give all the respect that may bee to him because hee is the onely Saviour of souls And for the blood of the Covenant take heed you sin not against that let it not bee accounted as a common thing Oh do not prize the satisfying of your own lusts rather than the blood of the Covenant and all the good that was purchased by that blood when any wretched sinner shall hear the Gospel preached to him and yet shall prize the living in any base wicked way of sin I say such a one doth trample the blood of the everlasting Covenant under his feet and the language of his heart and actions is nothing but this whatsoever is spoken concerning the blood of the everlasting Covenant revealed in the Gospel I do prize the satisfying the lusts of mine own heart more than all the good that is in the Covenant now do you think can such a soul as this bee saved now you sin against the blood of the Covenant when you come hand over head to the Sacrament and thereby you come to bee guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ People are mighty earnest about coming to Sacraments now do but read 1 Cor. 11. It is a Scripture which I know you that are acquainted with Scripture are not unacquainted with vers 27. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall bee guilty of the body and blood of the Lord And what then vers 29. Hee eateth and drinketh his own damnation When you would have the Sacrament as the seal of the blood of Christ and yet come in your sin and filthiness and do not discern the Lords body you come to bee guilty of the blood of Christ and so to bee guilty of your own damnation and so many think to seal their souls by eating and drinking the damnation of their souls for there is nothing set out in Scripture that furthers more the damnation of a soul than to sin against the blood of the Covenant I know some make that Scripture their damnation to themselves that is that they are onely to bee reproved and condemned for doing so but wee are to inlarge Scripture to the uttermost that may bee and seeing the Scripture hath made the sin against the blood of Christ in other places so dreadful wee may very well understand that place in the most dreadful sense that may bee Now if in case you come unworthily you hear what the Scripture speaks it is guiltiness of the blood of Christ and eating and drinking your own souls damnation And then take heed of sinning against the mercy of God let not mercy harden you but let it soften your hearts Oh that soul is in a good forwardness to bee saved that every time it thinks of the mercy of God it findes it self to melt before the Lord and mourn bitterly for sin when as it applies the mercy of God to it self I that is a good evidence but now when you think or speak of Gods mercy you finde your hearts the more hardened in sin Oh this is dreadful for how can such a soul be saved that sins against the mercy and love of Jesus Christ for who shall hear and plead for thy soul before God when as thou art guilty of the blood of Jesus Christ and what is it that shall bee thine attonement before the Father It must bee blood Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin And what blood must bee for the remission of thy sin when as thou tramplest the blood of the Covenant under thy feet and when thou sinnest against mercy what is it that must recover thee but the mercy of God when thou comest to God in the anguish of thy soul Now if thy case bee thus that Jesus Christ shall plead against thee and say Oh Father Father avenge thy self upon this wretch that hath not onely sinned against thy work of Creation but against the work of Redemption that I went into the world to work Father let this soul perish eternally that hath rejected mee and received every base wretched lust before mee now shall that soul bee saved that shall have the blood of the Covenant cry against it and mercy it self cry to the Lord against it Lord avenge my cause for I have been most abominably and cursedly abused by this wretch when not onely the Law of Gods Justice and Satan accuses thee but Christ and his blood and the Gospel it self how shall such a soul bee saved now then if you would have your souls saved take heed of sinning against Jesus Christ against the Gospel and against the blood of God and against the mercy of God Eleventhly If thou wouldest have thy soul saved take heed of sinning against the Spirit of Grace the good Spirit of God that must draw thee to Christ and guide thee in the way of salvation if ever thou beest saved Now take heed of sleighting the motions of Gods Spirit oh do not sleight any motion of the Spirit of God how dost thou know but when there comes in any motion of Gods Spirit it comes in to save thee at this time thou canst not tell but that at any time when Gods Spirit doth assist his Word thy soul may depend upon that time so as God may say had this soul followed on the work at this time it might have been saved but upon it s not following it on it shall not bee saved doth Gods Spirit begin to move thy soul when thou art hearing the Word Oh do not go into wicked company and so lose all again but get alone in thy closet and fall down even upon thy face and cry to God that hee would follow on the work of his Spirit that hee hath begun in thee Oh Lord I lived a long time in a dead-hearted condition never minding the good of my soul but thou hast begun to stir mee and Lord I hope it is the beginning of thy saving work upon my soul Oh that thou wouldest go on with it How many upon their sick-beds and death-beds would give a thousand worlds if they had them that they could have such stirrings of the Spirit of God as sometimes they have felt Oh now when the Spirit stirs and temptation stirs take heed of listening to temptation and rejecting the motions of Gods Spirit but think of that that wee read on of the people of Israel when they were going to Canaan they were very near Canaan and when they were upon the borders of it they refused to go into the Land when God would have them and upon that The Lord did swear in his wrath Psal 95.10 that they should never enter into his rest So when the Spirit of God begins to bring thee near to salvation that it may bee said of thee as Christ to the young man Thou art not far from the Kingdome of Heaven O take heed of hearkening to temptation lest the Lord swear that thou shalt never enter into
lame in thy body yet if thou canst walk in the wayes of Gods Commandements and run there thou art a happy creature It may be thou wantest food I but if God feed thy soul with spiritual Manna feed thee every day with food from heaven and take care for the feeding of thy soul thou art not so miserable as thou thoughtst thy self thou hast tattered cloaths I but if God hath provided the righteousness of his Son to bee a garment to cloach thy soul every time thou appearest before him thou art a happy creature in that therefore when thy heart is ready to murmure that God hath denied thee bodily mercies that hee hath granted to others think with thy self I but hath not God recompenced mee in soul mercies I make no question but there are many souls that bless God that ever they have lived to this time though they have suffered hard things for their bodies many that have lost and been plundered of all yet bless God that they have lived to the time wherein there was so much plenty of the food of souls Oh those truths of God that have been revealed unto us since those times but had those that had the power before had the power still continued wee had never had such truths made known unto us they account all recompenced in soul-soul-mercies in Eph. 1.3 Blessed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Mark what the Apostle saith there his heart is filled with this Blessed bee God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Wherefore that hee hath given us good trading and good incomes that hath given us food and rayment wee are to bless God for this I but the Apostles heart was above this therefore saith hee Blessed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ they are the blessings indeed that wee have cause to bless him for spiritual blessings soul-soul-mercies as for bodily-bodily-mercies wee know that the Heathens and Reprobates have had as great a share in as any in the world but blessed bee God though wee bee denied these outward bodily favours yet wee have spiritual blessings Oh thanks bee to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ And this now would bee a good argument that you do know the worth of your souls if you can be blessing of God for spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ above all blessings and account your selves rich enough if you have the riches of spiritual blessings And then further Oh if the soul of man bee so precious What great pitty is it that God should not have the honour of mens souls of such a noble and excellent creature it is great pitty that there should bee any creature under the Sun that God should not have the honour of that God should not have honour from every pile of grass from every bit of bread that is eaten from every stone in the street But now that God should give to mankinde such an excellent spirit a soul more precious than all the world and yet that God should not have the glory of this Oh this is an evil thing under the Sun indeed this must needs go to the heart of God for the truth is God hath his glory from all other creatures by the soul of man As for other creatures hee hath his glory but passively from them but for mans soul hee doth expect to have his glory actively from that that man by his soul should come to know this God the infinite first-being of all things should fear him and worship him and serve him and have communion with him and praise him and therefore David in Psal 103. My soul praise thou the Lord and all that is within mee praise his holy name And again hee concludes My soul praise thou the Lord. And so in Psal 104. Now upon the consideration of what hath been said of the excellency of our souls wee should lay a charge upon them that they do honour God and serve God What a sad charge will this bee to many a man at the great day when God shall say Haddest thou been made a Dog I never had had so much dishonour as I have had I should have had more honour if I had made thee a Dog there I should have had my honour passively and no dishonour from thee But now thou being made an immortal soul as it was capable of honouring mee so of sinning against mee the more excellent a thing is the more capable of evil it is as well as of good no creatures but Angels and men are able to sin against God Oh it is pitty that God should not have the honour of thy immortal soul God had more honour from Nebuchadnezzar when hee was driven out among the beasts than when hee sat upon the Throne as a King And then further that should have been another Use to have laboured to perswade you to take heed of dishonouring these souls of yours God hath put a great deal of glory and excellency upon them do not you dishonour them and many wayes should have been said how men do put dishonour upon their souls only for the conclusion Oh that you would but learn to love your own souls To love them It is a strange exhortation you will say to exhort men to love their souls Oh that you would but do it Psal 22. David calls his soul his Darling the souls of men should bee indeed their Darlings not their bodies It was a speech of a Courtier to his friend saith hee I love you as mine own soul Oh saith hee then you love mee not at all if you had said you had loved mee as your body then I should have thought you had loved mee but I see no love you have to your soul It was the prayer of the Apostle St. John in the Epistle that hee writ to his host Gaius I suppose you that know Scripture are not unacquainted with it in his third Epistle Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and bee in health even as thy soul prospereth I shall close all I intend for the present with this Scripture it seems that Gaius was a holy man but a man of a weakly and sick body and therefore St. John writing to him hee prayes thus Above all things I desire that thy body may but prosper as thy soul prospereth As if hee should say O Gaius thou hast an excellent gracious soul indued with admirable graces of the Spirit of God full of God thy soul is though thy body bee weakly Oh that thou hadst but as good a body as thou hast a soul It seems Gaius had more care of his soul a great deal than of his body but now my brethren consider this Would not this bee a curse to
added for decency and order in the Church Answered 72 73 Christ is such a King whose soveraignty is absolute 74 Hee hath power to binde conscience ib Christs Kingly power reaches to mens hearts ib. Christ is wonderful in his Kingly office in this hee hath A perfect knowledge of all his subâ—ects 75 Is present with them in all administrations hee over-rules all the plots and counsels of his enemies hee is the King of righteousness and peace 76 14 Christ is wonderful in his Kingly office other Kings are born to bee Kings but Christ died that hee might bee King 77 15 Christ is a King from everlasting to everlasting 78 16 Hee sits at his Fathers Throne now at this time ib. 17 Christ will not onely subject all enemies but hee will put down all rule and all authority 79 18 Wonderful is Christ in his Kingly office for hee makes all his subjects Kings with him in a spiritual sense 80 Exercise of Faith aright is upon Christ as King 81 Christ wonderful in his Priestâ—y office 83 1 Christs Priesthood joyned with Kingly power ib. 2 All Priests in the Law did typifie Christ and cease in him 3 Hee needed not to offer for himself 4 Christ offered the blood of God 83 5 Christ offered a Sacrifice that was sufficient to satisfie God 84 6 Hee is wonderful in that hee offered himself ib. 7 Christ was not onely a Sacrifice but an Altar 85 8 Christ offered but one sacrifice at one time 86 9 His Priesthood indures for ever 87 Christs Priesthood preferred before Aarons Priesthood 88 89 Christ wonderful in his Prophetical office 90 Hee knows all the mind of God perfectly therefore must bee a wonderful Teacher 91 2 Dulness of understanding weakness of parts cannot hinder his teaching 92 How wee shall know whether Christ teach us 93 3 Christ is wonderful in his Priestly office in that hee is sent to reveal high and supernatural things 94 95 4 These high things are not revealed to the wisest and great ones of the world 96 97 5 Hee reveals these things many times suddenly 98 6 Jesus Christ teaches the heart so hee is wonderful 7 Christ teaches immediately himself 100 8 Christ teaches infallibly so hee is wonderful 101 Christ wonderful in his Miracles 102 In the wonders that hee wrought while hee lived 103 Christ wonderful in his endowments and excellency of his person ib. Fairer than the children of men ib. All the fulness of the God-head in Christ 104 This an Argument to us to take heed of abusing the humane nature of our bodies ib. Christ the brightness of Gods glory 105 Christ hath his excellency by virtue of the personal union 106 Christ wonderful in this that all his personal excellencies depend upon himself 107 Christ becomes worthy of divine honour ib. Christ wonderful in this that hee is an infinite object of the delight of his Father 107 108 109 Christ wonderful in his endowments in this that his excellencies are in him to bee conveyed unto his people 110 This should bee a strong Argument to draw our hearts to Christ 111 Christ is wonderful in regard of the glory of the Father that shines in him 112 113 First The glory of Gods Attributes shines in Christ as for iâ—stance Power 11â— Wisdome ib. Holiness 115 Justice 115. Mercy 116. Truth 117 2 The glory of thâ— great counsel and works of God appears in Christ 118 3 All the good from God in order to Eternal Life is from Christ 119 4 The glory of the Father is wonderful in Christ in this that by him hee attains unto his greatest design in making the world and preserving the world 120 What design ib. 5 All the services and praises of Gods Elect come to him through Christ 121 Christ wonderful in his Humiliation 122 The first wonder in his humiliation is that all the sins of the Elect should bee laid upon Christ 122 A second That hee that was so high should bee brought so low for the sin of man 123 A third Christ is wonderful in his humiliation in that hee suffered in his soul 124 A fourth wonder in Christs humiliation is that hee should suffer so much from his Father 126 A fifth In that God doth not spare him at all but is the executioner himself 127 A sixth wonder of Christs humiliation is that God should leave him 128 A seventh Though Christ sore-saw his suffering yet that hee should willingly undergo it 128 An eighth That this should bee the way of saving men 129 Use of Trial whether Christ bee revealed to us 131 A ninth wonder in Christs humiliation is this that God the Father should bee pleased with all this 132 A tenth is the efficacy of his humiliation is a wonder 133 An eleventh Christs humiliation takes away the venom of all the Saints sufferings ib. A twelfth Christ suffered as a common person ib. A thirteenth another wonder is that by such a way of humiliation Christ entred into his glory 134 A fourteenth Christs humiliation was a most wonderful argument of Gods hatred of sin 135 Christs suffering a pattern of Self-denial ib. Christ wonderful in his Conquests what did hee conquer answered 136 Christ conquered death by dying 137 Christ conquered in his own power ib. Christ conquered as a common person 138 Christ wonderful in his resurrection 139 to 144 Christ wonderful in his ascension 145 And sitting at the righâ— hand of his Father 144 Christ wonderful in his coming to judgement 145 Christ wonderful in his working towards his Saints and in their high esteem of him 146 In Heaven Christ shall bee wondred at for ever 147 Application 1 Christ but little known in the world 150 2 How vile a thing is it to prefer a filthy lust before Christ 151 3 It discovers the misery of mankinde to bee exceeding great 154 4 Hence then all beleevers have exceeding cause of rejoycing in hearing of what Christ is what a wonderful Saviour they have 156 God hath exceedingly honoured Beleevers ib. Jesus Christ a full Object for their souls rest 156 157 God doth intend wonderful things for the Saints 158 to 163 The reason that Christians are so empty in their spirits and conversations is because they know so little of the Mystery of the Gospel 164 Duty of Christians to hold out the wonderful glory of Christ in their conversations 166 If Christ bee wonderful here every one that hears of Christ should think it a dreadful thing to miss of Christ 167 Lastly Let us long for the time when Jesus Christ shall appear in all his glory 168 to the end The First SERMON ON The Nature of God THE last day you may remember wee opened that Point of the condition that men are in that live without a God in the world It is evil to bee without bread without friends without outward comforts how great an evil then to bee without a God in the world and who they were that did live without a God in the
come out from them and this was a great incouragement unto them to expect mercy from God because they were a people that the Lord would bring the great Saviour of the world out of And then thirdly That by the propounding of so great a mercy as Jesus Christ should bee to the world they might hereby have a help to their faith that surely God would not deny them lesser mercies what great matter was it for them to expect from God deliverance from some outward affliction when as God makes known unto them that love and that infinite compassion those tender bowels of his even to send his own Son into the world for them And then fourthly It was to teach them this that the way of deliverance from any outward affliction it was to exercise their faith upon Christ the Messia that was to come the Lord would teach his Church when it was in afflictions not so much to bee looking at the present affliction that was upon them and so to seek for outward help and means of deliverance but would have them exercise their faith upon the Messia that was to come though many hundred years after and this exercise of faith was so pleasing to God as it was the onely means or the chief means of deliverance from all outward afflictions Nay saith God if so be that they will relye upon mee and exercise their faith upon that great promise of mine to send my Son into the world as for their deliverance out of these outward troubles and afflictions it shall bee but a little matter for mee to do that for them ordinarily when wee are exercised with outward afflictions wee onely think of some natural helps and comforts contrary to those particular afflictions that are upon us whereas the way indeed for us to sanctifie Gods Name to do that that is acceptable to God when any outward affliction befalls us it is presently to exercise our faith upon the great promise of God in Jesus Christ upon the great Covenant of Grace that God hath made with us in him upon that great mercy of God in sending his Son into the world my condition is very sad and I am grievously afflicted I but surely that mercy that would send Jesus Christ into the world that mercy is enough to deliver mee out of any affliction or at least to bless it to mee therefore do not onely cry to God when you are sick or in trouble to deliver you from it but labour to exercise faith upon the Covenant of Grace in Christ upon that glorious mercy of God in his Son that is the way that God would have us to sanctifie his Name in And that is the reason why in times of great affliction there were such clear Prophesies of Jesus Christ as here in my Text For unto us a childe is born unto us a Son is given and his Name shall bee called Wonderful Counseller c. Now in this latter part of this verse wee have Christ set out unto us in five notable and famous Titles of his His Name is 1. Wonderful 2. Counseller 3. The Mighty God 4. The Everlasting Father 5. The Prince of Peace I intend onely to speak of the first His Name shall bee called Wonderful because I would have some kinde of proportion between what I have presented to you about God and what I shall about Christ And as for other things more largely about God or Christ it may bee afterwards but onely now I shall desire to present Christ unto you in this one Title of his His Name shall bee called Wonderful From whence the Point is this Doct Jesus Christ is the great Wonder of the world That is our point of Doctrine God himself above seven hundred years before hee was born gives him this Name Wonderful in the 19. of this Prophecie vers 20. wee read of a Saviour Isa 19.20 a Great one saith the Text surely Jesus Christ hee is a Saviour and a Great one hee is the Wonder of the world Judg. 13.17 18. The story of the Angels appearing unto Manoah Manoah would fain know his name And Manoah said unto the Angel of the Lord What is thy Name vers 18. the Angel of the Lord said unto him Why askest thou after my name seeing it is secret Now the word that is translated in your books Secret it is a word that signifies Wonderful And Austin in his Questions upon this Book of Judges hee is consident that this Angel was Jesus Christ and that his ascending up in the sacrifice that Manoah offered it was to fore-signifie Jesus Christ to bee the onely Sacrifice that should ascend up to the Father for a sweet savour in the nostrils of the Father it was Jesus Christ that did appear here to Manoah and his Name is Wonderful Luther hath such a speech I remember of Christ saith hee the most famous and wonderful and glorious Miracle of all Miracles is Jesus Christ hee is the Wonder of the world God is very wonderful in all his works in the works of Creation Psal 8.1 Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name and in the end of the Psalm Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the earth yea in that one work of his in making of our bodies Psal 139.14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made saith the Psalmist God hath made our very bodies fearfully and wonderfully it is a wonderful work of God the framing of our bodies in the womb It was a means of the conversion of Gallen from Atheism hee saw the Anatomy of a mans body and beholding the wonderful work of a mans body it did force him to acknowledge the God of Nature that there was a being above Nature Now though God bee wonderful in all his works yet all his wonderful works in the Heavens and in the Earth and in the Seas they must all stand by and give way to this great Wonder as the Stars though they be glorious creatures in themselves yet when the Sun arises all their light is eclipsed you see nothing of them so though God hath many wonders in the world and hath done many wonderful works yet when the Son of Righteousness doâ—h arise when Jesus Christ comes to appear all the other works of God are darkned with the glory of this great Wonder other things are wonderful unto us because of our ignorance because wee are not able to understand the reason of things things are wonderful to children that are little regarded by wise men and understanding men Ignorance makes men to wonder at many things that have nothing in them but Christ hee is a Wondeâ— so as God himself the Father accounted him a Wonder God himself gives unto Jesus Christ this Name Wonderful and no marvel though hee bee a wonder to the Angels themselves in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.12 The Angels are said to desire to look into the things of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To pry into them They
thing as should bee called God-Man and is really and verily God and man together in one I say this is the greatest wonder that ever was in the world that the Divine and humane Nature should bee joyned together that wee should have a Saviour that is as verily man as God and as verily God as man that those two Natures the Nature of God and the nature of man should come together in one that were so distant before one from another this is a wonder beyond all sense and reason and wee had need have a Prospective-glass of God to bee able to see indeed any thing into it wee can easily beleeve wee think that Christ was God and man every childe can do so when you ask your children what Christ was you teach them that hee was both God and man I but I appeal to you when were your hearts taken with this as the geatest wonder in the world that there should bee ever such a thing as God and man in one and that to be the Savior of mankinde That man that is miserable should look up to God to save him look up to the mercy of God this were not so wonderful but that miserable man must bee saved by one that is God-Man Man and God this is that that except the Spirit of God that searches the deep things of God as you had it before reveal it unto a man it were impossible for man ever to have such a thought as this is and indeed the setting out of this so great a mystery is one great argument that the Scriptures are Divine for it is too high a thing to have entred into the thought of a creature I say too high a thing that ever a creature should have such a thought that the saving of man must bee by Gods being man it cannot bee imagined how such a thought could have come into a creature to bee verily man I say this argues the Scripture to bee from God it is too great a mystery for any creature ever to have imagined or thought of it is that that is the stumbling-block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles but the power and glory of God to those that shall bee saved If God should have put this unto us and said Well I am inclined to do good to you and willing to save you but know your estate is such as you can never bee saved except there bee such a Saviour such a Mediator for you as must bee God and man both why certainly both Angels and Men would have stood amazed at this and have concluded that the estate of Man-kinde is desperate then if so bee that the estate of man that is fallen from God and hath sinned against him bee such as there is no way to deliver one soul from eternal condemnation and eternal wrath but by such a Saviour as must bee both God and man I say All Angels and Men would have even concluded then man must perish for ever but it is God the Wonder-woâ—king God that hath wrought thus for Mankinde which hath sent us such a Saviour as is both God and Man Surely then his Name may bee called Wonderful Christ is wonderful in his Person But Secondly Here is a greater wonder than that God is God and man God and man you will say that may bee hee hath come in the similitude of flesh and hath taken the shape of man some kinde of union there may bee between the Divine and humane Nature but consider this second Wonder hee is not onely God but a second Person in Trinity Consider these two things in the Person of Christ First He is to be looked at not meerly as God but as God the second Person of the Trinity and this is a great wonder in Christian Religion for it was little known before Wee read but little in the Old Testament about the Trinity onely in Christ the Trinity comes to bee known when wee are in streights wee will cry to God that made the heavens and earth to bee a Saviour but for us to know that wee must bee saved by God in the Second Person that is the character and ingraven form of his Image the Son of God and yet so the Son of God as hee is Co-eternal with his Father equal with his Father as the Scripture speaks and so God the Second Person in Trinity as yet hee is of the same Nature that his Father is of the same God and yet the Son of God the consideration of the mystery of the Trinity that appears in Christ is a great wonder above reason that wee may adore it but search into it wee are not able And then the second thing to bee considered in his Person is this That hee is not only God and man but God and man hypostatically united the union of the Natures that these Natures should bee united both in one Person this is the great wonder in Christian Religion There are two principal Wonders in Christian Religion I beseech you consider aright of them The first is divers Persons in one Nature 2 Wonders in Christian Religion The second is divers Natures in one Person These are the two Wonders in Christian Religion First divers Persons in one Nature and that is the wonder of the Trinity for there you have but one Nature the Divine Nature but three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost and that is a Wonder that the Heathens knew nothing of and was little known till Christ came And the second Wonder in Christian Religion is divers Natures in one Person that is in Christ Christ is God-man but one Person united hypostatically now to search into this that the same Person that is God is man and how the humane nature subsists in the Deity and hath no subsistence at all in its self but in the Deity how this is onely the Scripture reveals it to bee so but how it is I say is too deep a sea for any creature to wade into wee must stand and admire it and adore God in it that hath revealed this as the object of our faith but to bee able to search how such a thing can bee that that union can bee in one person this is that that is a wonder above all admiration Indeed it is one of the most wonderful works that ever God did in the world to unite two such creatures that seemed to bee of such distant Natures as the body of man and the Soul of man in one Person to unite a peece of earth and a peece of flesh to such a glorious thing as a rational immortal soul is the union of these two together in one person is the greatest work for the works of Nature that ever God did in the world David saw his body wonderfully and fearfully made but certainly the union of the body and soul the soul being of the same nature with the Angels that it should bee united with the body to make but one Person this is a
bee thou that art a carnal Master mayst see thy poor servant taken up to God and thou thy self shut out or it may bee the carnal Father or Mother may see their childe saved and yet they themselves lost Oh this will bee a sad aggravation of their loss And thus you have heard the dreadful loss of the soul together with the aggravations thereof in these ten particulars Now for the Use Is it so that the loss of the soul eternally is so dreadful a loss as you have heard it is Oh then let every one here bless God for their souls that their souls are not thus lost It might have been so long ere this time when such a kinsman of thine dyed or thy fellow-servant or when such a neighbour or acquaintance of thine dyed if thou hadst but dyed when they dyed thy soul it may bee had been eternally lost This I can assure you that naturally you are all lost and what makes the difference between thy soul and the condition of a lost soul as you have heard but onely the meer mercy of God Oh therefore now bless God for his mercy unto thee that thy soul is not as yet a lost soul and think thus with thy self Lord if these things bee true and so dreadful to hear of Oh then what would be my misery if it should prove that I should bee the person made sensible thereof by experiencing the misery I hear of to bee the miserable condition of a lost soul The Scripture doth say concerning the joy and happiness of the Saints That eye hath not seen nor ear heard 1 Cor. 2.9 neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what their happiness shall bee that shall bee saved And the like may bee said of the misery of the souls that are eternally lost and the Scripture doth say That if our Gospel bee hid 2 Cor. 4.3 it is hid to them that are lost I beseech you therefore remember what hath been spoken concerning the condition of loâ—t souls and lay to heart what hath been spoken out of this Text lest within a little time you feel what hath been spoken to bee a truth and so bee forced to cry out True it is I heard such a day out of such a text what was the miserable condition of a soul eternally lost but now I finde it by experience to bee true and the one half I now feel I could not then conceive And know the reason my Brethren why we lay the misery of lost souls thus before you it is to this end that none of you might be thus lost And it is a blessed thing for you to hear these things for how many are there that have lost their souls which till they were thus lost never so much as heard any thing about the loss of their souls which if they had who knows what might have been done by them for the saving of their souls Beloved such a subject as this cannot be spoken unto you without trembling for certainly this subject will bee much adding to the prevention of the loss or else it will mightily aggravate the loss of your souls if ever they are eternally lost therefore all I have at present to counsel you to is to lay these things to your hearts seriously as also to bless God for your souls that as yet they are not in this dreadful eternally lost condition The Fifth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul Matthew 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Use IF the loss of our souls bee so dreadful as you have heard bless God that your souls are not gone and thus lost as hath been opened unto you It may bee thou hast lost thy husband or thy wife or thy childe or thy friend or a great part of thine estate but blessed bee God that thy soul is not lost In a great fire where men use to lose most if not all that they have when a man comes to view what hee hath lost and hee findes hee hath lost this thing that was in such a parlour and that that was in such a chest but if at length he comes to finde that such a Jewel that hee had in the house or such a bagg of gold in which most of his estate consisted that that is not lost though all the lumber all the houshold-stuff is lost that comforts him in all other of his losses So it should bee here whatever wee lose wee are to bee comforted in this that our souls are not gone and lost It is a notable Scripture in 1 Pet. 4. vers last Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator As if the Apostle should say you are like to meet with great sufferings you may likely bee deprived of all you have of your estates and of all your comforts and may come to suffer much yet commit the keeping of your souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator Why they might have said but what shall become of other things if storms and tempests and sufferings come what shall become of our estates what shall become of our livelihoods and of our bodies why saith the Apostle as for them for your estates for your bodies it may bee they may perish you are not so much to look after them but commit the keeping of your souls unto him as unto a faithful Creator The Apostle here exhorts them what to do in times of sufferings and by what hee doth express hee doth imply that they should take no care for outward estate and body it is enough that your souls are well commit the keeping of your souls to him as unto a faithful Creator wee have enough if that bee safe You know in time of danger as fires and other times if a man hath any precious thing hee carries that presently to some special friend and commits the keeping of that to him his writings and such things wherein his estate is most So saith the Apostle in the time of publick danger Take care to commit the keeping of your souls to him as unto a faithful Creator and you are well enough That is the first Secondly If the loss of the soul bee so dreadful a loss Oh let us bless God then for Jesus Christ without whom all our souls had been eternally lost never a soul in the world but must have perished unto all eternity had not Jesus Christ come into the world to bee the great Saviour of souls All the Angels in Heaven and men in the world could never have saved one soul now Christ saw this and his bowels did even yearn towards so many thousands of precious souls and rather than they should perish hee was content to come and make his own soul to bee an offering for sin Isa 53.10 the soul of Christ was made an
of the Scripture how doth the hopes of those that shall bee saved arise Why they rise thus either by reading or hearing something out of the Word of God and God darting some light some truths into their souls through his Word they come to receive it and there it lies working in them till at length their souls relish it and they taste the sweetness of the Word and come to have comfort in it and so through patience and comfort of the Scriptures their hope comes to bee raised the Scripture in raising hopes first it works patience it usually beats down the soul first and speaks hard things to it and the soul that God over-powers to himself it is willing to lye under the power of the Scripture and bee patient notwithstanding the Scripture doth reveal such hard things and puts it upon never such hard duties the heart I say yeelds to it and at length the soul comes to finde sweetness out of the Scripture and so hopes comes to bee raised that is the soul sees some eternal truth out of the Word of God the truth of God himself that is eternal a divine truth that it dares venture its eternal estate upon and upon this it doth raise its hope it is able to give an account from some place of the Scripture upon what grounds it doth hope I hope that God will shew mercy to mee and save my soul in the day of Christ will some say I but what ground have you for your hopes Now if your hopes bee right then there is somewhat in this Book of God to bee shewed as the ground of this and indeed you can have but little comfort of your hopes except you bee able to hold forth some Scripture of other upon which you build your hopes for when you say you hope you may not mean that you think and aâ—e perswaded that it is so but what Scripture have you for iâ—â—â— you will say what Scriptures have any to ground their hopâ—s of salvation upon what Scriptures a great many I will give you but this one that many have to ground their hopeâ— upon Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Upon this now saith a soul that God brings to himself What doâ—h God say in his Word that word upon which my soul stands and must bee cast one day for eternity that those that are in Christ Jesus shall never bee condemned I but who are they such as walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit such as the bent of whose hearts and the indeavours of whose souls are not after fleshly things the comforts of this world but after spiritual things such whom the Lord hath made to be sensible of spiritual things and such as the Lord doth act and guide by his holy Spirit in their waies and conversations God saith such shall never be condemned then upon this I will build my hopes for I feel that the Lord hath been pleased to work so on mee as to bring mee to Jesus Christ to see him to close with him and to relye upon him and I feel the fruit of the Spirit of Christ in mee that whereas before I walked after the flesh and spiritual things I did not savour now I finde that the lusts of the flesh are mortified and I should wrong the grace of God if I should deny the actings and the guidings of the Spirit in my soul and therefore I will build my hopes and rest upon this Scripture And the more any soul rests upon any Scripture if it rests truly the more shall it finde the power of that Scripture upon it Therefore you shall know the difference between an hypocrites resting upon Scripture and one that rests through the work of Gods Grace an Hypocrite rests upon such a Scripture and conceits that his heart is according to the Scripture but now hee doth not finde that the more hee rests the more his heart is wrought upon by the Scripture and daily grows to bee liker and liker to the Scripture to come nearer and nearer to what is required in the Scripture but now when a gracious heart doth rest upon Scripture it findes that daily it doth grow nearer and nearer to the Scripture and that works daily more and more upon it and indeed this is the way to grow in sanctification and to make our hearts like to the Scriptures Fall upon several places and let your souls rest upon them for eternity and so you will finde your hearts to grow more and more like to those Scriptures and the power of those Scriptures will appear more and more in your hearts and conversations This is the way of the Saints that have hopes to bee saved Secondly Again those hopes that are to be rased are hopes that are not wrought in the soul by the power of the Holy Ghost in the forenamed Chapter The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost That hope that is right for salvation is such a hope as is wrought through the power of the Holy Ghost Now then that hope that is in men and women which is born with them and hath lived with them all their daies that springs from the root of nature for so that that is born with us and grows up with us all the daies of our lives I say it springs from a root of nature and so the hopes of most people they are no other but such as springs from a root of nature come from one to another and ask them do you think to bee saved I I hope so how long have you hoped so ever since I can remember I thank God I I thought so it is a hope that springs out of the root of nature and therefore you have had it alwaies whereas the true hope of the godly for salvation it is a hope wrought in their hearts by the Almighty power of the Holy Ghost And I appeal to you now what Almighty power of the Holy Ghost have you felt in your hearts to raise up those hopes that you have in you For certainly the grace of hope hath a difficulty in it as well as any grace whatsoever now all people almost finde an easiness in that but here the Scripture makes it to bee the glory of the Holy Ghost to raise hopes in any creature therefore those hopes that arise from a root of nature that are not wrought by an Almighty power of the Holy Ghost in the heart must bee rased down Do but put your souls to this question I have hopes to bee saved but Lord how are they wrought what power of the Holy Ghost hath been in my heart to raise these hopes Suppose there were no Holy Ghost as they said in the Acts that they had not so much as heard whether there were any Holy Ghost or no
yet might not I have such a hope as I have in Gods mercy Oh the hope that will bring to salvation is such a hope as is raised by the power of the Holy Ghost Now if our hopes bee raised by the power of the Holy Ghost then they will have much of the Holy Ghost in them and sutable to your hopes so doth the Holy Ghost come into your hearts and dwell in your hearts and if it comes in and dwells in your hearts then it doth inlighten your hearts it doth act and guide you you are lead by the Holy Ghost in your way Now can you say that in the course of your lives it is the Holy Ghost that guides you that you are carried on by the Holy Ghost and not by your own spirits It is true the best of all may bee acted by their own spirits in some time of temptation but for the course of their lives they are acted and guided by the Holy Ghost their lives are such as those that live by them may say here is one that is acted and guided by the Holy Ghost Now can you say so certainly if you have true hopes for salvation it is raised by the Holy Ghost and if it bee raised by the Holy Ghost it doth act your lives in the waies of holiness Thirdly Those hopes must bee rased down that are not lively hopes and purging hopes I will put them both together That are not lively that you have in 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Here is a great deal in this Scripture First that the hopes of the Saints are lively hopes that is a hope as is mightily working in them it will not suffer their hearts to lye dead in any way of wickedness Indeed it may bee with the hearts of the Saints as it is with a fountain of living water that may have some dirt cast into it but it being a living spring it works out that dirt so the children of God that have some lively hopes may have some dirt cast in by temptation some sin I but if their hopes bee lively it will work it all out And mark you are begotten therefore you see that the hopes of life and salvation it is that that is not bred with us as I spake before but it is that that follows from our new birth And this is by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead The power and the virtue of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead being in the soul and putting a new life into the soul begets it to this lively hope And then it is a purging hope 1 John 3.3 And every man that hath this hope purifieth himself even as hee is pure Mark you think what need men bee so pure and strict are there none of you that ever have scorn'd at purity and preciseness and holiness if you have consider of this text upon which your souls lies every man that hath this hope that is to see Jesus Christ and bee made like unto him hee doth here in this world purifie himself as Jesus Christ is pure that is hee doth make Jesus Christ to bee his pattern in all that hee doth and aims at no less purity than the very purity of the Son of God hee doth aim at it hee makes it his work though hee cannot come fully to it and that very hope that is in him doth work him to this Now what hopes you have had that are not such must bee rased down to the ground if ever you would bee saved at last The Ninth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul Matthew 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Question YOu will say Rased down to the ground what is that Answ By that I mean this First You should bee willing to seek to God and that earnestly that hee would never let you bee at quiet in any false hope be earnest with God in prayer O Lord I see that the matter of my salvation is a matter of infinite consequence if I should mistake if I should miscarry in it it had been better for mee never to have been born O Lord therefore help mee in this thing above all that I may never rest my salvation upon any false hopes that so I may not at the last bee disappointed of my last hopes bee earnest thus with God and bee willing to know the worst of your selves Lord if thou seest the work bee not yet done let mee know it let mee know it now before it is too late It is better to know that yet the work is to begin while you have time to work than to know it after when the time is gone And then bee willing to examine your hopes to lay them to the rule of the Scripture and that very narrowly And if you finde your hopes cannot stand with the Word then resolve thus with your selves the work is yet to bee done the very laying of the foundation of that great work of the saving of my soul it is to begin I but you will say God forbid this wee have not lived all this while to begin to lay the work for the saving of our souls now that were an ill thing indeed O I would to God it were not so but this very thought that some have that they are not now to begin the â—aying of the foundation in saving their souls is that that doth destroy them whereas though a man or woman have lived many years yea though they have been Professours of Religion yet if upon examination they can finde that the saving work of God is not wrought in their hearts and upon that can conclude Lord it is to begin for ought I know I must begin the work again and better it is to begin twice than bee damned once therefore whatsoever becomes of mee I will begin again this were a good sign Suppose you should begin again and it may bee you thought too ill of your selves for it may bee there was some truth in your hopes or hearts that you could not see yet there is no great danger in this that that was good will hold though you do not see it it is the safest way for men and women therefore to bee willing to begin often yea and sometimes it is the best and the readiest course for people that have lost their evidences for salvation and they can see no clear evidences out of Gods Word to settle their hearts upon for the great matter of their salvation I say it is the readiest way for them to do as if they were to begin again rather than to spend time in looking out their old evidences as a man perhaps that hath lost his evidences may have them renewed with less charge and cost than hee can
Certainly there can bee no strength in this if what hath been spoken out of this Text bee true But now when there comes a temptation and prevails over thee thou dost deny this Scripture to bee the Word of God and thou settest thy judgement against the truth of God but now consider with thy self which is like to stand know that God will make his Word stand hee will make it good when thou and a thousand thousand such as thou art shall perish for ever and therefore as you that are chapmen when men offer you less than your ware is worth you scorn and contemn them so you should do when temptation offers you less than your soul is worth Wee read of Saul when hee saw the people following David saith hee What can the son of Jesse do for you Can hee give you Olive-yards and Vine-yards and the like So when temptation to sin comes ask it what can you do for mee can you save my soul in the time of distress you would draw mee to such and such courses such and such companions would draw mee to such and such waies I but you may put them off with this Is this the way to save my soul if it bee then I will do it but if it will not do that God forbid that I should meddle Oh therefore remember remember that the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7.30 31. The Apostle would take off the hearts of men from the things of this world and bring this Argument saith hee The fashion of this world it passeth away Therefore use the world as not abusing it That that you have in your English book passes away it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I finde two very learned Writers translate it by a word that signifies to deceive The fashion of the world will deceive you at last and another by a word that signifies To go quite cross These two significations it hath it doth deceive or it goes quite cross the outward shew of the world oh it doth deceive thousand thousands of souls to their eternal perdition and it goes quite cross it seems to promise thee thus and thus much but it will go quite cross in the conclusion and will bee thy undoing if thou dost not take heed and therefore let not any thing in the world bee a temptation to thee for the least sin that possibly may bee I remember Austin in his book about an officious lye hath this passage saith hee A man must not tell an officious lye that is a lye without an intention to do any body hurt for the gaining of the world nay for the gaining of all the souls in the world the least sin is a greater evil than the gain of all the world is a good because that it is dangerous to the soul upon that very ground and therefore it is said of Basil when the persecutors terrified him with the loss of all that hee had but that did not prevail then they made him fair proffers and great advantages that hee should have I but Basil laught at them and bid them go and proffer such things to children So the story of the Martyrs tells us of Austinius that godly man that having been a means to demolish a place for Idol worship The Idolaters afterwards came upon him and put him to extremity of torments and set children upon him to rake his flesh with their knives but at length they would bee content if hee would but give never so little for the building up of the Idol Temple again to let him go free No saith hee not one half-penny Certainly this point will bee enough to justifie any that shall lose estate or indure any thing in the world rather than do any thing that may in the least degree hazard their souls And so that Martyress Juletta when one accused her and said that shee was a Christian nay then saith the Judge you must not have liberty of the Law No saith shee then farewel riches and life and all shee would bee sure to keep her soul safe whatsoever became of all other things The last Use is an Use of Incouragement to those that will rather venture all in the waies of God than to hazard their souls thou art the wise Merchant that art willing to sell all for the Pearl and bless thy self in God for this that ever God hath put this into thy heart to look to that which is the main chance as wee use to say If God had left thee to thy self thou mightest have gone on in such waies as others do but canst thou say the Lord hath caused the fear of himself and the fear of eternity to fall upon my soul and I can appeal to him that whatever comes of mee in regard of outwards mee thinks I can bee satisfied so bee it all things bee well with my soul I say bless thy self in God a man is not to praise himself but in God that is thus When thou dost consider how God hath drawn thy heart to him and thy interest in God thou mayest bless thy self in God in the grace of God that hath given thee a heart taken off from creature-comforts dis-ingaged from them and set upon the things that concern the eternal salvation of thy soul bless thy self in God and bee not troubled though thou beest cut short in the things of this world One would think that that which hath been said about the vanity of the things of this world should make people that are crossed in them if they bee godly to bee satisfied What if thou art plundered of all and â—ast little pâ—ovision for thy family and â—ast bread for one day and knowest not where to get bread for the next I but is thy soul safe I remember wee read in Genesis of the King of Sodome hee could say to Abrâ—ham Give mee the souls and take the goods to thy self though hee were but a Heathen King hee spake of their natural lâ—ves So do you whose hearts God hath inclined to soul-saving waies say to the men of the world Do you take the riches but let mee have the safety and welfa e of the soul Oh if God have assured thee upon good grounds that thy soâ—l is safe thy sin pardoned what great matter though thou hast not some of the lumber of this world If a malefactour that were in danger to die should go to seek for a pardon for his life well when hee hath gotten it and is coming from the presence of the King perhaps hee loses his glove or handkerchief upon the staires were it not an unseemly thing for such a man to fall a crying and wringing of his hands because hee had lost his glove Just thus for all the world is the madness and folly of people that say they have some comfortable hope that God will have mercy upon their souls and will save them for ever yet when they are crost and wronged they cry out they are undone man
and woman thou art not undone for thy soul is safe Lord strike saith Luther strike onely pardon my sin And my Brethren well may you bee incouraged to undergo any difficulties and to bear the loss of the comforts of this world for the saving of your souls for indeed the Lord hath granted to us the way of salvation of souls at an easier rate than our Forefathers had If I should but tell you the way that many of our Forefathers had for the saving of their souls and many of the Saints of God in former times you would have said then that it was a difficult way to save souls and go to Heaven As I will but give you an instance of one man and another woman how hardly they came to salvation That blessed Martyr Bensesius see but what a way hee had to Heaven for profession of Christian Religion The Persecutors came to him and because hee would not deny the Truth they strike his body in all his members out if joynt and when they had done that they make wounds in all parts of his body then thirdly they bring Iron combs sharpened and so rake upon his body thus wounded and when they had done that they laid him upon an Iron grate and with instruments of Iron open those wounds and after that they melt hot burning salt and strew it upon those wounds being opened and then they come with hot Irons and fear him with those hot Irons and after that dragg him by the heels into a dungeon where they had prepared sharp shells and there hee lay and perished here is one that went to Heaven upon hard terms you will say but God calls not you to do so but to deny your selves in some base lust in some sinful and ungodly way in something that you may spare that you may spare as well as the water out of your shooes as wee use to say And then of a woman that was of Noble birth and yet shee being convented for Religion and answering boldly and resolutely and would not yeeld after many temptations and fair speeches they dragged her by the hair of the head from the seat of Judicature and having dragged her they pull off one joynt from another and having done that get the teeth and claws of wilde beasts and rake her flesh from the bones and having afterwards done that then they came with hot Irons and Torches and burning flames one of one side and another of another side and scorch and burn her to death in such a way as that was and yet shee goes on constantly so bee it shee might save her soul shee was willing to indure all this misery wee do not know what God may call you to before you die many of our Brethren have suffered very hard things and God may call you to hard things Oh that this Text might prepare you And now my Brethren as it hath been a means to carry others thorow temptations and many difficulties in this world so if you would lay but these truths to your hearts and if you cannot think of every particular passage yet do but think of the Text and take but this one Note and that is that whereas God calls others to spend their strength in suffering so great evils to save their souls bee you willing to spend the strength that God spares you in doing in serving spend your strength in active obedience so much the more by how much the less you are called to spend it in the way of passive obedience that so you may have cause to bless God for ever in Heaven when you shall come to see soul and body to bee blessed and saved eternally you may bless God for ever in Heaven for revealing such a truth and setting home such a Text What shall it profit a man though hee gain the whole world and lose his soul and what shall a man give in exchange for his soul FINIS Books printed for and sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside Folios A Practical Commentary or an Exposition with Observations Reasons and Uses upon the first Epistle General of John By that pious and worthy Divine Master John Cotâ—on Pastor of Bostox in New-England A Learned Commentary or Exposition upon the first Chapter of the second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians being the substance of many Sermons formerly Preached at Grayes-Inne London by that Reverend and judicious Divine Richard Sibbs D. D. sometimes Master of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge and Preacher to that Honourable Society Published for the publick good and benefit of the Church of Christ by Tho. Manton B. D. and Preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington near London 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine Characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming vertue and formal duties And the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience As also between the blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly eclipsing saving grace and the reigning sins of the unregenerate that pretend unto that godliness they never had By that late burning and shining Lamp Mr. Samuel Crook B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Sommerset A Commentary upon the Divine Revelation of the Apostle and Evangelist John By David Pareus sometimes Professour of Divinity in the University of Heidelburg And specially some things upon the twentieth Chapter are observed by the same Author against the Millenaries Translated out of the Latine into English by Elias Arnold Quartoes A Theatre of flying Infects wherein especially the manner of right ordering the Bee is excellently described with discourses Historical and Physical concerning them with a Second part of Meditations and Observations Theological and Moral in three Centuries upon the same subject by Samuel Purchas M. A. Peoples Need of a living Pastor at the Funeral of Mr. Iohn Frost M. A. by Mr. Zach. Crofton 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Saint's Worthiness and the World's worthlesness both opened and declared in a Sermon preached at the Funeral of that eminently Religious and highly honoured Knight Sir Nathanael Barnardiston Aug. 26. 1653. By Samuel Faireclough Pastor of the Congregation at Ketton Holy things for holy men or the Lawyers Plea non-suited c. In some Christian reproof and pitty expressed towards M. Prynn's book intituled The Lord's Supper briefly Vindicated by S. S. Minister of the Gospel An Antid te against H. Haggar's poysonous Pamphlet intituled The Foundation of the Font discovered or a reply wherein his audaciousness and sophistry in arguing against Infant-Baptism Discipleship Church-membership is detected his cavils against M. C. M. B. and M. Hall are answered c. By A. Houghton Minister of the Gospel at Prees in Salop. Large Octavoes Four profitable Treatises very useful for Christian practice viz. The Killing power of the Law The Spiritual Watch The New Birth Of the Sabbath By the