Debter when he comes and looks upon the book he is able to reade all the particulars Item for such a thing and Item for such a thing and Item for such a thing but the man being not aquainted with the nature of crossing the book he is able to reade all th particulars and he charges it still upon himselfe because he does not understand the nature of this crossing the book and he is as much troubled how he shall pay the debt as if it were not paid at all So now 't is here The Lord Jesus Christ he hath come and cross't our book with his own blood the sins are to be read in your own consciences but we being not acquainted with the nature of Christs satisfaction and the crossing of the book we charge our selves as if no sin at all were satisfied for us Yet when the Lord Jesus Christ was made an offering for sin upon the Cross then he did give full satisfaction unto God the Father And that 's the Third Fourthly This now he hath done as our great High-Priest and in a more transcendant and eminent way than ever any high-Priest did before For though the High-Priest did come and make an atonement for a poor sinner yet he himself was never made a sacrifice the Priest offered up a sacrifice but himself never was made a sacrifice But our great High-Priest does not only offer up a sacrifice but Himself is made a sacrifice Yea that sacrifice that was then in the times of the old-Testament it could not purge the conscience not only because as the Apostle speaks it was the blood of bulls and goats but because the sacrifice was performed successively as thus A man sinned then he brought a sacrifice sins again and then he brings another sicrifice and once every yeare the High-Priest goes into the holy of holiest to make an atonement But in the mean while a poor soul might think thus What if I die before the year come about what will become of me the High-Priest he goes once a year into the Holy of Holyest and sprinkles the mercy-seat but what will become of me if I die before that time But now our great High-Priest he does not only offer up a sacrifice and Himself the sacrifice but he offers up a sacrifice once for all So saies the Apostle So that now when a Christian hath sinned he is not to think of a sacrifice that is yet to come a year hence but he is to look unto that which is done already a sacrifice once offered and once for all So that he needs not be in suspence now as the Jewes were his Conscience it may be fully purged from sin Again Take the High-Priest in the times of the old-Testament and though he did make an atonement for the sins of the people yet sometimes also he did make the people to sin It is said of Aaron the great High-Priest concerning the golden-Calf that he did make the people naked But the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest he makes an attonement for sin and never does make them sin He is so far from making the people naked that he covers them with his righteousness that their nakedness may not appear Here 's a glorious High-Priest Yea This High-Priest of ours He does not only make an atonement for sin committed and paies the debt but he does also become our Surety unto God the Father He does not only pay the debt that is past but he becomes a Surety for time to come None of all those High-Priests that ever did so not Aaron not any High-Priest that ever gave his bond unto God the Father that any sinner should never sin no more But our Lord Jesus Christ our High-Priest he becomes our Surety and what Surety not an ordinary surety for amongst us the Surety joyns and does become bound with the Debter but still it runs in the name of the Debter and the Debter he gives the bond for to pay the debt But now here our Surety he gives the bond and we that are the Debters we do not give the bond for to pay the debt there is no godly man or beleever that ever gave a bond unto God the Father that he will pay the debt but our Surety comes and the bond goes in the name of the Surety and the Debters name is out Oh! what a glorious and blessed High-Priest is here here is a High-Priest beyond all the High-Priests that ever did go before And that 's the Fourth thing Fifthly How does all this conduce to our Comfort or Holiness First How does all this make to our Comfort Quest first Answ 1 Is it not a comfortable thing in the eares of a poor sinner that there is a Magazine and a Storehouse of Mercy set up that the Lord hath erected an office of Love and of meer compassion for poor sinners Is it not a comfortable thing that God the father is satisfied and so your sins pardoned Mark 2.5 Son saies Christ unto the palsie man be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee He does not say Be of good comfort thy disease is healed No whether thy disease be healed or whether it be not healed this is comfort Son thy sins are forgiven thee If the Lord Jesus Christ hath satisfied for my sins may a beleever say then whatsoever affliction I do meet withal it does not come upon me as a punishment properly it does not come upon me as an arrest for to pay my debt When a Reprobate is smitten and afflicted all his miseries they are arrests for to pay his debt Hath the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied Divine Justice and God the father for me then surely these afflictions they do not come for me to make satisfaction Again If the Lord Jesus Christ hath satisfied for my sins may a beleever say then I shall never be Damned I shall never fall from grace I have had many fears that I should fall from grace and so go to Hell and perish at last But if the Lord Jesus Christ hath satisfied Divine Justice for my sin then God the father will never punish my sin again for it was punish't in Jesus Christ therefore I cannot fall from grace therefore I can never be Damned And if the Lord Jesus Christ hath satisfied Divine Justice as our great High Priest Then I may come with boldness unto the Throne of grace A debtor so long as his debt is unpaid he dares not come by the prison door by the Compter door he is afraid of every Sergeant he is afraid of his friends that they should be Sergeants but when his debt is paid then he dares go up and down with boldness And so the poor soul when he knows that his debt is paid and Christ hath satisfied then he may go with boldness unto the Throne of grace But you will say Quest I cannot have the comfort of this because I cannot say that Christ hath satisfied for me How shall I know
THE WORKS OF WILLIAM BRIDGE Sometime Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge now Preacher of the Word of GOD at Yarmouth The first Volume VIZ. I. The great Gospel-mysterie of the Saints comfort and holinesse opened and applyed from Christs Priestly office II. Satans power to tempt and Christs love to and care of his people under temptation III. Thankfulnesse required in every condition LONDON Printed for Peter Cole and are sold at his shop at the signe of the Printing-Presse in Cornhill neer the Royall Exchange 1649. TO THE READER SO good is the God of Jacob to his Israel on this side the promised Land that no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Friend If it may be verified of thee what our blessed Saviour spake of Nathaniel behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile thou hast at present not only a title to Esau's ENOVGH but the tenure of Jacobs-ALL according to that ancient Charter of all Saints recorded by that great Apostle of the Gentiles For All things are yours whether Paul 1 Cor. 3 21 22 23 or Apollo or Cephas c. All are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods The very Persons and Ministery Calling and Gifts Studies and Writings Prayers and Sermons of the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All are for the use service and comfort of Christs LITTLE-LITTLE FLOCK This Evangelical truth is notably proved by the same Apostle to the Ephesians When our only High-Priest ascended up on high into the Holy of Holies there to transact his Priestly office of Intercession at the right hand of God the Father He gave some to be Apostles and some Prophets Ephes 4.11 12. and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Thus this Servant of the Lord is thine as much thine as Paul was the Corinthians Yea these his Spiritfull peeces of Evangelical mysteries are thine Thine to build thee up in the saving knowledge of that doctrinal truth the Priestly office of Christ as it is the Magazine and storehouse of all that grace and comfort which we are crowned with under heaven Thine to give thee a piercing insight into the intricate methods of the Old Serpent and plainly to discover upon what rocks and sands the faith of many suffer shipwrack Thine 1 Thes 5.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to arme thee with spirituall Armour of proof called a BREAST-PLATE because it guards the heart or as the word elsewhere holds it out A LONG-IARGE-SHIELD which is very dexterous to defend the whole of a Christian Souldier from all the fiery darts of THE WICKED-ONE 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reader Let us be thine to beseech thee by the mercies of God as thou tenderest the peace and welfare of all within thy own tabernacle immediately to put in practise the holy Contents of this Experimentall Book For if thou art one of the LORDS-Simons Behold Satan hath desired to have thee that he may sift thee as wheat Oh therefore make provision for thy soule with all speed before the houre of temptation draweth on It is not true valour but desperate fool-madnesse to adjourne this Every-dayes businesse of everlasting concernment Because in this as in oversights of War there is no room for a second retractation the first error being unrecoverable This is all we have to advertise thee touching these choise usefull Lectures For the Author of them whom we very much love and honour we must beare witnesse that when he first preached them from the bosome of Jesus Christ his Master to many tempted bleeding hearts in and about this populous City he had not then the least thought to suffer them in Print to serve the Publique But afterwards eyeing the voice of God in the multiplied desires and greedy expectations both of friends and strangers his constant Auditors though of different judgements in their private speeches and Letters and to prevent a further inconvenience sc the publishing them by some who had impefect Notes in their hands was necessitated to depute us in his absence at Yarmouth to hand out into the world this his Copy M. W. M. which was exactly penned from his tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.14 by that his beloved Amanuensis and since kept charily by him as a precious thing committed to his trust The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ grant thee according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man so that thou mayest be more then conquerour through Him that loved thee and prayed for thee that thy faith faile not So be it Thine in the Lord Jesus William Greenhill John Tates William Adderley The Titles of the second Volume Viz. I. Grace for grace or The overflowings of Christs fulnesse received by all Saints II. The spirituall actings of Faith through Naturall impossibilities III. Evangelical Repentance THE CONTENTS Of the First VOLVMNE HEBREWES 2.17 18. SERMON I. THE words opened Doct. Page 2 The Priestly office of Christ is the great Magazine and Store-house of all that grace and comfort we have on this side heaven Page 3 Proved ibid 1 It is a relief and succour to a Christian against all temptations Page 6 Cleered by particulars 1 When the Lord Jesus Christ died he offered up himself a sacrifice to God the Father Page 7 Proved Page 8 2 When he was upon the Altar the sins of all beleevers past present and to come were laid upon Christ Page 9 Cleered ibid 3 When the sins of beleevers were laid upon him he did make full satisfaction to God the Father and Divine Justice for them all ibid Object Why Beleevers have their sins still charged upon their Consciences Answered Page 13 4 This he hath done in a more eminent way than ever any high priest did before Page 14 5 How all this conduceth to our comfort or holiness Page 15 It conduceth to our comfort 1 There is a store house of mercy and meer compassion erected for poor sinners Page 15 2 All our Afflictions come not upon us as punishments Page 16 3 We shall never be damned ibid 4 We may come with boldness to the throne of grace ibid Object How shall I know that Jesus Christ hath satisfied for me Ans 1. Why not for thee Page 17 2 Applying the promise makes it thine ibid 3 Christ is willing you should think he satisfied for you ibid 4 Else we are in a worse condition than the Jews It conduceth to our holiness 1 The new covenant is founded upon it Page 19 2 Strengthen faith and strengthen all graces ibid 3 The more a man sees a holy necessity upon Christ to shew mercy the more his faith rises Page 20 4 The more a man is engaged to Christ the more
to do the work of his office if he be faithful A Porter is willing to carry a burden why because it is his office to do it It is the office of Jesus Christ for to bear our sins It is his Office to be the great High-Priest that does satisfie God the Father for our sins Surely therefore he is willing to do it for he is faithful in his office But besides Answ 3 The more I see an holy Necessity upon Christ Jesus for to show mercy to me the more my faith rises It 's very remarkable The Lord Jesus Christ as God he may refuse and might refuse whether he would show mercy to us or no But now as a High-Priest he cannot refuse a poor sinner that does come unto him If I know that Christ is able to satisfie is able to show mercy to me my faith stirs a little at the sight of Christs ability If I know that Christ be willing to show mercy to me my faith rises higher but if I know that Christ cannot refuse me if I do come unto him then my faith rises up to a great height indeed When a poor sinner amongst the Jews had sinned and brought his sacrifice to the High-Priest the Priest might not refuse it Our Lord Jesus Christ is our great High-Priest I say as God he may refuse but now he being our great High-Priest therefore when a poor sinner comes to Jesus Christ as a High-Priest he cannot refuse Oh! what a great strengthening is this to faith Strengthen faith and you strengthen all the right understanding of this truth doth wonderfully strengthen faith Further Answ 4 The more a man is ingaged to Jesus Christ and takes himself to be ingaged to him the more Holy he is the more a man sees himself freed from sin by Christ the more he takes himself to be ingaged to Christ for freeing of him from his sin Now this truth tels us how Christ hath satisfied for our sins freed us from sin and so we shall be the more ingaged to Christ If a man were going to prison even at the Compter door for a great sum of money and the door were unlocking if a man should come and speak to the Sergeant Hold your hands here is money for you I will pay this mans debt and laies the money down would not this poor debtor take himself for ever ingaged to that man that should thus come and lay down the money and free him so seasonably from the Compter and prison Thus it was with the Lord Christ Ah we were all going to prison everlasting prison chains of darkness and he comes and laies down the money makes full satisfaction to God the Father as our great High-Priest Oh! what an ingagement is this to every soul unto the Lord Christ to become the Lord Christs for ever Lastly The more a man does deny his own righteousness Answ 5 the more Holy he is with Gospel-Holiness It is said of the Jewes That they going about to establish their own righteousness submitted not unto the righteousness of Christ So on the contrary when a man does go about to establish the righteousness of Christ then he submits unto it and then he denies his own righteousness The more we see a fulness of satisfaction made by Jesus Christ for all our sins unto God the Father the more we acknowledge Christs righteousness and the more we establish it and the more we shall be brought off from all our own righteousness Oh! Therefore now as ever you do desire to have more Grace more Holiness more Comfort study and study much this Priestly office of Jesus Christ There are many that complain that they cannot profit under the means of grace That they have hard hearts That the waies and Ordinances of God are not sweet to them Prayer they do perform but with no sweetness they do not relish the blood and Spirit of Christ upon their spirits in their duties c. Many complain that their sins and temptations like the sons of Zarviah are too mighty for them and that one day they shall be slain by the hand of Saul such a lust such a corruption No wonder that we have these complaints when we do not go unto the store-house of comfort and grace that the Lord hath set open for us The Priestly office of Christ it is the great Magazine and Storehouse of all that grace and comfort which we have on this side heaven if ye do not go unto it is it any wonder that ye want comfort or that ye want grace I appeal to you now are there not some nay many that never went to Jesus Christ as their High-Priest to this day Ah are there not some even Professors that do not know what the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ meanes Oh! No wonder poor soule so uncomfortable no more stength against thy temptations If the State should appoint a man for to relieve poor maimed souldiers that go a begging if they meet with the sawme man that is appointed by the State and they beg of him in the streets as an ordinary man he relieves them not but now if they come unto him as a man appointed by the State for relief of such then he relieves them according to the duty of his place So it is with men they go to Christ in an ordinary way they do not go to Christ as the great Lord Treasurer of all our grace as our great High-Priest they do not go unto him as in office set up in office by God the Father for such reliefe they do not addresse themselves to him as their High-Priest to make satisfaction for them and therefore they go away and have no relief But would we have more strength against corruption would we walk more comfortably in our course would we find the waies of God Ordinances and duties more sweet and comfortable to our souls then reade and consider that place in the Canticles 2.3 As the apple-tree among the treesof the wood so is my beloved among the sons I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my tast The spouse speaks it concerning Christ What is this fruit of Christ Your Justification Adoption Vocation Sanctification Consolation it is al the fruit of Christ All your own Duties your Prayers Reading Meditation they are all the fruit of Christ The injoyment of al his Ordinances al your spiritual priviledges under the Gospel they are the fruit of Christ Now saies she I sate down under his shadow and his fruit it was sweet unto my tast As it is unto a man that does love fruit be it Pears Apples Cherries or the like I love this fruit saies he but yet notwithstanding I must needs go where this fruit grows and gather it off the tree and when he hath gone to the tree and taken the fruit off the tree saies he I sate down under the tree I had not the fruit the Apple or Cherry brought unto
Devil looks upon him And Jesus Christ looks upon him The work of the Law is to Condemn The work of the Devil to Accuse And the work of Jesus Christ is to Intercede it is the work of his office Now therefore assoon as the Devil sees such a soul Oh saies he here 's a fine instrument for me here 's a fit subject for me to injoy Assoon as Moses sees this man Here 's a fine subject for me to condemne unto all Eternity But when Jesus Christ looks upon such a soul saies he Here 's a fine soul for me to save unto all Eternity to intercede for why because it is his Office and what a man does by office he interprets accordingly Therefore what the Lord Jesus Christ does he does by office and he does it readily and willingly And I will give you one demonstration of it It was the end why Jesus Christ was taken into Heaven into the Holy of Holiest that he might Intercede According to the Scriptures mentioned before in Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entered into holy places made with hands but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us He does not say thus Christ is now gone to Heaven to be glorified there Christ is now gone to Heaven to injoy the bosome of his Father for his own happiness No but he is gone into Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us This is the end of his ascention And so again in the 7. of the Hebrews Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us What is he in Heaven to be glorified there No but the end why Christ is in Heaven Is to make intercession for poor sinners And therefore he must needs be infinitly willing to do this because it is the end of his going thither into the Holy of Holiest Oh therefore be of good comfort all you that do come unto God by him for he is willing to intercede for you And let not any thing discourage you It may be you will complain and say Oh! but I am much opposed here in this world What matter so long as Jesus Christ does intercede for me in Heaven and speaks good words unto God the Father for me in heaven what though I be opposed by men It may be you will complain and say Oh! but I am much tempted and cannot pray Be humbled for it but yet know this That when you cannot pray Christ prayes for you and he prayes that you may pray It may be you complain and say Oh! but I labour under such and such corruptions and the Devil he is busie with me exceeding busie and I cannot overcome them and the Devil stands at my right hand for to tempt me and to lead me into such and such sins Wel be it so yet notwithstanding the Lord Jesus Christ he is at the right hand of our Father and he is set down at the right hand of God the Father till all enemies be made his footstool and your sins are his enemies And therefore be of good comfort O all ye people of the Lord. Is there ever a poor myrtle-tree a soul that growes in a bottom in a poor dark condition be of good comfort the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest he is entered into Heaven into the Holy of Holiest there to intercede with God the Father for thee I but Quest you will say unto me Does not this conduce to our Grace and Holiness too and how does it do it This Intercession of Jesus Christ Ans this work of the Priestly Office of Christ and the consideration thereof it does conduce exceedingly unto our Grace and Holinesse For. First What a mighty incouragement is here unto all poor sinners for to come unto Jesus Christ He ever liveth to make Intercession for those that come unto God by him Oh! then who would not come unto God by Christ who would not come unto Jesus Christ Me thinks a poor sinner should say Indeed my sins were so great that I was afraid for to come unto God But now I hear that the Lord Jesus Christ is in Heaven to make intercession for all those that come unto God by him Though I have been a Drunkerd now I wil go unto God by Christ And though I have been a Swearer and though I have been an unclean wanton yet I will go unto God by Christ Indeed I thought that my time was past for I have been an Old Swearer and I have been an Old Drunkard and I have been an Old Sabbath-breaker and I have been a sinner so long that I was even afraid of going to God at all and thought there was no mercy nor no pardon for me But seeing now that this is true That the Lord Jesus Christ is in Heaven to make intercession for all those that come unto God by him Well through the Lords grace now I will go unto the Lord Christ I will go unto Jesus Christ I indeed am a young man and I thought it was to no purpose to go unto God God would not regard poor ignorant ones and I am a poor ignorant creature and thought it was to no purpose for me to go unto God But now I understand this That the Lord Jesus Christ is in Heaven to make intercession for all those that come unto God by him Well then Though I am ignorant yet will I go unto God by Christ and though I am but a poor young thing and scarce understand the termes of Religion yet will I go unto God by Christ Oh! come unto Christ come unto Christ Behold here in the Name of the Lord I stand and make invitation to poor sinners Come poor Drunkard Swearer Sabbath-breaker Unclean heart the Lord Jesus Christ is in Heaven to make intercession for all that come unto God by him and will not you come Oh! how will you answer it at the great day when it shall be said The Lord Jesus Christ made a tender and offer of mercy to you and you would not accept of it you would not come unto him Here is matter of great Incouragment unto all poor sinners to come unto Jesus Christ Again Secondly The more I apprehend or see with a spiritual eye That the Lord Jesus Christ does appear in Heaven for me the more am Fingaged to appear upon earth for him Mark I pray that you may see how this does conduce unto Grace and Holiness Ah! shall the Lord Jesus Christ appear in Heaven before Saints and Angels and God the Father for my soul and shal I be afraid to appear before poor worms for him Shall the Lord Jesus Christ own me in Heaven and shall not I own him upon earth Shall the Lord Jesus Christ as the great High-Priest take my name and carry it upon his breast into the presence of God the Father and shall not I take the Name of Christ and hold it forth to the world Oh! I beseech
there of the Disciples That they should wait for the promise of the Father Christ commaded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father What is that We know what it was and is that which befel afterward it was the giving out of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost fell upon them this is called THE promise of the Father That as in the times of the Old Testament the promise was the giving of the Son and coming of the Second Person So after Christ came the great promise was the coming of the Third Person and the giving of the holy Ghost When I am gone saith Christ I 'le send ye another Comforter He that beleeveth out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This he spake concerning the Spirit which was not yet given in those extraordinary emanations of gists and graces because he was not yet glorisied So then the great Blessing that was to be given unto the children of men the great Gospel-blessing was the giving out of the holy Ghost this is a Gospel-blessing indeed Well Ques But what doth Christ do when he doth Bless It 's observable Answ 1 that when any Superiour did Blesse a father did blesse his child or the like he did observe what was the choice mercy and good in those times and he did wish that unto his child or unto his inferiour And so in Isaac and Jacobs time the choice good it was The dew of Heaven and when they did blesse their children they wish't unto them the dew of Heaven So now when our Iord Jesus our great High-Priest doth blesse any man observing that the choice mercy of the Gospel is the injoyment of God in Christ the favour and love of God and the giving out of the holy Ghost into a mans heart he doth wis all this good unto him and he saies unto God the Father Lord let this poor soul have thy favour Oh! cause thy face to shine upon this poor soul and give out the holy Ghost unto it that it may walk after the spirit In the Second place It 's observable That when the Priests did Blesse the people they did not barely wish good unto them but they did Authoratatively pronounce them blessed Numb 6.27 They shall put my name upon them saith the Lord when they bless So when the Lord Christ our great High-Priest doth Blesse a man he does not barely wish him good The Lord cause his face for to shine upon that soul in a way of wishing but the Lord Christ being a High-Priest when he blesseth he doth authoratatively pronounce such a soul to be Blessed Thirdly When the Priest Blessed he did not only pronounce the people Blessed but in the Blessing of the Priest there was a kind of Binding-power it had the power force and efficacy of an Absolution And therefore as Christ saies unto his Disciples Go and whosoever sins ye remit they shall be remitted I 'le stand by you in it So saith the Lord in that same place the 6. of Numbers On this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee and at the 27. verse They shall put my Name upon the children of Israel and I will blessethem I 'le stand by them in this So when the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest doth Blesse he doth not only pronounce a man to be Blessed but he doth Absolve him from all his sins saith he by authority that is given to me from my father the Keyes that are put into my hand I do Bind this blessing upon this poor soul Further The Priest when he blessed indeed he could wish well and he could pronounce a man blessed and he might Absolve but he could go no further he could not confer the Blessing he could not bestow the Blessing But our Lord Christ being an High-Priest beyond all the High-Priests that ever were before him in this respect too where he doth Blesse he bestoweth the Blessing being God and man he bestoweth the Blessing In the Fifth place This our great High-Priest being God and Man look how God Blesseth so doth he Blesse In the Scripture ye shall find That when God the Father Blessed he said unto those things that he blest Increase and Multiply still when he blest Increase and Multiply So the Lord Jesus Christ our High-Preist when he comes to blesse he doth not barely wish good unto a poor soul or pronounce him blessed or beslow a good thing upon him but saith he O soul Multiply in this good the Lord increase thy Graces and thy Gifts and thy Comforts poor soul Increase and Multiply herein This the Lord Christ our great High-Priest doth Thus it 's cleer what the Blssing of the Gospel is wherein it consists and what our High-Priest doth when he doth blesse the people But Secondly Quest 2 Does this Blessing properly or specially belong unto Jesus Christ Yes Answ For he was made a curse for sin he and none else made a curse for sin and therefore it belongs unto him above all the world for to blesse For look what evil Jesus Christ endured the contrary good he merited for the children of men a power to bestow that good Now he above all was cursed hung upon the Crosse and died a cursed death he was made a curse therefore it belongs unto him above all for to give the blessing for to blesse poor sinners Primum in quolibet genere c. The first in every kind is the cause of the rest The Sun is the cause of all the light we have here below and 't is the first light body And the Lord Jesus Christ he is the first blessing Therefore hath they God blest thee for ever There are Three that we reade of in Scripture especially that did blesse The Father the King and the Priest The Father did blesse his Children the King blest his Subjects and the Priest blest the People Now the Lord Jesus Christ He is our Father The Everlasting Father He is our King I will set my King upon my holy hill And he is our great High-Priest and therefore all these relations meeting in him it belongs unto him above all for to blesse the people But is the Lord Jesus Christ Willing for to Blesse poor sinners Quest 3 and inclin'd unto it Yes Answ He is very Willing this blessing of the people it is a work whereunto he is much inclin'd and wherein he is most delighted Ye shall observe therefore what abundance of blessings Christ scattered among the people when he was here upon the earth Ye don't reade that ever he cursed any man formally cursed him Once indeed he pronounced a Curse but it fell upon a barren fig-tree not upon a man But take your Bibles and turne over from leaf to leaf and see how frequent he was in blessing and consider whether you do reade in al the Bible of any Preacher or Prophet
the Son of God putting another If upon his Son-ship So when he was upon the Cross the Devils Instruments speak his own Language they had not forgotten it If he be the Son of God let him come down putting an If upon his Son-ship again The Devil follows this close Oh! but I am tempted many times to use indirect means to get out of trouble out of mine affliction And was not Christ so when he was an hungry saies the Devil to him Command that these stones be made bread Oh! but I am tempted I am loth to say what it is sometimes even to lay violent hands upon my self And what said the Devil to Christ Throw thy self down off the pinacle of the Temple Oh! but I am tempted to horrid and blasphemous things that I am afraid to name and my heart trembles to think of And was not Christ thus tempted saies Satan to him All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me What worship the Devil Oh! horrid blasphemy Blush O Heavens and be astonished All this will I give thee If thou wilt fall down and worship me Oh! but I am tempted to depair sometimes I confesse I am able to reade Gods love and to say that God is with me and I think I can say I know that God is with me but at another time Oh! how unlike am I unto my self and I say Mercy is gone and Christ is gone and hath left me as an orphan And I pray consider how it was with Christ in this respect he went as neer to it as could be without sin It is Musculus his Observation In the 16. of John Behold saies Christ at the 32. verse the hour cometh speaking of his suffering hour Yea it is now come when ye shall be scattered every man from his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me Speaking of his suffering hour And yet when he was upon the Cros he saies Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How diverse does he seem to be from himself Saies he I am not alone because the Father is with me And yet when he comes into the hour My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh! but I have suffered as much as ever any did I have suffered by the hand of my temptations they have been a continual torment to me and I have suffered much from them Well but have ye suffered more than Christ suffered It is said in the text For in that he suffered being tempted What a mighty suffering was it for the glorious God of Heaven and Earth to have such temptations thrown in upon him any one temptation to be lodged in his mind what a mighty suffering was this Thus you see how Christ suffered And beloved He suffered and was tempted that he might succour you that are tempted Will you question his love then because of your temptation or your own condition do ye know what you do Suppose that your Father should leave you a great Estate and give you good Evidences and a cunning Lawyer comes and writes upon the back-side of your Evidence Naught naught will ye because of that joyn with him and say that your Father hath given you nothing Christ hath given you in a great Estate of Mercy and hath given you good Evidences for it and Satan now comes writes upon the back-side of your Evidence and saies This is naught Will you joyn with him against God and Christ what wrong is this to his love think of it I pray you that are the Saints and people of God Be humbled under every temptation though it be never so small but never question your condition though your temptation be never so great There is indeed something of a suffering a malignant quality an affliction in every temptation when it takes least and therfore look how you would walk under an affliction so walk under your temptation In your affliction you will walk Humbly so under your temptation do In your affliction you will examine the Cause especially if your affliction lie long upon you So in your temptation do In your affliction you will seek God Early So in the morning of your temptation do In the day of your affliction you will Engage to God the day of affliction is the day of engaging and you say Oh! if the Lord will deliver me through his grace I will do so and so So in your temptation do In your affliction you will take heed of those sins that you are most apt unto in the time of affliction so do in the time of your temptation For example thus in affliction a man is very apt to be discouraged to have his heart sink and to die within him So in temptation take heed of that In affliction a man is apt so to mind his present burden as to forgit all his former mercy so in the time of temptation take heed of that In the time of affliction a man is very apt to be froward and impatient to break out into frowardness and impatiency though he did not so before As the wood that is laid upon the fire sends forth filth which you did not see in the wood before it came upon the fire So men are apt to send forth filth and much frowardness and impatiency in the time of affliction when you took them for good natured people before and thought there was no such frowardness in them and no such impatiency So in the time of temptation also take heed of that In the time of affliction men are apt to make an evil construction and interpretation of things Affliction raises Passion and Passion puts other colors upon things than formerly and so in time of temptation we are apt to make strange constructions of Gods dealings and Christ's dealings with us take heed of that In time of affliction men are apt to change their behaviour David did so he let fall his spittle upon his beard and faigned himself mad he changed his behaviour and so are men apt to change their behaviour in times of temptation take heed of that In time of affliction men are apt to stint and limit God and say Can God provide a table now and can God deliver now and so also in the time of temptation men are apt to say Can God provide now can God deliver now and so stint and limit the Holy One of Israel take heed of that In the day of affliction a gracious heart does rather rejoyce that he hath any opportunity to exercise his grace than mourn for his present burden so do you now In the day of affliction a gracious heart doth more desire to be cleansed than to be delivered wishes rather that his heart may be sanctified by his affliction thā that his affliction may be removed There is somthing of a suffering ye have heard in every temptation now then does a temptation arise and presse in upon
Saviour Christ say to Peter The gates of Hell shall not prevail against thee and yet now Satan tempts if Satan know this why should he follow Gods children yea the best of his children so sorely with sad temptations Satan is the envious man we reade of in Scripture Answ 1 and when he hears the Lord owning and honouring of his children then does his envy work and rise and when he hears any of Gods children triumphing by faith and making boast of the love of God then does his malice kindle into a flame shall such a one go to Heaven and shall I be damn'd saies he shall such a one be received and shall I be cast away for ever These are the boylings of this envious mans heart against the children of the most high But there is this great reason for it Answ 2 Satan knows that if he can but make Gods people and the best of his children fall though they should not be damn'd but pardoned that their fall shall be stumbling blocks unto others that may be damn'd And therefore I pray mark how it is carried concerning Dauid it is said in the 1 Chron. 21. chapter and the 1. verse That Satan stood up against Israel to provoke David to number Israel It is not said thus And Satan stood up against David and provoked David to number Israel no but thus And Satan sood up against Israel and provoked David to number the people he stood up against Israel why because he know that if he did make David thus to number the people it would be a stumbling for all Israel and all Israel should fare the worse by it When Satan stands up and tempts the master of a family unto sin he does not barely stand up against him but in tempting him he stands up against all the family When Satan tempts a religious holy man a beloved Disciple of Christ in a Town Satan stands up against all the Town in tempting that one man He stood up against Israel and tempted David to number the people and so when he tempts those that are the most beloved Disciples of Christ he stands up against others and therefore though Satan knows that their sins shall be pardoned yet he does follow them with sad and sore temptations Answ 3 Thirdly Satan loves to divide between friends he is the great make-bait of the world he loves to divide He may know that there is so much goodness between man and wife that he shal never part them and yet he will labour to sow discord between them that they may live uncomfortably And so though he knows he shall never part Christ and a poor beleever yet he will labour to throw jealousies into the heart of a beleever concerning the love of Christ He knew well enough what was said concerning our Saviour Christ What was said by the Angels at the birth of Christ what was said by the Angel to Mary what was said by Elizabeth he heard what was said from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and yet presently he comes to Christ with an If If thou be the Son of God laboring to throw a jealousy into the heart of Christ and to doubt of his Son-ship even with God the Father So I say although Satan should know that the Lord will pardon such of such a man yet he loves to make a division between God and the soul and to cast in jealusies between Christ and a beleever As for others saies he they are my own already I shal not need to break into that house there is nothing but chaffe lies there but here 's a godly man and here 's treasure and therefore he does especially lay his battery against the Satines and those that are the most beloved Disciples of Jesus Christ But you will say unto me Quest 3 How does Satan come by this tempting power this infesting and molesting power Great is the power as we have read already that he hath as he is a Superiour creature Ausw but Satan hath yet another power and that is the power of Conquest for in Adams fall Satan conquered the whol world all man-kind they were the Devils conquest upon the fall When a man is Converted and trun'd to God then he comes out of the kingdom of Satan But I say upon the fall the Devil made a conquest upon all man-kind and so by conquest he hath a great power Satan hath heave from God the Father to tempt I don't say that he hath a special leave for every temptation not a special commission or permission or leave for every temptation but there is no great or extraordinary temptation that does fall upon the children of God but Satan hath a special leave from God the Father for it There was a special temptation upon the Country in his running their herd of swine into the Sea and he had leave for that before he did it There was a special temptation upon Ahab in the lying spirit of the Prophets and he had a special leave and permission from God for that There was a special temptation upon Job and he had a leave for that Here was a special temptation coming down upon the Disciples and he had leave for that Simon Simon Satan hath desired you He was fain to ask leave and he had leave for that There is no extraordinary or great temptation befals any of the children of God but Satan is fain to ask leave for it he hath a leave for it before he can come and tmept the soul But you will sa then unto me Quest 4 Why does God the Father give Satan leave thus to tempt his own Children and Christs own Disciples First take it thus Lood whatsoever is the end Answ 1 and the issue of any evil which befals the children of God that was the design of God the Father in suffering that evil to come upon them Now the end and issue of the Saints temptation is alwaies good unto them and therefore God suffers the temptations of his people because he hath a design of mercy and love upon them in these temptations What was the end and issue of Satans tempting of Adam and Eve They fell and then the righteousness of Christ and eternal life thereby was brought in this was the end and the issue of it Now God the Father had this design upon Satans temptation all the while Satan was tempting of Adam and the Lord would never have suffered our heel to have been bruised by Satans temptation but that he did intend to break the head of Satan It was a great temptation that of David when as Satan stood up and provoked him to number the people pray what was the end and issue of that temptation I shall only name the Scriptures The 1 Chron. the 21. chapter and the 22. chapter and the beginning of it and the 2 Chron. the 3. chapter and 1. verse compared together you shall find this First Satan tempts David he
a prison he rattles chaines in the ears of a poor beleever and so labours to scare him away from his conscience and from his faith and from the Truth and Cause of God and the good waies of Christ How shold we ward off this blow Quest First Answ 1 Before the temptaton comes labour to possesse your heart much with the Mercy and priviledge of suffering for the Cause Truth Name and Way of Christ To you it is given not only to beleeve but to suffer 't is a great Gift A suffering opportunity and a suffering heart is a great Gift from God Is it not a great mercy to be conformable to Jesus Christ our head For this Cause saies Christ came I into the world that I might bear witness unto the truth Is it not a great mercy to be confessed at the last day before all the world Angels and men He that confesses me before men saies Christ Him will I confess before my father c. Is it not a great mercy to live and reigne with Christ a thousand years ye know that Scripture I shall not speak of the meaning of it now but cerainly there is a great deal of glory promised there living and reigning with Christ a thousand years and the promise is made unto those that do acknowledge and own the Cause and Truth of God and Jesus Christ Possesse your heart much with the priviledge and mercy of bearing witness to the Truth the Cause and the good way of Christ before your temptation comes Secondly Answ 2 If you would bear off the blow of this temptation Be sure that you look upon both sides of your suffering or bearing witness to the Truth Cause or way of Christ the Dark side and the Light side let them not be sundered When the Lord cals for any of his people to suffer at any time for him he does give them more strength than before and he does give them more Comfort and Consolation than they had before Now Satan comes and holds forth the suffering he makes mention of the suffering but he hides the Strength and the Consolation Either Satan holds forth the suffering alone or else if he do mention any strength or comfort that a gracious soul shall have in the suffering 't is but the same strength that he hath now he don't speak of the strength he shall have then and the great Consolation that he shall have then when the suffering comes and so these being parted the Suffering and the Consolation being parted now our faith fails When ever therefore this temptation does come upon you answer thus Satan here thou bringest the suffering before me and causest that to come before me but thou doest not tell me of the strength I shall have and of the consolation I shal receive Satan I shall not have the strength I have now nor the consolation I have now but I shall have more strength then when the suffering comes and I shall have more consolation when as the affliction comes than I had before Keep these together don't look only upon the one side of your suffering and witness-bearing but look upon both sides together and thus you shall be able to stand and ride out the storm of this temptation But you will say Quest We have heard of the several blowes that Satan gives unto our faith unto the faith of Reliance unto the faith of Assurance and unto the faith of Acknowledgment how he labours to weaken all these our faiths and how we should bear off al these blows But there may be yet some temptation possibly that does not fall within the compass of these temptations these directions are pointed against these particular temptations but I have other temptations that don't fall within the compass of these whereby Satan labours to weaken my faith and to make my faith to fail What general Rules and Directions may be given by which a man should so walk as that Satan may not make his faith to fail in the time of his temptation First Answ 1 Before your temptation comes while you are upon even ground Study and look much into the Scripture and into every corner and nook thereof as I may so speak laying and treasuring up Promises and Words sutable to every condition Let the Word of the Lord dwell in you richly that so when a temptation comes ye may have a word sutable at hand and this will help ye to bear off the strength of the temptation when it comes Secondly Answ 2 Either a particular Word and Promise does come unt ye or it does not in the time of your temptation If it do come unto ye Take heed that ye dont ' measure your selves or your condition by the warmth and life and inlargment of your heart which ye have at the coming in of the word And if a particular word or Scripture and promise do not come unto you in the time of your temptation don't measure your selves and your condition by the straightness and deadnesse of your heart which you have at that time when a particular word does not come Thirdly If temptaion come Answ 3 Look much unto the infirmities of Jesus Christ not the sinful infirmities for so he had none but he had many other infirmities And ye know what the Spouse in the time of Desertion saies in the book of the Canticles His left hand is under my head and with his right hand he does imbrace me The right hand is a hand of power and the left hand is a hand of weaknesse and in the time of Desertion and Temptation it 's a great relief to a poor soul to consider the infirmities of Jesus Christ his left hand is under our head then As when a man is inlarged in heart 't is good to consider of Christs Example that so he may be humbled under his inlargement So when a man is in Desertion or Temptation it 's good for to think of Christs Infirmities that so he may not be overwhelmed or cast down too much Fourthly If temptation do come be sure of this Answ 4 That ye don't conclude it is no temptation Satan tempts and then he tempts a man to think it is no temptation So long as a poor soul thinks it is but a temptation his heart is borne up with comfort and he saies It is but a temptation and it will be over shortly and the Lord Jesus Christ will pity me for 't is but a temptation and so his heart is borne up with comfort waiting upon God But if the Devil can get a man so far as to make him think it is no temptation but worse than a temptation then his heart fails and his faith failes Therefore I beseech ye If a temptation come don't conclude it is no temptation but say Oh! it may be 't is a temptation and therefore I will wait on God Fifthly If temptation come Answ 5 Remember thine own soul of the waies of God with thee Gods waies ye know
is never more at work for thee than when thou art most tempted and assaulted by Satan What a mighty incouragement is here to al that hear the word of the Lord to get into Jesus Christ But if I be godly and al this be true Why should I question the love of God towards me in the time of my temptation Beloved ye know it in your Experience ye are never more apt for to question the love of Christ than in temptation and yet Christs love is never more at work for you than in temptation Oh! what an unworthy answering of Christs love is here Again If I be Godly Why should I not be contented and quiet under all my temptations though they be never so great Christ prayeth for me Christs love is most at work now I am most assaulted his bowels then yern towards me Yea If I be Godly Why should I not with Paul Triumph over all temptations and make my boast of Christ and say as he did Now know I that nothing shall separate me from the love of God in Christ not Principalities nor Powers nor Devils nor Temptations for when I am most tempted Christ is most at work in love for me Yea beloved in the Lord why should we not all warm our hearts with this love of Jesus Christ it's a mercy that the Lord Christ will cast but an eye or a look upon a poor soul under temptation that is a mercy I but I tell ye more than so Christ does not only cast an eye and a look upon a poor tempted soul but his love and mercy is never more at work than when you are most assaulted and tempted by Satan Ah what grace and heart-warming love is here If I be Godly again upon this account why should I give over so soon and lay down my weapon in time of temptation If a City be beleaguer'd besieged and know that help will come they will not give over And though I am thus besieged and thus tempted help will certainly come for Christ hath prayed why should I give over then in time of temptation And if these things be so if there be so much love in the heart of Christ towards poor tempted souls then beloved should we not all run to Christ in the time and hour of our temptation run unto him by prayer It may be there are some that will say Quest If Christ pray for us in time of temptation what need we pray But I pray look into this chapter Answ and you will find our Saviour carries it otherwise In the text saies he But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fall not At the 46. verse Why sleep ye saies he rise and pray lest ye enter into temptation So that though he had said That he prayed for them yet he cals upon them also to pray It 's good praying my beloved when mercy is coming and mercy is then coming when Christ is praying and when you are most tempted then Christ is at prayer But to end all What ever your temptations therefore be you that are the servants of God still think ye hear Christ saying to ye Man Woman be of good comfort I have prayed for you though thy temptations be very great I have prayed for thee thought thou canst not pray for thy self as thou wouldst I have prayed for thee when flesh fails and eyes fail and heart fails and all fails yet remember this Christ prayeth for you in the time of your temptation Christ prayeth for you think that ye hear Christ speaking to ye in the time of your temptation for certainly he does it as well to his Disciples now as he did to his Disciples then he does speak and say Be of good comfort man or woman though thy temptations be great yet I have prayed for thee and thy faith shall not fail FINIS THANKFVLNES Required in every CONDITION 1 THESSALONIANS 5.18 In every thing give thanks Preached at Margrets New-fish street March 23. 1645 for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you WHAT is written to the Thessalonians is written for our instruction What they are commanded as Christians we are commanded as Christians In the latter part of this Chapter several Exhortations were given to them among the rest this is one In which ye have The Exhortation it self In every thing give thanks And the Reason in forcing that Exhortation for this is the wil of God in Christ Tesus conerning you In every thing give thanks In Prosperity and in Adversity whether things go well or whether they go ill In every thing give thanks He had said before verse 16 17. Rejoyce evermore Pray continually Unto those Exhortations he adds no such Reason as here Because it may seem strange that a man should give thanks in every thing he adds also for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you So that plainly here lies this Observation or Truth upon the words It is the will of God Doct. even our father that we should be thankfull to him in every thing When we are Full it will be granted that then we are to give thanks to God Deuteronomy the 8. and the 10. But ye are not only to give thanks when ye are Full but when ye are Empty not only when ye are strong but when ye are weak not only when you are delivered from the hands of your Enemy but when you are delivered into the hands of your Enemy Job 1.21 Therefore Job saies The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be his Name Job was plundered by the Enemy and yet he does blesse the Lord Job was emptied of a full Estate and yet he does blesse the Lord Job had lost his dear Children and yet he does blesse the Lord Job in a great measure given up into the hands of Satan and yet he blesses the Lord for which he is commended So then It is our duty and the will of God our Father that we should not only be thankful but we should be thankful in every thing For Reas 1 there is alwaies excellency enough in God and Christ to entertain your Thankfulnesse to draw out your Thankfulnesse and Praises Indeed there is a formal or notional difference between Praising God and giving thanks to God Praises respect the excellencies of God himself Thankfulness respect the benefits we receive from God I praise God when I honour him for the Excellency that is in him I am thankful to God when I blesse him for those benefits I receive from him But now in Scripture these are put one for the other ordinarily and whatsoever our condition be whether high or low rich or poor full or empty there is enough Excellency in Christ for to draw out our Praises and therefore in every thing we are to be Thankful There is no condition so sad Reas 2 but somewhat is good that is mingled with it No darknesse so dark but-some light withal No misery so miserable
had leave And he could not winnow Job till he had leave he hath not power to tempt you further than your own Father gives him leave Again Is it not matter of Praise and Thanksgiving That nothing hath befallen you but what hath befallen the best of Gods Children the greatest Saints Men say somtimes Oh! never any ones condition like to mine never any affliction like to mine The most godly men have been most sorely tempted In the old Testament David a man after Gods own heart 't is said of him 1 Chron. 21.1 The Devil stood up and moved him to number the people What a report did God give of Job and you know his winnowing and his continuance In the new Testament Two famous Apostles Paul and Peter Peter Satan hath desired to winnow thee Paul a messenger Satan sent to buffet him And our Lord Jesus Christ himself In all things tempted Heb. 2.18 that he might succour those that are tempted Oh! beloved how gracious will Jesus Christ be to tempted ones that came from heaven on purpose to be gracious to them Further Is it not matter of Praise and Thanksgiving That you have alwaies one for to run unto to succour you to relieve you in your temptations a brasen serpent up against you be stung Paul therefore in that 7. of the Romans Having said O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death in the next words saies I thank God through Jesus Christ When Satan is tempting Christ is praying interceding Luke 22.31 Satan hath desired to winnow thee saies he but I have prayed You cannot pray Truely sometimes we pray most when we pray least for Christ prayes for us Again Is it not matter of Praise and Thanksgiving That ye have such an Estate that these theeves can never rob you of A Christian is a Traveller the Thief meets him and takes his money that he hath about him But he hath an Inheritance of Land at home the Theif cannot take away from him And Satan by his Temptations possibly may rob you of these Comforts that are about you But you have an Inheritance and Estate Christian in heaven that shall never be taken away that you shall never be robbed of I 'le conclude this Is it not matter of Praise and Thanksgiving That by this mud you shal be more cleansed Beloved this is Christs way he suffers men to be tempted that they may be freed from more temptations and he suffers this dirt to be cast upon them that they may be the more cleansed Simon Simon saies our Saviour Satan hath desired to winnow thee as wheat How so Satan goes up and down like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour True that is his intent in his Temptations Satans intent in the temptation is not to winnow that is Christs intent Satans intent in the temptation is to devour but Jesus Christs intent in al those temptations are to winnow And who more konwing who more gracious who more humble who more thankful than those that have been most assaulted with a temptation Pray observe what is said in the 2 of the Corinths 12. Chapter 7. verse Saies Paul Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations there was given me a thorne in the flesh the messenger Satan so it may be read without of The messenger Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure again See how that goes before and follows it begins the verse and ends the verse Lest I should be exalted above measure at the beginning of the verse Lest I should be exalted above measure at the latter end of the verse As if now that these temptations were special preservations against spiritual pride 't is set down twice Least I should be exalted above measure again and again Spiritual pride indeed is very dangerous It was Mr Fox his speech As I get good by my sins so I get hurt by my graces in regard of that spiritual pride he was guilty of upon the receipt of them By Temptation God uses to keep men humble The Hebrew word for Lees the Lees of wine comes from the root that signifies to Keep because the wines are kept by the Lees. And so God is pleased to keep men humble by these Temptations in these Lees and in these dregs God keeps mens graces Temptations do you no hurt til ye yeeld to them The greater the Temptation and the more your flesh does tremble at it the greater the Affliction but the lesser the Sin Temptation is the souls Rape it may deflowre your soul offer violence to your soul it cannot take away your innocency Now it it not a great mercy to be kept innocent and chast unto Jesus Christ Austin hath a notable speech If ye praise God under good things ye are paid your debt if ye praise God under evil ye have made God your debter The truth is we can never pay our debt to God neither are we able to make God our debtor but God is pleased to call himself so when men praise him under Temptations and under Persecutions and under Desertions God is pleased to call himself our Debtor Surely therefore it is good for a Christian to blesse God and to praise God in every thing in all things to be thankful in Affliction in Persecution in Desertion under Temptation This is the will of God our Father that we should be thankful to him in every thing in every condition And if so Applic. then what great cause have we to be very Thankful to God in these times Had the Lord let in the Enemy upon you ye should have been Thankful Had ye been plundered of all your Estates ye must have been Thankful Had ye lien at the mercy of the mercilesse Enemy crying for quarter yet you must have been Thankful how much more now Had ye been emptied of all ye must have been Thankful Oh! shall we not be Thankful then unto God now that hath given us such Deliverance and such Victories as these You will say unto me Quest What special thing is there that we should be Thankful unto God for in these times Hath the Lord done such great things for England and art thou only a stranger in Israel Answ Did ever England hear of such a year as this last year hath been Can any Records tell us of such a year May I not say Stand out O all ye Ancient Records from your dust and tell us from the first day of Englands birth Did ever England see such a year as this hath been wherein the Power and Mercy and Free-grace of God hath rode in Triumph throughout the Kingdome Yet that I may not be wanting to you to your Question look I pray into the 107. Psalm the 1 and the 2. verses ye shall find it written O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy indures for ever Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
but some mercy withal Heaven is all Mercy and Hell is all Misery but this life is made up of both 't is a twi-light Some good in every condition and therefore in Every thing we are to give Thanks unto God 'T is the duty of a Christian to be like unto Jesus Christ Reas 3 he was thankful in Every thing When he had not whereon to lay his head Father I thank thee Matth. 11.25 When he was to go to his agony and sweat drops of blood they sung an Hymne saies the text a Psalm of Praise So when a Christian is to go to his agony what ever agony he meets withal there is rise enough yet for his Thankfulnesse In Every thing be thankful As the Apostle hath it in the 5. to the Ephesians and the 20. Giving thanks alwaies for all things unto God even the father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ You will say Suppose that a Christian meet with some long Quest heavy and sharp Affliction is he to be Thankful then to be Thankful in that condition Yes Look I pray into the 24. of Esay Answ and the 15. verse Wherefore saies he glorifie ye the Lord in the fires even the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the Isles of the Sea Glorifie ye the Lord in the fires so ye reade it Some rather translate it thus Glorifie ye the Lord in Doctrines Vrim the same word that we translate Vrim for the Urim and Thummim But I would rather translate it Valleyes so Calvin for Doctrines does not sute with that which follows Glorifie ye the Lord in the Valleyes even the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the Isles of the Sea A Valley is a low place and dark now saies he though ye be in a dark condition removed from light Glorifie the Lord in the Valleyes glorifie the Lord there And good reason why the Saints should do so as ye will see if you look into the 1. of Zachary and the 8. verse I saw by night and behold a man riding upon a red horse and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom and behind him were there red horses speckled and white This man upon a red horse plainly must be meant Christ who is here attended with red horses speckled and white to send forth and dispatch into the several parts of the world upon his design These other red horses they are behind him waiting upon him Now where is Christ He is among the myrtle-trees And where are the Myrtle-trees They are in the bottom The Saints and people of God for their fruitfulnesse they are called Myrtle-trees and sometimes their condition is as a Valley they are in the bottom but yet they are Myrtle-trees in the bottom and Jesus Christ is among these Myrtle-trees though they be in a bottom though they be in a Valley and therefore no wonder that we should praise and glorifie God in this condition Beloved what we may rejoyce in that we may praise God for Jam. 1.9 10. Rom. 5.3 Now saies the Apostle Let the brother of low-degree rejoyce in that he is exalted and let the brother of high degree rejoyce in that he is made low Rejoyce in Tribulation A man is to rejoyce more for the opportunity of exercising grace than in all prosperity there are some graces that cannot be exercised but in Tribulation cannot be exercised in Heaven Patience and the like Now then when Tribulation comes a Christian should thus look upon it I have hereby an opportunity of exercising that grace that I had not before and then he will blesse God and then he will be thankful in that condition when God takes away one mercy he gives another if he take away Moses he will give a Joshua if he take away Ely he will give a Samuel if he will take away Christs personal presence he wil send the holy Ghost And the truth is he does not so much take away as borrow a mercy and he payes it again with usery and advantage Onesimus goes away like a thief from Philemon but he returns again with profit to him and others As for these outward things they will prove but debts at the great day of Judgment riches now and gifts now but debts then and the lesse ye have of these outward things the lesse ye have to reckon for them In a bad day men they say Oh! that I had less my reckoning would be lesse the lesse ye have the lesse your reckoning will be The comfort of a mans life consists not in Muchness but fitness to his heart If a man have a great Farm and a small stock it is the only way to break him it 's better to have a Farm fit for ones stock than a great Farm The Lord he sees what our stock of grace is and accordingly he provides a Farm for every one of his Children and sometimes it is lessened but the reason is because the stock of grace is no bigger they have no more grace to stock it withal Our Gifts and our Parts and our Prosperity they are so strong sometimes that God is fain to mingle water therewithal that we may not be drunk I appeal to you are not the Saints gainers by all their losses are not they strengthened by all their weaknesse are not they bettered by all their crosses Surely then in all things they are to be thankful though their affliction be exceeding long sharp and grievous yet they are to be thankful in that condition But suppose now Quest that it be Persecution that a man is to be exercised with and that is bitter is a Christian to be Thankful then even in that condition Yes ye know what the Apostle saies To you it is given Answ Phil. 1.29 Phil. 1.22 John 18.37 not only to beleeve but to suffer Gods gift is worth our thanks And saies the Apostle All shall turn to the furtherance of the Gospel Is it not a great matter and worth our praise thankfulnesse that we should be trusted by God to bear witnesse to his Truth For this came I into the world saies Christ that I might bear witness to the Truth It was his design thereby ye are like to him and so honour him When were the Churches and people of God more pure than under Persecution and is it not a great mercy to be kept pure The more you suffer for any Truth the more that Truth shall be spread by you you die but the Truth lives your Estate dies and your Name dies and your Liberty dies but your dying Estate gives a living testimony unto the Truth When I am lift up saies Christ Joh. 12.23 meaning upon the Crosse I will draw all men after me And so shall you do when you are lift up upon the Crosse for any Truth ye shall draw all men after that Truth that ye are lift up for When have ye more communion with Jesus Christ than when ye suffer most for his