prayer doth not consist in the neatness of the phrase nor in the redundancy of rhetorick nor in curious oratory it consists not in outward expressions but it consists in the humility of a spirit wounded and looking up to God it consists in this God looks at this the frame of the spirit not at the outward expressions in prayer a man may by the strength of parts have an excellent gift in prayer and yet not the grace thereof If you ask me How may a man know the difference between the gift of prayer and the grace of prayer I answer briefly you may know it by these particulars First The gift of prayer vents it self in publick more than in private but now the grace of prayer vents it self more in private than in publick it will enable a man in his private closet to pour out his soul before God when there is no witness but his heavenly Father and his own conscience Secondly You shall observe the gift of prayer puffs a man up with pride but now the grace of prayer makes a man very lowly and base in his own eyes the more grace a man hath in his heart the more base he will be in his own account even in his greatest enlargements Thirdly The gift of prayer makes a man pray in the strength of his parts but now the grace of prayer makes a man pray in the strength of Jesus Christ Fourthly The gift of prayer expects an eccho of commendation from men but now the grace of prayer that expects only an approbation from God Fifthly The gift of prayer vents it self in outward expressions but the grace of prayer consists in the inward impressions upon the heart not the outward expressions of the mouth Sixthly The gift of prayer will quiet the heart for the present but it doth not purifie the heart it will quiet the heart it will stop the mouth of a chiding conscience which otherwise would be rating at us if a man neglect prayer as a gift his conscience will be unquiet but now the grace of prayer will not only quiet but purifie the conscience The second part of the answer to the objection is this The objection was this Experience seems to deny this truth that God is ready to hear and answer the prayers of his people I have a second answer and that is this God may be said to hear and answer the prayers of his people when he seems not to hear as we may seem to pray when we do not pray so God may be said to hear when he seems not to hear for example First God seems not to hear when he hears when he puts our prayers into his book and our tears into his bottle when he hath a book of remembrance for our prayers when our prayers are upon the file though for the present we do not see them answered Acts 10.4 God speaks to Cornelius there Thy prayers and alms are come up for a memorial before me Cornelius was ready to think I have prayed thus long I have lost all my labour I see no fruit no benefit of them but saith God to him Thy prayers are in remembrance they are upon the file for all that Secondly God hears when he seems not to hear namely when he is fitting us for the mercy he intends to bestow upon us God makes his people wait for a mercy as appears out of those words Isa 8.17 I will wait upon the Lord that hideth away his face from the house of Jacob and will look up And God says that he will wait that he may be gracious Isa 30.18 God waits opportunities to bestow mercies when they are most seasonable when his people are fitted for mercy A man that is about to pour in some precious oyl into a glass if he see some dirt at the bottom of the glass he stops his hand for the present says he Let the glass be washt first then I will pour in the oyl so if our hearts be once washt and fit ro receive the mercy we beg then God will bestow it Jer. 4.14 Oh Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved when we wash away our sins by repentance and are fit for mercy then God bestows it on us in the mean time he hears though he seems not to hear Thirdly God hears when he seems not to hear when he hears according to our wants though not according to our wills when he bestows upon us that which is better than that we pray for Psalm 34.10 The greedy Lions shall lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing if it be good for them they shall not want it if peace and plenty and prosperity were good for them they shall not want it but God would bestow it upon them but if they would abuse their peace and plenty and prosperity to pride and presumption then the denial of them would be a great mercy God sometimes denies that in mercy to his children which he grants in anger to wicked and ungodly men it is better a thousand times to be under the frowns of Gods favour than under the smiles of his vengeance it is better to weep with Christ than sport with Satan its better to be a corrected child than a cockered bastard If we want chastisement whereof all are partakers then are we bastards and not sons Heb. 12.8 it s better to be chastised of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world than spared with the world and condemned to all eternity A man at the first view would wonder at Gods dealing with Paul and his dealing with Satan Satan begged that he might have liberty to tempt Job God answered Satan and gives him leave Job 1 Go thy way and tempt him Paul on the other side he earnestly begged to be free from the buffetings of Satan he begged thrice that God would remove the thorn in the flesh and this was all the answer he could have for the present 2 Cor. 12 My grace is sufficient for thee Why may some say doth God answer Satan in his request about Jobs sufferings and not Paul in his request about the Devils buffeting him why was God more ready to gratify Satan in his request than Paul in his who was a chosen vessel A man would wonder at this but if you observe it well Paul was heard in that he was not heard and the Devil was not heard in that he was heard First Paul was heard in that he was not heard for he was heard to his advantage though he was not heard in the letter of his request he beg'd that the thorn in the flesh might be removed Gods answer was My grace is sufficient for thee God in giving him supporting grace under the temptation gave a fitter mercy for Paul than the removal of the temptation because God saw that Paul by reason of the multitude of his Revelations had need to be kept humble therefore
be more base in my own sight 2 Sam. 6.27 Lastly Act Grace humbly when you have done all that you can do say you are unprofitable servants and say with St. Paul It was not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 Lastly I shall shew you in what seasons you must act Grace certainly Grace must be acted at all times but there are some special seasons wherein we must especially act Grace First Upon the receipt of some special Mercy then we should act Thankfulness more than ordinarily and say What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal 116.12 Is Gods hand enlarged in bounty then let my heart be enlarged with thankfulness Secondly When you lye under a smarting Rod a piercing Affliction then act Faith and Patience A man usually never acts Grace better than when he is under some abasement a soul can better mannage a state of adversity than it can a state of prosperity for when it is in a state of abasement then it is at a less distance from God as Roses they are never so sweet as when they are in a Still and fire is under them never does our Graces usually send forth a sweeter favour than when God is pleased to exercise us with Afflictions David was never better than when he was under the Rod then he made those heavenly soul ravishing Psalms that you meet with in the book of Psalms The best Psalms the most heavenly and spiritual Psalms were made when David was in a low condition witness the 34 Psalm it s one of the sweetest Psalms you meet with when was it made when David was in the lowest condition that ever he was in when he was in that straight he was forced to feign himself mad 1 Sam. 21.13 See how Davids heart was enlarged in the making of this Psalm Thirdly Another fit season to act Grace in is when you receive the seals of the Covenant of Grace in the use of the holy Ordinance of the Lords Supper that is a time for you to act Grace in then should you be acting brokenness of heart for can you look upon a broken Saviour without a broken heart upon a bleeding Saviour without a bleeding heart then should you be acting Humility and say as Mephibosheth What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am 2 Sam. 9.8 Nay but here is more that thou shouldst not only look on me but set me at thy Table what a beggar a loathsom leprous beggar to sit at the Table of the King of Glory Then act Love to Jesus Christ what hath he loved me so dearly Oh how should I love him above all expressions of love and be sick of love to him Then act Faith especially for that is a grace you have most need of when you come to the Lords Table as now faith is the very eye whereby we look upon him it is the hand whereby we receive him it is the mouth whereby we feed on him says Christ except you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you Joh. 6.52 53. He does not here speak of a Corporal eating of him far be it from us to have such a thought as they of Capernaum had how can this man give us his flesh to eat that man that believes in Christ he feeds on Christ Then be acting of Thankfulness after you have received the Lords Supper Oh what thanks shall I return to the Lord my God! Oh! my whole course of life should be nothing but a continual gratulation to my Father for that never-sufficiently admired gift of the Lord Jesus Christ If I had ten thousand thousand tongues I could never praise him sufficiently Then act holy Resignation of your selves up to Christ what did the Lord give himself for me I will give my self up to him was he crucified for my sins I will crucifie my sins for him Study conformity to him and that will evidence that you have Communion with him There is no more certain evidence of our Communion with Christ in his Graces Comforts Merits and Spirit c. than in our conformity to him when we resemble him in Grace here it is a certain evidence that we shall resemble him in Glory hereafter In one word do but make it your business to be acting your Grace and you may trust God for the bringing in of your Comforts the more you are active in Grace the more shall be your Comfort If we had more activity of Grace we should have more evidence of Christs dwelling in our hearts here and God would have more Glory our souls would have more peace and we should have abundance of more rejoycing in the day of our Lord Jesus CHRISTS TEMPTATION THE SAINTS SUPPORTATION A SERMON Preach'd Decemb. 9. 1657. Heb. II. 13. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted THE scope of the Apostle in the former Chapter is to prove that Jesus Christ is truly God therefore far above the Angels for says he in the fifth verse of that Chapter Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee In this Chapter the Apostle proves that Jesus Christ is truly man and therefore in that respect inferiour to the Angels Verse 9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour And because it might be demanded But why is it needful that Jesus Christ should be man why did he not take on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Verse 16. The Apostle give us four reasons why our blessed Saviour would be man why he took our human nature upon him First He did it for the sanctification of our nature and that reason is set down in v. 11 For both be that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one that is they are all of one and the same nature we come all from one common root Christ came from the same root that we did namely from Adam and this he did that he might sanctifie our nature Secondly The Lord Jesus Christ became man that he might in our nature and for our benefit destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil that is set down in Verse 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Thirdly He became man that he might deliver us not only from the hurt of death but deliver us also from the fear of death and that 's set down in Verse 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Fourthly He became man that by the experience of his sufferings in our
it was very pleasant therefore in the scituation of it Secondly It was pleasant in regard of the Air though it is true it was a hotter Climate than ours is yet it was a very temperate Climate it was a Climate of that temper that they were free from all noisome vapours so it was a healthful Land in that regard Thirdly It was a very fruitful Land a Land that did abound with Corn and Cattel and Vines and Fig-trees and Pomgranates as you may find Deut. 8.7 8 9 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good Land a Land of Brooks of waters of Fountains and depths that spring out of valley and hills a Land of Wheat and Barley and Vines and Fig-trees and Pomgranates a Land of Oyl Olives and Honey A Land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness thou shalt not lack any thing in it a Land whose stones are iron and out of whose Hills thou mayst dig brass It 's a Land saith the Lord wherein thou shalt not lack any thing any thing that may be desirable any thing that may be comfortable for their subsistence for them therefore to despise such a Land as this was it could not but provoke the Lord to anger You know there is no juster provocation among men than kindness churlishly refused Now for the Israelites to despife this Land a free gift a gift of bounty and favour such a gift as they could not in the least merit at the hand of God you find God himself beating them off from that Deut. 9.4 Speak not then in thine heart after the Lord thy God hath cast them out before thee saying for my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this Land It was not for thy righteousness-sake but it was for his own Name-sake and his Promise-sake that he made to Abraham for them to possess this Land therefore it was a gift of favour and free bounty doubtless and it was a very great sin because ingratitude is hateful both to God and man Vnthankfulness as one calls it is the hellish bar or stop to all future mercies A man that is about to pour in some precious Oyl or Liquor into a Glass if he see the Glass be crack'd or there be a hole in it you know he will pour in no Oyl or Liquor in that Glass So here an unthankful man is a broken Glafs and God will not bestow his favours upon those that are unthankful at least he will not bestow them in mercy he sometimes gives these outward blessings in anger I gave thee a King in mine anger Hos 13.11 but he never gives mercies in love and favour to unthankful wretches This sin of unthankfulness sometimes provokes the Lord to strain for his Rent when men will not give him the quit-Rent of thankfulness Therefore says God Hos 2.8 9 Because she did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl and multiplyed her silver and gold which was prepared for Baal therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and will recover my Wool and my Flax given to cover her nakedness says God I will strip her naked and leave her bare Unthankfulness provokes the Lord you see to take away all his mercies and to strain for his Rent but that is not all for it provokes the Lord to inflict some spiritual judgment when men are unthankful Rom. 1.21 and 24 verses compared together it 's said Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkned Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves So that you see despising or undervaluing those outward blessings or mercies that God bestows upon a People is a God-provoking sin a sin of ingratitude Let me briefly apply this for this is not the Point I intend principally to handle but only to touch at it I beseech you my Brethren Let every one of us enter into our own hearts and by some serious self-reflecting thoughts call our selves to an account whether we be not in the number of those that despise and undervalue those National mercies wherewith God hath enrich'd us We live in a pleasant Land in a Goshen for light in a Canaan for plenty We live here in a City that is lifted up to Heaven in Mercies in the use of Ordinances I believe there is not such a place under the Heavens of God not such a City that hath such plentiful provisions both for Soul and Body as we have But have we walked worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing Have we liv'd up to our light under our means under our mercies Have we thankfully prized and improved these National priviledges and blessings that we enjoy No no God knows and our own hearts know that it is not so Alas it may be said of these Nations as it was said of the Land of Canaan Ezra 9.11 The Land to which ye go to possess it it is an unclean Land with the filthiness of the People of the Lands with their abominations which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness So may it be said of this pleasant Land this goodly Land this goodly City that we live in it is an unclean City through the filthiness and abomination of many that live therein and therefore that which God threatens Levit. 18.25 And the Land it self vomiteth out her Inhabitants even so justly might our God deal with us because we have defiled the Land with our abominations and uncleanness therefore the Land should spew us out We have swallowed down his mercies without regarding him that bestowed those mercies upon us just like the Hog under the Acorn-tree that swallows down the Mast but does not look unto the Tree We have been a murmuring and discontented people so looking upon one cross as to forget a thousand mercies We have no way walked worthy of all the good things that our God hath given us to enjoy therefore it were just that God should deal with us as he threatens Deut. 28.47 48 Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemy which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until he have destroyed thee c. Our unthankfulness is intolerable the Lord awaken us to repentance but I will not insist longer upon that Point I eome therefore to the second Notion Consider the Land of Canaan as it was a Type or Figure or Pledg or Earnest-penny of that same Heavenly Inheritance that God hath laid up for the Saints in Light and so their ingratitude was far greater they despised
that to come short of Heaven This is a very awakening Truth but I shall by Gods assistance make it clear to you and confirm it in the three Branches of it First That it is possible for many Professors of the Truth or true Religion to come short of Heaven Secondly That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace to come short of Heaven Thirdly That it is possible for many that come very near to Heaven yet to come short of Heaven I shall prove these three and let your hearts go along with me and oh that you and I could follow the counsel of the Prophet Isaiah To hear the word of the Lord with trembling For the first That it is possible for many that profess the Truth and true Religion to come short of Heaven I shall give you two instances for this the Scribes and Pharisees were those that professed the truth and true Religon they sate in Moses Chair our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them because they opened the Law they were Expounders of the Law and our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them although they should not do as they did they professed the Truth and true Religion and in the outward acts of Piety these Scribes and Pharisees went exceeding far I will shew you how far they went in these six particulars First They searched the Scriptures they were very diligent in reading the Law of Moses they gave themselves so much to the study of the Law that they could tell exactly almost every verse in the five books of Moses nay they could tell you how often every letter in the Hebrew Alphabet was repeated in the Law of Moses for example the Letter Aleph was repeated Three-hundred seventy-seven times in the five books of Moses Secondly They were frequent in prayer they prayed in the Streets and in the Synagogue and made long prayers for a pretence to devour Widows houses Matth. 23.14 Thirdly To Prayer they added Fasting also hear what one of them saith Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and this he did for the taming of the body Fourthly They were very strict in the observation of the Sabbath insomuch that they quarrelled with our Saviour because his Disciples did but pluck the ears of Corn upon the Sabbath day nay they were so superstitious in the observation of the Sabbath that if one had got a thorn in his foot they would not pull it out upon the Sabbath-day for fear of breaking the Sabbath Fifthly They were very industrious in teaching of others they compassed Sea and Land to make a Proselyte Matth. 23.15 they would have taken any pains to win others to the same Sect or Religion with themselves Sixthly They were very exact and unblameable in their outward conversation for 1. They were free from more gross and scandalous sins which stare a man in the face God I thank thee saith the Pharisee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican Luke 18.11 Nay they separated themselves from notorious sinners they would not come into the company of Drunkards and Sabbath-breakers they were of the strictest Religion amongst the Jews their Religion was the most strait Sect Acts 26.5 which knew me from the beginning if they would testifie that after the most strait Sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee insomuch that it was generally conceived among the Jews that if there were but two men in all the world that should go to Heaven a Scribe was one and a Pharisee the other and yet those Professors for all that fell short of Heaven and our Saviour saith That except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 Let me give you another example of the five foolish Virgins which you read of in Matth. 25 Our Saviour tells us That five Virgins were wise and five were foolish By Virgins there are meant Professors and they are called Virgin-Professors because they were not tainted or defiled with any gross or scandalous sin even those five foolish Virgins they notwithstanding in their own opinion and in the opinion of others were waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom Christ and yet for all this those Virgin-professors fell short of Heaven Matth. 25.10 And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut the door of Heaven the door of Mercy was shut against them so you see the first Branch proved 2. Let me prove the second Branch That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace and that they have an interest in and belong to the Lord Jesus Christ to come short of Heaven in Matth. 7.22 23 Many will say to me in that day at the great day of Judgment Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Mark how confident they are have we not prophesied in thy name and cast out Devils in thy name We have eaten and drunk in thy presence Luke 13.26 To whom Jesus Christ will say Depart from me ye that work iniquity get you out of my sight I cannot abide to look upon you these were confident What a deal of confidence express they as if they had been as really acquainted with Jesus Christ as any were Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name c Again in Rom. 2.17 18 19 the Apostle speaks there to that boasting Jew Thou restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law and art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darkness an instructor of the foolish a teacher of babes which hast the form of knowledg and of the truth in the Law thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Such a one as teacheth others and teacheth not himself such a one is stark naught so that it is possible for a man to be a teacher of others and confident of coming to Heaven and yet for all that come short of it that 's the second Branch 3. Let me prove the third branch of the Doctrine That it is possible for men to come very near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of Heaven Let me give you some Examples for that This was the case of the young man in the Gospel which you read of Matth. 19 20 21 when our Saviour bid him to keep the Commandments saith he Lord all these things I have kept from my youth up the meaning is this as to his outward
so Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince gainsayers holding fast the faithful word as Adversasaries pluck one way so do you pluck another way striving earnestly for the faith of the Gospel So Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Prov. 4.13 Take fast hold of instruction let her not go keep her for she is thy life Prov. 23.23 Buy the truth and sell it not buy it at any rate sell it at no rate thus you see this Duty commanded see it commended in one Example most remarkable and imitable because it was in the purest times the Primitive-time of the Church Acts 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers For the better explication of this Point it may be demanded 1. How must Christians hold fast the truth they have received 2. Why must Christians hold fast the truth they have received 1. How must Christians hold fast the truth they ave received I answer They must hold it fast these three ways In their Memories Affections Practice and Conversations 1. They must hold fast the truth in their Memories Heb. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip We should learn of the blessed Virgin Mary of whom it is said That she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Luke 2.19 It is not the great getter but the great saver that becomes the rich man it is not the hearing but the keeping of Truths that will make us spiritually Rich. 2. We must hold fast the truth in our Affections we must cleave to the truth in love and liking thus did David Psal 119.31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord put me not to shame and in ver 20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all time O how love I thy Law it is my meditation all the day Ver. 97 and ver 167 of the same Psalm My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly On the contrary when men have not a sincere love to the Truth they lose both the Truth and their own Souls too 2 Thess 2.10 11 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness This is the case of many Papists and Atheists at this day they are drawn away to believe lyes lying miracles lying doctrines when God sees men careless and remiss in their love to the Truth he says to such careless wretches Take him Jesuit take him Satan bind him and blind him and lead him to destruction Hence are all those frequent Exhortations which are fcattered up and down in the Scripture to love Wisdom Understanding and Instruction Prov. 3.3 My son forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandments let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck write them upon the table of thine heart Prov. 4.6 Forsake not wisdom and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Prov. 7.4 Say unto Wisdom thou art my sister and call Vnderstanding thy kinswoman What a man loves that he will keep carefully if he loves a Jewel he will be careful to preserve it if he loves a Picture he will be careful not to deface it a man will part with that last which he loves best 3. Hold fast the Truth not only in Memory and Affection but likewise hold fast the truth in Practice and Conversation you should yield conscionable subjection to every known Truth without holding any one part of the Truth in unrighteousness the more a man practiseth what he knows the more he shall know what to practice John 7.17 If any man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self True knowledg is the mother of Obedience but obedience is thenurse of Knowledg when a Scholar hath taken out one Lesson well it is an encouragement to a Master to teach him another certainly if we would practice more we should know more The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal 25.14 Look as the Widows oyl by laying it out was encreased so knowledg laid out in practice is put forth to advantage therefore put forth every known truth into practice This is the way to hold fast the Truth you have received The second Quaery by way of Explication is this But why must Christians hold fast the truth they have received with Constaney and Perseverance The Reasons are these First Because the Truth hath many Enemies to oppose it corrupt it gainsay it malign it deface it and disgrace it though Truth cannot be ashamed yet it is many times blamed Jesus Christ himself had not more Enemies upon Earth than his Truth hath at this day yea our blessed Saviour had the more Enemies because he did bear witness to the Truth John 8.40 But now you seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham That was the great quarrel they had against our Saviour because he told them the truth Now as Jesus Christ the Way the Truth and the Life was opposed so will his Truth be opposed to the end of the World First The Devil is a grand Enemy to the Truth that Prince of darkness would not willingly have one Lamp of the Sanctuary unblown out the most of his rage is against the faithful Ministers of the Gospel who hold forth the word of Truth to Gods people Secondly Ignorant Unbelieving Atheistical wretches that count Preaching foolishness that will be ready to undervalue it Thirdly Subtile and undermining Priests and Jesuits those Frogs out of the bottomless pit they will endeavour to corrupt it Fourthly Scandalous Protestants which bring not forth fruit these will cast an aspersion and scandal upon the Truth therefore because of these Enemies Christians should hold forth the truth they have received That 's the first Reason Secondly The second reason is this Truth is worth the holding fast because we have many blessed priviledges by it as for Example 1. The truth of the Gospel is our Cap of Maintenance it is the Charter of our Priviledges it is the evidence of our everlasting Inheritance Thy Testimonies have I claimed for my heritage saith David And will you not keep your evidences for a good Inheritance 2. Here is another Priviledg If you will keep the Truth you may be sure the Truth will keep you as we say of a Tradesman If he will
and Comfort and Mercy and lead men to Heaven in a mild and meek and gentle way To this I Reply What would you have us apply a Plaister where there is no sore Would you have us apply a Cordial where they are not sick Would you have us pour in the Oil where there is no wound God himself pours not in the Oil of Mercy but into a broken Vessel Isa 61.1 The Lord knows we delight not in preaching any terrible Doctrines to you if you were but fitted for mercy but if you are not fitted for Mercy then as the pricking Needle makes way for the sewing of the Cloth together so this kind of Preaching convincing and humbling the Sinner makes way for the bringing of Christ and the Soul together and therefore you may well bear with it A second Instruction that we may learn from hence is this It serves to let us see what the reason is that there are so few Believers so few converted and convinced O Ministers cannot speak of this scarce without watery eyes Truly heretofore three thousand were converted at one Sermon but now there is scarce one that is converted with three thousand Sermons O whence is it that the work of Conversion is almost at an end in England in London It is rare to hear of a Soul converted we hear of many that are perverted that are led into by-paths of Error and Heresie and Blasphemy and Schism but it is a rare matter to hear of one converted they are but few that see the need they have of Christ that prize him that believe in him that obey him that constantly cleave to him but most men are very well contented to be in a natural condition they are secure and quiet without Christ but what is the Reason Because they do not see the need they have of Christ for if they did but see the need they have of him they would say They may better want light than want Jesus Christ who is the Light and by whom they may have the Light of Life John 8.12 They may better want Bread for their bodies than the Lord Jesus Christ who is the bread and spiritual food of the Soul I am the Bread of Life John 6. If they did but see the need they have of him doubtless they would close with him but why do not they see the need that they have of him The Reason is Because they are not humbled they were never yet stricken with the sense of sin they never yet saw the inside of themselves they never with the Jaylor in the Text were afrighted amazed stricken down in the sense of sin Oh this is the misery of all miseries which Ministers have most cause to complain of that men are not fitted enough for Jesus Christ they are not lost enough in themselves for a Saviour Hos 14.3 With thee the fatherless find mercy Were we more hopeless helpless and fatherless we should find more mercy from the hand of Jesus Christ O that God would awaken and shake some sin-sleeping Soul this day Oh that this Doctrine thus opened might be as a Thunderbolt to let some of you see the inside of your selves O poor Sinner thou hast an insupportable burden of sin and guilt lying on thy Soul ready to press thee down to Hell and yet thou feelest it not thou hast the wrath of God hanging over thy head by the twined thred of a short life which it may be thou mayst not be free from one year nay perhaps not one month but thou seest it not if thou didst but see it then thou wouldst cry out as he did in Bosworth field A Horse a Horse a Kingdom for a Horse so thou wouldst cry out None but Christ nothing but Christ ten thousand Worlds for Christ The second Use of Exhortation And I have but two Exhortations to tender to you First I beseech you and exhort you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ whose poor Messenger I am that you would labour to be convinced of the necessity of humiliation believe it be perswaded of it be convinced of it that thou must be broken if ever thou wouldst have Jesus Christ to bind thee up thou must be sick of sin if ever thou wouldst have Jesus Christ to heal thee thou must be dejected and cast down if ever thou wouldst have Jesus Christ to comfort thee if God therefore do not open thine eyes and awaken thy Conscience and touch thy heart I do pronounce against thee that there is no Christ no Heaven no Pardon no Peace no Comfort no Salvation for thee Oh the miserable deplorable condition of all you that were never yet humbled you that never yet were convinced of sin you that never tasted the bitterness of sin you that never felt the burden of sin that never yet complained with the Apostle Rom. 7 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Some derive the word from a man that is troubled with the stone in the bladder O wretched man that I am O miserable is the condition that you are in you that never yet felt sin to be sin that have not felt the burden of it nor tasted the bitterness of it you are not fit to come to Jesus Christ you are out of his Commission for he is sent to the humble and broken hearted Sinner Isa 61. It may be thou knowest what sin is and Christ is and Grace is notionally but there is a great deal of difference between knowing and inward feeling wretched was thy condition if thou didst but feel it but a thousand times more wretched it is because thou feelest it not My second Exhortation to you is this If so be sound humiliation be a necessary Antecedent to Faith and Salvation then use the utmost of your endeavours that you may be humbled broken and bruised Sinners that you may be put into a capacity to close with a Saviour Now because I know this is but a harsh Exhortation give me leave to sweeten it with these three Considerations First Remember that the promises of Grace and Mercy are made to all humbled Sinners Levit. 26.41 If then their uncircumcised hearts shall be humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquities then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land Secondly Consider God never looks with so much mercy and compassion on any as those that are most humbled Jer. 31.18 20 When Ephraim bemoaned himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke I have been proud and stout and stubborn under all thy Rods Turn thou me and I shall be turned Surely after I was turned I repented after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded Now in the 20 verse you have God bemoaning Ephraim Is Ephraim my dear
is that of the Prophet Jonah in the Whales belly in that remarkable place Jonah 2.2 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and said I cryed by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice If you would know a reason why God is thus ready to hear and answer the prayers of his Servants when they cry take these three or four reasons briefly First Because of Gods faithfulness He is very faithful that hath promised Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear and answer and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 So in Isa 65.24 And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear God is faithful to his promises All his promises in Jesus Christ are yea and in him they are amen Our unfaithfulness cannot make him unfaithful if we believe not he remains faithful he cannot deny himself Secondly God hears his Servants prayers Because of that compassion that is in him towards them as he is very faithful so he is very pitiful as he hath beams of Majesty so hath he also bowels of mercy and his bowels yearn towards his poor children when they cry to him Can a mother forget her sucking-child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Isa 49.15 A tender-hearted mother if she hear her little child whimper in the cradle that does not move her but if the child cry to purpose then her bowels yearn towards it she can stay no longer from it but runs in all haste to it so here when we do but whimper pray coldly God may be is not ready to hear but if we cry in prayer if we follow God with our supplications then his bowels cannot but yearn towards us Third reason Because Gods servants have Jesus Christ to pray for them We have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous he is pleading our cause 1 John 2.1 And he ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 Nay his very presence with the Father is our intercession he appears in the presence of God for us he appears as our advocate in our stead for our good Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us The fourth reason is this Because the servants of God have not only Christ to pray for them but they have the Spirit of Christ to pray in them Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered If you ask me But how does the spirit of God help our infirmities I answer These four or five ways First The spirit of God helps our infirmities by affecting us with them with our wants and weaknesses that being humbled and lying low at the feet of God we may be vessels more capable of mercy God will not pour in the oyl of his mercy but into the vessels of a broken heart now the spirit of God by a sight and sense of our manifold infirmities doth empty us and work in us some kind of brokenness of heart and so fits us for mercy Secondly Again the spirit of God helps our infirmities likewise by acting his own graces in us by acting those beginnings of faith and love and humility and self-denial which he himself hath wrought in us Thirdly By stirring up in us holy motions holy desires and pantings and breathings after our heavenly Father even such breathings as these Psal 42.1 2. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God when wilt thou come to me when shall I come to thee And my soul followeth hard after God Fourthly The spirit of God helps our infirmimities by working in us a childlike-boldness enabling us to cry Abba Father we can come to God as a child to a Father Father I want this I want that God is delighted to hear the moan-makings of his poor children Fifthly By restraining Satan that he may not interrupt us and distract us in holy services for this is certain we seldom go to duty but Satan still stands at our right-hand When Joshua the high Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right-hand to resist him Zach. 3.2 But now Jesus Christ he is stronger than Satan and he by his spirit does rebuke him But there is one great objection I know will be ready to arise in every one of your hearts You say God is ready to hear and answer the prayers of his poor servants when they cry to him but some will say Experience seems to deny this Gods own servants pray oft and yet they have no answer nay God is sometimes angry with the prayers of his servants Psal 80.4 O Lord God of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people the prophet Jeremy he professes he cryed to God and shouted and yet God shut out his prayers and wrapt himself in a cloud that his prayers should not pass through Lam. 3.44 Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not pass through It may be some will say I have been praying for such a grace twenty thirty years together and yet have not got it for strength against such a corruption and yet have not got it For answer to this objection you must know First Gods people sometimes pray not when they seem to pray Secondly God hears his people when sometimes he seems not to hear First Gods people pray not when they seem to pray as when they pray coldly and carelesly this is as no prayer as the Apostle said in the like case When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 as if he should say irregular unprepared receiving is not receiving at all as good never a whit as never the better so here cold careless formal customary prayer is as no prayer Dan. 9.13 All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that me might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth for these seventy years hath thine hand been heavy upon us yet we have not made our prayers before the Lord our God we made a shew of praying but our careless praying may be said to be no praying Again Gods people in praying may be said not to pray at all when they exercise only gifts in prayer and have not the grace of prayer for you must know the power and prevalency of
my suppoting-grace is better for thee than the deliverance thou beggest Paul was heard in that he was not heard though he was not heard in the letter of his request yet he was heard for the better for his advantage On the contrary The Devil was not heard in that he was heard he beg'd liberty to tempt Job God gave him leave Job 1 Lo he is in thy hand all he hath is in thy power but what did the Devil get by it he was baffled and fool'd and prov'd a lyar to his face for Job notwithstanding all the losses upon his estate kept his integrity and sinned not but saith the Devil Put forth thine hand and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face and the Lord said Lo he is in thy hand but save his life then the Devil used all his art he could to make him blaspheme God but he could not prevail so the Devil was proved a lyar to his face Now the use I shall make is this This doctrine may be like Aaron and Hur to hold up Moses hands it is a great encouragement to every one of us to pray still to seek the face of God still though he seem to delay us or deny our importunities or to turn from us yet follow God still though he seem to deny our prayers yet give not over praying for you see God will at one time or other in one kind or other answer all the prayers that are put up to him In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me Let me tell you We shall never have cause to repent of our praying could we pray an hundred times more than we do we should never have cause to repent of our praying except it be for this That we have prayed no more frequently and fervently And so much for the first point of doctrine The second point of doctrine is this It is one gracious way of answering our prayers when God doth bestow upon us some spiritual strength When he bestows strength in our souls that is one way of Gods answering our prayers graciously if he do not give the thing we desire yet if he gives us strength in our souls he graciously answers our prayers For the better clearing of this point it may be demanded What is this spiritual strength I answer it is a work of the spirit of God enabling a man to do and suffer what God would have him without fainting or backsliding I call it a work of the spirit of God because indeed it is the spirit of God that does corroborate and strengthen the soul Eph. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man Alas we of our selves if we have not the spirit of God to help us are as weak as water we are no more able to stand in a day of trial or withstand any temptation than a little child is able to withstand a giant but now when Sampson was cloathed with the spirit then he could grapple with a Lion so when once we are cloathed with the spirit of God we shall be able to encounter with Lion-like corruptions and temptations Secondly Whereby a man is able to do and suffer what God would have him to do and suffer there is strength considerable strength required in doing the will of God Joshua 1.7 Only be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right-hand or the left that thou mayest prosper whither soever thou goest but there is a great deal more strength required in suffering Paul had attained a great deal of strength when he said For the Lord Christ his sake I have suffered the loss of all things Phil. 3.8 Thirdly I say whereby a man is enabled to do and suffer what God requires without fainting and backsliding there is strength required in doing the will of God but there is much strength required in suffering I but yet more strength is required in perseverance for if we faint in the day of adversity our strength is but small Prov. 24.10 and therefore says the Apostle We must often look upon Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith and consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest we be weary faint in our minds Heb. 12.3 Secondly It may be demanded how doth God strengthen a man with strength in his soul I answer these three ways First God strengthens a Christian with spiritual strengths when he doth comfort him in the assurance of his love shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost Oh this will enable a man to bear any burthen Smite Lord will such a one say I will bear any thing willingly because my sins are forgiven Secondly God strengthens us with strength in our souls by encouraging us in our sufferings by cheering up our hearts with some inward cordial Look how God cheer'd up Saint Paul when he was in danger when forty men swore his death in Acts 23.11 And the night following the Lord stood by him and said Be of good cheer Paul for as thou hast testified for me in Hierusalem so must thou bear witness also at Rome So when God comes and cheers up the heart and brings some of his best cordials in our worst fainting fits when in our strongest afflictions he brings in his sweetest consolations when we are able to say with David Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my soul when God brings in his divine comforts then he strengthens us with strength in our souls As I remember when Philip Landsgrave being long prisoner under Charles the fifth being demanded what cheered him up in that condition made this answer I feel says he the divine comforts of the martyrs God hath divine comforts for his people in their fainting fits as their afflictions abound so he makes his comforts to abound Thirdly God strengthens with strength in the soul when he does support and keep up the spirit from sinking says David in Psalm 94.17 18 Vnless the Lord had been my helper my soul had almost dwelt in silence but when I said my foot slipped thy mercy O Lord held me up That is an excellent Scripture Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness And observe when God does support a man though the affliction be never so heavy yet it shall not sink him but he shall be able to stand under it see it in David 1 Sam. 30.4 when he was at Ziglag when there was such a load of afflictions upon him he wept that he could weep no longer his own soldiers mutinied his wives were taken and carried captive yet God
from Babylon and the comfort that is here proclaimed it is derived from a double Spring 1. From the Promulgation of the Gospel 2. From the coming of Jesus Christ in the Flesh who is the Marrow of the Gospel 1. From the Promulgation of the Gospel and that is amplified two ways from the Herald that Proclaims it and by the Place where it was proclaimed 1. By the Herald that proclaimed it namely John the Baptist called the voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desart a way for our God 2. It is amplified by the place where it should be proclaimed namely in Sion or Jerusalem in the 9th verse O Sion that bringest good tidings get thee up into the high Mountain O Jerusalem that bringest good tidings lift up thy voice with strength lift it up be not afraid say to the Cities of Judah behold your God Then Christs coming in the flesh that is described two ways 1. By his Terrour to his Enemies 2. By his mild carriage and behaviour towards his own People By his Terrour towards his Enemies in the foregoing verse the 10th ver Behold the Lord will come with a strong hand and his Arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him and his work before him Then he is described here by his meek and mild carriage towards his People in the words I have read unto you He shall feed his flock like c. Let me first open the terms of the Text and then come to some points of Instruction He shall feed The Government of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Church and towards his Chosen is exprest by three names He is call'd a Ruler a Leader and a Shepherd He is called a Ruler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew in Micah 5.2 But thou Beth-leem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting Now Jesus Christ rules three ways 1. By his Commanding-power 2. By his Compelling-power 3. By his Perswading-power He hath a Commanding-power All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth Matth. 18.35 He hath a Compelling-power Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Luk. 19.27 Then he hath likewise a Perswading-power Gen. 9.27 God shall perswade Japhet and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. 2dly His Government is exprest by this Name He is a Leader to his people Now Christ is a Leader to his People three ways 1. By teaching of his people his very enemies did acknowledg it Mar. 12.14 We know thou teachest the way of God in truth He teacheth them by going before them in a way of good example John 13.15 I have given you an example that you should do as I have done He leads them likewise by drawing of them Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee Then as he is a Ruler and a Leader so he is a Shepherd his Government is comprised under this Name He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd And here in the Text where under the name of Feeding is comprised all the necessary attendances and accommodations that conduce to the safety and welfare of the Flock such as providing of them Pasture and protecting of them from the danger and mischief of Wolves and Lyons and Beasts of Prey and likewise in preventing their stragling and wandring in the Wilderness And in curing of those Diseases that are incident to Sheep All these are meant by Feeding Oh the Richness and Compleatness of this precious Redeemer well may the Apostle say He is able to save to the utmost those that come to God by him And well may the Apostle say Christ is all and in all because he is both the Ruler Leader and Shepherd the Prince and Captain of our Salvation and Saviour and all He shall gather his Lambs with his Arms. The Lord Jesus Christ hath a tender care of all his Sheep that none of them be lost as he says in that Heavenly Prayer John 17.11 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled I but he hath the most tender and pitiful compassion towards those that are his Lambs that is young Beginners Babes in Christ those he gathers in his Arms so the Text tells us those he carries in his bosom that is he deals favourably with them those he cherishes with all indulgence He does not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised read Matth. 12.20 Then he gently leads those that are with young or those that give suck the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sigfies both either those that are with young or those that give suck The Prophet here in the Text alludes to the manner of Jacobs dealing with his Flocks See what a compassionate man that good man was as you may read Gen. 33.13 The flocks and the herds that are with young they are with me and if men should over-drive them but one day all the flocks would dye What a care had Jacob of all his flocks especially of those that were with young so the Lord Christ he gently leads those that are with young that is weak Christians such as are easily offended such as are dejected and discouraged such as are full of infirmities and imperfections he gently leads them that is he exercises a great deal of pity and patience and compassion and tenderness towards them In all their afflictions he is afflicted with them Isa 63.9 He hath Sympathizing Bowels towards those that are full of Infirmities his Bowels are troubled as it were for them Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim a dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord So that here is gentleness in bearing with them and patience in suffering of them In a word the Lord Jesus Christ he is a meek a gentle a mild a compassionate Saviour that is the sum of the whole verse he is of a very sweet amiable pliable disposition As God hath fitted him with a Body so he hath fitted him with a Heart to be a merciful and compassionate Redeemer The words being thus opened there are two things in them especially presented to your view 1. Christs relation to his People 2dly His mild carriage towards them in that relation 1. Christs relation to his People that you have in these words He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd 2dly You have his Meek Mild and Gracious carriage towards them he does both Protect them and Feed them and Pity them and gathers them in his Arms and
is no mud at all but now Satan never comes to us but he finds matter enough and ground enough to work upon there is a great deal of mud at the bottom therefore he prevails on us when he comes But that is one end that he may teach us to expect temptations he himself was tempted then certainly much more must we expect to be tempted Secondly Jesus Christ was tempted that he might know how to compassionate us in our temptations Thirdly He was tempted that he might take out the sting the poison the venom of every temptation that though we be sorely assaulted by Satan yet we may not be conquered by Satan That that David speaks to Saul Psal 188.13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me The like may Believers say of Satan Thou hast thrust sore at me if it were possible to thrust me into hell but the Lord is my helper nay God can so order it when Satan thrusts his forest darts at us he can ward off the blow or at least so order the temptation that it shall kill our sins and not hurt our souls As I have read a story of one Pareus Jason who was conflicting with his adversary when his adversary thought to have run him through with his sword God did so order it that it did open an imposthumation which all Physicians could not heal so that instead of killing of him he preserved his life so God can so order it when Satan is thrusting sorely at us with his temptations they shall kill our sins but shall not hurt our souls So then the words being opened to you the way to the Doctrine is made plain which is this Doct. Christs temptations and his sufferings for us stir up in his heart a tender compassion to succour us in our temptations and in our fufferings That which God commands Israel is suitable to this Exod. 23.9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger for ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt So the Lord Jesus Christ knows the hearts of tempted ones and knows how to pity tempted ones because he himself was tempted That which the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 1.4 God comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God I may apply it thus The Lord Jesus Christ knows how to succour us to comfort us to support us in our temptations with the same spirit that he had in his sufferings and in his temptations though his temptations were so great that he himself needed an Angel to come and comfort him For the better explication of this point there are two Quaeries that would be satisfied First Why Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart such tender compassion towards us to succour and relieve us in our temptations and sufferings Secondly How the Lord Jesus Christ does succour and relieve poor tempted ones in their distrsses and sufferings For the first Why does Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart such tender compassions towards us I answer The reason is plainly this because the Lord Jesus Christ his suffering in our Nature makes him not only a merciful God but a merciful Man also the Lord Jesus Christ as he is God equal with the Father to all Eternity so his mercies are from everlasting to everlasting Psal 103.17 But now his sufferings in our flesh makes him not only a merciful God but a merciful man also a merciful Mediator between God and man so he hath not only beams of Majesty but bowels of mercy his sufferings made him a merciful High-priest that is touched with the sense of our infirmities as you read Heb. 4.15 for says he We have not an High priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin The Lord Jesus Christ suffered all our natural infirmities though he did not suffer our sinful infirmities He was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sin a merciful High-priest he is and this is that that makes him so tender-hearted to the sufferings and infirmities of his People Oh what bowels of compassion hath Jesus Christ towards the souls of poor People Mat. 9.36 the Text says When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard His bowels did earn towards them as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he had compassion on their souls because they wanted those that might instruct them in the way of life and happiness And what compassion had he on the bodies of poor ones that waited on his Doctrine Mat. 15.32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said I have compassion on the multitude because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away sasting lest they faint in the way And what compassion had he towards the poor Widow that had lost her only son and they were now carrying him to the Grave the Text says he had compassion on her his Bowels did earn towards the poor Widow therefore he touched the Coffin and raised him up again Luke 7.13 Look as a Child-bearing woman that hath felt the bitter pangs and pains of Child-birth hath more compassion towards a woman in that distress than a barren woman that never felt those pangs and sorrows or as a man that hath been sorely afflicted with the Gout or Stone pitianother man that is afflicted with the same disease more than one that never felt the torment of that disease and as it is storied of Queen Elizabeth when she past once through an Hospital where she saw many poor Orphans and Fatherless and helpless Children Oh says she I was once an Orphan a poor helpless creature when I was shut up in prison therefore says she I have tasted of the sufferings of Orphans and I cannot but be merciful to Orphans and as it is said of Luther That he was a rare and and excellent man in comforting afflicted consciences those that were tempted and afflicted why because he himself was exercised with temptations for three years together so here the Lord Jesus Christ is a most rare and excellent Comforter a Physician good at all diseases especially at binding up broken hearts and comforting tempted souls why because he himself had experience of the sting and venom of temptations but some may say the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven hath he not left the bowels that he had on earth I answer No the Text says Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old Act. 9.4 the Lord Christ cryes
what it is to lye under the burden of Gods wrath when Mountains and Milstones of wrath are thrown upon the soul and the Lord will so far enable the soul that it shall be bearing that wrath and bearing and bearing it to all Eternity 3. Take in this aggravation also This loss it is irrecoverable once lost and ever lost Heaven once lost will never never be recovered after as many millions of years as there are drops in the Ocean that loss will still be bewailed and bewailed and bewailed to all Eternity If you put all these together I believe you will assent to me now and acknowledg the truth of this point That to come short of Heaven is such an unvaluable and unconceivable and irrecoverable loss that it is to be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever For the use of this point First By way of Information Secondly By way of Exhortation First By way of Information It shews us the extream folly and madness of all impenitent Sinners who will venture the loss of God and the favour of God the loss of Christ and the presence of Christ the loss of heaven and happiness and the loss of their own souls rather than they will lose the pleasures of sin which are but for a season it is such a madness that heaven and earth may stand amazed at it Consider and befool your selves O you carnal and careless ones if you have not sinned away your very sense and reason also Consider blush and be ashamed and be confounded in the presence of the Lord this day you that never yet set your faces towards Heaven you that never made it your business to look out for a Christ you that never shed a penitential tear from a broken heart you that cannot abide to think of Humiliation and Repentance you that never sought for eternal happiness by patient continuance in well-doing you that know not what it is to mortifie a lust you that know not what it is to deny your own hearts any thing to cross your own wills in any thing you that are so far from working out your own salvation with fear and trembling that you work out your own damnation without fear and trembling without horror and astonishment that never once think of it that never once lay to heart this loss this coming short I cannot if I had the tongue of men and Angels I were not able to express the evil of coming short of eternal happiness you can now sell Glory for vanity Heaven for Earth the pleasures that are at the right hand of God for the pleasures of sin that are but for a season But the time will come when with heart-rending complaints you will tear off your own hair and rend your own hearts in pieces and cry out O fools beastly fools sensless sots that we were to bereave our selves of eternal happiness for a little momentany pleasures for the satisfaction of a base lust O what Bedlams O what humane beasts were we that would deprive our selves of mansions in the New Jerusalem for a few bruitish carnal sensual delights O what mad-men were we that would venture the loss of an eternal habitation in that place where to be and to be most happy is all one rather than we would cross our own carnal and corrupt wills in any thing we would fulfil the flesh and the mind O how will you then exceedingly befool your selves It is storied of Lysimachus a King being pursued by his Enemies and being very thirsty he sold his Kingdom for a draught of drink but afterward he cryed out Alas What a bargain have I made to sell my Kingdom for a draught of drink O this even this is the condition of all you that sell Heaven for Earth that sell Pearls for Pebles that sell your immortal Souls that sell the hopes of eternal happiness for the satisfaction of a base lust O how will you cry out What a Bedlambeast have I been that have run such a hazzard the loss of such a Crown an incorruptible Crown such a Crown of eternal Glory O what a beast have I been that have ventured the loss of Heaven and the favour of God and the presence of God and the loss of my own Soul and that for nothing for toys and trifles for dross and trash You can now complain of the Service of God and say It is an unprofitable Service What profit is it to wait upon the Lord what profit is it that we kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 But a time will come when you will wish that a thousand years had been spent in fasting and ten thousand thousand years had been spent in the strictest Exercise of Religion rather than you should have come short of that eternal happiness you now are ready to say when the Ministers press you to pray in your Families and catechise your Families and read the Scriptures in your Families and to drive a Trade for Heaven when we press you to these things you are ready to say We have no leisure alas we cannot look after these things we have no time to seek heaven and happiness No time Well well you that can find no time to look after those things that are of infinite concernment you that have no time to seek for Heaven you will have time enough to bewail the loss of Heaven when a thousand years are gone and ten thousand years are gone and a thousand thousand thousand years are gone in bewailing your loss bewailing this unconceivable damage and detriment when as many millions of years are gone as there are drops of water in the Ocean there will be time enough to bewail it to all eternity O the folly and madness of all those that will live in sin and lye in sin and for the pleasures of sin will venture the loss of those pleasures that are at the right hand of God for evermore it is such madness as cannot be expressed or conceived That is one Use Secondly By way of Exhortation And I have two Exhortations to tender to you if God would give you but hearts to hearken and the Lord of his infinite mercy bow and incline your hearts to consider what I say First If the coming short of this eternal Rest be such an unconceivable loss Then foresee this danger and tremble at it tremble at the apprehension of it if you be flesh and blood tremble at it Think with your selves certainly there will come a day when a final Sentence must pass upon my soul either a sentence of Absolution or a sentence of Condemnation if the sentence of Condemnation Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 If that should be the final Sentence that should pass upon me what would become of me As God speaks to the unrighteous Judg Isa 10.3 And what will you do in the day of visitation and
little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but 〈◊〉 everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee 〈…〉 Lord thy redeemer Isa 54.7 8. Application Therefore it serves exceedingly for the encouragement of the godly our afflictions are but for a moment do but set against your present Affliction the glory that it brings after and against light afflictions a weight of glory and against momentary affliction eternal glory and what comparison is there between them none at all but 3. I come quickly It may be taken in a way of Judicature I come to call men to account to return to every man according to their works therefore see that you hold fast what you have received and continue constant to the end and you shall be sure to receive a rich and Royal Reward Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every one according as his works shall be Rev. 22.12 Heb. 10.37 Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Be patient therefore brethren stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draws nigh Jam. 5.8 But here it may be objected Our Saviour spake this above sixteen hundred years ago The coming of the Lord draws nigh And yet he is not come to Judgment To this I Answer A thousand years in Gods account is but as one day we count moments long because we are but poor short spirited creatures But God that is of an eternal duration he counts a thousand years but a very small moment all that space of time should be small to them that know the greatness of Eternity Do but think of Eternity and alas a thousand of years are but as a moment But observe here when our Saviour speaks of coming to Judgment he fixeth a Behold before it Behold I come quickly it teacheth us this Doctrine Doct. Christs coming to judgment is a matter of infinite concernment and requires our most serious consideration Behold Consider what I say I am coming to judgment There will therefore be a day of Judgment that is certain this is called the great day in ver 6 of the Epistle of Saint Jude and in 2 Tim. 4.8 That day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of eminency and it is called a day of Judgment because then every one shall receive a final sentence either of absolution or condemnation But why is this a matter of so great concernment I answer because Eternity depends upon it it will be a final determination to every soul to an everlasting and unchangeable condition of endless bliss or wo O this Eternity it swallows up all our thoughts if it were seriously considered it were enough to make the most prophane and profligate sinner to turn the strictest Saint that ever trod upon earth Therefore to make some Use of this Live in a continual expectation of Christs coming But some will say This day of Judgment cannot be so sudden for the Jews are not yet called and Antichrist is not yet come down I answer and O that this Answer might sink into your hearts Though the world should continue a thousand years yet there is a particular Judgment as well as a general every mans deaths-day is every mans dooms-day It is appointed for all men once to die and after that the judgment As soon as the Soul departs out of the body then it is judged the Soul is judged then either to Heaven or Hell therefore thy day of death will be the Judgment-day to thee when ever it falls though it falls this week before the next Oh that you and I could be affected as Jerom was Whether I eat or drink or whatever I do methinks I hear the Trumpet sound in my ears Arise ye dead and come to Judgment Therefore let your whole lives be a continual Preparation for that great day get those graces that may present you without spot or blot before Gods Tribunal Get 1. The precious grace of Faith for that puts on the Royal Robe of Christs righteousness and in that Robe you will stand undaunted 2. Get Repentance from dead works be purifying your selves more and more as he is pure Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the day of refreshing shall come Act. 3.19 3. Get a Christian and constant care and diligence in your general and particular callings Blessed is the man whom his Lord shall find so doing This is the first Motive drawn from the suddenness of our Saviours coming I come quickly Another Motive and of that a few words and I have done That no man take thy Crown The danger of losing the Crown But here it may be demanded What is meant by Crown I answer Either the Crown of Gospel-Ministry or else the Crown of eternal Life First God honoured this Church with a very glorious Ministry so that the very Adversaries the seeming Jews did worship that is did submit themselves to this Church and acknowledg Her to be beloved of God God honoured this Church with a very glorious Ministry Then it may be meant of the Crown of life as Mr Perkins well observes upon the Text Rev. 2.10 I will give thee a Crown of life But here it may be demanded Can the Crown of Life be lost To this I Answer In the visible Church there are Hypocrites as well as sincere Christians Now Hypocrites may lose the Crown because they never had a title to it they never had a title to the Crown of Glory a man must have an interest in grace before he can have a title to the Crown of glory For others that have grace begun in their hearts you must know such cautions as these are are to quicken them 2 John 8 Look well to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward Heb. 12.15 Beware lest any of you fall short of the grace of God Or it may be such cautions are put in to let you see that if you are left to your selves you would let go grace and lose glory and all To shut up all If a Gospel-Ministry be a Crown Oh that you and I would learn to prize a Gospel-Ministry more than we have done it may be God will teach you to know the worth of it by the want of it hold it fast remember God can give the Gospel to another Nation that may be will bring forth better fruit than we have done and when the Gospel is gone our glory is gone then we may say The Glory the Glory is departed from England But then 2. If there be a Crown of glory laid up for them that do hold out then receive that Exhortation a Text I opened in many Sermons on Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it Therefore take hold of God by Faith Be much in prayer be much in wrestling
God and that he has power to save and to destroy James 4.12 There is one Lawgiver who hath power to save and to destroy And you profess That he can do whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven and in Earth and among all the Inhabitants of the Earth and that none can stay his hand none can say unto him what dost thou Dan. 4.35 You profess this God to be your Soveraign yet for all this you make no bones of flighting his Authority you dare flight the Authority of this Law-giver and make no bones of breaking his Commandments You can break the first Commandment by Atheism impenitency hardness of heart lukewarmness unthankfulness You can break the second Commandment by neglecting or mis-performing the duties of Gods Worship and Service You can break the third Commandment by not honouring God by not glorifying God you do not sanctifie and honour his Name in his Word in his Works in his Providences in his Ordinances in his Mercies You make no bones I say of breaking his Commands Thus you profess one thing you say that the Lord is your Lord your Law-giver but you practice another when you slight his Authority and break his Commands See how angrily our Saviour speaks Luke 6.46 And why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I command you Again You profess you believe the threatnings of God such dreadful threatnings as these Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup Psalm 11.6 So Psalm 68.21 God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses You profess you believe these threatnings but yet notwithstanding your practice crosses your Profession for let a Minister come and thunder these threatnings in your ears yea let a Minister come and spit fire and vengeance in the face of Sinners yet notwithstanding they do no more tremble than the seat they sit on It were well if some Snners had but as much fear as the Devils have James 2.19 for they believe the threatnings of God and fear them and know they shall be accomplished to the uttermost Thirdly You profess that you believe the Promises I that you do I but what Promises do you believe You believe the Promise of Eternal life because you believe Jesus Christ will be your Saviour I but do you believe the Promises for example for this life Do you believe if you seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness in the first place all other things shall be cast into the Bargain Matth. 6.33 Again Do you believe that Promise Psalm 34.10 The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Do you believe the Promises for this life let that be judged by your Covetousness by your carking carefulness that distracting dividing care that divides the mind from it self See what the Prophet Isaiah says Isa 28.16 He that believeth shall not make haste He therefore that does make haste to be rich does not believe He that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent saith Solomon Prov. 28.20 You therefore that make so much haste to be rich you that make so much busling in the World wherefore is this craving carking whining after the things of this life It is a certain undeniable evidence of your distrusting Gods Providence and Promises and let me tell you You that will not believe him for the Body you will never believe him for the Soul You that will not believe him for your Estates and Children you will never believe him for your Eternal Salvation You that will not believe him for a Crust you will never believe him for a Crown And yet you say you believe his Promises that you do Fourthly You say you believe in the mercy of God for pardon I but when once Satan comes to shake your confidence but a little when you lie but under any temptation when God seems to hide away his face from you though never so little in the day of your fears and straits then you are ready to question whether you are the Children of God or no whether there be any thing of God in you or no you are ready to say then as Sion did Isa 49.14 The Lord hath forsaken me my Lord hath forgotten me my way is hidden from the Lord and my judgment from the Almighty It may be you may come to that condition to say with Cain My punishment is greater than I can bear my sin is greater than can be forgiven Gen. 4. God will never forgive such great sins as mine are You say that you believe in the mercy of God but when it comes to the trial it will be found no such matter Fifthly Again You say you believe a day of Judgment this is one thing you profess I but your practice is quite contrary for did you believe it seriously then you would pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 Did you believe it seriously then you would be affected with it as that ancient Father was Whether I eat or drink or whatever I do methinks I hear the Trumpet sounding in mine ears Arise ye dead and come to judgment If you did believe the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 certainly then you would exercise your selves to have Consciences void of offence both towards God and men Acts 24.16 Sixthly You say you believe that there will be a Resurrection of the Body and yet notwithstanding you carry your selves here upon the Earth as if so be there was no account or reckoning to come Some may be can live I am even ashamed to speak it they can live as if they had no God to serve and no Souls to save as if there would never come a day wherein they must appear before their Judg. I remember the speech of Saint Paul to King Agrippa Acts 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the Prophets I know says he that thou believest But I may say to many an impenitent unregenerate obstinate perverse Sinner Oh that there were none such in this Congregation I may say to many such Sinners Believest thou the Word of God Believest thou the Threatnings of God I know thou believest them not If thou didst believe the Commands of God Oh then thou wouldest say with Saint Paul What wouldest thou have me to do Lord Acts 9.6 Teach me the way of thy Statutes O Lord and I will walk in it and I will keep it to the end Psalm 119.33 If thou didst believe the Threatnings of God then thou wouldst be in the same condition that David was in Psalm 119.12 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments If thou didst believe those dreadful Threatnings thou wouldst be in the same condition with the Prophet Habakkuk My belly trembled my lips quivered rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in
and Sisters and our own lives certainly that is not the meaning of the words of our Saviour that he would have us to offer violation to the Law of Nature it is not spoken therefore simply but comparatively he that does not love me so much so as to hate all other in comparison of me he that does not prize me before Father Mother Wife Children Brethren House Lands yea life it self and all things that are desirable such a one hath no interest in me and shall have no benefit by me Now because it is an Exhortation of such infinite concernment therefore I shall divide it into three Branches First I shall shew you the manner how you should prize Christ Secondly The Motives which may perswade you to it Thirdly The means that may help you in it First For the manner how you must prize Christ It may be you will say In what manner must we prize Christ In what manner must Christ be precious to us Prize him in your Understandings in your Choice in your Affections and in his Ordinances First In your Understandings desiring to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 And count all things but dross and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledg of Jesus Christ Indeed there is a thousand times more worth and beauty and sweetness and excellency in Jesus Christ than you can know as he said That man that knows Jesus Christ well although he be ignorant of all other things he is the right knowing man If a man had all the learning of both Universities concentred in himself and yet ignorant of Jesus Christ he were but a poor simple Sot Secondly Prize Jesus Christ in your Choice to pitch upon him as the adequate Object satisfying Object of your Souls pitch upon him as the only excellent one As a woman that selects and singles out one man from amongst all the rest upon whom she places all her Affections for her Husband so do you select and chuse out Jesus Christ for your Beloved and say Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire in comparison of thee Thirdly Prize Jesus Christ in your Affections love him above all expressions of love labour to be sick of love towards so sweet and precious a Saviour as the Spouse was Cant. 2.5 Stay me with Flaggons Comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love saying as David did in that mournful Elegy which he made for Saul and Jonathan speaking of Jonathan says he Thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women 2 Sam. 1.26 I am distressed for thee my brother Jonathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women Then trust in him as the Rock of your Salvation trust to his Wisdom to lead you in his Power to support you trust in his Mercy and Merit to save you Again Do you rejoyce in him to say as the Virgin Mary did My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour And cleave to him as to that Rock that only can deliver you both from the raging Ocean of Gods everlasting displeasure and from the leaking boat of your own graces prize him in your Affections Fourthly Prize him in his Ordinances in his Word Oh how sweet is thy Word O Lord that brings me good tidings of a blessed Redeemer The Word of God is as a Letter sent from a dear and precious Husband to his Wife And prize him in the Sacraments which is as a Love token or Ring sent to you from the Beloved of your Souls Oh how should you prize these Ordinances In the Sacrament by an eye of Faith you may see him bleeding and pouring out his Soul an offering for sin in the Sacrament you may see him crying and dying for your sakes in a word esteem one hours communion with him better worth than all the pleasures in the World as that Noble Marquess of Italy did who said He was not worthy of Christ that did not esteem one hours Communion with him better than all the treasures in the World So much for the manner how we must prize Jesus Christ Secondly For the Motives that may perswade you to it and Oh that I knew what Motives might raise up your esteem of this precious Redeemer I will name but these three Will either worth or beauty or excellency or sweetness or Soul-satisfaction win upon your hearts all these are to be found in him He is an All-sufficient-Saviour All-sufficient for Justification his blood can pardon All-sufficient for Sanctification also for his blood can purifie All-sufficient for Redemption his blood can deliver from wrath to come Do but consider how precious this Christ is in himself as I shewed you in the former Doctrine precious in his Person precious in his Titles precious in his Offices being a King Priest and Prophet precious in the purchase of his blood Secondly I beseech you to consider that Jesus Christ is the only desirable good The common vote and voice of the World is this Who will shew us any good Psalm 4.6 But why do you not say Who will shew us Jesus Christ who is indeed the only needful good the All-sufficient good the Soul-satisfying good assure your selves nothing under Heaven can do you good without him nothing under Heaven can be good if you want him what are Riches without Jesus Christ what is Gold and Silver without Jesus Christ but rotten stinking dung what are the most Royal Robes that ever were put on by the greatest Emperour without Jesus Christ what are they but poluted clouts what is the most Princely Palace without Jesus Christ but a Pest-house what is Birth Endowments Education without Jesus Christ but glittering sins So your choicest comforts and accommodations without Jesus Christ they are no better than gilded damnation what are all your outward Blessings without Christ no better than curses And as nothing is good without him so nothing can do you good without him there is no creature in Heaven or Earth that can do you good without Christ neither Men nor Angels if you had all the Angels in Heaven to speak for you they could do you no good without Christ God himself will do you no good without Christ he will not if I may use such an expression truck or trade with you he will not exchange one word in the business of Salvation but by Christ John 14.6 Jesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me You cannot have any access to God approach to him to stand up for your lives or the life of your Souls without him who is the life of your lives and the Soul of your Souls Pray tell me therefore Are you contented to perish for ever in your sins Are you contented that the curses and threatnings of the Law those Treasures of wrath that
because a man can never have too much grace and a man may have too much Legal humiliation Again some Reprobates have had a great measure of Legal humiliation and yet have perished and some that have been converted have had but a little measue of Legal humiliation and yet have been saved I say Legal humiliation though it makes a great noise is not absolutely needful But Evangelical humiliation though ir makes a less noise this is absolutely needful to every person because this drives a Sinner out of himself and causeth him to fly to Jesus Christ in a mild and melting way making him to look on him whom he hath pierced and to mourn for his sin as he that mourns for the loss of his only Son that serves him The third thing to be opened is this But why doth God take this course in bringing men to Faith and Salvation The reasons are these three First It is Equal Secondly It is Fitting Thirdly It is Necessary First It is Equal because it is Gods way and there is all the reason in the World that God should bring us to Heaven in his own way that it is Gods way appears Isa 61.1 2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me saith Jesus Christ because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn So you see they are to be comforted that mourn and they are to be bound up that are broken-hearted so that till a man be meek and humble and have a broken heart he is out of Christs Cnmmission to comfort Christ will say to such I have nothing to do with thee I am sent to those that are meek and humble and broken-hearted Luke 19.10 In Matth. 18.11 The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Then may some say he came to seek and to save all for all were lost in Adam but that is not the meaning but the meaning is All that feel themselves lost a man may be in a lost condition and yet never feel himself in a lost condition but when a man sees himself to be in a lost estate and in a damned and undone condition without Christ Christ came to seek and to save such Secondly It is Fitting that God should bring us to Faith and Salvation this way fitting you will say But how In reference to God In reference to Our selves In reference to Others First In reference to God because by this humiliation the Justice of God is acknowledged and the Mercy of God is magnified these are the two great Attributes that God will have magnified in the conversion of a Sinner The Justice of God is acknowledged when the Sinner falls down at the feet of God and saith Lord against thee against thee have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Psalm 51.4 And the Mercy of God is wonderfully magnified when he hangs out a white Flag of Pardon after all the Sinners rebellions and provocations O now mercy is mercy indeed As a King when he is about to pardon a Traitor he suffers him to be brought to the place of Execution to have the Rope about his neck and the Handkerchief drawn over his face O how welcome is a pardon then to that Traitor So an humbled Sinner will say Mercy is mercy indeed when he is convinced of his desperate and undone estate and condition Secondly It is fitting in respect of our selves that we may know our selves know the plague of our hearts 1 Kings 8.38 God will have us to see and to feel that it is an evil and bitter thing that we have sinned against him Jer. 2 19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts God would have the Sinner see his polution and to cry out with the Leper under the Law I am unclean I am unclean Levit. 13.45 As Miriam for her miscarriage towards Moses was smitten with a Leprosie Moses cryed to the Lord to heal her No stay saith God If her Father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days She must know her self before she be healed Numb 12.10 13 14. Thirdly It is fitting in respect of Others that they may not speak reproachfully of God and the ways of God If so be a Sinner could instantly step out of an Ale-house to Christ or out of a Whorehouse to Christ if there were no more required to get to Christ than the putting of meat out of one Dish into another carnal men would be ready to have very low thoughts of God that he is such a one as themselves that he doth patronize and approve their wicked courses but God will have the mouth of iniquity stop'd and carnal men themselves acknowledg that the ways of God are equal Thirdly It is necessary that the Soul be humbled I shall give you these five Reasons of the necessity of it First Because without this humiliation the Sinner can never highly prize God To an unhumbled Sinner Christ is no more esteemed with reverence be it spoken than the dirt under his feet Acts 4.11 This is the stone which was set at nought by you Builders they made no reckoning of Christ at all Tell an unhumbled Sinner of Justification of Sanctification of Adoption of the hope of Glory and the like he makes no more reckoning of them than the children of Israel did of the Manna who loathed it but now when a Sinner is smitten with the sense of sin and fear of wrath and knows the burden of guilt upon his Conscience now Christ is Christ indeed and he looks upon him with an admiring eye and cryes out O the dignity of his Person the preciousness of his Blood the value of his Merits the efficacy of his Intercession the comforts of his Spirit Oh the comforts and excellencies that are in this sweet and precious Saviour My Beloved saith such a Soul is the choisest of ten thousand The poor saith our Saviour receive the Gospel that is those that are poor in Spirit they like the wise Merchant will be contented to sell all to buy him who is the Pearl of invaluable Price an humbled Sinner will say Give me Christ though I have a Cross with him though I have a Prison with him nay though I die with him though I die for him Secondly Without humiliation the Sinner can never duly and diligently seek Christ You know The Law is a School-master to bring us unto Christ Gal.
Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Thirdly Do but consider That this is the ordinary way that God leads men to mercy by God usually condemns before he justifies he breaks before he binds up he pulls down before he builds There is a time to pull down and a time to build up Eccles 3. That may be applyed to this purpose This is I say Gods ordinary way and would you have him to go out of his usual course and way If one of you should say to your Neighbour Let me come in at your window or break down your wall and then I will come in and visit you what answer think you would he make If you do not come in at the door the ordinary way do not come in to me I but some may say What will you have us to do Are we able to humble our selves True indeed when God hath first humbled us then we are able to humble our selves but you told us even now In the first work of Conversion we are meerly Passive we can do nothing towards our humiliation it is the work of the Spirit of God you have now preach'd Free-will to us To this I answer True indeed in a state of Nature we can do nothing that may please God we cannot set one foot forwards in the way to Heaven but yet let me tell you There is never an unconverted Sinner but may do a great deal more than he doth therefore I put you upon doing no more than you your selves can do and that in these five Particulars which I shall speak a little to and then have done First Though you cannot humble your selves in a state of unregeneracy yet you may suffer another to do it for you you may suffer it to be done A man for example that is to be cut of the stone though he cannot cut himself he may suffer another to cut him so a man that is sick of this desperate stony disease of the stone in the heart though he cannot take it away himself he may suffer it to be done when the Word of God ploughs up the Fallow-ground of your hearts you may hold up the Plough Heb. 13.22 You may suffer the Word of Exhortation which is tendered to you when God wounds you by the Word you may keep the wound open Carnal men when the Word hath wounded them they lick themselves whole by carnal counsels and carnal company and carnal reasonings O what a stir do men make to shake out the Arrow of Conviction resisting the Spirit of God that is stirring in the Ministry of the Word upon their hearts how many are there that come in Armour to Church they come in their Coat of Male how many harden their necks that the Word cannot pierce them Now this you must not do you must suffer the Word to rifle and ransack your hearts Let the Word smite you as he said Psal 141.5 Let the Righteous smite me Let the Word break my head or heart so it may but work upon my Soul When God rouzeth you suppose in any sickness or cutting-cross you may join with God in rouzing your selves when God smiteth you may not you smite upon your thighs as Ephraim did and say I am ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Jer. 31. In a word when God humbles you may not you humble your selves therefore in tire fear of the Lord resolve to wait upon an awakning searching Soul-piercing Ministry and bless God for that Sermon that stabs sin at the heart bless God for that Ministry that speaks most to thy Conscience you may suffer such a thing to be done though usually such a Ministry is look'd upon as a bug-Bear who preacheth nothing but fire and wrath and vengeance and damnation O blessed is that Word that wounds corruption says the Soul I have hewed them by my Prophets and slain them by the words of my mouth Hos 6.5 God would have his Word a saving Word Secondly There is never a one of you but can ponder and weigh things in your thoughts that you can do For example If you have a good price proffered for such a Commodity or such a bargain propounded to you or such a match for your Daughters you can weigh it and consider it you can consider which is the best Commodity and which is the best Match so here when the world comes and offers you present pay if you will but part with the peace of a good Conscience and comply and swim with the stream you shall never see the inside of a Prison you may have this Office and that Office this Preferment and that Preferment but now says Jesus Christ Do but keep thy integrity do but keep a good Conscience though thou suffer imprisonment the loss of all things thou shalt never lose by it for for temporal loss thou shalt have everlasting gain the Kingdom of Heaven now you can ponder and weigh things in your minds you can consider whether it is best to enjoy the World for a while to be free from Prisons and troubles so as to part with the peace of a good Conscience and lose God for ever or whether it is best to endure troubles to enjoy God and the peace of a good Conscience and to enjoy an Eternity of Blessedness it is better to endure a thousand Prisons than to lose the peace of a good Conscience and the favour of God this upon your considering and pondering you will conclude for the Devil he offers the pleasures of sin that are but for a season but says Jesus Christ You shall have pleasures at my right hand for evermore no man in his wits but would say it is better to have the pleasures that are at Gods right hand for ever than the pleasures of sin which it may be I may not enjoy one year not one month not one day So likewise there is none of you but can consider where you will lie when you are dead O says one I will lie in such a Church or in such a Church yard and cannot you consider O but where shall my Soul lie shall the Angels carry it into Abrahams bosom or shall the Devils carry it into darkness that blackness of darkness for ever Jude 13. And you can meditate on the things that concern this life every one can ponder on the things that concern his own temporal estate and concernment and certainly you may as well meditate upon the things that concern a future life you may meditate on the joys of Heaven and on the sorrows and torments of Hell and the precious blood of Jesus Christ There is a story of a man that read in a Book every day that had three Leaves a white leaf a red leaf a black leaf the white leaf of the Book that was the joys of
Heaven the red leaf that was the blood of Jesus Christ the black leaf that was the torments of Hell You may look into Hell by contemplation and meditation that you may prevent Hell to all Eternity you may meditate upon the blood of Christ and steep as it were your souls in it by meditation it may be it may soften them It is said of the Goats blood when nothing can soften an Adamant the blood of Goats can the blood of Christ that can soften your hard hearts when nothing else can Thirdly A third thing you can do you can sorrow more and mourn more than you do there is none of you but can sorrow and mourn for outward losses loss of Friends as Husband and Wife or Child perhaps for the loss of a Horse what canst thou mourn for the loss of a Child and canst thou not mourn for the loss of a Soul when one Soul is worth all the Kingdoms in the World If any of you have lost a good Bargain or mist a good Market you can grieve for this O methinks you should mourn for this how many Market days have I lost for my Soul I have burnt out many a precious light and spent out my precious time and can you not mourn for the loss of such a Bargain as this is Suppose one of you should be sent for before a mighty Monarch and should be impeach'd of high Treason before him how would you tremble to appear before so mighty a King that hath power in his hands to cut you off instantly O you and I must appear before the great Judg of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings that knows all the sins and Treasons that ever we have committed and you should bless God if you are cast into fear and thereby be brought to mourn and grieve and sorrow for your sins Job 23.16 For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me that is soft by troubling of me Fourthly There is never a one of you but may leave gross and scandalous sins which I prove thus you can do it for fear of men and you may do it much more for fear of God A prophane Swearer if he be in the company of a Godly grave Minister he can refrain his mouth from vile talk he can forbear his Oaths and blasphemous Speeches and obscene expressions An Adulterer if a boy be but in the Room of seven years old he will forbear to act his uncleanness until the boy be out of the Room If you can forbear gross sins for fear of men much more can you do it for fear of God If a boy can say his Lesson with a Rod certainly he can do it without a Rod if you can abstain from gross sins for fear certainly you can do it without You read of the hypocritical Pharisee he abstained from gross sins Luke 18 God I thank thee saith he I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. Fifthly Though it is true a man in a state of Nature is dead in trespasses and sin yet then at that time he may do many good works works morally good works materially good he may fast and pray and give Alms therefore it is that Daniel speaks to Nebuchadnezzar Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 Certainly the Prophet Daniel would never have spoken so to him if it had not been in his power to do it The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles though they wanted the knowledg of the Law and had not the Law saith he Yet they did by Nature the things contained in the Law they were a Law to themselves which shews that the works of the Law are written in their hearts Rom. 2.13 14. They that are in an unregenerate estate they may pray they may make Conscience of praying in their Families though they cannot pray as they should yet they may pray as they are able they may fall down at the feet of God and say Lord I am a poor sinful wretch I cannot please thee praying or not praying thou hast promised to give the spirit of prayer to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Say Lord give me thy Spirit to break my hard heart take any way with me so my proud heart may be humbled and hard heart broken that I may welcom Jesus Christ to my Soul that I may believe in him and cast my Soul upon him So that Beloved I put you upon no more than you are able to do you may suffer the word of Exhortation you can ponder and weigh the Word in your own hearts you may sorrow and mourn for sin you may abstain from gross sins and you may do those works that are morally good do what you can do men are not damned because they can do no better but because they will do no better Matth. 23 O Jerusalem Jerusalem I would have gathered thee as a Hen her Chickens under her wings but ye would not If there were no will there would be no Hell saith St. Austin Do what you can set upon works of Holiness and Piety strive and put forth your strength to the uttermost endeavour of your Souls to get your hearts humbled to see sin and to sigh for it to grieve and groan for it lay your conditions to heart be feelingly apprehensive of that wrath that sin hath kindled of that Justice that sin hath provoked of that Mercy that sin hath abused of that vengeance and anger that sin hath deserved to be inflicted O were we but thus humbled we should have cause to bless God to all Eternity I shall close with one word to those that have been under a spirit of bondage that have been convinced awakened as this Jaylor was that have had their broken bones that have felt the burden of sin and it may be lie under that burden at this day O be you comforted it s better to be broken here than hereafter it is better to be convinced here than convinced hereafter it is better to be humbled here than for God to humble the Soul in Hell to all Eternity God will make thy Valley of Achor a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 Thou that art humbled now shalt be exalted and thou that mournest now shalt be comforted CHRIST THE Bread of Life John VI. 35. And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst THis Chapter contains in it that admirable and Heavenly Sermon of our Saviour concerning the Bread of Life wherein you may take notice of three parts First The occasion of this Sermon that was the Peoples following of him because they did eat of the Loaves and were filled Verse 26. Secondly The Sermon it self and that is
little and little be quenched though God do leave some corruptions in thee to conflict with and to teach thee to prize the Righteousness of Jesus Christ at a high rate yet all these sinful desires shall by little and little be mortified and all thy spiritual desires fully satisfied though not perfectly in this World yet when thou comest to enjoy him in Glory but yet here in this life thou shalt have so much satisfaction that thou mayst say with the Prophet David My Soul is satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness And all thy sensual desires shall be allayed though it may be thou hast but a poor pittance of these outward things for God sees it fit many times that his best and soundest Sheep should be kept on the shortest Commons although this be true that thou hast but a small pittance of these outward things thou wantest riches and honours and outward accommodations which are so much admired yet thou mayst say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.10 As having nothing and yet possessing all things Though I have nothing yet I possess all things How Really I possess all things I have all things in Capite in Christ my Head and really by Faith Oh what comfort is this Secondly I might in the second place make this a Touch-stone of tryal to discover to you whether you be true Believers or no. Are thy desires after the World allayed that now thou canst say with St. Paul I have learned in every state therewith to be content Hast thou not a painful thirst arising from the guilt of a self-accusing Conscience as thou hadst heretofore then it is a token that thy Faith is a true Faith and by this thou mayst know whether thou art a weak Believer or a strong Believer for according to the measure of your satisfaction in these things so you may know the measure of your Faith If thy Soul hath large satisfaction then thou art a strong Believer but if thy Soul hath but little satisfaction then thou art but a weak Believer But to close all with a word of Exhortation and the Exhortation is to two sorts briefly First To those that are not Believers Secondly To those that are true Believers First To those that are not Believers and my Exhortation to them is this O you that have not yet closed with Jesus Christ you that have not yet seen so much beauty in him as to prize him and insatiably to desire him O that now you would begin to close with him you that have not been perswaded by all former Exhortations and Invitations of Ministers heretofore be perswaded now O come come to Jesus Christ come to the water of life Come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price come to this bread of life thou mayst come as freely to Jesus Christ O Sinner whoever thou art as the wounded Israelites might come to the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness O consider what satisfaction is to be found in him Run through all the courses of the World run through all conditions in the World run through all the delights of the sons of men and see whether they can give you satisfaction yea or no. Can sin give you satisfaction Truly the satisfaction which sin gives I will tell you what it is like it is just like the sprinkling of water upon the Smiths Forge that makes the fire to burn so much the hotter or like the pouring of Oyl upon a flame that makes it flame so much the fiercer this is the satisfaction that you have by sin Or can the World give you satisfaction Alas the World deals with you just as Absolom's Mule did with him leaving his Master hanging in the Oak when he had most need of her so when you have most need of comfort and relief Worldly riches and profits they leave you In a day of wrath can any of these give you satisfaction Prov. 11.4 They profit not in a day of wrath Can any of these outward things give you satisfaction alas the Soul of man hath a kind of infiniteness of desires in it therefore nothing can give the Soul satisfaction but the infinite mercy of a Gracious God and the infinite merits of a blessed Redeemer and the infinite Comforts of the Holy Ghost As long as you live without Christ never look for satisfaction look for no satisfaction from the things of this life Isa 65.13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold my Servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty behold my Servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed Look for no satisfaction from temporal things and I am sure in Hell there will be no satisfaction for you for there you will be always thirsting thirsting with a painful and tormenting thirst Dives although he had never so much wealth to tumble himself up and down in here while he lived yet when he came to Hell though perhaps he might by some flattering Preacher in a Funeral Sermon be lodged in Abrahams bosom yet when he came to Hell he had not a drop of water to cool his tongue There is no satisfaction to be had in any Enjoyment nor in any condition or place until we come to Jesus Christ and then we shall hunger no more nor thirst no more then all tears shall be wiped from our eyes and sorrow and grief from our hearts My second Exhortation is to true Believers Oh labour for further degrees of Faith according to your measure of Faith such will your fulness and satisfaction be Psalm 81.10 O could you open your mouths wide that is could the desires of your Souls this day be widened and enlarged they should all of them be filled open thy mouth never so wide and God will fill it Oh do not content your selves with a small measure of Faith but labour for a strong and great Faith according to your Buckets so shall your waters be drawn Draw water out of the Wells of Salvation Isa 12.3 What are the Wells of Salvation but God and Jesus Christ and his Spirit and the Graces of the Spirit and the Ordinances of God these are the Wells of Salvation If you bring but little Buckets you will get but little water if you bring large Buckets you will get a large deal of water If you bring but little Faith you will receive but little from Christ but if you bring a strong Faith a large and strong Bucket O how much refreshing and Soul-satisfaction might you receive There are three benefits which you shall have by a strong Faith First Faith hath this Property it makes whatever it toucheth its own According to thy Faith be it unto thee Matth. 18.13 So if thy Faith do but touch Jesus Christ it will make him yours if it do but touch the Promises it makes them yours The truth is there hath been a great deal of talk of the Philosophers stone but I know no other Philosophers stone but Faith
Christ the Saviour of the world 2. Be much in Duty if you would not be weary of well-doing be much in well-doing It is a Paradox in other things to say He that would not be weary of running let him run the more and if you would be weary of working work the more I but here in Divinity it is a truth the more you are doing the better you will be able to do be acting grace and in the acting of it your grace will be encreased grace acted intends the habit and the habit intended does encrease strength therefore up and be doing and God shall be with you 3. Walk in the spirit and then you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh if the Spirit of God help you you shall run and not be weary walk and not faint Isa 40. ult Remember what I have told you It is not the strength of habitual grace but it is the auxiliary the assisting-grace of the Spirit that carries you through every duty Though you do duty yet the Spirit of Christ is the moving and working-cause for without him you can do nothing 4. Set before you the example of the Saints that is another help to perseverance it is said of Moses he held out though he met with temptations on the right hand and on the left he held out why because he saw him that was invisible Heb. 11.27 So Job Job 23.11 My feet hath held his path his way have I kept and not declined So David I was almost consumed on earth by trouble and persecution that he met with yet have I not forgotten thy Law Psal 119.87 So Daniel when he knew the Writing was sealed and his Religion would cost him not only his liberty but his life Daniel was Daniel still he went on his course as he was wont to do Dan. 6.10 The blessed Martyrs that went through imprisonment bonds reproaches persecution yet with what courage did they press towards the Mark and so with courage they held out to the end and in the end 5. Be often meditating on the rich and royal Reward those rich and glorious hopes laid up for those that persevere this if any thing will bear up your hearts and hopes when they are ready to faint What made the Apostle hold out in the midst of all temptations 2 Cor. 4.16 For this cause we faint not Why because says he our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Ver. 17. Moses he held out chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Why he had an eye to the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 A Traveller after a long journey when he is weary and faint and sits down if he see the Town before him it puts life into him and he plucks up his feet and resolves not to be weary till he be at his journeys end O look at the Crown and white Robe set before you and faint if you can get on the top of Mount Nebo look on the Land of Promise those good things set before you taste the grapes of Canaan before you come to Canaan Consider two things from what you are delivered and to what you are appointed You are delivered from wrath and appointed to mercy delivered from Hell and appointed to Heaven delivered from a hopeless condition to a most hopeful and happy condition that the heart can conceive or tongue express If these things were soundly digested and seriously considered they would awaken your drooping drowsie spirits and set the wheels a going and make us redouble our endeavour and encrease our diligence that the Kingdom of Heaven might even suffer violence yea these things will constrain us in the midst of all afflictions temptations and tryals to press towards the Mark therefore awake thou that sleepest the Apostle speaks of a sleep of drowsiness Rom. 13.11 For says the Apostle your salvation is nearer than when you believed A stone the nearer it comes to the Center the swifter the motion will be Redeem and recover lost time by double diligence set on Heaven by a new resolution set thy face towards Sion as one that looks on all these creature-comforts as vanishing into smoak and as one that resolves to have Heaven or nothing do much and suffer much thou wilt never repent Be stedfast and unmovable abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. To set home this Exhortation of holding fast what you have received there are two Motives in the Text which I will dispatch with a quick hand First Behold I come quickly What coming does our Saviour here speak of I Answer This coming of our Saviour may be understood three ways He comes either in a way of Tryal or in a way of Mercy or in a way of Judicature He comes in a way of Tryal so he foretels the heavy temptations and persecutions that came upon his Church in the time of Trajanus the Emperor as Mr. Brightman well observes This lasted fourteen years yet our Saviour calls it but an hour of temptation in ver 10. Likewise Strabo the Geographer writes That the Church of Philadelphia was often shaken with Earth-quakes both she and other Cities were shaken with Political Earth-quakes as well as Natural with Adversaries that sought their ruine Hence you may take this Observation That God hath sore and shaking Tryals to exercise his Church withal Through many Afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution In one kind or other in one measure or other God sees shaking is needful to awaken us to shake us out of our security and to purifie and reform and refine us therefore let us not settle upon our Lees and promise our selves security from Tryals The hand of God hath been heavy upon the Protestant Churches in Piedmont in Poland Oh the dreadful things that they have suffered Why should we expect exemption are we better than they Be forewarned that you may be fore-armed lay in provision against the day of Tryal lay in a stock of Faith and Patience and Self-denial c. Gird on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand 2. It may be understood in a way of mercy I come quickly in a way of mercy I come to moderate the tryals and to deliver thee from temptations God will not suffer the Rod of the wicked to lie on the back of his righteous servants Psal 125.3 So then the Doctrine is this Doct. The troubles and tryals of Gods Church and Chosen though they may be sharp yet they shall be but short I come quickly I come to deliver my Church quickly Nero's Tribulation was but for ten days Rev. 2.10 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee in a