crosse thy corruptions and evidence the stamp of God on thy affections the more divine it is And therefore to serve God in these is to serve him in truth Practice hath more of truth in it then a profession When your Fathers executed judgement was not this to know me Duties that have more opposition from our natures against them and lesse sewel or oyl to feed the flame of our self love and corruption have more truth in them and if you should worship God in all other duties and not especially in those you do not worship him in truth Next let us consider the manner of Divine Worship And this is as needfull to true Worship as true matter that it be commanded and done as it is commanded that compleats true worship Now I know no better way or manner to worship God in than so to worship him as our worship may carry the stamp of his Image upon it as it may be a glasse wherein we may behold Gods Nature and Properties For such as himself is such he would be acknowledged to be I would think it were true worship indeed which had engraven on it the Name of the true living God if it did speak out so much of it self That God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently Most part of our service speaks an unknown God carries such an inscription upon it To the unknown God There is so little either reverence or love or fear or knowledge in it as if we did not worship the true God but an Idoll It is said that the fool sayes in his heart that there is no God because his thoughts and affections and actions are so little composed to the fear and likenesse of that God as if he did indeed plainly deny him I fear it may be said thus of our Worship It sayes There is no God it is of such a nature that none could conclude from it that it had any relation to the true God our prayers denie God because there is nothing of God appears in them But this is true worship when it renders back to God his own Image and Name Unde repercussus redditur ipse sibi As it is a poor clean Fountain in which a man may see his shaddow distinctlie but a troubled fountain or myre in which he cannot be hold himself So it is pure worship which receives and reflects the pure Image of God but impure and unclean worship which cannot receive it and retain it I pray you Christians consider this for it is such Worshippers the Father seeks and why seeks he such But because in them he finds himself so to speak His own I mage and superscription is upon them His mercy isengraven on their faith confidence His Majestie power is stamped on their humility and reverence His goodnesse is to be read on the souls rejoicing His Greatnesse and Justice in the souls trembling Thus there ought to be some engravings on the soul answering the Characters of his glorious Name O how little of this is among them that desire to know something of God How little true Worship even among them whom the Father hath sought out to make true Worshippers But alas How are all of us unacquainted with this kind of Worship We stay upon the first principles practices of Religion and go not on to build upon the foundation Sometimes your Worship hath a stamp of Gods holinesse and justice in fear terrour at such a Majesty which makes you to tremble before him But where is the stamp of his mercy grace which should be written in your faith and rejoycing Tremble and fear indeed but rejoyce with trembling because there is mercy with him Sometime their is rejoycing and quietnesse in the soul but that quickly degenerates into carnal confidence makes the soul turn grace into wantonness and esteem of it self above what is right because it is not counterpoised with the sense and apprehension of his holinesse and justice But O to have these joyntly written on the heart in worship fear reverence confidence humility and faith That is a rare thing it is a divine composition and temper of spirit that makes a divine soul For the most part our Worship savours and smels nothing of God neither his power nor his mercy and grace nor his holinesse and justice nor his majesty and glory a secure saint formal way void of reverence of humility of servency and of faith I beseech you let us consider as before the Lord how much pains and time we lose and please none but our selves profit none at all Stir up your selves as in his sight for it is the keeping of our souls continually as in his sight which will stamp our service with his likenesse The fixed and constant meditation of God and his glorious properties this will beget the resemblance between our worship and the God whom we worship and it will imprint his Image upon it then it should please him then it should profit thee and then it should edifie others But more particularly The Worship must have the stamp of Gods spiritual Nature and be conformed to it in some measure else it cannot please him There must be a conformity between God and souls this is the great end of the Gospel to repair that Image of God which was once upon man and make him like God again Now it is the way that Jesus Christ repairs this Image brings about this conformity with God by the souls worshipping of God sutable to his Nature it is the more and more like God and happy in that likenesse Now God is a Spirit therefore saith Christ you must worship him in spirit truth The worship then of Saints must be of a spiritual nature that it may be like the immortal divine Spirit It is such Worshippers the Father seeks he seeks souls to make them like himself and this likenesse and conformity to God is the very foundation of the souls happinesse and eternall refreshment This is a point of great consequence I fear not laid to heart The Worship must be like the Worshipped It is a Spirit must Worship the Eternal Spirit it is not a body that can be the principle and chief Agent in the businesse What Communion can God have with your bodies while your souls are removed far from him more than with beasts All society and fellowship must be between those that are like one another A man can have no comfortable company with Beasts or with Stones and Trees It is men that can converse with men and a Spirit must worship the self-being-spirit Do not mistake this as if under the dayes of the Gospel we were not called to an external and bodily Worship to any service to which our outward man is instrumentall this is one of the deep delusions of this Age into which some men reprobate 〈◊〉 the Faith hath fallen That there should be no externall
meditation but for the most part it ought to be so And if souls were accustomed to meditation on God it would become their very nature altera natura pleasant and delightsome However if there be not alwayes an express intention of Gods glory yet there ought to be kept alwayes such a disposition and temper of spirit as it may be construed to proceed from the intention of Gods glory and then it remains in the seed and fruit if not in it self Now when we are speaking of the great end and purpose of our Creation we call to mind our lamentabel and tragicall Fall from that blessed station we were constitute into All men have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. His being in the world was for that glory and he is come short of that glory O strange short-comming short of all that he was ordained for What is he now meet for For what purpose is that chief of the works of God now The salt if it lose its saltness is meet for nothing for wherewithall shal it be seasoned Mark 9. 50. Even so when man is rendered unfit for his proper end he is meet for nothing but to be cast out and trod upon he is like a withered branch that must be cast into the fire Ioh. 15. 6. Some things if they fail in one use they are good for another but the best things are not so Corruptio optimi pessima As the Lord speaks to the house of Israel shal wood be taken off the vine tree for my work even so the inhabitants of Ierusalem Ezech. 15. 2 3 4 5. If it yeeld not Wine it 's good for nothing so if man do not glorifie God if he fall from that he is meet for nothing but to be cast into the fire of hell and burnt for ever he is for no use in the Creation but to the fuell to the fire of the Lords indignation But behold the goodnesse of the Lord and his kindnesse and love hath appeared towards men not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us through Iesus Christ Tit. 3. 4 5. Our Lord Jesus by whom all thing were created and for whom would not let this excellent workmanship perish so therefore he goes about the work of Redemption a second Creation more laborious and also more glorious than the first that so he might glorifie his Father and our Father Thus the breach is made up thus the unsavory salt is seasoned thus the withered branch is quickned again for that same fruit of praises and glorifying of God This is the end of his second Creation as it was of the first we are his workmanship created to good works in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 10. This is the work of God to believe in him to set to our seal and to give our testimony to all his Attributes Ioh. 6. 29. and 3. 33. We are bought with a price and therefore we ought to glorifie him with our souls and bodies he made us with a word and that bound us but now he has made us again and paid a price for us and so we are twice bound not to be our own but his 1 Cor. 6. ult And so to glorifie him in our bodies and spirits I beseech you gather your spirits call them home about the businesse We once came short of our end Gods glory and our happinesse but know that it is attainable again we lost both but both are found in Christ Awake then and stir up your spirits else it shal be double condemnation when we have the offer of being restored to our former blessed condition to love our present misery better Once establish this point within your souls and therefore ask why came I hither To what purpose am I come into the world If you do not ask it what will you answer when he asks you at your appearance before his Tribunall I beseech you what will many of you say in that day when the Master returns and takes an account of your dispensation You are sent into the world only for this businesse to serve the Lord Now what will many of you answer If you speak the truth as then you must do it you cannot lie then you must say Lord I spent my time in serving my own lusts I was taken up with other businesses and had no leisure I was occupyed in my calling c. even as if an Embassadour of a King should return him his account of his negotiation I was busie at Cards and Dice I spent my mony and did wear my cloaths Though you think your plowing and borrowing and trafficking and reaping very necessary yet certainly these are but as trifles and toyes to the main businesse O what dreadfull account will souls make they come here for no purpose but to serve their bodies and senses to be slaves to all the creatures which were once put under mans feet Now man is under the feet of all and he has put himself so If you were of these creatures then you might be for them you seek them as if you were created for them and not they for you and you seek your selves as if you were of your selves and had not your descent of God Know my beloved that you were not made for that purpose nor yet redeemed either to serve your selves or other creatures but that other creatures might serve you and ye serve God Luk. 1. 74 75. And this is really the best way to serve our selves and to save our selves to serve God Self-seeking is self-destroying self-denying is soul-saving He that seeketh to save his life shal lose it and he that loseth his life shal find it and he that denies himself and follows me is my disciple Will ye once sit down in good earnest about this businesse It is lamentable to be yet to begin to learn to live when ye must die ye will be out of the world almost ere you bethink your self Why came I into the world Quidam tunc vivere incipiunt cum definendum est imò quidam ante vivere defiêrunt quam inciperent this is of all most lamentable many souls end their life before they begin to live For what is our life but a living death while we do not live to God and while we live not in relation to the great end of our life and being the glory of God It were better saith Christ that such had never been born You who are created again in Jesus Christ it most of all concerns you to ask Why am I made and why am I redeemed And to what purpose It is certainly that you may glorifie your heavenly Father Mat. 5. 16. Psal. 58. 13. And you shal glorifie him if you bring forth much fruit continue in his love Ioh. 15. 8. And this you are chosen and ordained unto ver 16. And therefore abide in him that you may bring forth fruit ver 4. And if you abide in him
duration no end of his affection He can still say I am that I am What I was I am and I will be what I am men cannot say so they are like the Brooks that the companies of Teman looked after thought to have found them in Summer as they left them in Winter but behold they were dried up the companies ashamed God cannot make thee ashamed of thy hope because he is faithfull able Ability and Fidelity is a sure Anchor to hold by in all storms and tempests Such is God in himself now there are two manner of wayes he vents himself toward the Creatures In a comfortable way or in a terrible way This glorious perfection and Almighty power hath an issue upon sinners and it runs in a twofold channell of mercy and justice Of mercy towards miserable sinners that finds themselves lost and flee unto him and take hold of his strength and justice towards all those that flatter themselves in their own eyes and continue in their sinnes and put the evill day far off There is no mercy for such as fear not justice and there is no Justice for such as flee from it unto mercy The Lord exhibites himself in a twofold appearance according to the condition of sinners He sits on a Throne and tribunal of Grace mercy to make accesse to the vil est sinner who isafraid of his wrath and would 〈◊〉 be at peace with him and he sits on a Throne of justice and wrath to seclude and debar presumptuous sinners from his Holinesse There were two mountains under the Law one of cursings another of blessings These are the Mountains God lets his Throne upon and from these he speaks and sentences mankind From the Mountain of cursings he hath pronounced a curse condemnatory sentence upon all flesh for all have sinned therefore he concludes all under sin that all flesh might stop their mouth and the whole world become guilty before God Now the Lord having thus condemned all Mankind because of disobedience he sits again upon the Mountain of Blessings and pronounces a sentence of absolution of as many as have taken with the sentence of condemnation and appealed to his grace and Mercy and those which do not so the sentence of condemnation stands above their heads unrepealed He erects his Tribunal of Justice in the Word for this end that all flesh might once be convicted before him and therefore he cites as it were and summons all men to fift themselves and compear before his Tribunall to be judged he layes out an accusation in the Word against them he takes their consciences witnesse of the truth of all that is charged on them and then pronounces that sentence on their conscience Cursed is he that abides not in all things which the conscience subsumes and concludes it self accursed and subscribes to the equity of the sentence and thus the man is guilty before God and his mouth stopped he hath no excuses no pretences he can see no way to escape from Justice and God is justified by this means in his speaking and judging Psal. 51. 4. The soul ratifies and confirms the truth justice of all our threatnings judgements Rom. 3. 4. Now for such souls as joyn with God in judging and condemning themselves the Lord hath erected a Throne of grace Tribunall of mercy in the word whereupon he hath set his Son Jesus Christ Psal. 2. 6. and 89. 14. and 45. 6. Heb. 1. 8. And O this Throne is a comfortable Throne mercy and truth goes before the face of the King to welcome entertain miserable sinners to make access to them And from this Throne Jesus Christ holds out the Scepter of the Gospel to invite sinners self-condemned sinners to come to him alone who hath gotten all finall judgement committed to him that he may give eternall life to whom he will Ioh. 5. 21 22. O that is a sweet and ample Commission given to our Friend Brother Jesus Christ power to repeal sentences past against us power to loose them whom Justice hath bound power and authority to absolve them whom justice hath condemned and to blesse them whom the Law hath cursed to open their mouth to praise whose mouth sin and guiltinesse hath stopped power to give the answer of a good conscience to thy evill self-tormenting conscience in a word he hath power to give life to make alive and heal those who are killed or wounded by the Commandement Now I say seeing God hath of purpose established this Throne of mercy in the Word thou mayest well after receiving and acknowledging of the justice of the curse of the Law appeal to divine mercy and grace sitting on another Throne of the Gospel thou may if thy conscience urge thee to despair and to conclude there is no hope thou may appeal I say from thy conscience from Satan from Justice unto Jesus Christ who is holding out the Scepter to thee the Minister calls thee Rise and come stand no longer before that Bar for it is a subordinate Judicatory there is a way to redresse thee by a higher court of Grace Thou may say to justice to Satan to thy own Conscience It is true I confesse that I deserve that sentence I am guilty and can say nothing against it while I stand alone but though I cannot satisfie and have not yet there is one Jesus Christ who gave his life a ransom for many and whom God hath given as a propitiation for sins he hath satisfied and paid the debt in my name go and apprehend the Cautioner since he hath undertaken it nay he hath done it and is absolved Thou had him in thy hands O justice Thou had him Prisoner under the power of death since you have let him go then he is acquited from all the charge of my sins therefore since I know that he is now a King hath a Throne to judge the world and plead the cause of his poor sheep I will appeal to him refer the cause to his decision I will make my supplication to him and certainly he will hear and interpole himself between wrath and me he will rescind this sentence of condemnation since he himself was condemned for us and is justified it is Christ that died nay rather is risen again who shal condemn me He is near that justifies me Rom. S. 33. 34. Now iâ—… thou do indeed flee into him for refuge that City is open for thee and nothing to prejudge thy entry but no curse no condemnation can enter in it Rom. 8. 1. He will justifie absolve thee from all things whereof the Law could not justifie thee but condemn thee there is forgivenness with him that he may be feared David may teach thee this manner of appellation Ps. 130. 142. 2. of appealing from the deserved curse to free undeserved blessing mercy in Christ. Let us consider this Name of the Lord and it shall answer all our suspicions
long-suffering patient and if he had not been so we had been damned ere now patience hath a long term and we cannot out-run it out-weary it Why do we not wonder that he presently and instantly executed his wrath on angels gave them not one hours space for repentance but cast them down head-long into destruction as in a moment and yet his Majesty hath so long delayed the execution of our sentence and calls us to repentance and forgivenesse that we may escape the condemnation of Angels His patience is not slacknes and negligence as men count it 2 Pet. 3. 9. He sits not in heaven as an Idol and idle spectator what men are doing but he observes all wrongs and is sensible of them also And if we were mindfull and sensible of them also he would forget them He is long-suffering This is extended and stretched-out patience beyond all expectation beyond all deserving yea contrary to it Therefore as long as he forbears if thou apprehend thy misery and sin and continuance in it so not conclude that it is desperate Why should a living man complain As long as patience lengthens thy life if thou desire to come to him believe he wil accept thee But saith the doubting soul I am exceeding perverse and wicked there is nothing in me but wickednesse it so abounds in me that there is nothing in me but wickednesse it so abounds in me that there is none like me but saith the Lord I am aboundant in goodnesse Thy wickednesse though it be great it is but a created wickedness but my goodness is the goodness of God I am as abundant in grace goodnesse as thou art in sin nay infinitely more thy sin is but the transgression of a finite creature but my mercy is the compassion of an infinite God it can swallow it up suppose thy sin cry up to Heaven yet mercy reaches above Heaven is built up for ever Here is an invitation to all sinners to come and taste O come taste and see how good the Lord is goodnesse is communicative it diffuses it self like the Suns light There is riches of his goodnesse Rom. 2. 4. Poor soul thou canst not spend it though thou have many wants But I am full of doubtings fears and jealousies I cannot believe his Promises I often question them How then will he perform them I say saith the Lord I am abundant in truth He will certainly perform Shal our unbelief or doubting make the faith of God of none effect c. Rom. 3. 3. God forbid His faithfulnesse reaches unto the Clouds he will keep Covenant with thee whose soul hath chosen him though thou often question and doubt of him Indeed thou would not give indulgence to thy doubtings jealousies but look on them as high provocations for what can be more grievous to fervent love than to meet with jealousie jealousie would quench any creatures love but though it grieve provoke him yet he will not change he will not diminish his only do not think your disputings quarrellings innocent and harmlesse things no certainly they grieve the Spirit stir up the Beloved to go away as it were before he please make thee walk without comfort without fruit yet he will bear with quench the smoaking flax of a Believers desires though they do not arise to the flame of Assurance But the wounded spirit hath one or two burdens more I have abused much mercy How can mercy pitty me I have turned grace into wantonnesse so that when I look to mercy and grace to comfort me they do rather challenge me the sins of none are like mine none of such a hainous presumptuous nature But let us hear what the Lord speaks I keep mercy for thousands and forgive iniquity transgression and sin Thou hast wasted much mercy but more is behind all the treasure is not spent though there were many thousand worlds beside I could pardon them all if they would flee unto my mercy thou shalt not be straitned in me mercy will pardon thy abuse of mercy it will forgive all faults thou dost against it self Thou that sins against the Son of man the Redeemer of the World remedy of sin yet there is pardon for thee what ever thy quality condition or circumstance of thy sin be whoever convinced of it and loadned with it desires rest to thy soul thou may find it in Christ whose former kindnesse thou hast answered with contempt many sins many great sins and these presumptuous sins cannot exclude nay no sin can exclude a willing soul. Unbelief keeps thee unwilling and so excludes thee Now as the Spider sucks poyson out of the sweetest Flower so the most part of souls suck nothing but delusion and presumption and hardening out of the Gospel Many souls reason for more liberty to sin from mercy but behold how the Lord backs it with a dreadful word who will by no means clear the guilty As many as do not condemn themselves and judge themselves before his Tribunall of Justice there is no rescinding of the condemnatory Sentence but it stands above their heads He that believes not is condemned already Justice hath condemned all by sentence he that doth not in the sense of this flee into Jesus Christ from sin and wrath is already condemned his Sentence is standing there needs no new one since he flees not to mercy for absolution the sentence of condemnation stands unrepealed Yoâ—… guilty souls who clear your selves God will not clear you alas How many of you do clear your selves Do you not extenuate and mince your sins How hard is it to extort any confession of guilt out of you but in the general If we condescend to particulars many of you will plead innocency almost in every thing though ye have like children learned to speak these words That ye are sinners I beseech you consider it it is no light matter for God will by no means clear the guilty by no means by no intreaties no flatteries What will he not pardon sin Yes indeed His Name tells you he will pardon all kind of sins absolve all manner of guilty persons but yet such as do condemn themselves such as are guilty in their own conscience their mouths stopped before God you who do not enter into the serious examination of your wayes and no not arraign your selves before Gods Tribunal daily till you find your selves loathsome and desperate and no refuge for you you who do flatter your selves alwaies in the hope of heaven and put the fear of hell alwayes from you I say God will by no mean no prayers no intreaties clear or pardon you because you come not to Jesus Christ in whom is preached forgivenesse and remission of sins You who take liberty to sin because God is gracious and delay repentance till the end because God is long suffering know God will not clear you he is holy and just as he is mercyfull If his
not his whole soul to God cannot truly ingage any part of it to him p. 23. SERMON III. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Of the Scriptures THat which most men seek is not true happiness p. 24 The principles of reason and light of nature are become so dark that they cannot direct us in the path-way to everlasting blessedness p. 25 The authority of the Scriptures divine p. 26 How the Apostles and Prophets knew that they spake truth and how men may be perswaded that the Scriptures are the Word of God ibid. The simplicity and plainness of the Scripture p. 27 The Spirit of God must open a mans eyes before he understand the Scriptures p. 28 The Utility of the Scriptures p. 29 The Scriptures a Doctrine of Eternal life p. 30 The sharpness of the Scripture mingled with sweetness p. 31 Some cannot hear the word of reproof others prefer their own vain imaginations to the Word of God p. 32 33 SERMON IV. Joh. 5. 39. Eph. 2. 20. Of the Scriptures THe Lamp of the Word without and the light of the Spirit within necessary for directing us in the way to eternal life p. 34 Why the multitude find no sweetnes in the Scriptures p. 35 How eternal life is to be found in the Scripture p. 36 It may commend the Scriptures to us that Eternal life is to be found in them p. 37 We are to lay this present perishing life in the ballance with eternal life and compare both the happiness and miseries of this life with eternal blessedness p. 38 Many groundlessely fancy that they have a right to everlasting life p. 39 Most of the Hearers of the Gospel have either to knowledge at all or nothing but knowledge p. 40 Life Eternal is no where to be found out but of Jesus Christ. p. 41 42 Some foolishly think that if they do all they can then God ought to be pleased p 43 Christ the only pacificatory sacrifice p. 44 Christ is either the subject or end of all that is in the Scriptures p. 45 The march which divides between heaven and hell is coming to Christ. p. 45 46 The necessity of searching the Scriptures and what search it must be p. 47 The Rule whereby to measure our profiting in the Scriptures p. 48 49 SERMON V. Eph. 2. 20. Of the Scriptures BElievers the Temple of the living God p. 50 Christ in the Scriptures a sure foundation to build upon all other foundations sandy and unsure p. 51 How firm and stable a foundation the Word of the Lord is p. 52 A Promise layes an obligation on the Promiser which a command doth not on the commander p. 53 All the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ. ibid The chief point of Obedience is faith and what that is p 54 Christ is the Corner-stone as well as the foundation which should strongly perswade Christians to an union in Affection p. 55 What kind of foundation Christ is ibid. Some prefer their own imaginations to the Word of the Lord under the dark notion of new light p. 56 Many have nothing but the word of man for the foundation of their Faith p. 57. SERMON VI. 2 Tim. 1 13. Of the Scriptures ALL Religion may be reduced to these two what we are to believe and what we ough to do p. 58 God manifests himself differently to Man according to his different state p. 59 60 The marvellousness of mercy in saving of lost sinners p. 61 62 What manner of Persons Believers ought to be p. 63 64 â—…belief ruined man at first p. 65 A twofold mistake of the nature of Faith ibid. What course a soul is to take who questions its interest p. 66 67 The mistake of the nature of Faith leads many well-meaning persons into labyrinth p. 68 What Faith is p 69 What a soul ought to do that is sentenced by the law ibid. The faith of a Christian no fancy p. 70 71 Love is unitive and operative ibid. Love is put for all obedience and how it is the fulfilling of the. p. 72 God is pleased with no service that proceeds not from love and why p. 73 74 How to attain to the distinct knowledge of our love to God and the way to increase it p. 75 Who cannot hold fast the truth p. 76 When man lost his holiness he could not retain his happiness ibid. The necessity of holding fast the form of sound words and of forbearing strange words p. 77 SERMON VII and VIII Exod. 3. 13 14. Of the Name of God IT is impossible to declare what God is p. 78 How we may know that there is a God ibid. Naturall men are Atheists p. 79 God's Name a mystery that cannot be conceived or expressed p. 80 81 82 83. This name I AM THAT I AM imports his unsearchableness p. 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 His absolutness and soveraignity p. 94 His unchangeableness and Eternity p. 95 96 97 How impossible it is for a mortall creature to find out God to perfection yet so much may be known of him as is sufficient to teach us our duty and maâ—… us happy in obedience p. 98 99 The saving knowledge of God a self-emptying and self-abasing thing p. 100 101 Why God hath called himself by so many names ibid. SERMON IX Exod. 24. 5 6 7. What God is to us GOD is loath to depart even when he is provoked to go away p. 102 103 114 Infirmity and iniquity puts us into an incapacity of nearness with God p. 105 106 It is God himself who only can teach a soul to know what he is p. 107 One who considers how al-sufficient God is how empty and insufficient all other things are must needs cleave to him p. 108 God vents himself towards the creatures either in a way of Justice or Mercy p. 109 There is a Tribunall of Justice and a Throne of Mercy erected in the word so that every sentenced sinner may appeal from the Bar of Justice to Christ Jesus sitting on the Throne of Mercy p. 110 111. The Name of the Lord rightly considered is sufficient to answer all possible objections that a sinner can make against coming to Christ and what those objections are p. 112 113 114 115 116 117 Many souls suck delusion and destruction out of the sweet and saving Promises of life which are held forth in the Gospel p. 118 119. SERMON X. Joh. 4. 24. What God is THe knowledge of what God is presupposed to all true worship Christian walking p. 120 How mishapen apprehensions we have of God p. 121 That God is a spirit shews us that he is not like any visible thing p. 122 That he is invisible dwels in light inaccessible ib. That he is most perfect most powerful p. 123 124 That he cannot be circumscribed by any place p. 125 And there is no comprehension of his knowledge p. 126 127 It were of excellent use and advantage for us to be all the day in the faith of Gods infinite
creature that are among the rest of the creatures meet all in man as their Center for this purpose that he may return with them all to the glorious Fountain from whence they issued thus we stand next God and in the middle between God and other creatures This I say was the condition of our creation we had our being immediatly from God as the beginning of all and we were to have our happiness and well-being by returning immediatly to God as the end of all But sin coming in between God and us hath displaced us so that we cannot now stand next God without the intervention of a Mediator we cannot stand between God and the creatures to offer up their praise to him but there is one Mediator between God and man that offers up both mans praises and the creatures songs which meet in man Now seeing God hath made all things for himself and especially man for his own glory that he may shew forth in him the glory and excellency of his power goodness holiness justice and mercy It is not only most reasonable that man should do all things that he doth to the glory of God but it is even the beauty and perfection of a man the greatest accession that can be to his being to glorifie God by that being We are not our own therefore we ought not to live to our selves but to God whose we are But you may ask what is it to glorifie God Doth our goodness extend to him Or is it an advantage to the Almighty that we are righteous No indeed and herein is the vast difference between Gods glorifying of us and sanctifying of us and our glorifying and sanctifying of him God calls things that are not and makes them to be but we can do no more but call things that are and that far below what they are Gods glorifying is creative ours only declarative He makes us such we do no more but declare Him to be such this then is the proper work that man is created for to be a witness of Gods glory to give testimony to the appearances and out-breakings of it in the wayes of power and justice and mercy and truth Other creatures are called to glorifie God but it is rather a Proclamation to dull and senseless men and a provocation of them to their duty As Christ said to the Pharisees If these children hold their peace the stones would cry out So may the Lord turn himself from stupid and senseless men to the stones and woods and seas and sun and moon and exhort them to mans duty the more to provoke and stirre up our dulness and to make us consider that it is a greater wonder that man whom God hath made so glorious can so little express Gods glory then if stupid and senseless creatures should break out in singing and praising of his Majesty The creatures are the books wherein the lines of the song of Gods praises are written and man is made a creature capable to read them and to tune that long They are appointed to bring in Brick to our hand and God has fashioned us for this imployment to make such a building of it We are the mouth of the creation but ere God want praises when our mouth is dumb and our ears deaf God will open the mouths of ashes of Babes and Sucklings and in them perfyte praises Psal. 8. 1. 2 Epictetus said well Si Luscinia essem canerem ut Luscinia cum autem homo sim quod agam Laudebo Deum nec unquam cessabo Is I were a Lark I would sing as a Lark but seeing I am a man what should I do but praise God without ceasing It is as proper to us to praise God as for a bird to chaunt All beasts have their own sounds and voices peculiar to their own nature this is the naturall sound of a man Now as you would think it monstruous to hear a melodious bird croping as a Raven so it is no less monstruous and degenerate to hear the most part of the discourses of men savouring nothing of God If we had known that innocent estate of man O how would we think he had fallen from heaven We would imagine that we were thrust down from heaven where we heard the melodious songs of Angels into hell to hear the howlings of damned spirits This then is that we are bound unto by the bond of our Creation this is our proper office and station God once set us into when he assigned every creature it s own use and exercise this was our portion and O the noblest of all because nearest the Kings own person to acknowledge in our hearts inwardly and to express in our words and actions outwardly what a one he is according as he hath revealed himself in his word and works It 's great honour to a creature to have the meanest imployment in the Court of this great King But O what is it to be set over all the Kings house and over all his Kingdom But then what is that in respect of this to be next to the King to wait on his own person so to speak therefore the godly man is described as a waiting maid or servant Psal. 123 2. Well then without more discourse upon it without multiplying of it into particular branches to glorifie God is in our souls to conceive of him and meditate on his Name till they receive the impression and stamp of all the letters of his glorious Name and then to express this in our words and actions in commending of him and obeying of him Our soul should be as wax to express the Seal of his glorious Attributes of justice power goodness holiness and mercy and as the Water that receives the beams of the Sun reflects them back again so should our spirits receive the sweet warming beams of his love and glorious excellency and then reflect them towards his Majesty with the desires and affections of our souls All our thoughts of him all our affections towards him should have the stamp of singularity such as may declare there is none like him none besides him our love our meditation our acknowledgement should have this character on their front There is none beside thee Thou art and none else And then a soul should by the cords of affection to him and admiration of him be bound to serve him Creation puts on the obligation to glorifie him in our body and spirits which are his but affection only puts that to exercise All other bonds leaves our natures at liberty but this constrains 2 Cor. 5. 13. it binds on all bonds it tyes on us all divine obligations Then a soul will glorifie God when love so unites it to God and makes it one spirit with him that his glory becomes its honour and becomes the principle of all our inward affections and outward actions It is not alwayes possible to have an expresse particular thought of God and his glory in every action and
the Kings Statute and Law if it vary in any thing from his intention it s not valid and binding I beseech you take the Scriptures for the Rule of your walking or else you will wander the Scripture is Regula regulans a ruling Rule If you be not acquainted with It you must follow the opinions or examples of other men and what if they lead you unto destruction Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them c. Eph. 2. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles AS in darknesse there is need of a Lanthorn without and the light of the eyes within for neither can we see in darknesse without some Lamp though we have never so good eyes nor yet see without eyes though in never so clear a Sun-shine So there is absolute need for the guiding of our feet in the dangerous and dark paths to Eternall life that is full of pits and snares of the Lamp or Wood written or preached without us and the illumination of the holy Ghost within us These are conjoyned Isa. 56. 21. This is my Covenant the spirit that is upon thee and the words that I have put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor the mouth of thy seed c. There are words without and there must needs be a Spirit within which makes us to behold the truth and grace contained in these words There is a Law written without with pen and ink and there is a Law written within upon the heart with the Spirit of the living God The Law without is the Patern and exact copy the Law within is the Transcript or the Image of God upon the heart framed and fashioned according to the similitude of it 2 Cor. 3. 3. Heb. 8. 10. So then there needs be no more question about the Divine Authority of the Scriptures among those who have their senses exercised to descern between good and ill than among men who see and taste concerning light and darknesse sweet bitter The perswasion of a Christian is fetched deeper than the reasons of men their faith is the evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not seen it s an eye a supernaturall eye whereby a soul beholds that Majesty and excellency of God shinning in the word which though it shine about the rest of the World yet it 's not seen because they cannot know it nor descern it Wonder not that the multitude of men cannot believe the report that is made that there is so few who find any such excellency and sweetnesse in the Gospel as is reported because saith Isai. 53. 1. the arm of the Lord is not revealed to them the hand of God must first write on their heart ere they understand the Writtings of the Scriptures his arm must creat an eye in their souls an eternal light before it can behold that glorious brightnesse of Gods shinning in the word The word is Gods testimony of himself of his grace and mercy and good-will to mankind Now no man can receive this testimony unlesse it be sealed and confirmed by the holy Ghost into the heart saith Peter We are his witnesses of these things and so also is the holy Ghost whom God hath given to those that obey him Acts 5. 32. The word witnesses to the ear and the spirits testifieth to our spirits the truth and worth of that and therefore the spirit is a seal and a witnesse The word is the Lord's voice to his own Children Bastards cannot know it but my sheep hear my voice Joh. 10 4. 16. You know no difference between the bleeting of one sheep and another but the poor lambs know their mothers voice there is a secret instinct of nature that is more powerfull than many marks and signs Even so those that are begotten of God know his voice they descern that in it which all the world that hear it cannot descern there is a sympathy between their souls and that living Word that word is the immortall seed they are begotten of and there is a naturall instinct to love that and to mediate in it such an inclination to it as in new born babes to the breasts so the Children of God do desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby aâ—… they were born of it 1 Pet. 2. 2. In these Scriptures which we read in your audience you have something of their excellency and our duty there is a rich jewel in them a precious pearl in that field even Jesus Christ and in him eternall life and therefore we ought to search the Scriptures for this jewel to dig in the field for this pearl the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is a sure foundation whereupon souls may build their eternall felicity and the hope of it Jesus Christ is the very chief stone in that foundation whereupon the weight of all the Saints and all their hope hangs And therefore we ought to lean the weight of our Souls only to this truth of God and build our faith only upon it and square our practice only by it We shal speak something of the first that it may be a spurre to the second The Jews had some respective opinion of the word of God they knew that in them waseternall life they thought it a Doctrine of life and happinesse and so cryed up Moses Writtings but they would not believe Christs words they erred not understanding the Scriptures and so set the Writtings of Moses Law at variance with the preaching of Christs Gospel What a pittyfull mistake was this they thought they had eternall life in the Scriptures and yet they did not receive nor acknowledge him whom to know was eternall life therefore our Lord Jesus sends them back again to the Scriptures go and search them you think and you think well that in then you may find the way to eternall life but while you seek it in them you mistake it These Scriptures testifie of me the end of the Law but you cannot behold the end of that Ministry because of the blindnesse of your hearts Rom. 10. 3. 2 Cor. 3. 14. Therefore search again unfold the ceremonies I am wrapt in them and life eternall with me dig up the Law till you find the bottome of Gods purpose in it till you find the end of the Ministration and you shal find me the way and truth and life and so you shal have that eternall life which now you do but think you have and are beguiled While you seek it out of me in vain you think you have it for it is not in the Scriptures but because they testifie of me the life and the light of men May not this now commend the word to us Eternall life is in it Other Writings and discourses may tickle the ears with some pleasing eloquence but that is vanishing it s but like a Musitians voice some may represent some petty momentary advantage but how soon shal an end be put till all that so that within
himself thus and sought out to himself such sad inventions Eccles. 7. 29. and having destroyed himself Hos. 13. 9. What think ye Should any pity him If he had fallen in such a pit of miserie ignorantly and unwillingly he had been an object of compassion but having cast himself headlong into it who should have pity on him Or who should go aside to ask how he doth or bemoan him Ier. 15. 5. But behold the Lord pities man as a Father doth his Children Psal. 103. His compassions fail not He comes by such a loathsome and contemptible object and casts his skirts over it and saith Live Ezek. 16. And maketh it a time of love I say no flesh could have expected any more of God than to make man happy and holy to promise him life in well-doing But to repair that happinesse after it's wilfully lost and to give life to evil doers sinners O how far was it from Adams expectation when he fled from God Here then is the wonder that when men Angels were in expectation of the revelation of his wrath from heaveÌ„ against their wickednesse the execution of the curse man was concluded under that even then God is pursuing man pursues him with love and opens up to him his very heart and bowels of love in Jesus Christ Behold then the second revelation manifestation of God in a way of grace pure grace of mercy pity toward lost sinners The kindnesse of God hath appeared not by Works but according to his abundant mercy shewed in Christ Iesus Tit. 3. 4. 5. So then we have this purpose of Gods love unfolded to us in the Scriptures and this is the substance of them both Old and New Testament or the end of them Rom. 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law to all sinners concluded under sin and a curse by it our Lord Jesus the good Ebedmelech comes and casts down a cord to us draws us up out of the pit of sin and misery he comes to this prison and opens the doors to let captives free so then we have holden out to us a Redeemer as a repairer of our breaches God in Christ reconciling the world O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy Help found Hos. 13. 9. He finds to himself a ransome to satisfie his justice Job 33. 24. He finds a propitiation to take away sin a sacrifice to pacifie and appease his wrath he finds one of our Brethren but his own Son in whom he is well pleased And then holds out all this to sinners that they may be satisfied in their own consciences as he is in his own mind God hath satisfied himself in Christ you have not that to do he is not now to be reconciled to us for he was never really at odds though he covered his countenance with frowns threats since the Fal hath appeared in fire and hunders and whirlwind which are terrible yet his heart had alwayes love in it to such persons and therefore he is come near in Christ about reconciling us to himself Here is the business then to have our souls reconciled to him to take away the enmity within us and as he is satisfied with his Son so to satisfie our selves with him be as wel pleased in his Redemption and purchase as 〈◊〉 â—…er is and then you believe indeed in him Now if this were accomplished what have wee more to do but to love him and to live to him when you have found in the Scripture and believed with the heart what Man once was and what he now is what God once appeared and what hee now manifests himself in the Gospel ye have no more to do but to search in the same Scriptures what ye henceforth ought to be Ye who find your estate recovered in Christ ask what manner of persons we ought to be And the Scripture shal also give you that form of sound words which may not only teach you to believe in him but to love him and obey his coÌ„mands The Law that before condemned you is now by Christ put in your hands to guide you and conduct you in the way teacheth you to live henceforth to his glory The grace of God that hath appeared to all men Tit. 2. 12. teacheth us that denying ungodlinesse and worldlie lusts we should live godly and righteously and soberly in this present world Here is the summe of the rule of your practise and conversation piety towards God equity towards men and sobriety towards our selves self-denyal and world-denyall and lust-denyal to give up with the world and our own lusts henceforth to have no more to do with them to resign them not for a time not in part but wholly and for ever in affection and by parts in practice and endeavour and then to resign and give up our selves to him to live to him and live in him Thus we have given you a summe of the Doctrine of the Scriptures of that which is to be believed and that which is to be done as our duty Now we shall speak a word of these two Cardinall Graces which are the compend of all Graces as the objects of them are the Abridgement of the Scriptures Faith Love these sound words can profite us nothing unlesse wee hold them fast with Faith and Love Faith is like the Fountain-grace streams come out of it that cleanseth the Conscience from the guilt of sin and purifieth the heart from the filth of sin because it is that which cometh to the Fountain opened up in the house of David draweth water out of these Wells of Salvation If you consider the fall and ruine of Mankind you will find infidelity unbelief the fountain of it as wel as the seal of it Unbelief of the Law of God of his promises and threatning This was first called in Question and when once called in Question it is half denied Hath God said so that you shal die It s not far off you shall not surely die Here then was the very beginning of mans ruine he did not retain in his knowledge and believe with his heart the truth and faithfulnesse and holinesse of God which unbelief was conjoyned intermingled with much pride you shal be as Gods he began to live out of God in himself not remembring that his life was a stream of that Divine Fountain that being cut off from it would dry up Now therefore our Lord Jesus Christ an expert Saviour and very learned and compleat for this work he brings man up out of this pit of misery by that same way he fell into it he fell down by unbelief and he brings him up out of it by faith This is the cord that is cast down to the poor Soul in the Dungeon or rather his Faith is the dead grip of the cord of Divine Promises which are sent unto the captive prisoners and by vertue thereof he is drawn out into the light
of him all our objections against coming to him believing in him it is certain Ignorance is the mother of unbelief together with the naturall perversenesse of our heatts if wee knew his Name we would trust in him if his Names were pondered and considered wee would believe in him Satan knowes this therefore his great slight and cunning is to hold our minds fixed on the consideration of our misery and desperate estate he keeps the awakned conscience still upon that comfortlesse sight he labours to represent God by halfes that it is a false representation of God he represents him as clothed with justice and vengeance as a consuming fire in which light a soul can see nothing but desperation written and he labours to hold out the thoughts of his mercy and grace or diverts a soul from the consideration of his promises whence it comes that they are not established that though salvation be near yet it is far from them in their sense and apprehension therefore I say you should labour to get an intire sight of God and you shall see him best in his word there he reveales himself and there you find if ye consider that which wil make you fear him indeed but never flee from him that which may abase you but withall embolden you to come to him though trembling what ever thought possesse thee of thine own misery of thy own guiltinesse labour to counterpoise that which a thought of his mercy and free promises what ever be suggested of his holynesse Justice heaâ—… himself speak out his own Name and thou shalt hear as much of mercy and grace as may make these not terrible unto thee though high and honourable The Lord hath so framed the expression and proclamation of his name in this place that first a word of Majesty and power is premised The Lord The Lord God that it may compasse our hearts in fear and reverence of such a glorious One make a preparatory impression of the Majesty of our God which indeed is the foundation of all true faith It begins to adore and admire a Deity a Majesty hid from the world the thoughts of his power and glory possesses the soul first and makes it begin to tremble to think that it hath such a high and Holy One to deal with But in the next place you have the most sweet alluring comforting styles that can be imagined to meet with the trembling and languishing condition of a soul that would be ready to faint before such a Majesty here mercy takes it by the hand gives a cordial of grace pardon forgivenesse c. to it which revives the soul of the humble and intermingles some rejoycing with the former trembling Majesty and greatnesse goes before to abase and humble the soul in its own eyes and mercy and goodnesse seconds them to lift up those who are low and exalt the humble and in the description of this the Lord spends more words according to the necessity of a soul to signifie to us how great and strong consolation may be grounded on his Name how accessible he is though he dwel in inaccessible light how lovely he is though he be the high and the lofty one how good he is though he be great how merciful he is though he be majestick In a word that those that flee to him may have all invitation all encouragement to come nothing to discourage to prejudge their welcome that whoever will may come and nothing may hinder on his part then after all this he subjoynes a word of his Justice in avenging sin to shew us that he leaves that as the last that he assayes all gaining wayes of mercy with us and that he is not very much delighted with the death of sinners that so whosoever perishes may blame themselves for hating their own salvation and forsaking their own mercy Now whoever thou art that apprehends a dreadful terrible God and thy self a miserable and wretched sinner thou canst find no comfort in Gods highnesse power but it looks terrible upon thee because thou doubts of his good-will to save and pardon thee thou sayest with the blind man if thou wilt thou can do it Thou art a strong God but what comfort can I have in thy strength since I know not thy good-will I say the Lord answers thee in this name I am mercifull saith the Lord if thou be miserable I am mercifull as well as strong if thou have sin misery I have compassion pitty my mercy may be a coppy patern to all men to learn it of me even towards their own brethren Luk. 6. 36. Therefore he is called the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. Misericors est cui alterius miseria cordi est Mercy hath its very name from misery for it is no other thing than to lay anothers misery to heart not to despise it not to adde to it but to help it it is a strong inclination to â—…uccour the misery of sinners therefore thou needs no other thing to commend thee to him art thou miserable knows it indeed Then he is mercifull and know that also these two suit well Nay but saith the convinced soul I know not if he will be mercifull to me for what am I There is nothing in me to be regarded I have nothing to conciliat favour all that may procure hatred But saith the Lord I am gracious and dispenses most freely without respect to condition or qualification say not If I had such a measure of humiliation as such a one if I loved him so much if I had so much godly sorrow and repentance then I think he would be mercifull to me Say not so for behold he is gracious he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and there is no other cause no motive to procure it it comes from within his own breast It is not thy repentance will make him love thee nor thy hardnesse of heart will make him hate thee or obstruct the vent of his grace towards thee no if it be grace it is no more of works no works in that way that thou imagines it is not of repentance not of faith in that sense thou conceivest but it is freely without the hyre without the price of repentance or faith because all those are but the free gifts of grace thou would have these graces to procure his favour and to make them the ground of thy believing in his promises but grace is without money it immediatly contracts with discovered misery so that if thou do discover in thy self misery and sin though thou find nothing else yet do not cast away confidence but so much the more adresse thy self to mercy and grace which doth not seek repentance in thee yet there is something in the awakened conscience It have gone on long in sin I have been a presumptuous sinner can he endure me longer well hear what the Lord saith I am
thoughts of creating the most noble of his creatures yet be in suspense about the end of the creature and have that in uncertainty what way his glory shal indeed be manifested by it Is it not the fiâ—…st and chief thought of every wise man what he intends and aims at in his work and according to the measure and reach of his wisdome so he reaches further in his end and purpose Shal we then conceive the only wise God so far to have mistaken himself as to do that which no wise man would do He who is of such an infinite reach of wisdome understanding to fall upon the thoughts of making such an excellent Creature and yet to ly in suspense within himself about the eternall estate of it and to be in a waiting posture what way his Glory should be manifested by it whether in a way of simple goodnesse only or in a way of Justice or in a way of Mercy till he should foresee off the Tower of fore-knowledge how that creature should behave it self Our Text speakes not thus For in the place Eph. 1. we have the Lord in his eternall purpose carving out to such and such particular persons an Inheritance and Adoption of Children for that great end of the glory of his grace vers 11. 5 6. And Predestination falls out not according to our carriage but according to the purpose of him who works all things that he works after the Counsell of his own will without consulting our will and if you enquire what are these all things certainly we must take it simply for all things that are at all or have any real being His power his hand must be in it and that according to his own Counsell without respect had to the Creatures will according to his own good pleasure vers 5. 11. He had no sooner a thought of working and making man but this purpose was in it to make such men to the praise of his glorious grace and to fore-ordain them to an inheritance and others to make or fit them for destruction as the Text Rom. 9. 22. bears Herein the great unsearchable wisdom of God appears to be a great depth that when he hath a thought of making such a vessell he hath this purpose in the bosome of it what use it shal be for whether for honour or dishonour and accordingly in his Counsel he prepares it either to glory or destruction and in time makes it for its use either by sin or grace Here is the depth that cannot be sounded by mortal men O the depths of the riches both of his wisdome knowledge How unchearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out The whole tenour of the Scripture shews that his Majesty was not surprised and taken at unawares by Adam's fall but that it fell out according to the determined counsel of his will if he knew it and suffered it to be certainly he permitted it because he willed it should be so and why may he not determine that in his holy Counsel which his wisdome can disabuse to the most glorious end that can be Why may not he decree such a fall who out of man's ruines can erect such a glorious Throne for his grace and justice to triumph into It is more for the glory of his infinite wisdome to bring good and such a good out of evil then only to permit that good should be Then such Doctrine is repugnant to the Lords absolute power and Soveraignty which is Pauls Sanctuary whether he flees unto as a sure refuge from the stroak or blast of carnall reason Hath not the Potter power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessel to honour another to dishonour vers 21. Hath not the Lord more absolute dominion over us than the Potter hath over the clay for the Potter made not the clay but the Lord hath made us of nothing so that simply and absolutely we are his and not our own and so he hath an absolute right to make any use of us he pleaseth without consulting our wills and diservings Can any man quarrel him for preparing him to destruction seeing he owes nothing to any man but may do with his own what he pleaseth what if God willing to make known his Power and justice and wrath have fitted and prepared some vessels for destruction with which in time he bears much forbears long using much patience towards them Can any man challenge him for it vers 22. And what if God willing to make known the riches of his grace have prepared some vessels to glory shal any mans eye be evil because he is good vers 23. Shal man be left to be his own disposer and the shapes of his own fortune Sure it was not so with Esau Iacob they were alike in the womb if there was any prerogative Esau the eldest had it they had done neither good nor evil what difference was then between them to cast the ballance of his Will Can you imagine any Indeed carnall reason will say that God fore-knew what they would do and so he chose or rejected them But why doth not the Apostle answer thus unto that objection of unrighteousnesse in God vers 14. It had been ready and plain but rather he opposes the will and calling of God to all works past or to come he gives no answer but this he will have mercy because he will have mercy that is the supream rule of righteousnesse and hitherto must wee flee as the surest Anchor of our hope stability our salvation depends not on our willing or running on our resolving or doing but upon this primitive good pleasure and will of God on which hangs our willing running and obtaining It is certainly an unorderly order to â—…ee unto that in men for the cause of Gods Eternal Counsels which only flowes from his Eternall Counsel Eph. 1. 4. Hath he chosen us because he did fore-know that we would be holy and without blame as men think or hath he not rather chosen us to be holy and without blame He cannot behold any good or evil in the creatures till his will passe a sentence upon it for from whence should it come Seeing then this order and contrivance of Gods purpose is but faigned it seems to some that the very contrary method were more suitable even in the rules of wisdome You know what is first in mens intention is last in execution the end is first in their mind then the means to compasse that end but in practice again men fall first upon the means and by them come at length to attain their end therefore these who would have that first as it were in Gods mind which he doth first do even crosse common Rules of reason in humane affairs It would seem then say some that this method might do well that what is last in his execution was first in his purpose and by him intended as the end of what
he doth first and so some do rank his decrees that he had first a thought of glorifying men and to attain this end he purposed to give him grace and for this purpose to suffer him to fall for all to create him But we must not look thus upon it either it were a foolish rediculous counsell unbeseeming the poor wisdom of man to purpose the glorifying of man whom he had not yet determined to create therefore we should alwayes have in our mind that the great end and project of all is the glory of his mercy and justice upon men and this we may conceive is first in order neither mens life nor death but Gods glory to be manifested upon men Now to attain this glorious end with one inclination or determination of his will not to be distinguished or severed he condescends upon all that is done in time as one compleat and intire mean of glorifying himself so that one of them is not before another in his mind but all together for attaining this he purposes to create man he ordains the fall of all men into a state of sin and misery some of these upon whom he had resolved to shew his mercy he gives them to Christ to be redeemed restored by grace Others he fore-ordains them to destructions all this at once without any such order as we imagine Now though he intend all this at once and together yet it doth not hence follow that all these must be executed together as when a man intends to build a house for his own accommodation there are many things in the house upon which he hath not severall purposes But yet they must be severally and in some order done First the foundation laid then the Walls raised then the roof put on yet he did not intend the foundation to be for the walls or the walls for the roof but altogether for himself Even so the Lord purposes to glorifie his mercy and justice upon a certain number of persons and for this end to give them a being to govern their falling into misery to raise some out of it by a Mediator and to live some into it to destruction all this as one intire mean to illustrate his glorious mercy and justice but these things themselves must be done not all at once but one before another either as their own nature require or as he pleaseth the very nature of the thing requires that man be created before he sin that he sin and fall before a Mediator suffer for his sin and that he have a being before he have a glorious being and that he have a sinfull and miserable being before he have this glorious and gracious being which may manifest the grace and mercy of God But it is the pleasure of the Lord that determines in what time and order Christ shal suffer either before or after the conversion of sinners or whether sinners shal presently be instated in glory and perfectly delivered from all sin at their first conversion or only in part during this life Seeing then this was his Majesties purpose to make so many vessels of honour upon whom he might glorifie the riches of his grace end mercy And so many vessels of wrath upon whom he might shew the power of his anger You may think what needed all this businesse of mans redemption might not God have either preserved so many as he had appointed to glory from falling into sin and misery or at least have freely pardoned their sin without any satisfaction and out of the exceeding riches of his mercy and power have as well not imputed sin to them at all as imputed their sins to Christ who was not guilty What needed his giving so many to the Son and the Sons receiving them What needed these mysteries of Incarnation of Redemption seeing he might have done all this simply without so much pains and expence why did he choose this way Indeed that is the wonder and if there were no more end for it but to confound mortality that dare ask him what he doth it is enough Should he be call◅ down to the Bar of Humane Reason to give an account of his matters Who hath known the mind of the Lord or being his counsellour hath taught him That is in the depths of his unsearchable understāding that he chose to go this round to compasse his end by such a strange circuit of means when he might have done it simply and directly without so much pain yet it is not so hidden but he hath revealed as much as may satisfie or silence all flesh For we must consider that his great project is not simply to manifest the glory of his goodnesse but of his gracious and mercifull goodnesse the most tender and excellent of all therefore man must be miserable sinfull and vile that the riches of his grace may appear in choosing and saving such persons But that it may appear also how excellent he could make man and how vain all created perfections are being left to themselves therefore he first made man righteous and being fallen into sinne and misery he might straight way have restored him without more ado but his purpose was to give an exact demonstration of mercy tempered and mixed with justice and therefore he finds out the satisfaction in his eternall Counsell I have found a ransome and so he chooses Jesus Christ to be the head of these chosen souls in whom they might be again restored unto eternal life and these souls he in his everlasting purpose gives over to the Son to be redeemed and these the Son receives And thus the glory of mercy and justice shines most brightly yea more brightly than he had at first pardoned O how doth his love and mercy appear that he will transfer our sins upon his Holy Son and accept that Redemption for us and his Justice that a Redemption price he must have even from his Son when once he comes in the stead of sinners and in this point do the Songs of Eternity concenter Rom. 9. 22. and Eph. 1. 11. WE are now upon a high subject high indeed for an eminent Apostle much more above our reach the very consideration of Gods infinite wisdome might alone suffice to restrain our unlimited thoughts and serve to sober our minds with the challenge of our own ignorance and darknesse yet the vain and wicked mind of man will needs quarrell with God enter the lists of disputation with him about his righteousnesse and wisdome in the Counsel of Election and Reprobation But who art thou O man that replyest against God or desputes ver 20. This is a thing not to be disputed but believed and if ye will believe no more than ye can comprehend by sense or reason then ye give his Majesty no more credit than to weak mortall man Whatever secret thoughts do rise up in thy heart when thou hearest of Gods fore-ordaining men to Eternall life
are fallen that Image we spoke of is defaced and blotted out which was the glory of the Creation and now there is nothing so monstrous so deformed in the world as man the corruption of the best thing is alwayes worst the ruines of the most noble creature are most ruinous the spot of the soul most abominable we are nothing but a masse of darknesse ignorance errour inordinate lust nothing but confusion disorder and distempers in the soul and in the conversation of men in sum that blessed bond of friendship with God broken discord enmity entered upon our side separated us from God and so we can expect nothing from that first Covenant but the curse and wrath threatned By one mans disobedience sin entered upon all death by sin because in that agreement Adam was a common person representing us and thus are all men once subject to Gods judgement come short of the glory of God fallen from life into a state of death for any thing could be expected irrevocably But it hath pleased the Lord in his infinite mercy to make a better Covenant in Christ his Son that vvhat vvas impossible to the Law by reason of our vveakness and vvickedness his Son sent in the flesh condemned for sin might accomplish Rom. 8. 3. There is some comfort yet after this that Covenanâ—… vvas not last and that sentence vvas not irrevocable He maketh a new transaction layes the iniquity of his elect upon Christ and puts the curse upon his shoulders vvhich vvas due to them Justice cannot admit the abrogation of the Law but mercy pleads for a temperament of it and thus the Lord dispenses vvith personal satisfaction vvhich in rigour he might have craved and finds out a ransom admits another satisfaction in their name And in the Name of that Cautioner and Redeemer is salvation preached upon better terms Believe and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. Thou lost and undone sinner vvhoever thou art that findest thy self guilty before God and that thou canst not stand in judgement by the former Covenant thou vvho hast no personal righteousness and trusts in none come here embrace the righteousness of thy Cautioner receive him and â—…est on him and thou shalt be saved Eccles. 7. 29. God made man upright but he sought out many inventions THe one half of true Religion consists in the knowledge of ourselves and the other half in the knowledge of God and vvhatever besides this men study to know and apply their hearts unto it 's vain and impertinent and like medling in other menâ—… matters neglecting our own if vve do not give our minds to the search of these All of us must needs grant this in the general that it is an idle and improfitable wandering abroad to be carried forth to the knowledge and use of other things and in the mean time to be strangers to our selves vvith vvhom vâ—… should be most acquainted If any man vvas diligenâ—… and earnest in the enquiry and use of the things of the vvorld Solomon vvas he applyed his heart to seek out vvisdom and vvhat satisfaction vvas in the knowledge of all things natural and in this he attained a great degree beyond all other men yet he pronounces of it all after experience and tryal that this also was vanity and vexation of spirit not only empty and unprofitable and not conducing to that true blessedness he sought after but hurtful and destructive nothing but grief and sorrow in it After he had proved all vvith a resolution to be vvise yet it vvas far from him I said I will be wise but it was far from me verse 23. And therefore after long vvandering abroad he returns at length home to himself to know the estate of mankind Lo this only have I sound c. ver 29. When I have searched all other things found many things by search yet saith he vvhat doth it all concern me vvhen I am ignorant of my self There is one thing concerns me more then all to know the original of Man vvhat he once vvas made and to know how far he is departed from his Original This only I have found profitable to men and as the entry and preparation to that blessedness I enquire for To have the true discovery of our misery There are two things then concerning man that you have to search to know that not in a triâ—…ing or curious manner as if you had no other end in it but to know it as men do in other things but in a serious earnest way as 〈◊〉 a matter of so much concernment to our eternal well-being In things that relate particularly to our selves vve labor to know them for ome advantage besides the knowing of them even though they be but â—…mal and lower things how much more should vve propose this unto our selves in the search and examination of our own estate not meeâ—…ly to â—…now such a thing but to know it that vve may be 〈◊〉 up and provoked in the sense of it to look after the remedy that God holds forth There are two things that you have to know What man once vvas made and how he is now unmade how happy once and how miserable now And answerable to these two are the branches of the Text God made manâ—…upright that he was once and they have fought out many inventions not being contented vvith that blessedness they vvere created into by catching at a higher estate of vvisdom have fallen down into a gulf of misery as the man that gazed on the stars above him and did not take notice of the pit under his feet till he fell into it and thus man is now So you have a short account of the two estates of men of the estate of grace and righteousness vvithout sin and the estate of sin and misery 〈◊〉 grace You havâ—… thâ—… 〈◊〉 story of man from the creation unto his present condition But all the matter is to have the lively sensâ—… of this upon our hearts I had rather that vve vvent home bewailing our loss and lamenting our misery and longing for the recovery of that 〈◊〉 then that vve vvent out vvith the exact memory of all 〈◊〉 is spoken and could repeat it again God made man upright At hiâ—…â—…st moulding the Lord shewed excellent Art and Wisdom and Goodness too Man did come forth from under his hand in the first edition very glorious to show vvhat he could do Upright that is all right very exactly conformed to the noble and high pattern endowed vvith divine vvisdom such 〈◊〉 might direct him to true happiness and furnished vvith a divine vvillingness to follow that direction The command was not above his head as a rod but within his heart as a natural instinct all that vvas vvithin him vvas comely beautiful for that glorious light that shined upon him having life and love vvith it produced a sweet harmony in the soul he knew his duty and loved it and vâ—…as