never hold up her head but walk heavily what would you think sure she apprehends she hath made an ill choice her expectations are frustrated therefore Brethren look to it that we rejoyce if the Children of the Bride-chamder cannot mourn but rejoyce to hear the voice of the Bridegroom much more then the Bride The Lords takes pleasure in the prosperity of thy soul and why shouldst not thou â—ake pleasure in the prosperity of thy own soul being made one with Jesus Christ 5. Look to it that you be faithful to the Lord Jesus as a Bride when once espoused if she turned aside to another it was death they were looked upon as in a marryed state and condition indeed the truth is when the Lord hath truly espoused his soul to himself he hath done it in faithfulness and maketh the soul faithful to him that in the great Article of the Covenant they never deal falsly with Jesus Christ that is to say they choose not another Saviour another Lord under whose dominion to put themselves constantly yet there may be sometimes to Jesus Christ even in his own people If that once it cometh to this that we imbrace sin and consent to it and take any delight in it this is to play the harlot with Jesus Christ O take heed of this brethren indeed the heart is all that he looks at how we stand affected to those evils which yet remain if Paul have a body of death yet he delights not in it but groans being burtheued this he accounts not unfaithfulness but when a mans heart beginneth to sit loose from the Lord Jesus to be almost indifferent he could sometimes in a fit of wretched carnality be content to have another Lord to rule over him to be free from Christ O! this the Lord looks at and he will search out this will move him to jealousie therefore take heed of this a woman may do as much service and seemingly as readily to her husband as before but yet her heart be gone and she could be contented to be loose this is heart-Adultery this the Lord Jesus in us brethren looks at as such if we serve him and do duties but in such a manner that we could even be contented to be at liberty it is not right take heed of provoking the Lord Jesus lest it prove in the end that he never knew us indeed Labour to be faithful then in this in the main Again In managing all he puts into our hands be faithful The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her It is the commendation of a woman of a thousand in the Proverbs she will be improving It may be you have not so much to turn as others have others have ten times more parts and opportunities to do good let them look to it they have ten times as much to answer for and must do ten times as much but thou mayst be as faithful in a little as they in a great deal One servant is a Steward in the family hath all under his hand and another he is a poor under-servant hath some mean service committed to him why now he may be as faithful in his place as the other in his Moses was faithful in all the house of God he had a great command Caleb might be as faithful for what was committed to him following God fully as the Text hath it say not then If I were a Magistrate a Minister a publike person had such opportunities to do good I might do much but I am an obscure person Well be thy condition what it will be thou mayst do good and be faithful in thy place according to what thou hast received thy lips may drop like a hony-comb and feed many and like choice silver and inrich many though thou be never so mean and so for the Family and up and down where ever thou comest look that thou be faithful to do all from Jesus Christ and to do all to him that thou rob him not of the glory of what he hath done for thee and by thee for then thou art not faithful 6. Another Exhortation shall be then to desire the coming of the Bridegroom the Spirit and the Bride say come the spirit in the bride breathing in her as it is in the Revelation they say come We looke upon the day of death as if it were the day of divorce from the Lord Jesus for the most part truly for them that are out of Christ it is no marvel if it be a King of terrors to them but to the Saints me thinketh who look for the appearing of the Lord Jesus to consummate the marriage between them it should not be so terrible as it seemeth to be to the most of us and to this end take ye here brethren at the marriage feast he turns our water into wine but in heaven our wine into spirits and setteth them a flaming our love flaming to all eternity 7. Exhortation which is to look to our Ornaments to get them ready why do we hang back but because we are not ready we have somewhat or another unready still our work is not done can a maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me As a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels so he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness Eleazer put jewels upon Rebecca before she came to Isaac and therefore the spouse is called Callah in the Original because of her perfect adorning therefore look to this brethren that you be adorned O every
fervor of affection towards them a Bridegroom rejoyceth exceedingly over his Bride though happily afterward he is not so much affected for it is our natures the imperfection of them that new things affect us more then old now with God there is nothing new nor old but his heart is the same and so is Jesus Christ his heart he rejoyceth over his people continually as a Bridegroom over his Bride not as a man over his wife but as a Bridegroom over his Bride now surely if a man do afterwards cool in his affections towards his wife and could be content to be separated from her yet upon the day of espousal or Marriage he will not be induced to it he rejoyceth over his Bride Why such is Gods heart and Christ his heart continually to his people But so much for this Therefore the Lord help us to conclude from those promises however it be however he may speak against us sometimes and act so as it seemeth to us to be against us as Jacob saith all these things are against me yet he will not part with any soul he hath espoused to himself Ahashuerus may put away the Queen upon a seeming scorn or contempt refusing to come at his command when he was in is cups but brethren though it may be thou hast and thou dost many times slight the call of Jesus Christ thou wilt not come nor follow him when he would have thee thou shalt follow him in darkness and lament after him when he is withdrawn but he will not put away It is said in that of Mal. the Lord hates putting away it is true it is firstly intended there of mens putting away their wives but surely if he hate it in us he will not admit it in himself though it is true he is above all Law given to us yet he hath set forth this mystery of his union with his Church by the Marriage-union I shew you a mystery saith the Apostle but I speak concerning Christ and his Church And as it holds in love and cherishing and nourishing and not hating so why not in this that he hates putting away the Lord cannot admit of such a thought of putting away such a soul if Satan would move for it the Lord hates it and hates him for it Be of good chear therefore thou poor drooping soul that hast received him accepted of his love closed with his wooing and intreating thee to be reconciled and given up thy self to him assure thy self he will never put away any poor soul Ob. Alas but you will say this is little comfort though he be thus unchangeable yet I may change and break the Marriage-Covenant with him or I have done it I fear and therefore in such a case he may put me away and yet not change for the change is in me For this brethren remember It is not the back-slidings of his people that can undo the match made between him and them did not Israel go a whoring after other Gods and is not that the breach of the Marriage-Covenant he speaks there of that Church a man will not receive his wife again likely in such a case yet return again to me saith the Lord and I will receive you If that the Lord had not foreseen those back-slidings in his people it had been somewhat if Christ had not fully satisfyed the father for them as well as for other sins it had been something if upon this account there were not forgiveness laid up in store enough with God for these things it were somwhat indeed And it is very observable brethren I speak the more because I know that poor creatures in this condition they are full of jealousies and fears and all that can be said is little enough to quiet and comfort first observe that the Lord speaks over and over and over again Israel had back-sliden in that Prophesie of Hosea as appears ch 14. 4. I will heal their back-slidings Well now they could hardly believe that God would receive them again they were so confounded they had nothing to say therefore he puts words into their mouths in that chapter teacheth them what to say but observe in the second chapter I will betroth them saith God I will I will you have it no less then three or four times which speaks the certainty and ardency of affection in doing the thing in answer to their doubtings I will do it saith the Lord. Alas saith the poor soul it will not sink with me that after such Apostacy and backslidings he will receive it I will do it saith the Lord again O! I cannot believe it saith the soul I will do it saith he again Yea 2. Observe there that he will do it and espouse them betroth them again as one very well hoteth he saith not he will receive them as a man may recive his Adulterous wife again but I will betroth them saith the Lord as if they were virgins pure and unspotted the Lord will receive them not upbraiding them with their going a whoring from him so the virgin daughter of Sion you have heard they are called upon their repentance as if they never polluted themselves so that if the Lord give thee but a repenting heart thy back-slidings will be as if thou hadst never started from him and from final departing he will keep them I say he will keep them here is the difference between this espousal and those between men and women there if the mans heart continue faithful happily hers may fall off and never close again and there is an end of the matter but here the Lord Jesus his heart is not onely toward his people but he keepeth their hearts with him that they shall not depart It is the very tenor of the Covenant of Grace I will put my fear into their hearts and they shall not depart from me as long as God is faithful and the Covenant of Grace stands they shall not depart let Satan and sophisters say what they will Then in the next place this being made good there is a spring of comfort ariseth from this and that is in respect of troubles and crosses afflictions and losses the fading vanities of the world Thou mayest lose thy dear husband that is as dear as thy life But thy Maker is thy husband if thou believe and thou canst not lose him nor he will not lose thee Thy dear children they are but fading flowers that even wither in the hand and perish in the using as all these outward comforts do but here is a comfort never fades thou mayst be afflicted happily with the cooling of the affections of dear relations to thee why the Lord Jesus his heart is at the same pass alway to thee it is alway a day of espousal with him he rejoyceth continually as a Bridegroom over his Bride Methinketh brethren whatever your troubles are inward or outward here you may relieve your selves by having recourse to your interest in Jesus Christ your Redeemer and
world between the Sheep of Christ and dogs and swine Is it nothing to have the body and blood of Jesus Christ openly prostituted to such as though indeed they have the name of Christians yet their lives to every one that knoweth them deny that they have any thing to do with Christ No purging out the old Leven and therefore no likelihood to be a new lump O that we were sensible what a guilt is contracted every where by this means Alas Let the people of God take the greatest pains with their hearts to draw near to such an ordinance as the Lords Supper and they shall have cause to pray with Nehemiah The Lord spare us according to the multitude of tender mercies And with Hezekiah The Lord be merciful to every one that hath prepared his heart to seek the Lord though he be not prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary but when without any care it shal be promiscuously given to Drunkards Swearers openly prophane wicked wretches to the bane of their souls to the provoking God to bring wasting judgements upon the place and people where such things are done Surely it is time to look about us O! that we who can do no more but mourn for these things had such a sense of the dishonour of the Lord Jesus and abuse of his love and grace upon our hearts as to mourn And O that such of us as have power in our hands to command a Reformation in this kind the Lord would perswade the heart that there is such a power Hezekiah and Jâ—siah not only commanded the true worship to be set up and turned the people from their Idols to the trne God but they commanded the purifying the Temple a type of the Church of Christ and purifying of the Priests and People that they should not pollute the Ordinances of God And this example of theirs is commended and surely it was done as they were types of Christ except they were types of Christ as they were Magistrates and if so it would follow we should have no Magistrates at all For Christ the substance being come the thing typified what should we do with the shadows any more 2. Then on the other hand they are to be blamed also who are stricter then the Lord Jesus would have them in their admissions to Christs fellowship and communion All visible Saints he would have admitted to communion and fellowship with his people in their several societies that is to say they seeking to joyn themselves to them Now here indeed there is a difference of apprehensions and I purpose not to enter into disquisition of such things at this time and in this place Mens charity may do something indeed to moderate them but it s not that which is to be the judge but the Scriptures what rules are there laid down according to which we ought to own persons as belonging to Christ his visible kingdom that is to say such as profess and contradict not their profession But surely it is blame-worthy if that upon niceties and trifles in comparison we shall dis-own such as truly fear the Lord so far as we can judge of them And truly Brethren I desire to speak it with a spirit of tenderness to them they are injurious in this respect who do deny Infants of Believers any room in the bosom of the Church for they are holy they are external Saints and separated to God and it is apparent that once they were members of the Church of Christ aâ—d by vertue of a Covenant of grace I will be thy God and the God of thy seed which he that denyeth any more to be comprehended in then a temporal blessing when God saith he will be their God I would pity them and pray for them that they might come to themselves again for then sure they would judge otherwise Now if they were such once members of that Church with which we are one now for so saith the Apostle plainly the Gentiles are made one with the Commonwealth of Israel we are graffed in among the branches how cometh it to pass they should be all cast off and cut off from the Olive and not a syllable of it mentioning any such thing in Scriptures no account given to the world of it and that it should be in such a time when the fulness of grace was revealed in Jesus Christ for grace came by him and now there should be less grace come by him and narrower priviledges to the Church will hardly be understood I think The third Doctrinal from the words will be this In the visible Church there are some good some bad Ordinarily they were not all wise virgins that the kingdom of heaven is compared to but five wise five foolish All within the visible Church are not wise to salvation Five of them were wise five were foolish The proportion of the wise to the foolish five to five in the Parable is not concluding that there are as many good as bad in the Church there may possibly be a visible Church where there are none bad but I doubt there is none such found there were but twelve Disciples and one was a Devil and all the parables whereour Saviour holdeth out the nature and state of the visible Church to us is we find there is a mixture So in the Parable of the Sower there are four sorts of ground to which the kingdom of heaven is compared and but one of them brought forth fruit to perfection the stony Ground it was quickly scorched from the sandy ground springs up quickly and withers as soon the thorny ground holds out longer and endures happily the scorching of the Sun the Persecution and yet is choakt when all is done And so the Parable of the tares sown in the field they grow up with the Corn and it seemeth by the ancient report even Jerom are so like it while in the blade that they can be hardly discerned from it but there they grow and partake of the juice of the earth and fatness of the soyl and are green and flourish and yet at last are singled out for fire And so the Barn-floor there is wheat and there is Chaff lying together until he whose fan is in his hand shall throughly purge it and then the separation being made Woe to the Chaff but at present c. And so the draw-net though it gather together somewhat naught which is to be cast away yet while under water it is hidden And so the Apostle All are not Israel that are of Israel Some are Israel that are of Israel but all are not Some are of Israel though they be not the Israel of God that shall inherit the heavenly Canaan I hope it is needless to waste more time in heaping up of Scriptures to make it good The ground may be because the Church here below the visible Church which admitteth of members hath not an infallible spirit to discern the
your souls Now this spirit works faith and that works by love and that never fails but is perfected in heaven so humility self-denyal and all those graces And not onely the graces of the spirit but this Spirit of grace dwelling in the Saints which continually supplyeth their wants so that the Lamp shall not go out forwant of oyl From the words thus understood this note will arise He that contents himself with a profession of Christ without the real saving work of grace upon his heart is a fool but he that looks to the main thing the getting grace in his heart as well as making a shew before men is a wise man Profession without the enjoyment of the Spirit of grace is but folly I will put them both together that contraries may the better illustrate one another juxta se posita and if either of them be proved both of them are proved for they will infer each other by the rule of contraries Nothing is more ordinary in Scripture then to call sinners fools sinners of all sorts are fools committing wickedness is committing folly in Israel but no fool to the wise fool wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool then of such a man and who are usually more wise in their own conceits then formal professors are he that hideth hatred with lying lips is a fool he that hideth hatred to God a rotten heart with lying lips whereby he professeth much love to him and carryeth a fair shew he is a fool in grain If we would know where wisdom beginneth or what the sum of wisdom is the wisest of men shall tell you the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom or the sum of wisdom some read it so And so Job who was no child in Christianity to man he saith to fear the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding Mark you Whatever men place wisdom in or folly in this is the very sum of wisdom to fear God fear is put for all grace a manfearing God and eschewing evil was the highest character the Lord gave of Job It is indeed the root of all that good we do and evil we avoid and I will and but one Scripture in the â—hiddenarts thou shalt make me to know wisdom it is one thing to be wise headed and tongued and another to be wise hearted and therefore in Scripture nothing more ordinary then to set forth wisdom that is true indeed by the heart God himself is said to be wise of heart Foolish creatures Eph. a silly Dove without a heart They may have head enough notion enough flashing light appearing to others enough but they are without a heart they have not the great work there a new head and an old heart a full head and an empty heart a light and burning profession and a dark dead and cold heart he that takes up in such a condition is a fool an errant fool For the further clearing of this I shall enquire a little wherein the nature of wisdom and folly lyeth and then shew you how it is Applicable in truth unto this profession of Christ without the possession of him Wisdom then I conceive may consist of these three generals 1. In the obtaining what we want the good we want and therfore come short of happiness because we want it 2. In the keeping the good we have when once we have it And 3. In avoiding the evil we fear which would render us miserable in these three things I take it wisdom consists Now to speak a little to each of these and see how we may prove the formal professor by his defect and falling short in each them in all of them and for the first the obtaining of the good we want to make us happy Alas you know brethren we are all fallen short of the glory of God and by nature are without him and without Christ in the world and have not the things which accompany salvation neither he then is a wise man in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who knoweth those principles and ends which are universally necessary to a mans good his chiefest and most general good So that there are I conceive three things in this respect under this head and so proportionably under the other which go to the compleating of wisdom First there must be a knowledge of the end and a propounding of this end to a mans self an end you know is nothing but that which is good either really so or appearingly so for that is the object of the Will goodness as truth is the object of the Minde and understanding a man cannot appetere malum as it is malum and be a man to delight in evil as it is evil is diabâ—lical to delight in sâ—n or folly as it is pleasant as it is suitable to the corrupt nature to the soul the Will crooked and deprayed this is humane because though a man do thus pâ—opose sâ—n as his â—nd yet not as it evil but as it is good to his corrupt judgement and Will that is to say suitable and convenient to him An so sor suffering there is no man living can prevail with himself to be willing to be miserable they would be happy Well then it is good which is the end either real or apparent But now here in this spiritual wisdom and folly we must understand his end suitable that is to say understand it of the most supreme principle and ultimate good and that is God for what good else is there that can indeed make the soul happy but God in Christ for that good which must make blessed it must be commensurate to the soul so as to be able to fall and satisfie it else theâ—e will be somewhat wanting still and alas for all other goods below God it may be said that which is wanting cannot be numbred Now there are two things considerable in the soul of a man especially to which there must be an answerableness in the end which is to be followed unto injoyment else the soul cannot be happy The first is the vast capacity and comprehension of the soul to which there must be an answerable fulness in the object and the end else the soul cannot rest upon it as its Center and happiness and this we may take notice of especially in those two faculties of the Understanding and the Will the Affections they are but as it were the several motions of the Will a kind of Appendix to it Now to these two faculties in the supreme and ultimate end there must be an answerable ratio veri boni great enough to fill or satisfie the understanding or mind that hath for its object truth and not one truth or another but all truth it is not satisfyed with the partial discoveries of truth or here and there a little but it would have all now the Lord is the highest and the best in
that this is folly but the world counteth this the greatest folly that can be to make so much ado about the soul-affairs to trouble themselves so much about the interest in Christ they are the wise men that have heads deep and large to compass their designs for the world and to have a profession of Christ the thing may be of some use but the thing it self it is but a burthen they will never trouble themselves with a Lamp and a Vessel full of Oyl besides it is enough to have a Lamp But surely Brethren the Lord judgeth otherwise you see who is the fool in Christs sense and what will it avail if a man the world account him a wise man and he himself deem himself a wise man and Jesus Christ accounteth him a fool he never giveth names for nothing they are sure to answer them sooner or later the easiest course Brethren is not the wisest then the Sluggard were the wisest man 2. It may serve to reprove and convince us of much folly then that is among us Stultorum plena sunt omnia all Proressions are ful of fools and none more then the Profession of Jesus Christ for the higher the end the greater the folly in pretending to it and missing of it I doubt brethren all the Congregation are full of such fools as these are it appears to be so in the Prophets time Who is wise saith he and he will consider these things c. and Prudent and he shall know them Who is wise by this interrogation there is implied a paucity of them as in that Who is there among you that walks in darkness and seeth no light they are not very ordinary so again Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed May I not take up the Prophets complaint now and say who in this Congregation is wise who so wise as to consider their latter end to provide for it not to rest in a name in a profession Some I doubt not but there are who are able to produce their Evidences Christ in them the hope of Glory but are they so many as were to be wished brethren do you not take up short of Jesus Christ rest in the means as you have heard before 3. Then it shall serve to stir us up to awaken us to look about us for that is one thing also which that interrogation imports to stir us up to Consider our wayes and our Condition and State Whether we have this oyl in our vessel as well as in the Lamp surely Brethren For Motives 4. This is a very pressing one which our Saviour covertly giveth in the Text they were foolish virgins which took no oyl and the Prophet Who is wise and he will consider these things for men would not be counted fools of all things men had rather be wicked and counted so then be counted fools and will rather shew their wit in froth and jests and over-reaching then be counted fools you know the affectation of wisdom was the first temptation and ever since vain man would be wise though he be born like a wild Asses Colt we are most stupid Creatures and yet would have a name to be wise and are indeed contented to be fools in Gods account rather then we would not be wise men in our own account and the account of the world desperate fools this is cum ratione insanire if any thing be O brethren if we would be wise indeed take the advice of wisdom it self or the wonderful Councellor take heed of resting in this Condition without oyl in your vessels he is wise indeed that is wise in the latter end that thou mayst be wise in the latter end he that liveth in reputation of a wise man he thinketh himself so and dyeth a fool in the account of God himself and all others this is the fool in grain the more care to get and keep our vessels full of oyl the more wiser we shall approve our selves 2. Dear friends Consider seriously now You think you follow Jesus Christ and your Lamps are burning but what a sad disappointment will it be and confusion For hope disappointed confounds a man as it is in Job they are confounded because they hoped you hope for heaven now if you be disappointed and your Lamps go out in obscure darkness just when you have the most need of them O how will you be able to bear it O therefore whatever you do labour to get this oyl make sure of this brethren never give the Lord over follow him up and down in all the wayes of grace until thou have gotten thy vessel full thy heart filled with grace with his fear his love with humility self-denial O look to it that thou close with Christ that you do not mistake somewhat else instead of him beg the Spirit Brethren to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith and you may have all grace to abound towards you and in you that having an al-sufficiency alway in all things you may abound in every good work your hearts being ful there being a Spring to eternal life that your Lamps may never be put out but you may appear wise in your latter end which trieth indeed which are the wise and which the foolish Virgins O be diligent in improving all the Ordinances for that end received ye the Spirit by the works of the the Law or by the hearing of Faith You have heard it is the dew wherein the Manna descends it is the vehiculum we come to hear all of us O take heed how you hear with what hearts you come before him and how you attend to this word do you know in what part of it the Spirit will descend will come upon the heart at which Sermon in which part of the Sermon O brethren if we come with vessels full conceited with Pride full of Earth stopped up with the world how can we expect this oyl should be poured into us therefore Come labour to bring your empty vessels to the Lord in his Ordinances for it is observable as long as there was an empty vessel the oyl run in the widows case and so it would be here he never sent a poor empty broken Spirit a poor Creature poor in spirit to come humbled and trembling in sense of its wants and worthlesness he never sent them away empty when the vessel is full he will not pour out the oyl it would be lost there is no room to receive it Again Labour to number your days brethren that you may apply your hearts unto wisdom to this wisdom to salvation this is a rich piece of skill that is not to be learned but in the school of Christ to number our days Consider the shortness of our time how short we cannot tell for ought we know this night he was a fool in grain
vigilancy there creepeth a security on a people which is a main ingredient into this spiritual sleep as the virgins here they were all secure they looked not for the coming of Jesus Christ And so when instead of a fervency of spirit in serving God a deadness a dulness creepeth upon men they pray as if they prayed not if it be but for an act it is slumbering now they are dead and then they are lively it may be next time and then they are dead again this is slumbering napping and nodding Now they can act their faith and then they cannot now they can avoid this sin and that and then they cannot but are overtaken by it this is slumbring and alas brethren are we not all of us lyable to this Yea it may be these things seize upon us more violently we not onely offend in many things but continually lying secure continue in such a dull listless frame little or no actings or strivings of faith or love or fervency or wayting for Jesus Christ and his appearing this is sleeping Well I wish we had not too general and too good proof of it by our own experience You have had already in this part of the discourse the general reason of this sleepiness of the Saints respecting our selves and that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seed of that Poppy-seed which lays us so often asleep a filthy heart streaming continually filthy gross vapours which clog and seize upon our graces and hold them prisoners as I may say for a time that we cannot act them But I will a little more particularly descend to speak to some cases Not to speak of that vindicative hand of God upon some when in vindicative justice he sendeth upon men a spirit of slumber and of sleep for I hardly think that is competent to the Saints though to hypocrites it may yet those are not they I am mainly to speak to in this discourse but of other causes And First A cause of it may be this sloathfulness it casts men into a deep sleep It is so in naturals and it is so in spirituals a sloathful man that will not labour the vapours gather and becloud and bemist him that he cannot break through them but they seize upon his senses and hold him prisoner a great while and if he be stirred yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep that is the slothful mans guise and as the door turns upon the hinges up and down so the slothful man doth upon his bed Labour and pains taking it dispels the vapours scatters them and so they clear up so it is here a sloathful spirit is the immediate forerunner of this sleep therefore the Apostle exhorts them not sloathful in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord. And you shall finde brethren when he that had one talent given him he improved it not the Lord calls him a wicked and sloathful servant Alas his soul was asleep and his talent laid tosleep in a Napkin well this is one cause if we have opportunities in our hands to do good and we do it not as the Apostle exhorts us to do we are sloathful A man that is idle shall have very much ado to keep himself from sleeping a wonder brethren if we be not all asleep we have so many opportunities to do good such talents put into-our hands some of us most of us and yet do so little with them Secondly Another cause of sleeping may be wearyness you know the sleep of the labouring man is sweet so you see Sisera after he was toyled and spent with his fighting and flight he was ready to lye down to sleep presently so brethren it is in this case when we have run a while in the race that is set before us or fought against our corruptions toyled hard if we sit down when weary we are asleep presently O saith the Apostle be not weary of well-doing if you be you will fall asleep this we find in the case of them in the Hebrews they were harased and persecuted grievously their faith and patience were even tyred out alas their hands therefore were weak and knees were feeble their members began to languish and sleep to seize upon them Sometimes when we toyl all night and take nothing we spend and are spent we are apt to be weary brethren and then it is two to one but we fall asleep That is another cause of this sleep Thirdly Another Cause may be the false questions which men make the mistaking of things a man mistaking the day for the night he slumbers it may be and thinketh it is night or the day is not at hand he sleepeth this is clear I think in the present case What made the virgins thus to give sleep to their eys and slumber to their eye-lids they thought their Lord would not come yet he delayed his coming and likely they thought he would do so still and therefore thought they might sleep or else atleast they might think while he delayed his coming it was no great matter whether they slept or waked it would be of little availment to them and therefore they even laid them down formally to sleep O how easily are we lulled asleep with such mistakes as these now how false was this in the mean time for there is much to be done while he tarryes to wayt for him to have our lights burning our lamps trimmed our ornaments ready to wait for him until he come for we shall be paid for our wayting as well as for our our working and then we should be ready to open to him whenever he comes this another Fourthly Another cause or occasion at least of this sleeping what is it but a letting down our fear and care if we served the L. continually with a holy trembling as the Psalmist cals upon us we should hardly sleep a man that hath a trembling heart sleep passeth from his eys or a man that hath his head fâ—ll of cares and his heart also they will keep him waking so Jacob his sleep departed from his eys O the care he had of Labans sheep he slept not Ah how far short are many of us that have the charge of the slock of Christ purchased with his precious blood for we sleep let the Wolves come sleep and let the envious man sow tares Paul O how watchful a man washe how diligent he warned them night and day with tears what was the matter O the care of all the Churches were upon him Why brethren we have every one the care of our own souls yea and of one anothers we ought to watch over one another tender one another to walk fearfully lest we be stumbling-blocks one to another hurt one another we are our brothers keepers and if we have this care upon us lively of our own souls and others it will keep us waking The rich
mans abundance will not suffer him to sleep he is afraid of losing it a man that hath a great charge about him and walks through woods and dangerous places he is afraid of every one he meeteth lest he be robbed he will hardly sleep O you have precious souls to lose brethren And some of you have grace to lose which may in part be lost in its own nature it is looseable being but a creature depending continually upon a divine supply as the Ray upon the Sun If there be now such a care as this it will keep the soul awake but now if we grow confident and bold and do not fear alway we are then falling asleep so it is see it plainly in the Disciples that went with Christ into the garden to behold his Agony they were wonderfully heavy asleep the soul was asleep their graces were not upon the wing what was the matter if you mind it they were the men that above all others had been most confident and secure and had expressed it before Peter said that though all men should deny him he would not and when our Saviour told him he should deny him he was so blinded with his confidence now that he would not believe Jesus Christ but rather believed himself and his own folly he said he would rather dye for him then deny him Well when it cometh to the pinch he falls asleep Ah Peter sleepest thou thou of all other men methinks shouldst have waked with me wilt thou dye with me and yet cannot wake but fall asleep not one hour wake with me thou such a confident man and yet when it cometh to the pinch fall asleep And the two sons of Zebedeus with him they were very confident they would sit on the right and left hand of Christ in his kingdom Why can you drink of the cup I am to drink of Yea say they we can and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with yea they could Now those are the men above others that are asleep Who can tell but if some other of the Disciples that had been lower in their own thoughts and had walkt more tremblingly before him but they might have waked when those slept This another Fifthly Stupifying the head the senses with some injury it will lay a man asleep yea more then ordinarily into a swoun so that he feels nothing as for instance let a man have a great blow upon his head it stonyeth him he fals asleep under it he can feel nothing now his senses are lockt up as if in a dead sleep it is so here a great sin brethren it stupifies a mans conscience it maketh him past feeling for the present in a manner we would hardly think it it may be we would think that men are rather apt to fall asleep that have none of those great sins but onely of an ordinary nature they are apt to slumber and that great sins would rather awaken men and stir mens Consciences indeed it may be they may put a man to some more torment a little at present but afterward they do stupifie the deceitfulness of sin maketh hard as the Apostle saith specially if it lye unrepented of a while do you not see how David lay in a dead sleep a great while upon that his fall in the matter of Vriah all his senses closed up he could not open his mouth to speak to God O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise And so Jonah his sin was very great running away from God to Tarshish when he sent him to Niniveh and who more sleepy then he in the vessel up why sleepest thou thou sleeper said they alas the poor Mariners lookt upon themselves as lost men he feared nothing he was asleep Conscience asleep Soul asleep Fear asleep he was benummed with that great blow he had given his soul he was more sleepy and heavy then natural men themselves their Consciences were sooner awaked by the hand of God then his was a fearful condition Now be not mistaken brethren I mean not by great sins only such as are gross in our own account but the greatness of a sin lies in the liking of it indeed if there be a liking or love to a greater sin it maketh it so much the greater but if there be a less sin it maketh it very great even greater then the act of another sin that for the act is greater then it Sixthly Another Cause you know is surfeting and drunkenness Excess in the use of the creatures we use to say loaden bellies leaden heels the bellies being full the bones would have rest It is so in nature and so it is with the soul Lot when he was drunk he fell asleep and slept so deeply that his daughters played the harlots with him and knew nothing neither when they rose nor when they lay down truly brethren the drunkenness of the mind casts men asleep if a man be drunk with erroneous principles of loosness it casts him into a sleep presently the head is giddy with it but chiefly if a man be drunk with passions or drink or surfet of the delights of the creature abusing the world in using of it this was the sleep of the old world they never dreamed of the flood they believed it not at all Why they eat they drink they marryed they gave in marriage There is no Copulative between the words in the Text which they call an Asyndeton as if there were no distance of time between one and the other they made it their work and business to give themselves to these things And so it will be at the last day when Christ shall come This is the sleeping then surely in a great measure this day came upon the foolish virgins yea and wise too unawares and why might not this be a great part of their sleeping or a Cause of it they thought now they had made sure of the main work they might give themselves a little more liberty then before and might busie themselves in the world as well as others and so were excessively taken up with it and then the day of the Lord cometh unawares Therefore our Saviour giveth this caution take heed your hearts at any time be not overcharged with surfeting and drunkenness and the cares of this life and that day come upon you at unawares Alas men are too busie in the world to mind the coming of Jesus Christ or to wayt for him they are drunk and therefore fall asleep drunk with delights with love to these things care about them they have more then their load as we say of men drunk and therefore they sleep I wish this were not the sin of the Saints themselves Seventhly Another Cause may be the company of sleepy ones this may be the case at least to some and it is not unlikely but the foolish virgins and wise walking together the foolish might give such an
example and the wise not wise enough to avoid but would sleep for company and so it is still in the visible Church because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold some think this may be hinted in that place but sure it is that examples are very potent plus vivitur exemplis specially if a person be in repute a man of name or renown among the Saints a brother or a sister whose praise is in the Churches if such a one as this shall grow earthly and carnal and that carnality and earthliness damp the soul and bring a deadness upon the graces why how many wil be ready to think they may sure let the rayns as loose as they and may seek after the world as well as they Peters example you see when he dissen bled what a force it had thou compellest the Gentiles to live as as do the Jews by his example he did it when the Jews came down from Jerusalem therefore David complains indeed of the example of wicked wo is me c. And so Isaiah complains wâ— is me I dwell among a people of uncircumcised lips and I am such my self and they help it forward but indeed the examples o loose and cold and sleepy Professors are more mischievous especially if they have been more lively and insensibly decline and decay because we have the less suspicion of them and therefore they are notable quench-coals indeed This is another ground Eighthly And the last I shall speak to shall be this from all the former When the Lord his holy spirit is grieved by all these he withdraweth his spirit and then we fall fast asleep and alas if a man be waked out of a dead sleep except there be one watching by him or one that hath a Lethargical distemper apt to prevail upon him except he hath some to sit by him to keep him awake he falls asleep and such pains is the holy Spirit at sitting up with us to keep us awake Now if we do grieve him and he depart from us presently deep sleep fals upon us like an armed man and we cannot resist so the Disciples had grieved the spirit of God by their self-confidence nothing more and therefore he leaveth them well he will see what the end of this their trusting in lyes will do and he letteth them fall again and again and you see how woful sleepy and drowsie they were they could not watch one hour they fell asleep again and again three times after another though they were sharply reproved for it they were prickt and provoked to awake but it would not do alas the Spirit was withdrawn from them Thus much shall serve for the Arguments For the Use then brethren in the first place May it not serve to humble us surely this is one end of Gods leaving his people to such a drowsie frame that they may be humbled as it was in the case of his Disciples he would make them know how weak they were if he did but depart from them as confident as they were how should we be ashamed of our selves as a servant when he sleepeth when he should be about his business and is reproved for it alas he is confounded he hath nothing to say for himself so the Disciples they wist not what to say saith the Text What are you now saith our Saviour asleep now when it is a time to exercise your graces and to pray if ever you will pray are you now asleep He that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame to himself and others it is a time of work and to be lazing and drowsing upon the bed it is a very shameful thing indeed O that the Lord would lay this as a Plaister upon our Souls as many as are drowsie or have been drowsie or sleepy to hold the Plaister on though it be a smarting plaister yet better it is for us to have some smart then to dye of the Lethargy better be cupped and scarified and anything Ah when God cures sin by sin it is a smarting cure like the curing of a poysoned wound with more poyson or fetching out of fire with more fire wherein the severeness of the Physician appeareth and his love to us who had rather we should smart then dye well be humbled for what we have done if this work be some smart unto us our many sleepy Sermons Prayers sloathfulness security we have been and it is well if we be not upon our beds now this very day if our souls be not asleep If you be the Lord humble you for it as he humbled his own Disciples that this may be your care But not onely so But let us all take notice of and be humbled for our great proneness to slumber and sleep Water the root brethren If we be awake and have not lately been overtaken yet remember we have the root within us water that with our tears be humbled before the Lord for it yea labour we to walk continually humble before the Lord for the sight and sense of it it will appear how apt we are to fall asleep if we consider that whatever our condition is we are apt to it For a prosperous state this is like a rocking and singing to the soul how quickly did the Church fall asleep in Constantine his days in his lap and the child in the mothers lap Outward prosperity inward prosperity Was not David slumbring when he said I shall never be moved and so Iob I said I should dye in my nest what not onely when he had an outward flourishing condition but when he had such a strength of grace as to inable him to do much for God to walk uprightly with him to be fruitful in good works then I shall dye in my nest I shall multiply my days as the sand he was even going then O this is matter of humbling indeed brethren that when we should be putting forth the fruits of his love unto our souls we should drop asleep But then a man would think this is more natural now to fall asleep in the Sun shine and in the midst of the sweet refreshings of the spirit of God as musick and delightful things which do mulcere they do perswade sleep if we have not somewhat to keep awake But a man would think now that an â—our of trouble and affliction except it be so great as to stupifie it should rather keep a man awaking as the Psalmist thou holdst me waking saith he in the night Now the Disciples they were in an hour of temptation and a great grief and trouble and though they knew now their Lord was ready to depart from them and now entering upon his agony yet alas how dead and lumpish were they they fell asleep though there may be some natural cause for grief of the soul to make the body heavy as it seemeth to be rendered as a reason for they were sad they were heavy with grief
Joseph and therefore God brought them into that distraction they were never awaked until now If men will not awake with calling we use to take them and shake them and use them more hardly The Lord cals brethren you have the voice of the Turtle the joyful sound of the Gospel among you If we awake not what will he do he will take you by the Neck and shake you awake and truly brethren the Lords shakings are terrible shakings he will shake the soul into a trembling and astonishment What was the reason that the Lord followed Jonah with a storm he was asleep his Conscience and Soul asleep and no easie means would awake him the Lord was fain to let loose his hand upon him and by a terrible tempest to awake him sure I am this will not be comfortable 3. Afterwards It will not be quietness nor rest to your souls the Disciples you see when they had slept their sleep had so many reproofs how were they ashamed of what they had done they wist not what to answer him were fain to hang the head It is a disquâ—eting to a mans spirit to be covered with shame and confusion O when shall he come and upbraid the soul with his slothfulness What is this thy love to me now is this thy kindness to thy friend is this thy faith and zeal for me that thou hast fallen asleep and slept so long as thou hast done was my Love and my Communion no more worth is this the esteem thou puttest upon it to fall asleep in the midst of it will you have a word to say to Jesus Christ now in such a case will it not be confusion to us O brethren It may be we may bear the shame and reproof of such a sleeping fit upon our backs all our days Besides can it chuse but be a very great distraction to us that when we are awaked and slept out our time and see then that now Christ is at hand the day of his coming is here and we have our work to do in a great part our Lamps to trim will not this be a distraction to us if we do escape the destruction of that day when a servant that hath a house to make ready sleepeth away his time and by and by tidings come his Master is at hand and the house is unready to receive him O what a hurry and confusion and distraction is he in then and what fruit hath he then of his sleeping it ends in bitterness and trouble and disease and therefore Brethren as we tender our peace our Comfort take heed of sleeping Alas you will say what should we do to keep our selves from this sleeping since it is so dangerous I shall propound a few 〈◊〉 to you 1. Then take heed of the beginnings of declinings Aristotle reports the Lyons of Syria bring forth the first year five whelps the next four the next three and so on until they come to a barrenness like Mandrobulus in Lucian who offered to his god the first year gold the second silver and the third nothing See Trap upon Mat. 24. 13. If we would avoid sleeping we must take heed of slumbering of heaviness of any thing inclining to it Do you not mind whether your Love be as hot in prayer as fervent as heretofore if there be a rebatement of it fear it you are going to sleep Observe your selves brethren Is not your Love grown much colder then it was because iniquity doth abound so that you have prejudices so many love is eaten out O that the Lord would help you to look to it at the beginning 2. Take heed of composing or setling your selves too easily this will provoke to sleep O do not put off your Garments with the spouse Men that would not sleep will hardly put off their Clothes nor lay themselves upon a bed Not as if Saints did lose the habits of holiness or grace But the Acts the outward garments they may say aside and so setle themselves to sleep It is vain for a man to hope to be kept waking in such a case O take heed of loving ease wo be to the n that are at ease in Sion Brethren If you be any thing acquainted with the times or your own hearts you will find enough to exercise you Keep in Action acts dispel the vapors which perswade sleep O brethren time shall come when we shall have our graces continually in act why should we not breath after this even upon earth get as near to it as we can 3. Take heed of putting off the day of the coming of Jesus Christ that seemeth â—ere to be the immediate cause of the Virgins slumber and sleeping while the Bridegroom tarryed they thought they might have time enough likely they might take a nap 〈…〉 unbend a little if we would avoid sleeping labour to keep fresh that upon our spirits the appearing of the Lord Jesus a love of that appearing and a fear of an unsuitableness to that appearing when it shall be O brethren that we could once attain to Jobs pitch to wait for our change every day all the dayes of our appointed time I doubt some of us can scarce say that we â—ait for it any day we put it off and therefore no marvel if we sleep It is that which is present which must affect us such is our Constitution things though never so certain and though never so desirable on the one hand or never so dreadful on the other yet they affect not except they be present some way or other present in our thoughts in our expectations present to our faith which is the evidence of things hoped for as once King James said such a man Preacheth as if hell were at his back ready to swallow him up that will keep a man awake either the joy of heaven set before us and as I may say continually present the coming of Christ Or else the terrors of everlasting burnings the immediate Consequent of this day O who can sleep that hath the coming of the Lord fresh upon his spirit 4. Take heed of Pride and self-confidence You see brethren that hath laid the very Watchmen themselves asleep the three chief Apostles If Sampson had not rested upon his own strength would he when he had so many warnings have committed himself again to the Lap of his Dalilah surely no. 5. In the next place take heed of excess in the use of lawful things O saith our Saviour take heed your hearts be over-charged with surfetting or drunkenness and the cares of this life that will quickly lay a man to sleep You know the thorny ground went far and yet though it endured Persecution and the Cup of trembling could not carry away the soul the Cup of delights in the world it laid them asleep the Sun did not burn them but the thorn choakt them Licitis perimus juvenes the time is short saith the Apostle it is rowled up as
get this oyl in their vessels they slept away their opportunity the Gospel must be preached for a witness to all Nations and now they can have no cloak for their sin for their unreadiness for his appearing the â—ord will manage his affairs so as that every mouth may be stoped and confess before him That none of his own may be â—left therefore he sendeth a Cry before him for none that are unfit for entrance with him into the Marriage shall enter into it no soul shall go to heaven in a sleep they are not fit for it as you heard before nor when he cometh will he wait upon any now is the time of waiting to be gracious to poor souls then is the time of recompence either love or displeasure â—e will not tarry then and therefore it is said here in the Text those that were ready went with him in to the supper of the Lamb into the marriage those that had their Lamps trimmed and the door was shut if the Saints themselves should not be found ready in some measure he would not then stay love is impatient of delay then now he would not lose any and therefore he is long-suffering and patient long before he cometh for that very end because he would have none of his perish so also for the same reason doth he thus warn them by a Voyce a Cry to rouze them awake them lest if they should be found unready they might miss of entring with him For the Application Then brethren let us take notice of the goodness and tenderness of the Lord to his own people in awakening them though it may be it may disease them a little at first to have such a cry in their ears as not to suffer them to sleep when they would nestle themselves upon their pillow he is loath to leave them behind he will not lose any of them and therefore he rouzeth them If Jesus Christ had left his Church in Cant. 5. Or his Disciples sleeping and gone his ways their condition had been sad If death had come upon poor David while under that guilt in the matter of Vriah and in so deep a sleep how sad had his condition been and so for Jonas if the belly of hell had been his grave the belly of the Whale and he had not been awaked out of that sleep what had become of him he had miscarryed for ever or at least he had suffered great loss and therefore it is much tenderness in the Lord to his poor people that he will not let them sleep but he rouzeth them up 2. How easie should this make and how should it sweeten the severest of Gods dealings with us to awake us Suppose we have a dreadful sound in our ears when nothing else will do it the terrors of God displayed and set in battle array against our souls God writeth bitter things against us and all little enough to awaken us we are so secure it may be It must be the lowder voyce of the rod that must do it if other means will not and this seemeth not joyons but grievous at present but it brings forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness O! the end will be sweet when the soul thereby shall be awaked and kept awake and ready for the appearing of the Lord Jesus I know the people of God would not for a world that day should come upon them and finde them in such a frame so heavy so listless so untoward as they are sometimes and know not how to shake it off I but give the Lord leave to shake it off bear then the Cry though it be loud sometimes and seem offensive if this be the end to awaken thee O why shouldst not thou bear it thankfully and chearfully 3. If there be a Cry going before his coming Then brethren see whether or no you have not had this Cry in part sounding in your cars and what use you have made of it hath it awaked you or not The Gospel it is here the voyce of the watchmen that continually stir you up and tell you the day of Christ is coming is at hand If not the general yet your particular day the day of his coming to our souls particularly cannot be far off this is the daily cry in our ears and O that we could cry lowder and lift up our voyce with more affection to your souls but as such poor worms are able we cry to you we are messengers sent before his face the Cry is behold he cometh go forth to meet him Now brethren where are you Are you upon your beds still How many have been awaked by this awakening word the terrors of the Lord against them that sleep Have you done any thing to your further sitting for heaven Can you with comfort go forth to meet Jesus Christ open to him when he knocks Surely you have not made use of this Cry that hath been made Ah how many are sleeping as deeply as ever and do not yet dream of his coming though they know not but that he is at the door and this night their souls shall be taken from them 4. Then how should this stir us up every one to attend to the cry that is made and obey it now you have the cry made in the word this is our preaching to awaken you Look not upon Sermons only as the affectionate discourse of a poor creature that wisheth well to your souls but look upon it as the warning word of Jesus Christ as the Cry that goeth before his presence afterwards himself wâ—ll come and that speedily and how soon you know not and as he findeth you then so it will go with you O that the Lord would speak by his Spirit and rattle you up a little poor sleepy souls both wise and foolish virgins not that I desire the grief of yours or mine own soul for if I make you sorry who is it that must make me glad but you that are made sorry by me as the Apostle saith Yet dear friends as I hope I could be contented rather to be shaken out of a sleep my self then be found sleeping at the coming of Christ so had I rather it should be with you how shall I bespeak your poor souls this day I would fain prevail with one poor soul to shake off this drowsiness and sloath and sleepiness that is upon us O arise arise for your souls sake for your peace sake as you tender your comfort now you hear the Cry going before him think with your selves sometimes Can you look Jesus Christ in the face with such a frame of heart as you have every day O arise arise will such sleepy souls be fit to sing Allelujahs to eternity to God O arise arise Deborah to sing praises to the Lord awake then that sleepest you cannot else be fit for heaven this the first Consider secondly If this Cry will not awaken you you shall have a more dreadful sound in your
righteousness and holiness made over to you imputed unto you as an Inner and Outward Garment or Cloathing I have hope of you you would not prove Foolish Virgins and that you are not so careless as not to regard whether you be found to have grace yea or no If there be any such let me tell such a man his Condition is next to desperate the Lord smite such sinners hearts but if you do not care there will come a time when you will care and every vein in your hearts will ake when you shall find alas you have trifled away your time your day you had to get grace in and now you have none Do you think brethren to go to heaven without grace must there be a wedding garment to his Supper here and must not there much more be a wedding Garment upon them that come into that nearest Fellowship with the Lord Jesus for ever Do poor sinners eat and drink judgement to themselves if they come without grace to the Supper O brethren do you think he will endure you to enter if you have not grace to sit with him at his Table to eternity No believe it Sinners shall not stand in the Congregation of the upright O that the Lord would perswade you How far are many of us from the Apostles temper he counted all things dung and dross not worthy his thoughts in comparison of being found in Christ and do not we count these things dung and dross in comparison of the world if it were not so surely men would lay out some of their care some of their thoughts some of their time for the getting Christ and grace 2. We must labour also to have our graces to get and keep our graces in act in a lively frame our hearts flaming towards the Lord continually the wise Virgins they slept and while they slept they could not watch now they had grace in their hearts but they kept it not in use in exercise as they should have done and therefore they underwent much inconvenience as you have heard and therefore our Saviour exhorts us to watch to take diligent heed that we run not the like hazard with them no more than with the foolish virgins Therefore labour to get your graces lively how should we think with our selves often when we find a listless fâ—ame growing upon us O what would my Condition be if the Lord Jesus should come this day to my poor soul Labour to keep your faith lively your Love lively so your humility and self-abasing that you may exalt him But alas you will say how can we do this we are poor imperfect creatures and therefore can we be alway acting our graces is it likely we should keep them alway in act that is enough for Angels and glorified Saints to do who are therefore called watchers I answer to this It is true it is not required we should always be acting of grace for then we should be able to do nothing else then we should neither sleep nor follow the works of some of our callings which require the intention of the mind as well as the labour of the hand therefore that is not the meaning nor indeed were we able to do it our spirits would fail us But how then Why We must be acting our graces when we are called to act them when ever is a time Mephibosheth eats bread continually at Davids table not that he did nothing else but eat without any intermission but at meal-times he did eat continually Note brethren we should see to it that upon all occasions we act our graces upon every temptation wherewith we are assaulted we should act our faith upon every tryal our patience upon every manifestation of himself to us to act our love and humility and thank-fulness But specially in our drawings nigh to him then see to it that we have our graces in act which alas how sar short do we fall of as in our daily performances prayers publike secret So meditating reading hearing receiving the Lords Supper if we would have them bright we must exercise them at these times how should we now renew our repentance in washing our hands in innocency as clean as if washed in innocency it self and so compass the Altar of God How should we as Jacob his family besides putting away their Idols change their garments also we should labour to get cloathed with another Spirit another frame then ordinary when we come before him upon these occasions It is said concerning the Steward which specially concerneth the Ministers of Christ Blessed is that servant whom his Master shall sind so doing giving every one their portion in due season A slothful servant is a wicked servant our Saviour saith he that receiveth grace in vain improveth it not stirreth not up himself to lay hold upon Christ upon special occasions such as are on foot upon such a day as this oporteâ— Episcopum concionari saith one eminent in his time The Lord hath given his Spirit to all believing people they have the habits of grace and he giveth it them as a stock to trade with as principles to act for him in their places O blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall find so doing he saith not whom his Lord â—hall find with grace in his heart but so doing acting his grace Ah blessed souls whom he shall find praying keeping up those duties in a lively manner whom he shall find receiving the sealing Ordinances and with a wedding Garment upon him a lively frame of spirit fit for it You have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you if you be his and will you let such a precious principle lie idle it is given to mortifie to sanctifie O blessed soul that shall be found so doing even by the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the Flesh surely brethren nothing will keep us more awake then action will if we be found sleeping it will not be comfortable to us therefore look to the acting of your graces I beseech you Again Labour to love his appearing so as that we may wait for it for indeed if we love it not we shall be apt to put the thoughts of it far from us labour either to love it or fear it according to thy Condition if thy Calling and Election be made sure if thou knowest the things freely given thee of God then be ashamed that any thing in the world should lie so near thee as not to desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ renew these desires day by day nothing but the greater glory of God should make us willing to be here indeed action for Christ and his honour is of a high nature and ought to have great weight with us as the Apostle hath it but yet methinks the burthen of sins should make us groan for it methinks if we have an eye upon the recompence of reward the joy that is set before thee that full enjoyment
must needs perish God will not be merciful to them Isa 27. He hath a controversie because there is no knowledge of God in the Land Hos 4. and where no vision is the people perish they perish for want of knowledge which cometh by vision and yet it is not knowledge alone will stand them instead the Devils are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that for their knowledge and yet are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their malice thou mayst have enough then to light thy Lamp and yet have no Oyl in thy vessel remember this Secondly A Hypocrite may have not only knowledge but his affections may be stirred also he may be warmed in the Lamp before it be extinguished there was heat as well as light Some have light without heat such are meer notions others have heat without knowledge and this is not good so far but the Hypocrite he may have light and he may have heat and affection also and yet be a foolish Virgin when all is done Let me speak a little to some affections among many others which they may have As 1. They may have sorrow for sin being convinced of it and what it exposeth them unto How doth Darius when he had signed the Decree against Daniel and his kingdom lay at stake his people would rebel if he executed not the Decree he laboured to deliver him he was sorry for what he had done and he could not rest nor sleep that night and early in the morning cometh with a lamentable tone to him O Daniel servant of the living God art thou yet alive There may be a spirit of bondage to fear or witnessing to a man that he is in a condemned state which is not succeeded with a Spirit of Adoption Sinners you may have your Consciences so galled sometimes with the Law that you cannot rest but cry out of sin O sin sin what a bitter thing is sin yea so far may this sorrow prevail that it may make you vomit up your sweet morsel make you make restitution with Judas God may so fire the Coal you cannot hold it in your bosom any longer the fire of Gods wrath upon Judas even melted his pieces they were too hot for him to hold and yet but a Judas still And I tell you brethren this is much a strong effect of those troubles 2. There may be some desires and seemingly earnest desires after things really good and which bring to salvation as those there in that place of John were they not much affected when they cried out Lord evermore give us of this bread As very a wretch as Balaam was yet he had his wishings and wouldings O that I might die the death of the righteous c. O how beautiful are his Tabernacles c. he seemeth to be taken with them or desires to enjoy that communion and fellowship with them in their Ordinances how beautiful are they And the young man in the Gospel had he not good desires and is it not said our Saviour loved him for that good that was in him though not with that special love of pitty to save him that we read of his desires carried him out far and yet never reach heaven I doubt not brethren but many of us this day have sometimes some good desires and you would have it go well with your souls you may cry out sometimes with the multitude O Lord evermore give us this bread you would be loath to part with the Ordinance of Christ it is good but all this may be in you and yet you may be hypocrites foolish Virgins O that you could lay it to heart 3. There may be also some hope we read often in Job of the hope of the Hypocrite he hath certainly an hope for heaven else he would never be at so much pains as many a Hypocrite is at as you shall hear afterward would the foolish Virgins think you have done so much as they did if they had not had a hope when hope expireth all endeavour giveth up the ghost with it 4. There may be also a joy and delight in holy things as those that kindled a fire of their own in that place of Isaiah saith the Text They walk in the sparks of their own fire that is to say they delight themselves in it And surely brethren the Galathians when they would have pluckt out their eyes for the Apostle they had no ordinary rapture upon them and yet alas how did they apostatize some of them And is is not sad to see in our days many that the Ministers of Jesus Christ whom he hath made instruments of God to their souls they have been as dear to them as their eyes and what is it come to with many of them are they not come to cast off all what shall we think brethren of such in such cases According to the hope so is the joy if the hope be sound so is the joy if the hope be false so is the joy which springs from it the Lord hinders it not haply doth not damp and overcast the soul and O how Satan endeavours to water such a plant as that is for what more available to lay a soul asleep then this he hath joy in holy things this is an high attainment indeed they take delight in approaching to God And we read in Heb. 6. that such as fall away may have a taste of the joy of the world to come such a temporary faith the light of it doth convince and shew us things worth the rejoycing in and then a false hope of a title to them when it is no such matter it will raise the spirit to rejoyce Well this is no ordinary pitch of affections and yet but a Hypocrite the stony ground received the word with joy and they rejoyced in John Baptists light for a season Thou art unto them as one that hath a pleasant voice c. 5. There may not onely be those affections and others but the fervor of them a mans affections may seem to be boyled up to a great height Zeal for God seemeth to be much this is Jehu his case how hot and zealous was he for God and so Judas seemed very zealous of good works when he would have had the box of oyntment spilled Ananias and Saphira seemed to have more heat of love then others to sell their possessions to be with the forwardest and yet you see what became of them and so may we brethren Not but that zeal is exceedingly to be commended and lukewarmness is the most loathsom temper to the Lord he will spue such a man out of his mouth yet there may be this fire which is not of Gods kindling The false Apostles did zealously affect those Christians to whom the Apostle writeth they seemed to be men of more then ordinary love and warm affections to their souls but yet they were but false Apostles they did it enviously to work the Apostle
God as the Apostle did not by sense nor what we feeâ— though never so much yet that must not be our life or if never so little that must not be our death but still live by faith in the son of God who liveth for ever and therefore his people shall not dye nor their Lamps be put out in obscure darkness 3. Consider then have we not declined have not our Lamps burned much clearer then now they do hath not our light been clearer then now it is and our warmth been more then now it is this is matter of humbling to us Have we not received much mixture of error in these erting times we cannot imagine how much darkness it brings upon our Lamps to have one error mixed with much truth Besides may not the Lord Jesus say to us all I have somewhat against you all in that you have left your first love Time was when you were zealous for the house of God and it did even eat you up now you are grown to a Gallio's spirit care not for these things Now we seek our own things and nest our selves in security it is well with us and therefore we consider not the danger poor souls are in by such as go up and down with the power of delusion few mourners in Zion for these things If the Church were under persecution it is likely we should lament truly I look upon its present state as more destructive to it so many Vipers â—ating at the very heart and bowels of Religion where is our burning of zeal for God against these things sure it should humble us 4. We see that Believers may decline and these times do give an abundant proof of it how many that have been as burning and shining lights have been benighted and inveloped in the most Egyptian darkness entertaning the most desperate opinions walking after their own Lusts and yet afterwards have been restored O how should this make us fear before him be not high-minded but fear here thou seest one and there another their lamps next to a being quite extinct yet thou hast light and heat maintained O boast not thy self lift not up thy self but fear before the Lord humility indeed is a kind of a nurse of the graces conservatrix virtutum as Bernard saith If he spared not the Angels in their pride will he spare thee A Novise is in danger of falling into the condemnation of the Devil in danger of being puffed up He giveth grace to the lowly but resisteth the proud Some do observe that word be ye cloathed with humility 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ye cloathed the word cometh from a word signifying a knot because it ties all together as I may say and so knitteth the graces together as pearls upon a Braslet if the knot be broken they are quickly lost It is indeed brethren the thief in the candle the great waster the Moth in the cloath consumeth it and spoyleth the beauty and strength of it It is the worm at the root of the Guord it will smite it and we see it by sad experience when men grow so proud and pretend to Angelical perfection in our days they fall as low as hell and brutish bestiality in their lusts O therefore let us labour to walk humbly with God be not high-minded though at present we stand and flourish and shine and burn we are liable to declinings 5. If we be so liable to declinings then it should teach us so much the more to be diligent in improving I am sure the Apostle giveth it as a preservative against declining and apostatizing But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ grow in grace and in knowledge knowledge is that whereby the Lord doth reveal himself to his people from grace to grace as you have it in that place of the Apostle whom beholding as in a glass c. But observe here keep your selves that is fall not from your own stedfastness and how should this be One means is to grow in grace If we would not have our Lamps burn dim and low we must labour to supply them so as they may increase the path of the just is as a shining light which shineth more and more to the perfect day and the wind of that Spirit which bloweth where it listeth it riseth higher and higher as some note O see to it then ordinarily while the fruit is in growth the leaves wither not nor the fruit fals except in some great storm or wind Labour to grow then first in bigness then in sweetness grow more mellow sweet full of love humility and self-denial 6. If we be so liable to decline it should teach us to avoid all those things which tend to a declining else we shall never avoid the thing it self we must take heed of sleeping then for though our Lamps be never so bright when we begin to sleep when we awake they will burn low if not extinct and will have great need of trimming up Security is the undoing evil in all things where was the joy of Davids faith when he began to be secure Psal 30. 7. Take heed of putting off the day of his appearing that will gender to security and that security will bring a neglect of our Lamps and then they will grow low and decline 2. Take we heed of false Teachers try the Spirits whether they be of God or no they have a strange influence upon the life and liveliness of mens profession were they not these that hindered the Galathians Ye did run well who hath hindered you who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth Ye did run well in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rase wherein they had Lamps or Torches but who hath hindered you The Apostle Peter maketh it the immediate cause of the backsliding and declining at least if not utter apostacy Beware saith he lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be carried out of his way to go with another the power of error is greater then we are aware of The Apostle speaks thus This I say lest any man deceive you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with enticing words beguile you They have cunning craftiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cogging with the die Satan changing himself into an Angel of light and his Ministers into Ministers of light and cogging with the die like cunning and deceitful Gamsters how easie is it to deceive the hearts of the simple yea the hearts of his but that they are kept by that power But a great way they may prevail and so we may lose our stedfastness and therefore take heed what spirits we give ear to Alas do we not see in our days what fearful work Satan hath made among Professors how many have their Lamps quite put out that went for zealous
owned as eminently as any of the rest and more for his Comfort The lost groat was found again and the lost sheep was found again And so the Prodigal Son he ran far and lavisht away his Patrimony and yet he is restored again the winter may deform the face of the earth but the Spirit of God can renew it again in the Spring now he hath promised to give this Spirit and he sendeth forth his Spirit to find out the lost Child the lost sheep and therefore there is encouragement 2. Consider until this be done you are not fit for Heaven nor to enter with him you are not ready the wise Virgins trimmed their Lamps and then they were ready saith the Text and they that were ready went in with him happy creatures that are found ready with their Lamps burning at that day of his appearing which we know not whether it may be at hand A wicked man is not fit for heaven upon any terms it would be a place of no rest unto him no more then the Air is to the fish or the water to a man they are not con-natural and truly no more is a gracious man fit for heaven while his Lamp wants trimming Heaven is the inheritance of the Saints in light and is he fit for it that is even going out in darkness O no the Lamp must be shining and burning bright or else there is no suitableness to heaven 3. Hereby God will have much more glory by you then otherwise he is like to have for minde you it is the shining of our Lamps the glory of our conversations suitable to our profession that giveth occasion to the men of the world to glorifie him so saith our Saviour Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven This is all the Lord expecteth that he may be acknowledged and have the glory of all his grace of us we have the sweet and comfort and everlasting advantage of it and it cannot but be upon every believers heart to glorifie God it is indeed the end of our coming into the world now we cannot glorifie him so while our Lamps burn so low we are under declinings but when we are fruitful and abound in it as our Saviour saith herein is my father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit this is that which God is glorified by It may be we have some few good works but they are but a few and so few that scarce any can take notice to glorifie God for them methinks this should stick much with us Specially the nearer we come to glory our selves the more should we mind the glory of God the more zealous should we be for it O begin to lay about us to glorifie him here learn the work of heaven for ever if not before yet at least now we are ready to reap the wages of heaven the glory and joy unspeakable and Rivers of pleasures for evermore 4. Consider Is it not a shame for us brethren whose salvation is much nearer now then when we believed began to believe that our light should not be more dim our heat more abated our zeal for God the fervor of our affections surely it is a very great shame as if the nearer we come to the enjoyment of God the less desirable he were time hath been when we have some of us followed hard after God it is well if we have mended or held on our pace the time hath been haply when our Conversations have been bright and a beauty of holiness appeared in them and others have taken notice of it and glorified God it is well if we be not grown Luke-warm O what a shame is this the nearer we come to the Sun to be the colder hath not the Cry passed and awaked us and do we not finde that our Lamps are dim and we are in our profession very low O look to it that our last days be our best days and we go not out like a snuff But you will ask me what should we do to trim up these Lamps of ours First You must remember from whence you are fallen look up to the top of the hill where once you were and now you are undiscernably tumbled to the bottom you know not how O how much ground have you lost search and try brethren Commune with your hearts Consider your ways as David did and turn to the Lord. It will exceedingly shame us and that shame be a spur to us to consider how far short we are of that love that zeal that diligence and closeness of walking Secondly We must repent of it we must be humbled for our former miscarriages our declining to lose our first love the more love we have received the less we return to him again Is not this unworthy Besides how much might we have honoured the Lord if our light had shone before men if there had been a Majesty of holiness alway upon our conversation such as sometime haply there hath been and is not this matter of humbling Thirdly Then we must do our first works It is not a sorrow only for our miscarriage that is enough but we must do our first works If we have been zealous before and now are become Luke-warm be zealous and amend do our first works we have been more diligent and close in our walking with God now we are more remiss we must remember whence we are fallen and do our first works O why should we not labour to exceed the love of our espousals when we followed so hard after him our souls panted as the chased Hart after the water-brooks and this it may be before we had many hints of his love some sight of him likely else we should not follow him some touch upon our hearts as in Elisha his case and Sauls the people whose hearts God touched they followed but did one taste of his love then draw thee out so earnestly and now thou hast had many a smile many a sweet refreshing from his presence many a Ring broken between Jesus Christ and thy soul and wilt thou not now be as diligent and as earnest in following after him it is the nature of true Grace that as it cometh from heaven it will never cease until it reach to heaven again Fourthly We must beg earnestly of the Lord to work this and all our works in us and for us It is he that restored David his soul when it was even lost and so he doth ours he maketh them to return when they are even giving up O give him no rest until he send forth his spirit and give thee to be filled with that spirit with might in the inner man that thou maist burn and shine and the fulness and fruitfulness the burning and brightness of thy conversation may be a witness to all that behold it that of a truth the Spirit of Jesus Christ is in thee He
world What comfort had Judas of his thirty pieces of silver when God opened his conscience and let him see his condition what an hypocritical dissembling wretch he had been to betray the Lord of life and glory with a kiss a sign of love and a bloody traiterous heart to sell his Saviour whom he had followed so long and acted by commission from him so long and his Master that had never done him hurt but good to sell him the Lord of life and glory for thirty pieces of Silver O this could not but gall and cut him to the heart the Devil helped him to a booty indeed but God added this sorrow with it Indeed of all sins God hath not revealed himself so terribly against any in Scripture as this and therefore when the soul cometh to see it that hath any knowledge of the terrors of the Lord displayed against it he must needs be for the present in a hell above ground this shall they have of my hand saith the Lord they shall lie down in sorrow Yea and sometimes he anticipates their death and they live in sorrow and wo and misery God doth as I may say set a mark upon them as upon Cain Secondly That they might be warnings to others for ever to take heed of Hypocrisie for when men that regard the work of the Lord and consider the operation of his hand shall behold a Judas hanged up in Gibbets being made a Magor Missabeb to himself doth it not preach aloud this Caution to take heed and beware of hypocrisie these things saith the Apostle were written for our ensamples that we might not do as they did so are these things acted for our ensamples that we might take heed or if they have not such terrors but their professions are blasted only and wither and they prove fearful creatures their latter end worse then their beginning is not this a warning written in Capital Letters that he that runs may read O take heed of rottenness at the root for all our fruit will give up as the dust as the Apples of Sodom we shall wither and come to nothing and go out like a snuff as well as them if we be not sound at the heart Thirdly It may be a stumbling block to some others who are ready to receive any prejudice against the ways of Christ and therefore they shall have a block to stumble upon O here you see what becometh of this preciseness and flourishing profession of Religion it is all but rotteness at the root it is better to take on fair and softly a soft pace in religion saith the Moralist or civil honest Man as good continue in a meer wallowing as being washed to enter into it again yea better saith the profane man and therefore he satisfieth himself in his carnal state which is wosul for suppose some professors wither yet do all Some they keep their leaf it shall never fail some lose their verdour but recover it again and what if some wither will you therefore offend against the generation of the upright saying they are all of the same stamp God forbid It is a sad thing to consider how many poor hearts are hardened in sin upon this very account which addeth to the Hypocrites doom but what if a discovered Hypocrite be so vile the condition so dangerous is not their own as dangerous if thou be prophane and a worker of iniquity there is no more entrance into glory for a Dog or Swine then for a Goat no more for workers of iniquity that professedly commit iniquity then for them who profess longer do much in his name and yet when all cometh to all they are found but workers of iniquity though secretly but so much for the second The third and last thing considerable in the Observation is That many times it is too late when Hypocrites are discovered to themselves this is plain in the Parable for the foolish Virgins all the time of the getting oyl in their vessels they complain not not see their want of it nor the going out of their Lamps but only when it was too late for before they could get it the gates were shut We must not here understand it generally of all Hypocrites as if none might be discovered to themselves while there is hope and so as to recover themselves for then it would follow they should none of them be pardoned for the Lord Jesus is the Prince exalted to give repentance and remission of sins Now if they never come to know themselves to be guilty of this great evil even their hypocrisie how should they repent of it and if they repent not of it how should it be pardoned It is true indeed there may be hypocrisie in a Child of God which he may acknowledge only in the general among his secret sins which he knoweth not of but I think where hypocrisie is so raigning a sin as to denominate a man an Hypocrite he must surely come to the knowledge of it and acknowledge it before the Lord or else how can he hope of pardon for it now I say there is pardon for all manner of sins only that against the Holy Ghost excepted and therefore sure some Hypocrites God doth uncase and unmask and rip up and shew them the abominations of their hearts that they may mourn over them and mourn after Jesus Christ and loath themselves for it and so be pardoned therefore remember this lest if God should come now and open any painted sepulchre any rotten-hearted Hypocrite among us when we see our wound we should faint away for though many times it is so that God discovers it not to Hypocrites until it be too late yet sometimes he doth and the sin in it self is pardonable therefore there is hope concerning this thing in Israel But for the making good this assertion consider either they are discovered not until judgement or else not until death or else not until their day of grace â—e expired many times though it be before death 1. If they be not discovered to themselves until judgement God never reproveth them of their hypocrisie and sets it in order with all its circumstances and aggravations until the day of judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall be displayed and all the nasty corners of sinners souls all the hidden things of darkness then surely you will all acknowledge there is no remedy it is past help there remaineth nothing then but a fearful looking for of their doom and some may go down in peace to the grave that is to say not a peace of God but of Satan a security and stupidity of conscience knowing nothing of their fearful condition which others also which are not so much as Hypocrites may do 2. If it be not discovered until the day of death or the time of deaths approach then though not alway yet ordinarily I believe it is too late and that is not a time that ordinarily God is
found or will be found for indeed if it were then there would very few perish out of the visible Church every man almost except a very desperate ignorant prophane wretch will have God and Christ and mercy in their mouths and many liftings up of eyes and hands though they do but dissemble and flatter him with their mouths as is proved by too ordinary experience come to many a poor creature upon his death and you would think him a Saint a true penitent and that if God would restore him sure he would never return to his folly again but alas alas experience proveth how quickly such men return to their vomit again to their wallowing in the mire again and lay out their strength and time and meats and marrow and money and all upon their lusts with as much eagerness if not more then before and prove very Devils incarnate or at least grow as listless and lazy in seeking God after their restoring as they were before though in the time of visitation then they would seek him early and nothing but seek him 3. He may discover Hypocrites to themselves before death likely and yet many times the time is past for the understanding of which brethren we must know that every Professor and all professing people who have the means of Grace the Sun of righteousness rising upon them in his Ordinances whether he arise upon them in their hearts or no this maketh a day of grace Jerusalem had her day as you have it in that of Luke Now this day may be conceived to be either revealed so as that we may judge of it according to Scripture or else secret which God hath reserved to himself The revealed is usually bounded by the time of a mans life or the continuance of the means of Grace to a people at least all that while according to our estimation Gods patience waiteth upon men upon formal Professors to see if they will repent and amend Or else 2. There is a secret day which God hath kept in his own power that is to say he resolveth with himself however it may be the means of Grace may continue longer to a people yet if they stand it out such a time so long he will never make them available to their souls So the Jews in that their day O that thou hadst known saith our Saviour in this thy day but now they are hid mind you now they were hid they should never have a sight of them though they might have the means of Grace the Gospel preached to them yet longer as they had yet the things which belonged to their peace were hid from their eyes And so it may be with an Hypocrite for ought I know the Lord may open an Hypocrites eyes convince him that he is an Hypocrite and yet the time be past of his recovery So the foolish Virgins you see their Lamps went out in obscure darkness irrecoverably though there seemeth by the Parable to have been a further time before the judgement a time wherein they did use some impertinent and improper endeavours for their restoring they went to the wise Virgins and them that sold of which afterward not to Jesus Christ that was hid from their eyes or else if they did it was to no purpose you see they missed their aim and then brethren one of these two things will be the effect of it Either First The heart will sink and die within them through some despair either when God hath opened this wound in their Consciences they will die of it their life and souls will go out at the wound as you see in Judas's case he could not so much as look to Jesus Christ that he might be saved but his heart was sunk within him when he saw how he had played the wretch with Jesus Christ selling his Saviour for so small a price when he had pretended so much love to and to value him at a so low a rate Or else Secondly The heart will grow desperately hard and Conscience seared afterward that it will be past feeling and so commit all iniquity with greediness and yet with a brazen face and with the highest confidence come and cry Lord Lord open to us as it is here in the Parable and in the seventh of Matthew after a thaw it will freez harder again and then Conscience will be covered with a stone as it said in Job And surely brethren the reason is plain why the Lord doth not ordinarily discover Hypocrites in his Church until it be too late for a just recompence of their hypocrisie his soul abhorreth hypocrisie more then any thing their Sacrifices and solemn meetings are an abomination to him he is even weary to bear them why because they drew near him with their mouths honoured him with their lips but the heart was wanting that which God looks at as all in all in our services and therefore they were like dead carkasses however garnished with many pretty sweet flowers common gifs and very taking manner of performances of them yet they are but dead Carkasses and therefore he abhorrs them and therefore no marvel if he seal up men under such a Condition until it be too late The Lord intendeth not mercy to such a soul such a people though their own hypocrisie and iniquity intervene as the immediate cause of the execution of this purpose and therefore it is that he letteth them walk in their own sparks the light of them please themselves with their Lamps their profession until they have trifled away the season of grace A sad consideration for Hypocrrites For Application of this Then it may serve in the first place for a startling word to all formal Professors the Lord make it an awakening word I doubt I speak to many sleepy souls our voice is not loud enough to pierce the ear in the heart and therefore O that he would do it Brethren if I seem uncharitable to you it is my love to your souls it is for your sakes else I have no such delight to speak things so cutting and wounding as these are I fear brethren in such a multitude of Professors that many of us have no more but a form of Godliness and many of us not so much but I speak not so much to them You see that five of them were foolish and they had nothing but Lamps a Profession I cannot conclude from the equality of number that there are as many wise as foolish or no more foolish then wise but many foolish there are that we may conclude and yet we expound it according to the Analogy of faith they are more by many then the wise You may then brethren be very confident of your estate rest as securely as if you had the greatest assurance of your Condition the foolish Virgins slept as soundly as the other suspected their Conditions no more then the other nor so much neither in all probability You think brethren that because you
bottle a broken cistern wherein no water is you shall have a denial from the Creature but Christ never denied any that came in the sense of his wants and waited upon him for supply and so much for this Lest there be not enough for you and us they might well doubt indeed whether there would be enough for themselves and them for even now their own Lamps had need of a supply though the form of words seem to carry a doubtfulness in them there might be enough and there might not yet I cannot believe but the wise Virgins knew full well and so they do know at this day that there is not enough for them and others This is most sutable to the Analogy of Faith in other Scriptures The Doctrinal Note from thence will be this There are none have any surplâ—sage of Grace or more then will serve their own turn They have none to spare lest there be not enough for you and us and that this is so other Scriptures plainly speak If the righteous scarcely be saved saith the Apostle the righteous be he as eminent as he may in righteousness and holiness yet he is scarcely saved so as through many difficulties many a hard pull he hath when all is ready to fail him but that God never fails him else all were gone His flesh and his heart fails him many times Strive to enter in at the strait gate saith our Saviour for many shall seek to enter and shall not be able Suppose that some men strive more then others yet all will be little enough they shall hard and sharp be saved they have none to spare he that gathered much had nothing over saith the Text concerning the Manna though some are more industrious painful Christians then others yet they have nothing over the very Angels in Heaven that have such a fulness as no Creature on earth yet hath yet they cannot spare a jot of their fulness though they be so full not a jot of their holiness how much more we then First Let a man begin never so yong to look towards heaven as young Timothy and young Sam. and yet they shall not have any more then what is necessary for themselves to have a man would think he that beginneth so yong should in time grow to be exceeding rich in faith and good works that if there were any works of supererrogation these should be the men but yet we find not in Scripture any of them in so high a strain 2. If a man be never so earnest diligent and forward zealous for God though he serve the Lord instantly night and day yet shall he have no grace to spare David was a man of strong affections as most Christians and as warm they were toward God as strong were his desires after him and love to him as will appear by his spiritual breathings and was as much in following after God and after grace in so much that when he was debarred from the Tabernacle and Ordinances where he used to behold the goings of God the way of God his glorious power and grace when shut out from these how sadly doth he take on you may see then by the stir and disquietness of his heart in the interruption that he was strongly bent to follow after Christ and yet at the close of all had he any to spare Yea 3. Let a man continue so to the end if it were possible without any interruption in his growth and yet he shall have no grace to spare had the Apostle any to spare who was a man labored as abundantly as any other yea more then they all and yet he was nothing and when all was done he would be found in Christ not having his own righteousness upon him he had not yet attained the resurrection from the dead But then 2. For the opening of the Point let us note this also That though a Christian may have more gifts of Grace then may be sufficient for Salvation yet he never hath more especially saving grace then is needful I mean he hath none to spare a man indeed haply might spare some of his gifts but none of his Grace though it is true whatever Talents the Lord bestoweth to fit a man for his Condition his place he should be answerable to the Lord and so they are necessary to the fruitful carrying on of his Calling or Condition yet to heaven they are not so necessary but all the Grace a man hath is necessary for him so necessary as he can spare none especially that Grace which is more particularly a mans own if I may so call it and that is sincerity and uprightness of heart others do partake with us in the sweet effects of the other Graces of faith and love c. but the sincerity of all without the rest are nothing this is more especially our own and who is there that could ever say that he had so much uprightness of heart that he could spare any of it can a man spare any of his life this is the life of Religion and Grace 3. Another thing to make this out will be this The greatest Grace where it is given usually hath the greatest corruption to wrestle with a spring-tyde of Grace a spring-tyde of Corruption strong workings of the spirit strong lustings of the flesh and strong temptations such as many of us never knew what they meant so that a Child of God indeed that is proved knoweth that he hath little enough for himself though it may be God hath given him more then to many others where sin abounds Grace abounds may there not be temptations to exercise the strongest Faith Some Goliah-lust or another which requireth all their faith and humility and patience to encounter with it we never turned Gods treasuries of temptation to know what he hath in store for poor souls 4. Let a Child of God have never so much Grace here yet he fals short of the resurrection of the dead short of that pitch which he ought to aim at Indeed if men could reach this fulness of the measure of the stature of Christ and go beyond it then there might be some thoughts of having somewhat to spare but until then we are alway on the wanting hand sure alway under emptiness Now though some be so bold as to plead for a perfection in our days we see by a divine hand upon them they are let loose to all manner of wickedness and except that were the perfection I understand not what perfection they are capable of 5. When they have attained to the top and pitch brethren yet alas if God should enter into judgement with us we should never be able to stand as you have it therefore the Apostle would be found in him when he had done all surely then brethren if when all is done there is such an imperfection incompleatness as to justification and eternal life that we must go out of all deny
people that they did wander from mountain to hill expecting help here and there but forgot God their resting place The Raven would not return to the Ark if she could get a place to rest any where upon the earth though the Dove had no rest any where else but in the Ark. Ah what woful natures have we brethren so contrary to the God of love and fulness of bowels and compassions surely we can see nothing in him wherefore we should be so averse but the pride and rebellion of our own desperately wicked hearts how should this exceedingly humble us 2. Not only nature but it should seem they were accustomed to it also and that increased the natural inclination to it at first their sparks were of their own kindling they would have fire out of their own flint and oyl from within well this failed you so they went to the wise Virgins and were habituated in it it was a rooted evil and well watered and therefore no marvel if at the very last they thus go to them that sell Can the Ethyopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots no more can ye that are accustomed to do evil learn to do well here is a first nature and a second nature nature upon nature and what is harder to carnality then nature while it remaineth unchanged naturam expellas c. You may keep a Woolftame and train him up like a Dog to follow you but he will retain his woolfish nature still and if he have occasion will manifest it where a Creature hath been used to betake it self for refuge thither will it go in time of need the Chicken to the wing the Conies to the rocks the Fox to her holes and the Child of God to the rock what time I am afraid I will trust in thee as before and poor Hypocrite to the Creature this or that somewhat in himself or somewhat in some other as you see for this he is accustomed to to go to his prayers to the opinion of flattering persons c. 3. Another reason may be this in Professors that have long rested in a formality and now at last come to see their nakedness God plucks off their plumes letteth them see they are naked and yet they go not to Christ it may be because he holds their eyes hideth this wisdom from their eyes alas if the Lord shew us not the path of life brethren we can never find it out our selves we shall grope at noon-day though we have never so much glorious light about us and Christ be held out never so plainly to us we shall grope and wander and never have a heart to come to him as it is said of the Israelites God did not give you to this day a heart to understand O saith the Psalmist Teach me thy way and I will walk in thy truth Now God and Christ in a just displeasure against us in such a case may hide himself from us aâ—d will not be found either we shall not have an heart to seek him at all or else not an upright heart to seek him and therefore though we seek him he will not be found As this should teach us all to be humbled before the Lord for wickedness and averseness of our hearts to Christ that we will not come to him so long as we can get a drop out of our dry Bottle we will not come to the Fountain but wander up and down and weary our selves to seek rest anywhere then in Jesus Christ Hast thou been a Prodigal and hast thou known this by experience hast thou shifted and shuffled and lickâ— thy self whole as often as thou couldst and born it out by head and shoulders the Convictions thou hast had sometimes when thy Lamp hath been dying O how should this teach thee now if the Lord have notwithstanding this shewed thee the path of life shewed thee the Fountain the Olive whence the oyl is to be had indeed this should teach us I say to loath our selves Ah wretch wretch that I am that should carry such a heart toward Jesus Christ 2. It may serve to advance and magnifie the justice and mercy of the Lord on Hypocrites justice and severity that since they have loved to wander from Creature to Creature and would never come to Jesus Christ Now at the last when they must come to close with him or never he should be hidden from their eyes Is not this a righteous a severe hand are they not paid in their own coin the Lord grant we fall not any of us under this stroke of Divine justice to be left and given up to a wandring heart because we love to wander O methinks this severe hand of God upon them lying upon them to the very last should affright poor Formalists that have nothing else but a few broad leaves to be their refuge when these wither what will you do what must shadow you from everlasting burnings you will say Jesus Christ but do your hearts say so indeed and why do you not now make sure to close with him for if you wander thus up and down from Creature to Creature who knoweth whether he may not make you examples of his displeasure and suffer you yea give you up to wander as those foolish Virgins that you shall never be able to look after him because he will never look after you again And then it serveth to magnifie the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ that notwithstanding this be the natures all of us and we practise accordingly and have made many a poor shift likely to quiet a guilty accusing galled Conscience sometimes with one sometimes with another shift sometimes with a duty a prayer or tears O if we could but weep for our sins all would be well this would make a calm and we are at peace sometimes the opinion of others or sometimes our own opinion of holiness and our selves to which we have done all that we have done it may be Well that after all this now the Lord Iesus after so long being slighted and such forms and duties and fig-leaves and any broken Cisterns empty Bottles and husky vanities preferred before him that yet he should manifest himself to such to any of us and give us that true oyl of Grace in the heart whereby the sinfulness and emptiness of all our former shifts have been discovered to us O what shall we render to the Lord for his love behold what manner of love is this that will overcome all our slighting of him that will not let us alone under our fading gourds until he bring us under his own shadow and never suffer us to wander up and down from him any more have our souls tasted of this his love O bless him magnifie him make your boast in God let the humble hear thereof and be glad live his praises what can you do too much for him who hath thus loved you but so much for
filthy rags of your own services duties prayers alms as if those were a wedding-garment you that are more profane it may be and cloath your selves with violence as with a Cloak and with cursing as with a garment and so for all manner of prophane persons I would beg of you for Jesus Christ sake this day you would consider this doleful word the gate will be shut against you if you be found unready for the appearing of Christ Now there is none of you but your consciences will tell you that you are not ready for it can a drunkard a swearer a blasphemer be ready for the coming of Christ can you hold up your heads sinners when he appears and look him in the face with comfort Ah no. Either men believe not this coming of Christ to them or else because it is not present they put it far from them therefore they are not affected with it O that I could preach this day Brethren as if hell were at sinners backs as if the Lord Jesus were at your backs now ready to call for you out of this world that you may be a little startled That I would beg of you shall be this that you would without any more ifs and ands without any more delaies set about this work to make ready for his appearing lest the gate be clapt upon you you have too long delayed it already therefore now if ever set about the work What would you have us to do you will say I answer Brethren without any more delay to consider your waies and turn to the Lord to repent that you may believe and believe that you may repent O that you might have hearts to believe this terrible threatning that so your hearts might be shaken sinners out of your security for this is the reason you make nothing of all these things you do not believe that there will be a shutting out or you do not consider it and that your selves are as likely to be the men that have the door shut upon you as any others O therefore learn this day a necessity of believing if you would not be shut out a necessity of repenting you see they were shut out by reason of unbelief I know what answer your hearts will make to this If believing will do it you will never be shut out for you do believe and will believe and have believed alway you have had a good heart and a good faith towards God and Christ Brethren I tell you that you never lookt upon the Brazen Serpent for healing if you were never wounded It is for them thatare wounded You that are all faith now before God have touched your hearts and set your sins in order before you if ever God come and shew you your guilt there will be nothing but doubting and fears and terrors It is an evident sign to me that a sinner never did believe because he maketh so light a matter of it No no Brethren you do not come to him indeed the door stands open now and you are invited to come and enter in by the door by Jesus Christ into the Marriage-feast but you do not come to him O therefore be exhorted sinners now while the door stands open to come and enter in take heed you fall not short by your unbelief and then upon this faith in Jesus Christ will follow a Gospel-repentance a melting and mourning over the Lord Jesus whose love and bowels you have abused and the love of Jesus Christ will constrain you to another course of life then you have led quite contrary you will not be the same men O break off your sins by righteousness be abrupt in your repentance in greatest haste men think it is hard to break off in the midst of such a design for the world or suddenly to leave their companions in sin but by degrees they will do it O break off c. Again Secondly For you that have somewhat more then ordinary of a profession of Jesus Christ I beg of you to look to it Brethren that you have the main thing lest when all comes to all the door be shut upon you as upon those foolish Virgins me thinks if we did but consider how many poor souls of great hope have gone out and sunk under such a sad disappointment as this is it were enough to startle us all O look to your footing Brethren for Jesus sake look to your Evidences the day is coming that if we be not ready there will be no entrance for us let us pass for what we will here among men I cannot stand to press these things I have already spoken much to the same purpose before 1. I pray you consider that upon this moment of time for our lives in comparison of eternity are no more a hand breadth a shadow a vapor nothing you that have lived thirty sixty years in sin now it is past the season you have had in your pleasures what is it but like a dream when it is past but as short as this time is upon it depends eternity he hangeth the heavyest weights upon the weakest wires O Brethren me thinks if men did but believe this and it were present now and then upon their thoughts there is an eternity to be enjoyed or lost an eternity to be endured or avoided an endless happiness or endless misery this should make you see to it to make sure you be ready lest this gate be shut upon you Brethren you live to eternity and you dye to eternity how careful was that Painter of every line very exact took much time to draw a piece O saith he Eternitati pingo As you live here so shall you live to eternity If in sin Brethren you shall lye down in an eternal bed of sorrow in everlasting burnings shall your souls be rouled up together if you make it your work to make ready to be found ready for his appearing there is an entrance into everlasting joyes a feast which never shall have end 2. Though time be short whereupon eternity depends yet you have time Brethren though it is true none but the present time be yours that which is past is gone that which is to come you know not what it may produce whether you shall see it or no but you have a time now while it is called to day Ah Brethren some of us have had a long day our day of grace hath had already some six some seven some eleven hours and yet it is day with us we have not wanted time but we have wasted it trifled it away but since yet there is time let this stir us up O the long-suffering of God should lead you to repentance Ah blessed are your ears for they hear and your eyes for they see Brethren they see a crucified Christ held out before you with his arms stretched out all the day long ready to receive you they see the door open stand open for poor
though he profess never so much love to Israel And O if he would give me a house full of gold and silver I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord And O that my latter end might be as his Yet the Lord can see he is but a wretch for all this therefore Brethren I beg of you that it may be a searching word to us all Whether ever we have known him or be known of him have you ever touched him with the touch of faith for the pardon of your sins for the healing of your corruptions and have you found healing come from him yea or no have you known him the power of his death the power of his life and Spirit yea or no If you have not the Spirit of Christ you are none of his whose ever you be and he will not own you be sure Brethren for his sons for his friends to admit you to the feast except you be his indeed Ah dear friends I doubt many of us will be found with the foolish Virgins following after the creature resting in somewhat else beside the Lord Jesus Do not think your crying Lord Lord will do it this you may do and fall short did not Judas come with his hail Master and kiss him and yet his heart full of treason against him was this his kindness to Jesus Christ and do not many of us kiss him salute him with a kiss of love and homage or obedience in shew and yet in our lives deliver him up to be scourged by our loosness of carriage that there is no difference between us and other men open the mouths of the wicked and this constantly and without a returning to him will he own such a soul think you O how can we be contented to be uncertain in our conditions lest when all is done we should be disowned shut out at that day Thirdly Then Brethren let us all labour and be exhorted to it to study to approve our hearts to God more then to men a needful lesson to us all and it will be our wisdom surely for alas what if men know us and own us and favour us as Saints and precious people and Jesus Christ will not know our souls will this countervail O Brethren see to it that your praise be not of men but of God! O how apt we are to be lifted up and cheared if men think well of us and dejected if we suffer in their breasts if they disown us to be cast out of their hearts would go to our hearts it may be and we could not be quiet Alas what is this to that fearful sentence I know you not If Christ disown us what is it if all the Saints should own us and if he own us what should it discourage us though they none of them own us O labour to be more inward Christians and build your comforts upon the sure mercies of David in Jesus Christ No matter what is the rising way in the world which is the rising Sun Look to the mind of Christ keep a conscience void of offence toward him and make this your work to be found in him when all is done not in your gifts not in your duties not in your graces but in Christ O such a soul knoweth the Lord Jesus and such a soul is known of him and shall be known to all eternity Fourthly Here is an encouraging word to poor doubting souls It may be they are ready to pass this fearful sentence upon themselves sooner then many a wretched hard-hearted hypocrite to whom it properly belongs No matter man though thy gifts be not so great as another mans thou canst do little or hast not those sweet refreshings and enlargements which another hath Is thy heart approved to Jesus Christ canst thou approve thy soul to him that thou lovest him as Peter Lord thou knowest that I love thee though it may be not so much as other Saints do nor so much as the great things he hath done for thee call for yet thou lovest him and wouldst fain love him more be of good 〈◊〉 for thou art known of him If any man love God he is known of God A Judas may be an open professor of Christ and come to him in the day And a poor Nicodemus at the first dare but come in the night it may be and was a very shallow Scholar in Christ's School which is the discouragement of many a poor soul And Judas in the mean time a renowned Teacher of others and yet behold how the one betrayes the Lord Jesus and the other sticks to him when he was dead and professeth him openly at such a time as that when there was most discouragement against it O therefore Brethren though your grace be weak and little at the first if there be the root of the matter in thee if thou canst approve thy heart thou lovest him there is nothing in heaven nor in earth thou wouldest have in comparison of him though thy infirmities be many temptations be many thou art a poor wearied creature it may be with thine own heart be of good comfort the Lord Jesus hath already owned thee and he will own thee in that day And me thinks Brethren as on the one hand when such bold confident souls that make no other reckoning but of salvation but they reckon without Jesus Christ when they meet with so sad a disappointment in stead of an admittance they meet with I know you not O how will their hearts dye within them So on the other hand when a poor trembling doubting Thomas that it may be knoweth not what to think of himself nor his condition he is searching and trying and praying and fasting and humbling running and pressing hard forward and can get little ground of his corruptions which much discourageth him O he walks tremblingly lest he should receive this fearful sentence at the last that the Lord Jesus knoweth him not hath never had any thing to do with him notwithstanding all his profession sin is in strength corruption prevails though it is the bitterness of his soul O when such a poor doubting creature that haply many times looks for nothing but a fearful sentence depart from me shall have this pronounced O come thou poor soul I know thee I have known thee from the beginning of the world though thou hast been doubting of my love yet I know thee though thou hast been made black with affliction and thy visage so marr'd as others knew thee not refuge failed thee no man cared for thee for thy soul yet I know thee though thou hast been wounded with many sins many temptations and walked under many a discouraged heart yet I know thee O how will this be as everlasting life from eternal death to such a soul So that the soul shall now have now more place for doubting the satisfaction shall come with a mandamus he will speak salvation to the heart that it cannot
glory as it were of divine attributes they all shine forth in him each with his peculiar glory The Temple the glory of the Lord filled it so that they could not stand before him to minister sometimes So Brethren now the Lord hath placed his name in Jesus Christ he hath filled him with his glory therefore saith the Prophet the glory of the Lord is risen on thee that is Jesus Christ is manifested to thee was not his glory so great as to confound John though a vessel fitted to be filled with those glorious revelations from-him He fell at his feet as one dead at the sight of him in that vision How glorious is an Angel that the very sight of him was an astonishment to John what is the Lord of the Angels If the Moon be so glorious what is the Sun Thirdly the Sun is full of light in it self and filsall things capable of its light and yet hath never the less the twinkling Tapers of heaven they have each of them their light some more some less and the Moon hath much light and giveth much but what 's borrowed light First she hath it not in her self nor in such abundance as the Sun hath So it s here the Saints they are lights of the Sun as our Saviour saith but alas like poor candles that burn dim and sometimes through the thickness of the damps of corruption in our hearts burn blew and are ready to go out for the most part 〈…〉 but as the light in the socket sometimes up and sometimes down and every moment a man would think it would go out the Angels and spirits of just men made perfect are like stars shining more gloriously and constantly But alas nothing to the Sun he sheds the light abroad throughout the whole hemisphere at once Set up many lights at once in a dark night they will give light but a little way and how poor and weak a 〈…〉 light so that when the Sun shineth they appear not at all and that the Sun should so long fill the world with his light and have never the less this is admirable But this is but a shadow Brethren to the light of Jesus Christ he is the true light that is such a light as that nothing else deserveth to be called a light in comparison of him as far as the subject is recipient a glorious spirit is before a vile body so far is the light of Christ in its own nature above the Suns light And then for fulness there is no comparison though there be hardly any thing obvious to ouâ— senses which are to â—et in light to the understand 〈…〉 that is more glorious and so is more â—it to set forth the Lord Jesus his fulness of Light by Light maketh manifest all things and that that maketh things manifest is the Light now the light of the Sun its true discovers much that before it arose appeared not but its possible to hide from its light Brethren in the depths of the earth in the bowels of man it discovereth not any of those much less the secrets of hearts there 's no suitableness between such a cause and such an effect But the Lord Jesus he searcheth all the deep things of men the very Marrow of their bones which is the deepest and hath the most coverings upon coverings he searcheth them So doth Christ the ends of men which are the most hidden usually in all their designs they are deep as the Marrow in the bones cloathed over with flesh and skin and bones pretence upon pretence but Christ this Light is so piercing that there is no hiding any thing from it Fourthly The Sun his Tabernacle is in heaven there he made a Tabernacle for the Sun there is the seat of the eye of the world from whence he views all that is under his Government there is his Palace and from thence he dispenceth light and influence So Brethren it s with Jesus Christ he hath his Tabernacle in heaven that is in his Church for so oftentimes the Church is called there the Lord placeth his Tabernacle as he saith of Israel of old I will place my Tabernacle among them and dwell in the midst of them He walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks to behold them to be nigh them to dispence of his light to them and of his influence So doth the Sun communicate of his light to the Moon and to the Stars in heaven and to the inhabitants upon earth We are not to understand all this of Christ his person meerly but Christ as held out in his Ordinances in his Church therefore he is said by the Church to make manifest the mercy and wisdom of God his Ordinances are the raies and beams as afterward we shall speak when we come to open that part of the Text. But his Tabernacle is the Church thence he shines forth on many others as the earth is lightned by the raies from heaven Fifthly From the warming of the Sun how cold and frozen are those Northern parts of the world because remote from the Sun how cold is the hemisphere when the Sun is set for a time â—ow warm when it shines So the Lord Jesus it is that 's the Author of heat the Winter is past the Summer is come the rain is over the flowers appear on the earth and the voice of singing of birds heard that is Christ is revealed in the power of his love to poor sinners this is that which warmeth the coldest heart when we are frozen in our affections and as waters frozen up cannot run this way nor that way so we can do nothing nor move towards God Then Brethren it s a sight of the Sun of righteousness the Lord Jesus a hot gleamfrom him that thaws all and melts all warmeth all again and therefore in this respect also he may be compared to the Sun Sixthly because of influence which may be they say where there is no heat nor light at least and therefore Philosophers tell us that by the influence of the Sun the gold is concocted in the bowels of the earth whither its light cannot come And this is that Brethren that calls forth the fruits of the earth that in the winter for fear of cold were retired the sap recoiling to the root there to be preserved until a season for it Now the Sun the heat and warmth and influence thereof calls it forth again so that the grass and fruits plants and herbs put forth bud and blossom as we see it in the spring so the face of the earth is renewed And so it s in this case the Lord Jesus from heaven shineth forth and conveighing secretly the powerful influences of his Spirit and of the Word to poor sinners though they were as dead and dry sticks before as trees that are starven with the frost and seem dead then they put forth again then they grow green and flourishing then
the heart of a sinner that was little worth before becometh a golden Vial full of odours it s concocted then the spices flow forth in the garden inclosed Seventhly the Sun dispels the mists and fogs which are unwholsom would poison the air yea and thick clouds which would muffle up the Sun from us we know this by daily experience So doth the Lord Jesus Brethren all the mists fogs and clouds of sin he dispels them for his name sake he blots out the transgressions of his people as a cloud It s the very heat Brethren of the love of Jesus Christ that consumeth as I may say melts away those clouds that they intercept not our communion and fellowship with him O! there is not a day but the streamings of our filthy hearts would gather into a thick cloud and cover his face from us were it not that the warm beams of his love did continually dispell them and scatter them we should never enjoy the light of his countenance an hour together if it were not for this and for his names sake he doth it And so the cloud of sorrow let the diseases of the people of God be what they will never so great and black clouds they are compassed about with their day is a day of gloominess and thick darkness how come these to be dispelled is it not the Sun of righteousness breaking forth on poor sinners that doth it one sight of Christ as reconciled to him puts an end unto all Eighthly the Sun is the cause of the sweet intercourse between the earth and the clouds and the clouds and the earth for its the Sun that exhales the vapours from the earth and draweth them up into the middle region of the air and there with the cold of the air its condensed into a cloud and hangs until it be dissolved and render it self to the earth again to make it fruitful and so the dew is in like manner begotten only is not far lifted up above the earth and with the cold of the night is congealed into little drops and so sweetly distills So the Lord Jesus he draweth out the hearts the affections of his people in prayers sweet breathings after himself and these prayers come down again sometimes on the same soul sometimes on another place they fall but abundance of sweetness and blessing and mercy is poured out by this means on poor creatures whereby they become fruitful Ninthly The Lord Jesus may be compared to the Sun for that the Sun Giant-like rejoyceth to run his race and who can turn him back alas all the clouds that gather about the Sun that to our apprehensions might haply seem to threaten a blotting of it out a clogging of it they are all below it It s true prayer once did hold him in his course and it looks like a word of command Sun stand thou still and so prayer may do much with Jesus Christ but not hinder him in his course riding on in his triumphant charriot conquering and to conquer enlightning poor dark places and people Before we come to the other we will a little apply this to our selves First then Brethren if the Lord Jesus be a Sun then they that have this Sun risen on them they are children of the day if the Sun be up it must needs be day and is not the Sun up Brethren among us is not the Lord Jesus gone forth as a Gyant to run his race among us we now have a day of Grace among us and how long or how short it may be I know not Brethren it seemeth to be declining in some respects and the shadows of the evening growing low O that we would be perswaded and stirred up to do the work of our day in this our day our great work which is to work out our salvation with fear and trembling I doubt if the Sun should set and the night come on you wherein no man can work you should have this work yet to do many of you especially brethren you into whose hearts the Lord Jesus this Sun of righteousness hath shone O how should you walk as children of the day not in surfetting and drunkenness I mean not with meat and fire only but with any creature-comforts and delights on this side Christ away then with all the works of darkness all practices which did suit better with the times of ignorance and blindness and now walk as becometh the light and the day that the Sun may not be ashamed to behold you Secondly Such as the Lord Jesus then hath not risen on they are yet in darkness children of the night and walk at uncertainties know not whither they go Alas many a poor soul thinketh he is as sure to go to heaven as he is to die when he is in the very rode to hell only some go in the broad trodden path open prophane impudent sinners some steal thither behind the hedge they are going to hell but in a closure walk hidden from others and from themselves Many night-Birds there are among us children of the night indeed though in one respect many of us may be said to be children of the day because Jesus Christ in the dispensation of the Gospel is held forth unto us as they are said to be the children of the Kingdom yet in respect of the inward revealing of Christ in the heart I doubt many of us are strangers to it though we fly about in the light yet we are but Owls and Bats darkness agreeth better with us our souls are full of darkness our works are nothing else but works of darkness How sad a consideration is this Brethren that in the midst of light we should be children of darkness 〈◊〉 noon-day when the Gospel is at the heighth and Christ the Sun as it were at the meridian we should be stumbling and groping as at midnight not knowing whither we go Then thirdly As there is this difference of persons where Christ cometh from them where he cometh not so it is in families and people Brethren what a sad people and family is that where they are all in Egyptian darkness Jesus Christ is not risen unto any soul among them they know him not experimentally but they are all in blindness Alas none can help another the Israelites and Egyptians though they dealed among one another in one family there was light in the other there was nothing but gross darkness that might be felt O who would live in such a family who would not haste out of such a condition you would think that a sad conditioned house that the light of the Sun and warmth of the Sun never entreth into of all places you would not live in it this is is nothing brethren to the total absence of Christ where neither Husband nor Wife nor Fellow-servant nor Children none of them have had the Lord Jesus shining into their hearts Gross darkness shall cover the earth saith the
God who had promised they without us saith the Apostle were not made perfect though through forbearance as it were their sins were passed over yet they would have returned on them again if Christ had not come according to the promise and therefore herein now Christ may be said to be the Sun of righteousness but this concerneth most his first appearing in the flesh though for these ends and purposes for which he doth arise unto every poor believing soul Now therefore he is the Sun of righteousness in this respect also as well by his arising on any soul that stands in need of him now as by arising on them then for if God should fail in any of them which he hath given to Christ where were his righteousness This is the third Fourthly Another consideration wherefore he may be called the Sun of righteousness is this because he is the meritorious cause of our justification in the sight of God therefore he is called the Lord our righteousness he was set forth saith the Apostle for a propitiation through faith in his blood called the righteousness of God as he accepteth of the satisfaction of Christ as God in Christ paid the price of it even the blood of God as he imputeth it to us or for Christs sake doth not impute our sins on us Enter not into Judgement saith the Psalmist with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh be justified not by the works of the Law but by the blood of Jesus in this respect he is called a Sun of righteousness Fifthly in that he doth by his influences on the hearts of his people work on them a similitude a likeness to himself to his Father and so beget an inherent righteousness putting inward principles and seeds into their hearts from whence flow all manner of holy conversation in this also he is the Sun of righteousness the Apostle is clear in this he is made of God to us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption which sanctification is sometimes called in Scripture righteousness So he hath chosen us in him to the adoption of Sons that we might be holy and unblamable that by him we might be brought to such a state and condition by beholding him by lying in his beams with our faces towards him with open face Now all shadows and ceremonies and vails such as in the Legal administration of the Covenant of grace were on him being taken away we are changed into his Image from glory to glory In all these respects he may be called the Sun of righteousness and thus much for the second thing The third then What is meant by the arising of this Sun of righteousness on them if we understand it with respect to the people of God of those times that feared his name then it cannot be understood Brethren as if that Christ had never shined on them for how come they then to fear the Lord if he had not yet owned them as his people in Covenant but it must be understood thus that they should behold him in a more glorious manner arising they that should live to see the day Many waited for the consolation of Israel as Zach. and Simeon and many others who could not have done it if they had had no influence from Christ on their hearts therefore we must say that even among the Jews yea and before many of them had a dawning of light had some glimmerings of Christ he did shine through all the darkness and shadows of the Ceremonies Christ was held forth in them all but only as the beauty of the picturre is in the shadow But now we have the very image of the things saith the Apostle So that this rising on them Brethren may be as the rising of the Sun to some height rather then his first appearing for I find that in the Gospel of Matthew so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendered When the Sun is risen it withereth that is when it s up and at an height then it withereth So now though before they had the dawning I say some scattering beams fore-running the glory of the Sun yet now they should have it in greatest glory for he came that his people might have light and might have it more abundantly But now to us Brethren on whom he hath shone so long he may be said to rise as he breaks through any clouds of darkness on us as the Martyr at the stake cryed out Son of God shine on me he meant that he should shew him the light of his countenance break in on the heart with more light and warmth whereby he might be armed against that tertible death he was to encounter with and the Sun in the Firmament broke out in a glorious manner through the thick clouds as an Emblem if not an earnest of the other and a visible evidence or testimony to the standers by that it should be so So that now I conceive when on any poor soul in his first agonies the throws that he hath to bring forth the child Jesus his troubles of heart for sin and thick darkness on him the Lord Jesus breaks forth on the soul with a glorious discovery of his love yea with an hint of his love its arising on him and so as the increase of the glory of his people Israel the glory of his people Israel is called his arising on them so where the Lord doth in a more eminent manner appear to his people either after desertion in respect of comfort and peace or after desertion in respect of holiness there he may be said to arise on them And thus much for the third The fourth thing is what is meant by the wings of this Sun of righteousness this is so much the more difficult by how much the more Metaphors it is cloathed with one on another For first the natural Sun is said to have wings And secondly then this Sun of righteousness being compared to the natural Sun is also said to have wings that we may therefore a little unfold it let us first see what are the wings of the Sun the natural Sun and for that we must know it is Metaphorical the raies the beams of the Sun are said to be the wings of the Sun we read of the wings of the morning wherewith the Psalmist would flie away to the ends of the earth what is that but the dawnings of the day the eye-lids of the morning as Job calls it the first breakin gs of light when the Sun peepeth above the Horizon the raies and streamings of light scattered before the appearing os the Sun the Sun is as it were the eye of heaven governing and viewing the earth and the dawning of the day is as it were the eye-lids opening before the eye do appear when it awakeneth So Caryl and Mercer they are called the wings of the Sun as is conceived for several reasons First because as wings
go over thee not to wade in the shallows but to be in the depths to be overwhelmed with the displeasure of the Lord and that for Absolom if so it is much but it is nothing to this of Christ therefore this is the truest estimate we can take of his love and surely the higher our thoughts are and deeper of the love of Christ and the larger the greater will be our hatred of sin our loathing of sin which when it is wrought the cure is wrought what shall I play with the knife that hath pierced the heart of my Saviour Shall I harbour that in my bosom that was the sting of my blessed Saviour the poyson whereof-drank up his Spirits surely no. And then Secondly This will heighten our love to him and we shall be loth to grieve him when we love him O he hath indured enough already for me he haâ—h been wounded yea so wounded as to be all over gore for my-sins and so much as to be but all one wound and shall I grieve him more I am perswaded that the experiences of all our hearts that ever tasted of his love will subscribe to this that this is the great reason of our so often grieving of Jesus Christ because we have so little impression upon our hearts of his love to us and consequently so little love to him either we never had a strong impression or else by degrees it doth wear out and should be renewed by a serious contemplation of these things which we neglect and that is the reason else we should be very tender and fearful of grieving him after the manner we do daily But then Thirdly our own smart under the sence of his displeasure will do something do you think that the remembrance of the wormwood and gall will not do something make sinners afraid to meddle with sin and all little enough too so the Father when the childe walks frowardly takes him up I le make you remember my fingers a good while saith he so the Lord deals with his people but this is nothing to what the Lord Jesus indured for us he had the brunt he broke the waves of the displeasure of his Father who is the rock of our salvation though we that are lifted up upon that rock may be under water sometimes by those waves yet the force of them is broken upon Jesus Christ else they would dash us to pieces having not co-assistance enough to break them If ever Peter were solicited to deny Jesus Christ again do you think that the remembrance of this O how dear it cost me was not an awe upon him and so for David after those dolefull complaints from him while under the sense of his fathers displeasure do you think he was not more afraid of stollen waters though sweet and bread eaten in secret though pleasant after God had kept him awhile shut him up as I may say in the Chambers of death made him walk there awhile to make him know what he had done in sinning away the light of his countenance But Thirdly That which he himself prescribeth even the bitterest of it it is no more then he enables the creature to bear if he do lance our wounds and put us to some grief withall he giveth a Cordial that stays us from sinking it is true a right hand cannot be cut off nor a right foot a man cannot be dismembred but there will be some anguish and trouble nor a lust mortified but it will cost us some heart-aking but then he quickly stanches the bleeding keepeth the heart from sinking fainting he will not suffer us to be tryed above what we are able but maketh a way to escape he doth not leave us altogether without his presence when we are in the dark though we see him not I say if it were not for this I know the lot of Judas and Cain would fall upon every such sinner nor will he keep it a jot longer upon us then he will lengthen out our patience But what is all this Brethren to what our blessed Saviour hath taken down for us If darkness be so sad to us who never had but a glimpse of the light of his countenance what was it that the Lord Jesus felt then that had it in that fulness the creature was capable of and proportionably greater by how much the more iniquity was laid to his charge So that in a word it is our blessed Saviour that was wounded and we healed all that is done to us is but as a scratch with a pin to those wounds of his he felt all those wrings and pangs and we have the effects of the working of the Physick is not this unsearchable riches of Grace that we should be healed after such a manner as this Seventhly He doth all this most freely expecteth no reward as Physicians you know do the poor woman in the Gospel spent all that she had upon the Physicians but when she came to Christ he asked her nothing only willingness to accept of deliverance to believe his power his willingness to save and this is nothing to a reward yea and it is he himself that giveth the willingness to be healed he went up and down throughout the Synagogues and the villages healing all their diseases was it not the freest gift that ever was given to give himself his life his blood a ransom for poor sinners alas he knew we had nothing to give him and yet he cometh nevertheless freely for all he aimeth at is that his grace may have the glory and be made glorious and the poorsinner may be saved and therefore whether they have any thing or nothing it is all one yea if there be any thing that the creature looks upon as his money the Lord Jesus is so far from taking it as a reward that there is nothing hinders him more then this it is one of the great diseases indeed of the soul this holy self that Jesus Christ cometh to heal poor sinners are full of sores wounds and bruises and putrifying sores full of corruption every one hath his bloody issue now our duties or holiness which sinners sometimes so much stand upon the Apostle thought them gain once they are but as the filthy clouts upon our sores that are â—ull of the runnings of our sores as menstruous cloaths defiled with our bloody issues we think to plaister our wounds with them to salve our consciences with a few duties but alas they come off like filthy clouts from running sores and are these a reward for the Lord Jesus When a Physician cometh to heal a person of the Plague O saith he I will reward you you shall not take all this pains with me for nothing you shall have the rags that come off my sores for your pains Is not the Physician much beholding to him think you So it is here we have nothing but such rags to give the Lord Jesus and alas they must be washed clean in
not that sinners are blind-folded do you think they would be led by Satan into so many horrid things O if they had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory Father forgive them they know not what they do Alas the Panther hideth his head when he allureth the beasts the sweetness of his smell or beauty of his skin only the Drag is said to flie from him Isid li. 12. 2. See Mead upon Revel p. 2. p. 52. Alas they see not the head which is ready to affright them and devour them and not only is it the ground of this bondage but of all the rest how cometh it to pass that poor souls are plunged into such desperate gulfs of despairing and such breaking bondage in that kind but because they are held in ignorance they do not come to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent he keepeth them in ignorance of the promises the sweet and precious promises of Jesus Christ O dear friends it is impossible were it not for our ignorance of that love of God in Jesus Christ and that riches exceeding riches of grace that is in him and his thoughts that are above our thoughts that there should be so many cloudings such fearful plunges as many poor souls are put unto yea many times even after they are once delivered from them why now I say when the Lord Jesus cometh ariseth upon a soul as the Sun of righteousness he dispels this ignorance discovers sin in its own colours and indeed worse it cannot be set forth in therefore the Apostle saith that sin might appear to be sin and then he opens the treasuries of the Promises of the Covenant of Grace to let a poor sinner see there is enough for him there though his sins be great yet mercy is transcendantly greater if he have mountains to be covered the Lord hath a sea to swallow them up if multitudes of sin there is multitude of mercies there is love which will cover a multitude and so by discovering himself thus and our selves to our selves he by degrees setteth the creature at Liberty from those fearfull apprehensions of God and from that delight in sin which formerly he had taken so that now no longer will he serve it But a little more plainly take a Scripture or two for it in that of Isaiah To proclaim liberty to the captives the opening of the prison to them that are bound the opening of the prison some read it so and so do our Translators though it is acknowledged by the learned among us that the latter is no where else used in this sense for the prison nor for the prey as some others use it and therefore some do take the word to be but one and render it omâ—imâ—do apertionem so that the doubling of the Letters here are Emphatical and by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though then Manaph here remaineth as a difficulty for words so doubled use not to be so joyned together so that some would have it here nothing else but a very large opening of their eyes and say that it is used most properly if not constantly of the opening of the eyes and surely this is the way of Gods delivering his Captives and agreeable to the text here the Sun arising in the morning opens the eyes setteth the senses at liberty from that prison of darkness they were in in the night and elsewhere it is manifest in that of Luke 4. 18. To preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blinde and again the Psalmist The Lord looseth the Prisoners he openeth the eyes of the blinde therefore Paul was sent to open the eyes of the blinde and turn them from the power of Satan to God and from darkness to light for we must know that this bondage is of the soul the faculties thereof and chiefly the will Now the Lord when he cometh to deliver us dealeth with us as with men and therefore first opens the eyes of the mind and draweth us with the cords of a man with arguments over-powring our reason and then with the cords of love sweetly thereby inclining our hearts and bowing our wills and then the poor creature comeeth forth out of this bondage before we see we are in prison or see the loathsomness of it the darkness of it we are in love with it and will not go forth But Secondly This darkness comprehendeth another and that is Error or rather this ariseth from the other and therefore we shall speak to it apart Ye err not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God he saith not ye err not knowing immediate Revelations but not knowing the Scripture for there the light is in the Lanthorn if we will behold it now this error of what kind it will be it is a snare of the Devil and therefore it is a bondage The Apostle there speaks of Heretical Doctrine held by such as do perversly oppose themselves against the Ministers of Jesus Christ who hold out the truth as it is in Jesus He sheweth how Timothy is to carry himself to them in meekness instructing them that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth Repentance is a turning from sin to God and to the contrary Grace or Vertue and that is the acknowledgement of the truth therefore their sin was some corruption of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will out of the snare of the devil a sad snare it is if the devil can but get so far within a man as to dazle his eyes to blinde them he may lead them whither he will if he can but corrupt their judgement especially in fundamentals or practicals then they are his own they are fast enough he carryeth them captive takes them alive even at his pleasure Now our liberty from this part of bondage also is by the arising of the Sun of righteousness upon us the Spirit maketh us free as he is a spirit leading his people into the truth not only the notion but the practise of it also we have an anointing whereby we know all things saith the Apostle speaking of Antichrist it is needleâ—s for me to speak to you of him you have an anointing will teach you to avoid thâ—se his errors O happy is that soul that hath such a Guide such a Leader to lead him forth out of prison even as the Angel went before Peter else between sleep and wake hope and fear he might haply have mist his way So the Lord Jesus cometh and giveth his Spirit and bids the soul go forth alas whether should they go they know not the way as Thomas said why saith he â—ollow me I will lead you as he in his word hath therein revealed himself and maketh it out by his Spirit to his
people Fifthly There is another part of bondage under a slavish obedience that is to say such an obedience to the Law of God as nothing but a slavish fear is the principle of it and truly this puts on men to do many things they know it is written Cursed is he that continueth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law to do it Now this sticks with the poor soul God requireth me to love him with all my heart with all my soul with all my strength and if I do not I am cursed therefore now he buckles a little to it as far as such terrors will carry him but alas he is not able to do it like a slave that doth his task while his Master stands over him with a rod or because he is sure to be beaten if he do it not not out of any love to the Master nor to his service at all what a grievous bondage is this Let but any Apprentice that hath a hard Master whom he serveth meerly out of fear as the Egyptians did their task because if they did them not they must be beaten and this maketh the yoke very heavy and uneasie also it pincheth exceedingly Now when the Lord Jesus cometh to a soul he breaks this yoke the Law genders to bondage the curse of it hath the very seeds of bondage in it Now I say when the Lord Jesus cometh ariseth upon a soul letteth him see that he hath undertaken for him not only the curse of the Law being made a curse but hath set his love upon him hath paid all the debt will take him to be his son no more as a servant O now when the soul beginneth to be sensible his condition is changed that he is a Son and now hath not a cruel hard Master to serve but a Father that will pity and spare where he falleth short of his duty let him do his best this doth much facilitate the work maketh the yoke easie and the burden light his Commandments are no more so grievous to the soul as they were before Now the Law of Christ is a perfect Law of Liberty to him before it was a Law gendring bondage for alas before it was only preached to the ear and that under the penalty of such a curse now it is written in the heart now there is an eccho in the soul resounding Thy will Lord will I do when he speaks any thing as the Law of love was upon the heart of Christ in the work of our Redemption now his Law is in our hearts and therefore we delight to do his will in some measure I delight in the Law of God after the inward man as the Apostle saith as a Servant it may be for a while under his Master hardly used yet afterward he changeth his manner of dealing with him offers him great immunities it may be to be of a Servant Son in Law to the King O now the Servant will be bored he will now become a willing servant and not be dragged to obedience by terrors and fears any more but willingly yieldeth up his members weapons of righteousness to holiness now the service is hearty and free his people shall be a willing people in the day of his power O saith the Apostle Ye were the servants of sin but now thanks be to God ye have from the heart obeyed the form of doctrine delivered to you from the heart that is to say out of love it cannot else well be from the heart for whom we dread with a slavish fear we hate and while the soul looks upon God as such a Judge as a cruel Master and his Law a cruel bloody Law nothing but blood and ruine to them that come not up unto it there is a hatred of God it is impossible to love him or his service and then the service such a man doth it is not from the heart a man may serve sin and yet do some service to God out of a slavish fear as most unbelievers do therefore they pray and therefore they read and therefore they do many things and yet serve sin but they never obey from the heart until this work be done the Law of love be written in their souls now you shall go forth you shall obey no more out of fear but out of love this is a Fifth Sixthly From the terrors and fears before a mans conversion which usually seize upon the creature in order to it for truly before the Lord hath to do with our hearts we are so dead asleep with the opium of sin that there must be somewhat to rouse us to awaken us usually there is a spirit of bondage which works fear and dread and terror in the soul that is to say when the Spirit of Christ breathing in the Commandment maketh sin appear to be sin exceeding sinfull and opens some of the terrors which sin doth breed in it witnesseth to the poor creature that he is in a state of condemnation that there is no way but one with him O now the soul beginneth to be amazed and startled and knoweth not what to do this runs him to the heart he had many afflictions and troubles in the flesh before never any came so near as this and no marvel because the Spirit of Jesus Christ hath wounded him at the very heart Brethren the Law of God is as I may say an Habeas Corpus or rather Animam apprehends or claps up a soul as I may say puts him in prison and therefore the Apostle useth that expression mind you the Scripture hath concluded all under sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath shut us up together all concluded under one prison in one dungeon that the promise which is of Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe but before Faith came we were kept under the Law I pray you minde it we were kept as in a Garrison as the Learned interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being shut up together unto the Faith which should afterward be revealed it is just as it is with a Prince he proclaimeth Pardon to all his Rebellious Subjects but withall he sendeth out his Messengers his Pursuivants to apprehend throw in prison keep under Bolts and Shakles as many of them as he can apprehend this is not contrary to his mercy nor proclamation of Pardon but in order to it subordinate to it that so his Pardon offered might be accepted they might sue for it So it is here the Law doth thus shut up a soul as I may say as when there is an High-way open for a man to walk in but he will go another way there it is hedged up at last he is so hedged in he cannot tell which way in the world to get out again O then if he could but finde the open way he would go in it So it is in this case the Lord maketh
revealing himself in the soul as the Apostle speaks it pleased the Father to reveal his son in me by which means that darkness and terrour is taken away in great measure Christ is all in all the bondage you heard before it is either sin or the sad effects of sin the revelation of Christ answerably is either for holiness or else by joy and comfort wherein he meeteth with both the other the guilt the bondage he takes away to that end himself was made sin that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him it is the power of Satan him he overcame yet the power of sin that is broken also sin shall not have dominion over you c. If it be terrours fears whatsoever our blessed Saviour where he maketh himself manifest to a soul is enough to take away all but this you have in effect had before therefore no more of it here he adopts us all Joh. 8. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was used in some Cities in Greece as Grot. noteth Secondly another Argument shall be this that they might serve him therefore they shall go forth while a man is under bondage he is at the command of such as he is in bondage unto and therefore cannot serve another Master whatsoever this specially respecteth that part of the bondage which concerneth sin and Satan when Satan had filled Ananias heart could he obey the will of Christ No no more could Ahab that had sold himself to commit wickedness it is impossible for a man to be a slave of sin and a servant of Christ at the same time I speak not what a man may do for an act or two but a man that doth work sin labour it hammer it in his brain forge it there art it and pollish it and with great dexterity for such a man to serve Christ ye cannot serve God and Mammon saith our Saviour mentioning one lust they are contrary one to another When a man doth wickedness with both hands earnestly there is never a hand left for Christ's service that is compleat service indeed when it is from the heart as seemeth by that opposition thanks be to God that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart the form of Doctrine So that the heart is the main thing if that be gone after sin we cannot serve the Lord Jesus heartily and then for the carkass the lip the eye the tongue he matters it not therefore first the Marriage-yoak must be broken between the soul and sin before they can be married to another even to the Lord Christ to serve him ye are become dead to the Law that ye might be married to another when ye were the servants of sin ye were free from righteousness mind you if under the command of sin you are free from righteousness it hath no commanding power over you at all and if a man be under the commanding power of Christ there sin hath not the command of him we must be dead to sin and so free from sin as the Apostle saith he that is dead is free from sin or else we cannot be alive to God to serve him Brethren I know that every man would be thought a servant of Christ and we look upon him as the off-scouring of the world and not worthy to live among men that would not serve the Lord poor creatures while we are under the command of sin it cannot be when a man yieldeth his members instruments of unrighteousness to unholiness and yet pretends to be a servant of Christ What is this but a mockery but be not deceived God is not mocked would you not take this to be a mockery if one come and tells you O Sir I will be your servant if you will give me this or that reward but you must give me leave to do all the service I can to your enemy you shall have the name of my service but your enemy shall have the reality of it is not this a mockery Thirdly That their services may be more chearful therefore he setteth them free from their bondage and this respecteth that part of bondage which concerneth the Concomitants even sorrow and fears and terrours and the like the Lord doth not love to have his people follow him whining he loveth a cheerful giver and a cheerful doer of his will it is much for his honour that his servants should lift up their heads for what would we say to see a poor servant go discouraged and as if scarce worth the earth he goes upon amazed with fears with sorrows sure such a servant hath a hard Master that he hath so little joy of his life therefore the Lord Jesus maketh his people go forth out of the horrible pit setteth them free from all their fears and terrours that they may with a cheerful and a large heart serve him here is love indeed that the Lord doth so sweeten his yoak and his service as that his people shall delight in it therefore saith he that we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives Fourthly that their services to him may be more strong then otherwise they would a man under bonds brought down with bard bondage cannot do the service which another man can but the joy of the Lord is the strength of his people as in that of Neh. 8. 10. therefore he doth enlarge their hearts that they may run the waies of his commandments takes off the fetters for this very end a poor child of God under terrours and fears or under the prevailing of a lust have as I may say their hands manacled they cannot fight their feet are fettered they cannot walk much less run Fifthly Yet one more and that is lest a poor soul held under bondage too long should put forth his hands to sin this respects specially the bondage of sorrows and fears which are ready to swallow up many a poor creature many times my spirit is over-whelmed within me saith the Psalmist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like case the Lord will speak peace saith the Psalmist unto his people that they may not return to folly any more for if the Lord should lay his hand upon them continually pressing them they could not alway hold out but if they can find no pleasure in God nor in his waies they would be inclinable to return to their pleasures of sin as in that Psalm let not the rod of the wicked alway rest upon the lot of the righteous lest they put forth c. as you see the Psalmists heels were almost thrown up and himself upon his back his faith upon its back in this very respect O saith he if it be thus I must be plunged every morning alway in the net under the yoak of affliction in affliction and iron continually surely I have cleansed my self in vain and these rods are the rods
tell you that liberty is sweet it is not to be expressed If Paul had not been free he had had many a lash by those cruel tyrants If the soul be not free it is liable to perish to be whipped to death to eternal death with Scorpions ask but any of the people of God who have been wearied and almost worried with their lusts O the iron entered into their soul they did sit in darkness in the dungeon many a sad day and hour and at last Out of the depths they have called to the Lord he hath set them free O what an Heaven upon Earth they found it when they have been delivered in any measure from this bondage what would they take to be in the same condition again specially under the command of their lusts not all the world brethren the Lord perswade your hearts now now while it is to be had before you be called for out of prison to the judgement that you may go forth and enjoy this glorious liberty O but you would say Alas what should we do in this case we are convinced it may be some poor soul maâ— say of himself that this is a miserable bondage we are in even by sin and the consequents of it and we would fain be set free but we know not which way to go about it we are in a maze a wilderness a labyrinth a duâ—geon we grope and grope and cannot find the way out O what shall we do it may be this may be the case of some of our souls I will tell you what you shall do First Deny your own policy and wisdom know they will not set you free Judas had much knowledge and yet he hanged himself you will rather by depth of reasonings plunge your selves deeper the Gospel is foolishness to them through the pride in their carnal knowledge Secondly Labour to know the Gospel in its tenor and to close with it to believe it you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free truth truly known will set a soul free this truth is the truth of the Gospel for Grace and Truth come by Jesus Christ and it is observable that they are both put together Sanctifie them with thy Truth saith our Saviour thy Word is Truth There are three things here considerable First That there must be a through acquaintance with the bondage that we are under and the better condition of service how much the service of Christ is to be preferred before that of Satan for the truth is while a man knoweth no better he will be content to serve the worse there is never a sinner under the dominion of sin but thinketh he is the freest man and the people of God that are bound up in their Spirits to such a strict way of walking with God he thinketh they are the men in bondage but alas it is because he understandeth not his own condition nor is it a slight hint of such a thing that will usually prevail to a freedom from all sin therefore you must labour to study what this bondage is see what thou art exposed to by reason of it and see what a prfect freedom the service of Christ is O what great reward there is in the very keeping of his Commandments joy is such an inseparable attendant upon obedience that some measure of it followeth every good action as the very heathens themselves acknowledged much more then when the Lord Jesus is the Master and his service the work Secondly Thou must be acquainted with the commands of Christ his precepts are pure and they have an influence upon the heart that believeth them to bring him out of that bondage to set him free I do believe nothing more keepeth many a soul in bondage he knoweth not what the will of Christ is in such or such a particular else he would do it Be acquainted with Christ the summe of the Gospel you shall know the truth that is to say what he hath done to set poor creatures free became a servant obedient to the death was in bondage in prison in the horrible pit how he was put to it to overcome c. Thirdly and principally thou must be acquainted with the promises of the Gospel that are made to this end it is their excellency to help forward our freedom this part of the truth well known so known as to be closed with will make every poor creature free ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and so this in the text the Sun of righteousness shall arise upon you with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and so many other places sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace It is the very tenure of the Covenant and of the promises in Scripture that he will deliver his people save them from all their uncleannesses and subdue all iniquities for them yea though they work iniquity with both hands Vers 3. Either we know not these things or else we make not use of them we act not faith upon them the Lord doth love to have his people use the importunity of faith for nothing is so importunate as faith nor offers as I may say such violence to heaven as that doth O Brethren the Lord help our unbelief and forgive our neglect of our faith in this point if thou canst act it but weakly yet put forth some act of faith hang upon these promises tell the Lord he hath caused thee to hope upon this his Word else thou couldest not hope and thou dost hope in this Word else thy heart would altogether sink within thee and will he now make thee ashamed of his hope hath his promise ever failed a poor creature and will it now fail thee But beside this dost thou find thy heart moved made willing indeed to part with sin Art thou in good earnest in this business O yes saith the poor soul I would rather then my life be set at liberty for what good will my life do me if I must continually serve sin and grieve such bowels of love towards me in Jesus Christ have you searched do you know your hearts in this point it may be thou hast not that heed of trusting thy heart further then thou seest it it will deceive thee then but if thou hast searched it and beg'd of God to search it and thou dost not find but he hath through infinite riches of grace made thee willing to come out if thou couldst tell how I tell you Brethren if this be so the chains are fallen off from your hands and the bolts from your legs your freedom is in a great part accomplished only thou canst not find the way out of the prison O then follow Christ follow his Spirit when he moveth thy heart at any time to search and try maketh thee tender puts thee into a frame to bewail the evils of thy heart take
with us at all but then when we do actually thus pollute our selves he takes occasion to depart to leave us to those evils and to fill us with our own back-slidings Thirdly Take heed of sinning against conviction against light this is dangerous indeed you may come to be shut up in darkness for this to be bound in affliction and iron to endure sad things upon your spirits for if the Spirit of Christ who convinceth you this or that is a sin be so far slighted as you heed it not what if he then forbear and is it not righteous he should forbear to shine upon your graces that you should see any thing that is ought in you So that you shall walk in darkness and see no light will not this be a paying of you home in your own coyn David could not be ignorant what his sin was before he committed it and yet you see he ventured upon it and what it cost him Fourthly Take heed of deliberate sinning when a man hath time of consideration of his sin to argue the case pro and con as we use to say and doth revolve with himself O this is sinful if I do it I rebell against God I do what in me lies to undo my self O but saith lust man it shall be satisfied God is merciful there is time enough to repent or it will easily be healed afterward Now upon such deliberations as this if a man will sin there is much of the will in it and so much the more wicked and therefore now the spirit must needs be grieved what can such a poor creature expect but to be brought under bondage as you see it in David his plotting and contriving the death of Vriah these sins in cold blood when a man is not under the sudden violent heat of a temptation and yet will sin O this grieves him much if a pot be on the fire and the scum rise we throw it out we expect it would rise but if no fire be under and yet a scum arise O this is so loathsom it is not to be endured Fifthly Take heed of Ranker and Malice of grudgings of heart one against another as the Apostle saith grudge not one against another prejudices heart-burnings grudgings upon injuries real or conceived and imagined O this grieveth the Spirit who is a Spirit of pure love and will have them that look to enjoy him to be a people of love to cover much bear and forbear and forgive in love for love will cover a multitude of offences Sixthly Take heed then of pride of being lifted up for the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of humility O he loveth to dwell in the lowly spirit if we be lifted up we rob him of his honour to arrogate that to our selves which he hath been working for us to think we are something of our own of our selves he will let us know to our sorrow that we have nothing in our hearts but darkness and bondage and sin and that all was from him Seventhly Take heed of unthankfulness for what he hath done for us when the Spirit of the Lord Jesus shall be at all this pains with us contest with the quarrellings and disputings of our own hearts against our own peace and comfort and answer all our objections and still our complaints and seal up love upon our hearts remove our trembling and fears dispell our darkness cleanse our loathsom hearts in a great measure of those lusts that did so much prevail against us and we shall forget this now and not return to him the praise but either to grow into carnal security and when we have rest from that which galled us with the nine leapers go our waies never mind whence we received it or else so much pore upon the remainder of our sins as not to exalt that grace whereby we are in so great a part delivered O this grieveth him and therefore he may justly let us step back again or let loose upon us again those lusts that we were delivered from their strength and never prized the mercy that we learn to admire that grace much more might be added but this shall suffice The next use of the point shall be for satisfaction to some doubts since we are delivered and set free from the Law as you have heard from that It may be thought First that the Law was an evil that it is such a priviledge of the Saints to be delivered from it Secondly It may be doubted how far we are set free from it and therefore I will speak a little to each of them for the first First the Apostle meeteth with it or rather prevents it for seeing that carnal reason would be so ingenuous as to find out that cavil among others against the Doctrine of faith and of freedom from the bondage under the Law as the strength of sin specially What shall I say then saith the Apostle is the Law sin that we are said to be delivered from it and that sin hath its strength from it and so deliverance from sin is a deliverance from the Law as the strength of it Or is the Law death since sin by this means doth work death No saith the Apostle the Law is holy just and good the Law giveth no occasion to sin but sin takes occasion sin will not endure to be contradicted it sucks poyson out of that holy and good Law of God meeting with opposition it swells and rageth so that indeed it is sin that is the evil the Law is holy and good O but the Law it works wrath and works death and can this then be good and how can it be such a mercy to be delivered from it is it a favour to be put into golden fetters supposing the Law to be good and holy yet since it is as we may say ginns and fetters and bolts though of gold to hold the poor soul in to keep him in and up as in a prison is this so good then To this I answer It is true by the Law is the knowlege of sin I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet whether in the last command or in each command now I will not dispute but the first motions thoughts risings and bubblings of corruption I had not known them to be sin but that the Law hath said thou shalt not covet Why but was that then that was good made death to me saith the Apostle You must know the Apostle speaks here of a death which is the receiving as I may say the sentence of condemnation in his own spirit by conviction for this is all his knowledge of sin that sin by the commandment might appear to be exceeding sinful this is the dying there mentioned sin revived and I dyed which is in order to liberty to make the poor creature see his necessity of Jesus Christ that so he might make out after him to make a pardon welcome therefore he casts poor sinners
the meaning of it note in the first place that growth is a motion or mutation from a less to a greater quantity as you see a babe though it be a man in a smaller letter and have part for part yet they are small and grow to a greater bigness the child grew in stature saith the text and in favour with God as well as with men And so a plant or a seed is little at first but it groweth to a tree to a blade and the sâ—alâ— to the ear and the full corn in the ear here is a motion from a less to a greater quantity So a Calf of the stall must needs also shoot forth Now for grace you know it is either Relative or Inherent and accordingly we must understand the growth Relative grace as that of remission of sins and justification in the sight of God and adoption to be sons and daughter this if lookt upon as the act of God it will be hard to say that it is intended or remitted that there is a growth or motion from a lesser to a greater quantity for remission of sins being the act of God we cannot say that one mans sins are more pardoned then anothers that believeth as well as he So we cannot say that one believer is more a Son then another they are all the children of the most high though a child grow in stature yet his relation groweth not he is a Son the first day he was born as well as when he is at the perfect stature this is plain though every Son be not a Joseph or a Benjamin yet he is a Son as well as any which by the way ministers much refreshing to a poor weak soul that eyeth his stature and growth O he is so weak such a babe a child in comparison of some of the people of God which are strong in faith and can give glory to God when they are doubting and scrupling every step they go yet I say though this be a burthen yet the main whereupon the comfort of a poor creature hangs is alike to all there is no growth there the weakest poor sickly froward-hearted child is a chiâ—d as well as he that is strongest healthiest most serviceable and though faith be weak yet the relation of one is alike the purchase the price paid the ransom is alike to all that believe though it be but in some more weakly Only here mistake not neither though this relative grace grow not as of justification or adoption yet the knowledge of this grace arising from the reflexion of the soul upon its self and the shining of the Spirit upon the works of grace he hath wrought in the soul this is capable of a growth it may be that a man may be a child of God and yet not know it alas how long are our children children and we look upon them so and hearts and bowels yearn and tender them and yet they know not that they are children we need go no further then common experience for this do we not see many a precious soul that lies at the feet of Jesus Christ for mercy whose souls are sick of love for him who prize him above all O they are willing with all their souls to close with him for all ends and purposes if he be but willing to close with them they think they are not children nor that they do not believe when they do believe for this very willingness of Christ in sincerity is believing and therefore they think they are not children when they are dear in Gods â—ight what think you of him that walks in darkness and seeth no light do you think he can see his relation to God in Christ without that light Surely no. Again another he hath some probability which begetteth an opinion in him concerning his condition and that he hath received this special grace from the Lord and been partaker of this love to become a Son of God others they rise higher then this and have a strong confidence and some a full assurance and know that they are the Sons of God that their persons are justified they can triumph with the Apostle who shall lay any thing to their charge can say my beloved is mine and I am his and my Lord and my God with Thomas they know the things freely given them of God even by the Spirit of Christ yea the same person Brethren may grow from such a doubting of his condition to such a probability such a perswasion such an assurance of his condition this therefore admitteth of a growth but not the relative grace it self but only our sense feeling or knowledge of it and so much for that Secondly There is a grace inherent which is indeed as the root and the acts and issues of it are as I may say the fruit but this grace within we shall speak to as most nearly concerning this purpose the fruits I have spoken to you know at large upon another Scripture and I would not in this discourse interfere with what I then delivered or if we speak any thing to the fruits that grow upon these internal inherent graces of the Spirit as likely enough we shall yet we shall not consider them as fruits rising from such a root but as growing fruits being bettered improved according to the growing of the principles from whence they flow But for the grace inherent by that I mean all those habits or gracious dispositions of the heart godly as that of faith that of love and humility and sincerity and spirituality and self-denyal these things and all the rest in the habit or disposition of the soul is the subject of this consideration and these Brethren you know they are but qualities though divine qualities and therefore though growth or augmentation according to terms of Art or Logick be not properly ascribed to them yet according to Rhetorick it is proper enough to speak it of any thing under a Simile that it groweth if it any way increase as if a quality Now the light for instance or heat in the fire or Sun that is intended or waxeth more clear and more hot this may be called a growing-light or growing-heat because that as in things that properly grow there is an addition of one quantity to another whereby it increaseth so here there is an addition of one degree of the quality to what was before whereby it is more intense then it was before therefore when we speak of grace growing the speech is figurative taken either from plants or sensitive creatures that all their beginnings are small but afterwards grow up to their pitch Secondly A thing is said to grow properly you know when the increase is made not by opposition as they call it but by an inward receiving that is to say it is a nutrition as the means it was a custom to cast every one a stone and make a great heap as upon Achan and Absolom Why
of one as well as another grace which he hath begotten in the soul so that if a man find he thinketh he groweth in faith and thinketh he groweth in love and yet grow not in zeal for the glory of God groweth not in tenderness of heart and plyableness to his will this is not a right growth Alas how many of us then do not grow in grace indeed Seventhly Though there be an uniformity in growth yet we must not so understand it that every member groweth in the same measure with another and yet may grow also in its due proportion and so also in respect of graces there may be somewhat of truth in it but to speak the more distinctly First consider the members of the Church of Christ and our selves if we be such indeed though all the members of the Church of Christ do grow yet they do not grow all alike in the same measure the Apostle saith according to the effectual working in the measure of every part so that you see each part hath a measure every member hath not the same relation the same office in the body and so doth not require the same measure of strength or the same quantity or greatness Yea if it have a greater quantity then is meet it is a burthen and an hindrance as if the joynt of a finger should grow as much as the joynt of a mans knee would it not be monstrous and yet both joynts grow but each according to its proportion so that they grow all â—que but not â—qualiteâ— one as well as another but not one as much as another uniformiter and yet difformiter if every finger were as big as an arm what an hand would there be holding no proportion to the body though the rest grow this over-groweth its proportion It is true every child of God is not a David nor a Paul nor is every one called to those great undertakings that they were the more eminent places in the body of Christ we have the more we must look to it that we grow If a man be a Magistrate or a Minister I tell you Brethren it is not enough that they be as other men in grace and yet alas then what disproportion do some of us make in the body of Jesus Christ that stand in that relation to the body and yet O how do other members over-grow us Brethren they are not to be blamed for their growing so fast but we for our growing no fa 〈…〉 er nor any more proportionable to our relations for a Magistrate to have no more courage nor zeal then another man that is not called so to put it forth is unsuitable and so for wisdom and knowledge and so for Ministers are we as arms in the body and have scarce the strength of a little finger O how can we work for Christ do the works of our conditions if you see some eminent as blessed be his name there are eminent and have their measure of growth to their condition you should be followers of them follow after as hard as you can therefore Ministers should be ensamples to the flock in faith in puriry in holiness 1 Tim. 4. 12. an example to believe in word in conversation in faith in purity c. But alas Brethren may we not rather some of us take examples therein how weak is our faith yet I say where there are such of eminency and thou canst not reach them yet be not discouraged because thou canst not get so much light as the eye hath be not discouraged it is required there more then in another nor so much strength as an arm a leg when thou art it may be but as a little finger only there may be a proportion yea I will tell you Brethren pitty us pray for us Magistrates and Ministers for I do verily believe there are none fall so much short of our proportion of growth in grace according to our relations as we do But this is but the first And then secondly for the graces in every believer now the measure of every grace its growth as I think is much more hard to determine whether all graces do grow according to the proportion of the growth of any one of them that is to say whether love to God and zeal to his glory do grow according to the measure of every mans faith and so patience according to the measure of his faith indeed I am at a stand here if that one habit of grace did beget another faith did beget love it would be the more clear because then according to the strength of the causes the effect would be a strong cause a strong effect the habits of grace in us being not voluntary agents but I take it for granted that the efficient cause of all grace one as well as another is the same Spirit of the Father and the Son it is the supply of the Spirit as the Apostle calls it whereby we grow in any grace now the Spirit of God being a most free agent is not tyed up by a necessity of nature to work alike upon the same heart to the increase of every grace though he do work to the growth of every grace yet whether he doth equally work to the increase of them all So that what proportion of grace a Believer hath in one grace he hath the same proportion of strength in another is doubtful specially since the Lord who works in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure knoweth what tryals he hath for every one of us some in one kind some in another some greater tryals for their faith and some for their self-denyal and some for their love may accordingly work but this is not so much material if we can find we grow in every grace of the Spirit whether we do grow alike in the measure of love as in the measure of faith or zeal or spiritualness as it will be very hard to judge considering how hard it is to judge of the strength of our habits by their acts which may accidentally be inter 〈…〉 itted and interrupted and considering whatever knowledge we have at the best of the faculties of our souls and their workings and so of the habits of grace in them So I take it 〈◊〉 is not so much considerable if we could come to know it only if we be sure we grow in all and that we grow according to the measure proportionable to our condition or relation to the body this the seventh Eighthly and 〈…〉 stly that I shall speak to the opening the nature of this growth in grace growth here hath no determined 〈◊〉 until death until we come actually to the spirits of just men made perfect in nature there is a determinate time for growth in quantity which is properly growth about thirty years the causes of it I leave School-men to dispute it is not so proper for us in this place in nature there is in this life yea haply
is in this case though a mans gifts and grace rise never so high and over-flow at his lips at his actions to make others also fruitful and to grow yet if there be not a continual supply from the Fountain would it subsist would it not languish therefore this is the comfort that he is an Author of it I the Lord hast thou not heard hast thou not known that I the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth faint not neither am weary and therefore though you faint and languish yet I faint not saith the Lord I will renew your strength therefore and ye shall run and not be weary though now you cannot lift up your heads therefore this is the first reason It must needs be perfect every good and every perfect gift cometh from the Father of lights if any be more perfect then another sure they are the gifts of his grace but this is but the first The second Reason may be an auxiliary to the first The Lord will perfect the work of grace he beginneth and therefore there is such an increase as the Apostle calls it the increase of God now why is this because he hath appointed a measure of a fulness of stature to be attained by us before we be made meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light a child while a child is scarce able to mannage an inheritance he knoweth not what it meaneth and so for a weak Christian and therefore mark you what our Saviour saith ye must be converted and become as little children else you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God he saw some pride and swelling and ambition of their spirits well faith our Saviour this must be fetched out of you one way or other either by love or by the rod or both before you will be fit to enter into glory O how heavenly and sweet do the Saints generally grow before the Lord takes them Brethren if so glorious a building as the temple of God be intended will every rough stone a rough-hewn-Christian be fit to lay in that building O no surely those knotty pieces shall be plained and smoothed and pollished before they be laid in that glorious Temple in heaven remember it I say Brethren there is a meetness for heaven and though haply many of us care not for it we would not be too meet for it lest we be taken to it before we be willing to part with the world never fear that while thou hast such a heart it is well if thou be not so far from it that thou never come thither thou needest not fear coming thither too soon But there are two causes which seem to call for a word here to open them First what will you say then to persons that it may be no sooner are converted but they dye what time have they to grow in grace and to come to this meetness of the inheritance of the Saints Remember what was said before that growth is not alway in all of the same pace What if God will create one Adam in perfect stature the first day and the rest grow to it by degrees why may it not be so what if some grow as the Lâ—â—lies shoot up quickly much in a night and others are longer about it if all must grow and come to this fittness before he take them and so if the Lord be a whole year turning water into wine in his ordinary way of providence which is wonderful and at another time though not so often do it in a moment who shall say to him what dost thou this is as perfect wine as fit to be drunk as rich and full of spirits as the other so the thief upon the Cross he made a large progess in a short time for I tell you to believe in the Lord Jesus and confess him and at such a time as that was was no small power of grace when himself was under the agonies of death and Christ under disgrace and the shame of the Cross and crucifying and dying yea under the displeasure of his Father crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me when he was forsaken of his Father in a sort and forsaken of all men yeâ— and of his own Disciples also none of them then durst openly â—cknowledge him and crucifying at that time Peter had denyed him they all fled from him before though some of them stood and looked on yet if they had been put to it at that time it is a question what they would have done therefore our Saviour in tenderness towards them would have them be let go as you have it when himself was taken now at such a time as this when heaven and earth looked black upon our blessed Saviour to own him to despise the shame of the Cross at the first dash and to reprove his fellow that was crucified with him it was a great measure of faith I le tell you Brethren it is like he that wrought that in him had wrought a like measure of love when he told him he should this day be with him in Paradise what such a wretch as I that all my life time have lived so wickedly and now am dying under my guilt and in one day at the last moment to be translated into a glorious Kingdom O this could not but surely much enlarge his heart in love to the Lord Jesus and that is the perfection of the Law and so we see some Christians that grow more in a moneth in a year or two then many do in many years some are foolish children that stick long in the place of breaking forth some make haste and run much in a little time and therefore this hinders not but all should grow to their measure appointed of God before they come to heaven And for the children of Believers how can they come to this pitch you will say how can they grow â—o such a height of growth for answer First It is worth the noting that even they who deny them the priviledges of the Covenant of grace which are visible and outward in the Church of God yet dare not profess whatever they think to the contrary but that they are saved or may be saved and profess tender thoughts of them they are not such duri patres infantum as to exclude them out of the Kingdom it was the Disciples fault you know and so it may be good mens now to hinder them from coming to Christ they thought they were but troublesom guests to him they were capable of little and therefore forbad them but they got a rebuke for their labour what saith our Saviour is it not clear enough even from the old Scripture for there were no other then written and they had means to know that they did belong to Christ and the Kingdom else he would not have reproved them Do you not know to such belongs the Kingdom of God you might have known and ought to
thee yet wave all come clearly off it and alone cast thy self upon the waters commit thy self to the deep where no bottom is to be felt this is growing in the root indeed Thirdly In humility this is another which indeed doth follow upon the other and must needs do so for nothing emptyeth more then faith nothing layeth the soul lower and indeed this is the prospering grace of the soul that soul that is lifted up as the Prophet saith is not right within him Learn of me saith our Saviour for I am meek and lowly O when the soul is thus low then it is hungry and thirsty and poor in Spirit and then it sucks from the Lord Jesus then a taste of his love is sweet to the soul then the Spirit being ready to yield to God in every thing to do all his will God is ready to yield to the soul in every thing that he requireth agreeable to his will how do we grow in humility Brethren examine this it is the first and second and third and every step of Jacobs Ladder dost thou find that whereas thou wast wont to over-look and undervalue in comparison of thy self now rather thou thinkest in good earnest that every one fearing God is better then thy self because of the vileness of thine own heart thou seest before thou couldst not bear a reproof but if thou didst not turn and all to rent him that reproved thee though with never so much mildness yet thou wouldst snarl and quarrel and be ready to cast as much as that came to into his own teeth that reproved thee now if thou be reproved thou hast nothing to say but fearest thy heart it may be too true of thee now it is welcome thou lovest them that reprove thee so much the more Brethren it may be heretofore you would be apt to complain of your selves and of your own vileness and make sad mone and yet if another speak but an ill word of you yea if they speak no more of you then you deserve you could not bear it now if they speak ill of you art thou ready to lay thy hand upon thy mouth sure the Lord hath bid them speak evil and there is cause enough for it and they cannot say worse of me then I am O here is a growth in humility before thou wert ready to envy every one that had more gifts or more grace more of the hearts of Gods people then thy self now thou art ready to say with Moses enviest thou for my sake thou canst sweetly submit to his disposal of thee the least thou hast is more then thou deservest O this is that which obtains much of the Lord when thy heart is in such a frame it is fit to receive so Jacob he was less then the least of his mercies it was an argument wherewith he pleaded with the Lord thou art content to be any thing though in never so mean a degree of service to him so be he will be but thy Father and own thee if thou mayst not be with him in the transfiguration upon the mount if thou mayst be but a Disciple if thou mayst not get within the cloud with Moses nor be a Benjamin yet if thou mayst be a Son and a Subject though no Favourite this is that thou art contented with O here is a growth Brethren search and try are we come to this pitch or how far are we gone herein is it better with us then it hath been in this respect But then secondly we must try whether we grow upward yea or no as well as downward and this I shall consider according to the chief faculties of the soul the mind and the will and speak somewhat to each of them And first for the mind the understanding 1. Do you find Brethren that you grow and increase in the knowledge of his will that the darkness that is upon your hearts naturally doth vanish by any degrees do you find the vail doth wear thinner that was upon your hearts that you begin to behold the Lord Jesus with a more open face then before time was when you were babes in understanding are you new men and women or are you past the state of babes Alas I doubt if the treasuries of our hearts were laid open we should find them very empty of this heavenly knowledge how few can bring out of their treasuries both new and old This will appear in these two things specially First if you be apt to be tossed up and down with every wind of Doctrine and are not-stablished in the present truth but your minds are floating and hovering and ready to settle upon any thing that is presented to you though contrary to what you have received it is a sign that you are but children in understanding how easie is it to deceive children to put upon them Counters instead of Gold to make them part with the one for the other and how easie is it to lead captive silly-women as the Apostle calls them that are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth a weak eye that cannot discern between things that differ hath not his senses exercised to discern it is very easie to put one thing upon them for another truly Brethren these times have the name for times of great light and greater knowledge then there was before and I do believe that knowledge shall encrease by going too and fro but yet for all that mens eyes are very weak they cannot discern between light and darkness but put darkness for light for what is the ground of all errour is it not the ignorance of the Scripture and the power of God and was there ever any times more fruitful in errour then these are Alas Brethren what strangers are many of us to the very principles of Religion if examined in them that pretend to such high discoveries and revelations of Christ in our times such have need of milk and not of strong meat the wisdom of God in a mysterie is a riddle to them the Apostle spake it to them that were perfect that is to say grown men and women in opposition to babes Well then look to it if you find your selves easie to be shaken to turn with every wind of Doctrine like a weather-cock it argues you are but children but babes you may perswade a child to any thing to be of twenty minds in an hour because alas he hath no sound well-grounded knowledge of any thing you may perswade him to part with his meat his drink for a toy or by some pretended loathsomness in it that is not and so it is with poor weak ignorant souls how do we see many cheated out of Ordinances out of duties out of close walkings with God as things of no moment by the cunning craftiness of them who lie in wait to deceive It is a sad thing to see persons that should be of greater knowledge then
our selves with a hope-well which we ought not to do we should strive to this of Thomas My Lord my God my beloved is mine and I am his canst thou say so upon good grounds thou mayst be a justified and a sanctified person which is done by the direct act of faith which is acted upon the Word of Promise and Christ in that Promise which the poor soul doth close with taking Christ for better for worse but now this is by the reflect act of faith and is grounded upon experience of our own condition ordinarily I see I feel that I do believe that I have chosen the Lord Jesus for my portion and therefore he is mine and I am his I have many sealings of his love to me many kisses of his lips it is given to me to believe to be upright with him I can approve my soul to him as Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee thus the soul by laying up those experiences that it hath of God and laying them together doth from all come through grace to be able to conclude that the Lord Jesus is his to a full assurance of hope and faith and what an heaven upon earth is this Well labour after it though your conditions may be safe without it yet not so comfortable to your selves nor so honourable to him nor so profitable likely to others all which considerations if well weighed and improved I presume are motives enough to it You have the first thing in this general Exhortation and that is wherein we are to labour to grow and increase Now for the Motives in a few particulars and truly the first shall be that in the very Text we must labour for it because he hath promised it therefore we must pray for it and use all other means for prayer is one as afterward we shall speak God had promised he would bring Israel into Canaan but they must fight for it first to dispossess the Canaanites and so he promiseth health and strength to his people as choice mercies but they must eat and drink and use Physick as often as occasion serveth and it is an encouragement so to do because God hath promised us those things so far as good for us therefore use the means he promiseth fruitfulness to the earth what shall the plough-man therefore cast the plough in the hedge and never strike stroak it is true if God bid them stand still and only see the salvation of God it is somewhat else they must work and serve providence in the use of means so here it is promised O saith the Apostle work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is he that worketh Labour to be more spiritual in prayer to grow therein for it is his Spirit that beareth the heavier end of the burthen he helpeth our infirmities let this be an encouragement to stir up our souls to it because it is promised think not Brethren it is enough to sit still and wait when this will fall into your mouths or that an idle complaining will do it no no you must be up and doing and labouring to use the means and the more because he hath promised Secondly Every man would grow and come on in other things therefore we should much more labour to grow in the best things you would your selves and have your children come on and thrive in body you think their meat is not well bestowed as we use to say if they should not prosper at all but should devour like Pharaohs lean kine and be never the fatter you would grow in your names and in your estates and every man would be adding bag to bag house to house land to land and here they never think they are come to a full growth O that the Lord would but make you half so dilgent in taking half the pains to grow in grace as they do that grow in the world how should we prosper It is observable that the Apostle saith of Gaius that good man he wisheth he may prosper even as his soul prospereth it seemeth the good man his inward man was renewed though haply his estate or his body might wax old and decay yet his soul prospered and he maketh that a pattern of the prosperity of his outward man may we not say on the other hand O that your souls did prosper even as your bodies prosper You are fat and flourishing and feed your selves without fear much pampering of the flesh but the poor soul O how lean and thin and consumpsit it is what fat purses and lean souls Brethren whatever you profess while it is thus I must tell you there is much preposterousness in your endeavours that all this ado should be made for a lump of clay and the soul the precious soul the price of the blood of Jesus Christ neglected men can rise at midnight and with endâ— to follow their business set it forward if need so require and other occasions c. O if we could be perswaded to use but the like diligence for the soul upon the like occasion Thirdly Consider if you grow not you decline either you increase or decrease either you ebb or flow wax or wain for it is like a man that rows against the stream if he go not forward he is carried backward So it is here we have a stream of lusts to row against and if we go not forward be sure we go backward and therefore if you observe it the Apostle doth threaten the Hebrews upon this account because they went not forward with Apostacy they were in danger of falling away quite from God that go not forward therefore consider this seriously and surely it will put us on to look to our growth there is not an Ordinance wherein we appear before the Lord but either we soften or harden we get something or lose something by it it returneth not in vain not the Word nor any other appointment of his Fourthly Another shall be this we cannot else withstand enemies bear crosses alas a child is over-born by a touch he cannot withstand a potent enemy therefore we must labour to be strong men whom resist saith the Apostle stedfast in the faith there is no stedfastness but by faith nor any resisting but by this stedfastness if we give ground the Devil will pursue the victory if we turn our backs upon him now we cannot keep our ground except there be some strength It s true every child of God is born with his armour on him as is fabled of the race of those Giants so the Saints have their breast-plate of faith to keep the heart and the shield to preserve the body but as they grow in strength so are they able to weild their shield yea it groweth stronger and more able to bear off a blow Alas our Saviour saw his Disciples were not able to bear a temptation at that time John 18. 8. therefore let them go
others that still they begin with bewailing their iniquities expressing their sorrow for them because no man was to appear before God but with pure hands and pure feet and therefore since we gather soil continually there is need of acknowledging our iniquities and then he is faithful and just to forgive them there is the exercise of Faith if any where else that is it whereby we wrestle with God in Prayer Prayer is indeed a wrestling with God as Jacob it was his faith whereby he overcame and got the blessing a man must pray in Faith else it is nothing worth at all God accepteth no service but where there is Faith mixed there is Love exercised toward God and to his people we go to him it is an acting of our desire toward him our delight in his presence and love to his Saints when we can pray feelingly for them And so Humility O saith Abraham Who am I dust and ashes And Jacob I am less then the least of thy mercies In a word all the Graces are set awork in prayer that is a working prayer indeed our thankfulness and all our supplications in all things are to be made known c. Every wheel is set a going in the soul if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an effectual prayer and therefore by the exercises of the Graces they are increased do you think that by acting Faith upon the Promises pleading them as Jacob did Thou saidst thou wouldst do me good c. and so in many other places Remember thy Word to thy Servant whereupon thou hast caused me to hope saith the Psalmist That this doth not increase Faith and so the acting of Love increase it therefore Luther a man of much Prayer was a man of much Grace of much Courage and Zeal and Faith and Diligence in the Service of God And that famous Servant of God Mr. Bolton It is said of him that six times a day he prayed and so others observe it when you will where you see a growing Christian indeed follow him to his Closet you shall find that man a man of much prayer So David and Daniel c. But Secondly There is another reason for it Because Prayer doth carry the soul to a nearer communion with God O it is the gaining acquaintance with God acquaint thy self with God that thou mayst have peace with him and thou shalt have prosperity and therefore when Job discovered such weakness in his impatiency saith that friend of his Surely thou restrainect prayer from the Almighty if thou didst maintain communion with God it would not be thus with thee Now whither should we go with empty vessels but to the fountain whither should poor weak wounded lame feeble creatures go but to him that hath all power to heal and strengthen them God hath treasures of grace it is true and he is not streight-hearted he giveth liberally but the treasury is lockt and prayer is the key and faith the hand that turns it we must to the treasury if we would be rich in grace rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which of us would be poor if we had a warrant to go to the Treasury to fetch what we please O what pains would there be the Treasurer should have imployment enough if God would but perswade us it is so in this case we should visit him more the great Treasurer of heaven the Lord Jesus in whom all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid yea and of faith and all grace for of his fulness we receive grace for grace O how would we ply him give him no rest he would have much more of our company but that we have slight perswasions of these things and make use of prayer as a duty and a task many of us and not a singular means of improving our graces Brethren were we but as much in Communion with God as David we might have the strength of David it is but ask and have knock and it shall be opened the Spirit which works all this will not be denyed if you ask and ask not amiss as you heard lately God will expend willingly his treasures of grace upon us and pour out the fulness of his Spirit upon us but he will be enquired of for these things Well then if we would grow in grace we must be much in prayer I do believe some of us can speak it but too experimentally that when we have found corruptions prevail and our selves foyled and brought under this hath been the reason we have restrained prayer from the Almighty either we have neglected this duty or else we have been slight and slubbering shuffled it if not out of doors yet to the very door and generally observe it we can more easily find time for any thing then for prayer every other business hath its hours to attend upon but if any thing be neglected it must be prayer or else posted over Whereas alas it would no more hinder our business then our meal-times do which must be had and I know Brethren that some of us are able to say it that we have seen when the prospering presence of the Lord hath been with us we have come on more and done more in a short time then at another time in many times as long a time and yet so wretched hearts we have that we content our selves with any thing in this duty if we appear before the Lord we think it is enough we do not strive unto prayer and watch unto prayer and labour by blowing the green wood that will hardly kindle to get it on a flame before we go out of his presence O Jacob would not let him go without a blessing Brethren in what a sad manner do we many times rise off our knees with our hearts further off from God then we came is this to obtain a blessing no no we must take pains in this work if we would grow the Lord perswade our hearts Alas you will say you have prayed and prayed and yet for ought you can perceive you grow not To this I might answer many things First Dost thou find that hereby thou never gettest thy heart in a better frame art thou never wrought up to some sweet frame of heart in respect of faith and love and humility Why here is an improving this is the main thing in prayer when we can find our hearts wrought up to such a frame it is the very growth it self in a great part therefore thou art mistaken Secondly If thou do not find it may be sometimes such warnings and notwithstanding all the pains thon hast sometimes been blowing at the coal until thy arm ake with holding the bellows and thy heart akes and yet thou canst not get thy faith and thy affections into a frame but thou art as dead and dull as before Now in such a case observe it dost thou not gain thus much by it to have viler
daub and heal them deceitfully get it skinned over a little and so the world will do it building and planting and marrying and drinking and pastimes these may skin over the wound but it heals not and miserable is the condition of poor creatures so deluded but now they that are taught of God and learn they learn this effectually and practically that there is nothing in the creature that can do it Fourthly They learn this also that though all the world be but as a cloud without rain when the soul is a fire a Well without water a broken Cistern that leaks out all a Torrent a Brook that is dried up when the soul is parched and burnt up with the scorching heat of the displeasure of God O when the Lord setteth a soul in his sight and looks upon him as a consuming fire with his eyes as a flaming fire ready with a sight of him to devour him and he cannot get out of his sight O now the world all their comforts will not skreen them from his eyes but what will only the Lord Jesus he can be a cooling shadow to shadow us from this scorching heat and this the Spirit of the Lord perswadeth the soul we all of us will talk of it O Jesus Christ is our help and hope and look for salvation in no other but in him it is grown now so cusâ—omary a thing among us that it is in every mans mouth but to how few hath the Lord spoken this to our hearts that thus it is Fifthly Again another thing that we are taught of God before we come to Jesus Christ is this that he is willing to let out of his oyntments to heal he is willing to expend that precious balm of Gilead upon us else the soul will never come to him it is that that keepeth off many a soul a long time the Spirit of the Lord perswadeth the poor soul that though he hath been an enemy to Jesus Christ and grieved him and torn his wounds and rent his flesh with horrid oaths and blasphemies trampled his blood under foot have been never so horrid a transgressor yet he perswadeth him that the Lord Jesus is willing to receive sinners without exception if they come to him Suppose there was a Physitian whose skill were so great and his store of Medicines so inexhaustible and soveraign and his heart so large as that he proclaimeth to all that whosoever is wounded though never so desperately whosoever is sick unto the death one of the Stone another of the Gout another of the plague I will cure you all O then if poor creatures did believe this were perswaded of it they would come and not before O saith one mine is a plague sore and it is past cure mine is an hereditary disease saith another and so far gone I cannot be cured they come not and perish O mine is such a disease it will cost more pains and charge then I think he will be willing to be at to cure and therefore he cometh not to him and so perisheth just so it is in this case except the Lord do secretly insinuate it into the soul how willingly the Lord Jesus writ it upon his Spirit and that the Lord Jesus is willing to receive to heal to save the soul that will not come to him but thus much for these things which in the order of nature go before a coming to Christ now for the acts wherein it formally consist First then when the heart is thus made sensible of what is in himself working to death and what is not in himself nor in any other creature to save then I say there is from the teaching of the heart how able and willing the Lord Jesus is there ariseth a desire in the soul after the Jesus Christ not as if this did flow or were produced by the former apprehensions of a mans own necessities of Christ and of the fulness in him as a fountain and the openness of the fountain which is sealed to none that come for alas one grace though never so habitual and deeply rooted cannot produce another no not faith it self produce love but the Spirit which works faith works love in our hearts also much less then can a conviction be the cause of a conviction or a turning unto the Lord Jesus but it is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus when he hath so opened the eyes of an Hagar to see the fountain opened that was near her before but she saw it not and let us see that our bottle is dryed up and all other hopes in the creature perished then I say the Spirit inclineth the Will to come to Jesus Christ then he works sweetly though strongly an inclination a desire after him It is not in these things as in nature an ordinary providence concurring with the actings of the creature according to their necessities When Hagar saw the fountain she needs no further perswasion to go unto it her necessity was a cord strong enough to draw her yea a weight a spring to carry her swiftly to it but alas when we see the bottles dryed see that the creatures say it is not in us to be had and see there is a fountain opened yet such is the waywardness of our hearts yea such the enmity in our hearts against the Lord Jesus though the streams of his love toward us were as strong as death that we will not yet come to him we had rather sit down as you see some sullen creatures taken from their damms will rather perish then receive food at the hand of man such an indisposition and aversness to man there is and so it is in this case except the Lord Jesus come in by another act of his Spirit and bow the will and make us desirous of himself O then when this act of power is put forth the soul beginneth to long to desire after Jesus Christ O that I had him O that I might but have a sight of him then there is getting upon the tree by a low Zacheus then there is an ascending in this Ordinance and that Ordinance and everywhere the desire of the soul is for Jesus Christ this is a coming for the affections are to the soul as the feet to the body that which carryeth the soul in and out in all to this object or from that object O then when shall I come and appear before him Secondly In this coming to Christ is included a passing all other stands and rests on this side Jesus Christ many a poor soul cometh near to Christ and to the Kingdom of God and yet falls short of him as an arrow not drawn up to the head falls short of the mark and there it sticks where it fastens goeth no further So here some upon their convictions the discovery of their conditions run to this Ordinance to that to this duty to that as things that of themselves as performances should give rest to them and
alas they are but bottles themselves if Christ be not in them and there found to a soul and sought by a soul they are dry and sapless when many a rich man in hearing a Sermon hath a qualm cometh over his heart and he beginneth to be a little sick of sin which the Word hath lanced and it strikes to the heart what doth he do alas he chears himself with this Surely if I were such a sinner God would not regard me God would never have blessed me as he hath done therefore this is but a foolish melancholly fit The drunkard and the wanton can eat and drink and sing and dance down twenty such pills as these though they troubled them a little at the first they make a shift to claw it off The civil good-natured man though he see and know himself to be a sinner yet he is none of the worst he doth much good in the place where he is yea he prayeth and heareth and keepeth Sabbaths and thinks this shall make amends for all and so walks in the sparks of his own kindling but alas the end of these things will not be rest for they shall lie down in sorrow and shall have it from the hand of God too then who can resist it when lifted up or heal his blow when it is given I tell you Brethren I doubt this is the grand imposture of most of our hearts for it can hardly be but we must sometime or another be convinced our condition by nature is very sad and forlorn and men are not men if they be not carried forth to seek some course-for their escaping and how few alas reach the Lord Jesus therefore we mnst needs stick somewhere short of him Ah the Lord grant that none of us who think upon more probable grounds then others and others think so of us too that we are such as come to Jesus Christ that we sit not down in any thing on this side him for if we do we perish Therefore I say the soul that cometh to Jesus Christ goeth out of all alas if he have never so much of the world profits pleasures at will he is as rich as another and hath as much content in relations suitable to his hearts as another and it may be as much in praying fasting hearing using of the Ordinances as another and yet all this is nothing to him satisfieth him not he cannot take up with it they are but husks they will not satisfie however they may fill Thirdly There is a coming unto Jesus Christ it is not a going towards him but a coming to him this is builded much what upon the willingness of Jesus Christ to receive them this desire after him haply more fitly may be annexed to the power of Christ to save to the utmost O when the soul knoweth this O then that I had him that I were in him but now when the soul cometh to understand is perswaded he is willing to receive all that come Well then the Spirit quickning perswading the soul resolves I will venter upon him I will go and cast my self upon him and bear my self upon him hang all my weight upon him and this also he is taught of God this is imprest upon his Spirit by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus this is the drawing nigh yea not nigh to him but coming unto him this is the touch of faith if it be never so secret a touch of faith that others take no notice of yea that a poor soul through the fears and troubles that are upon him and earnestness of Spirit to have all quieted and cleansed and done away forthwith thinketh he doth not he hath not touched the Lord Jesus yet he may have touched him and be come unto him if he be carried out in his affections indeed and in truth beyond all count all as nothing as dung and dross as an hungry man would prefer a piece of bread before much riches he cannot eat nor drink gold nor silver and so it is here he is resolved upon it that he will lie at the pool of Bethesda his eyes shall be up and are up to him he will hang on him not let him go except he shake him offâ— into hell O this is a soul indeed that cometh to Jesus Christ Fourthly He cometh to him with words too at least heart-words if not words of confession I will wrap up these things as fast as I can I doubt I stay too long in the first part words of confession and words of petition of confession so the poor Prodigal I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son O I have sinned from the womb conceived in sin born in iniquity I have sinned before thee not regarding thy all-seeing eye desperately against light against knowledge against mercy against the blood of the Lord Jesus against all that grace whereby thou hast waited upon me to be gracious O I am no more worthby to be called thy sun O I am not worthy to lift up mine eye toward heaven saith the poor Publican I am not worthy to come near to the Temple to come among the company of the people of God but stands afar off and there acknowledgeth his vileness Ah so it is with many a poor soul he deserveth not to be owned by the Lord nor by any of his if he fall upon me as a mill-stone to grind me to power he doth me no wrong Secondly With words of petition to him that he would have mercy upon us that he would pardon and heal and give himself to us indeed that he would be our God a soul that is throughly sensible of his want of Christ cryeth our after him not with a still listless desire but the heart maketh a noise unto the Lord O give me Christ or else I dye Lord Jesus save my poor soul else I perish O sin is ready to swallow me up O the grave and hell are ready to shut their mouths upon me save me or else I perish as they to Christ the waves and billows of thy displeasure are the shaking and breaking of many poor souls O what mone many times will a poor soul that wants the Lord Jesus make to him lead me to the rock that is higher then I O how he sucks the promises and every argument he can fetch out of them he cometh with it and laies it before the Lord yea every letter of his name the Lord the Lord God gracious and merciful c. he pleadeth to the Lord O thy name is great to the ends of the earth therefore pardon me O mine iniquity is great therefore pardon thy faithfulness thy mercy thy promise thy dear Son the highest pledge of thy love that came to save sinners the price is paid the greatest part is done already all that a poor soul can find he will then make use of before the Lord and
indeed these are the sweet breathings of faith these are the near approaches of the soul to Christ this is to lay hold upon him though the soul feel little comfort for the present yet this is a coming to Christ So the Prodigal O make me but as one of thine hyred servants Fifthly and lastly it is a closing with Jesus Christ as he is offered not by the halves Christ is not divided as the Apostle saith his righteousness from his holiness nor his holiness from his righteousness therefore saith the Apostle as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him O here many are deceived they would have Christ but they will not be his what a strange unreasonable thing is this they would have the benefit of having him to be their Father and be heirs but they will not be subject as children they would have all the immunities and priviledges peace and prosperity of soul under him as a King but they will not submit themselves to him as King and Lord they would have him for an husband and yet will not obey O this is not a coming to Jesus Christ this is to serve our selves upon him but the Lord Jesus will search this out keep it as close as we can from others that they may think well of us yea from our selves also through the juglings of our hearts we cannot keep it from him he knoweth where there is a soul that takes the Lord Jesus without any reserve and equivocation Aug. Is non modo durus was no good sign of his condition at that time though afterward it was otherwise for we find he acknowledgeth it bewails it the Lord grant that the doom of Ananias and Saphira reach not to many of our souls for pretending to give up the whole to Jesus Christ and yet reserve part to our selves yea pretend to come to Jesus Christ and yet divide him Well you see Brethren what this coming to Jesus Christ is it is not then every one that saith Lord Lord nor cryeth out the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord that come to Christ it is not the having a few faint wishings and wouldings which like the untimely birth of a woman like a bable perish and never appear more that is a coming to Christ it is not your sucking sweetness from your own duties performances Ordinances priviledges any thing short of Christ that is coming to him Dear Lord Jesus how many of us loyter and take up our rest short of thee It is not a bare acknowledgement of our being sinners in the general and a Lord have mercy from the mouth without any sense of our condition upon our hearts that is a coming to Jesus Christ It is not a desire to be pardoned alone for then none of us should miscarry and O that it were so if the Lord see it good But it is the earnest breathings of a poor broken lost soul the moan of a poor wounded creature the pantings of a poor languishing heart after Jesus Christ a making him alone our stay a resigning our selves to him that is the coming to him here spoken of and such a soul he will not cast out Pardon me I know I am too slow for the acute and I wish I be not as much too swift for many of us that are dull of understanding slow of heart to understand and believe these things the condition of people now a daies I take it doth call upon us to speak oftner and more fully to beat it upon poor creatures the nature of this coming to Jesus Christ then any other thing as I find still in all the preachings of the Apostles they did endeavour to make good that truth most necessarily that Jesus was the Christ because that was most opposed in those daies so now this being granted by all and already that we are sinners the main work lies herein to undeceive poor creatures who think all is well enough with them and therefore I am the more large in this part and indeed much more large then I thought to be The second thing then is what is meant by this not casting out wherein lies the marrow and fatness and sweetness of this Scripture and indeed I think the whole Book of God doth not afford a more refreshing word a more establishing word to a poor weak creature then this is O then let us see what it is First he will not cast him out he will not cast him out of his heart that is the first not out of his love for we must know this all of us this day which may be a comfort to many a doubting trembling misgiving-heart that if the Lord Jesus have done this in us and for us hath given us thus to come to him in truth for degrees of the things formerly spoken of I intend not them as to make up the nature of our duty it may be in a weaker and a stronger measure but if in truth it can be found that so we come know for thine everlasting comf 〈…〉 t as base thoughts as thou hast of thy self and of thy vileness and of thy unworthiness thy dear Saviour hath precious thoughts of thee thou art written in his heart thou wast in his heart when he wrought this work in thee and for thee yea long before this for the truth is were not he first as well as last in the work the Alpha as well as the Omega in that work of salvation we should never come to him nor should we abide with him O thy Law is in my heart saith he in Psal 44. 8. thy command I delight to do thy will and what was that that all that the Father hath given to him he should redeem and deliver and save and therefore if it be thus with us we were in his heart before as it was said of that Queen when she dyed That if her heart were opened they should find Calice there Ah Brethren surely the names of the choice of God which now appears and breaks out by this that is given to us to come to Jesus Christ all that the Father hath given shall come to me I say our names were then upon his heart and now are upon his heart as the Priest did bear the names of Israel before the Lord and therefore the Lord will not cast out such a poor soul out of his heart out of his love O my loving kindness I will never take from thee however he may chastise however he may with-hold comfort for a time yet believe it O that every poor weak creature might this day have it given from on high to believe that the Lord will not cast them out of his heart this is thy greatest fear poor soul lest thou shouldest lose him lest he should disown thee and say I will not have mercy on thee Alas it is as impossible as white to be black or black white hath he once owned thee and made manifest his
displeasure when that cup of trembling and astonishment was to be put into his hand to be drunk off to the very dregs but yet he willingly undertook this took it off to the bottom that nothing might remain of the dregs to his people which potion put him into a bloody sweat filled him with horror and even astonished him but hath he done all this and is it possible he should now slight it by casting out any poor soul purchased with so dear a rate that now cometh to him O surely it cannot be Sixthly Because this would be to undo what the Father hath done For it is the Fathers work to draw a poor soul to teach them as you have heard before they can come to Jesus Christ No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him you could not have a desire towards the Lord Jesus not a breathing after the water-brooks the Fountain of life which is in Jesus Christ but that the Father hath breathed it into thee now the Lord Jesus if he should cast out a poor soul that cometh with such breathings after him would quench the Spirit would put out the light of Israel should destroy the works of his Father instead of destroying the works of the devil therefore surely it cannot be that he should cast out any poor soul that cometh to him that his Father hath drawn with the cords of a man and with the cords of love Is it the work of a Saviour to cut the cords whereby poor creatures are drawn to him and not rather of a murderer a soul-destroyer and can we have such hard thoughts of Christ our dearest Saviour O far be it from us this cannot be Seventhly He would hereby bring upon himself the imputation of delusion and mocking of poor sinners not only because of his Promise and offers of Grace but in two respects among others for I will not dwell too long upon these things First Because of the many invitations that he hath made to poor creatures to come to him O mind how he proclaims it to every one that thirsteth Come come buy wine and milk without money or monies worth you that have no worthiness nor any money to buy an acccptation come to the Waters and what then when they come to the Fountain to the Waters will the Lord Jesus shut them out cast them away is there any such imposture in him Come to me all that are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest what then is a poor soul perswaded of his burthen and where rest is to be had and cometh to Jesus Christ ready to sink at his foot and faint away under his burthen and will he there suffer him to perish and turn away his face from him I beseech you saith the Apostle as if God did beseech you by us to be reconciled to God ye rebels for so we are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye run-aways what do you mean why will ye perish Why will ye dye saith he O house of Israel why now if a rebel turn and his heart relent and he would fain close with this Prince of Peace that would fain be at peace with him do you think he will turn his back upon him Surely no he might have done it to the thief upon the Cross that truly repented and believed as to any if he would but if he should do so then sinners had something to answer indeed that there is reason wherefore we should not come to thee who would come to be mocked to be deceived tantalized to have the fountain opened and stand open for any to come that will come and when we are willing then to rowl a stone upon it is not this deceiving the Jews indeed took Christ to be a deceiver and therefore they came not to him I wish we be not many of us Jews in heart though we be Christians in name our conversation witnesseth to our faces for why else do not sinners come to Jesus Christ except they look upon all these invitations of Christ as delusions but take heed that as they perished so we also perish not in the same gain-saying Secondly He would be convicted of imposture if he should reject any poor soul that cometh to him because it is he also that draweth them as well as the Father else they could not come So he saith When I am lifted up I will draw all men unto me that is to say all that the Father hath given me I will draw to me and so he doth objective as the carkass draweth the Eagles together as the willow branch draweth the Lambs after it as a fair lovely object draweth the eye sweet melody draweth the ear and effective also for what the Father doth he doth also for he and the Father are one Now doth the Lord Jesus draw and perswade men send forth his Spirit which is his arm unbared and stretched out to lay hold upon the hearts of sinners to draw them to make them willing to accept of deliverance and salvation in him from the filthiness and power as well as from the guilt of sin and when they come will he shut them out were not this horrible deceit O surely Jesus Christ cannot so deceive poor creatures these are most unworthy thoughts of him Eighthly and lastly It is inconsistent with his bowels and tenderness which naturally he hath to poor sinners specially such as the Father hath given unto him could the Father shut out the Prodigal Son when he returned to him his bowels would not bear it he ran and met him c. Joseph made it a little strange at the first to his Brethren and spake a little roughly to them but mind you he could not hold he was fain to go into a place to weep egerere dolorem to empty his affection into tears for them to see those Brethren of his that had done him so much wrong dealt so hardly with him O when he heard them confess what they had done and their consciences smit them for it then doubtless his bowels were rowled together within him and for a while I say he made a shift to cover it and put some of them into prison but all this while his bowels were moved and was he not a type of Jesus Christ in this haply as I may say in other respects I shall not determine it but when a poor sinner cometh to Jesus Christ that hath sold him for a lust dealt hardly with him crucified him and now he is convinced of it he mourns for it and mourns over him did Josephs bowels yearn and do not the Lord Jesus his bowels is the love of women to be compared to the love of Jesus Christ O surely no he may seem for a while to turn his back upon a poor creature but all this while the fire of love is burning within and will burst out into a flame all this while what workings
is that which binds the guilt of all other sins upon the soul besides its own proper guilt which is not the least as you have heard before I say it binds all upon the soul if Paul had not believed all the guilt of his persecution had yet lain upon his head O saith our Saviour if ye believe not ye shall dye in your sins not only in your unbelief but in all your sins so that this unbelief it is the very edge as I may say of all other guilt whatsoever and therefore how dangerous a sin it is judge ye you are terrified and affrighted with your grievous abominations rebellions filthiness of your waies you never think of it haply but your heart sinketh within you why know this this day that unbelief is that which keepeth all this upon the soul if that thou wouldst but aceept of deliverance in Jesus Christ take him close with him come to him he would not cast you out he would not turn you away without a pardon but the reason of your burthens upon you is because of unbelief Secondly It is dangerous because above other sins it brings a mans blood upon his own head that is a sad word me thinks that of the Apostle I take God to witness that I am pure from the blood of all men if you perish your blood will be upon your head that is to say you are guilty of your own death your own murther your own damnation and everlasting separation from God much more may our blessed Saviour say I am free from the blood of you all sinners I have dyed for you made an All-sufficient satisfaction to the Justice of my Father for all sins laid down a price enough to ransom you and yet you would none of me you cared not for it I have made this known to you else you had had some excuse some cloak but you have no cloak for your sins for your unbelief If I had not wooed you intreated you to be reconciled by my Messengers then it had been something to extâ—nuate at least but alas he hath done all this and more Brethren infinitely then I am able to speak for poor sinners and yet they will not close with him why then Jesus Christ is clear from your blood he hath done what he undertook to do of his Father spared not himself to the least drop of wrath and of his own blood and yet we will not come to him O this must needs bring poor sinners blood upon their own heads Thirdly This unbelief brings the blood of Jesus Christ upon our heads for if after all this that he hath done and said to perswade us to make us willing to close with him we stand it out are we not guilty of his blood as well as of our own If an unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper bring a man under this guilt will not an unbelieving heart in hearing of this Gospel bring a man under the same guilt for is it not the same Jesus that is held forth broken for sinners and the same blood shed for sinners that is held forth in the Lords Supper to the eye and in the Gospel Preached to the ear even so plain as if it were before their faces as the Apostle saith to the Galathians O me thinks this should make us afraid of resting any longer in this condition of unbelief and make us look about us the Jews as hard-hearted as they were could not endure their consciences prickt them I believe and did flie in their faces and therefore would not endure the Apostles to Preach Christ say they ye would bring upon us the blood of this man O me thinks this stirs the stoutest sinners among us I delight not to bring to you Brethren such sad things as these are nor to bring the blood of Jesus upon your heads but let us take heed we do it not our selves for we shall find that this will be the dregs of the cup of wrath if we will not be reclaimed that ever we have so much under-valued the Lord Jesus as to cast his love behind us by our unbelief The third Vse shall be then of Exhortation to every poor soul to come to Jesus Christ for you that are yet in your hardened condition never made sensible of your need of Christ I have the less hopes to prevail with you for this Doctrine is foolishness to such it is foolishness to speak much of the soveraignty of a medicine the readiness of a Physitian to heal to a man that feels not that he is wounded and such is the Doctrine of Christ and of faith to many a poor soul but there are some poor souls that haply are convinced of their lost condition by nature and see that all the water in the bottle is spent and yet cannot see the fountain near them opened haply for grief for weeping they are over-charged with sorrow and yet come not to Jesus Christ O that the Lord Jesus who hath received the tongue of the Learned for this end to speak a word in due season would speak by the mouth of his poor unworthy Messenger to such hearts What is the reason that thou wilt not come to Jesus Christ art thou resolved to sit languishing over an empty bottle and perish when there is refreshing to be had in Jesus Christ O no saith the poor soul I would not sit still and perish if there be healing and mercy to be had why dost thou not believe that he is able to save to the utmost where sin hath most abounded there Grace can superabound yea it is the glory of his Grace so to do If I thought there were any stuck at this I would spend a few words upon it but consider those Scriptures fore-mentioned but the main thing is whether Jesus Christ will accept of such a wretch as I have been saith one O you know not the vileness of my heart the horrid pollutions of my ways else you would have harder thoughts of me therefore thou art ready to conclude that he will not look at thee sure Let me here propound a few Considerations to thee First Consider how injurious it is to Grace to measure it by our thoughts limit not the holy one of Israel it is the Glory of God The Lord the Lord God gracious and merciful and that whereby he infinitely transcendeth all other gods and men Who is like unto thee pardoning iniquity transgression and sin and canst thou comprehend the Glory of God in thy poor narrow thoughts thou it may be thinkest O if any man had so offended me I could not have born it I could never have been reconciled to him again but if thou canst not it may be another can it is much that the Lord enables his people to love to pray for to be ready to embrace those that in the most bloody manner seek their lives if they come and close with Christ as the Disciples
did Paul and doubtless Stephen would have hug'd them in his bosom if any of them had then had their hearts changed and what then can and will the Lord Jesus do when such as have been guilty of his blood trampled it under feet turned their backs upon him crucified him when they come to him So in Acts 2. Thou thinkest if thou wert but such a sinner if thou hadst not sinned against such love and mercy he would have pardoned he would have accepted when thy thoughts are at an end and lost then is infinite Grace beginning to be Glorious Secondly Consider this that he hath left thee altogether without excuse he hath cut off all pretences that sinners might make for their keeping off from Christ both here and in other places O saith one He hath waited so long upon me stretched out his hands all the day long to me While I have been rebelling the Lord Jesus hath been intreating me to be reconciled he hath stood so long at the door knocking that now sure he is gone he will not come to my soul nor take my soul into fellowship with himself I am an old sinner as long as ever I could arm my heart and boy up my self with any thing carnal reasonings moral services vain delights and creature-comforts I would never come to him what though the Lord Jesus is ready to receive when ever thou come to him Had not the poor Woman in the Gospel spent all upon the Physitians before she came to Christ if she could have had balm any where else she would never have gone to Gilead for it nor for that Physitian and doth he cast her out notwithstanding surely no He giveth liberally and upbraideth not he hits her not in the teeth with her unworthiness to come to him but when she cometh he healeth her distemper Was not this the Prodigals case would he ever have gone to his Father if he could have gotten husks or any thing and what doth his father upbraid him with it what thou be received now that hast stood out as long as ever thou couldst it is necessity and not love that hath driven thee home therefore take thy course I have no bread for thee O this would have broken the heart quite and for ever discouraged him for coming no he meeteth him by the way notwithstanding and how ready he is to receive him and embrace him that Parable setteth forth O but saith another I am so poor miserable have nothing at all in me but sin and misery suppose so thou hast the more need of Jesus Christ and he is most ready to reveal himself to them that need him most yea thou art the more fit to come to Christ for while thou hast any thing to subsist upon thou wilt not come off thy self clearly and fully as thou oughtest besides remember this that the Lord Jesus is able to bestow his riches upon nothing as he did at the first make a world of nothing so in the new Creation in the soul he can he will bestow the riches of his Grace upon nothing it is like thou hast as much as the Prodigal had in his returning O but he cannot but abhorr me my sins are not slight scars and races but deep wounds and festering wounds running sores bloody issues loathsom in his sight did the woman with the bloody issue in the Gospel find a repulse because of the loathsomness of her distemper or the Lepers because of theirs or Lazarus because of his surely no therein is the great commendation of his love to poor sinners that though in their blood yet he loveth them yet he receiveth them In one word for all to stop the mouths of these clamours the Lord Jesus hath said it and will he not be as good as his word he hath said That if any man come to him he will in no wise cast him out be his distemper what it will be his uuworthiness what it will he will in no wise cast him out therefore never make that an obstruction but rather an argument to put thee on to go to Christ because thy want of him is so great more then is found in others Thirdly Consider that these hard thoughts of Jesus Christ before thou hast tryed and had experience of a repulse from him are but a prejudice against the Lord Jesus how glad is the enemy of our peace if any way he can keep poor souls off from Christ will you judge a man to be so hard-hearted and unkind to you before you have tried him and shall we judge so of Jesus Christ O this is to add sin to sin and much worsens our condition daily Fourthly Consider this poor soul and add to thy own experience the experience of all the Saints ask of them and they will tell thee O never was there viler wretches then they themselves were they had as vile and base thoughts of themselves as thou and were as much discouraged as thou art and yet when they came to Jesus Christ they did obtain mercy they found Grace in his sight the Scepter was held out to them Ask of Paul who though dead yet speaketh and he will tell thee thou never wast such a wretch as he imbrewing his hands in the blood of the Saints a persecutor blasphemer injurious Ask but Magdalen and she will tell thee that she had seven Devils for one haply that thou hast And so will Peter and David O thou never hadst thy hand in blood in adultery in denying the Lord Jesus these found mercy And is not Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Fifthly Thou canst have no good evidence that thou art one given of the Father to Christ before the world began until thou comest to Jesus Christ All that the Father hath given me shall come What then shall sinners abuse this doctrine to set light by it cast off all care of their condition because if they be given of the Father they shall come no But sadly consider this if thou be not yet come to Jesus Christ thou art not as yet declared to be one that is given to Christ and if not given to the Son thou art a son of perdition and wo is thee that thou wast ever born and as yet thou art not come to Christ and how knowest thou thou shalt ever have an opportunity or an heart to believe or come to him Faith is not at your command nor Christ at your command for poor sinners O consider this ye that forget God and forget your own welfare As many as were ordained to eternal life believed the rest were hardened Sixthly A rational Motive shall be this In other distractions a possibility of relief will make poor Creatures put themselves upon extream hazards when it is not possible they should escape without such a hazard running how much more then in the business of our souls should we be willing to run an hazard if there were any
in him and this free-grace of God in him brings forth fruit in the greatest abundance of any other whatsoever therefore take heed of this abuse of the grace of Christ Vse 7. Seventhly Then let the people of God make this the comfort the stay of their hearts that to which they have recourse in all their doubts and fears the Lord Jesus will never cast them out labour to set a high price upon this promise it is worthy to be written in every heart of a Believer in golden letters we are too often too apt to turn aside to our broken Cisterns for refreshings when troubles seize upon us but alas how do they by their emptiness quickly cause the heart to fall off from them as a Bee cometh to a flower abideth not because it quickly emptyeth it sucks out all the sweetness and then to another and truly such are all things in the world when we go to drink at them to refresh our weary spirits but here you may drink and drink abundantly these are waters that never fail never any were occasioned to fall off from Christ because of emptiness in him nor yet because of satiety as the Horse-leach when gorged full No no Christs breasts are full of milk full of grace abundant consolation do they minister thou shalt never need to fear that hunger or thirst shall force thee away from Christ Nor yet secondly will these comforts ever forsake thee ever cast thee out relations come together and much delight they take each in other and many a man is much taken up with the imbraces of this well-favoured harlot the world what between the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eye and pride of life but alas Brethren besides the killing of the imbraces the sinner must leave them or they will leave him and what then O but once get into the arms of the Lord Jesus and those imbraces cure instead of killing and thou shalt never be cast out more O me thinks Brethren one rowling of this sweet morsel under the tongue were enough to sweeten any condition in the world happy soul that hath the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus and the sense of it Thirdly Yea more if he have not cast thee out at the first coming much less afterward in thy after-comings to him for more of his fulness of grace he will not cast thee out not send thee away empty if he would have ever thrown thee off it would have been at the first while thou wast a stranger to him yet when thou camest to him in a weary burthened condition he had respect to thy condition had pitty on thee gave thee rest admitted thee with all thy sin and guilt and took it away will he not much more have now bowels towards thee can he cast thee out now for thy defects and deformities O surely no. Brethren you that have Fathers and Mothers hearts to your children tell me you that have a poor child though by his own untowardness he falls wounds himself bleedeth fainteth deformeth himself cometh to his father O father pitty father help father heal I have what in me lies undone my self though he be angry at his miscarriage yet the bowels work towards him he doth not upon this account cast him out And it is worth noting when our Saviour was offended with his Disciples for their little faith in the storm they came and awaked him saying Lord save us we perish his tenderness was such before he rebuked them for their unbelief he rebuked the Sea and the wind O Brethren surely surely the Lord Jesus his tenderness towards his people is a feast of fat things here are the wines on the lees to revive and refresh the poor drooping spirits lose not the comfort of your condition for want of meditating upon it Object But some will say If this be so it is sad with me for I have thought I came to Jesus Christ and have found comfort and refreshing and rest in him and yet alas now he hath cast me off and therefore surely I was never truly in him for none that come to him doth he in any wise cast off For answer to this I conceive it is but a mistake such qualms as these seize upon the people of God sometimes when we will needs live by sight and not by faith And sometimes the Lord may please to hide his face from his own people and then no marvel if they be troubled in a little wrath I hid my face c. Sometimes our lusts come and steal away our Saviour bereaveth us of his presence at least the sensibleness of it and then we know not where they have laid our Saviour is our sad complaint then we mourn as children thinking themselves forsaken if the Mother be but stept aside haply on purpose upon some necessary occasion So David I said I am cast out of thy sight So Jonas What hath the Lord shut up his tender mercies hath he taken his leave of me and will he be gone for ever all this while the Mother is behind the Curtain takes notice of every sigh seeth every tear fall from the child mindeth every expression of longing and breaking desires after her and so doth the Lord this is not a forsaking a casting out but a fitting the poor soul for the receiving more of his love afterward Why art thou then so disquieted poor soul and droopest as if there were no more hope nor help for thee in Christ because he hath a little turned his face away from thee O happy soul that canst not bear his absence that followest so hard after him that mournest after him it is a sign he hath left some sweetness upon the heart to draw thee after him he hath not cast thee off but by this means would work thee more out of love with that sin that hath made the separation that so he might abide with thee for ever 2. Object Alas but I know not whether I have ever yet come to Jesus Christ I am perswaded that such as come to him aright he will never cast them out but my scruâ—le yet sticks I am afraid of deceiving my self and thinking I come to him when I come not for I have thus long come and followed after Christ and never yet got a smile from him to this day therefore he seemeth to shake me off and cast me out Let me speak a few things to this First That though he hold thee off a while and seem not to own thee in respect of the comforts his presence yet in the mean time he doth stay and support thee there is his strengthening presence else thou wert never able to endure to hold out mourning after him Secondly When thy heart is so drawn out after Jesus Christ that thou canst not live nor be satisfied without thou mournest pinest languishest after him this is a coming a true coming to Jesus Christ when thou hast all things else that heart can
endeavours His late journey to London heated his blood and disposed his already-wasting body to a dangerous distemper which discovered it self on the Lords day in his forenoons Sermon which after his return from the Congregation he laboured to conceal from his wife by endeavouring to eat though it were much against his stomach she perceiving some alteration in his countenance and carriage said You are not well pray preach not again to whom he replyed away away hinder me not Whereupon he retired to his study and adventured to preach again in the afternoon though with some difficulty and apparent symptoms of sickness in his very visage It was upon the spirits of some that this was the last time they should ever hear him One seeing and observing him in his return said Thou art almost in heaven I shall never see thee more The Text which he preached on that day is considerable Psal 4. 6. There be many that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us The former part viz. the enquiry Who will shew us any good he finished in the fore-noon and urged several arguments why men ought to sit loose from all things that are here below His expressions argued in him affections disingaged from matters dreggy and terrene One foot is off the earth already the other will be so too shortly He takes his flight from earth to heaven and in the afternoon made entrance on the latter part of the verse Lord lift thou up c. a suitable subject for him to speak to who was now about to enter into the gloomy horrours of the grave Those bright refulgent beams of heavenly light are never more seasonable then when we are upon the borders of the Land of darkness Ten glorious fruits and effects of the lifting up of the light of Gods countenance he held forth the heads of which because of the spirituality of the matter and being the words of a dying man and experienced Christian you will find in the Margin Judicious Christâ—ans plainly perceived him at that time to be wonderfully raised and his spreading sailes to be sweetly swelled with the powerful breathings of the Spirit for he spake more like one neer the Throne and in the company of Angels then one in a Pulpit and surrounded with mortalls At even the people according to their accustomed manner came crouding and thronging to Repetition His wife in vain perswaded him to dismiss the Assembly in repeating his Sermons Singing and Prayer he spent about two hours time At Supper he did eat a little with his wife and that chearfully yet complained of an unusual heaviness in his head and soreness in his eys when endeavouâ—ing to lift them up and took little rest the ensuing night The next morning seeing that he must be sick indeed he blessed the Lord that he found him in his work The Physitian being sent for and consulted with said he had got cold and was feavorish the second night is passed over with as little rest as the first A day of Thanksgiving in private for his own return from London and his wives late safe delivery was designed to be celebrated about this time the consideration of which occasioned some sadness whereupon to his wife he said This is sad love this looks as if the Lord would not accept of an Offering of praise from our hands And then he called for the Notes of a Thanksgiving Sermon preached long before by Doctor Jones on that passage of Hezekiah Who rendred not unto the Lord according to the benefit The third day as a choice Christian friend who came to visit him was discoursing with his wife he fell afleep and two or three hours after awaking he called for his wife who coming to him and kneeling down upon the beds side he fixed his eys on her and said dost thou know that place I will give them the Valley of Achor for a door of hope Who said yes He further asked her if she kâ—ew the meaning of it who expressing her apprehensions he said yea there it is and then a little nodding his head and pointing with his finger at her said Remâ—mber this Our valley of trouble shall be our door of hope About the fifth day in letting blood he fainted and with a low voyce said What means this it was not thus with me at Sir Roberts Kings To his wife looking upon him he said Now Love it is a weaning time He was more careful of Gods Service then of his own attendance causing the servants to leave him that so their duty to God in ways of worship might not be neglected The seventh day being the Sabbath he inquired who carried on the work and seemed to affect retirement and secret converse with God upon his own day Most part of the second week was passed over in a silent submission and quiet waiting on the Lord. The thirteenth day in the morning being Saturday his pains were very violent for an hour and half and extorted from him that doleful complaint Lord how long Ah my bowels my bowels I have grieved bowels this speaks much I have wanted bowels I have not been so pittiful towards others The Doctor being sent for and staying longer then was expected he said Lord give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man At night he was much refreshed chearful all night and prone to discourse and praised without any complaining and withall said I would have given the whole world for so much ease in the morning The Lords day in the morning the Doctor coming to him and looking on him wept to whom Master Murcot said How is it with me Doctor You may do well Brother I hope if you can get any sleep Master Murcot Tell me true how is my Pulse Doctor I confess it is but bad but you may do well if you can sleep which he indeavoured a while though in vain by closing his eys To his wife looking sadly on him he said Love canst thou pray for â—leep for me what saist thou to which her swelling grief permitted her not to return answer The rumouâ— of his weak condition being spread abroad a Doctor was sent from my Lord Deputy to see if there were any hope of life who speaking to him he said Doctor I am spent with sweating To his Sister he said and that without any amazement and peâ—turbation of spirit Sister I must now tell you I am not for this world and then lifting up himself he said Lord remember me how I have walked before thee in sincerity with all my might He wished the Sabbath were over that so he might do something about his Will though little were to be done His wife seeing hearing these passages said to him Now I see that you know that you must leave us He answered yes Love whereat she weeping he exhorted her to a Resignation to which she answered The Lord hath
a Mariner near his port rowleth up his sails or as a piece of cloth rowled up one turn more and we are turned into the grave What then It remaineth that they that buy be as if they possessed not and they that have inheritances by Lot also be as if they enjoyed them not they that have wives as if they had none for the fashion of this world the Scheme the Mathematick figure of this world passeth away Was it not this which cast Solomon into such a sleep He offended by women though the wisest King So Mat. 24. 37. They eat they they drank 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some observe It is a word used most properly of beasts living sensually in the delights of the slesh they feed themselves without fear as the Apostle Jude hath it out of measure and so in time there is a season for all things c. make not provision for the slesh c. O that there were more sobriety brethren and moderation among us appearing among us there would not be so much sleeping 6. Take heed of any sin unrepented of of continuing in it for surely that will damp the soul and cast it into a sleepe as you see in the cafe of Jonas David the brethren of Joseph O specially of such sins as stupifie and seal and harden sins of a high hand and against light against mercy with a high hand these are dangerous 7. Be often stirring up your selves as the Apostle speaks to Timothy stir up the grace of God that is in thee the gift in thee as fire under the ashes A man that is drousie had need to shake himself as Sampson did Ah brethren there is a carnal mind in us all which is death it deadens all that is good within us And except we do often stir up our selves labour to keep upon our hearts some quickning Considerations to press them home to hold them to the soul we shall do what we can we shall sleep or at least slumber And beg with David O quicken me according to thy word Alas life is his and all quickning and renewing grace is his therefore we should lye much before him for this mercy if we would not sleep indeed So much for this Use The next Vse of the Doctrine shall be an awakening word It may be brethren many of us that have this word alas are asleep and had need to be shaken and O that the Lord would even do it for us Alas It is not our word will do it it dyeth in the Ear and goeth no further as a bullet whose force is spent dyeth reacheth not the mark except the Lord add an Almighty force to it it will do nothing But I shall endeavour alittle this work by offering some considerations to you You that lye upon your beds 1. Remember in the first place that if Jesus Christ come while you are in this sleep you will be found unready what do you think that a sleeping will put your hearts into frame to meet the Lord Jesus with Surely no One of these two things will befal you either your works will be quite undone you will have your grace to get when you should enter into glory or never Or else if you have it not to get you will not have it in its brightness and lustre as Ornaments upon you ready to open to him to enter with him either your Lamps will be out or else they will be to trim when you should enter O that the Lord would inforce this Argument and his own exhortation Luke 12. 35. Stand ready therefore with your loyns girded and your Lamps burning wayting for his coming that you may be ready Do you think this can be comfortable to you 2. Do but consider seriously what danger we are in when we sleep when we give sleep to our eys and settle our selves to it when we strive not against it First The Philistims will be upon us as they were upon poor Sampson If Satan and our hearts can but sing us asleep then the Philistims are upon us as they were upon him and at last you see how sadly they destroyed him you see what danger Saul was in when he was asleep David might have taken his life from him And Sisera by a poor woman perished when asleep And so Ishboshâ—th when asleep Surely brethren the devil never lulls us asleep believe it but he hath some desperate design upon us which he cannot do when we are awake What danger were the Disciples in when they were sleeping when they should have prayed they were just entring upon the pikes and they were asleep and see what fearful work there was they were all scattered from him and Peter how fearfully he denyed him Could Satan think you ever have brought Lot to that wickedness if he had not been fast in a deep sleep It was strange sleepiness in him to drink so much of the wine Excess overthrew him Surely brethren if ever there were an hour of temptation this is one If it might be tolerable at any other time yet not at this for hell is broke loose the devil is come down and hath great wrath because his time is short O how he hunts after poor souls and who are so like to be drowned as poor creatures asleep Secondly Then God usually doth for sake a soul if he fall asleep As you see in the Canticles her beloved was gone he wayted upon her a great while she would not awake when she got up he was gone O what a sad case was Saul in When God had forsaken him answered him not by Vrim or Thummim and the Philistims were upon him it made him out of his wits almost Ah dear friends If the Lord being provoked by our unkindness giving our selves to sleep do let loose sin this or that lust upon us to worry us And himself depart and stand and see what the latter end will be this will be sad thou cryest to him he will not hear but is as one asleep to thee because thou wast as one asleep to him O what will you do in this day Thirdly Then he is least able to act grace when he hath most need of it because the spirit is withdrawn from him Jesus Christ is departed from him he cannot resist a sleeping he hath no strength A weak woman may drive a nayl through the Temples of a most valiant General then O what advantage hath Satan against us and sin against us The least temptation then 〈◊〉 too hard for us we have no strength to resist come what will come we are naked to receive the thrust And but that the Lord stays the hand of Satan that it shall not reach the heart how quickly would he give such sleeping souls their deadly wound 3 Consider yet further how we put the Lord Jesus to it to prick us and stir us up lest we should lye sleeping and sleep the sleep of death They say the Eagle will
prick and beat her yong ones out of the Nest else they would be lazy and sleep there Well surely brethren If love and sweetness will not do it gall and vinegar must awakened we must be for sure we cannot go to heaven in a sleep and how terrible will it be if we put him to it thus to teach us by terrible things in righteousness and mercy It is faithfulness and mercy to us he will be at the pains with us And then brethren let me but add this only When the Lord Jesus shall deal thus with us we that now are so fast asleep we may sleep then if we could there will come such a day upon us surely if the Lord do not in tender compassions awaken us before hand It is a bitter ironical reproof the Disciples had need of such sharpness in the reproof for milder words would not do sleep on now saith our Saviour it is enough what did our Saviour allow them to sleep surely nothing less specially all this time for that his next words are arise let us go hence behold they are at hand who betray me why then they could have little list or leasure to sleep but our Saviour doth with a holy mocking of them as I may say Well you have been sleeping all this while now take your rest now sleep if you can now you shall have your hearts so full of cares and fears and be sobeset with temptations you shall have little list to sleep A righteous hand upon them for their sluggishness as the young man rejoyce O young man in thy youth c. and let thine heart chear thee but remember for all this God will bring thee to judgement Well brethren as light as you may make of this you that love sleep and give your selves to security when this day cometh upon you it will make your hearts ach The Lord perswade us of it I desire not the woful day to any of you but rather that you may escape Again Another Vse of the Point may be then for such as are kept through the Almighty grace from this sleeping it may be when others are sleeping about thee one in this corner another in that thou art lively thy graces are kept in vigor thy sweet communion with Christ maintained O how much how infinitly art thou engaged to the Lord Jesus magnifie his grace How many considerations here might be heaped up to heigthen your prayses that the high prayses of God might be in your hearts and mouths As 1. To consider It s meerly free mercy that maketh this difference between thee and the most sluggish Professor most slothful sleepy Professor For it is not surely brethren because they have improved the grace which thou hast received better then others have done it may be others have received more grace and walked as diligently as thy self and yet notwithstanding left to some fearful fall to stupifie or deaden them asleep O magnifie his grace that thou art thus far kept again 2. To consider How much misery and sin thou dost hereby avoid the loss of Jesus Christ and his presence c. O it is unspeakable for what sin what temptation will not take with a poor soul when he is in this drousie condition As Lot in his sleep what would he not do the soul asleep and in security what would he not do the things that now the soul abhors the thought of them if thou hadst been left to such a sleep as this is thou wouldst have made nothing of as wel as others as you see in the fearful example of many apostatizing Professors in these days that have walked very strictly before which surely as it should minister matter of holy fear and trembling to us so of great prayses to the Lord. And then the misery to awaken us to put us to those distractions which have been already spoken to Besides 3. To consider What great advantage thou hast now above many others Thou hast the presence of God which others want thou hast the light of his countenance thou hast many a sweet communion with him which others want being left to this sleepy condition they have slept away their harvest thou art kept awake to gather in the Summer O how rich in grace may such a soul grow if he do but know his season and opportunity and are not these great matters of praise Again in the next place then brethren if we be so apt to sleep Let us consider one another to provoke to stir up suffer not one another to sleep Indeed brethren so far as we are defective in this duty of love one to another so far we our selves are asleep O be ye followers of Jesus Christ and be full of love as he was he cometh to his Disciples and findeth them fast asleep what doth he do let them alone or refuse Communion with them no he stirreth them up giveth them a reproof to provoke them and he doth it again and again and again And so in the case of Peter he did you know look upon him otherwise what had become of him so he would not let Jonas or David go in their Conditions but sendeth a Prophet to one and sendeth a storm after the other to awake him and afterward cometh himself And so the Church in the Canticles see how he cals upon her there and afterward cometh nearer O Brethren that I might be counted worthy this day to speak one word home to some poor sleeping soul to awaken you either a word of love or a word of terror I have spoken both but will you remember this as a duty Doubtless we have occasions before us every where do we not know many lazy sleepy Christians do we not judge them to be so where are our bowels towards them why do we not shake them do our endeavour would we not be sorry to see them forsaken of Christ altogether as to their sense and sadly lamenting after him would we not be sorry to see them battered and bruised with the temptations of Satan in this sleepy condition are they not in danger shall we see them lie as a prey just ready for the Devils mouth and not endeavour to stir them up to remove that drowfie frame from them the Lord help us brethren such as are more wakeful among us for I believe some there are that the Lord hath magnified his grace towards exceedingly in this respect O how can you improve your mercy better then thus by stirring up others that they may enjoy the same sweetness in Communion and close fellowship with the Lord as your selves do But thus much for this Use also Vse 7. Then Let us be tender in judging one anothers Condition judge not a mans state by the present frame that is upon him Come into a Garden in Winter and there is no appearance of any flowers the roots are within the ground shall we conclude therefore there are none no so in this case
it formally consists are 1. In a desire of the soul after Christ 658 2. In passing all other stands and rests on this side Christ 659 3. In coming to him 660 4. In coming with heart-words 661 1. Words of Confession 2. Words of Petition ibid. 5. In closing with Christ 662 The Second thing in the Doctrine What is meant by not casting out 663 1. Not out of his heart 664 2. Not out of his Church ibid. 3. Not sending away empty either at the first or after-coming 665 666 4. Not out of heaven ibid. The Doctrine proved 1. From the promise of Christ 66 71 If otherwise Then 2. from Christs being argued unchangeable 668 3. From Christs slighting of his Fathers gift ibid. 4. From Christs failing in his trust 669 5. From Christs undervaluing of his blood ibid. 6. From undoing what the Father had done 670 7. From Christs bringing upon himself the imputation of delusion 671 1. Because of the many invitations made hy him to poor creatures ibid. 2. Because of his being contradicted of imposture 672 3. Because inconsistent with Christs bowels and tenderness ibid. The first Use is to lament the backwardness of our hearts in coming to Christ 673 The second Use shews the grievous nature of the sin of unbelief By considering 1. The unreasonableness of this sin 675 1. In respect of our selves 675 2. In respect of Christ 676 2. The injuriousness of this sin ibid. 3. The unkindness of this sin 678 4. The danger of this sin ibid. 1. Binding the guilt of all other sins upon the soul ibid. 2. Bringing blood upon a mans own head 679 3. Bringing the blood of Christ upon a mans head ibid. The third Use serves for Exhortation to every poor soul to come to Christ 680 From whence several considerations against the many hard thoughts of coming to Jesus Christ As 1. How injurious it is to grace 681 2. Christ leaves the soul altogether without excuse ibid. 3. How prejudicial to Jesus Christ 683 4. The experiences of all the Saints ibid. 5. The soul can have no evidence of being given to Christ until it come ibid. 6. How willing to run at hazard seeing there is so much certainty of speeding 684 7. It s a grief to Christ that the soul will not be perswaded of his good will ibid. The fourth Use exalts the riches of the grace of Christ to poor sinners 685 The fift Use declares that there is no falling away from Christ either from Justifying or Sanctifying grace once received 686 The sixth Use puts in a double caution 1. That impenitent sinners encourage not themselves in an evil way upon the account of Christs tenderness and mercy to poor sinners 687 2. That they that are in Christ take heed they abuse not this grace to wantonness 689 The seventh Use serves for a comfort to Gods people in all their fears and doubts that Christ will never cast them out 690 The first Objection That the soul thought it came to Christ c. but saies he is cast off and therefore concludes it was never truly in Christ is answered 691 The second Objection that the soul knows not whether ever yet it came to Christ and therefore is cast off is answered 692 1. Though Christ seems not for a time to own the soul yet he doth support it 693 2. When the heart is unsatisfiedly drawn after Jesus Christ ibid. 3. When the soul is willing to receive him as King and Saviour ibid. 4. When the soul is content to wait a while 694 5. When the soul is frequent in acting of faith to receive Christ ibid. FINIS Non loqu 〈…〉 nur magâ—a sed vivimus 2 Tim. 2. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est substantivum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1. 12. Iob 5. 26. Iohn 15. 16. Eph. 2. 10. 1 Cor. 3. 9. * How sparkling is knowledge when set off with the â—oll of a modest self depression Ignorance checkered with Impudence is all the stock that many confident Predicants set up withall * O the stupendious stupidity and dismal blockishness of those who having contracted the guilt of most monstrous and abhorred villanies are yet as sensâ—â—ss as stocks as hard as rocks and complain not of any stirrings and gripes of con science Esa 57. 16. So sparks fly over from Dublin Zeal Ex. 32. 19. Mat. 5. 9. * Cap. Johnson W. Fisher Iohn 21. 17. * Though the Ocean bubble and boyl like a pot yet the falling tears of conâ—â—ite self-condemning Christians do suddenly asswage the Seas rising roughness and check its mutinous and menacing motions * Oritic S. 5. Courage Exâ— 4 13 14. Heb. 2. 13. 2 Car. 11. 23. Luke 9. 61. 1 Tim. 3. 5. * They are great enemies to their own comfort who live in the neglect of this Ordinance and whilst the Congregation is trumpeting out Gods praises sit like mopish mutes with a discontented eye and cloudy countenance as if the musick which they hear were howling rather than Singing †He was far from the opinion and temper of those whom the very thoughts much more debates of having their poor Babes Baptized do strangely transport with rage and an high indignation 〈…〉 inst any that shall attempt it Phil. 3. 19. 3 Tim. 6. 8. Phil. 3. â—o 2 Cor. 9. 2. Prov 3. 28. Eccles 11. 1. Prov. 19. 11. Prev 24. 29. Rom. 12. 20 21. 1 Pet. 5. 6. Prevented by his coming out of his closet at 11 clock in the night * Awake O sleepy slâ—ggard and let not the rising Sun find thee flâ—t on thy back and when the great eye of the world is up and open let not thine be shut me thinks its bright and penetrating raies should scatter that cloud of sleep and security that hangs upon thy dull and depressed brow Knowest thou not O drowsie drone that thou hast a great deal of work to do and but a little time to dispatch it in 2 Sam. 2. 23. Nov. 19. 1654. * 1. It produceth a calm a quietness in the soul against all distracting fears O he is come saith a Martyr and death was nothing to him 2. It is the most real good in heaven or in earth other goods are vain and empty this is â—ound and solid this is bread indeed and no delusion as the world and Satan would perswade 3. It brings-with it all manner of good which way soever God turns all the creatures that depend on him turn 4. It seasons prosperity to us it melâ—eth out the sweet and giveth us the marrow and fatneâ—s of it 5. It will season the bitterest cup of affliction the valley of the shadow of death will be but as another place Hab 3. 6. It will work effectually deliverance out of affliction 7. It will make us more then Conquerors Triumphers Rom. 8. 31. 8. It is of a teaching nature Psal 119. 125. When the Lord shines on our Readings Studyings Meditating then we are taught indeed 9. It melteth the heart kindly in a
mans bowels though as hard as an Adamant as the lightning melteth the sword the scabbard being untouched There is no standing before the power of Gods anger or his love Zech. 12 10. 10. By this the â—oul groweth up from strength to strength terror and sorrow doth weaken the soul exceedingly The joy of the Lord is his peoples strength Where will men ripen if not in the Sunshine 2 Chro. 32. 25. Hos 2. 15. Psal 60 11. 2 King 20. 3. Mat. 7. 3. Mat. 23. 4. Mat. 7. 22 23. 1 Cor. 9. 27. Luk. 10. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 13. Mat. 7. 14. Acts 26 7. Doct. 1. Gen. 17. 1. 2 Kin. 20. 3. Psal 1. 1 2. Phil. 3. 20. Eccles 10. 16. Psal 1. 1. Ephes 5. 12. Râ—m 12. 2. Prov. 14. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Ephes 5. 12. 〈◊〉 Cor. 6. 17. Act. 26. 17. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Psal 8. 4. Prov. 3. 17. Matth. 1â— Gal. 6. 16. Eccl. 12. 10. Colos 4. 5. Mat. 10. 16. 2 Sam. 21. 1 2. Rom. 10. 2. Phil. 3 〈◊〉 Eccl. 7. 16. Mat. 10. 16. Gen 6. 9. Gen. 6. 9. Num. 14. from 6. to 10. Gal 2 12 13 14. 1 Cor. 11. 1. Cant. 1. 8. Rom. 7. 14. Isa 64. 5. Rom. 12 8. Gal. 6. 1. Prov. 4. 27. Deut 5. 32 Psal 39. 1. Acts 18. 25. Mat. 2. 8. Heb. 12. 13. Prov. 4. 25. Ephe. 5. 15. Ier. 20. 10. 2 Sam. 12. 14. â—er 20. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 32. Rev. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 9 10 11. Rom. 14. 2 Pet. 2â— Col. 4. Psal 119. Isa 53. 6. Psal 95. 〈◊〉 Vse 1. Ioh. 15. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 12. 1 Cor. 8. 13. Ier. 7. Mat. 15. 22. Isa 29. 13. Luke 18. 11. Ier. 10. 25. Ephes 4. 8. Rom. 8. 1. Ephes 4. 17. Psal 69. 12. Gal. 4 29. Gen. 21 9. Ier. 20. 10. Psal 1. 1. Prov. 19. 16. He that despiseth his way shall die Ier. 48. 10. Mal. 1. 14. Ier. 44. 16. Acts 19. 24. Mat. 7. 24. Mat. 23. 14. Luke 13. 24. Mat. 27. 13. Cant. 1. 8. Mat. 24. 12. Gal. 2. 13. and 14. Gal. 6. 1. Gal. 6. 1. Ioh. 15. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 12. 1 Cor. 7. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 2. Ier. 14. 10. Psal 95. Psal 16. 8. Psal 25. 15. 1 Cor. 7. 24. Col. 3. 6. Col. 2. 2. Heb. 5. 14. Prov. 4. 25. Psal 119. 59. Iob 19. 28. Luke 23. 34. Eccl. 5. 6. Isa 44. 15. Prov. 3. 6. 1 Sam. 27. Psal 119. 5. Psal 25. Prov. 14. 16. Rom. 12. 3. Prov. 26. 27. 1 Kings 18. 21. Heb. 12. 13. Mat. 8. 20. Gen. 17. 1. Gen. 14. 23. Heb. 12. 12. 〈…〉 Phil 4. 13. 1. Sam. 2. 9. Isa 35. 8. Psal 119. 5. Doctrine Col. 4. 5. Cant. 2. 7. Psal 111. 10. Psal 2. 10. Deut. 4. 6. Psal 101. 2. Prov. 4. 5. 7. Rom. 1. 22. Phil. 3. 13. Prov. 17. 24. Prov. 4. 25. Psal 73. 25. Eccles 2. 14. Eccles 10. 2. Prov. 14. 8. Ioh. 14. 6. Hos 13. 13. Hos 13. 13. 2 Sam. 24. 10. Psal 107. 17. Mat. 10. 16. Eccles 12. 1. Ioh. 9. 4. Prov. 10 5. Eccles 9 10. 1 Cor. 15 41. Cant. 8. 12. 1 Sam. 18. 23. 2 Iâ—h 2. 1 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. v. 5 6 7 8. Deut. 8. 18. Hag. 1. 6. Prov. 10 7. 1 Cor. 1. 25. Iames 5 〈…〉 Hab. 2. 11. 1. Cor. 3. 19. 1 Ioh. 2. 16. Luke 12. 20. Ioh. 6. 27. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Psal 73. 22. Ier. 42. 22. 1 Tim. 6. 5. Prov. 26. 16. Verse 12. Mat 11. 19. Iob 11. 12 Ier. 8. 8. 1 Thes 1. 22. Eccles 10. 1. Eccles 8. 1. Prov. 12. 15. 2. Cor. 3 18. Isa 30. 5. Gal. 5. 16. Mat. 13. 3. 4. Verse 11. 13. Verse 14 15. Verse 19. c. Iohn 16. 25. Chap. 24. 3. Chap. 24. 37. Verse 42 43. Verse 44. Math. 13. 25. Verse 13. Plut. Problem 1 Tim. 4. 5. So Grotius Luke 12. 25. Psal 45. 14. Iudg. 14. 11. Math. 19. 15. Verse 2. Verse 6. Rev. 6. 10. 2 Pet. 3. 〈◊〉 Gen. 〈◊〉 17. Matth. 3. Isa 58. 1. Mica 6. 9. 1 Thes 4. 16. Acts 3. 21. Vntil the time of the restitution of all things Verse 6. Chap. 24. v. 36. Chap. 24. v. 4â— Chap. 24. ver 51. Isa 23. 12. Isa 47. 1. Jer. 46. 11. 1 Thes 1. 9. 2 King 19. 21. 2 Pet. 2. 20. Rom. 10. 10. Mat. 5. 16. 2 Tim 3. 5. Verse 8. Verse 5. 〈◊〉 Ioh. 〈◊〉 9. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Luke 21. 34. Verse 6. Mat. 13. Mat. 20. 26. Verse 2. Verse 3 and 4. 1 Iohn 2. 20. And many other places 〈◊〉 55. 1. 〈◊〉 King 8. 27. Isa 47. 13. Verse 11. Mat. 7. 22. Mat. 7. 23. Amos 3. 2. 1 Ioh. 2. 3. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Mat. 7. 37. Iohn 7. 46. Mat. 7. 29. Mica 5. 4. Isa 40. Mat. 11. â—9 18. 3. Ioh. 13. 10. 12. 14. Mat. 20. 21. Deut. 6. 6. Luk. 1. 66. Psal 1. 19. 11. Col. 3. 16. Mat. 15. 16. Luke 24. 45. 1 Cor. 3. 1 2. Luc. 24. 25. Isa 5â— Acts 26. 28. Acts 24. 25. Heb. 2. 1. Iam. 5. 25. Mat. 13. 14 19. 2 Pet. 1. 13. Phil. 3. 18. I told you often and now tell you weeping with more affection then before Eccles 12. 11. 2 Pet. 1. 13. 1 Chron. 29. 18. Ver. 9. and 17. 2 Pet. 1. 13. Mat. 21. 30. Vse 1. Eph. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 12. 1 Thes 5. 20. 1 Iohn 2. 20. 1 Ioh 2. 21. 〈◊〉 Thes 4. 9. Phil. 3. 1. Verse 18. 1 Cor. 5. 9. Col. 3. 2. 2 Tim. 4. 2. 1 Tim. 4. 14 15 16. Mat. 13. 52. Phil. 3. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 12 13. It grieved Peter when Christ came over so often with it Lovest thou me Ioh. 21. 17. Heb. 1. 1. Eccl. 12. 10. They had the same manna but were allowed to dress it diversly Isa 28. 10. Phil. 4. 3. 1. Phil. 3. 18. Numb 21. 5. Gal. 3. 2 Thes 2. 10 11. Rom. 1. 2. 1 Thes 4. 9 10. 1 Pet. 1. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 16. Luk. 21. 34. 2 Pet. 2. 3. â— Cor. 11. 30. Mat. 13. 37 3â— 39. Doct ver 10. Mat. 7. 22. Mat. 7. 23. Ioh. 3. 29. Mat. 9. 15. Mat. 22. 2. Râ—v 19. 9. Râ—v 31. 29. The High Priest to m 〈…〉 ry only a V 〈…〉 gin Lev. 21. 1 〈…〉 2 Cron. 29 30. Phil. 2. 6. Hâ—b 1. 3. Isâ— â—3 8. Rom. 8. 32. Ioh. 3. 16. Ezek. 16. 3. Heb. 1. 3. Isa 53. 4. Cant 5. 10. Isa 9. Isa 54. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 10. 42. Heb. 4. 15. Ioh. 3. 16. Ioh. 4. 10. Ioh. 17 9. Act. 5. Gen. 34. 8 11 11. Prov. 1. uâ—t Eph 5. 25. 1 Sam. 18. 25. Colos 2. 15. Ioh. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 11 2. Ioh. 3. 29. Isa 53. 1. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2 Câ—â— 11. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Gal. 3 2. Mat. 1. 14. Deut. 22. 23. Lat. Alex. Gen. Dier l. 2. Page 58. One promising another were called Sponsus Sponsa Ezek. 16. Not great Deut. 7. 7. Nor good Jos 24. 23. they were Idolaters