our treating of this Subject we are not to restrict it to them only 2. That we may the better know who those of a clean heart are this distinction is necessary 1. There is a Legal cleanness of heart which is a perfect and compleat purity according to what the Law requires 2. There is an Evangelical or Gospel cleanness of heart which is 1. A godly sorrow and humiliation from heart-uncleanness 2. A holy detestation hatred and abhorrence of every sin 3. A constant endeavour every day more and more to be rid of sin 4. A sincere cordial love to holiness and heart purity 5. A fervent and earnest praying with David Psal 51. Create in me a clean heart and renue a right spirit within me 6. An unfeigned faith whereby a humbled soul does notwithstanding of the guilt and filth of sin lay hold on Christ for Justification and Sanctification It 's of this later and not the former the assertion in the Text is verified Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is the man whose sins is forgiven and whose transgression is covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guil By this time you may perceive that my Text points at these three things 1. The goodness of God here mentioned it not that common providential bounty whereof the whole Creation are made partakers but the specialties of Gods love and favour 2. Though there are many titular Christians that go under the name of Church-members Saints and Professors yet the specialty of Love is the peculiar priviledge and portion of upright-hearted ones only 3. It is a most infallible certain and undoubted truth that God is good to his Church and people especially such as are sincere souls amongst them O how sweet is it to speak of this goodness of God but how much more sweet to taste of it O its sweet to know it but much more sweet to feel it experimentally and to have a lively sense of his goodness to my own soul in particular For the opening of this more fully I shall propose this method 1. Give some few Scripture-proofs of this truth God is good to his people 2. Some demonstrations thereof from what has been common to his people in all ages 3. From some particular blessings bestowed upon the Jews under the Old Testament 4. What the goodness of God was to the Gospel-Church as in contradistinction to the Jews 5. What were the peculiar blessings of God to the Primitive Church in Christ and the Apostles days 6. Wherein the goodness of God appeared to the Church for the first Three hundred years after the death of Christ and his Apostles 7. What from the first rise of Antichrist till he came to his full height and during his reign 8. What the good providence of God is like to be from the first remarkable beginning of Antichrists ruin to the time and period of his utter destruction from the beginning of the work of Reformation to the end of the World Here 's Work enough carved out for me to speak and you to hear of we may well say Who is sufficient for these things We might be greatly discouraged even at our first entrance upon it were it not for this one thing That God with whom we have to do and whose work we are about is of infinite goodness grace mercy love and bounty abundant in goodness and truth he giveth liberally and upbraideth no man Jam. 1.5 First For Scripture proofs take these few instead of many Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which â—hou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men Zech. 3. last ver Psal 103.11 12 13 15 16 17 c. Psal 107. this is four or five â—imes reiterated O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the sons of men and Psal 136. this is 26 times repeated The mercy of the Lord endureth for ever and 145.7 â— 9. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy â—reat goodness and shall sing of thy righteousness the Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger â—nd of great mercy the Lord is good to all and his tenâ—er mercies are ever all his works Secondly The consideration of such blessings as â—re common to the upright hearted ones in all ages 〈◊〉 a farther demonstration of this truth and they â—re these 1. There 's none of them but it was upâ—n the heart of God to do them good before the â—oundation of the world Eph. 1.4 5 6. 2 Tim. 1. â—0 2. That unspeakable and unparallell d mercy 〈◊〉 God in promising and sending his dear Son to work redemption for his people is a confirmation â—f this Joh. 3 16. God so loved the world 3. There 's one of Gods peculiar ones but in due time have â—een effectually called from darkness to light he â—…kes the heirs of hell wrath and damnation and â—dopts them for his own children 1 Joh. 3.1 Beâ—old what manner of love and goodness this is 〈◊〉 Pardon of sin is that that all the people of God have been partakers of Micah 7.18 O who is a God like unto our God that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Isa 43.25 Ezek. 36.22 5. All such have had the soul-saving and sanctifying graces of the spirit bestowed upon them 2 Pet 1.4 6. They have had Ordinances and means whereby grace and all spiritual blessings may be communicated to them Psal 147.19 20. He sheweth his word to Jacob his statutes and his judgments to Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation 7. Whatever blessings they have all is by the tenure of a Covenant of Grace 2 Cor. 1.20 .. All promises are Yea and Amen in Christ to them that believe O the never-enough-admired goodness of this God that has condiscended so far as by a voluntary Contract and Covenant to make himself a Debtor to such undeserving wretches Psal 34.3 O come let us magnifie the goodness of the Lord together 8. God is so good that he has in all ages furnished his people with what he knew to be most convenient for them if the light of his countenance was best for them than they had if the joys and consolations of the Holy Ghost if the hidings of his face if poverties iâ— aches if Ordinances or if sometimes the want of Ordinances was good for them if persecution or deliverance from it He has sanctified every state and condition making all things work for their good Rom. 8.28 in one word Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and a Shield he giveth grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly and 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright behold the end of that man is peace Isa 64.4 Psal 40.12 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast
sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these lost Days spoke unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things 3. The dispensation they were under was full of Dread Horrour and Terror Gal. 4. end Heb. 12. When the Law was given forth from Sinai the Mount was all in a Fire to point at the hot burning Wrath they might look for in case they were found transgressors â—ur's from Mount Sion is full of Meekness Gentleness Mercy and Love St. John If ye love me keep my Commandments 4. The promises of our Covenant are better than theirs if they did observe the Statutes and Ordinances of God they might warrantably expect to be blest in their Basket and Store and such other temporal things according to Deut. 28. But now though we cannot by vertue of a promise expect blessings of this kind upon our observation of Divine Precepts but rather the contrary Matth. 10. Whoever will be my Disciple must deny himself take up his Cross and follow me And Acts 4. Through manifold Temptations or Tribulations we must all enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And 1 Tim. 2.12 All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persection yet we may expect Spiritual Blessings and that in a greater measure than they 1. We are promised greater plenty of Spiritual Knowledge than they That of Isa 11.9 relates to gospel-Times The Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea And 35.5 Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf be unstopped And 32.3 4. And 42.16 I will bring the blind by a way they know not I will lead them in paths they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things strait These things will I do unto them and not forsake them 2 Cor. 3.15 16 18. And 4.3 The Preaching of the Gospel is not Darkned with Types Figures and Ceremonies as in the Days of old 2. Spiritual Fruitfulness is promised to us Matth 21.41 The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you Jews and given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof Isa 35.7 8. In the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert and the parched ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land Springs of water in the habitation of dragons where each lay shall be reeds and rushes 3. Spiritual peace joy and comfort is promised to our Days Isa 32.17 The Work of Righteousness shall be peace and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Rom. 5. Begin Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord by whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God and not only so but we Glory in Tribulation also knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad into our Hearts by the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1. In whom believing ye rejoyce with a joy unspeakable and full of Glory 4. We have the promise of the Spirit more than they Joel 2.28 I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh Acts 2.17 Isa 44.3 O how good is the Lord to us in this respect if we are not wanting to our selves through unbelief the dispensation under which we are promises the pourings forth of the Spirit to us O! who are we that we should be thus dealt by Let 's make some use of what has been said as to this head and so I go on 1. Let Men and Angels be summoned in to admire and adore let our Souls and all that 's within us Extoll and Magnifie the rich Grace and Goodness of this God that has cast off his Ancient People and has taken us gentile sinners who were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and Strangers to the Covenant and made us heirs of the promises Rom. 11.17 O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out O what are we poor wild Olives that we should be grafted in amongst the Natural Branches and partake of the fatness of the Olives O blessed are your Eyes and Ears which see and hear such things as were denyed many of the Fathers See Rom. 11. Ephes 3.8 9 10. Acts 28. end O how good is this God that has invested every particular Church of gentile Believers with greater privileges than their National Church had and private Christians are in some respects privileged beyond their Church Officers Rev. 1.4 He hath made us Kings and Priests to God to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices of Praise and Thanksgiving to him through Christ 2. Study to walk worthy of this goodness of the Lord unto all well-pleasing Col. 1. Let every Soul say O what shall I render to the Lord. 1. Take heed thou dost not live in any the least Sin beware of Ignorance if any thing prove the Condemnation of the World it will be this That light is come and they de light in darkness more than in light John 3.19 We may now say 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it 's hid to them that Perish beware of unbelief John 3.18 He that believeth not on him is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God O beware of ingratitude and turning Grace into Wantonness Jude 4. There are certain Men who were before of old ordained to Condemnation ungodly Men turning the Grace of God into Lasciviousness Say rather Rom. 6.1 Shall I Sin because I am under Grace God forbid 2. Think it not enough to abstain from Sin and to have true Grace but that your Graces may in some measure be answerable to the Covenant you are under has God been pleased to make great promises and wilt not thou labour for such a Faith as may apply these promises according to their full Latitude and extent Has God now manifested the Riches of his Grace in reconciling the World to himself through his Son declaring also that whosoever will believe on him shall be saved And why art thou still in a doubting and questioning Condition 3. Lay out your selves in glorifying this good God especially in these two 1. In a Gospel-Frame of Spirit Col. 3.12 Put on therefore as the Elect of God dearly and beloved bowels of Mercies kindness Humbleness of Mind Meekness long-Suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another If any Man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye and above all these things put on Charity which is the Bond of perfection and let the Peace of God Rule in your Hearts to the which also ye were called in one Body and be ye thankful 2. In a Gospel-Conversation Phil. 1.27 Rom. 13.12 13 14. The
debtors they are For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things their duty is also to Minister unto them in carnal things Acts 2.44 45. All that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all Men as every Man had need And 4.32 Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common 6. In all Changes and Conditions they were constant still one and the same not sickle or variable some times for one thing sometimes for another Acts 2.42 And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers 46.47 And they continued daily in the Temple with one accord and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all people and the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved 2 Cor. 1.21 22. 1 Thes 3.12 13. Rev. 3.10 Thou hast kept the word of my patience And 2.13 I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satans seat is and holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my Faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful Martyr Lastly The Lord was graciously pleased to confer the Honour of Martyrdom upon them Stephen was the Proto-Martyr Acts 7. They were scattered at Jerusalem by reason of Persecution Acts. 8. Paul and Peter suffered at Rome under Nero the one Beheaded the other Crucified So also James surnamed Justus Nay there was not one of the Apostles that escaped a violent Death John only excepted Let us make some use of all this in some Three or Four things 1. Let us bless God for his goodness to them O Blessed be the Lord that ever there was such a one as the Apostle Paul O Blessed be the Lord for the Truths Ordinances Gifts and Graces that were communicated to them we are in a sense sharers in the Mercies What was then written or transacted said or done was all for our Instruction 2. Did the Lord give forth such an abundant measure of the Spirit at the first Plantation of the Gospel according to what the Work of that Day did require which was to bring the carnal Jews from off their Ceremonies and the heathenish Gentiles from Satan to God who must see Miracles otherwise they will not believe Let us believe and be confident that the same good God will not be wanting to proportion the Gifts and Graces of his Churches and Servants to the Work of this our Day which is the reformation of Religion from Antichristianism Blessed be the Lord for any small bedewings and besprinklings of the Spirit poured forth upon any in our times in order hereunto 3. Let us from hence bemoan our selves and others that go under the Name of Churches of Christ who have degenerated so far from them in Doctrine Discipline Worship Gifts Graces Holiness of Conversation Perseverance in Sufferings contraria mixta seposita clarius elucescunt In the primitive times Christ placed us in a kind of Paradise but we have not kept our first Habitation 4. Let 's not only remember whence we are fallen but also return to our first Estate and when we set about a Reformation whether Personal or Ecclesiastical Let 's be sure to set the primitive Pattern before us as near as may be Let 's Love as they did endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace as they did continue steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine in fellowship in breaking of Bread and Prayers as they did No sufferings frighted them from following the Lamb be followers of them in all things imitable so far as they were followers of Christ Sixthly God was good to his Gospel Israel after the Death of the Apostles till Constantine's time And here before I come to particulars it will be necessary to premise these few general considerations as introductory for the clearing of what is further intended 1. Be it known to you that immediately upon the Death of the Apostles the Church was in a persecuted state It 's true it was so in their time but not as afterwards when there were publick Laws and Edicts made against the profession and professors of the Christian Religion providence so ordering it that they should have some respite till the Gospel and Churches had some Plantation 2. The time of this persecuted Condition was Three Hundred Years or thereabouts 3. The Instruments whom the Devil made use of for this diabolical Service were the heathen Emperors of Rome Rev. 12.3 The party there combating against Michael and his Angels Christ and his People is thus described A great red Dragon having seven Heads and ten Horns and seven Crowns upon his Heads A Dragon because of his Power red because of his Cruelty having seven Heads i. e. seven several sorts of Governments in Rome heathenish as also it was built upon seven Hills having ten Heads with seven Crowns thereupon to distinguish Rome-heathen from Rome-Antichristian Rev. 13.1 That has not only seven Heads and ten Horns but also Crowns upon the Horns to intimate that Antichrist made Kingdoms of those that were but Provinces during the Dragon's Reign under the heathen Emperors 4. Having perused several writers of great Note both for Godliness and Learning upon that transcendantly high mystical Scripture of the Revelation It 's most probable as I humbly conceive that they guess right who assert that the Seals Chap. 6. hold forth this State of the Church during the first three Centuries of which Ch. 12. to verse 13. seems to be explicatory 5. In treating of this Subject I shall be necessitated to make use of History to which I require no more of you but a Historical Faith I account it a great Mercy that every Age has had some faithful Servants of God whose care it has been to transmit to posterity the memorable acts of Divine Providence to his People Psal 145.4 One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works 1. God was good to them in giving forth this incomparable rich and rare Monument of the Revelation of John the Divine the principal scope and intendment whereof was 1. To forewarn them of the near approach of suffering times that so they might not be surprized but in a readiness to encounter therewith 2. That they might know what their sufferings would be by whom and of what continuance 3. That they should be comforted and encouraged under all especially upon this two-fold consideration 1. There 's no sufferings shall befall you but according to the predetermination and fore-appointment of a wise God and loving Father 2. Let the Churches troubles be what they will they shall have a glorious and an assured issue seeing this was the good end of