of thy Hope Do not rack thy thoughts and Anticipate Providence for Mat. 6.34 sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Do not live like a person in the Tombs dig not thine own grave and bury as it were thy self alive for God is the Object of thy Hope and will be so in a day of evil Jer. 17.17 Be not a terror unto me thou art my hope in the day of evil Ah but mine eyes fail in waiting for God! in waiting for Good Object 2 Enjoyment Sol. will compensate all thy Hope and fruition will be a Compensation unto all thy expectation Hope deferred Prov. 13.12 maketh the heart sick but when the desire commeth it is a tree of life Ah but I may say as the Church did Objec 3 Lam. 3.18 My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. I am clean out of Hope Dost say as the Church did Sol. then do as the Church did But what did the Church 1. She seeketh the God of Gods Remembring remember that 's a better reading Remember my affliction v. 19. and my misery the wormwood and the gall As if she would give unto that God a memento that needeth no memento's 'T is true God needeth no memento's and memorandums but yet to do these things he will be enquired of by the house of Israel She senseth her Heart as with her own misery so with Gods mercy With her own misery My Soul hath them still in remembrance v. 20. and is humbled in me or bowed in me This I recall to mind reduce v. 21. or make to return to my heart Margent therefore have I Hope With Gods mercy It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not v. 22 23. They are new every morning great is thy faithfulness As if she had said 't is a wonder of mercy that things are no worse seeing we are no better but are so bad She sealeth this with her own experience v. 25 26. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the Soul that seeketh him It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. The experience of the Church is here produced We are not to make experience the Rule of Scripture but to make Scripture the Rule of experience 'T is said of Luther Experientia docet optimaque Magistra est that he felt what he spake and had experience of what he wrote therefore greatly qualified to express to the life both the Sore and the Salve the malady and the medicine the Assault and the Assistance the Order of the Battel and the means of the Conquest Ah but I question whether my hope be a true hope Object 4 Ah my fear is that my hope hath the Stamp of a Caesar but not the Stamp of a Christ upon it A true Hope Sol. may be known from a false Hope A false Hope hath a false Object Some make pleasure their Hope some make profit their Hope and some make the World their Hope Job declaimeth against this Job 31.24 If I have made gold my hope or have said unto the fine gold thou art my confidence Thus false Hope hath a false Object but true Hope hath a true Object Paul 1 Tim. 1.1 an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which is our Hope A false Hope goeth alone A counterfeit Hope is without a Train this hath no Graces going along with it but true Hope hath a Train of Graces We glory in tribulation also Rom. 5.3 4. knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experiencee Hope The Apostle in the context having asserted Rom. 5.2 we glory in Hope of the glory of God the Glory of God was the Object of their Hope and they gloried therein for so the greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we glory in hope of the glory of God subjoineth this And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience Hope Graces have as it were a generation one from another though all Graces have but one generation from Christ at once We have here the Genealogy of Hope in three Descents Experience is the next or immediate Parent of Hope and experience hope A false Hope is short-lifed The hypocrites Hope shall perish Job 8.13 As all the Hope of hypocrites perish when they dye so while they live their hopes are dying They have no hope when they dye yet all their hope is to dye and that is a miserable hope The Hopes of hypocrites they are as the Life 's of many Popes have been very short Job 20.5 The triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite is but for moment Did the Psalmist say remember how short my time is I may say to the hypocrite remember how short thy Hope is And as the Apostle saith Brethren the time is short so the hypocrite may say my Hope is short Thus a false Hope is a transient Hope but a true Hope is a permanent Hope a false Hope is a fleeting Hope 1 Cor. 13.13 but a true Hope is an abiding Hope Now abideth faith hope and love Motives concerning a Gospel-Hope Would ye have God to take pleasure in you Live then and dye in the Act Mot. 1. and exercise of Hope There are vessels in whom God taketh no pleasure but what infinite Condescention is it that he which doth all things according to his pleasure and who only hath right to say my will is my Law my will Sic volo sic jubeo stat pro ratione voluntas is my rule should take pleasure in Dust and Ashes in undeserving yea in ill deserving creatures We may resolve the reason of Gods actions into Gods will He is the Lord. The first Cause needeth not to shew second Causes God hath the reason of all things in himself and therefore we are not to call upon him to give a reason God is the only Line and Rule to Himself and to all besides himself We must do the will of God because it is the Will of God his will must not be only the Rule of what we do but also the very reason why we do it Was there ever any Cain or Esau Any Achitophel or Jezebel any Judas or Julian but did the will of God though they went to Hell for their pains Luth. Fiat voluntas mea mea Domine quia tua Psal 147. â—â— Luther praying for an useful Friend cried out my will be done oh Lord but he comes off with this mine oh Lord because Thine Jehovah taketh pleasure in those that fear him in those that hope in his mercy God hath the People of his Pleasure a peculiar people a peculiar treasure a People very near unto himself Would ye not be
pessimi that a close Enemy is far worse than an open The Psalmist had his Enemies without and against them he prayeth upon the account of his hope Deliver me Psal 71.4 5. oh my God out of the hand of the wicked of the unrighteous and cruel man for thou art my hope oh Lord God thou art my trust from my youth Would ye have a formal Plea against enemies within at the Throne of Grace Live then and dye in the Act and exercise of Hope As those who have a Gospel-Hope have enemies without so within and these are the worst Ah Soul they are the Sauls within the Achans within the Goliah's within the Sons of Zerviah within that are the greatest and the worst enemies Against these also doth the Psalmist pray upon the account of making God the Object of his Hope And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee Deliver me from all my transgressions Psal 39.7 8. make me not the reproach of the foolish AS Gospel-Faith so Gospel-Hope appears In sacred Writ now greatly this endears That Holy-Place should Death arrest to morrow Where Tunes of Joy admit no Tones of Sorrow A Gospel-Faith goes first but follows then A Gospel-Hope which decketh lapsed Men. Though Gospel-Hope hath various Acceptations In Gospel-Lines all worthy Contemplations In silence pass I them This little Tract Of Gospel-Hope suggests the Grace or Act. A Gospel-Faith is Logick unto Man And Gospel-Hope his Rhetorick but can Man Hoping be and not believing then May Pictures in the Fire be drawn by Men. Faith 's cried up as Doctor in the Schools Yet cried down by many graceless Fools Hope 's cried up as Captain in the Wars In Consort yet are these detesting Jars This Gospel-Hope appears a lovely Grace The Spirits Fruit in running of our Race 'T is an assured Hope with Approbation 'T is also an abiding Expectation For Object this hath God all promise-Promise-Good Both Possible and future understood 'T is on the Mercy of the Father founded And on the Merit of the Son 't is grounded DEscribed thus the Seeing may espy Its Nature Object Cause and Quality The Duty and the Mercy of a Soul Are herein found and that without Controul As there 's a true so there 's a Hope that 's vain All Hopeless ones are Christless ones Again We thorough Hope must on its Object live If to the Object we would Glory give Hope calleth for a Life in Print I 'le hasten That Envy now may not know where to fasten All hoping ones are happy ones and 't is From mount Gerizim Jesus speaks to His. False Hope false Objects hath but Hope that 's true Christ Jesus hath for Object truth doth shew False Hope doth go alone a blessed Train Of Graces hath true Hope and these remain False Hope short-lifed is and transient True Hope is living lasting permanent Would ye that God in you should take a pleasure Not stumbling others taking a right measure Would ye from others differ under Crosses And would ye sweeten all your bitter Losses Would ye have formal Pleas this is the Scope Live then and dye in Acts of Gospel-Hope But drawing to a Close I cannot grave it A Heaven 't is to hope it what to have it SECT III. CHAP. I. Whether there be a Gospel-Love and what this Gospel-Love is AS there is a Gospel-Faith and a Gospel-Hope so there is a Gospel-Love These three divine graces Faith Hope and Love are as it were a created Trinity and have as it were some glimering Parility of a Trinity uncreate Both Moralists and Divines say that Love is the Weight of the Soul it inclines us to this or that thing which way soeever the Affection goeth the Mind also goeth and the Action followeth This was the Definition of Plato concerning Love That it is an Ardor a Flame of a Soul dead in his own Body and living in another As there is a Love of Compassion with which an Enemy is to be loved Love your enemies So Mat. 5.44 there is a Love of Complacency by which a Friend is to be loved The Spouse loved to lean as well as leaned where she loved Who is this that commeth up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved Cant. 8.5 Love is referrible to God and Man To God As 't is referred to God so it signifieth His divine Essence God infinitely delights himself in his Son who is his wisdom in his Spirit which is his power in his Creatures 1 Jo 4.16 and in his Children God is Love He is Love in the Abstract he is as it were a Compound of Love His divine purpose Jacob have I loved Rom. 9.13 This is the foreknowledg of God and the good pleasure of his will To Man As Love is referrible to God so to Man and thus 't is reducible to three heads carnal moral spiritual Carnal There is a carnal Love which falls under a three fold notion and is reducible to three heads Sin Self World Sin There is a love to Sin and that 's the worst Love Though Sin be an evil yet there is a love to Sin Though it may be said of Sin as it is said of War Malum Complexum to be a complex evil yet there is a love to Sin Though the Name and the Nature of Sin be Evil yet there is a love to Sin Though Sin be a burdening and a breaking of God yet there is a love to Sin Jer. 5.31 The Prophets prophesie falsly and the people bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so but what will ye do in the end thereof Though Sin be a darkning of the Glory of God and a defacing of the Image of God yet there is a love to Sin Though Sin be a crucifying of the Son of God a grieving of the Spirit of God and the greatest injury to the Soul of Man yet there is a love to Sin Though Sin maketh Angels Devils Din vixi diu peccavi Aug. Beza and irritates a God to cast them out of Heaven into Hell yet there is a love to Sin Though Sin the plague of plagues did provoke that God who is infinite in Attribute as well as in Essence to turn Adam the Emperor of the Universe and his captivating Consort the Emperess of the Universe out of Eden into the wide World yet there is a love to Sin Though Sin be a cursed Inmate and a cursed Make-bate between God and Man between Man and Man between Man and Himself yet there is a love to Sin Though Sin hath been the unhappy Womb of all the penal and prodigious Judgments that have been in the World yet there is a Love to Sin Though Sin hath been daring of an angry Deity to rain as it were Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah ' yet there is a love to Sin Though Sin hath made that work in Countries in Cities in Churches in Families in Souls yet there is
God His Intercession He is able to save to the utmost Heb. 7.25 all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Christ is Intercessor who hath the Judges ear Christ is the Churches Prince Christ is King of Sion King of Saints and to be King of Nations though the Kings of the Nations can hardly bear this Pardon this innocent Digression 1 Joh. 5.3 Come Lord Jesus come quickly He is lovely in all the administrations of his Regal Office His Commandments are not grievous Nihil difficile amanti Nothing is difficult to him that loveth Christ's Laws are Lines drawn in Love yea Lines drawn in Blood His yoak is easie and his burden is light Christ hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh Rev. 19.15 a name written KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS It s Act. As there is a Reception of Christ so there is a Recumbancy upon Christ As Christ is received so he is rolled and rested upon It is not Christ or some others not Christ and some others but Christ and no other Faith in the vital Act of it is a resting upon another Faith in the most proper and essential Act of it is a rolling upon Christ Commit thy way unto the Lord. Psa 37.5 Golgnal-Jehovah darkecha Roll upon Jehovah thy way so the Hebrew Cast thy Soul and all thy Concerns whether for temporals or for eternals upon Jehovah It is with a Soul in this Act of rolling and resting upon Christ as it was with the four Lepers 2 Kings 7.3 4. who said one to another Why sit we here until we die If we enter into the City the Famine is there and we shall die there and if we sit still we die also now therefore come and let us fall into the Host of the Syrians if they save us alive we shall live and if they kill us we shall but die Thus saith the Soul when duly and truly awakened I see an indispensable necessity of Faith Mark 16.16 for He or She that believeth not shall be damned but no Man or Woman can from himself or her self believe Ex puris naturalibus If I go to Moses he is dead as Aaron died upon Mount Hor so Mose died upon Mount Nebo God now speaks not by a Servant but by a Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things and by whom he hath made the world If I go to Moses Heb. 1.2 I die and if I sit still I die if I remain in my blood I am like to bleed to eternal death If ye believâ— not that I am he Joh. 8.24 ye shall die in your sins Well saith the Soul I have but one way left but this is Christ who is the Way Joh. 14.6 and the Truth and the Life the Way without Error the Truth without Falshood the Life without Death I will cast my self into the hands of this Christ I will cast my self at the Feet of this Christ if he will save me I shall not be damned if he will not save me I can but be damned though I know not how to bear the thoughts of damnation I will adventure here I will live or dye here I will in this case do as the Queen did in another Esth 4.16 I will go and if I perish I perish This is a going unto Christ this going unto Christ is a believing in Christ this is the direct though not the reflect Act of Faith this is a Faith of Affiance though not a Faith of Assurance Now the Man or the Woman that hath this Faith though He or She hath not Assurance shall not perish for the promise is made unto this Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Herein ye have a twofold Assertion the one refers to the Father and therein a twofold Act of Giving and of Drawing All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me Giveth me chooseth in me Thou hast given him power over all flesh Joh. 17.2 that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him shall come unto me shall believe in me going or coming unto Christ is believing in Christ He that cometh unto me shall never hunger Joh. 6. â—5 and he that believeth on me shall never thirst The other Act belongs to the Son And he that cometh unto me that is believeth in me I will in no wise cast out Wherein ye have three things worthy a most spiritual and serious reflection the person promising the person promised and the subject matter of the promise The person promising This is Christ who hath Bowels of Mercy as well as Beams of Glory This is Christ who is the Being of Beings as God the Beauty of Beauties as Man the Blessing of Blessings Joh. 6.36 as God-Man But I said unto you that ye also have seen me and believe not The Promiser is Christ Matth. 1.23 25. Jer. 23.6 who is as able to perform as to promise One who cannot out-bid himself and whose names are Emanuel Jesus Jehovah The person promised Him Him that cometh unto me believeth in me Him or Her the Man or the Woman without exception or exemption as to Nation whether Jew or Gentile as to Age whether a Methuselah or a Josiah as to Degree Acts 10.34 a Craesus or a Codrus God is no respecter of persons The subject matter of the Promise I will in no wise cast out There are two Negatives in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which strengthen the Affirmative I will not not cast out of doors As if Christ had said though there be not grace desired if there be grace desiring I will not not 1 Pet. 2.2 cast this person out of doors Though there be not the Faith of Assurance if there be the Faith of Affiance I will not not cast this person out of doors Though there be not the reflect act of Faith if there be the direct act of Faith I will not not cast this person out of doors I will be so far from shutting the door upon this person when He or She cometh that I will not cast this person out of doors after He or She is come Oh infinite mercy As this is an endeared so an endearing Text and thousands of Souls may have happily closed with a Christ in it It 's Rule Gospel-Faith hath it's Rule and 't is an infallible one Christ is to be received and rested upon according to Gospel Tenders and Terms Now the Terms of the Gospel are free freely-free Christ must be received and rested upon not upon the account of the merit of his own but upon the account of his own merit The Sinner must come as a Sinner Mat. 9.12 13. unto this Saviour The whole need not a Physician They see no need of a Physician But those that
Pearl before Swine Mat. 7.6 Apply not Evangelical Promises unto swinish Men who regard them no more than Swine do Pearls of whose use they can have no sense Hast thou faith Rom. 14.22 Have it to thy self before God If thou beest persuaded in thy self that a thing is indifferent use this liberty to thy self have Faith with thy self but boast not of it to the offence of another By Hope sometimes understand the thing hoped for Looking for the blessed Hope That is Tit. 2.13 for the blessing hoped for Here Hope is Metonymically put for the blessing hoped for By Hope sometimes understand Christ Jesus himself the Object of Hope Acts 28.20 For the Hope of Israel I am bound with this Chain Christ is called the Hope of Israel in respect of the Fathers who looked for his coming according to promise By Hope sometimes understand some mighty Prince Isa 20.5 or People They shall be afraid and ashamed of Aethropia their expectation and of Egypt their glory By Hope sometimes understand a certain persuasion 2 Cor. 2.7 Our hope of God is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the Sufferings ye shall be also of the Consolation By Hope sometimes understand the Grace Ps 131.3 or Act of Hope Hope thou Israel in Jehovah from now as yet unto Eternity So the Hebrew Text. Now 't is the Grace or Act of Hope that is the Subject to be discussed as I am more or less indulged the Gales and Gusts of the Spirit But what is this Grace Qu. or Act of Hope Gospel-hope Sol. is a Grace and Fruit of the Spirit consisting in an assured and abiding Expectation Descr having God and all promised Good future and possible for its Object grounded upon the Mercies of the Father and the Merits of the Son Now in this Description there are four things that call for Discussion being indispensably necessary in order to its Constitution The Nature of it the Quality of it the Object of it the Cause of it 1. The Nature of it Gospel-hope is a Grace and Fruit of the Spirit The Apostle speaks of some of the Spirit 's Fruits against which there is no Law Gal. 5.22 23. no Law of Condemnation The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Hope is not expressed but 't is implied the reason is obvious for Hope is a Grace now all Grace groweth upon this Tree and is the Fruit of this Tree the Spirit That Hope is a Grace is as evident for it is ranked with Faith and Love 1 Thess 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of Love and patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ Here is the work of Faith 't is not a dead but a living Faith 't is a work but 't is a Work of God a work of Grace and it worketh by Love Here is the labour of Love Love is laborious it labours much labours most though it thinks it labours least And here is the patience of Hope here is a bearing of the Cross in hope of the Crown a passing through the Wilderness in hope of the Land of Promise a Suffering for Christ in hope of Reigning with Christ The Quality of it This Grace Hope is an assured and abiding expectation 'T is an assured expectation This Hope is acted by the Spirit Gal. 5.5 We through the Spirit wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith Here is a waiting or expectation and this is through the Spirit which must needs be certain and sure Yea that 't is an assured expectation the Apostle endeavours to insinuate Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Where there is Joy there is Assurance There will come a time when Time shall go into Eternity and the Soul shall go into Glory and we rejoyce in hope of this Time There will come a time when we shall go Home when we shall go to our Father's House wherein are many Mansions and we rejoyce in hope of this Time There will come a time when we shall be arrived at our Haven our Heaven our Palace our Paradise and we rejoyce in hope of this Time 'T is an abiding expectation Hope is no remover but an abiding grace Hope is not a fading quality though it doth not always act at least in that degree act yet it always is where it ever was Though it be not always a lively hope yet 't is alwaies a living hope Dùm spiro spero dùm expiro spero While I live I hope saith the Heathen while I dye I hope saith the Christian 'T is written that the wicked is driven away in his wickedness Prov. 14.32 but the righteous hath hope in his death There is a hoping to death and a hoping in death Hope is to last so long as this life lasteth and to run parallel with the longest minute and moment of Time A Christian of Christ's making never loseth his hope until he hath found that which he hoped for That Hope which is the Concomitant 〈◊〉 of Faith is an assured and abiding ex pectation Heb. 6.11 may be read by him that runneth We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Here is not only hope and assured hope but also the assurance of hope yea the full assurance of hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Metaphor taken from Ships that have all their Sails up yea and all these Sails filled with Wind. As Faith hath an eye to the truth of the promise so Hope hath an eye to the good of the promise but the assurance of this hope is that we shall receive that Good Though Hope in vulgar-Dialect and in the things of the World signifieth of things to come a probability yet in Scripture-Dialect and in the things of Salvation it signifieth an undoubted certainty The Object of it The Object of Hope is God and all promised Good future and possible The Object of Hope is God That God is the Object of Hope is evident for he is called the God of Hope Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all Joy and peace in believing Objectivè effectivè that ye may abound in hope thorough the power of the holy Spirit He is called the God of hope objectively because the proper and primary object of it and effectively because the worker of it by his Spirit Both these are legible in this proof The God of Hope there he is the Author and the Object of it That ye may abound in hope there he is the Actor and the Worker of it This Hope is in God formally as in the Subject of it and in God causally as in the Fountain of it He is the Author of it and the Donor of it the God of it and the Giver of it As God so Good all promised
good is the Object of Hope Though God or Christ be the immediate Object of hope yet there are subordinate Objects of hope as the Word of God and the good things of God yea all the good things of God relating to this life and that which is to come But this Good which is the Object of Hope must be promised good all promised good In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began Or rather Tit. 1.2 from the beginning of ages Gen. 3.15 in that famous promise of the blessed seed Non ab aeterno sed ante multa saecula Grotius Not from eternity saith one but before all ages As there is a Hope by which we lay hold which is the Grace or Act of Hope so there is a Hope upon which we lay hold which is the Good for which we hope the Object of hope God himself and all the good things which he hath promised This hope may be considered two wayes for the grace acting in us or for some promised good upon which the grace acts If therefore we take promised good to be the object of hope then it falls under a two fold Notion Hope looks at that which is good No man ever did or can hope for that which is evil of it self or to him if it appears so to be though many have hoped for that which is indeed so and hath proved so to them in the event and issue Hope hath for it's Object some good future and possible Future Hope springeth from the apprehension of some good that is to come The Object of Hope is some future good but the Act of Hope is a present good and that is present pay to bear our charges in waiting 'T is a future good that is Hopes Object not something had but something to have not something in Hand but something in Heaven yea especially Heaven it self for as Christ is the Object of Faith and Christians the Objects of Love so Heaven is the Object of Hope For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven The Object of Hope is a future good for that which a man hath already in his possession or doth already enjoy he cannot be said to hope for Enjoyment swallows up hope or rather perfects it Thus the Apostle argues Rom. 8.24.25 Not saved Ro but Spe. we are saved by hope Not by the Grace or Act of Hope but we look for salvation promised and for salvation to be performed What follows but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for but if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Possible As future so possible good is the Object of Hope 'T is some possible good or such a good as we have good grounds to attain for impossibilities are rather the Object of Despair than of Hope Now that is a possible good which is a promised good for the Apostle having asserted a hope laid up in Heaven connecteth and connexeth this Col. 1.5 whereof ye have heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel Whatsoever God hath laid under promise is possible and attainable now what good is it that is for the good of those actually his that is not laid and left under promise That Heaven into which all will run as all the rivers run into the Ocean is under promise Fear not little-little flock so the Greek for it is your fathers good pleasure to give the Kingdom Luke 12.32 True faith is rooted in the promise and fruited with peace A believer hath something in hope though little in hand much in the promise though little in his purse The Cause of it The mercy of the Father and the merit of the Son Free-grace is the moving cause the Action and Passion of Christ the meritorious cause Free-grace is the moving cause of this Gospel-Hope Free-grace is the wheel that sets all a going in the Heart Primum mobile yea the wheel that sets all a going in Heaven All good is from God and is an Act of his Free-grace May the Apostle speak Every good gift the temporal and smaller and every perfect gift spiritual and greater is from above and cometh down from the father of lights Jam. 1.7 with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning The active and passive obedience of Christ is the meritorious cause of this Gospel-hope As all this promised good is grounded upon the mercy of the Father so upon the merit of the Son The Socinians say that Christ dyed only as an Example that he did not satisfie divine Justice by his active and passive obedience Are not many not only breathing the Veins but also letting out the Vitals and bleeding to death this blessed and sacred truth that Christ by his active and passive obedience hath given satisfaction to the Father for all given unto him by the Father If God be reconciled certainly then he is satisfied but God is reconciled Reconciled to God but how Rom. 5.10 thorough the death of his Son There was a concurrence of Christs active and passive obedience in order to Satisfaction and Salvation There must be the Action of Christ A Christ must do Man would be doing though it was to his undoing for he sinned against a negative precept and did that which was prohibited The Woman gave unto me and I did eat Now as Man would do so Christ must do as Man did that which was prohibited so Christ must do that which is imposed I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do John 17.4 Christ for His hath exactly answered what the Law perfectly required Christ hath fulfilled the righteousness of the Law for his and Christ is fulfilling the righteousness of the Gospel in his It is written that when Christ had upon the Cross received the Vinegar John 19.30 he said It is finished Now the Prophesies of him were finished saith one Aug. Now his pilgrimage and the wrath of God were finished saith another Chrysist Now the Jewish Law and Sacrifice was at an end saith a third Jansenius Here is the Action of a Christ There must be the passion of Christ A Christ must dye As there must be his active so there must be his passive obedience As Christ did so Christ dyed and so satisfyed Is not Redemption a Good a great Good a Soul Good This is by Christ Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption thorough his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Man had sinned God was offended and would be satisfied the same way that he was offended that is by the Sinner or by the Surety by the Person or by the Proxie by the Creature or by Christ Now 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God That he might bring God down to
and of Sodom too Rev. 7.17 The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them to living fountains of water Those actually Christs are under the Conduct of Christ from the Wilderness to Canaan from Earth to Heaven from Grace to Glory Christ leadeth out of a state of Sin into a slate of Grace and thorough a state of Grace into a state of Glory Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Psa 73.24 and afterward receive me to glory Christ is excellent in power All power in Heaven is devolved upon Christ He is the Object of the Angels adoration He hath the Angels at his command and can send them forth as an heavenly Host to assist his people Peter Mat. 26.53 saith Christ thinkest thou not that I can now pray to the Father and he shall give me more than 12 legions of Angels And as he hath power over Heaven so over the Earth as he is the Object of the Angels adoration so of the Saints admiration 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that bleieve And as Christ hath power over Heaven and over Earth so over Hell As he is the Object of the Angels adoration and of the Saints admiration so of the Devils consternation Phi. 2.10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow things in Heaven Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect Things on Earth Saints and Sinners Things under the Earth infernal Spirits CHAP. III. Inferences from a Gospel Love THe Lover of Christ Infer 1. hath much in Reversion Though the lover of Christ hath much in possession yet more in reversion The Apostle hath a lovely 1 Cor. 2.9 and a lofty strain Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared But for whom for them that love him Vespatian the Emperor I have read of one that commanded a liberal sum of money should be given to one that fell in love with him The Steward asked under what Item he should put it The Emperor answered Vespatiano adamaco Item to the Woman that loved Vespatian But now Soul when Christ gives he doth not put it under an Item of Money but of Mercy not under an Item of Gold but of Glory Item Heaven with the Sinlessness thereof Heaven with the Sorrowlessness thereof Heaven with the Temptationlessness thereof Heaven with the Timelessness thereof to the Soul that loves me Item the things which are invisible and inaudible and inconceivable to he Man that loves me to the Woman that loves me Art a lover of Christ Drink then of the brook by the way and lift up thy head for man sees not hears not conceives not the things that Christ hath prepared for them that love him Art a lover of Christ then though thou didst come unto this work mourning like a Dove and hast been at this work groaning like a Turtle yet go away from this work singing like a Lark for man hath not seen nor heard nor conceived the things that Christ hath prepared for them that love him 'T is true every lover of Christ may as one did mourn over his want of love to Christ A Minister weeping at the Table as he sat at meat was asked wherefore he wept who answered I weep because I can love Christ no more Do ye see the tears of repentance stand in mine eyes 'T is because I can love Christ no more Do ye see Tears run down my Cheeks 't is because I can love Christ no more Do ye see my Tears fall upon my Plate 'T is because I can love Christ no more But Soul though to love Christ no more be a ground of Sorrow yet the promise to the lover of Christ is a ground of Joy The promise is made to the lover of Christ Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him But what is this Crown under promise for the lovers of Christ Qu. 1. This word Crown passeth thorough various expressions in the sacred Scripture but all amount unto and meet in one Sol. and the same thing 'T is called an Inheritance Are inheritances nothing Naboth had an inheritance and he valued it Shall I give away the inheritance of my fathers unto thee This was but a vineyard and he might have had a better for it or the worth of it in money but what manner of inheritance is this inheritance To an inheritance incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you It is incorruptible not perishing with the things of the world 'T is undefiled not defiled with abuse It fadeth not away with Antiquity And 't is reserved in Heaven 'T is safe 't is sure 't is secure and will be thy security that art a lover of Christ 'T is called the Joy of the Lord. Well done good and faithful servant Mat. 25.21 enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. For the joy of the Lord to enter into us is for Heaven to enter into us for us to enter into the joy of the Lord is for us to enter into Heaven On Earth there are Tones of Sorrow with Tunes of Joy but in Heaven there are Tunes of Joy without Tones of Sorrow Heaven is not a Baca a valley of tears not a Bochim a house of mourning but a Shushan a City of joyfulness 'T is called the Kingdom Come ye blessed of my Father Mat. 25.34 inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Are not Kingdoms great things with great Men This was the flagitious position of a flagitious Machiavel That breach of faith for Kingdoms is no sin Will not men swim as it were through a Sea of blood to a Kingdom Here is a Kingdom and 't is the Kingdom of Heaven the third Heaven the Heaven of Heavens 'T is called the Crown of Life Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer What none No Rev. 2.10 What not binding and banishing No What not Poverty and Prison No What not Fire and Massacre No What not Rack and Stake No Behold the Devil in his Seconds and Servants shall take some of you not all of you and cast into prison not into Hell and ye shall have tribulation ten days not for ever Be thou faithful unto death there 's the precept and I will give thee a crown of life there 's the promise A Crown represents unto us Dignity plenty and perpetuity A Crown is round as if it had neither beginging nor ending 'T is called a Crown of Righteousness I have fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have finished my course I have kept the faith Here are three Metaphors the first is taken from wrestling I have fought a good fight
The second is taken from running I have finished my course The third is taken from standing or keeping in the Field I have kept the faith But what follows Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness Though this Crown be a Crown of Mercy and a gift of Grace yet it may be also called a Crown of Righteousness and that in a twofold respect Upon the account of God The Crown is promised to the overcomer Ex parte Dei Rev. 2.11 He that overcometh shall not not so the Greek be hurt of the second death This Man shall not be blasted but blessed shall not be damned but saved shall not go to Hell but to Heaven Upon the account of it self It is a righteous thing with God to render the Crown for the Cross Ex parte Rei It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to those that trouble you 2. Thes 1.7 8. And you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jefus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels As it is a righteous thing with God to send the Sinner to Hell so it is a righteous thing with God to send the Saint to Heaven As it is a righteous thing with God to avenge himself upon the persecuting in this world so it is a righteous thing with God to right the persecuted in another world that can meet with no right in this world 'T is called a Crown of Glory A Crown is the most excellent Badge of royal Majesty But we see Jesus Heb. 2.9 who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death That is that he might be fitted to suffer death which he had not been if he had not been made a little lower than the Angels by taking upon him our humane nature for Christ was made lower than the Angels that he might suffer death as well as in suffering of death But what follows Crowned with glory and honour All Crowns are glorious and Glory is a Crown A Crown and Glory are of such neer alliance that they differ more in Sound than in Substance and are often put together as one thing Exalt her and she shall promote thee Prov. 4.8 9. a Crown of glory shall she deliver thee He hath stripped me of my glory and taken the Crown from my head Job 19.9 But why shall those have a Crown with a Christ hereafter Qu. 2. that have a Cross for a Christ here In a four fold respect Sol. the Father the Son the Spirit the Saint In respect of the Father Thus the Crown is in a way of Mercy There is no reason to be given of Mercy but Mercy I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy As mercy is the element of the Father so the motive of the Father and the Father hath no motive but his mercy Luke 12.32 Let there be no fear little little flock there 's a negative precept For it pleaseth your Father to give you the kingdom there 's a positive promise The Crown is the Fathers gift and for the Father to please to give is for the Father freely to give to give with all imaginable freeness yea with a freeness uninimaginable The Crown is given upon the account of God's Mercy not upon the account of Man's Merit In respect of the Son Thus the Crown is in a way of merit Though the Mercy of the Father be the moving cause yet the merit of the Son is the meritorious cause of this Crown This will appear by an induction and reflection of three reasons Because Christ hath prepared this The Crown is prepared by Christ In my Fathers house in heaven for as God hath his lower house which is the Heart so he hath his upper house which is Heaven as he inhabits Eternity Joh. 14.1.2 so he dwells with him that is of a poor and of a contrite spirit But what of this house There are in it many mansions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word mansion signifieth a Remaining denoting the perpetuity and eternity of the State but my Line is too short to sound this Bottom heaven is best known by the inhabitants therein and thereof If it were not so I would have told you would not my Father hide from Abraham the thing that he would do and shall I hide from you the thing that I go about I go to prepare a place for you I go to make Heaven ready for you and I will also make you ready for Heaven Though I be your Husband yet I am also your Harbinger and I go before to take up Lodgings for you Christ is the Churches Harbinger the Churches forerunner he is ascended to Heaven that he may prepare mansions for his Heb. 6.20 Whether the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus Christ as Head is gone before to take possession of Heaven for the Church his Body Because Christ hath prayed for this Christ hath prayed for the Crown As Christ hath prepared this so he hath prayed for this Father I will 't is a Dialect becoming a Deity and doth evince the Deity of Christ Father I will But what doth Christ will That those which thou hast given me John 17.24 be with me where I am That is when I am with thee invested with that Glory whereof I am now divested Here is Christ's prayer that His might be with him with him in Heaven and was not Christ heard in all that he prayed for Because Christ hath promised this May not the word of Christ be taken As Christ hath prepared this Crown and prayed for this Crown so he hath promised this Crown And I John 12.32 if I be lifted up will draw all men unto me There is a twofold lifting up of Christ ignominious and glorious a lifting up on the Cross and a lifting up in the Gospel And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me As Christ draws out of a state of Sin into a state of Grace so he draws out of a state of Grace into a state of Glory In respect of the Spirit As those who have a Cross for a Christ here shall have a Crown with a Christ hereafter in respect of the Father and of the Son so in respect of the Spirit In whom after ye believed Eph. 1.13 14. after ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise The words are very emphatical ye were sealed Now that nature of a Seal is to make all things sure But what follows Which is the earnest of our Inheritance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is not Greek but Syriac originally which signifieth more than earnest for it signifieth as some say a Pawn or Hostage as well as an earnest But take it as an earnest this is only used in contracts of buying and selling 't is a part of the whole and engageth the whole In respect of the Saint