punish whence follows the non-imputation of sin Not imputing their trespasses unto them The justice of God will not suffer that that sin which is pardoned should be punished for can that be justice in a prince to pardon a thief and yet to bring him to the gallows for that fact Though the malefactor doth justly deserve it yet after a pardon and the word passed it is not justly inflicted God indeed doth punish for that sin which is pardoned Though Nathan by Gods Commission had declared Davids sin pardoned yet the Sword was to stick in the bowels of his family 2 Sam. 12.10 15. The Sword shall never depart from thy house the Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye But 1. 'T is not a punishment in order to Satisfaction Because Christs Satisfaction had no flaw in it and stood in need of nothing to eek it out But 't is for the vindication of the honour of Gods holiness that he might not be thought an approver of sin and this was the reason of Davids punishment in the death of his child by Bathsheba 2 Sam. 12.14 Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to Blaspheme 2. 'T is not so much poenal as medicinal A judg Commands a hand to be cut off that is for punishment a Physician and a Father order the same but for the Patients cure and the preservation of the body And though God after pardon acts not towards his people in the nature of a Judg yet he never lays aside the authority and affection of a Father We are delivered from a Judges wrath but not from a Fathers anger In that remarkable dumbness inflicted upon Zachary for his unbelief Luk 1.18.20 there was a confirmation of his Faith as well as the chastisement of his incredulity The Angel upon his unbelieving desire of a sign gives him a Testimony of the truth of his errand but such an one that should make him feel in some measure the smart of his unbelief 3. If it be penal 't is not the eternal punishment due to sin 'T is but temporary and not embittered by wrath which is the gall of punishment This taking off the obligation to punishment is the true nature of pardon Which will be evident from 2 Sam. 19.19 Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me Shimei desires David not to impute iniquity and not to remember it It was not in Davids power absolutely to forget it and Shimei's confessing the fact with those circumstances in verse 20. was enough to recall it to Davids memory if he had forgot it but he desires David not to bring him to satisfy the penalty of the law for reviling his Soveraign II. The Author of Pardon God For pardon is the Soveraign prerogative of God whereby he doth acquit a believing Sinner from all obligation to Satisfactory punishment upon the account of the Satisfaction and Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith 1. 'T is Gods act Remission is the Creditors not the Debtors act though the Debtor be obliged in Justice to pay the debt yet there is no obligation upon the Creditor to demand the debt because it is at his liberty to renounce or maintain his right to it and God hath as much power as man to relax his right provided it be with a Salvo to his own honour and the holiness of his nature which he cannot deny for the sinners safety as the Apostle tells us God cannot deny himself Yet properly say some though sin be a debt God is not to be considered in pardon as a Creditor because sin is not a pecuniary debt but a criminal and so God is to be considered as a governor law-giver guardian and executor of his laws and so may dispence with the severities of them If an inferior person tear an indictment it may be brought again into Court but if the chief Magistrate order the casting it out who can plead it 'T is Gods act and if God justifies who can condemn Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies who shall condemn That God absolves thee that hath power to condemn thee that God who enacted the law whereby thou art sentenced proclaims the Gospel whereby thou art reconcil'd 'T is an offended God who is a foregiving God that God whose name thou hast prophaned whose patience thou hast abused whose laws thou hast violated whose mercy thou hast slighted whose justice thou hast dared and whose glory thou hast stained 2. 'T is not only his act but his prerogative and he only can do it God is the party wronged Nemo potest remittere de jure alieno This prerogative he glories in as peculiar to himself the thoughts of this honour are so sweet to him that he repeats it twice as a title he will not share with another Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blots out thy transgressions Pardoning offenders is one of a Princes royalties And this is reckoned among his Regalia as a choice flower and jewel in his Crown Exod. 34.7 for giving iniquity transgressions and Sins A Prince punisheth by his ministers but pardons by himself And indeed God is never so glorious as in acts of mercy Justice makes him terrible but mercy renders him amiable When Moses desired to see God in his royalty and best perfections he displays himself in his goodness Exod. 33.18 Shew me thy glory v. 19. I will make all my goodness pass before thee I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious And though the Apostles had a power of Remission and binding that was only ministerial and declarative like that prophetical power which Jeremy had to root up nations and destroy Jerm 1.10 i. e. to declare Gods will in such and such Judgments as he should send him to pronounce Men cannot pardon an infinite wrong done to an infinite justice Forgiveness belongs to God as 1. Proprietor He hath a greater right to us than we have to our selves 2 Soveraign He is Lord over us as we are his creatures 3. Governour of us as we are parts of the world 3. 'T is an act of his mercy Not our merit Though there be a conditional connexion between pardon and repentance and Faith yet there is no meritorious connexion ariseth from the Nature of those graces but remission flows from the gracious indulgence of the promise 'T is the very tenderness of mercy the meltings of inward bowels Luke 1.78 To give knowledg of Salvation and Remission of their sins through the tender mercies of our God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inexhaustible mercy Psal 86.5 Thou Lord art ready to forgive and art plenteous in mercy A multitude of tender mercies Psal 51.1 What Arithmetick can count all the bublings up of mercy in the breast of God and all the glances and all the doles of his pardoning grace towards his creatures And he keeps this mercy by him as in a treasury to
but renews the promise of the Messiah to him as a reward Deliverance then comes when God hath separated the Corn from the stubble 4. A standing encouragement for future faith When the straits are greatest from whence God delivers us there is a stronger foundation for a future trust When the distress is inconsiderable faith afterwards will be more feeble large experience heartens strengthens faith in the promise When gloomy clouds are blown over the brighter and thinner will not be much feared When we see the Sun melt the thickest over our heads we shall not doubt its force to disolve the lesser vapours which may afterwards assemble when the Ship hath escaped a raging storm we shall not doubt it in a less God often puts them in mind of their deliverance in the red Sea to strengthen their faith and dependance on him It must needs be an establishment to faith for deliverances from great straits are some kind of obligation on the honour of God When the Israelites had provoked God by murmuring and wished they had dyed in Aegypt and not in the wilderness Moses intercedes with this argument The Aegyptians shall hear of it from whom God brought up Israel with a strong hand and it would disparage Gods power and tax him with an inability to bring his people into the Land he intended then God grants their pardon Numb 14.13 14 20. 5. Engagement to future Obedience 'T is upon this account God prefaceth the Law with his mercy in delivering them out of Aegypt The strongest Vows are made in the greatest straits Many obligations there are when the extremity forces us to cry When we are in the Jaws of Death God may have his terms of us when we are at some distance we will have our own The lower a person is the more readily will he bend to any condition hope of deliverance will make him stoop And when God snatches his People as fire-brands out of the fire they are more obliged to him from common ingenuity and must be more ashamed of breaking their Vows than if their mercies were of a great alloy If common patience leads to repentance a rescue from an amazing danger is a stronger cord to draw us to repentance and obedience And it is certain that when the Church in sincerity makes Vows to God it will not be long before God puts her into a condition to pay them and furnish her with Incentives of a holy ingenuity 6. The greater thankfulness The more straitned the greater thankfulness for enlargement As we hear not of the Israelites prayers after they came out of Aegypt till they were in the pound so we read of none of their songs though they had matter enough for them in their first departure till God had dasht in pieces the Enemy and thrown the Horse and the Rider into the Sea Then and not till then had they a deep sense how glorious God was in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 Great mercies unvail God's face more to the view of his People When Israel inherits great salvation then the Lord shall inherit the praise of Israel When we have less mercies we take little notice of the Author God hears the language of but one of our bones but when he delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him and spoils him then all my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee 7. To prevent future mischief to the Church The destruction of the greatest Enemies is a disarming the less God by this destruction struck a terrour into those Nations upon whose confines Israel was to march into Canaan who without so remarkable a rebuke of providence would have been desirous to finger some of their prey Then trembling took hold of the mighty men of Moab All the Inhabitants of Canaan did melt away fear and dread fell upon them by the greatness of the Arm of God that they should be as still as a stone till they passed over the River Exod. 15.15 16. Their present deliverance was a Pass-port for their future security in their Journey and no Enemies troubled them in the way but those upon whom God had a mind to shew his Power 2. How doth God deliver when the season is thus 1. Suddenly They sank like Lead in the mighty waters which quickly reaches the bottom Judgment comes like lightning Death and Hell are said to ride upon Horses Rev. 6.8 They are too swift for God's Enemies and will easily win the Race of them Destruction comes as travel upon a woman with child 1 Thes 5.3 How suddenly did God turn the Assyrian Camp into an Aceldema overthrow a powerful Army and make their Tents their Tombs in the space of a night He will dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Psa 2.9 all in bits at a stroke He comes suddenly he rides upon a Cherub Psal 18.10 But because the motion of an Angel is not so intelligible he adds another Metaphor from the nimblest of sensible things he flies upon the wings of the wind to assist his People in extremity The Enemy comes like a whirlwind * They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me Hab. 3.14 and God goes forth as a whirlwind of fury Jer. 30.23 The whirlwind of his Judgments shall be as quick as the whirlwind of their malice a continual whirlwind when the other is vanishing it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked when the other shall be as fruitless as a Snow-ball against a wall of Brass The Enemy beholds him not till he be upon him for the clouds are as dust under his feet Nahum 1.3 and obscure his appearance as the raising the Dust doth the march of a Troop he comes unawares upon them in a Cloud The Execution is sudden They shall be cut down as grass Psal 37.2 which this moment faceth the Sun triumphing in its natural bravery and the next moment is cut off from its Root with one shave of a Sythe He quencheth them as Tow is quencht in Water Isa 43.17 as the snuff of a Candle is quench'd by being bruis'd by the fingers He cuts them off as foam the excrement of the water Hos 10.7 which bursts in pieces like a bubble on the sudden Vengeance comes upon Tyre and Sidon swiftly and speedily Joel 3.4 Tyre comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to afflict to straiten Sidon of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to pursue All Persecutors are threatned in Tyre and Sidon with a swift destruction God delays the time to try the faith and patience of his People to make the expected deliverance more sweet and welcom and mercy more singular He may have some of the seed of Christ in the loins of some of his Enemies But when he doth draw his Sword he gives a sudden blow before the Enemy fears it or his People expect it The Jews in Babylon when the Chains of their Captivity were unloosed were like those that
reason to think that he would be careless of maintaining the honour of it in his promises and thereupon be filled with despondencies What comfort could we have in an unrighteous God The righteousness of God in inflicting punishment is but a branch of that essential righteousness of his nature which obligeth him to be righteous in the performing his promise too 'T is a mighty support to faith that the righteous God loveth righteousness 2. Obedience in a Believer hath a greater lustre by them It was the glory of Job that he preserved his Integrity under the smartest troubles To obey a God always smiling is not so great an act of Loyalty as to obey a God frowning and striking 'T is the crown of our obedience to follow our God though he visits us with stripes 'T is a noble temper to love that hand which strikes us and chearfully serve that Father which lasheth us Our obedience is too low when it must be excited by a succession of favours and cannot run to God unless he allures it by smiles 'T is then a generous and sincere obedience when we can embrace him with a sword in his Hand trust him though he kill us love him though he stone us and as the Persians did by the Sun adore him when he scorcheth as well as when he refresheth us Were these punishments wholly absent we should not have a rise for so heroick faith and love and our holiness in this state would want much of its lustre 3. Humility These punishments are left upon us to allay our pride and be our remembrancers of our deplorable miscrriage It had been an occasion of pride in us to be freed from punishment at the first appearance of a Mediator 'T is reasonable the Soul should have occasions to exercise it self in a grace contrary to that first sin pride which was the cause of the fall We affected to be Gods and punishment is left that we may know we are but Men which is the end of judgments Psal 9.20 Put them in fear O Lord that the Nations may know they are but Men we should otherwise think our selves Gods We are so inclin'd to sin that we need strong restraints and so swell'd with a natural pride against God that we need Thorns in the Flesh to let out the corrupt matter The constant hanging the Rod over us makes us lick the dust and acknowledge our selves to be altogether at the Lords mercy Though God hath pardon'd us he will make us wear the halter about our Necks to humble us 4. Patience Were there no punishments there would be but little occasion for patience This grace would not have had its extensive exercise its full formation without such strokes left upon the creature Resignation to God which is the beauty of grace would not come to its due maturity and stature without such trials So that in these reasons of the continuance we see they are rather advantages to Salvation than hindrances by promoting through the influence of God's grace those graces in us which are necessary to a happy state Use 1. See the infinite mercy of God who when upon the defection of our first Parents he might have burnt up the whole world as he did Sodom would upon the Redeemers account who stept in impose so light a punishment upon that sin 't is but light in comparison of what the nature of sin deserves every sin being a contempt of the Majesty of God and a slight of his Authority and that sin having greater aggravations attending it 'T is a merciful punishment it might have been an everlasting damnation God might have left us to the first sentence of the law and made no exchange of eternal death for temporal pains He might have been deaf to the voice of a Mediator and put his mercy to silence as he did Moses Speak no more of this matter but his Bowels pull his Justice by the Arm and hinder that fatal stroke and a Mediator by his interposition breaks off the full blow from us by taking it upon himself and suffers only some few smart drops to light upon us Oh wonderful mercy that our punishment should not hinder but rather further our everlasting happiness by incomprehensible grace Let not then our punishments for sin hinder our thankfulness Let our Mouths swell with praise while our Bodies crumble away by diseases and Relations drop from us by death Let us love God's glory admire his mercy while we feel his Arrows Whatever our punishments are there is more matter for praise than murmuring 2. How should we bewail original sin the first fall of man 'T is a great slighting of God not to take notice either of his judicial or fatherly proceedings As we are to lament any particular sin more especially when the judgments of God which bear the marks of that sin in their foreheads are upon a nation or person so though we are to bewail the sin of our nature at all times yet more signally when the strokes of God the remembrancers of it are most signally upon us A Child doth more particularly think of his fault when he is under the correcting rod for it We should scarce think of original sin if we did not feel original punishment All the pains of sin should be considered as Gods Sermon to us and we should under them be afflicted with that sin as we may suppose Adam and Eve were when they first heard the punishment denounc'd in Paradice when they had a sense of the flourishing Condition they had lost for a slight temptation To turn sorrow for pain into sorrow for our first sin is to spiritualize our grief and sanctify our passion 3. What an argument for patience under punishments is here The continuance of them doth not hinder our Salvation Shall a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin For such a punishment that doth not hinder his eternal welfare but by the grace of God and the exercise of Faith rather promote it God promised as well as threatned both his mercy and righteousness directs him to that which is most for his honour and our good Let us not by any impatience charge infinite wisdom with blindness or unrighteousness They were punishments at first but by Faith in Christ the deportment of a judge is changed into that of a Father Drusius hath an observation Psal 56.10 In God will I praise his word in the Lord will I praise his word The first word Elohim is a name belonging to God as a judg the 2d word Jehovah is a name of mercy I will praise God whether he deal with me in a way of justice or in a way of mercy when he hath thunder in his voice as well as when he hath hony under his tongue Oh how should we praise God and pleasure our selves by such a frame When our distresses ly hard upon us we should justify Gods holiness So the Psalmist or rather Christ in the bearing our
forelorn Gentiles as stupid as stocks and stones he raiseth up Children a great posterity to Abraham Those that he imployed in the erecting Sion and establishing the Law that went out from her in the rubbish of the Gentiles he struck off from all humane assistances all strength and power in themselves when he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait there for a power from on high before they ventured to be Witnesses to him and publish his Name not only in the uttermost parts of the Earth but in Jerusalem the City where they were to abide or in any part of Judaea Acts 1.4 8. They were not to speak a word of him in their own strength or in any strength less than a Power from Heaven which was to be given them by the sending the Spirit and this he calls the promise of the Father as signifying his purpose to enlarge his Church as well as build it at the first by himself and his own power 'T is this the promise of the Father our Saviour there pitches their faith upon and 't is this our faith should be established in in all conditions of the Church Now hath God thus rear'd up a Church out of the ashes of mans original Apostacy setled it among the murmuring and ungrateful Israelites that industriously longed for the Garlick and Onions of Aegypt as weary of the greatness of his mercy to them and propagated it to the Idolatrous Gentiles fill'd with all unrighteousness as bad as bad could be as is described Rom. 1.29 30 31 To what purpose was the enlarging the Churches Patent if he did intend the footsteps of her should ever be rooted out of the world He pickt out the weakest poorest persons as the matter of it that he might shew his own honour in preserving it he hath yet supported her all the while she hath carryed the cross of her Lord he hath sent his spirit to frame a succession of new materials for her how fruitless would all this be if he should let Hell waste the Temple erected for Heaven What did he gather and enlarge the Church only to make it a richer conquest and a fatter morsel for the Devil How vain would his former kindness appear if he should let it utterly sink as long as the world endures It cannot be imagin'd with any semblance of reason that God hath taken all this care about the nursing and growth of the Church from small beginnings to let his darling be a prey to the mouth of Lyons and be of no other use than to fatten his enemies 4. In regard of the cost and pains he hath been at about Sion Did the creation of the world ever cost him so much Was there one tear one groan one sigh much less the blood of the Son of God expended in laying the foundation of it When the matter of it was without form and void the beauty of it was not wrought with a washing with blood When God established the clouds above and strengthn'd the foundations of the deep when he gave the sea his decree and appointed the foundations of the earth the Son of God was by him rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth and his delights were among the sons of men Prov. 8.28 29 31. Not bleeding and dying But this he must do he must take humane nature be bruised in his heel by the serpent and be a Sacrifice himself make an atonement for sin before a stone for the building of spiritual Sion could be fram'd and laid What pains have been taken also in the effecting it The birth of the Church was a work of greater power than the fabrick of the world a few words went to the rearing of that in the revolution of six days it was set upon its feet but many a year was God in travel before Sion was brought forth there was an enemy as potent as Hell to deal with in setting it in Adams family after mans Apostacy The corrupt nature that had then got the possession of the world to contest with The world must be drowned to bring it to a second nativity and establishment in Noah The forming the Church of the Jews was not without some pangs of nature what signs and wonders and great terrours were wrought in its bringing forth out of Aegypt and striking off the chains of her Captivity Deut. 4.34 What fire blackness darkness tempest that made a convulsion in the Souls of those that were to be her materials Heb. 12.18 19. And the bringing forth the Gentile Church and enlarging the cords and stakes of Sion was preceded by the darkening the Sun the trembling of the Earth the opening of the Graves the suffering of that which was dearest to God himself No Power was ever employed so signally in the Affairs of any worldly concern as in the settlement of Sion The devouring waves of the Red Sea have been made her Bulwarks and the Sand the Grave of her Enemies hath been a path for her passage The Sun hath forgotten his natural Race to gaze upon her Victories Josh 10.13 Angels have been commissioned to be her Champions and fight her Battels 2 King 19.35 The whole Host of Heaven have been arrayed to fight for Sion on Earth The merciless nature of the fire hath been curb'd to preserve her children when she seemed to be reduced to a small number and the mouths of hunger-starv'd Lions have been bridled for the same purpose Dan. 6.22 The proudest Enemies to her have been vanquisht by Frogs and Lice and Tyrants that would lay their hands upon her have been made to their disgrace a living Banquet for Worms the vilest creatures Act. 12.23 And indeed after the malice of the Devil had usurpt God's right in the Creation and had drawn the chiefest of his sublunary creatures into an Apostacy with himself no less than an Infinite Power could be engaged against the greatest of created Powers if God would not forego his own honour in suffering himself to be deprived of the fruit of his works No less than Infinite Power could erect a Church in the world that God might have the fruit of his Creation he ordered this Power to appear struck down the Gates of Hell sent his Son to rescue his Honour and his Spirit to polish stones for his Temple Every one that is fitted for this Building had Almightiness at work with him before he was form'd Eph. 1.19 20. Every stone was hewed by the Spirit and the Image of God was imprinted by a Divine Efficacy Shall the fruit of so much Power and the mark of his own Image want an establishment God would seem to be careless of the Treasures of his own Nature wherewith he hath endow'd her Shall all this cost and pains be to no purpose Were the Gates of Hell taken down to be set up again more strongly and the chargeable Counsels of God to be puft away by the breath of Satan Doth it consist with his Wisdom to let
love of delight since he hath refined and beautified her by imparting to her of his own comliness Ezek. 16.14 Is it likely this affection should sink into carelesness And the fruit of so much love be dasht in peices Can such tenderness be so unconcerned as to let the apple of his eye be pluckt out To be a lazy spectator of the pillage of his Jewels by the powers of Hell to have the Center of his delight tost about at the pleasure of men and Devils Shall a Mother be careless of her sucking Child How then can that God whose tenderness to the Church cannot be equalled by the bowels of the most compassionate mother to her infants Surely God is concerned in honour to maintain against a feeble Devil and a decrepit world that which is the object of his almighty affection 8. In regard of the natural weakness of the Church No generous Prince but will think himself bound in honour to support the weaker subject no tender parent but will acknowledg himself obliged in affection to take a greater care of the weaker than the stronger Child The Gardiner adds props to the feeblest plants that are most exposed to the fury of the storms and have least strength to withstand them The powers of the world have always been the Churches enemies the wise have set their reason and the mighty their arms against her the Devil the God of this world is so far from being her friend that Sion hath been the only object of his spite He contrives only floods to drown her or mines to demolish her Her own friends are often so darkened or divided that they cannot some times for Ignorance and will not other times for peevishness hit upon and use the right means for her preservation 'T is an honourable thing then for that God who entitles himself the Father of the fatherless to shew his own power and grace in her establishment The fatherless condition of the Church is an argument she hath sometimes used to procure the assistance she wanted * Hos 14.3 With thee the fatherless finds mercy And the weakness of Jacob urged by the Prophet excited repentance in God and averted two Judgments which were threatned against that people Amos. 7.2 3 5 6. 'T is no mean motive to him to help the helpless this opportunity he delights to take when there was no man to help no intercessor to plead then his own arm brought Salvation When he saw no defenders but all ravagers no Physicians but all wounders then should the Spirit of the Lord lift up a standard Isa 59.16.19 To conclude if Sion the Gospel Church were not of as long a duration as the standing of the world God would lose the honour of his creation after the Devil by sin had made the creatures unuseful for those ends to which God had appointed them by his first institution The wisdom of God had been blurred the serpent would have Triumphed the Kingdom of God had been dissolved the enemy would have enjoy'd a remediless tyranny had not God put his hand to the work and erected a new Kingdom to himself out of the ruins of the fall And since God was pleased to take this course rather than create a new world and hath laid the foundation of a new Kingdom by drawing some out of that common rebellion the humane nature was fallen into and that he might do it with honour to himself hath sent his Son upon that errand by his blood to bring back man to God and his spirit to make men fit for a Communion with him and hath backt his affection to the Church with so much cost and pains for her welfare If after all this God should-desert his Church the dishonour of Gods wisdom the loss of the fruit of all his cost and pains the weakness of his affection or of his power to perform his promise and the ruin of his glory intended by those methods would be the issue which would be attended with the triumph of his revolted creature and greatest enemy This would be if God should cease picking out some men for his praise and keeping up his name and royalty in the earth 2. 'T is for the exercise of the Offices of Christ that Sion should be establisht He is Prophet Priest and King which are all titles of relation Prophet implies some to be instructed a Priest some to offer for and a King some to be ruled put one relation and you must necessarily put the other If there were no Church preserv'd in the world he would be a nominal Prophet without any disciples a King without subjects and a Priest without suppliants to be atoned by him upon earth Now Christ is the wonderfull Counsellour the everlasting Father and the Government is laid upon his Shoulders to what end to order and establish the Kingdom of God Isa 9.6 7. All the strength and vigor he had as it was from God so it was intended for God * Thou madest the Son of man strong for thy self Psa 80.17 And the reason is because though God hath given up the administration of things to Christ yet he hath not devested himself of his right nor can For God is the chief Lord and the relation of creatures not ceasing the relation of Lord and Creator cannot cease And therefore since the right of God continues the grant of the uttermost ends of the earth to be the inheritance possession of Christ includes not only a gift but an Office to preserve protect establish and improve his possession for those ends for which he had the grant and to prevent all that may impair it As he had a right and strength by the order of God to rear it so he hath an Office and Power to establish it as well as to erect it and Christ is the same in all his offices yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 The same in credit with God in faithfulness to his Office the vertue of his blood the force of his arm and compassions to bleeding Sion 1. 'T is his part as a Prophet to establish it in Doctrine 'T is his part externally to raise his truth when it lyes gasping in the rubbish of errour and refine his worship when it is daub'd with Superstition and Idolatry Internally to clear the understanding to know his truth quicken the will to imbrace it rivet the word in the conscience and enflame the affections to love and delight in it Certainly the promise of the abiding of his Spirit implies the efficacy of his operation while he abides He is to provide against the subtilty and rapine of fox like Hereticks that they spoil not the tender vine Cant. 2.15 And to furnish the Church with gifts for the preserving and increasing her The perpetual exercise of this prophetical office he promised them when he gave the Apostles a Charter for his presence to the end of the world Mat. 28.20 Which was in relation to their ministry and
As God shews his mercy in his Peoples Redemption he will shew his strength in their conduct Exod. 15.13 He that made this deliverance a standing Monument of his Power entitles himself by it Isa 43.16 Thus saith the Lord which makes a way in the Sea a path in the mighty waters 2. His kindness to and care of his People When the straits are remediless and the counsels whereby the Projects are laid not to be defeated by humane skill when God seems to have forgot then in a seasonable deliverance he shews himself the careful Watchman of Israel When the Ship is in a raging storm and Christ asleep he will leave his own ease to keep his word and content his People When the Church thinks God hath forgotten his mercies and they have forgotten their dependance when the misery is so pressing that there is no faith of a deliverance left then Christ comes when faith is scarcely to be found upon the Earth Luke 18.8 to exalt his mercy in the depths of their misery and work terrible things they looked not for Isa 64.3 The Israelites would not have understood God's care in their protection without this or the like strait God had a new opportunity to shew his watchfulness over them to turn the cloud which went before them as their guide behind them for their defence Exod. 14.19 The scoffs of the Enemy at the Churches misery are God's motive to help her I will restore health to thee because they called thee an out-cast Jer. 30.17 'T is in straits we see God's salvation not man's Exod. 14.13 Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. 3. His Justice He lets the Church be encompassed with miseries and the Enemies in a Combination against her that he may overthrow them at once God makes a quicker dispatch with the Aegyptians when they were united than when they had assaulted Israel with a smaller body His Righteousness gets glory at one blow when he makes them to lye down together Is 43.17 His Justice is unblemisht in striking when their wickedness is visibly ripe the equity of it must needs be subscribed that when the Enemies malice is greatest when they have no mixture of compassion 't is the clearest righteousness to crush them without any mixture of mercy God brings things to that pass that he may honour both his Justice and Mercy in the highest That the black horses and the white horses may march firm together Zech. 6.6 the black horses that brought death and Judgment Northward to Babylon where the Church was captive the white horses that followed them and brought deliverance to his People the one to be Instruments of his Judgments the other of his Mercies God loves to glorifie those two Attributes together he did so in the redemption of mankind by the death of his Son and he doth so in the deliverance of his Church there is a conformity of the Church to Christ in her distress that there may be a conformity of God's glory in temporal to his glory in eternal Salvation God singles out a full crop to be an harvest for both A wicked man is said to be waited for by the sword Job 15.22 God attends the best season for revenge when mercy to the one shall appear most glorious and vengeance on his Enemies most equitable and all disputes against his proceedings be silenced 2. It makes to the Churches Advantage God had a work to do upon Mount Sion and on Jerusalem before he would punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks Isa 10.12 His end shall be attained in the correction of his Church before his glory shall be exalted in the destruction of her Enemies There are Enemies in the hearts of his People to be conquered by his grace before the Enemies to her peace and prosperity shall be defeated by his Power he will let them be in the fire till like gold they may have a purer honour in a brighter lustre 1. Humiliation is gain'd hereby God would not presently raze out the Canaanites lest the wild Beasts should increase upon them Deut. 7.22 Too quick deliverances may be occasions to multiply the wild Beasts of pride security and wantonness in the heart humility would have but little footing There is need of a sharp Winter to destroy the Vermin before we can expect a fruitful Spring Without humiliation the Church knows not how to receive nor how to improve any mercy The Enemies hasten their own mine by increasing the measure of their sins and Israels deliverance by being instruments to humble then hearts The sooner the plaister hath drawn out the corrupt matter the sooner it is cast into the fire God hereby prevents the growth of weeds in that ground he intends to enrich with new mercies 2. A Spirit of Prayer is excited Slight troubles make but drooping prayers Great straits make it gush out as the more the bladder is squeezed the higher the water springs We hear not of the Israelites crying to the Lord after their coming out of Aegypt till they had a sight of the formidable Army Exod. 14.10 They were sore afraid and the Children of Israel cried unto the Lord. Prayer gains mercies but scarce springs up free without sence of distress We then have recourse to Gods power whereby he is able to relieve us when we are sensible of our own weakness whereby we are unable to relieve our selves men will scarce seek to God or trust him while any creature though but a reed remains for their support they are destitute before they pray or believe God regards their prayers Psa 102.17 He will regard the prayer of the Destitute and not despise their prayer Distress causes importunity and God will do much for importunities sake Luke 11.8 3. Discovery of sincerity Hereby God discovers who are his people and who are not who are in the highest form of Christianity and who are not in the School or at least but in the lowest form he separates the good corn from the useless chaff No question but there were some among the Israelites that in this extremity acted faith upon the remembrance of the wonders God had wrought for them in Aegypt before their departure certainly they did not all murmur against Moses Were there no Calebs and Joshuahs that followed God fully in a way of faith and submission Their faith courage had not been conspicuous without this extremity Thundrings and Lightnings and terrible things in righteousness are to prove us whether the fear of God be before our faces that we sin not Exod. 20.18 20. God separates the dross You never know a new building without pulling down to separate the rubbish and rotten rafters from the sound materials Abraham was put upon hard work the imbruing his hands in the blood of his only Son to prove his integrity when God sees his sincerity he divers the blow not only delivers him from his grief his Son from his danger
saw their affliction was bitter and there was no helper yet when they did not thankfully improve it to a reformation God denounced judgments against them for their Idolatry 2 Kings 14.26 27. The Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel So that he had not yet denounced it for he waited to see the improvement of this mercy But before the end of Jeroboams reign by the prophet Hosea who began to prophesy in his time he declared their final captivity from whence they are not restored to this day Praise for former mercies is a means to gain future ones the Musick of Voices in Jehoshaphats camp praising the beauty of holiness was a prologue of a deliverance from a formidable army 2 Chron. 20.21 22. and more successful than the warlike musick of drums and trumpets 4. Exercise faith on the power of God manifested in deliverances in the time of straits 'T is not for want of ability in God but for want of faith in us that we at any time go groaning under misery Faith would quiet the Soul When David relyed upon God and found by experience God sustaining him he would not then be afraid of ten thousand Psa 3.5 6. Let that be our carriage which is recorded of the Israelites after this memorable defeat Exod. 14.31 They believed the Lord and his Servant Moses We must never expect to see Gods arm bare without faith in him Christ can do no great work where unbelief is predominant Unbelief doth not strip God of his power and mercy but it stops the streams and effluxes of it Unbelief against experience is a double sin 'T is gross when against a bare word worse when against the word confirmed by a Witness Israel was past thoughts of any relief in this strait but expected to perish by the hand of their Enemies yet God brought them into straits in mercy to bring them out of straits with power he makes their distress a snare to their Enemies and a scaffold for their faith That deliverance ought to be a foundation for our trust in God though bestowed upon another Nation yet not so much upon them as a State but as a Church and a type of those future ones under the Gospel which are yet expected Well then trust upon this foundation Great trust in God is a sort of obligation upon God Men out of generosity will do much for them that depend upon them Dependance on God magnifies his Attributes this will bring deliverance whereby God will magnify himself Do not distrust him till you meet with an Enemy too strong for him to quell a red Sea too deep for him to divide an affliction too sturdy for him to rebuke an Aegyptian too proud for him to master Then part with your faith but not till God hath parted with his power which he hath formerly evidenc'd 5. Expect and provide for sharp conflicts God brings into straits before he delivers Another deliverance is yet to come the Churches distresses are not come to a period Babylon hath another game to play The right of the Devil to tyrannize over the Mystical Body was taken away at the death of the head yet he still bruiseth Christs heel and bites though he cannot totally overcome As long as Christs Enemies are not made his foot-stool as long as there is the seed of the Serpent in the World as long as Christs members want a conformity to the head Satans pinches must be expected as long as the Beast is in being he will make war with the followers of the Lamb his power is to continue forty two months to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Revel 13.5 7. Forty two months or years 'T is like the time is not expir'd One thousand six hundred and twenty years which make forty two months no ending since he first had his power when his time draws near to an end he will bite sharpest This deliverance from Aegypt is yet again to be acted over and that must be at the end when the whole Israel of God shall be freed from Anti-christ the Antitype of Pharaoh 6. Yet let us not be afraid Apostacies may be great there will be but two Witnesses not two in number but in regard of the fewness of those that shall bear testimony to the Doctrine of Christ there may be no Advocate for the Church Sion may be an out-cast cast out of the affection of many that served or favoured her But the sharpest Convulsions in the world are presages of an approaching Redemption Luke 21.28 and the Gospel will shine clearer as the Sun doth after it hath been muffled with a thick Cloud The words in the mouths of the Witnesses will be most killing and convincing Fear not a natural above a supernatural Power Was not all the Church God had in the world in as low a condition at the Red Sea Not a Soul that we read of exempt or but few as Job and some few others in other parts yet the Church was then delivered for a Pattern to shew forth the power of God in the Ages to come What though there may be a want of Instruments Are not all Instruments out-liv'd by God Has God dismist the care of his People Is he not alwaies the Churches Guardian He must be dethron'd before he can be disarmed While Heaven is too high for humane hands to reach the Church is too well guarded for them to conquer Fear not till Christ lets his Scepter fall out of his hands and ceases to rule in the midst of his Enemies and flings away the Keys of Death and Hell fear not till God strips himself of his strength wherewith he is clothed He is clothed with strength Psal 93.1 Though there be little strength in the Church there is an Almighty one in their confederate 'T is no matter what the Enemy resolves against what God ordains Pharaoh intended to destroy God intended to deliver God will have his will and Pharaoh's lust goes unsatisfied When the Enemies are most numerous God shall darken their glory and strength and then shall he be the hope and strength of his People Joel 3.14 15 16. The Valley of Achor the Valley of the sharpest trouble shall be a door of hope Hos 2.15 That God that can create a World out of nothing can create deliverance when there is no visible means to produce it What can be too hard for him that can work without materials that can make matter when it is wanting and call Non-Entities into being He created the World with a word and can destroy the sturdiest men in the world with a look The strongest Devil trembles before him and the whole Seed of the Serpent is but as the dust of the ballance before the breath of his mouth He looked the Aegyptian Host into disorder and their Chariot-wheels into a falling-sickness Exod. 14.24 He created the World by a word He restored Jerusalem by a word Isa 44.26 27. dispirited Aegypt by
punishment Psal 22.1 But thou art holy when he expostulates with God why he had forsaken him justifies Gods holiness Howsoever thou dealest with me thou art holy in all thy waies Thou dost me no wrong why should I complain when holiness and hatred of sin guides thee in all those actings with me 4. How earnest should we be to get rid of sin By pardon by Sanctification Guilt is the sting of punishment Sin only embitters trouble The Remission and Mortification of sin is the health of the Soul If the arrows head be out of a wound the cure will be more easy Look upon my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sin saith the Psalmist Psal 25.8 forgiveness of sin would mitigate the sharpness of his pain 5. How should we act faith on God in Christ before and under such a condition of punishment As we can never love God too much because he is the highest good so we can never trust God too much because he is one of immutable truth when we are in straits it is not for want of faithfulness in God but for want of Faith in us that we are many times not preserved We distrust God and this is the cause we fall into many distresses which otherwise would not come upon us or be quickly removed from us Did we grasp the promises closely and plead them earnestly we should often find the deliverance we desire We pray but we pray not in Faith we cry for deliverance but not with confidence we plead Gods power but forget his promise Many temporal promises are not perform'd to us not for want of truth in God but for want of faith in us Particular fiduciary acts will draw out the riches of a promise for want of which we remain poor in the midst of abundance Some think that the promise made to Josiah of his dying in peace which phrase is usually meant in Scripture of a peacable death upon the bed was not performed because Josiah was out of the way against the precept of God and therefore could not act faith requisite to the fulfilling of that promise for faith is much dampt in its actings under present contracted guilt †Tho. Goodwin This Faith in promises for outward preservation is not an absolute infallible assurance that God will bestow such outward things because the promises themselves are not absolute but it is rather an indefinite act of recumbency and submission referring it to his good pleasure towards us But it is certain we are very much defective in acting Faith upon promises for temporal mercies because it is an Epidemical distemper in us to trust God with our Souls rather than with our bodies and outward concerns 1. Exercise Faith before such a time Furnish your selves with the comforts of the Covenant and the efficacy of the death of Christ In bodily distempers our minds are discomposed and we cannot have that Freedom of thoughts and spiritual reflections This is the way to engage God who is the best assistant a very present help in time of trouble 2. Exercise it in the use of spiritual means God never Commanded us to trust him but in his own methods That is not trust in God which is attended with any wilful Omissions If we be careful in doing our duty God will be careful in doing what belongs to him Prayer is the best means for Faith to exercise it self in A spirit of Prayer before-hand is a sign of good success When the heart is drawn out to cry it is a sign God stands ready with the mercy in his hand Times of distress are times of calling upon God Psal 18.6 In my distress I called upon the Lord and he heard my cry God is to be acknowledged in all our ways Prov. 3.6 In the beginning by prayer for his direction in the end by praises for the success We are usually more earnest in trouble We have not at all times an equal fervency Christ himself some say had not for when he was in his agony he prayed more earnestly than before Luke 22.44 3. Act Faith upon the Relation God bears to you He is our Father We trust earthly Fathers and are confident they will not abuse us How much more ought we to trust our heavenly Father and not doubt of his sincerity towards us The greater the trouble the more we should plead Gods relation to us Our Saviour in the garden Mat. 26.39 42. at his entrance into his passion for us prays to God by the title of my Father whereas at other times he calls God Father without that appropriation But now he would excite his confidence and trust in God and those promises he had made him to assist him in that hour 4. Act Faith upon the attributes of God There is nothing in God can affright a believer There is not an attribute but seems fixed in God to encourage our dependance on him in any strait wisdom mercy truth omniscience power justice too for what comfort could we have to trust in an unjust God All which attributes are promised to be assistant to a believer in any case of need in the Covenant of grace where God makes himself over to us as our God and therefore all that God hath and is is promised there for our good Upon the Power of God Gods Omnipotence was the ground of our Saviours prayer to him in his distress and that which the Apostle seems to intimate his eyeing of Heb. 5.7 He offered up prayers unto him that was able to save him from death And Psal 16.1 The Psalmist or rather Christ pleads the power of God Preserve me O Lord for in thee do I put my trust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila renders it strong Plead the truth of God in his promise The promise that preceded the threatning viz. The bruising the Serpents head the defeating all his plots and designs whereof this was one to bring man into a state of punishment There is a promise which hath been especially tryed and made good though all in the book of God have been found true Psal 18.30 The Word of the Lord is tryed Not one word but the truth of it hath been tryed but especially this word That God is a buckler to them that trust in him i. e. That he will preserve and defend depending believers 5. Act Faith upon Christ Hath God delivered Christ to death It must be for some glorious end not for destruction of the Creature that might have been done without the death of his Son but for remission if so there is sufficient ground to trust him for every thing else We have a merciful high Priest which encourageth us to make our addresses to him He cannot but be touched with the feeling of our infirmities our penal infirmities which he suffered our sinful infirmities for which he suffered Where can he shew his mercy but in our misery Are we under Gods strokes Christ himself felt them that he might the better pity us
fruit of his waiting 'T is the end of Christs exaltation whether it be meant of his being lifted up on the cross or his exaltation in Heaven 't is true of both that his end is to have mercy upon you 2. God will pardon the greatest sins His infinite compassion cannot exhaust it self by a frequent remiâ—â—ion Mercy holds proportion to Justice as his Justice punisheth little sins as well as great so doth mercy pass by great sins as well as little Your highest sins are the sins of men but the mercy offered is the mercy of a God The debt you owe is a vast debt but Christs Satisfaction is of a greater value and a Kings revenue may well pay a beggers debts though she owe many thousands the first day of marriage Multiplied sins upon repentance shall meet with multiplied pardons Isay 55.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abundantly pardon We cannot vie our sins with Gods mercy The grace of God and righteousness of Christ which are necessary for the remission of one sin are infinite and no more is requisite for the pardon of the greatest yea of the sins of the whole world if they were upon thy single score The grace conferred upon Paul was more than would suit his necessity 1 Tim. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superabound and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant enough to have pardoned a whole world as well as Paul like the Sun that emits as much heat in his beams upon one puddle as is enough not only to exhale the moisture of that but of a 100 more Suppose thou art the greatest sinner that ever was yet extant in the world do not think that God who hath snatcht so many firebrands of Hell out of the Devils hands will neglect such an opportunity to make his grace illustrious upon thy humble Soul If God hath given thee repentance it is a certain evidence he will follow it with a pardon though thy sins be of a deeper scarlet than ever yet was seen upon the earth for if he did not mean to bestow this he would never have bestowed upon thee the necessary condition of it Is there not a sinner can equal thee Then surely God is wiser than to lose the highest opportunity he yet had to evidence his superlative grace And therefore 1. Continue thy humiliations There must be a conformity between Christ and thee he was humbled when he purchased remission and you must be humbled when you receive it God will not part with that very cheap that cost his Son so dear though thou art not at the expence of the blood of thy Soul thou must be at the expence of the blood of thy Sins When a man comes to be deeply affected with his sin then God sends a message of peace Isay 6 6 7. Then flew one of the Seraphims and laid a live coal upon his mouth and said thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged When v. 5. he had cryed out woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips The way to have a debt forgiven is to acknowledge it Ps 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin God stood as ready to forgive Davids unrighteousness as he was ready to confess it Mercy will not save a man without making him sensible of and humbled for his iniquity Put thy business therefore into Christs hands and submit to what terms he will impose upon thee 2. In thy Supplications plead his glory You find this the constant argument the people of God in the Scripture use for the prevailing with God for forgiveness That argument is most comfortably pleaded which God Loves most and whereunto he orders all his actions No stronger motive can be used to him to grant it than that whereby he excites himself to bestow it When thou beggest other things thou mayest dishonour God but God cannot be a loser of his glory in granting this Lord if thou turnest me into Hell where is the glory of thy mercy upon thy creature Nay where is the glory of thy justice my eternal torments not being able to compensate the injury done to thee by sin so much as the suffering of thy only Son whose death I desire to share in and whose terms I am willing to submit to 3. Exhortation to those that are pardoned 1. Admire this grace of God To pardon one sin is a greater thing than to create a world to pardon one sin is greater than to damn a world God can create a world without the death of a creature he can damn a world without the death of the Creator but in pardoning there must be the death of the Creator the Son of God 2. Serve God much Is the guilt of sin the cord that bound thee taken off It is fit that when thou art so unfettered thou should'st run the ways of Gods Commandments A sense of pardon of sin makes the Soul willing and ready to run upon Gods errands and to obey his Commands Isa 6.8 I heard the voice of the Lord saying Whom shall I send Then said I Here am I Then when he had received assurance that his iniquity was taken away v. 7. Gods pardon set thee upon a new stock and therefore he expects thou should'st be full of new clusters 3. Be more fearful of sin Dispute with thy self Hath God pardoned the guilt of sin that it shall not damn me and shall I wallow in the mire of sin to pollute my self Oh thy sins after pardon have a blacker circumstance than the sins of Devils or the sins of wicked men for theirs are not against pardoning mercy not against special Love Oh thaw thy heart every morning with a meditation on pardon and sin will not so easily freeze it in the day time When thou art tempted to sin consider what thoughts thou hadst when thou wert suing for pardon how earnest thou wert for it what promises and vows thou didst make and consider the Love God shewed thee in pardoning Do not blur thy pardon so easily wound thy Conscience or weaken thy faith 4. Be content with what God gives thee If he gives thee Heaven will he deny thee earth He that bestows upon thee the pardon of sin would surely pour into thy bosom the gold of both the Indies were it necessary for thee But thou hast got a greater happiness for it is not said blessed is he that wallows in wealth honour and a confluence of worldly prosperity but Blessed is he whose sin is forgiven and whose iniquity is covered FINIS THE INDEX OF THE Principal Matters contain'd in the Discourse of DIVINE PROVIDENCE A ACtions all under God's Providence page 9 10 11 Many can be ascribed to nothing else page 15 16 17 Affections of God to his Church page 69 v. Church Affections made subservient to Gods designs page 14 Of good Men impeach not Providence à page 21. ad 27 Make them not
330 943.  9. 66  12. 1076. 8. 3. 1146. 10. 1. 336.  5 6. 60. 11 8. 630.  9. 1300. 12. 5. 23 † 6. 36 † 11. 1144. 13. 3. 737.  8. 910 911 1192. 14. 6. 40 † 19 20. 50 †15. 2. 488 40 † 8. 36. †19. 1 4 6. 23 † 13. 329 1091.  15. 694. 20. 9. 51 †21. 1. 40 † 3. 769 770.  5. 114.  16. 23 † 23. 489 497 770. 22. 1. 34 †THE INDEX A. ABel's Faith Page 601 1164. Abraham's Page 1164. Abstinence from sin may be without Mortification and the grounds of it Page 1317 8. Abuse of Mercy Dangerous Page 696. Acceptableness of Christs Death Page 883. How it was so Page 885 6. Demonstrated from Page 316. to 322 337 8 from 886 to 898 1087 1148. What made it so Page 882. a 899. ad 906. A Comfort to a Believer Page 323. 871 909. The fruits of it Page 317. ad 322. Acceptation of us and our services founded on that of Christ Page 322 897. Of Believers certain and perpetual Page 323 910. The matter of Christs Intercession Page 1146 7. Access to God Beleivers have with confidence delight and joy Page 366 7. In it God as Reconciled to be eyed Page 378. Studying the Death of Christ would animate us in it Page 844. Follows upon Pardon Page 110 †Vid. Prayer Accusations of Beleivers shall be answer'd Page 340. Of Sin and Satan the Death of Christ to be pleaded against them Page 753 4. 1103 1152. Activity of the New-Creature for God and of what kind a Page 88. ad 94. Essential Acts of the Soul not changed in Regeneration Page 73 4. Adam in Innocence how lie had a power to Believe and Repent Page 189. His first Sin what and how he fell Page 645 6. 730. Why not mentioned in 11. Heb. Page 646. His Faith in Christ Page 1165. What he knew of Christs sufferings Page 1170. Whose Sin greater his or Eves Page 78 †Adoption not without Regeneration Page 32. How they differ Page 72. How it differs from Reconciliation and Justification Page 244. How great a Mercy Page 1287. Thoughts of it a ground of confidence in Prayer Page 384. Advocate what Page 1111. Vide Intercessor Affections of the New-Creature for God unbounded Page 91. Of a Regenerate Man to the Law of God Page 99 100. Some sort of them may be raised in unrenewed Men. Page 109 110. Placed on God a mark of Regeneration Page 120. Follow sense Page 749. Inconstant ibid. Accompany a saving Knowledge Page 417. Corrupt a hindrance of Divine Knowledge Page 464. Sutable should accompany the Knowledge of God in Christ Page 519. Should accompany our Thoughts of God Page 3 †Afflictions the lot of all God's dearest Children Page 553 1286. We must not slight them nor be dejected under them Page 1282. All from God ibid. We should not be impatient under them Page 1282 1284 1289 1291. Their removal to be sought of God Page 1282. Sent on good Men by God as a Father Page 1282 1285. Effects of divine Love Page 1283 1289. Our carriage under them should be pleasing to God Page 1284. Should make us turn our Anger against sin ibid. The Wisdom of God in them to his Children above that of earthly Parents Page 1288. God to be loved for them Page 1289. The intention of God in them to be answered ibid. Grievous but profitable Page 1290. We should judge aright of them ibid. Faith necessary under them Page 1291. Vid. Faith Believers have assistance in them Page 1104. Sweetned by Pardon Page 111 †Great no sign of an unpardoned state Vid. Troubles Punishment Ambition a great hindrance of Conversion Page 2. A cause of unbelief Page 738. Angels could not have contrived mans Redemption Page 252. Nor effected it Page 860 937. Vid. Sacrifice Subjected to Christ Page 333 4. 1098. Not Redeemed Page 361 Good at peace with a Believer Page 364 5. Can 't know God perfectly Page 413. Their clearest knowledge of God is by Christ Page 495. How affected with mens sins Page 67 †Antiquity an unsafe rule Page 834. Apostacy unavoidable without growth in Knowledge Page 455. A folly Page 40 †Vid. Weak Grace and Perseverance Apostates are Unbelievers Page 729 730. Assurance how to be obtained Page 52 3. Of obtaining must not chill Prayer Page 384 Want of it not unbeleif Page 605 Often given at the Supper Page 762. Not necessary in a Communicant Page 783 4 And Faith how they differ Page 799. The more perfect our Mortification the clearer it is Page 1315. Possible Vid. Knowledge of a mans state Attendance on God our work in Heaven Page 39. Attributes of God some of them could not have been known without the fall Page 481 2. Others not so clearly Page 483. All manifested and glorified in Christ a Page 498. ad 512. 888 9. 906 941. A sense of them fix'd on the Soul in Conviction Page 575. All the object of Faith Page 1161. Faith to be acted on them Page 85 †B. BAptism shews the necessity of Regeneration Page 20. T is not Regeneration Page 75. No Converting Ordinance Page 792 Believers their Salvation certain Page 284 5. 911 1105 6. 1196. Their state better than Adams in innocency Page 371 2. 1356. Their Salvation the end of Christs Commission and Intercession Page 302 3. 1147 But few in all ages Page 671 714. Their happiness Page 701 2 3. a 909. ad 912. Christs possession Page 1328 9. His charge Page 1330 1 2 1359. Power given him for their good Page 1332 3 4. Vid. Exaltation His affections to them Page 1335 6 7. Blessings spiritual flow from the Father through Christ Page 258. Gods giving and accepting Christ an assurance none shall be denyed us Page 352 3. 369. 912. Christs acceptation the Foundation of them all Page 321. Blood of Christ cleansed from sins commited before it was shed Page 892. a 1187 ad 1192. Of perpetual vertue Page 893. Cleanseth morally Page 1186. From guilt and filth Page 1186 7. perfectly Page 1195 6 7. How a Page 1198. ad 1201. Comfort to those that are cleansed by it Page 1208 9. Vid. Death of Christ and Sacrifice Body prepared for Christ Page 275 6. Necessary for him Page 289. What kind of one Page 289 290. It s glory in Heaven Page 1093 4. Bodies of men shall be raised Page 1105. Boasting dangerous to a Renewed man Page 202. C. CALL of Christ to be our Redeemer by the Father a Page 266. ad 269. Cause of it self or any thing nobler than it self nothing can be Page 167 Ceremonies humane especially if abused not to be urged Page 747. Change a great one by Regeneration a Page 75. ad 84. 128. Goes with a saving knowledge Page 415 416. Christ may be esteemed by those that want saving Faith Page 2. Should be our end Page 66 The exemplar of the New Creature Page
1102. can 't be by our works Page 1115. a 1203. ad 1208. the matter of Christ's Intercession Page 1141 2. what God eyes in it Page 1175. when compleat Page 1197. 1113. continued Page 1209. Vid. own Righteousness Justice of God in punishing fallen man vindicated Page 178. not blemisht by his commands and promises when he denies special Grace Page 191 192. honoured by Christ Page 250. 306. 508. 837. 883. and mercy united in Christ Page 499. 506. can't but punish an unbeliever and seen in so doing Page 681. 704. ad 707. insensibleness of its severity a cause of Unbelief Page 732. to be reverenc'd Page 757. requires satisfaction Page 860. 869. 926. 928. Vid. Satisfaction its plea against fallen man Page 929. seen in destroying the Churches Enemies Page 47 †51 †in Pardon Page 105 †K. KIngdom of God the Gospel state why so call'd Page 7 8. those of the world overturned Page 25 †Kingly Office of Christ required his Death Page 943. and Exaltation Page 1086. secures Believers and the Church Page 1354. 34 5 †Knowledge literal may be without saving Page 4. alone not sufficient to salvation Page 45. speculative Page 392 3. practical Page 393 4 5. experimental Page 395 6 7. of interest Page 397. of God and Christ necessary to happiness grace and peace Page 390 ◠a 398. ad 411. not immediate nor comprehensive Page 411 12. 13. not perfect here Page 414. 454. saving its effect a Page 415. ad 433. its manner a Page 433. ad 437. of other things besides God and Christ insufficient Page 437 8 9. of a true Christian the best Page 440. 448. sad to abuse it Page 440 1. men opposite to it and negligent of it Page 443 4. saving very comfortable a Page 448. ad 452. should be tryed whither saving Page 452. no other but saving to be rested in Page 453 4. growth in it urged and directed a Page 455. ad 457. they that want it urged to seek it a Page 457. ad 464. 1371. hindrances of it Page 4. 439. a 464. ad 466. helps to it a Page 466. ad 473. saving of God only by Christ Page 474. natural of God by implanted notions Page 478. by the Creatures Page 478 9. under the Law Page 485 6. by Christ most excellent Page 481. ad 492. Christ only capacitated to give it Page 492 3. necessary the highest should be by him Page 494. purchased by him Page 496. Christ the necessary medium of it Page 497 8. of all Gods perfections by Christ and how a. Page 498. ad 512. of God in Christ men are Enemies to Page 514 15. deserves praise Page 518. to be sought and how Page 518 19. should be attended with sutable affections Page 519. natural and acquir'd stir'd up in conviction Page 573 4. punishment proportion'd to it Page 689 690 1. 797 8. of a mans Estate possible Page 777. 829. what qualifies for the Sacrament Page 784 5. L. LAW of God studying it advantagious Page 63. 599. 1321. written in the heart by Regeneration what a Page 96. ad 100. of it self doth not convert but irritate sin Page 169 231. not so powerful as the Gospel Page 235. alone can't throughly convince Page 565. an instrument in conviction Page 571 2 3. unbelief a sin against it Page 647 8 9. strengthens the sentence of an Unbeliever Page 684. silenced by Christ's Death Page 839. difference between it and the Gospel Page 1179. knowledge of God by it Vid. Knowledge Laws natural and positive their difference Page 772. who can repeal them Page 772 3. Liberty of the will what is lost by sin Page 176 7. some still in man Page 178 9. 180. spiritual the fruit of Christs death Page 852. Life uncertain Page 60. Light of Nature all from Christs interposition Page 138 175 6 476. discovers God but dim and weak Page 478 486 491. cannot throughly convince Page 557 8 563. 4 568 569. Likeness to God perfect the reward of Heaven Page 41. 114. in the new Creature a Page 100 ad 104. fervent longings after it a sign of Regeneration Page 119. should be the object of our love Page 129. Love of God in Christ great Page 257 269 307. 314 a 359. ad 363 688 836 1148. secures a Believers standing Page 1325. to Believers not hindred by their corruptions Page 1364. the Church the peculiar object of it Page 32 †Love to God a duty in Heaven Page 40. implanted in Regeneration Page 79. not without knowledge Page 406. necessary in the Supper Page 806 7. how to try it Page 807 8 9 10 68 †75 †abated by forgetfulness of mercies Page 1371. a menans to raise good thought Page 12 †much exercised a means of perseverance Page 1374. a sign of pardon Page 116 †Love of Christ in his death a strong motive to obedience Page 65. wonderful Page 883. to weak Believers Page 1336 1351 2 3. Love to Men seen in mourning for their sins Page 68 †Love to the Saints a mark of Regeneration Page 67. a necessary duty Page 129 810. how to try it Page 811. Love to Sin setled a renewed man cannot cannot have Page 95 †M. MAjesty of God known by the creatures Page 480. Man deals unworthily with God Page 353 4 5. all by nature under condemnation Page 676 7. Vid. Fall Marriage no Sacrament Page 77 †Means of Grace not insufficient in themselves Page 195. nothing to be ascribed to them Page 202. weak ones used to renew men Page 209 10. have defferent success Page 210. to be used with an eye to God Page 229. cannot convince without the spirit Page 725 726. the best oft unsuccessful Page 718. total neglect of them shews men are unbelievers Page 725 6. God never wants them Page 27 †unlawful not to be used Page 54 †Mediator none but Christ Page 355. Meditation a means of Divine knowledge Page 472. every morning a means to raise good thoughts Page 12 13 †the matter and manner of it to be looked to Page 13 14 †good thoughts injected should be used to assist us in it Page 18 †Meekness an effect of saving knowledge Page 426. a means to it Page 472. Memorials of Gods favours always appointed Page 749. necessary Page 749. Mercy of God display'd in Regeneration Page 211 and justice united in Christ Page 499 506. absolute cannot pardon and save Page 679 680 1. 1179 1202. Vid. Faith Unbelievers its plea for fallen man Page 929. God always hath for his people Page 65 †mixt with punishment Page 84. Vid Goodness Mercies common ones sweetned by pardon Page 379 111. all from God Page 667. received to be remembred and how Page 1306 7 8. 1310. 52. why Page 1309 10 11. arguments for hope and trust for the future Page 387 1311 12. 48 †53 †sense of them causes delight in prayer Page 60 †temporal faith to be acted for them Page 84 5. Merit of grace Impossible Page