difficult And hast thou a careless spirit the more need there is that thou shouldst set upon this work that thou mightest bring it into a better government Secondly Wouldst thou neglect this duty because it is painful upon the same account thou mayst cast of other duties Thou can't not pray nor hear as thou shouldest without pain Give way to this objection and for ought I know in a little time thou mayst bid farwel to all thy Religion thou mayst cast off every duty Thou canst not imagine what a plague it may be to thee if thou shouldest give way to this objection Give Satan an inch and he will take an ell forbear one duty because of difficulty and he will easily perswade men to forbear others Thirdly Consider who it is that buzzes this in thine ear Certainly it is the devil the grand enemy of thy soul. God says Commune with thy own heart Satan says no it is too painful VVhy who wilt thou be ruled by God or Satan thy best friend or thy worst enemy Christian in these outward concernments thou wilt not advise with thy mortal enemy in things that concern thy life And why wilt thou be such a fool in the matters of thy soul Fourthly What dost thou cry out of pain It is thy very calling and profession to tâ—…ke pain What mean those expressions in Scripture else whereby the life of a Christian is set forth by striving wrestling fighting pressing toward the mark To take pain is essential to Christianity and without this thou canst not be a Christian. To leave any duty because it is painful is a contradiction to thy profession thou dost herein deny thy self to be a Christian â—…ifthly The more difficult the work is the more profitable thou wilt find it That duty that cost's us nothing will yeild us nothing and that duty that cost's us much pain will yeild us much peace and comfort Sixthly Consider is not grace worth the taking pains for What wilt thou take pain for if not for grace Look about in the world see how the men of the world run and ride sweat and tire themselves for toyes and trisles What pains then shouldst thou take for grace one dram of which is more worth than a world By this means thou mayst grow in grace more in one moneth than in some years before And let me tell thee I have not Charity enough to think thee a Christian indeed if thou dost not think grace worth any labor or pain that thou canst possible be at in the getting of it Seventhly Consider Christian what pain Christ did take and what misery he did undergo for thee Thy soul was dearer to him than his own glory and thy salvation than his own life and blood And shall not his glory his commands be dearer to thee Christian than a little carnal ease Think upon it if thou hast any spark of ingenuity this consideration will prevail upon thee to set about this work I come now to propound some motives to stir up those that have not begun this work to set about it And those that have begun to go on in this work First Consider it is the command of God It is not the voyce of man but of God It is God that speaks to thee Commune with thy own hearts Examine thy self Christian I urge the command of God upon thy Conscience wilt thou obey or wâ—…lt thou not darest thou to set thy self against God! and set thy will above the will of God! O think upon it Secondly Consider the time when and the manner how you consented to set to the performance of this duty It was in a time of love at a feast of love and after a Song of love Consider what a rich mercy God hath bestowed upon you in giving you liberty to draw nigh to him in such an ordinance as you lately sate under It was but a little while ago beloved that you thought that you should drink no more of the fruit of the vine till you drank it in your fathers kingdome And behold contrary to your expectations the King hath sent to you saying come and sup with me come and sit at my table Hath God dealt so with any people He hath feasted you in a time of famine and spread a table for you in a howling wildâ—…rness Doth not this extraordinary providence think you call upon you for some extraordinary duty And do not you think in your consciences that it is this duty Why else hath God propounded it to you and urged it upon you in such a time as this is If you neglect it it may cause God to take away the Corâ—… and wine from you and to break the stasf of 〈◊〉 Thirdly What do you know but God put it into the heart of his servant to press this duty at that time to try whether you were real in that love and loyalty which you did then prosess to him I suppose you all understand the transactions that passed there between God and you that God did put his seal to the Covenant that he would make good all the mercy promised and that you did put your seal thereby binding your selves to the performance of all the duties required Fourthly Consider when another such opportunity is offered to you how will you be able to look God in the face Methinks that man should not dare to come to the Sacrament and again put his seal to the Covenant that hath knowingly and willingly broken his last engagement Fifthly Doth not your own looseness and the enemies profaneness and the present dispensations that you are under call upon you for more than ordinary strictness in your lives and conversations The Lord have mercy upon us what prejudice have we brought to the Gospel by our carnal careless conversations VVhat pitch of profaneness are the enemies of God risen to They are not afraid to bid him defiance at his face In what a doleful case are many of our brethren abroad in the world and how sad is it like to be with us The glory of God is gone from the publick to your houses and are you not afraid I am sure there is reason enough to think that it will take its flight from thence too And doth not all this call upon us aloud in the language of the prophet Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways and turn unto the Lord. If we look behind us and see what we have been If about us and see how devilish men are And above us to see the black clouds that hang over our heads we cannot but see that it is time to take another course to live more like Christians And what course so likely to effect this as daily self-examination serious consideration is the best way to sound and thorough reformation Sixthly Consider the excellent advantages that will come to thee by taking this course Christian wouldst thou have peace of conscience The sence of Gods love shed abroad upon thy
bridegroom Secondly as redeemed Captives do their deliverer Thirdly as dutiful subjects do their King First As a Bride doth her Bridegroom This I shall open to you in three particulars First Put off the rayment of your captivity Secondly put on the wedding Garment Thirdly trim up all your Lamps First Put off the rayment of your Captivity If the poor Captive woman were to shave her head and pair ber nails and put off the rayment of her captivity c. Deut. 21. 13. before she was to be married to any one of the Tribes of Israel how much more should you put off the old man and your sinful deeds that are to be married to Christ If so be the Children of Israel were to wash and sanctifie themselves and wash their cloaths when the Lord was to come down upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19. how much more should you when the Lord 〈◊〉 comes down to you you know that Children may not come at their fathers Table with unwashed hands neither must you to eat of the dainties spread in the Gospel Secondly You must put on the wedding garment You will say what is this it is a conjugal love to Jesus Christ. And this is compared to a garment for we are bid to put on charity or love And it s set forth as the best part of the Christian rayment and above all things put on Charity for what more fits a marriage than a conjugal affection you should bring forth your most strong and ardent affections and love to him you should meet him with songs and what songs such as the Psalmist doth Ps. 45. title A song of Loves let your eyes be fixed upon Christ in the Gospel till your eyes affect your heart and while your heart is musing the fire will be kindling where will you bestow your love but where the bridgroom is so lovely Thirdly You should trim up all your Lamps you should snuâ—…f all your lights and trim up all your lamps to go forth to meet him And receive him and feed upon him when he is offered he is held out to you on purpose in the Gospel for you to take and receive him Gal. 3. 1. Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been ardently set forth crucified among you But you will say was Christ 〈◊〉 in Galatia he was in the preaching of the word he was crucified among them Secondly You must meet him as redeemed captives do their deliverer would you know how this is it is with palms of victory in your hands with garments of salvation with songs of deliverance These are the three things wherein this stands you have all together in Rev. 7 9 10. They were in white robes the garments of Salvation and palms of victory and they had the songs of salvation too ver 10. Oh Brethren if you have any sence of your spiritual bondage and captivity to be the servants of sin under the fear of death under the King of terrors then be glad in your redeemer meet him with songs of praise O how should the high praises of God be heard in your mouths you should meet him as the virgins did David at his return from his victory 1 Sam. 18. 6. with singing and dancing with joy c. Thus should you meet your deliverer you should compass him with songs of praise O my Brethren you that are the redeemed of the Lord look down into the horrible pit and then look up and sing songs to the Lord. O it is a glorious salvation that Christ hath wrought for us How welcome was he to good old Simeon how sweetly doth he hug Christ in his arms and much more you must think in his heart now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation This we have seen we have seen Christ coming to us in the Gospel We have seen him like Sampson pulling down the house about our enemies and carrying away the posts and setting them up as Trophies of his victory It was he that was condemned that you might be freed O let your lips praise him and the souls which he hath redeemed let me call upon with the Psalmist Psalm 98. A psalm on purpose to Jews and Gentiles to sing to the Lord for their deliverance versâ—… 3. He hath remembred his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God And what use doth the Psalmist make of this vers 4. make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth c. He goes on calling upon all the Creatures to praise God for this If the Sea must roar and the floods clap their â—…nds how much more should you do it that are the redeemed of the Lord. Thirdly Meet him as dutiful subjects do their King This is the news sent to Zion behold thy King cometh Then meet him as a King receive him with acclamation and praise as they did when Solomon was proclaimed King 1 Kings 1. 39 40. They blew the Trumpet and all the pâ—…oplt said God save the King And the people piped with pipes and returned with great joy so that the earth rent with the sound of them O if they met King Solomon with such joy how should you meet Christ It is another manner of King that comes to you than Solomon was you should say to Christ as they did to Gideon Judg 8. 22. Rule thou over us for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian Thus should you say to Christ rule thou over us for he hath delivered you not from the hand of Midian but from Satan But how should we meet our King prepare the way bow the knee First Prepare the way Math. 3. 3. Christ had his fore-runner going before him that was John saying prepare you the way of the Lord make his paths straight How must the way of the Lord be prepared every Mountain must be brought low c. every Mountain of pride and opposition that are in our hearts must be laid low O if there be such preparing for the King where he is to lodge and go how much more should you for the King of glory where he is to lodge Secondly Bow the knee we read of Joseph and you know he was a type of Christ. that when Pharaoh had exalted him from the prison to such dignity he prepares some to go before him and cry bow the knee So God hath set up Christ and exalted him and given him a name above every name now let me call upon you and my self with you that you bow the knee to him I speak not of the bodily knee it is more than your cap and knee that he requireth He will have you to bow before him O then see that you bow before him see that you do him homage Now your King is set up in another manner than he was upon the Crosse behold your King That is
burning so 't is here 't is Christs coming hath sayed us from burning in this 〈◊〉 surnace How terrible this furnace is you may see Rev. 14. 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of hâ—… indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever And they have no rest day nor night O methinks the very sight of this surnace at a distance should startle our Souls and make us list up our hands and eyes and souls and praise the Lord. O methinks we that are the redeemed of the Lord we should stand together about the pit and look down and list up our hearts and praise the Lord. Fourthly From the King of terrors He hath saved you as from the Devil so from Death You know death is the mortal enemy of man 't is his great and last enemy and now this enemy hath Christ destroyed and delivered us from And that both from the sting and victory of it First From the sting of death He hath not delivered us from the stroke of death but he hath from the sting of death When the sting is out the serpent may hisse but he cannot sting Death will put you into the possession of that which Christ hath provided for you so that death now is become desirable now there is beauty in it There is no friend can do that for you that death can do It will at once deliver you from sin and Satan and give you a possession in heaven The Apostle looking upon death through Christ longs for death having a desire to depart c. Phil. 1. 23. This great robber through Christ is become our greatest gain That which would have marr'd us for ever will now make us for ever O that this King of terrors should become desirable what a mercy is this O my beloved did you know what the terrors of death be to an enlightned sinner you would account it a great priviledge to be sree from the sting of death When all his comforts are taking their everlasting farewell of him you would account it a great salvation then When he shall feel death putting in his cold hands and pulling out his heart when he sâ—…ail see his house of his body falling down about his ears and he cannot stay there any longer and he sees the hell-hounds stand about him and waiting upon him to carry him to Hell O what horror doth this work upon his heart this hath Christ delivered us from Death hath lest its sting in Christ it can hurt us no longer Secondly From the victory of death It is true we must lye in the grave for some time yet Christ will fetch us thence in John 6. He promiseth no lesse than four times I will raise them up at the last day And this is the fruit of his purchase 1 Thes. 4. 14. Christs resurrection is a certain pledge of ours so 1 Cor. 15. Therefore let us not fear death but embrace it with comfort for death cannot touch our souls it cannot deliver us over into the second death He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Therefore let us not fear death but let our slesh rest in hope When we dye we may commit our bodies to the dust with comfort it cannot hurt our souls and it shall keep our bodies but a little while neither God will receive our souls immediately our bodies after a little while How doth Job comfort himself in this I know that my redeemer liveth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my slesh shall I see God c. Thus may we triumph over death that in this flesh we shall see God And though death for the present do make such work upon us and cast us into the grave yet the earth will be but the mould wherein we shall receive a glorious body so that death shall conduce to our great advantage This is no little victory to be able to triumph with the Apostle O death where is thy victory This is no small priviledge Bless your redeemer for this priviledge VVhat a priviledge well this be when all the Sons and daughters of God shall be brought sorth and made to stand up before him then it shall appear that the grave was not able to hold them Then will they triumph and sing songs of salvation when they shall set their feet upon their last enemy death Secondly It will appear what blessed news this is if you consider how he hath saved you He hath saved you two ways by might and by merit â—…irst By merit Brethren your salvation cost your redeemer dear no less a price than his own invaluable blood O believer look upon thy self art not thou a worthless thing to be redeemed with the price of Christs blood O how should we admire the goodness of Christ here we are not worthy that Christ 〈◊〉 sâ—…end one of his thoughts upon us much less that he should spend his blood for us Seconly By might my brethren it was absolutely requisite for our salvation that our redeemer as he should be of infinite merit so of infinite might If he had not been of infinite merit he could never have been purchaser of heaven for us The soul of one man is more worth than a whole world and then what worth or value must that be of that is able to buy a world of souls and yet this purchaser must be able to buy heaven too and this hath Christ done for us Could heaven and earth have done this no no it would have broken them all if they had done it But now Christ hath done all for us and therefore he must be of insinite merit And not infinite in merit onely but might too for he was to bear all the wrath of God and to bring us off with victory If the wrath of Gods finger be so intolerable that it makes poor creatures to cry out under it what is the wrath of his loins and if the wrath of God against one man is so great what is his wrath against so many men VVhen the price was laid down the devil would not yield up his hold till Christ must come and cast him down and pluck us from him And therefore it was necessary that our redeemer should be of infinite power He hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil Ah brethren we may behold the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross bowing himself as Sampson did and pulling down the house about his enemies and carrying away the posts and all and setting us free This is our Sampson that hath carryed all away and destroyed our enemies for us The price was sufficient to satisfie the justice of God for us but when the price was paid and paid to God then
Satan would not let us go and therefore he must be overcome too First Use Is it such blessed news that to us is born a Savior then my brethren let this stir you up to Joy and thankfulness for this salvation O let me hear you say with Mary my soul doth magnifie the Lord my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Savior Luke 1. 46. Brethren methinks you should now meet your redeemer with songs of salvation Methinks you should come forth to meet him as they did Saul and David when they returned from their victory the women came out singing and dancing c. and they answered one another as they played saying Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands Thus should you meet your Redeemer You should go forth to meet him as Miriam and the women with her with timbrels and with dancings and sing unto the Lord Exod. 15. 20. 21. Oh brethren with what joyful heart should you welcome Jesus Christ your Savior this is glad â—…idings to all them that are saved by him Blessed be God that giveth us cause to triumph in him 'T is true in many other things it goes sad with us but here is cause always for us to â—…o triumph in Christ for the Spiritual deliverance that he hath wrought for you which is a sure pledge that Christ will deliver you in outward respects How blessed a time was the year of Jubile to the slaves that were in bondage how did they reckon every day and week till it came how glad was that sound that sounded their deliverance methinks I see the prison doors open and the prisoners running out and crying salvation to our God O methinks nothing but the songs of salvation should be heard in your tabernacles O let not complaining be heard for outward calamities VVhat are those outward flea-bitings to that which our Savior hath delivered us from go home and blesse the Lord and what ever ill news you hear let this comfort your heart that Christ hath made such a deliverance for you Second Use Is it such blessed news c. then this reproves our unthankfulness for Christ and the news of Christ in the Gospel Oh brethren how is it that the praise of our redeemer is no more in our hearts and no more heard in our mouths how is it that we can be so unmindful of and â—…thankful for this Saviour hath God sent usâ—… Saviour and shall not we be thankful for him It is a great sin to be unthankful for his creatures but how much more to be unthankful for his Christ he hath given you Christ and what can he give you more how is it that you are so seldome in blessing the Lord for this mercy bless the Lord O my soul saith David and forget not all his benefits that is none of his benefits If God had given you all this worlds goods and had not given you Christ what would it have done for you what had it been but a smooth and pleasant way to hell what if the Lord had given you honor and made your brethrens sheaf to bow before yours and had not given you Christ what good would it have done you if a man were condemned at London to be hang'd drawn and quartered and were to be brought down into the Country to be executed and all his way should be strowed with rushes and he attended with Musicians what would all this have done him O what should we have done if Christ had had not step'd in and sâ—…ved us none could have redeemed man but Christ. Heaven and Hell and the Earth and the Sea would have said it is not in me all the things in the world could never have satisfied for our sins Wilt thou look to thy brethren wilt thou look to the angels they could not do it The Spirits of just men made perfect could not save themselves none could do it but Christ and can you be unmindful of this the Heavens and the Earth will be astonished at this if you are not thankful for it There are two things that will heighten this â—…in First Because Christ hath given you so many helps to it Secondly Because thankfulness is all that he expects from us First Because he hath given us so many helps All the calls and invitations of the Gospel are as so many helps to this duty But more than these he hath appointed a special day and a special ordinance First A special day The Sabbath day Wherefore was this day changed but that you may be mindful of this mercy Secondly A special Ordinance The Saâ—… of the Supper is appointed upon this account that we might remember this mercy to our souls Secondly It is much aggravated by this because this is all that he expects from you for all that he hath suffered for you Christ hath done and suffered beyond all you can conceive or I can expresse to you and what Homage doth he now expect from you nothing but that you should be thankful to him And will you be unthankful now for this mercy This is that he expects by way of requital and return that you be thankful Had the Lord required some great thing of you or some hard condition if he would have dyed for you and redeemed you would you not have done it and how much more now he hath done it and and requires no more but this that you be thankful had you lain but one million of years in hell with what gladness would you have heard that sound that he would have redeemed you would you have stood upon the terms no no any terms then should have served Third Use Then prepare to receive your Saviour Oh if he be come take heed that you receive him in Let him not complain of you as he did of his native Country-men the Jews that he came unto his own and his own received him not When this news come that there was a Savior born one would have thought that all the world should have received him with triumph but there was no room for him in all the world but he was thrust out in the mâ—…nger Let it not be so with you Question But how shall we receive him I shall shew you whither and how First Whither you shall receive him receive him into your hearts not in your stal as he was at first but into your parlour into your hearts Your parlour is but a stable Thou mayst wonder that Christ will accept of thy heart send the key of your hearts to Christ let him take his choice where to lye give him the upper room in your hearts Secondly How or after what manner you should receive him First As the Centurion did humbly I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof So should you receive him with a deep sence of your everlasting unworthiness Receive him with a lively sence of your sins that you have wronged him This is a right receiving of Christ when he is received
Where envying and strife is there is every evil work Oh blesse the Lord that the hearts of believers have been made one in this place Psal. 133. 1. How good and beautiful is it to see Brethren dwell together in unity blesse the Lord you his people because the Lord hath blessed his people with peace Fourthly In the plenty and variety of its provision Oh remember this this day and forget not how God hath provided for you all along and that at that day when you did account that all was cut off How little did we dream of such a mercy had any told us then of these things we should have replied as that Lord did behold if the Lord would make windows in heaven might this thing be Ah Brethren should it have been told you before-hand that for so many years after that fatal day you should spend so many Sabbaths in the worship of God and so many Sermons in one Sabbath and so many Ministers sent to you and so many Sacraments to feed you as you have had you would have been ready to say if the Lord should open windows in heaven could this thing be and yet all this God hath done for you Oh blesse the Lord for this mercy Fifthly In the strange preservation of your Liberty Herein hath God been singular in his mercy to you hath not Christ fulfilled his word to you he that loseth his life for my sake so he that loseth his liberty for my sake shall 〈◊〉 it you have hazarded your liberties and have â—…ept them Many have declined their duty to preserve their liberty but blessed be God that you have adventured your liberty and God hath kept you in safety Indeed I can give you no time of your liberty but I can assure you that if you lose it sor him you shall 〈◊〉 by your losse Methinks Christ says to us as to his disciples whâ—… I sâ—…nt you sorth without shooes or scrip 〈◊〉 ye any thing and they said nothing so here when you have gone sorth adventuring your liberties for Christ have you lost them you 〈◊〉 say no. Sixthly Iâ—… sâ—…rving you by your 〈◊〉 Counsel â—…ow visibly hath God turned what the enemy intended sor â—…vil to be good to us so we may say as Joseph to his Brâ—…thren as for you you thâ—…ght â—…vil to me but God meant it for good You know how they have despightfully removed the Magistracy of the place but behold how much the Lord hath turned it for your good had they set up a Magistracy it had been the losse of your liberty They had a spightful eye upon you and it was thought that 〈◊〉 long agone would have been too hot for her inhabitants yet behold what freedome and liberty we have lived in behold men curse but God hath blessed us the more Oh how strange a thing is this that you should eat and drink in peace and go forth and come in in peace that you should attend the ordinances in peace Seventhly In eminent and gracious returns to your prayers Brethren this is not to be forgotten this day Returns of prayer do certainly call for great returns of praise It hath been observed by those that have bin longer with you than I that they never remember that God was earnestly sought unto sor any particular mercy in this place but he did sâ—…d a visible return except once when if God had sent you an answer according to your prayer it had been the hazzarding of the people of God in this place So that I may say to you what people is like to you who have God so near unto you in all that you have 〈◊〉 upon him sor Eighthly In keeping you â—…om the â—…astical Courts This is a mercy that we should be mindful os Indeed all along the Churchmalignant have been one os the persecuting enemies of the Church oâ—… God Witness the Scribes and Pharises Witness the 〈◊〉 who were all a long the stirrers up os men against the Church And so in divers 〈◊〉 men of late Nay and at this day through the rigour of these Courts especially in óther Counties many stand excommunicated many are threatned with Writs and some taken and cast into prison for term life unless God raise som unexpected means Now of all places one would have thought that we should have been dragged to prison by them And yet you see how God hath preserved us Ninthly In your glorious Salvations and dâ—…liverances Oh my Brethren remember and forget not the dealings of God with this place Let God hear of it throughout your praises now â—…his day what he hath done for you in saving youwith such wonderful Salvation The Sword and Famine and Plague and Fire have been upon you to consume you and yet you are here to blesse the Lord at this day methinks the Lord cals upon you as in Micah 6. 5. O my people remember now what Balaak King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal that you might know the rightcousness of the Lord. Such is the Language of the Lord to you Remember now what thine enemies consulted against thee howthey had gathered themselves against thee and besieged thee and did resolve to devour thee with thy children and not to leave thee one stone upon another O remember my people when your houses were on fire and the Plague in the street and the widdows crying and the children fatherless crying Ah! pittiful condition O remember now how I have helped thee that thou mightest know that I am the Lord thy Savior Thirdly If we come yet nearer and look upon our selves with reference to our particular persons as we are Christians and so God hath done more for us than he hath don for any others beside therefore praise you the Lord. And here I am in such a field that I know not the way out you are the members of Christ the children of your father which is in heaven what hath God done for you O you that fear the Lord praise the Lord. You may stand amazed to see what the Lord hath wrought â—…or your souls This is the Life of all when you can remember the everlasting loving kindnesse of God to you O friends consider now you that are the Lords peculiar people consider what God hath done for you above all other people Consider he hath made you the people of his choice The pillars of his name The vessels of his glory The Temples of his presence The Trumpets of his praise The men of his Counsel The Jewels of his Crown The Inheritors of his Kingdom Herein God hath done more for you then for others and should not you do more than others look upon these things and see then whether you should not do more for God than others First You are the people of his choice when others are but the refuge You are the pillars of his name when others are but broken and uselesse pot-sheards You are the
not I am a liar and where then is the honor of my truth but mercy pleaded if he dye where is the honor of my Grace and mercy Why now wisdome puts in a surety and that â—…oes for the principal Righteousness and peace have kissed each other How can this be Gods justice and righteousness did require that man should give satisfaction but this is all reconciled in Christ he reconciled God and man together Fourthly The greatest good coming out of the womb of the greatest evil Sin is the mother of all evil You will say can any good come out of such a womb as this It is true it cannot naturally come but God did so order it that it should be the occasion of it Were it not a wonder to see grapes come of thorns and Olives of thistles such a wonder you may see in Christ. You may see out of the sin of man comes great glory to God and good to man First Great glory to God for had not man sinned neither Gods justice nor mercy had been so magnified His justice had not been seen at all in a manner in punishing the offenders but 't is eminently seen in punishing of Christ who dyed for sinners This is a louder demon stration of the Justice of God than if God had turned all heaven and earth into confusion upon the sin of man Again hereby is way made for magnifying Gods mercy The sin of man as God hath ordered it hath given way to God in the demonstration of his mercy in forgiving and his justice in punishing It could not have bin thought that God had been of so gracious a nature able to put up such great affronts as man had given him had not sin given him occasion to magniâ—… his mercy Secondly Again as the sin of man hath given occasion to the advancing of Gods glory so for the promoting of mans good By this man is raised to a higher state of happiness and felicity than ever he should have been Now there is a nearer conjunction between God and man than ever was before the fall or ever should have been had it not been for the sin and fall of man Before it was said that man was made a little lower than the angels but now it may be truely said that he is so much higher than the Angels more nearly joyned to God Had man continued in innocence he had had onely a lengthening out of his temporal life in paradise but now by his sin Christ hath opened the door of heaven to him O then wonder at the power of Christ Fifthly Perfect justice raging against perfect innocence You know that God is perfect in his Righteousness and justice A God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he And yet notwithstanding his perfect Justice was set against his own son in whom there was nothing but perfect innocence He was the Lamb of God a lamb without spot and blemish full of grace and truth No guile was sound in his mouth and yet you know how the wrath of God brake out upon him It brake out upon him to the very uttermost that if he would but put himself into the room of man he must dye for it tho Justice it self said I find no fault in him yet he must dy all could not save him but if he will stand between God offending man and take our sins upon himself though he had none of his own yet justice takes hold of him Let me say as the Apostle behold the goodness severity of God Goodness to thee but severity unto Christ. O what had come upon you if you had been to bear the blow you see how Justice runs upon the Son of God and fals upon him and tears him to the ground and le ts out his blood and would not spare him though he were the only belovedSon of God O consider how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God! You read how when Daniels enemies were cast into the Lions den that they brake all their bones before they came to the bottome of the den O how wouldst thou have been torn had the Justice of God taken hold of thee Sixthly Insinite wisdome at cost upon meer worthlessenesse God expects the blood of his own Son which was of insinite value to redeem worthless man Would you not wonder to see a wise man to be changing Pearls for pebbles yet here it is a greater wonder the wise God redeeming by the death of his own Son sinful man out of the hands of his own justice Why what is man are not all the nations of the world as nothing before him and yet upon this nothing this vanity is Gods insinite wisdome at this cost that he might save us from eternal death Seventhly The Son of the Blessing made to be a curse Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Observe it 't is not said he was ACCURSED for us but a CURSE for us Christ hath delivered us from the curse but how by taking the curse upon himself You know the curses of the Law that were denounced against sinners all these curses met together upon one Jesus Christ. How is the book of Gods word full from one end to the other with Curses against sinners what a load then was there upon the back of Christ when all these curses met together upon him what a wonder is it that God should be cursing of his own Son to hear God say all my curses shall meet upon thee cursed shalt thou be in thy body and cursed shalt thou be in thy soul. To hear the great God speaking thus to his own Son go thou Cursed I will engage my Justice and wrath against thee to torment thee and put thee to death O what a sight was this yet thus it was with Jesus Christ. He had as many torments as members and all the torments that he endured had the curse of God in them Eighthly The Father of mercy forgetting his Bowels to his own Son VVe read of a very strange thing that was done by the King of Moab 2 Kings 3. 27. When he saw that the Battel was too sore for him c. he took his own Son that should have reigned in his stead and osfered him for a burnt offering what a strange sight was this yet there is a greater wonder than this to be seen in Christ to see God sacrificing his own Son and offering him up for a burnt-offering to appease his wrath against sinful man O shall not your hearts stand a wondering at this to see he that was a God of mercy to have no mercy for his own son he that had bowels of pity for you to have no pity for his Son O behold and wonder By this time I hope you are convinced that Christ is wonderful A SACRAMENTAL Speech grounded on Eph. 3. 19. And to know the love of Christ which
his heart and mind to believers And this account he gives to his father when he leaves the world he shews his father that he had taught them and opened his mind to them Joh. 17. 6 8 14. Christ doth open and reveal the fathers mind and will to believers And as he is pleased to converse familiarly with us so he doth let us converse with him My Brethren it is an unspeakable dignity that God doth admit man to in that he will speak with him Herein Moses did commend the people of Isrâ—…l in that there was no Nation like to them that God should speak to them and they speaâ—… unto God This is a glorious priviledge that God will speak to man especially that he will speak to him by his Son Heb. 1. 1. This is more than for God to speak to him out of the fire This is a great condesâ—…ention on Gods part and exaltation on mans part And then not onely that God should speak to man but that man should speak to God Ah brethren this is that should make us stand amazed that we should be admitted to speak to the great God This did astonish Abraham Gen. 18. 27. Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and Ashes He wondered at this great dignity â—…hat the great God should let him converse with him That his ear should be open to us and we should come and knock at his door and have admission O what a priviledge is this what an honour is this that we should have the honour to speak with the King let him be in what company he wâ—…ll and be carried into his bed-chamber And yet thus it is Oh admire this rich grace of God and cry out with the Psalmist in the text Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him Luk. 15. 23 24. Bring hither the fatted Cals and kill it and let us eat and be merry For this my Son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found MY beloved this text is so full of mercy on Gods part and so full of comfort for us that methinks I may close the book and have done as soon as I have begun methinks the text might be a Sermon of it self In it you have set before you the joy and triumph of heaven for the recovery of poor dead lost sinners 1. You have heavens joy and triumph for them Bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry Under this is signified the Joy that is in heaven over one returning sinner The Angels of God yea the God of the Angels do rejoyce in the conversion of one lost sinner 2. You have the cause of this Joy and that was from that blessed and happy change that had passed upon this prodigal And there is a twofold change that we find upon him In his heart and in his state 1. In his Heart That you have in the verses above When he came to himself he said how mauy hired servants of my fathers have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger Here is a great change wrought upon his heart he is now come to his sensâ—…s again An impenitent finner is beside himself none in the world is so distracted as he is All the madness in the world is nothing to this He that throws fire-brands at his head is not in so bad a 〈◊〉 as he that throws fire-brands at God Well the man is now come to his senses and what was the effect 1 He was sensible of his misery I perish with hunger This is one of the first things that God doth for his people when he brings them home to make them sensible of their misery 2 He was sensible of his sin too Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Not onely misery but the sense of sin must be set home upon the heart of a poor sinner or else the conversion will not be true 3 You have his confession and conversion His confession Father I have Sinned And his conversion he returned home to his Father 2. A change in his State When he comes to his father you shall see what an Alteration it made in his Father 1 From Nakedness to Clothing ver 22. But the father said to his servants bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet He was now new clothed from top to toe yea not onely for necessity but for ornament a ring on his hand O what a change was here from Rags to Robes And no other but the best Robes 2 From Penury to Plenty Bring hither the fatted calf Alass the poor starveling would have been glad but a little before to have eat of the husks that he fed the swine with but he could not have them But now the fatted calf must be fetched out and killed for him 3 From being lost to be found He was lost and is found 4 From being dead to be alive again There are four Observations that I shall commend to you from the words 1. Observ. That a Sinner in his Natural condition is not onely diseased but dead not onely strayed but lost 2. Obs. That there is a possibility even for dead Sinners to be raised for lost sinners to be recovered Consider this you that are here that are touched with the sense of your misery If any souls are touched with the sense of their misery and undone condition consider this that you may be found It hath been thus with all the saints of God They were dead and lost and yet are alive and are found and why may not you as well as they Oh pray and use the means Why should not you be turned too 3. Obs. That it is a most glorious and blessed change that God doth work in the state of a believer when he bringeth him to himself from the state that he was in no less than from being dead to be alive from being lost to be found 4. Obs. That it is mateer of Heavens joy and triumph when poor dead Sinners are revived and lost Sinners are recovered Bring hither the fâ—…ted calf c. and why so This my son was dead and is alive again was lost and is found It is the third of these Observations that I intend to insist upon That it is a most blessed and glorious change that God doth work in the state of a believer c. I shall open this in its several parts It is a great change that God doth work 1 From being dead to be alive Regeneration is not such a change as doth consist in performing such a duty or leaving such a sin that thou could'st not well live in It is pittiful to think how many take the leaving of one sin to be the new birth No it is no less than from being dead to be alive again 2 It is
Riches too I counsel thee to buy of me gold that thou mayest be Rich Rev. 3. 18. 'T is the true Riches And so it is Health and Soundness too Prov. 3. 8. It shall be health to thy Navel and marrow to thy bones Secondly From a state of darkness to a Land of Light You know the grave is a place of darkness and death a state of darkness Thus is it in the Spiritual death Dead souls are all in darkness under the power of darkness Act. 26. 18. The grave for our dead bodies is a place of darkness but the grave for dead souls is a place of utter darkness of everlasting darkness The grave is Formidable and deep You know when a body is dead it must be buried that it may not annoy us God hath provided a grave to bury dead souls in out of his sight and where do you think that this grave is Why Hell is the grave for dead souls The rich man was dead and was buried but where was he buried His soul was in Hell so some translate this place And being buried in Hell he lift up his eyes Luke 16. 22 23. Hell is a place of darkness and thick darkness O that is horrible indeed that is reserved for poor impenitent sinners the blackness of darkness for ever Jude 13. He doth not onely say darkness but blackness of darkness for ever Ah brethren this is that which Christ hath recovered you from from death to life If you go down into the grave and see how the dead do lye in darkness and silence how formidable is that But oh how will it be to see the grave of hell where dead souls are buried This was your place before you were sanctified Ah brethren what manner of praise what 〈◊〉 of deliverance should you compass the throne of Gods grace withal who have such a change wrought upon you Thirdly From a 〈◊〉 of Impotence to a state of power A natural state is an impotent state Rom. 5. 6. When we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly As a dead man is not able to move a finger to put off the worms that crawl upon his body and face So a dead soul cannot get the victory over his flesh and lusts He is under an impossibility of doing any thing acceptable before God But now God hath given you strength that you should leap and walk 〈◊〉 praise God God did put strength into thy feet when he recovered thee from death to life that thoâ—… shouldâ—… be able to go thorow dissiculties for his names sake Brethren those that are altogether without strength were certainly never brought to a true and spiritual life If thou art brought from death to life thou hast some strength it may be it is but a little strength But every Saint hath a little strength so that he doth not live in the wilsul practice of any sin If thou hast not thus much thou art dead in thy sins Fourthly From a state of Insensibleness to a state of Sense A Dead man is without sense He hath Eyes but he seeth not and Ears but he heareth not And thus it is with a dead soul. But now you that are believers you are raised from this miserable state I may say to you Blessed are your Eyes for you see and your Ears for you hear O what a change hath he wrought upon you 1. He hath opened your eyes when others are in blindness Brethren what a change is this How many do you see that live where the Gospel is Preached and yet remain ignorant O! what thankfulness should this provoke you to You are restor'd to your spiritual sense Before you thought it the smallest matter in the world to sin against God Now you look upon it after another manner O how should you bless God in those words of our Saviour I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes O! How many be there of the wise men great men of the world that have their eyes closed God hath hid these things from them that they cannot see them But your eyes see give God the glory 2. He hath bored your Ears when others are in deafness When others are like the deaf Adder he hath given you the hearing Ear the obedient Ear O! consider this and be thankful Thou hast of thy self a heart as obstinate as any other heart iâ—… the world Now if God hath given thee ears to hear O bless his Name How often may we call upon a Dead man and he never hear so we may call upon dead souls and they hear not with their souls at least though they hear with their ears 3. God hath loosed your Tongues when others are dumb and silent O what mercy is this Beloved you could not breath before God your Prayers and Requests with lise and fervour as you do unless God did unlose your tongues and open your mouths Man's lips are locked up and his tongue tyed up that he cannot utter himself beâ—…ore God or at least not with that fervency that others can O bless the Lord that he hath loosed your tongues 4. He hath given you Appetites when others rellish not the things of God Dost thou find any hungrings and thirstings after Christ and his Righteousness Is this that which thou dost pant after to be made more conformable to the Lord Dost thou pant after Christ as others pant after the world O bless God that hath put such a difference between thee and others When others relish not the things of God they arâ—… sapless things yea many times they seem burdenfome things to them God hath given thee such an appetite that thou findest a relish in them that nothing goes down so sweetly as the service of God 5. He hath given you your feeling when some others are past feeling We read of some that were past feeling Eph. 4. 19. You know a dead man hath no sense or feeling if you lay a Mountain upon him he feels it not So it is with a dead soul he feels not the burthen of his siâ—…s he complains not for his sins Now canst thou say that thy sins be the greatest trouble to thee in all the world O bless the Lord for this It is a great priviledge you that are Believers do groan under this burthen and 't is your duty so to do yet under this there is some life or else you would not feel your corruptions as you do And now to close all let me renew the Exhortation Rejoyce and be Thankful that though you were lost you are found again O remember what a condition you were in when you were lost Do you not remember what bitterness did seize upon you How many times did you give up your souls and did believe that you should never be found or restored And did God find you when you were lost O consider who it