subjects of mercy that are the nearest to mercy when their conscience is awakned they think themselves furthest off and we have need to presse abundance of mercy and all little enough to set the soul in frame There is none of us all but we shall see a necessity of pressing this one time or other before we die David when he had sinned he knew well enough that God was merciful oh but it was not a slight mercy that would satisfie him as we see Psal. 51. how he presseth upon God for mercy and will a little serve him No according to thy abundant mercy he presseth mercy and abundance of mercy a multitude of mercies and unlesse he had seen infinite mercy abundant mercy in God when his conscience was awaked with the foulness of his sin there being such a crie for vengeance his sinne called and cried if the blood of Christ had not cried above it mercie mercie and abundance of mercy multitudes of compassion the soule of David would not have been stilled So other Saints of God when they have considered the foulnesse of sin how odious it is to God they could not be quieted and comforted but that they saw mercie and abundance of mercie As the Apostle St. Peter saith 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who of his abundant mercie hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ to an inheritance immortall c. God is the Father of mercies For faith will not have sufficient footing but in infinite mercy in the time of despaire in the time of torment of conscience in the time of desertion it must be mercie and the Father of mercies and multitudes of compassions and bowels of love and all little enough for faith to fix on the faith of a conscience on the rack but when faith considers of God set out not as Satan sets him forth a God of vengeance a consuming fire when faith considers God pictured out in the Gospel it sees him the Father of Christ and our Father and the Father of mercies and God of comfort faith seeing infinite mercy in an infinite God and seeing mercy triumph against Justice and all other attributes here faith hath some footing and staies it selfe or else the converted sanctified soul seeing the odiousnesse of sinne and the clamorousness of sinne such that it will not be satisfied but with abundant mercy and God must be presented to it as a father of mercie and compassion before it can have peace Therefore if so be at any time our conscience be awakened and the Devill layes hard to us let us think of God as he hath made himself knowne in his Word as a Father of mercies and God of comfort represent him to our soules as he represents himself in his Word Times of desertion when we seeme to be forsaken of God will enforce this times of desertion will come when the soul will think God hath forgotten to be merciful and hath shut up his love in displeasure oh no he is the Father of mercie he never shuts up his bowels altogether he never stops the spring of his mercie He doth to our feeling but it is his mercie that he doth that it is his mercie that he hinders the sence of mercy he doth that in mercy it is to make us more capable of mercie afterward Therefore saith the Father when he comes to us in his love and the sence of it it is for our good and when he takes the sence of his love from us it is for our good for when he takes away the sence of his love from us it is to enlarge our soules to be more capable of mercie after to prize it more to walk warily and jealously to look to our corruptions better Therefore in the time of desertion think of this when God seemes to forget us Can a Mother forget her Child Isa. 49. 15. Suppose she should be so unnatural as to do it which can hardly be believed that a Mother should forget her child Yet notwithstanding I will not forget you you are written upon the palmes of my hands that is I have you alway in my eye So that if there were no mercies to be found in nature no bowels to be found in a Mother where usually they are most abundant yet notwithstanding there is mercie to be found in the Father of Mercies still Therefore in such times let us make use of this And another thing that we ought to learne hence is this if God be so in Christ Jesus for we must alway put that in for he is mercifull with satisfaction and yet it is his mercie that he would admit of satisfaction his mercy devised a way to content justice his mercy set all on work mercy is above justice in the work of Salvation justice hath received contentment from mercy but that by the way to make us have higher thoughts of mercy then any other attribute of God in the Doctrine of the Gospel in that Kingdom of Christ it is a Kingdom of Grace and mercy if we have hearts to imbrace it Let this incourage us to come to God and to cast our selves into the arms of this merciful Father If we have lived in other courses before let the mercy of God work upon our souls In Rom. 2. it is pressed there excellently This mercy of God should lead us to repentance it should encourage us What makes a Thief or a Traitor come in when there is proclamation out against him If there be a pardon sent after him it makes him come in or else he runs out still further and further while the hue and cry pursues him but hope of mercy and pardon will bring him in again So it is that that brings us in again to God the very hope of mercy and pardon if we be never so ill or have been never so ill do not put off but take this day now Now is the time now while it is called to day take the present time Here is our error if God be the Father of mercy I will cry him mercy at the hour of death I thou maiest go to hell with mercy in thy mouth he is merciful to those that truly repent but how dost thou know that thy repentance on thy death-bed will be true It is not sorrow for sicknesse and grief for death and fear of that but there must be a hatred of sin and how shall conscience tell thee now thou hast repented that it is a hating of thy sinful courses rather then the fear of damnation that is rather from the sence of grief Conscience will hardly be comforted in this for it will upbraid I now now you would have mercy We see by many that have recovered again that have promised great matters in their sicknesse that it is hypocritical Repentance for they have been worse after then they were before It is not a sufficient matter to yeeld
he is a God of power the Father of Power the guilty conscience then would reason he is the more able to crush me and to send me to hell Indeed there is no attribute of God but it is matter of terrour being secluded from mercy but considering God the Father of mercies then we may consider sweetly and comfortably of all other attributes He is mercifull and good to me therefore his wisdom that shall serve to do me good to devise good things for me his power shall serve to free me from mine enemies his Justice to revenge my quarrell and so all other attributes shall be serviceable to my comfort they may be thought upon sweetly where mercy is laid claime unto before Therefore here he is called the Father of mercie and not the Father of other attributes Of Mercies To unfold the word a little mercie is here the same with grace to a person in miserie Mercie is but free favour shewed to a miserable person Grace shews the freenesse of it and mercie shews the state of the person to whom it is shown alway where mercy is either there is present or else possible miserie There was mercie shewed to Angels that stood to free them to give them grace to stand they might have fallen as the Devils did when they were Angels none are the Subjects of mercie but such as either are in misery or are possible to fall into miserie now when God keeps and upholds the creature from falling into that which he is subject to fall into he being a creature taken out of nothing and therefore subject to fall to nothing without assistance to hold him from that whereto he would fall without being upheld this makes him the Object of mercy whatsoever the misery be spirituall or outward Thus God is the Father of mercie he upholds his Children from that which else they would fall into continually He is the Father of mercie before conversion offering and injoyning mercie to them that as they will be good to their soules they would receive mercie He joyns his glory and his mercy together that he will be glorified in shewing mercie and he presseth it upon us What a mercie is this that he should press mercie upon us for our own good Why will ye dye O House of Israel And Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden there is mercie before conversion and there is mercie in prolonging his wrath in not punishing and there is mercie in pardoning sinne freely in pardoning all sinne the punishment and the guilt and all and when we are in the state of Grace and have our sins pardoned still it is his mercy to forbeare the punishments due to us in mitigating his corrections and in seasonable corrections for it is a mercy for God to correct his Children seasonably Therefore we are corrected of God that we should not be damned with the world It is a mercy to have seasonable correction it is a mercy to have correction mitigated and sweetned with some comforts It is a mercy after we are in the state of Grace besides this to have the continuance of outword blessings God renews his mercies every day His mercies faile not Lament 3. 22. his mercies are renewed continually upon us So he is father of all kind of mercies privative mercies in freeing us from ill and positive mercies in bestowing good pardoning mercies healing mercies preserving mercies all mercies come from this Father of mercie I will not stand to unfold them in particular for indeed every thing that comes from God to his children it is a mercy it is as it were dipt in mercy before it comes to us it is a mercy that is there is a freedome in it and a pity to his creature For the creature is alway in some necessity and in some dependance we are in a state of necessities in this life in some misery or other and that as I said is the object of mercy Besides we are dependant for the good we have it is at Gods mercy to continue or to take away any comfort that he gives us every thing is a mercie And in every thing we take from God we ought to conceive a mercy in it and to think this is a mercy from God if we have health it is a mercy if we have strength it is a mercy if we have deliverance it is a mercy it comes in the respect and relation of a mercie all that comes from God He is not said to be the father of the thing but the Father of mercies there is a mercy contained in the thing they come from the pity and love of God and that is the sweetest therefore he is said to be the Father of mercies What use may we make of this that God is the Father of Mercies It is a point full of sweet and comfortable uses to those that are not in the state of grace and to those that are in the state of grace To those that are not in the state of grace they should see here a haven to flie to a City of refuge to flie unto do but consider thou wretched soul how God is stiled a Father of mercies to thee a God of bounty all is to allure thee to repentance to allure thee to come in He is not mercifull by accident but he is naturally merciful in himself he hath bowels of mercie in himself Mercy pleaseth him Micah 7. Therefore despair not thou drooping soul whosoever thou art that art under the guilt of sin come to the Father of mercies cast thy self into this Sea of his mercie hide thy self in these bowels be not an enemy to thine own mercie as Jonah saith refufe not thy own mercie that is offered There is mercie pressed upon thee mercie with threatning if thou believe not mercy now thou art called to receive it The wrath of God hangs over thee as a weight or as a sword ready to fall upon thee As Christ sath Joh. 3. The wrath of God hangs over us if we do not receive mercie offered us Alledge not thy sins against mercie thy sins are the sins of a creature God is the Father of mercies he is infinite Christ thy Saviour hath made an infinite satisfaction and thy sins are finite and in that respect there is mercie for thee if thou wilt come in if thou apprehend and receive mercie One deep calls upon another deep the depth of thy sins and misery drawes unto it and calls upon the depth of mercy The mercy of God is above all his works Psal. 147. It is not only above all his works to cover them all and under them to uphold them but it is beyond them all his mercy exceeds all other attributes to the creature It is above his works and upon his works and under his works and it is above thy works too He is more glorious in his mercy then in any other attribute he doth all for the glory of his mercy both
from us he takes occasion from our sins but he is merciful from his own bowels he is good from himself we provoke him to be severe and just therefore be we never so miserable in regard of sin and the fruits of sin yet he is the Father of mercy of free mercy mercy from himself mercy pleaseth him Micah 7. he is delighted in it Now that which is natural comes easily as water from the fountain comes without violence and heat from the fire comes without any violence because it is natural A Mother pitties her child because it is natural there is a sweet instinct of nature that moves and pricks forward nature to that affection of love that she bears to her child So it is with God it is nature in him to be merciful to his because they are his Mercy is his nature we are his we being his his nature being merciful he will be merciful to all that are his to such as repent of their sins and lay hold of his mercy by a true faith His word shewes likewise his mercy there is not one attribute set down more in Scripture then mercy it is the name whereby he will be known Exod. 34. where he describes it and tells us his name what is the name of God his long suffering and mercy c. there is a long description of of God in that place David in Psal. 3. besides that which is in every Prophet almost hath the fame description of God to comfort Gods people in his time in Psal. 86. 103. 145. there is the same description of God as there is in Moses he is merciful and long suffering c. he describes himself to be so and his promises are promises of mercy At what time soever a sinner repents and without limitation of sins all sins shall be forgiven the blood of Christ purgeth us from all sin If there be no limitation of persons whomsoever of sins whatsoever or of time whensoever here is a ground that we should never despair God is the Father of mercies It is excellent that the Prophet hath in Isai. 55. 7. to prevent the thoughts of a dejected soul Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and return to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon I but I have abused mercy a long time I have lived in sin and committed great sins well notwithstanding that see how he answers it My thoughts are not your thoughts you are vindictive if a man offend you you are ready to aggravate the fault and to take revenge c. But my thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes saith the Lord for as far as the heaven is above the earth so are my thoughts above your thoughts and my wayes above your wayes We have narrow poor thoughts of mercy because we our selves are given to revenge and we are ready when we think of our sins to say can God forgive them can God be merciful to such c. My thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes It is good to consider this and it is a sweet meditation for the time undoubtedly will come that unlesse Gods mercy and Gods thoughts should be as him self is infinite unlesse his wayes should be infinitly above our wayes and his thoughts infinitly above ours in mercy certainly the soul would receive no comfort The soul of a Christian acquainted with the word of God knows that Gods mercy is as himself is infinite and his thoughts this way are as himself is infinite Therefore the Scripture sets down the mercies of God by all dimensions There is the depth of Wisedom but when he comes to speak of love and mercy as it is in Ephes. 3. Oh the depth and bredth and height of this Indeed for height it is higher then the heavens for depth it fetcheth the soul from the nether most-deep we have deep miserie out of the deep Icryed to thee yet notwithstanding his mercy is deeper then our misery O the depth of his mercy there is a depth of mercy deeper then any misery or rebellion of ours though we have sunk deep in rebellion And for the extent ofthem as I said before his mercy is over all his workes it extends to the utmost parts of the earth The scripture doth wonderfully enlarge his mercie beyond all dimensions whatsoever These things are to good purpose and it is a mercy to us that he sets forth himself in mercy in his word because the soul sometime or other when it is awakned as every one that God delights in is awakened first or last it needs all this it is all little enough God is merciful to those that are heavy laden that feel the burden of their sins upon their souls such as are touched with the sence of their sins God still meets them half way he is more ready to pardon then they are to ask mercy As we see in the prodigall when he had wasted all when he was as low as a man could be when he was come to huskes and when he had despised his fathers admonition yet upon resolution to return when he was stung with the sence of his sins his father meets him and entertains him he upbraids him not with his sin Take sin with all the aggravations we can yet if we repent and resolve uppon new courses there is comfort though we relapse into sin again and again if we must pardon 10. times 7. times as Christ saith certainly there cannot be more mercy in the Cistern then there is in the fountain there cannot be more mercy in us then there is in the Father of mercies as God is Take sin in the aggravations in the greatnesse of it Manasses sin Peters denying of his Master the thief on the crosse and Pauls persecution take sin as great as you will he is the father of mercies If we consider that God is infinite in mercy and that the scripture reveals him as the Father of mercies there is no question but there is abundance a world of comfort to any distressed soul that is ready to cast it self on Gods mercy For those that are converted that are in the state of Grace Is God the father of mercies Let this stir us up to imbrace mercy every day to live by mercy to plead mercy with God in our daily breaches to love and fear God because there is mercy with him that he might be feared It is a harder matter to make a daily sweet use of this then it is taken for Those that are the fittest subjects for mercy they think themselves furthest off from mercy Come to a broken soul who is catched in the snare whose conscience is on the rack he thinks alas there is no mercy for me I have been such a sinner God hath shewed me mercy before and now I have offended him again and again those that are the
favour and grace of great persons alway And as the favourable aspect of the heavens upon inferiour bodies promiseth good things and men promise themselves from that favour and good so the favour and grace of God enlarge the soul with joy and comfort And there is that measure of joy in those that are in the free favour of God that they will honour God freely to cast themselves upon his mercy And it is with a disesteem of all things in the World besides it is such a joy as works in the soul a base esteem of all things else St. Paul esteemed all drosse in comparison of the knowledge of Christ and the favour of God in Christ. So in Psal. 4. David saith of some There be many that will say who will shew us any good any good it is no matter but saith the Holy Spirit in David Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon me He goes to prayer he saith not who will shew us any good it is no matter what or how we come by it any earthly good worldly men desire No saith he Lord shew us the light of thy countenance he desires that above all things So he saith Psal. 3. The loving kindnesse of the Lord is better then life it self Life is a sweet thing the sweetest thing in the World but the grace and favour of God is better then that For in this when all comforts fail the Children of God have assurance that neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come nor any thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ which shews it self better then life it self When life fails this favour shall never fail Nothing shall be able to separate us from the favour of God in Christ it is an everlasting favour and therefore everlasting because it is free if it were Originally in us it would fail when we fail but it is an everlasting favour because it is free God hath founded the cause of love to us in himself so much for that Grace be unto you And peace All that I will say of peace in this place is this to shew That True peace issues from Grace It is to be had thence Peace we take here for that sweet peace with God and peace of conscience and likewise peace with all things when all things are peaceable to us when there is a sweet successe in all businesse with a security in a good estate It is a blessed thing when we know that all will be well with us This quiet and peaceable estate issues from grace peace of conscience especially I observe it the rather It hath been the errour of the world to seek peace where it is not to seek peace in Sanctification to seek it in the work of Grace within a man Not to speak of worldly men that seek peace in outward contentments in recreations in friends and the like alas it is a poore peace But I speak of Religious persons that are of a higher straine they have sought peace but not high enough True peace must be selected from Grace the free favour in Christ. This will quiet and still the clamours of an accusing conscience God reconciled in Christ will pacifie the conscience nothing else will do it For if our chief peace were fetched from sanctification as many fetch it thence in error of judgment alas the conscience would be dismaid and alwaies doubt whether it had sanctification enough or no. Indeed sanctication and grace within is required as a qualification to shew that we are not Hypocrites but are in the state and covenant of Grace it is not required as a foundation of comfort but as a qualification of the persons to whom comfort belongs Therefore David and St. Paul and the rest that knew the true power and efficacy of the Gospel they sought for peace in the grace and free favour of God Let us lay it up to put it in practise in the time of dissolution in the time of spiritual conflict in the time when our consciences shall be awakened and perhaps upon the rack and Satan will be busie to trouble our peace that we may shut our eyes to all things below and see God shining on in Christ that we may see the favour of God in Christ by whose death and passion he is reconciled to us and in the Grace and free favour of God in Ghrist we shall see peace enough It is true likewise besides peace of conscience of all other peace peace of successe and peace of state that all creatures and all conditions are peacable to us whence is it It is from Grace for God being reconciled he reconciles all when God himself is ours all is ours when he is turned all is turned with him when he becomes our father in Christ and is at peace with us all are at peace besides so that all conditions all estates all creatures they work for our good It is from hence when God is turned all are turned with him He being the God of the creature that sustaines and upholds the creature in whom the creature hath his being and working he must needs therefore turn it for the good of them that are in covenant with him All that are joyned in covenant with him he fills them with peace because they are in Grace with him This should stir up our hearts above all things in the world to pray for Grace to get Grace to empty our selves of self-confidence that we may be vessels for Grace to make Grace our plea to magnifie the Grace of God We must never look in this world for a peace altogether absolute that is reserved for heaven our peace here is a troubled peace God will have a distinction between heaven and earth But when our peace is interrupted when the waters are come into our souls what must be our course when we would have peace go to Grace go to the free promise of Grace in Christ. Grace and Peace From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The spring of Grace and peace are here mentioned After the Preface he comes to the Argument which he intends and begins with blessing One part of the scope of this blessed Apostle is to avoid the scandall of his sufferings for he was a man of sorrows if ever man was next Christ who was a true man of sorrow the blessed Apostle was a man of miseries and sorrow Now weake shallow Christians thought him to be a man diserted of God they thought it was impossible for God to regard a man so forlorn so despicable as this man was What doth he before he comes to other matters he wipes away this imputation and cleers this scandal You lay my crosses and sufferings and disgraces in the world to my shame it is your weakness that which you account my shame is a matter of praise I am so farre from being disheartned or discouraged from what I suffer that Blessed be God the Father of
Christ the Father of mercies c. That which to the flesh is matter of scandall and offence that to the spirit and to a spirituall man is matter of glory so contrary is the flesh and the Spirit and so opposite is the disposition and the current of the fleshly man to the spirituall man Job was so farre from cursing God for taking away that he saith Blessed be the name of God not onely for giving but for taking away too What ground there is in troubles and persecutions to blesse God we shall see in the current and passages of the Chapter To come then to the very verse it selfe where there is a blessing and praysing of God first And in this praysing consider The Act Object Reasons The Act Blessed be God which is a praysing The Object is God the Father The Reasons are inwrapped in the Object Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because he is the God and Father of Iesus Christ therefore blessed be he Secondly another reason is because he is the Father of mercies Another reason is from the Act of this disposition of mercie in God he is the God of all comfort and as he is comfortable so he doth comfort Thou art good and doest good saith the Psalmist thou art a God of comfort and thou doest comfort For as he is so he doth he shews his Nature in his working Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and God of comfort of which I shall speake when I come to them Blessed be God the Father c. We see here the heart of the blessed Apostle being warmed with the sense and taste of the sweet mercy of God stirrs up his tongue to bless God a full heart and a full tongue We have here the exuberancie the abundance of his thankfulness breaking forth in his speech his heart had first tasted of the sweet mercies and comforts of God before he prayseth God The first thing that we will observe hence is that It is the disposition of Gods Children after they have tasted the sweet mercy and comfort and love of God to break forth into the praysing of God and to thanksgiving It is as naturall for the new creature to doe so as for the birds to sing in the Spring when the Sun hath warmed the poore creature it shews its thankfulnesse in singing and that little blood and spirits that it hath being warmed after winter it is natural for those creatures so to do and we delight in them It is as natural for the new creature when it feels the Sun of righteousness warming the soul when it tastes of the mercy of God in Christ to shew forth it self in thankfulnesse and praise and it can no more be kept from it then fire can keep from burning or water from cooling it is the nature of the new creature so to do The reason is every creature must do the the work for which God hath enabled it to the which God hath framed it the happinesse of the creature is in well doing in working according to its nature the heathen could see that Now all the creatures the new creature especially is for the glory of God in Christ Jesus All the new creature and what priviledges it hath and what graces it hath all is that God may have the glory of grace why then it must needs work answerable to that which God hath created it for therefore it must shew forth the praise and glorie of God Blessed be God saith the Apostle Ephes. 1. And the blessed Apostle St. Peter begins his Epistle Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten us to an Inheritance Immortal and undefiled which fadeth not away reserved for us in Heaven I shall not need to set down with the exposition of the word Blessed How God blesseth us and how we blesse God His blessing is a conferring of blessing our blessing is a declaring of his goodnesse it is a thing well enough known Our blessing of God is a praising of God a setting out what is in him Onely one thing is to be cleared What good can we do to God in blessing of him he is blessed though we blesse him not and he is praised whether we praise him or no he had Glorie enough before he made the world he contented himself in the Trinity the blessed Trinity in it self before there were either Angels or men or other creatures to blesse him and now he can be blessed enough though we do not blesse him It is true he can be so and he can have heaven though thou hast it not but be a damned creature and he will be blessed whether thou blesse him or no. Our blessing of him is required as a dutie to make us more capable of his graces to him that hath shall be given To him that hath and useth that he hath to the Glorie of God shall be given more we give nothing The stream gives nothing to the fountain the beam gives nothing to the Sun for it issues from the Sun our very blessing of God is a blessing of his It is from his Grace that we can praise his Grace and we run still into a new debt when we have hearts enlarged to blesse him We ought to have our hearts more enlarged that we can be enlarged to prayse God And to others it is good for others are stirred up by it Gods goodnesse and mercy is enlarged in regard of the manifestation of it to others by our blessing of God Yea this good comes to our souls besides the increase of Grace we shall find an increase of joy and comfort that is one end why God requires it of us though he himself in his essence be alway alike blessed yet he requires that we should be thankful to him alway that we should blesse and praise him even in misery and affliction why then because if we can work upon our hearts a disposition to see Gods love and to praise and blesse him we can never be uncomfortable we have some comfort against all estates and conditions by studying to praise God by working of our hearts to a disposition to praise and bless God for then crosses are light crosses are no crosses then That is the reason that the Apostles and Holy men so stirred up their hearts to praise and thansgiving that they might feele their crosses the less that they might be lesse sensible of their discomforts for undoubtedly when we search for matter of praysing God in any afliction and when we see there is some mercy yet reserved that we are not consumed the consideration that there is alway some mercy that we are yet unthankfull for will inlarge our hearts and God when he hath thanks and praise from us he gives us still more matter of thankfulnesse and the more we thank him and praise him the more we have matter of praise
This being a truth that Gods Children when they have tasted of his mercie break forth into his praise it being the end of his favours and nature being inclined thereto this should stirre us up to this duty and that we may the better perform this holy duty let us take notice of all Gods favours and blessings Knowledge stirs up the affections blessing of God springs immediately from an inlarged heart but enlargement of heart is stirred up from apprehension for as things are reported to the knowledge so the understanding reports them to the heart and affections Therefore it is a duty that we ought to take notice of Gods favours and with taking notice of them To mind them to remember them forget not all his benefits Psal. 103. Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits insinuating that the cause why we praise not God is the forgetting of his benefits Let us take notice of them let us register them let us mind them let us keep diaries of his mercies and favours every day he renews his mercies and favours every day and we ought to renew our blessing of him every day we should labour to do here as we shall do when we are in heaven where we shall do nothing else but praise and bless him we ought to be in Heaven while we are on the earth as much as we may let us register his favours and mercies But what favours Especially spirituall nay first spirituall favours without which we cannot heartily give thanks for any outward thing for the soule will cast with it self till it feele it selfe in Covenant with God in Christ that a man is the Child of God Indeed I have many mercies and favours God is good to me but perhaps all these are but favours of the Traytor in the prison that hath the libertie of the Tower and all things that his heart can desire but then he looks for an execution he looks for a writt to draw him forth to make him a spectacle to all and so this trembling for fear of a future ill which the soul lookes for it keepes the soul from thankfulnesse It cannot be heartily thankful for any mercy till it can be thankful for spiritual fauors Therefore first let us see that our state be good that we are in Christ that we are in the covenant of Grace that though we are weak Christians yet we are true there is truth in Grace wrought in us And then when we have tasted the best mercies spirituall mercies when we see we are taken out of the state of nature for then all is in love to us when we have the first mercy pardoning mercy that our sins are forgiven in Christ then the other are mercies indeed to us not as favours to a condemned man And that is the reason that a carnall man he hath his heart shut he cannot praise God he cannot trust in God because he staggers in his estate because he is not assured he thinks it may be God fattens me against the day of slaughter Therefore I know not whether I should praise him for this or no. But he is deceived in that for if he had his heart enlarged to blesse God for that God would shew further favour still but the heart will not yield hearty praise to God till it be perswaded of Gods love For all our love is by reflection We love him because he loved us first and we praise and blesse him because he hath blest us first in heavenly blessings in Christ. Let us take notice of his favours let us mind them let us register them especially favours and mercies in Christ. Let us after think how we were pulled out of the cursed estate of nature by what ministery by what acquaintance by what speech and how God hath followed that mercie with new acquaintance with new comfort to our souls with new refreshings that by his spirit he hath repressed our corruptions that he hath sanctified us made us more humble more careful that he hath made us more jealous more watchful these mercies and favours will make others sweet unto us And then learn to prize and value the mercies of God which will not be unlesse we compare them with our own unworthinesse lay his mercies together with our own unworthinesse and it will make us break forth into blessing of God When we consider what we are our selves as Jacob said lesse than the least of Gods mercies We forget Gods mercies every day he strives with our unthankfulnesse the comparing of his mercies with our unworthiness and our desert on the contrary will make us to blesse God for his goodnesse and patience that he will not onely be good to us in not inflicting that which our sins have deserved Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And to name no more bút this one above all beg of God his holy spirit for this Blessing of God is nothing else but a vent from the spirit For as Organs and wind Instruments do never sound except they be blown they are dead and make no musick till there be breath put into them so we are dead and dull instruments therefore it is said we are filled with the Holy Ghost All Gods children they are filled with the spirit before they can praise God the spirit stirres them up to praise him and as it gives them matter to praise him for so it gives the Sacrifice of praise it self God gives to his children both the benefits to blesse him for and he gives the blessing of a heart to blesse him And we must beg both of God beg a heart able to discern spiritual favours to tast and relish them and to see our own unworthinesse of them and beg of God his holy spirit to awaken and quicken and enlarge our dead and dull hearts to praise his name Let us stir up our hearts to it stirr up the spirit of God in us every one that hath the spirit of God should labour to stir up the spirit as St. Paul writes to Timothy and as David stirs up himself Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name so we should raise up our selves and stir up our selves to this duty And shame our selves what hath God freed me from so great misery and hath he advanced me to so happie an estate in this world doth he put me in so certain a hope of glorie in the world to come have I a certain promise to be carried to salvation that neither things present nor things to come shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus doth he renew his mercies every day upon me and can I be thus dead can I be thus dull-hearted Let us shame our selves And certainly if a man were to teach a Child of God a ground of humiliation if a Child of God that is in the state of grace should ask how
Esay 28. you have made a covenant with hell and death with Gods judgments but hell and death hath not made a covenant with you You make a covenant think you shall do well but God is terrible to such his wrath shall smoak against such as make a covenant with his judgments and treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Take heed if the proclamation of mercy call thee not in if thou stand out as a Rebell and come not in but go on still then justice layes hold on thee Gods wrath shall smoak against thee As we see in Prov. 1. I will laugh at your destruction speaking of those that would not come in Chidas it is in Esay 27. 11. He that formed them and made them will have no mercy on them nor shew them favour He will have no delight in them They are Ignorant sotts and will not labour to know God and his will to do and obey it he that made them will have no delight in them and he that formed them will reject them It is a pittiful thing when God that made them and formed them in their mothers womb whose creatures they are shall have no delight in them when he that made them his heart shall not pittie them Ezek. 18. 18. he that goes on in a course of sin presumptuously and doth not repent Gods eye shall not pittie him he that made him will have no delight in him Therefore the Apostle because we are disposed and prone to abuse the goodnesse and long suffering of God and the mercies of Christ he saith Be not deceived be not deceived he oft presseth this for neither the covetous nor licentious persons shall enter into heaven Though God be mercifull if thou live in these sins be not deceived thou shalt never enter into heaven God will not be mercifull to the most of those that even now live in the bosome of the Church because they make mercy a band to their sinful courses God will harden himself he will not blesse such he hath no mercy for such to such he is a God of vengeance His mercy is to such as are weary of their sinful courses as I said he is mercifull but so as he is wise What Prince will prostitute a pardon to one that is a Rebell and yet thinks himself a good Subject all the while he is no Rebell cares he for a pardon And shall he have a pardon when he cares not for it Those that are not humbled in the sight and sence of their sins that think themselves in a good estate they are Rebells that have not sued out their pardon there is no mercie to them yet He that made them will not pittie them because they are Ignorant hardned wretches that live in blasphemy in swearing that in corrupt courses in hardnesse of heart that live in sins that their own conscience and the conscience of others about them know that they are sins devouring sins that devour all their comfort and yet notwithstanding they dream of mercy mercy Hell is their portion and not mercy that make an Idol of God Thus it is with us we are prone to presume upon Gods mercy I speak this that we should not surfet of this sweet doctrine that God is the father of Mercies He is so to repentant sinners to those that believe to those mercy is sweet We know oyl is above all other liquors Gods mercy is above all his own works and above our sins But what is the vessel for this oyl this oyl of mercy it is put in broken vessels it is kept best there a broken heart a humble heart receives and keepes mercie As for proud dispositions as all Sinners that go on in a course of sin the Psalmist terms them proud men he is a proud man that sets his own will agaist Gods command God resists the Proud it is the humble yeelding heart that will be led and lured by God that is a vessel to receive mercy It must be a deep vessel it must be a broken vessel deep with humiliation broken by contrition that must receive mercy And it must be a large vessel laid open capable to receive mercy and all mercy not only pardoning mercy but healing mercy as I said out of that Psalme That forgiveth all thy sins and healeth all thy transgressions Therefore those that have not grace and mercy to heal their corruptions to dry up that issue in some comfortable measure thay have no pardoning mercy and those that desire not their corruptions to be healed they never desired heartily their corruptions to be pardoned those mercies go together He is not the Father of mercy but of all mercies that belong to salvation and he gives them every one and he that desires the one desires the other Let us consider how the sweet descriptions of God and how his promises work upon us If they work on us to make us presume it is a fearful case it is as bad a sign as may be to be ill because God is good to turn the Grace of God into wantonnesse But as we are thus prone to presume so when conscience is awaked we are as prone to despair therefore if they work with us this way there is mercy with God therefore I will come in therefore I will cast down my weapons at his feet I will cease to resist him I will come in and take terms of peace with him I will yeeld him obedience for the time to come therefore I will fear and love so good a God If it work thus it is a sign of an elect soul of a gracious disposition And then if thou come in never consider what thy sins have been if thou come in God will imbrace thee in his mercy Thy sins are all as a spark of fire that falls into the Ocean that is drowned presently so are thy sins in the Ocean of Gods mercy There is not more light in the Sun there is not more water in the Sea then there is mercy in the Father of mercy whose bowels are opened to thee if thou be weary of thy sinful courses and come in and imbrace mercy In the Tabernacle we know there was a mercy Seat we call it a propitiatory In the Ark which this mercy Seat covered was the Law now in the Law there were curses against all sinners The Mercy-Seat was a Type of Christ covering the Law covering the curse though thou be guilty of the curse a thousand times God in Christ is merciful Christ is the Mercy Seat come to God in Christ there is mercy in Israel notwithstanding thy great sins If we cast away a purpose of living in sin and cast away our weapons and submit our selves to him he is the Father of mercies that is he is merciful from himself he is the spring of them and hath them from his own bowels they are free mercies because he is the Father of them For he is just by our fault he is severe
thee comfort that thou art much humbled in thy sicknesse and at the hour of death for it is hard for thee to determine whether it be true Repentance or meer sorrow for sin as it brings judgement Fear of damnation is not sufficient to bring a man to heaven thy nature must be changed before thou come to heaven thou must love Righteousnesse because it is Righteousnesse thou must love God because he is good thou must hate sin because it is sin How canst thou tell when thou hast been naught before affliction whether affliction have wrought this that thou repentest only out of hatred of judgement to shun that or out of hatred of sin because it is sin Therefore now a little repentance in thy health and in the enjoying of thy prosperity a little hatred of ill wayes now will more comfort thee then a thousand times more prayer and striving will then Although if thou canst do it truly then yet the gate of mercy is open but thy heart will scarce say it is truly done because it is forced Then again perhaps thou shalt not have the honour of it thou shalt not have the mercy thou that hast refused mercy and lived in a loose prophane course thou that hast despised mercy all the while God will not honour thee so much as to have a good word or a sorrowful word that even very grief shall not extort it from thee but as thou hast forgotten God in thy life and wouldest not own his admonitions thou shalt forget thy self in death and be taken away suddenly or else with some violent disease that shal take away the use of the parts that God hath given thee as inflammation of the Spirits or the like that shall take away the use of sound reason It is madnesse and no better to live as the most live to cry God is merciful c. thou mayest go to hell for all that repentance must be from a true hatred of sin and that that must comfort thee must be a disposition for the present for then it is unforced Therefore all these sweet comforts are to you that come in and leave your wicked courses if you have been swearers to swear no more if you have been deceivers to deceive no more if you have been licentious to be so no more but to break off the course of your sins as God shall enable you or else this one thing think of it that you now dawbe your conscience withall and go on in sin with that will be the most terror to you even Mercy nothing will vex you so much as mercy afterward Then thon shalt think with thy self I have heard comfortable of the promises and of the nature of God but I put off and despised all I regarded my sinful courses more then the mercy of God in Christ they were sweeter to me then mercy I lived in sins out of the abundance of prophanenesse that did me no good I lived in sins out of the superfluity of prophanenesse that I had neither profit nor pleasure by and neglected mercy The consideration of mercy neglected with the continuing in a wretched course it will more aggravate the souls torment Let us be incouraged to come in such as intend to leave their sinfull courses let them remember that then they come to a Father of mercy that is more ready to pardon then you are to ask it As you see in the prodigal Son which I instanced in before it is a notable sweet Story I have a Father saith he when he had spent all and was come to Huskes Affliction is a notable means to make us to taste and relish mercy I have a father and there is plenty in his house and he comes and confesseth his sin he had no sooner resolved but his Father he doth not stay for him but he meets him and kisseth him Let us consider of this description of God the Father of mercy it should move any that are in ill and lewd courses before In my Fathers house there are good things and in his heart there are bowels of mercy I have a Father and a Father of mercy I will go home and submit my self to him and say to him I have been thus and thus but I will be so no more you shall find that God by his Spirit will be readier to meet you then you are to cast your selves at the feet of his mercy and into the armes of his mercie he will come and meet you and kisse you you shall find much comfort upon your resolution to come in if it be a sound resolution The son fears his Fathers displeasure but saith the Father My thoughts are not as your thoughts Oh! I fear he will not receive me yes yes he is willing to imbrace you mercy pleaseth him and why will you perish O house of Israel Againe God is the Father of mercies This should stirre us up to an imitation of this our gratious Father for every Father begets to his owne likeness and all the sons of this Father are like the Father they are mercifull The Kings of Israel are merciful Kings saith the Heathen King Benhadad and the God of Israel is a mercifull God and all that are under God are mercifull his sons are mercifull as their heavenly father is mercifull Therefore if we would make it good to our own hearts and the opinion and judgement of others of us that we are children of this mercifull Father we must put on bowels of mercie our selves as in Colos. 3. 2. Now therefore as the Elect of God as you will make it good that God hath elected you put on the bowels of mercie Whatsoever we have from God it comes in the respect of a mercie and so it should doe from Gods Children every thing that comes from them to them that are in miserie it should be a mercy they should not only bestow the thing but a sweet mercy with the thing a child of God he poures out his bowels to his Brother as Esay saith Poure out thy bowels c. There is some bowels that is there is an affection in Gods Children they give not onely the thing the reliefe but mercie with it that hath a sweet report to the soule there is pittie that more comforts a sanctified soule then the thing it selfe We must not doe workes of mercie proudly it is not the thing that God stands on but the affection in the thing his benefits are with a fatherly pittie so should ours be with a pittifull respect with a tender heart The very mercies of the wicked are cruell If they be mercifull there is some pride of spirit there is some tast of a hard heart of an hypocriticall spirit somewhat is not as it should be their mercies are not mercies we must in our mercie imitate the Father of mercies Alas it is the fault of our time there is little mercie to those that are in miserie What a cruell thing is it that
so many I would I could say Christian soules I cannot say so but they are a company of men that have the Image of God upon them men that live miserable poor such as for ought I know Gods mercie hath purchased with the blood of his Son may belong to Gods Kingdome They have the Image of God upon them yet they live without lawes without Church without Common-wealth irregular persons that have no order taken for them or not executed at the least to repress the sturdie of them and to relieve those that are to be relieved for age or impotencie It is a pittifull thing and a foule blemish to this Common-wealth and will bring some ill upon wealth and plague it from such irregular persons he will plague the Common-wealth for such enormities How do they live As Beasts and worse they submit themselves to no orders of the Church they have none and submit to none Here is an Obiect of mercy to those that it concernes And likewise mercie ought to be shewed to the souls of men as well as to their miserable and wretched estates Is Poperie Antichristian what mercy is it to suffer poysoners what a mercy were it in a common wealth to suffer men that are incendiaries to have liberty to do what mischief they would or men that should poyson fountaines and all that should refresh and nourish men were this any policy for the body And is it any policy to suffer those to poison the judgments of people with heresies to God and treason to their Prince to draw the affections of men from religion and the state where is mercy all the while Oh it is a mercy to them not to restrain them Mercy Is it mercy to the sheep to let the wolves at libertie No if you will be mercifull to shew mercy to the souls of these men is to use them hardly that they may know their error they may now impute the liberty they have to the approbation of their cause and so they are cruel not onely to others but to their own souls I speak this the rather it may be a seasonable speech at this time to enforce good lawes this way It is a great mercy mercy to the soul it is the greatest mercy and so crueltie to the soul is the greatest crueltie that can be What should I speak of mercy to others oh that we would be merciful to our own souls God is merciful to our souls he sent his son to visit us from on high in bowels of compassion he sent Christ as Zacharie saith and yet we are not merciful to our selves How many sinful wretched persons pierce their hearts through with covetousnesse and other wicked courses that are more dangerous to the soul then poyson is to the body They stab their souls with cares and lusts and other such kind of courses What a mockery is this of God to ask him mercy when we will not be merciful to our own souls and to intreat others to pray for us when we will not be merciful to our selves Shall we go to God for mercy when we will not shew mercy to our selves shall we desire him to spare us when we will not spare ourselves It is a mocking of God to come and offer our devotions here and come with an intent yet to live in any sin God will not heare us if we purpose to live in sin If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer As we ought to be merciful to the souls of others and to the estates of others so we should to our own souls How can they reform evills abroad those that are Governours when they do not care to refomr themselves can they be merciful to the souls of others that are cruel to their own they cannot Let mercy begin at home This is that that the scripture aimes at mercy and the right use of it is the way to come to salvation and the abuse of it is that that damnes and they are damned most that abuse mercy Oh the sins against the Gospel will lie upon the conscience another day The sins against the law they help with the Gospel to see mercy but sins against mercy prefer our sins above mercy and in temptations to despaire to extenuate mercy hereafter it will be the very hell of hell that we have sinned against mercy that we have not embraced it with faith that we have not repented to be capable of it But to end the point with that which is the most proper use of all which is an use of comfort in all estates to go to God in all he is the father of mercy And when all is taken from us in losses and crosses to think Well our fathers may die and our mothers may die and our nearest and dearest friends that have most bowels of pittie may die but we have a father of mercy that hath eternal mercy in him his mercies are tender mercies and everlasting mercies as himself is We are everlasting our souls are immortal we have an everlasting father that is the Father of mercies When all are taken away God takes not himself away he is the father of mercy still Now that we may make our selves still capable of mercy still fit for mercy let us take this daily course Let us labour every day to have broken and deep souls as I said before it is the broken heart that is the vessel that containes mercy a deeper heart that holds all the mercy we need therefore to empty our selves by confession of our sins and search our own thoughts and waies and afflict our souls by repentance and when we shall be fit objects for God the father of mercie to shed mercy into misery it is the Load-stone of mercy misery felt and discerned and complained of Let us search and see our misery our spiritual misery especially for God begins mercy to the soul in his children he begins mercy there especially General mercy he shews to beasts to all creatures but speciall mercy begins at the soul. Now I say misery being the Loadstone of mercy let us lay before God by confession and humiliation the sores and sins of our souls And then make use of this mercy every day for God is not only merciful in pardoning mercy at the first in forgiving our sins at the first but every day he is ready to pardon new sins as it is Lament 3. He renewes his mercies every day every morning God renewes his mercies not only for body but for soul there is a throne of grace and mercy every day open to go to and a Scepter of mercie held out every day to lay hold on and a fountain for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in every day it is never stopped up or drawn dry the fountain is ever open the Scepter is ever held forth and the throne is ever kept God keepes not terms Now the Court of Chancerie is open and now it is
shut but he keepes Court every day therefore Christ in the Gospel enjoynes us to go to God every day every day we say the Lords prayer forgive us our trespasses insinuating that the Court of mercy is kept every day to take out our pardon every day there is a pardon of course taken out At what time soever a sinner repents c. How shall we improve this mercy every day Do this when thou hast made a breach in thy conscience every day believe this that God is the Father of mercies and he may well be merciful now because he hath been sufficiently satisfied by the death of Christ He is the Father of Christ and the Father of mercies This do every day And withall consider our condition and estate is a state of dependance In him we live and move and have our being this will force us to mercie that he would hold us in the same estate we are in and go on with the work of grace that he would uphold us in health for that depends upon him that he would uphold us in peace for that depends upon him he is the God of peace that he would uphold us in comfort and strength to do good and resist evil we are in a dependant state and condition in all good of body and soul. He upholds the whole world and every particular let him take away his hand of merciful protection and susteining from us and we sink presently And every day consider how we are invironed with any danger remember we have compassing mercies as we have compassing dangers as it is Psal. 32. Mercy compasseth us round about Every day indeed we have need of mercie that is the way to have mercy here is a fountain of mercie the Father of mercy bowels opened the onely way to use it is to see what need we have of mercie and to flie to God to see what need we have in our souls and in regard of outward estate and to see that our condition is a dependant condition And lastly to make a use of thanfulnesse Blessed be God the Father of mercy we have the mercie of publick continued peace when others have war and their estates are consumed blessed be God the Father of mercie we sit under our own Vines and under our own figtrees If we have any personal mercies blessed be God the Father of mercies this way if he shew mercie to our souls and pardon our sins blessed be God the Father of mercies in this kind that he hath taken us and redeemed us out of that cursed estate that others walk in that are yet in their sins Oh it is a mercie and for this we should have inlarged hearts And withal consider the fearful estate of others that God doth not shew mercie to and this will make us thankfull As for instance if a man would be thankfull that hath a pardon let him see another executed that is broken upon the Wheele or the Rack or cut in pieces and tortured and then he will think I was in the same estate as this man is and I am pardoned Oh what a gratious Soveraign have I The consideration of the fearefull estate out of mercie what a fearefull estate those are in that live in sins against conscience that they are ready to drop into Hell when God strikes them with death if they dye so what a fearefull estate they are in and that God should give me pardon and grace to enter into another course of life that though I have not much grace yet I know it is true I am the child of God the consideration of the miserie of others in part in this world without repentance and especially what they shall suffer in Hell to consider the torment of the souls that are not in the state of Grace this will make us thankfull for mercies for pardoning and forgiving mercies for protecting mercies that God hath left thousands in the course of nature going on in a wilfull course of sinne This is that that the Apostle here practiseth Blessed be God the Father of mercies The other stile here is The God of all comfort The life of a Christian is a mysterie as in many respects so in this that whereas the flesh in him though he be not altogether flesh thinks him to be a man disconsolate the spirit finds matter of comfort and glory From whence the world begins discouragement and the flesh upbraiding from thence the spirit of God in holy Saint Paul begins matter of glory they thought him a man neglected of God because he was afflicted no saith he Blessed be the God of all comfort our comforts are above our discomforts As the wisdom of the flesh is enmitie to God and his spirit in all things so in this in the judgment of the cross for that which is bitterest to the flesh is sweetest to the spirit Saint Paul therefore opposeth his comforts spirituall to his disgraces outward and because it is unfit to mention any comfort any good from God without blessing of him that is the spring and fountain from whence we have all he takes occasion together with the mention of comfort to blesse God The God of all comfort The verse contains a wise prevention of scandall at the cross Saint Paul was a man of sorrows if ever any was next to Christ himselfe and that might prevent all scandall at his crosses and disgracefull afflicted usage he doth shew his comforts under the cross which he would not have wanted to have been without his cross therefore he begins here with praysing of God We praise God for favours and indeed the comforts he had in his crosses were more then the grievance he had by them therefore had cause to bless God Blessed be God c. The God of all comfort The God of comfort and the God of All comfort we must give Saint Paul leave to be thus large for his heart was full and a full heart a full expression And he speaks not out of books but from sense and feeling though he knew well enough that God was the Father of mercie God of all comfort that way yet these be wordsthat come from the heart come from feeling rather then from the tongue they came not from Saint Pauls pen onely his pen was first dipt in his heart and soule when he wrote this God is the Father of mercie and God of all comfort I feele him so he comforts me in all tribulations The God of all comfort To explaine the word a little Comfort is either the thing it selfe a comfortable outward thing a blessing of God wherein comfort is hid or else it is reasons because a man is an understanding creature reasons from which comfort is grounded or it is a real comfort inward and spirituall by the assistance and strength of the Spirit of God when perhaps there is no outward thing to comfort and perhaps reasons and discourse are not present at that time yet
there is a presence of the Spirit that comforts As we see oft times a man is comforted with the very sight of his friend without discourse to a man indued with reason whose discomforts are spirituall for the most part in the soule the very presence of a man that he loves puts much delight into him What is God then the God of comfort his very presence must needs comfort Comfort is taken many other wayes but these are the principall to this purpose First Comfort is the thing it selfe there is comfort in every creature of God and God is the God of that comfort In hunger meate comforts in thirst drink comforts in cold garments comfort in want of advice friends comfort and it is a sweet comfort God is the God of all comfort of the comfortable things But besides the necessary things every sense hath somewhat to comfort it The eye besides ordinary colours hath delightfull colours to behold and so the eare besides ordinary noise and sounds it hath musick to delight it the smell besides ordinarie savours it hath sweet flowers to refresh it and so every part of the body besides that which is ordinarie it hath somewhat to comfort it Because God is nothing but comfort to his creature if it be as it should be he is God of these comforts the God of all comfort of the comfort of outward things of friends c. So he is the God of the second comfort of comfortable reasons and arguments for a man especially in inward troubles must have grounds of comfort from strong reasons God ministreth these he is the God of these for he hath given us his Scriptures his Word and the comforts that are fetched from thence are strong ones because they are his comforts it is his Word The word of a Prince comforts though he be not there to speake it though it be a letter or by a Messenger yet he whose word it is is one that is able to make his word good he is Lord and Master of his word The Word of God is comfortable and all the reasons that are in it and that are deduced from it upon good ground and consequence they are comfortable because it is Gods word he is the God of all And those comforts in Gods word and reasons from thence they are wonderfull in the variety of them there is comfort from the liberty of a Christian laid out there that he hath free access to the throne of Grace comfort from the Prerogatives of a Christian that he is the Child of God that he is justified that he is the heire of Heaven and such like Comforts from the Promises of Grace of the presence of God of assistance by his presence these things out of the Word of God are wondrous plentifull Indeed the Word of God is a breast of comfort as the Prophet cals it Suck comfort out of the breasts of comfort Isa. 66. The books of God are breasts of comfort wels of comfort Isa. 11. there are springs of comfort Gods word is a Paradise as it were in Paradise there were sweet streams that ran through and in Paradise stirred the voyce of God not onely calling Adam where art thou terrifying of him but the voyce of God promising Adam the blessed seed So in the Word of God there is God rouzing out of sinne and there is God speaking peace to the soule there is a sweet current of mercie runs from the Paradise of God and there is the Tree of life Christ himselfe and Trees of all manner of fruit comforts of all sorts whatsoever And there is no Angel there to keep the doore and gate of Paradise with a fierie flaming sword No this Paradise is open for all and they are cruell Tyrants that stop th is Paradise that stop this Fountain as the Papists doe As God is the God of comfort so he is the God of comfort in that respect But this is not enough to make him the God of comfort we may have the Word of God and all the reasons from thence from priviledges and prerogatives and examples and yet not be comfortable if we have not the God of comfort with the Word of comfort the Spirit of God that must apply the comfort to the soule and be the God of comfort there For there must be application and working of comfort out of Gods word upon the soule by the spirit the spirit must set it on strongly and sweetly that the soule may be affected You may have a carnall man he for fashion or custome reads the Scriptures and he is as dead-hearted when he hath done as when he began he never looks to the spirit of comfort there must be the spirit of God to work and to apply comfort to the heart and to teach us to discourse and to reason from the Word not onely to shew the reasons of the Word but to teach us to draw reasons from the Word and to apply them to our particular state and condition the spirit teacheth this wisedome And therefore it is well called the comforter I will send you the comforter The poore disciples had many comforts from Christ but because the Comforter was not come they were not comfortable but heavie what was the reason because the Comforter was not come when the holy Ghost was come after the resurrection and ascension of Christ when he had sent the Comforter then they were so full of comfort that they rejoyced that they were thought worthy to suffer any thing for Christ and the more they suffered the more joyfull and comfortable and glorious they were You see what a comfort is it is the things themselves and the word and reasons from it and likewise the spirit of God with the reasons and with presence sometimes without any reasons with present strength God doth establish the soule together with reasons there is a strengthning power of the spirit a vigour that goes with the spirit of God that joyns with the spirit of the afflicted person So whether it be the outward thing as reasons and discourse or the presence of the spirit God joyning with our spirit God is the God of that comfort the God of all comfort A comfort is any thing that allaies a maladie that either takes it away or allaies and mitigates it A comfort is any thing that raiseth up the soul The comforts that wee have in this life they are not such as doe altogether take away sorrow and griefe but they mitigate them Comfort is that which is above a maladie it is such a remedie as is stronger to support the soul from being cast down over much with the grievance whether it be grievance felt that we are in the sence of such a grievance as is feared when the soule apprehends any thing to set against the ill we feare that is stronger then it when the soule hath somewhat that it can set against the present sence of the grievance that is stronger
Other reasons there may be given but these are sufficient If this be so then we ought from hence to learn that whatsoever we have we are debtors of it to others whatsoever comfort we have whether it be outward or inward comfort And even as God hath disposed and dispensed his benefits graces to us so let us be good stewards of it we shall give account of it ere long Let every man reason with himself why have I this comfort that another wants I am Gods Steward God hath not given it me to lay up but to lay out To speak a little of outward comforts It is cursed Athiesme in many rich Persons that think they are to live here only to scrape an estate for them and their children when in the mean time their Neighbour want and Gods Children want that are as dear to God as themselves and perish for want of comfort If they were not Athiests in this point they would think I am a steward and what comfort shall I have of scraping much that will but increase my account Such a Steward were mad that would desire a great account the more my account is the more I have to answer for and the more shall be my punishment if I quit not all well Now men out of Athiesme that they do not believe a day of Judgment a time of account they ingrosse comforts to them and theirs as if there were not a Church as if there were not an afflicted body of Christ they think not that they are Stewards Whereas the time will come when they shall have more comfort of that that they have bestowed then of that that they shall leave behind them to their children That which is wisely dispensed for the comfort of Gods people it will comfort us when all that we shall leave behind will not nay perhaps it will trouble us the ill getting of it And so whatsoever inward comforts we have it is for the comfort of others we are debtors of it whatsoever ability we have as occasion is ofâ—…ered if there be a necessity in those that are of the same body with our selves we ought to regard them in pitty and compassion If we should see a poor creature cast himself into a whirlpoole or plunge himself into some desperate pit were we not accessorie to his death if we should not help him if we would not pull one out of the fire Oh yes and is not the soul in as great danger and is not mercy to the soul the greatest mercy shall we see others ready to be swallowed up in the pit of despair with heaviness of spirit shall we see them dejected and not take it to heart but either we are unable to Minister a word of comfort to them or else unwilling as if we were of Cains disposition that we would look to our selves only we are none of their keepers It is a miserable thing to professe our selves to be members of that body whereof Christ is the Head to professe the communion of Saints and yet to be so dead hearted in these particular Exigences and occasions It lies upon us as a duty if God convey comfort to us from others and his end in comforting us any way of putting any comfort in our hands outward or inward it is to comfort others if we do it not we are liable to sin to the breach of Gods command and we frustrate Gods end But if this lie upon us as a duty to comfort others then it concerns us to know how to be able to do it That we may be able to comfort others let us be ready to take notice of the grievance of others as Moses went to see the afflictions of his brethren and when he saw it laid it to heart It is a good way to go to the house of mourning and not to balk and decline our Christian brethren in adversity God knowes our souls in adversitie so should we do the souls of others if they be knit to us in any bond of kindred or Nature or Neighbourhood or the like that bond should provoke us for bonds are as the veins and Arteries to derive comfort All bonds are to derive good whether bonds of Neighbourhood or acquaintance c. A man should think with himself I have this bond to do my Neighbour good It is Gods providence that I should be acquainted with him and do that to him that I cannot do to a stranger Let us consider all Bonds and let this work upon us let us consider their grievance is a bond to tie us And withall let us labour to put upon us the bowels of a father and mother tender bowels as God puts upon him bowels of compassion towards us So St. Paul being an excellent comforter of others in 1 Thess. 2. he shewes there how he carried himself as a Father or Mother or Nurse to them Those that will comfort others they must put upon them the affections of tender creatures as may be they must be patient they must be tenderly affected they must have love they must have the graces of communion What be the graces of communion The graces of Christian communion to fit us in the communion of Saints to do good they are a loving meek patient spirit Love makes patient as we see Mothers and Nurses what can they not endure of their câ—…ildren because they love them And they must be likewise wise and furnished they that will comfort others must get wisedom and abilityâ—… They must get Humility they must abase themselves that they may be comfortable to others and not stand upon terms these be the graces of communion that fit us for the communion of Saints What is the reason that many are so untoward to this duty and have no heart to it that they cannot indeed do it The reason is they consider not their Bonds they do not Consider the poor and needy Psal. 41. they have not the graces of communion they want loving spirits they want ability they are empty they are not furnished they have not knowledge laid up in store they want humble spirits the want of these graces makes us so barren in this practise of the communion of Saints Therefore we should bewaile our own barrennesse when we should do such duties and cannot And beg of God the spirit of love and wisedom that we may do things wisely that we may speak that which is fit a word in season is as apples of Gold with Pictures of Silver And let us beg a humble spirit that we may be abased to comfort others As Christ in love to us he abased himself he became man and when he was man he became a servant he abased himself to wash his Disciples feet talk with a silly woman and such base offices and if the Spirit of Christ be in us it will abase us to offices of love to support one another to bear one anothers burthens Again if we would comfort
of trust in God True trust lookes to Gods truth and promise and Word in one part of it as well as another Thou trusts God for thy salvation and the promises of that but thou must trust him for the direction of thy life too Faith doth not single out some objects I will believe this and not that faith is carried to all the objects it believes all Gods truths therefo if I believe not the threatnings and the directions to be ruled by them I believe not the promises in what measure thou believest the promise of mercy to save thy soul in that measure thou believest the directions of Gods Word to guide thy soul. He that receives Christ as a Priest to save him he must receive him as a King to rule him All the directions and all the threatnings and all the promises must be received and believed A man hath no more faith and trust in God then he hath care to follow Gods direction for faith is carried to all divine truthes all come from the same God Thousands go to hell and think O God is a mercifull God and I will trust in him but how is thy life is it carried by Gods directions thou art a rebel thou livest in sins against conscience thou wilt trust in God in one part of his Word and not in another thou must not be a chooser Again the last that I will name at this time if thou trust God for one thing undoubtedly thou wilt trust him for all if thou trust him with thy Soul certainly thou wilt trust him with thy Children Some men hope to be saved by Christ O he will be mercifull to their souls and yet even to their Death they use corrupt courses to get an estate and to make their Children rich and except they have so much they will not trust in God If they have nothing to leave them they think not that there is a God in heaven who is a better Father then they Put cafe thou hast nothing hast thou not Gods blessing canst thou trust thy soul with God and canst thou not trust him with thy family Is he not the God of thy seed hath he not made the promise to thy posterity as well as to thy self If thou trust him for one thing thou wilt trust him for all Wilt thou trust him for Heaven and wilt thou not trust him for provision for daily bread Wilt thou not trust him for this or that but thou must use unlawfull meanes He that trusts God he trusts him for all truths and for all things needfull with his Family with his Body with his Soul with all And so much for the tryalls whether we trust in God or no. Let us not deceive our selves it is a point of infinite consequence as much as the salvation of our souls What brings men to hell in the Church false confidence they trust to false things or they think they trust in God when indeed they do not The fault of a ship is seen in a tempest and the fault of a house is seen when winter comes Thy trust that is thy house that thou goest to and restest in the fault of that will be seen when thou comest to extremity in the hour of death then thou hast not a God to go to then thy conscience upbraids thee thou hast lived by thy shifts in carnall confidence and rebellion against God and how canst thou then willingly trust God whom thou hast made thine enemy all thy life-time To go then to some helps If upon search we find that we do not so trust in God as we should Let us lament our unbelieving hearts complain to God of it desire God whatsoever he doth that he would honour us so much as that we may honour him by trusting in him for it is his glory and our salvation But because I will not go out of the text the best way is that which followes to know God as he is How come we to trust a man When we know his Honesty his Fidelity his Wisdom and his sufficiencie then we trust him therefore St. Paul adds here that we should Trust in God that raiseth the dead that is in God Almighty From whence I raise this general that The best way to trust in God is to know him as he is We know his attributes by his principall works we know his nature by his works as here is one of the principall set down he is God that raiseth the dead A sound sanctified trust in God is by knowing of him They that know thy Name will trust in thee Psal 9. There are three waies of the knowledge of God His Nature Promises Works To know what he hath engaged himself in in all the promises that concern us and then to know his strength how able he is to make good them promises And then to know his works how his nature hath inabled him to make good those promises Especially his nature as to consider his goodnesse and his wisdom every attribute indeed doth inforce trust for he is good freely he is good to us of his own bowels VVe may trust him that hath made himself a Father out of hiw own mercy in Christ when we were enemies His goodnesse and wisdom is infinite as himself and his power and his truth As the scripture saith oft-times Faithful is God that hath promised St. Bernard a good man in Evill times saith he I consider three things in which I pitch my hope and trust Charitatem adoptionis the love of God in making me his Child and Veritatem promissionis the truth of God in performing his promise his Love is such to make me his Child his truth is such to perform his promise Thirdly I consider his power that is able to make good that that he hath promised This threefold cable is a strong one his love in adoption his truth in performing his promise and his power in making good all this This threefold cable will not easily be broken Let my Sottish flesh murmur against me as long as it will as the flesh will murmur who art thou that thou darest trust in God What is thy merit that thou hopest for such great glory No no saith he I know whom I have believed as Saint Paul saith I answer with great confidence against my Sottish murmuring flesh I know whom I have trusted He is able he is good he is true This that Holy man had to exercise his faith I name it because it is the temper of all believing souls that are so in truth The believing heart considers the nature of God the promise of God and though the murmuring rebellious flesh say what art thou how darest thou that art flesh and blood look to God O he is faithful he is good and gracious in Christ he hath made himself a Father I know whom I have believed God is al-sufficient Trust and confidence doth grow in the soul in what measure and proportion the knowledge of him
the soul but that which is raised must be dead first they account not themselves dead and therefore oppose this resurrection And so when we are dead in grace or comfort let us trust in God that raiseth the dead And so for outward condition in this life and the estate of the Church The conversion of the Jewes which seems a thing so strange when a man thinks how they are dispersed and thinks of their poverty and disgrace he thinks Is this a likely matter Remember what God hath said he will raise the dead And because this is a work that seems as hard as the raysing of the dead therefore their calling and conversion is called a kind of resurrection Rom. 11. Let us hope for that He that raiseth the body will raise that people as despicable as they are to be a glorious people and Church And so for the confusion of the man of sin The revelation of the Gospel when it came out of the grave of darknesse out of the Egyptian darknesse of Popery was it not a raising of the dead When Luther arose for the defence of the truth a man might have said to him What doest thou set thy self against the whole World go to thy cloyster and say Lord have mercy upon us Doest thou hope to reform the World against all the World Alas he trusted in God that raiseth the dead that raiseth men to conversion when he pleaseth and that raiseth the Church when he pleaseth even from death He raised the Church out of Babylon And he will raise the Jewes that now are in a dead state why should we doubt of these things when we believe or professe to believe the main the resurrection from the dead And every day in the Church God is raising the dead spiritually the dead hear the voyce of Christ every day when the Ministery is in power when there is a blessing upon it conveying it to the heart then he is raising the dead So Wisdom is justified of her children the Gospel is justified to be a powerful doctrine having the Spirit of God clothing it to raise people from the dead those that are dead in sin There are none that ever are spiritually raised but those that see themselves dead And that is the reason why we are to abhor Popery because it teacheth us that we are not dead in our selves and then there can be no resurrection to grace for the resurrection is of the dead the more we see a contrarietie in Nature to Grace the more fit objects we are for the divine power of God to raise He raiseth the dead Thus we see how to go along with this in all troubles God will raise the dead therefore he will bring me out of this trouble if he see it good Therefore in extremity let us thus reason with our selves Now I know not which way to turn me there is but a step between me and death if God have any purpose to use my service furthet he that raiseth the dead will raise me from the grave to him belong the issues of death Psal. 67. he can give an evasion and escape if he will if not if he will not deliver me then I die in this faith that he will raise me from the dead This is that that upholds a Christian in extremity This made the Martyrs so confident this made those three young men so resolute that were cast into the fiery Furnace what was their comfort Surely this God can deliver us if he will say they he is able to deliver us now but if he will not do this for us he will raise our bodies if he will not deliver them here there will be a final deliverance at the resurrection So in Heb. 11. those blessed men they hoped for a better resurrection and this made them confident This makes us confident to stand out against all the threatnings and all the crosses of the world that we may hold our peace with God notwithstanding all the inticements and allurements to the contrary because we trust in God that raiseth the dead Again let us learn to extract contrary principles to Satan out of Gods proceedings What doth he reason when we are dead either in sin or in misery What hast thou to do with God God hath forsaken thee No saith faith God is a God raising the dead the more dead I am in the eye of the world and in my own sense the nearer I am to Gods help I am a despairing sinner a great sinner but the more God will magnifie his merey that where sin hath abounded grace may abound much more Retort home the argument draw contrary principles to him this is a divine Art which faith hath Oh but then you may presume and do what you list Not so retort the argument again upon him if I do so God will bring me to death he will bring me to despair and who is it that delights to have that course taken with him to be brought so low So every way we may retort temptations from this dealing of God If I be carelesse he will bring me as low as hell I shall have little joy to try conclusions with him And if thou be low despair not thou art the fitter object God raiseth the dead therefore I will not add to my sins legal I will not add this Evangelical sin this destroying sin of despair and unbelief but I will cast my self upon the mercy of God and believe in him that raiseth the dead and desire him to speak to my dead soul which is as rotten as Lazaru's body which had been so long in the grave that he would say to it Come forth of that cursed estate it is but for him to speak the word to blesse his word and then it will come out by faith It is the Art of faith to draw contrary arguments to Satan and those that belong to God do so in all temptations but those that do not they sink lower and lower having nothing to uphold their souls they have not learned to trust in God that raiseth the dead God is the God that raiseth the dead Therefore let us oft think of this think what God means to do with us that we may carry out selves answerably I trust in God that raiseth the dead Therefore let us honour God while we live with that body that he will raise let us be fruitful in our place Saint Paul drawes this conclusion 1 Cor. 15. from the resurrection Finally my brethren be constant unmoveable alway abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Especially considering that he will raise the dead bodies after a more glorious manner then they are now he will make a more glorious body For alway Gods second works are better then his first he raiseth the dead and will make our bodies like the glorious body of Christ. But the point of the resurrection is very large
and perhaps I shall have better occasion to speak of it afterward I onely apply it to the present purpose how it strengthens faith in misery and in the houre of death A man is strengthened in his faith when he thinks now I am going the way of all flesh I am to yield my soul to God and death is to close up mine eyes yet I have trusted in God and do trust in God that will raise my body from the grave This comforts the soul against the horrour of the grave against that confusion and darknesse that is after death Faith seeth things to come as present it sees the body after it hath a long time been in the dust clothed with flesh and made like the glorious bodie of Christ faith sees this and so a Christian soule dies in faith and sowes the body as good seed in the ground in hope of a glorious resurrection And that comforts a Christian soule in the losse of children of wife of friends that have been dearest and nearest to me I trust in God that raiseth the dead that he will raise them again and then we shall all be for ever with the Lord it is a point of singular comfort for the maine Articles of our faith they have a wondrous working upon us in all the passages of our lives it is good to think often upon the pillars of our faith as this is one That God will raise us from the dead But I go on to the next verse VERS 10. Who delivered us from so great a death who doth deliver us in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us SAint Paul sets down his troubles to the life that he might make himself and others more sensible of his comforts and of Gods grace and goodness in his deliverance These words contain his deliverance out of that trouble his particular deliverance out of a particular trouble And this deliverance is set down by a triple distinction of time as time is either past present or to come so God who is the deliverer for all times he hath delivered us for the time past he doth deliver us for the present in whom we trust that he will deliver us for the time to come Who delivered us from so great a death After St. Paul had learned to rrust in God after he had taken forth that lesson a hard lesson to learn that must be learned by bringing a man to such extremity I say after he had learned to trust in God that raiseth the dead God gave him this reward of his diligence in the blessed school of afflictions he delivered him who hath delivered us and who doth deliver us continually he will not take his hand from the work and for the time to come I hope he will do so still St. Paul here calls his trouble a death It was not a death properly it is but his aggravation of the trouble that calls it a death because Gods mercy onely hindred it from being a death it was onely not a death it was some desperate trouble some desperate sicknesse the particular is not set down in the Scripture We know what a tumult there was about Diana of Ephesus Acts 19. and in 1. Cor. 15. He fought with beasts at Ephesus which is in Asia after the manner of men Whether it were that or some other we know not whatsoever it was he calls it a death he doth not call it an affliction but a death a great death to make himself the more sensible VVherefore have we souls and understandings but to exercise them in setting forth our dangers and the deliverances of God to consider of things to affect us deeply The Apostle here to affect himself deeply he sets it down here by a death And oft-times in the Psalmes the Psalmist in Psalme 18. and Psal. 11. he calls his afflictions death and hell and so they had been indeed except God had delivered him But to come to the points that are considerable hence First of all we may observe this that God till he have wrought his own work he doth not deliver he brings men to a low ebbe to a very low estate before he will deliver Secondly After God hath wrought his own work then he delivers hischildren Thirdly he continues the work still he doth deliver me Fourthly That upon experience of Gods former deliverance Gods children have founded a blessed argument for the time to come He hath he will deliver me God is alway like himself he is never at a loss what he hath done he doth and will doe reserving the limitations as we shall see afterward God doth not at the first deliver his children He delivered St. Paul but it was after he had brought him to receive the sentence of death and after he had learned not to trust in himself but in God that raiseth the dead God deferres his deliverance for many reasons To name a few God doth deferre his deliverance when we are in dangers partly as you see here to perfect the work of mortification of self-confidence to subdue trust in any earthly thing St. Paul by this learned not to trust in himself And then to strengthen our faith and confidence in God when we are drawn from all creatures to learn to trust in him And to sweeten his deliverance when it comes to indear his favours for then they are sweet indeed after God hath beat us out of our selves Summer and Spring are sweet after Winter so it is in this vicissitude and intercourse that God useth favour after affliction and crosses is favour indeed That makes heaven so sweet to Gods Children when they come there because they go to Heaven out of a great deal of miserie in this world And partly likewise God defers it for his own glory that it may be known for his meer work for when we are at a losse and the soul can reason thus God must help or none can help then God hath the glory therefore in love to his own glory he defers it so long Again he useth to defer long that he might the more shame the enemies at length for if the affliction be from the insolencie and pride of the enemies he deferres deliverance till they be come to the highest pitch and then he ariseth as a Gyant refreshed with wine and smites his enemies in the hinder parts he is as it were refreshed on the sudden And as it is his greatest glory to raise his children when they are at the lowest so it is his glory to confound the pride of the enemies when it is at the highest if he should do it before his glory would not shine so much in the confusion of them and their enterprises against his children One would think he should not have let Pharaoh alone so long but he got him glory the more at the last in confounding him in the Red-sea So Haman came very farre almost to the execution of the decree he
long then we see ere God deliver and why and at the last he will deliver one way or other and therefore let us waite quietly and this the Saints of God have practised in all ages Psal. 62. Yet my soul keep silence to the Lord. He had a shrewd conflict with himself when he saw how good causes were trampled on and he saw the insolence of wicked persons how they lift up their heads Yet my soul keep silence to the Lord. So he begins Psal. 73. Yet God is good to Israel for all this And God chargeth it upon his people that they should waite If I tarry wait thou Hab. 2. 2. And the blessing is promised to those that can wait and not murmur as in Psal. 147. 11. It is a duty that we are much urged to and very hardly brought to the practice of therefore we are to hear it pressed the more Psal. 147. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy in those that trust in his mercy The like you have in many places Isay 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious to you therefore he will be exalted that he may have mercy upon you he is a God of judgement Blessed are all that wait for him So in Lament 3. The Church still waits upon God How oft doth David charge himself Wait and trust in God O my soul Let us learn this upon these grounds that God is long ere he deliver but at last he will deliver and that is sufficient to force this to wait still upon God with patience and silence Well thus we see God doth deliver Who dilivered us c. What will he do for the time present he hath delivered and doth deliver and he will deliver From all joyntly together you see that Gods people in this World stand in need of deliverance alway They have alwayes troubles when one is past another is present deliverance supposeth dangers There have been dangers there are dangers and there will be dangers Our life is a warfare a temptation we are absent from God we are alway exposed to dangers We live in the middest of Divels and of Divellish-minded men we have corruptions in us that expose us to sin and sin drawes on judgments we are alway in danger one way or other while we live in this VVorld But our comfort is that as there have been dangers and are dangers and will be dangers so there hath been deliverance there is deliverance and there will be deliverance It is a trade that God useth it is his Art God knoweth how to deliver his as Saint Peter saith he hath alway exercised it he is excellent at it he hath delivered his Church he doth deliver his Church and he will deliver his Church and so every particular member he hath and doth and will diliver them VVonderfull is the entercourse that God useth with his people and their estate Even as in nature there is a change and entercourse of day and night of light and darknesse of morning and evening of summer and winter of hot and cold so in the life of a Christian there are changes dangers and deliverance There is a sowing in tears and a reaping in joy there is a night of affliction and a morning of joy and prosperity Heavinesse may be in the evening but joy commeth in the morning And thus we go on till we end our daies till we be taken to Heaven where there shall be no Change where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes If we had spirituall eyes eyes to see our danger to see how full the World is of Divells then to consider how many dangers this weak life is subject to how many casualties we cannot go out of doores we cannot take a journey but how many dangers are we subject to we are invironed with perpetual dangers the snares of death compasse us almost every where abroad and at home in our greatest security But our comfort is that God doth compasse us with mercy as it is Psal. 32. As dangers are round about us so God is a Wall of fire about us we have dangers about us Divells about us we have a guard about us we have God about us we have his Angels about us we have all his creatures about us All things are yours saith the Apostle c. It is God that hath delivered us that doth deliver us Who restraines the divels from having their wills of us they are enemies not only to our souls and to our salvation but to our bodies they are enemies to our health as we see in Job we live in the middest of Lyons oft-times in the middest of enemies who restraines their malice we are preserved from dangers day and night who shuts in the doores who watcheth over us but he that keeps Israel It is God that delivereth us Without his deliverance all deliverances were to little purpose all shutting in were to little purpose except he shut us in that shut Noah into the Ark he must watch over us It is God that delivereth us But doth he deliver us onely outwardly No he hath delivered and he doth deliver us spiritually He hath delivered us from the power of hell and damnation he doth deliver us from many sins that we should commit and when we have sinned he delivers us from despair he delivers us from presuming by touching our hearts with saving grief for sin if we belong to him one of the two wayes he delivers either from the sin or from the danger of the sin either from the committing of the sin or from despairing for the sin or presuming in a course of sin Who delivereth us from our inbred corruptions Should we not run every day into the sins that we see others commit Who cuts short our lusts and suppresseth them that we are not swearers that we are not licentious persons that we are not Godlesse persons are we not hewn out of the same rock Who keeps us from sin Is it any inbred goodnesse Are we not all a like tainted with originall fin Children of wrath Who puts a difference between us and others It is God that hath delivered us and that doth deliver us It is his mercy that we do not commit sin it is his preventing deliverance and when we have committed sin it is his mercy to pardon it there is his preserving deliverance from despair after the committing of sin All are beholding to God for deliverance those that have committed sin that he delivers them from the wrath to come from the damnation that they deserve and those that have the grace not to commit sin they are beholding to him that he delivers them from that which their corruptions else would carry them to if he should take his government from their hearts We have an inward guard as well as an outward an invisible guard We are kept by the Spirit of God through Faith to salvation
with reasons discovering an absolute necessity of geting into Christ and of having him to be our Husband except we will lye under the wrath of God and be damned and withal discovering the fulnesse and excellency that is in Christ. Again it is God onely that must stablish the soul all the parts of it both judgment and conscience For I beseech you what can any humane creature what can any thing under God work upon the soul I mean so firmly as to stablish it and therefore our controversie with the Papists is just and good We say The reason and ground of our believing the Word of God to be the Word of God must not be the testimony of the Church and the authority thereof for alas what can the judgment of man what can the judgment of the Church do It may incline and move the will by inducing arguments and so cause a humane consent but to establish the soul and conscience and to assure me that the Word of God which is the ground of my faith is the Word of God it must be God by his Spirit that must do it the testimony of the Church will never do it The same Spirit that inspired holy men to write the Word of God works in us a belief that the Word of God is the Word of God The stablishing argument must be by the power of Gods Spirit God joyning with the soul and spirit of a man whom he intends to convert besides that inbred light that is in the soul causeth him to see a Divine Majestie shining forth in the Scriptures so that there must be an infused establishing by the Spirit to settle the heart in this first principle and indeed in all other Divine principles that the Scriptures are the Word of God And to go on a little further this is a fundamental errour in our practice For what is the reason we have so many Apostates what is the reason so many are so fruitlesse in their lives what is the reason that men despair in death but even this because men are not built and stablished aright Gods Spirit never stablished their soules in Divine truths For first concerning Apostasie ask them what is the reason they are of this or that Religion They will say they have been taught so they have been brought up to it the company with whom they have conversed have been devout men and have been alwayes led with this opinion and they see no reason to thwart it Is that all Hath not the Spirit wrought these things in thy heart hath he not given thee a taste of them hath he not convinced thee in thy judgment that it is so hast thou not found the power of the Spirit working upon thy soul changing of thee raising of thee drawing of thee out of the world nearer to God hast thou not I say felt the power of the Spirit this way No but thus I was catechized and thus I have been bred and thus I have heard in the Ministery And no otherwise Alas it will never hold out there will be a falling away for when a man believes not that which he believes from the Spirit of God he will be ready when dangerous times come when there is an onset made by the adversaries to fall and to fall clean away as we see it was in the time of Popery for whatsoever is not spiritual whatsoever knowledge is not Divine and from the Spirit of God never holds out Therefore I beseech you what 's the reason that you have many illiterate men that set upon the truth and hold out to the end and on the contrary many great seeming Scholars that are skilful in school-learning and in other Authours do not The reason is the one hath the truth from the Spirit discovering all the objections that the heart of man can make against it and the strength that is in the truth to answer and silence all those objections The other man hath onely a discoursing knowledge an ability to gather one thing from another and to prove one thing by another by strength of parts But the Spirit of God never discover'd the sleights and the corruptions of his heart never fastned and settled his heart upon the truth he never had experience of the truth For indeed nothing doth stablish so much as the experience of the truth on which we are stablished Again what is the reason of that unfruitfulnesse that is amongst men but because truths were never settled in the soul by the Spirit of God That which men know out of the Word of God concerning Christ and the priviledges by him they were never perswaded of it in their hearts therefore they come not to a fruitful conversation It is impossible but that men should be abundantly fruitful that have spiritual apprehensions of Divine things of Evangelical truths Hence comes all our unthankfulnesse and undervaluing of the Gospel The Gospel of it self is an unprized thing however we esteem of it God values it highly we value it not because our apprehensions of it are customary and formal gotten by breeding and education and discourse and not by the Spirit we feel not the spiritual and heavenly comforts of those truths we think we know How comes likewise Despair in time of temptation and in death but onely because men want this stablishing by the Spirit of God Men go on in evil courses trusting to a formal dead humane knowledge gotten by humane meanes and not settled in them by the Spirit of God that hath not sealed the truth in their hearts and hereupon when sharp tryals come they despair because they have no feeling of the truths of the Gospel and so when conscience is awakened and smarts it clamours and cryes out upon all their formall and humane knowledge For they having not a spiritual sense of the mercies of God in Christ and the perswasions of comfort are not so near to support the soul as the tentations and vexations and torments are how can they but despair Now who can still the conscience but the Spirit of God Why now if the knowledge that men had were spiritual and heavenly in all accusations of conscience it would set conscience down and still it I am a sinner indeed I am this and this but I have felt the sweet mercies of God in Christ God hath said to my soul I am thy salvation he hath intimated to my spirit by a sweet voyce Son thy sinnes are forgiven thee Where there is I say a knowledge and an apprehension of these Evangelical truths wrought by the Spirit it sets down Conscience and stills it though the heart rage at the same time There are thousands in the very bosome of the Church that miscarry because of this resting in a literall outward formall knowledge gotten onely by discourse and by reading and commerce with others and never labour to have their hearts stablished in Christ by Gods Spirit You see here then a
part of happinesse in this world and in the world to come Now the end of the Ministery is to set the peoples hearts into a gracious and blessed liberty to bring them into the Kingdome of grace here and to fit them for the Kingdome of glory to help forward their joy This is the end both of the Word and of the dispensation of the Word in the Ordinances of salvation in the Sacraments and all that our joy may be full as our blessed Saviour saith These things have I spoken that your joy may be full It is the end of all our communion with the Father Son and Holy Ghost and with the Ministery and one with another as it is 1 Joh. 1. These things have I written that your joy may be full you have communion with the Father Son and Holy Ghost and with us that your joy may be full all is for spiritual joy We are helpers of your joy The meaning is we are helpers of your faith from whence joy comes more especially for he doth not repeat the word again We have not dominion over your faith but are helpers of your faith but instead of that he names joy as that that doth accompany true faith The Points considerable in this clause are these That joy is the state of Christians that either they are in or should labour to be in because the Apostle names it for all happinesse here All that have given their names to Christ should labour to rejoyce either they do rejoyce or they should labour to come to it that is supposed as a ground I will be the shorter in it The second is That the Ministers are helpers of this blessed condition The third is They are but helpers they are helpers and but helpers they are not authours of joy but helpers We are but helpers of your joy saith the Apostle These three things I will speak of briefly out of these words First Joy is that frame and state of soul that all that have given their names to Christ either are in or should labour to be in For this Doctrine is fetched from the principle of nature We do all with joy all in our callings is done with joy What do men in their Trades but that they may have that that they may joy in when they have it It is an old Observation of S. Chrysostome We do all that we may joy Ask any man why he doth take so much pains and be a drudge in his place it is that he may get somewhat to rejoyce in in his old dayes So out of the principle of nature this ought to be the scope of all to joy Now those that are Christians God requires it at their hand as a duty Rejoyce alway again I say rejoyce And he doth prepare and give them matter enough of joy to those that are Christians For whether we consider the ills they are freed from the greatest ills of all they are freed from sin and the wrath of God they are freed from eternal damnation they are freed from the sting of death from the greatest and most terrible ills Or whether we regard the state that God brings them in by believing being in the favour of God they enjoy the fruits of that favour peace and joy in the Holy Ghost And then for the life to come they are under the hope of glory The state of a Christian is a state of joy every way whether I say we regard the ill he is freed from or the good he is in for the present or the hope of eternal good for the time to come A Christian which way soever he look hath matter of joy God the Father is his Christ is his the Holy Ghost is his Comforter the Angels are his all are his life or death things present or things to come all are his Therefore there is no question of this that every one that hath given his name to Christ is in a state of joy if he answer his calling or he should labour to be in it he wrongs his codition else Why should they labour to be in that state Among many Reasons one is That God that gives them such matter of joy may have glory from them For what should the life of a Christian be that is freed from the greatest ill and advanced to the greatest good his life should be a perpetual thanksgiving to God and how can a man be thankfull that is not joyful Joy is as it were the oyl the anointing it makes a man chearful it makes the countenance of his soul to be chearful it makes him active in good when he is anointed with the oyl of gladnesse Now every man should have a desire to be good to be diligent and expedite in all that is good Therefore we should labour for this spiritual anointing that we may be ready for every good work Vessels of mercy prepared for every good work And then for suffering we have many things to go through in this world how shall a man suffer those things that are between him and Heaven with joy unlesse he labour to bring himself to this temper of joy And then for others every man should labour to encourage others We are all fellow-passengers in the way to Heaven therefore even to bring on others more chearfully we ought to labour to be in a state of joy Those that do not rejoyce they bring an ill report upon the way of God as if it were a desolate disconsolate way As the Spies brought an ill report upon the Land of Canaan whereupon the people were disheartned from entring into it So those that labour not to bring their hearts to spiritual joy they bring an ill report on the wayes of God and dishearten others from entring into those wayes which way soever we look we have reasons to encourage us to joy That God may have more glory and that we may do him more service that we may endure afflictions better and encourage others and take away the reproach of Religion from those that think it a melancholy course of life which indeed do not understand what belongs to the state of a Christian for the state of a Christian is a state of joy And if a Christian do not joy it is not because he is a Christian but because he is not a Christian enough because he favours the worse principle in him he favours himself in some work of the flesh God in the Covenant of grace is all love and mercy he would have us in our pilgrimage to heaven to finish our course with joy and he knowes we can do nothing except we have some joy It is the oyl of the soul as I said to make it nimble and fit for all actions and for all sufferings It gives a lustre and grace to whatsoever we do Not onely God loves a chearfull performer of duties but it wins acceptance of all others and makes the worker himself wondrous
more perform the conditions of the Covenant of grace of our selves then the Covenant of the Law Nature cannot do it because it must be done by the Spirit altogether Now here is a foundation for faith to stand on God so farre condescends as he gives his Word and his Seal and his Oath with his Word to convey that Word by way of a Covenant and to make that Covenant a Testament and Will to us that he will do this and to seal that Will with his own blood for a Testament is of no force till the Testatour be dead his own blood hath sealed the Testament you see here what ground there is for faith to stand upon Then again the sweet relation that God hath taken upon him in Christ he is our Father faith builds not on naked God divested of his sweet relations for then he is a consuming fire but upon God a Father in Christ what a sweet thing is it to consider God a Father In Christ the nature of God is Fatherly to us and our nature is sweet to him We are sonnes in Christ his nature is sweet to us and ours to him he will surely perform his relations For in Christ he is a Father not in creation onely but in the Covenant of grace Faith relies upon the Word of God upon the Covenant and Testament and upon God himself altered and changed in the Covenant of Grace to be a sweet Father But what is a further ground of this The nature of God himself who is a Father for if God himself were not cloathed with properties that might satisfie faith and satisfie the soul fully though he were a Father it were not a sufficient ground for faith But now who hath taken the relation of a father upon him God who is infinitely good infinitely merciful above all our sins it must be infinite mercy faith would not have footing else For the soul will so upbraid in the sense of sin that if God were not a Father and a Father infinite in mercy nothing but infinite mercy will satisfie the soul when conscience is awaked and infinite power to subdue all enemies and infinite wisdome to go beyond the reach and subtilty of all the Devils in hell God is such a Father as in his Nature is of infinite mercy and wisdome and power here is a foundation for faith to lay hold upon indeed to have a Father and such a Father that is Jehovah there we must rest in his essence he is Jehovah I am he is eternal and immutable an eternal being of himself and he gives being to all and all things have their dependance upon him The Devils in hell and wicked men he can quell them all and substract their being and turn them to their first nothing from whence they came You see if we resolve all to Jehovah I am to the eternity of God and then to his nature cloathed with power and wisdome and mercy and then to his relation of a Father and then how he condescends to convey himself sweetly by way of Covenant and Testament I beseech you is not here a foundation for faith to build upon in the Word of God when God hath thus opened himself to us You see what this standing is And how by faith we stand and what faith stands on and may well stand on To come to some Observations then First of all Observe hence That The foundation of faith must be out of a mans self That bottom that a man must lay his soul upon must be out of himself it must be Divine it must be God For the soul rests not till it come to God and if the Word were not Gods Word it would not rest on that God must open himself by his Word It must be Divine revelation that the soul must stand upon and at last resolve to pitch and build and rest there It must not be humane authority therefore not the authority of any creature that the soul must stand on because that that the soul stands on must stand it self Now nothing hath a firm consistence but that which is Divine Which I prove thus There is no creature but though it be true and good yet it is changeably true and may be otherwise then it is and yet be a creature still and a good creature There is no man but he is changeable and is changeable as a creature and as a creature severed from the consideration of sin he is changeable The very Angels are changeable as they are creatures all things created are mutable it is the Observation of Damascene Now that that is the foundation of faith must not onely be true but infallibly and unchangeably true there must be no danger of errour in that that faith layes it self upon It is an old rule Falshood cannot be under faith because faith must lye upon truth infallible and immutable truth and who is so but God and what revealed truth is so but Divine truth Therefore faith onely relyeth upon the first good and the first truth upon God and his truth Therefore we may see what to judge of that controversie between us and our adversaries that would have our faith to be resolved into the authority of the Church and not of the Scriptures and by consequent not to the authority of God himself The question is Who hath the best standing the Papists or we We say we stand by faith therefore we stand better then they They say they stand by faith too but how Their faith is resolved into the authority of the Church at length and there they rest But I say even by the confession of themselves or of any reasonable man the Word of God is more Divine then the authority of the Church can be For the authority of the Church is therefore infallible and true because the Word of God saith so That he will be with the Church c. and save his Church The ground is determined upon the Word Now the Word to which they have recourse to prove that they cannot erre that must be trusted before them if they have credit from the Word the Word must be believed before them before men for there is no man if God speak by him but he speaks by him so far as he understands the Scripture and builds upon the Scriptures first Therefore we must first found our selves upon the Scriptures and upon men as far as they agree to the Scriptures If the Scriptures were not the Word of God indeed they could not be the foundation of faith we could not stand upon them but they are the Word of God indeed for men wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost Now that that comes from men it is not infallibly the Word of God but if they speak any thing that is good it is so far as it is agreeable to the first truth the Word of God Indeed the resolution of their faith is very rotten and unsound and bewrayes what their
See Hope Opinion Confidence Certain account of and looking for death is a not able means to draw us from self confidence p. 136 Gods Children prone to self confidence p. 137 See Trust. Conformity A threefold conformity with Christ p. 118 Conscience Conscience what p. 219 220 c. Three things joyned with Conscience p. 221 God hath set up a Court in man wherein Conscience is 1. Register 2. Witnesse 3. Accuser 4. Judge 5. Executioner p. 222 Conscience Gods Hall wherein he keeps his Assizes ibid. Judgment of Conscience a forerunner of the great and general Judgment ibid. Conscience beareth witnesse p. 223 What manner of witnesse Conscience is viz. 1. Faithful 2. Inward ibid. How to have Conscience witnesse well p. 224 227 An ignorant man cannot have a good Conscience p. 225 Why men have bad Consciences ibid. Papists cannot have a good conscience why p. 226 The witnesse of a good Conscience the ground of joy why p. 227 235 A good Conscience breeds joy 1. In life p. 228 to 232 2. In death 3. At the day of Judgment A good Conscience comforts in all estates and conditions whatsoever p. 228 229 230 Why a good Conscience doth not alwayes witnesse comfort p. 231 232 Means how to joy and rejoyce in the witnesse of Conscience p. 233 Nothing worse then a bad Conscience p. 236 237 238 239 Labour for a good Concience ibid. Commenâ—…atior of a good Conscience ibid. How to have a good Conscience p. 240 Gods Children have place in the Conscience of others p. 320 Contraries God is able to raise comfort out of contraries p. 42 43 God carries on the work of our salvation by contraries why p. 146 Conversation Conversation what p. 266 Christianity may stand with conversing abroad in the world p. 267 Keligion makes a man converse abroad in the world untainted ibid. A Christians Conversation is best where he is best known p. 273 Corinth Corinth a very wicked City yet ever there God hath a Church p. 4 What is now become of the Church of Corinth p. 5 Corinth the Metropolis or Mother-City of Achaia p. 6 See Achaia D. Danger God suffers his Children sometimes to fall into extream perils and dangers why p. 125 126 c. Day Christ hath a Day p. 339 There be two special dayes of Christ ibid. The measure of a Christians joy is as it will be esteemed at the day of Judgment p. 340 We should often think of the day of the Lord Jesus p. 341 See Judgment Death Gods Children are sometimes very sensible and much afraid of death why p. 130 131 How and in what respect the Saints desire death p. 133 Christ was afraid of death and yet thirsted after it how p. 132 133 Gods Children are often deceived concerning the time â—…f their death why p. 134 Death uncertain how ibid. The time of death uncertain why p. 134 135 Certain account of and looking for death is a means to draw us from self-confidence and from the world and to make us trust in God p 136 Physicians fault in flattering the sick and feeding them with false hopes â—…f long life at the point of death taxed ibid. Affliction called Death p. 171 Deliver God doth not deliver his children at the first but suffers them to be brought to a low ebbe to a very sad condition and why p. 171 172 God delivers after he hath done his work p. 172 Gods time to deliver when p. 173 Gods children alway stand in need of deliverance p. 175 God delivers both outwardly and inwrdly p. 176 180 Christians have deliverance from trouble p. 177 A double deliverance of God p. 178 Experience of Gods deliverance in time past a ground of confidence to expect the like for time to come p. 172 178 182 Objection against the Doctrine of Gods delivering his people from trouble answered p. 179 Deliverance various or manifold p. 180 God will deliver his people out of all trouble p. 181 Dispense No dispensing with Gods Law p. 399 Dissembling Dissimulation Grounds of Dissimulation p. 244 A threefold Dissimulation 1. Before the project p. 224 2. In 3. After Objection for dissembling answered pag. 247 Man naturally prone to dissemble p. 244 250 Dissembling to be avoided and declined p. 371 372 A Christian is no Dissembler p. 317 See Simulation Dominion No man hath dominion over anothers faith p. 519 What is no domineering over the faith of others p. 520 What is domineering over the faith of others ibid. Who are guilty of domineering over other mens faith p. 521 The Church of Rome guilty of domineering over the faith of others how and wherein ibid. Grounds from whence this domineering over other mens faith ariseth p. 527 Double Doubling a great sin p. 247 Man by nature is prone to double and the grounds of it p. 250 Some persons and callings are more prone to doubling then others ibid. A Christian is no doubler p. 317 E. Earnest VVHat the Spirit is an Earnest of p. 486 The Spirit resembled to an Earnest in fiv e particulars p. 486 487 How to know whether we have the Earnest of the Spirit p. 493 494 495 How to get this Earnest of the Spirit pag. 501 502 503 Motives to labour for this Earnest pag. 504 505 End Holy men work for holy Ends p. 347 Equivocation Popish Equivocation odious and abominable p. 246 372 516 Errour How Prophets and Apostles were subject to errours and mistakes and how not p. 374 See Infallible Mistake Experience Former Experience a ground to expect like mercies for the future p. 182 to 188 Extremity God sometimes suffers his children to fall into great extremities and why p. 126 127 Gods people are sensible of their extremity p. 129 See Afflictions Sufferings Tribulations F. Faith Difference between Faith and Presumption p. 441 A double act of Faith 1. Direct pag. 488 2. Reflect Of standing by Faith See Standing To have dominion over the Faith of others See Dominion The foundation of Faith must be out of a mans self p. 544 True Faith is built upon the Word or the Scriptures not upon unwritten Traditions p. 544 545 546 Popish Faith not built upon the Scriptures but upon Traditions p. 545 546 Faith sure and certain p. 546 True Faith will persevere and hold out to the end ibid. It 's by Faith that we stand and withstand all opposition whatsoever ibid. Faith a Christians victory by it he conquers all adversary powers ibid. The Sacrament a means of strengthen Faith p. 550 Falshood Falshood to be declined p. 371 372 Father God as the Father of Christ to be praised p. 21 See Praise God the Father of Christ our Father and the Father of mercies how pag. 21 22 Why God is called the Father of mercies p. 23 Why not the Father of mercy but of mercies ibid. Uses to be made of this Title of God The Father of mercies p. 25 26 27 28 29 30 See Mercy Flesh. Flesh what 276 364 Carnal wisdome why called
Flesh ibid. To purpose and consult according to the Flesh a ground of lightnesse p. 366 How to know whether we consult according to the Flesh p. 367 Signs whereby to know that we are not led or advised by the Flesh ibid. How to avoid fleshly wisdome pag. 368 369 See Wisdome G. Generation PRerogatives of Christs Generation p 388 Gentle Gentle courses first to be used why pag. 510 When gentle means prevail not severe must be used ibid. Glory Glorying Whether a man may glory of any thing in himself how he may and how not p. 216 Cautions for glorying in grace pag. 241 Gods glory manifest in the Gospel viz. the glory of his 1. Justice 2. Mercy 3. Wisdome 4. Power 5. Truth p. 438 439 Gods glory is displayed by the Ministery p. 439 Grace and Glory differ but in degrees p. p. 490 Good Gods children do good in every condition p. 113 What good we get by others afflictiens p. 109 The sufferings of Saints do good to others how ibid. See Afflictions God in all outward things that are ill intends the good of the soul p. 151 A good man a publick good p. 272 A good man should take occasion to do good p. 354 The good things the wicked enjoy are not blessings but curses and snares to them p. 414 How to know they are so p. 414 415 How to know that the good things we enjoy we have them in love p. 415 Govern Guide All inferiour creatures areunder the guidance and government of some Superiour p. 289 Grace Grace sweetens all a Christians conversation p. 9 Grace what p. 10 Christians though in the state of Grace yet still need Grace p. 119 349 How to have continual assurance of grace p. 12 13 A man may know his own estate in grace p. 234 Objection against this answered p. 235 Why the Apostle names Grace not Wisdom p. 289 290 Grace two-fold p. 296 Grace wrought in us described p. 296 297 All our wisdome comes from grace pag. 297 Every thing necessary to bring as to heaven is a grace p. 298 351 352 All the good we have is of grace p. 298 God is ready to give us grace p. 299 Signs of being led and guided by grace p. 302 to 309 Helps or Meanes to be led and guided by grace p. 309 to 312 The Preaching of the Word is a special Grace p. 347 Every benefit and blessing is a grace p. 298 351 352 We ought to strengthen radical graces viz. 1. Humility 2. Faith 3. Knowledge p. 454 We may be assured from a little measure of Grace that we are truly in the state of grace p. 491 c. How to know whether the little grace we have be true grace p. 493 c. H. Health HEalth is a gift yea a great blessing of God p. 202 All other blessings are uncomfortable without health ibid. Holy Holy men are but men subject to mistake p. 374 Holinesse and Happinesse differ but in degrees p. 490 Those that look to be happy must first be holy p. 491 Hope A double effieacy in Hope p 120 123 We may stedfastly hope for performance of Divine truths p. 123 We should hope well of others p. 323 344 345 346 See Conceit Opinion Hypocrite Wherein a true Saint differs from an Hypocrite p. 8 c. A Christian no hypocrite p. 8 317 Prophane Professours are grosse Hypocrites p. 7 I. Jealousie Men are wondrous prone to Jealousie and suspition p. 356 506 Whence Jealousie or suspition ariseth p. p. 357 507 Jealousie what ibid. Mâ—…schief from Jealousie ibid. We should labour to avoid Jealousie why p 508 Inconstancy Publick persons should labour to avoid the just imputation of Inconstancy pag. 359 Grounds or causes of Inconstancy p. 360 361 362 We must not take that for Inconstancy which is not p 361 Remedies against Inconstancy p 3â—…3 Carnal men Inconstant p. 370 Indulgences Popish Indulgences what p. 107 Popish Indulgences confuted ibid. See Satisfactions Infallibility How the Prophets and Apostles were infallible and how no. p. 374 See Errour Mistake Ingratitude Ingratitude a horribe sin p. 204 A Carnal man Ingrateful why p. 19 Joy Rejoyce Christians have their joy or a Christians estate is a joyful and a rejoycing estate p. 217 528 c. A Christians joy is spiritual he rejoyces in spiritual things and what these are p. 217 218 Wicked men dare not reveal their joy but seek to hide the ground of it p. 218 A Christian is not ashamed of his joy why ibid. A faithful Minister is the joy of the people why pag. 333 528 530 531 32 533 The peoples proficiency in grace is the Mininisters joy p. 336 Salvation termed joy why p. 528 The end of the Ministery is to be helpers of the peoples joy p. 528 530 531 532 533 How Ministers are helpers of the peoples joy p. 531 c. Objections answered p. 533 c. Joy is that frame and state of soul that Christians are in or should labour to be in why p. 528 c. Reasons or Motives why Christians should be joyfull p. 529 c. Ministers onely helpers not authours of joy p. 535 c. Gods Spirit alone speaks joy and comfort to the soul why p. 536 Faith breeds joy how p. 538 Signs or Evidences whereby to know whether our joy be good p. 539 540 Journey It 's a commendable thing for Christians to bring one another on their journey p. 355 Our Journey to heaven certain pag. 375 How S. Paul could be deceived in his journey and not in his doctrine p. 373 374 Judgment Gods Word â—…r the holy Scriptures the Judge of all Controversies p. 382 383 Properties of a Judge p. 383 Judgment of Conscience a forerunner of the great and general Judgment p. 222 The measure of a Christians joy is as it will be esteemed at the day of Judgment p. 340 We should of ten think of the day of Judgement p. 341 See Day K. King CHristians are Kings how p. 469 470 Knowledge God is known in his 1. Nature pag. 158 2. Promises 3. Works If our knowledge be not spiritual we fall into 1. Sin 2. Despair 3. Apostasie p. 549 L. Legacy GOds Promises are Legacies p. 435 Difference between a Legacy and a Covenant ibid. Lightnesse Publick persons should avoid the just imputation of Lightnesse p. 359 Grounds of Lightnesse p. 360 361 362 Remedies against Lightnesse p. 363 c. To purpose according to the flesh is a ground of Lightnesse p. 366 Lie All sorts of lies are unlawful p. 247 A lie what p. 372 Equivocation is a lie ibid. See Equivocation Live We may not live as we list if we mean to dye well p. 271 272 M. Mercy MErcy what p. 24 God stiled the Father of Mercies why p. 21 22 23 Why not called the Father of Mercy but of Mercies p. 23 24 Use to be made of Gods Mercifulnesse or in that he it the Father of Mercies p. 25 to 38 Against presuming upon Gods mercy p.
27 28 Men are prone to presume of Gods mercy p. 26 27 28 See Presumption All Gods Attributes without mercy are terrible p. 23 Objection of a poor dejected soul against the Doctrine of Gods mercy or mercifulnesse answered p. 30 To whom Gods mercy is unlimited viz. to repentant soules not to presumptuous sinners p. 27 How to be made fit for or capable of mercy p. 36 How to improve mercy daily p. 37 Kinds of Gods mercies p. 24 25 Merit Against Merit p. 202 Minister Ministery Ministers must win by life as well as by doctrine p. 274 Ministers joyned are with Christ in acceptance and neglect p. 333 A faithful Minister is the joy of the people ibid. The Ministery is a great gift and blessing of God p. 334 346 347 348. The peoples proficiency in grace is the Ministers joy p. 336 All the good we have by Christ is conveyed by the Ministery p. 39 Consent of Ministers is a help to faith p. 391 Ministers are to be prayed for by the people See Prayer Mistake Holy men are subject to Mistakes pag. 374 See Errour N. Name MEn have oft their name and denomination in Scripture by that which they are ruled by p. 275 365 New Popery is a new Religion p. 396 397 O. Oath OAth what p. 376 515 An Oath lawful p. 516 517 Kinds of Oathes p. 376 514 515 A Christian life is a kind of Oath p. 518 Conditions of an Oath pag. 376 514 515 An Oath not good unlesse necessary p. 376 515 516 517 Qualifications of an Oath ibid. None but good men should take an Oath p. 515 Parts of an Oath ibid. An Oath to be taken onely in serious matters p. 515 517 See Swearing Occasion A good man must take all occasions to do good p. 354 Oil Ointment The Spirit with its graces compared to Oil or Ointment p. 464 c. Old Our Religion is the old Religion p. 394 395 c. Popery no old but new Religion p. 396 397 Onenesse A Christian man is one man he doth act one mans part p. 317 There is but one Faith p. 394 One Catholick Church ibid. Opinion It 's good to cherish a good Opinion of others p. 323 344 See Conceit Hope P. Partake THose that partake in other mens sins shall also partake in their sufferings p. 119 Paul St. Paul's prerogative above other Apostles pag. 2 St. Paul's modesty and humility p. 3 S. Paul had a good opinion and conceit of the Corinthians p. 322 How S. Paul could be deceived in his journey and not in his doctrine pag. 373 374 How Timothy is called S. Paul's brother p. 4 S. Paul's course to hold out in holy resolution to the end p. 324 Peace True Peace issues from Grace p. 14 Persecution They that persecute the Saints persecute Christ p. 81 See Affliction Suffering Tribulation Perseverance Resolution to persevere and hold out in a good course to the end p. 323 S. Paul's course to persevere in holy resolution to the end p. 324 Gods Children may be assured that they shall persevere and hold out to the end pag. 489 c. He that is in the state of Grace shall persevere in it to the end p. 490 Physician Physicians do ill in flattering the sick and feeding them with hopes of long life when they are at the point of death p. 136 We should open the case of our soules to our spiritual Physicians p. 535 Policy A Christian should avoid the imputation of carnal Policy p. 365 Not to subordinate Religion to State Policy p. 294 295 Pope Popery Popery crosses the Word of God p. 385 386 The Popes Treasury what p. 107 Popery founded upon Traditions p. 545 546 Popery a rotten and unsound Religion ibid. Popish Religion is full of Contradictions p. 386 Popish Religion is full of uncertainties p. 386 387 How and wherein Popish and Protestant Religin agree and differ p. 395 398 It's safer to be a Protestant then a Papist p. 397 Whether a Papist may be saved pag. 397 398 Popery to be detested because it teacheth men to trust to their own works and satisfactions p. 142 Praise God the object of Praise how p. 20 God to be praised as he is the Father of Christ p. 21 Praise follows prayer or After prayer praises are due p. 204 The praises of many are gratefull and acceptable to God ibid. How the unreasonable creatures praise God p. 206 We are to praise God for others for all sorts of men ibid. Wherein praise consists p. 207 See more in Blesse Thankfulnesse Prayer Prayer is a means to convey all good and deliver from all ill p. 188 Gods children can pray for themselves p. 190 Christians ought to help one another by prayer p. 191 People ought to pray for Ministers p. 193 200 201 What is to begg'd of God or pray'd for for Ministers ibid. Christians have not the Spirit of prayer at all times alike p. 193 Prayer is not a work of gifts but of grace p. 194 Divers gifts in prayer ibid. Prayer is a prevailing course with God and why p. 195 c. How to know whether our prayers help the Church p. 199 It 's an ill condition not to be able to pray p. 200 God will deliver the Ministers by the peoples prayers ibid. It 's a good thing to beg the prayers of others in sicknesse p. 203 The more eminent men are the more they are to be prayed for p. 215 Preach Christ is the main Object of Preaching p. 388 See Ministery Word Presence Personal presence hath a special power p. 346 Presumption Against presuming upon Gods mercy p. 27 28 See Mercy Difference between faith and presumption pag. 441 Pride Pride is a sin against all the Commandments pag. 219 Priest Christians are Priests how pag 467 468 Promise God deales with men by Promises pag. 402 Promise what p. 403 All Promises made in Christ pag. 403 All the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ p. 407 408 c. Several kinds of Promises p. 413 Till a man be in Christ he hath no good by the Promises p. 418 What right a man out of Christ hath to the Promises p. 419 Comfort from the Promises to them that are in Christ pag. 420 421 c. How to make use of the Promises and to have comfort by them pag. 424 425 c. What to do when in trouble we cannot call to mind any particular Promise p. 425 We should make the Promises familiar to us p. 428 Signes or Evidences of believing the Promises pag. 432 433 434 c. to 438 Promises are Legacies as well as promises p. 435 Gods Promises called a Testament a Will ibid. Necessity of application of the Promises to our selves p. 440 None have interest in the Promises but such as find a change in themselves p. 473 Prophets How Christians are Prophets pag. 468 Prophets and Apostles how subject to errour how not p. 374 Providence Providence what p. 177 R. Rejoyce See Joy Religion NOt to
part Prophane men Hypocrits Dan. 7. Quest. Ans. To make a St. there must be 1. a Separation 2. Dedication 3. Qualification 4. Conversation Quest. Answ. Civil man who True Saint wherein different from an hypocrite Simile Grace sweetens all a Christians conversation use of salutations Quest. Blessing what Answ. Salutations should be holy Gods name taken in vain in Salutations Salutations to be omitted 1. In serious businesse 2. To an Heretick Quest. Grace what Answ. Doctr. A Christian needs Grace when he is in state of Grace Reas. We run daily into new breaches Ephes. 1. How to conceive of God To maintain Gods Grace daily Quest. how to have continual assurance of Grace Ans. 1. abase our selves Labour to be rich in grace Quest. Answ. How to know we are in Gods favour 1. By joy of the Spirit 2. By the graces of the Spirit 3. By going to God in extremity Observ. Obser. The disposition of Gods Children to be thankfull Ephes. 〈◊〉 To blesse God what We add nothing to God when we blesse him 1. It is a duty to God 2. It stirs up others 3. It is good for our selves 2. To mind them Spirituall favours especially to give thanks for Why a carnal man is unthankful Beg the spirit To stir up our selves to praise God To shame our selves for unthankfulnesse Motions to thankfulnesse 1. it is the imployment of heaven 2. It mitigates crosses God how considered the object of praise Doct. God as the Faâ—â—â—â— of Christ to be praysed Use 1. To bless God for Christ. God the Father of mercies because the Father of Christ. God is stiled Father of mercies 1. Because Christ his justice is satisfied 2. Because he is naturally mercifull All Gods attributes without mercy terrible Mercie what Kinds of Gods mercie Simile Forgiving mercies the principal Men prone to presume of Gods mercies to whom Gods mercy is unlimitted Gods Wrath to presumtuous sinners Simile Simile Object Use 2. To those that are in the state of Grace An encouragement to come to God Simile Late Repentance seldom true Mercy the greatest terror to impenitent To imitate God in mercy Men unmerciful to their own souls Gods mercy should comfort us in all estates To be fit for mercy I. Get broken hearts Quest. Answ. How to improve mercy daily Thankfulnesse for mercy Comfort what 1 The thing it self 2. Comfortable reasons 3. By the Spirit Comfort stronger then the maladie Comfort not compleat in this life Philosophicall reasons will not comfort God of comfort 1. That he can create it out of nothing God only can make something of nothing Out of contraries In what order God is 〈◊〉 God of comfort Conclusion Whatsoever the means of comfort be God is the spring Ground of unthankfulnesse in wicked men Ground of thankfulnesse in Christians Ground of prayer To seek to God in the use of things comfortable Double application Quest. Answ. Christians ground of comfort in all estates Quest. Answ. Christians are uncomfortable 1 Ignorance 2. Passion 3. Aggravating the grievance 4 Forgetfulnesse of Gods comforts 5. Looking to the streame forgetting the spring Object Answ. God comforts his children in all tribulation Comfort answerable to all miseries in this life Inward comfort best To comfort What. Use. To go to God in the use of meanes We must not tempt God by neglecting meanes Ashame for Christians to be over much disconsolate Quest. Answ. How to derive comfort from the God of comfort 1. Look to the grievance especially sin Comforts against sin Luther No comfort for such as go on in sin Comforts for those that are relapsed Caution 2 Comfort against other grievances General comforts 1. The Covenant of Grace 2. The promise of mitigation 3. In the presence of God 4. Consider the end all work for good Simile 5. The promise of finall deliveanec To keep a daily course of comfort 1. Keep the soul in a good temper 2. Renew our resolutions Dayly feed on Christ. To be thankful 6. To be fruitful 7. Labour for sinâ—…erity And growth 8. Not to grieve the spirit 9. Be conversant in the scripture 10. To study Principles of Religion Observ. All are subject to discomforts In Comforting others there must he Ability Will. Example Sympathy Doctr. Gods children have all of them interest in divine comforts Reason The priviledges of religion are common to them 2. They are not impaired by being communicated Use Comfort to weak Christians Doctr Comforts derived to men by men Every Christian to Communicate his comfort Simile Reason 1. To trie our obedience God not tied to means Reason 2. To knit us in love to one another Use We are debtors of the comforts we have To be able to comfort others Take notice of their grievance 2. To labour for bowels of compassion Graces of communion what 3. Get experience our selves Simile Quest. Answ. Why experience is such a help to comfort others 1. It increaseth knowledge It gaines confidence in the speaker How to comfort others from our experience 1. Search out their sin and misery 2. Shew them their interest in the covenant of grace Comfort belongs to them that think themselves furthest from it 3. To comfort them from our owne experience 4. By experience of Saints in scripture Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Wisdom of the Apostle Use. To depend on Gods ordinance The ministers Simile 2. Common Christians Difference in gifts and Grace How to distinguish men of great parts Simile Use. 3. To see the goodnesse of God in this ordinance Ground of praising God Doctrines Doct. The sufferings of Christ abound in us â—ll suffer not alike Reas. 1. In respect of God Râ—as 2. In respect of Satan Reas. 3. In respect of the word Reas. 4. In respect of our selves 1. In respect of the good in us 2. The evill in us Afflictions necessary to purge corruptions contracted by the peace of the Church Object Ans. August Afflictions in the most peaceable times Three-fold suffering in the Church Use. How to judge of afflicted men Doctr The sufferings of Christians are the sufferings of Christ. Christ three waies taken in scripture Quest. Ans. They are the sufferings of Christ. 1 Because of Christ mystically 2. They are for Christs cause 3. By way of sympathy 4. He is present with us Differences between sufferings of Christ and ordinary crosses 1. Sufferings as creatures 2. As men 3. As holy men Use encouragement to suffer for Christ. Christ persecuted by wicked men Encouragement to do good to Christians Consolation what Doctr. Comfort proportionable to sufferings Reas. 1 Troubles enlarge the capacity of the soul. Because they humble it 2. They exercise grace Reas. 3. From Gods wisedom Reas. 4. We have a nearer presence of God Reas. 5. Then we pray most Disproportions of sufferings and comfort Use 2. To judge aright of those that are afflicted Simile Use 3. Thankfulness Object Answ. What hinders comfort in afflictions No comfort to wicked men Doct. 4. Consolation 〈◊〉 bounds by