upon you the more he defiles you Truly such is the earths and the world fulness as I say a dog the more it fawns upon you and falls upon you the more it defles you Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ is a pure Fulnesse a Fulness that is full of purenesse Eightly Take al the Fulnesse of the world and though it be never so much it fals under your expectation Sink your expectation as low as you can and yet notwithstanding it wil fall below your expectation As for the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ raise and scrue up your expectation as high as you can and yet you shall find more therein then ever you expected Ninthly As for the fulnesse of the earth somtimes 't is better wanted than injoyed It may make you miserable it cannot make you happy Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ it can never make you miserable it will certainly make you happy there is no such time wherein 't is better wanted than injoyed Tenthly As for the Fulnesse of the earth again It costs a man many times more than 't is worth it costs him his Time his precious Thoughts his Soul much is laid out for it much care to get it much fear to keep it and much grief to lose it Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ it costs him nothing Esay 56.1 Come buy Wine and Milk without money or moneys-worth Christ gives much and takes little takes nothing it costs you nothing and having it you have all And again to name no more of these Take all the fulnesse of the Earth and though it be never so much it is not able to answer you with Love to return you Love for your Love The greaten noblest Gift of the world is Love That is alwaies unworthy of your love that cannot answer your love again If you have a full bagg If you have a full Table if you have a full House these fulnesses cannot answer you with love again but it can defile your own love Oh! but the Fulnesse of Christ it can answer you with Love for Love it gives you a better Love than you brought it Nobilitates and Meliorates and raises your own love forever Behold This is the Fulnesse this is the Fulnesse that the Saints that Beleevers do partake in that they do receive of and they may come to this Fulness of Jesus Christ and they may say Of this Fulnesse of this Fulnesse wee have all received As those wicked men they may go unto the fulnesse of the Earth and they may say indeed Of this fulnesse we have all received but as for that Fulnesse we have none of it Oh! how much better is the cōdition of a Beleever than the condition of a wicked man though he be never so great or rich You that are Beleevers you do envy at the men of the world because of their fulnesse I Pray tell me would you change your Fulnesse for theirs Would you change your Condition for theirs And you that are of the world wicked ungodly men that have but the Earths fulnesse Why do you lay out your thoughts and your time upon such a fulnesse a dropsical fulnesse a fading fulnesse a dying fulnesse a fulnesse that is mixt with a Curse a fulnesse thsat does al bemire you and dirty you pray tell me Are you able with the Dasies Tulips of the world to satisfie your better part Oh! know you not that notwithstanding all the Earths fulnesse that a wicked mans fortune I say that a wicked mans fortune it lies in a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And when you have done all you can gathered all that ever you can together you may go unto your full purses or unto your full bags or unto your full houses or unto your full barnes and you may say of this fulnesse I have received Oh! but you cannot go unto the Fulnesse of the Lord Jesus Christ and say And of this Fulness my soul hath received Oh! fool saies our Saviour Luke 12.20 when His barnes are full this night shall thy soul be taken away from thee And when you come below in the pit where no water is then you will complain and say Oh! wretch that I was I might have had of the Fulness of Jesus Christ but I chose rather the fulness of the earth and if I had had the Fulness of Christm I had bin made for ever but I chose rather the fulnesss of the world then the Fulness of Jesus Christ and now I am lost for ever Oh! I am lost for ever I have none of the Fulness of Jesus Christ What an incouragement here is then And so I come unto the Second Use Appli 2. and I will not hold you long in it What an incouragment is here unto al men good and bad to come in unto Jesus Christ and partake of His Fulnesse I say in the Second place here is incouragement unto all you that hear the Word of the Lord this day good or bad an incouragement unto all souls good and bad to come in unto the Lord Jesus Christ and partake of His fulnesse Saies our Lord and Savior When I am lift up Joh. 12.32 I will draw all men after Me I Love is a drawing thing Love is a drawing thing it draws men and women together into one youke that lived farr asunder And what greater love than this that Jesus Christ should lay down His Life for poor sinners Wisdome wisdome is a drawing thing it drew the Queen of Sheba from farr to come unto Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon is here Riches riches Wealth wealth is a drawing thing Bounty and Liberality a drawing thing it draws the poor beggar to the rich mans dore And behold here 's Riches Oh! there 's an infinite treasury of Grace and Holinesse in Jesus Christ And here 's Liberality For there is an infinite propension and willingnesse in the Lord Jesus Christ to give out of this Fulnesse unto poor finners Oh! hath God the Father exalted Jesus Christ and shall not our hearts exalt Him Beloved let but Jesus Christ be exalted in your thoughts and in your hearts and you will stand Firm against all Temptations Firm against and Discouragements Firm against all Afflictions Firm against all Temptations If Temptations come to offer you profit and pleasure then will you make this answer No you bid me losse for there is a fulness in Jesus Christ and of His Fulness through the Lords mercy I have received Firm against all Discour agements If the Devil come and tell you Thou art now a Professor but ere long you will fall away and prove as great a scandal to Religion as ever you honored it before You will make this answer True indeed Satan I have a backsliding soul I have a backsliding heart but there is a Fulnes in Jesus Christ through the Lords mercy I have received of this Fulness an d therefore I shal persevere in the way that
over now ye say how will the Child do now Why surely the Child will do as well and better now if the father takes the child up in his arms the dirty lane wil be the pleasantest place to the child when 't is taken up into the fathers armes Thus 't is with the Saints great works they do and hard things they go thorow Oh! but they are taken up into Christs Armes and they have all in a way of Receiving When you look upon a man that does keep a great Table hath many servants attending on him his Purse alwaies full of money you will say surely this man leads a fine and a sweet life if it do not cost him much for to receive it or get this money but if you hear that he hath all his Estate only for telling his money his great pains is all in receiving his money Oh! here 's a blessed man indeed and here 's a happy man you think presently Thus 't is the great pains of a Christian is to Receive from Christ and to spend for Christ Oh! what a sweet life does the Saints live that live by Faith in Jesus Christ Thirdly Appli 3. Is this Doctrine true Then what abundance are there in the world many that live under the Gospel that from hence are argued to have no saving interest in Jesus Christ Good people mark it that I say are not savingly united to Jesus Christ There is a Two-fold Vnion with Christ as Christ is considered Two waies He is either considered with His Church the Church and He making one body and so all together are called Christ In 1 Cor. 12. Or else He is considered as the great Mediator and Savior of Beleevers by Himself Accordingly men may be said to be Vnited to Him Either Outwardly in the Church tied and related to Him by outward Ordinances Or else Inwardly united to Him by saving faith When a man is Inwardly united to Jesus Christ by saving faith he hath all from Christ Strength unto every duty from Jesus Christ Praying strength and Hearing strength and Repenting strength and Confirming strength he hath from Christ in a way of Receiving But the other hath little or nothing from Christ Pray mark it I will express it thus A man takes a peice of bread or a loaf of bread he tyes it to his arm his arm hath no strength from that 't is but an outward tye to his arm it hath no strength from that and it argues that 't is but an outward tye it causes no strength by it But if a man take bread and eat it that there be an inward union then there is strength there is bread goes to all the parts you know my meaning Or thus I will expresse it thus Take a graft and tye it unto a Tree tye it unto a stock and it brings forth no fruit at all why Because 't is but outwardly tyed unto the root unto the stock of the Tree But take the branch and graft it into the Tree into the stock then it brings forth all that it brings forth by vertue of the stock that 't is grafted into So my beloved there are a company there are a generation of people that live here under the Gospel that are Outwardly tyed unto Christ they are Baptized they have the Name of Christ by profession and by the tye of the Ordinances they are outwardly tyed unto Christ but Oh! they receive nothing from Him nothing from Him pray what do they receive Suppose Christ had not come into the world suppose they had never heard Christ preacht they might have lived Civilly they might have lived Justly amongst their neighbors they might have abstained from Lying and Drunkenness why they do not thus much poor creatures nothing from Christ they receive nothing from Christ Oh! these are but outwardly tyed as a loaf of bread is tyed unto a mans arm so is the Lord Jesus in the Ordinances tyed unto them I but then There are another people that are Savingly united to Jesus Christ and these they have strength from Him they cannot Pray but as they have strength from Christ they cannot Confer and speak of good things but as they have strength from Christ they cannot go and hear a Sermon with any affection but as they have strength from Christ All all in a way of Receiving Oh! they stand in a way of dependance upon God in Him and they have all from Christ these are Savingly united to Christ But Oh! many that live among us that have not all from Christ Certainly therefore there are many that are not savingly united to Jesus Christ This is a Third I 'le adde but one more and so I have done Is this Doctrine true Appli 4. All in a way of Receiving Then surely Beloved All is from Grace from first to last Heaven Heaven is a Donative Salvation is a Donative every step in the Iadder to Heaven is Grace every link of the chain is Grace Oh! every beam of our day is Grace every stone of our building Grace Is all in a way of Receiving What Praying strength What Hearing strength What Suffering strength What is all al in a way of Receiving Oh then what glorious Grace is here Oh! rich Grace Oh! free Grace Oh! incomparable Riches of the freeness of Gods Grace in Christ Is the Lord Jesus the Alpha and the Omega Is He the Beginning the Middle the End of all our actions Oh! what Grace is here If there be ever a drooping soul If there be ever a poor hard heart a cold heart a frozen heart in all this Congregation Come O poor soul come and warm thine heart at this fire of Love Were our Heaven and our Salvation put to sale upon our Doing I say were Mercy set to sale at our doing then we were in a sad condition we were in a lamentable condition Well now Is al in a way of Receiving What then though I cannot Pray for the present What then though my heart be dead for the present yet notwithstanding I will wait upon the Lord in the way of His Ordinances it may be this day and this time I shall receive something that may put life into my poor dead soul Oh! you that never waited upon the Lord and upon free Grace wait now upon the Lord you that have waited waite still you that never waited wait now Beloved the more Dependant our condition is the more Depending should our spirits be What more Dependant condition can you think of All all in way of Receiving Oh! therefore now let us all labor to live by faith Go away with this in your bosomes I see a necessity of living in a continual Dependance on God in Christ Which that you may do think of all these things and the Lord bless them to you SERMON IV. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Margrets new fish-street Decem. 8 1645. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance
into his soule Answerable to that a chaine of gold is hung about his necke Joseph a poor stranger brought as low as ever man was Answerable to that he is made next in the Kingdome to Pharoah Beloved if the dead Mercy rise as your bodies when they rise they rise in glory So when the Mercy rises it will rise a glorious Mercy And as it shall be the greatest Mercy that ever you had so it shall be the surest That is most certain that is certain after uncertainty Whose assurance was like to Thomas's Oh! sayes Thomas My Lord and My God two My's My Lord and My God it came out of doubting A Tree that stands after shaking stands the most firmly Assurance after doubting is the strongest Assurance surest Assurance As 't is the greatest Mercy so I say it shall be the surest Mercy if ever the Mercy rise And then againe Lastly As the surest so it shall be the sweetest Mercy The children of Israel they had wholesome meat and water and drinke but the sweetest water was that which they had after no water water out of a rocke that was like hony And a Mercy that comes out of a rocke that comes from out of the sentence of death from under death it shall be the sweetest Mercy You know what the Father of the Prodigall sayes when his son was come home he cals his friends together Lak 15.32 Come sayes he and make merry with me for this my son was dead and is now alive Cals his friends together and speaks thus unto them So shall it be with the Soule when the Mercy lost is found when the Mercy dead is raised then the Soule shall call in his friends Come O my friends Come I le tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soule here here is a Mercy dead and 't is now alive Come make merry with me O my friends this my Assurance it was even dead and 't is now alive Oh! this Blessing this Blessing it was dead but 't is now alive Come and make merry with me O my friends for this Mercy was dead and 't is now alive Thus I say if this Mercy rise that hath the sentence of death upon it it shall be the greatest Mercy it shall be the surest and it shall be the sweetest Mercy that ever you had in all your dayes And therefore who would not waite upon the Lord who would not waite upon the Lord when the sentence of death is put upon the Mercy and upon all the manes that do lead unto it Oh! my beloved in the Lord that you would but possesse your hearts of this one Truth this Mercy how quiet would your Soules be under all the distempers and the troubles of the time Nationall distempers Personall distempers When you look upon the troubles that are abroad yet your hearts would be quiet and you would say well but yet notwithstanding we may be in the way to the greatest Mercy that ever England saw why should we be thus discouraged Oh! my Soule waite upon God this is Gods way he never gives any great Mercy to any of his people but first he does put a sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it And therefore notwithstanding all yet we may be in Gods way Therefore Oh! my Soule waite on him Thus much for this time Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe THe words as ye heard the last day are spoken concerning Abraham Preached-at Margarets New fishstreet March 2. 1645. And they hold forth three great Truths unto us The First is this That when God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing to the children of Abraham he does first put the sentence of death upon the blessing and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs wombe is dead when God had promised him a great seed The Second is this When God is thus pleased to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the meanes that do lead thereto Then and then especially 't is the duty and commendation of all the children of Abraham to beleeve in God and not to stand poring upon the meanes and the deadnesse thereof He considered not his own body being dead nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe The Third is this That no difficulty can stand before Faith true saving justifying Faith carries the Soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ Thus it was here with Abraham he being not weak in Faith he had an eye unto Jesus Christ I have done with the First and my desire is now at this time to dispatch the Second When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing Doctr. or the meanes that do lead unto it it is the duty of the children of Abraham then to trust in God not to stand poring upon or considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof Thus it was here with Abraham God made Abraham a promise that his seed should be like the sand and like the starres for multitude But Abrahams body is dead and his wives body is dead Notwithstanding Abraham considered not the deadnesse of the meanes And in all this he is held forth for our Example as you heard the last day As he did therefore so must we do The Doctrine is somewhat large I shall break it asunder into three parts and endeavour to cleare up these three Propositions unto you for the proof of the whole First That a meere rationall considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof is a great and a speciall enemy to the work of beleeving Secondly That when all means faile 't is the duty and commendation of the children of Abraham then to beleeve Thirdly That so to do is exceeding pleasing to God and most acceptable First That a meere rationall considering of the meanes the straitnesse or scantinesse narrownesse or deadnesse of the meanes is a great and a speciall enemy to the work of beleeving Abraham being not weak in Faith considered not his own body being dead If he had considered he might have been hindered in his Faith Ye reade of Zacharias that good man Father of John the Baptist that when the Angell brought him tidings of a child in way of his speciall Mercy he would not beleeve it And in the 1. of Luke and the 20. verse ye reade how he was punished for it Behold thou shalt be dumbe and not able to speak untill the day that these things shall be performed because thou beleevest not my words But what hindred him what kept him off from this work of beleeving you shall find at the 18. verse too much attendance unto and considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof Zachary said unto the Angell Whereby shall I know
in regard of a particular Family in a Town 't is said concerning the Jailors family that they were all baptized they all beleeved but how did the Jailors family come and seek after the Kingdom of Heaven before the Kingdom of Heaven was brought unto them No The Apostles were brought into prison God works a miracle the Kingdom of Heaven grace and free remission is brought to the prison and is brought to the Jaylors family before ever the Jailor did stir after it And so ye know it was with the family of Zacheus Luke 19 9. Zacheus saies our Saviour This day is salvation come to thine house Pray consider it a little did Zacheus's house go to seek for salvation or rather did not salvation come and seek for Zecheus's house Indeed Zecheus out of a curiosity ran and got up into a tree that he might see the out-side of Jesus Christ but our Lord and Saviour Christ cals him down Zacheus saies he I must dine with thee invites himself he carries salvation unto his family Thus God deals by Families He deals thus by the World He deals thus by Nations He deals thus by Towns He deals thus by Families And he deals thus by particular Persons also Was it not thus with Matthew the Publican He sate ye know in his Custome-house and Christ came and found him out there he did not first go and seek after Christ but Christ came first unto him and found him out in his trade and said unto him 1 Tim. 1.13 follow me And was it not thus with Paul Saies Paul I was a blasphemer and a persecutor But I obtained mercy I was breathing out threatenings against the Saints and against the Disciples of Jesus Christ but as I was breathing out threatenings against them the holy Ghost breath'd upon my heart and met me in the way and unhorst me and showed me mercy the Kingdom of Heaven did approach unto Paul before ever Paul sought after it And as 't is with a particular Person in regard of his first Conversion and first Repentance So in regard of his After-Repentance Peter sins and before ever Peter repents Christ looks back upon him that is the first then Peter wept bitterly Johah sin'd and sin'd greatly in running away from God before ever Johah could find in his heart for to seek unto God God works a miracle provides a chamber of preservation even in the belly of destruction in the Whales-belly for him God brought neer his pardoning mercy and grace to him before ever Jonah came neer to it And as 't is in regard of a mans first second and after Prepentance So 't is also in regardof a mans Comfort and Consolation O Lord saies David Make me to receive joy Psal 51.8 Psa 77.2 and comfort that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce My soul refuseth comfort saies he As if he should say thus Lord I have been a great Surgeon at other mens hearts and I have been able to set their bones that have been out of joynt but now mine own bones are broken I have fallen greatly and now my own bones are broken I cannot set mine own bones My soul refuseth comfort and the promise is to my heart-like a bank of Ice that my heart slips off and Lord if thou doest not uphold my heart with a promise I shall never have comfort Make me to see comfort O Lord. Thus you see where ever you look in the Scripture 't is full of the truth that is here before us namely That the Kingdome of Heaven grace mercy and free-remission does approach unto us before we draw neer to it Evidences of it The First is Taken from our own Condition Naturally we are lost sheep so we are called by Christ Man in his natural state is compared unto the lost son the lost groat and the lost sheep Now you know when a sheep is lost it does not lie where it is lost if you lose your purse or if you lose a ring it will lie where it was lost unless it be taken up but now if a sheep be lost the sheep wanders up and down and doth not lie where it was lost but wanders up and down over one mountain to another through one thicket to another through one dirty place to another and of all creatures the lost sheep does not seek the way home again A dog lost will seek the way home again a Cat and such like creatures lost will seek the way home again but a sheep lost does not seek the way home again Now we are all lost sheep wandring up and down One he wanders over the mountain of Pride another through the thicket of the World another through some unclean Slough but all wandring and no man able to find his home till he be first found Therefore saies our Saviour Christ Luke 19.10 I came to seek and to save those that are lost He does not say barely I came to save those that are lost but I came to seek and to save those that are lost And truely we must be sought all along Saies David in the 119. Psalme and the last Lord I have gone astray like a lost sheep O seek thy servant We have need of continual seeking as long as there is continual wandring we have need of such a shepheard as may seek us out But first of all the Kingdom of Heaven does seek us out before we do seek it when we are found then we seek but we never seek till we are first found A Second Evidence I take from Christs willingness for to save sinners There is an infinite willingness in our dear Saviour for to save poor sinners He came from Heaven for that end and purpose If a man come a thousand miles upon a business will ye not think he is willing to do it Jesus Christ came from Heaven for this business for to save sinners Is He not then willing to do it I may say that Jesus Christ is more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved by him The Prodigal goes home to his father but when the father sees him after off he runs the Prodigal goes and the father runs to meet him with mercy Yea and our Savior Christ seems to be most willing to save the greatest sinners the greatest Saints have bin made up out of the greatest sinners When the Lord Jesus Christ was upon the earth did he not carry his grace and mercy and the doctrin of free remission to the greatest finērs Peloved consider of it I pray you The greater the sinner is the more is Christ honored in getting out his Pardon and in satisfying for such a finner and so he will love Christ the more Look I pray into the 7 Chap. of Luke Simon saies Christ I 'le propound thee a parable Master say on saies he Then saies our Savior at the 41 vers There was be certain Creditor that had two Dobters the one ought five hundred pence and the
99. 101 What good a Christian receives hence 1 Jesus Christ is made our strength Page 104 2 We are moved to love him ibid 3 To live in dependance upon him ibid 4 To walk humbly before him ibid 5 To be fruitful Page 105 Application What infinite cause have we to advance the Name of Jesus Christ Page 106 How may this be done 1 By offering up our own christ to him Page 107 2 Account it a great honour to belong unto him ibid 3 Give not the worst but alwaies the best to him Page 108 4 Despise not the choice work of Christ ibid 5 Trust alwaies in him ibid 6 So to walk that the men of the world may speak well of the waies of God Page 109 7 Own Christ Page 110 8 Be willing to stoop to any work for Jesus Christ though it lie below your condition SERMON VI John 1.16 Doct. Whatsoever grace or holiness there is in Jesus Christ there is somewhat in the Saints that is answerable thereunto Page 113 Proved Reason 1 Because there is a blessed union between Christ and every Christian Page 115 Reason 2 Jesus Christ is our second Adam a common person between God and us Page 117 Reason 3 There is an incomparable love between Christ and a Christian ibid Reason 4 There is the same spirit in a Christian that is in Christ Page 119 Object How can this be Answered Page 120 Application 1 How many persons there are that live under the Gospel and have no interest in Jesus Christ Page 122 Instanced 1 In prophane people ibid 2 In meerly Civil and morral people ibid 3 In Hypocrites Page 123 Application 2 What a blessed thing it is for people to be in Christ Page 123 Quest What is our duty that flows from hence Answ 1. Be not proud of it Page 124 2. Improve it Page 125 1 By beholding it ibid 2 By imitating it ibid 1 By bearing witness to the truth ibid 2 By stooping to any work though below us ibid 3 By being much in prayer ibid 4 By not knowing our natural relations ibid 5 Having an high esteem of the Saints though never so low Page 126 6 So exercising one grace as that we may exercise another ibid 7 Being a lambe in our cause a lyon in Gods ibid 8 In sufferings 1 Not till we are called ibid 2 When we are called not to be put out of the way ibid 3 To have regard to other mens goods ibid 4 To be more sensible of Gods withdrawings than of al other pains ibid Application 3 How infinitely we are bound to God the Father for our Lord Jesus Christ Page 128 Gods two great gifts were 1 He gave the world to man 2 He gave Jesus Christ to the world ibid Application 4 Be contented to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in all his sufferings SERMON I Romans 4.19 Text opened Page 152 Doct. 1. When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any special blessing to beleevers he doth first put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the means that lead unto it Page 154 Proved Reason 1 That he may be most seen therein Page 156 Reason 2 That the Saints may learn to trust to God alone Page 157 Reason 3 That they may be conformable to Jesus Christ Page 158 Reason 4 That their comforts may be the more sure and stedfast ibid Objections answered Page 159 Cautions 1Vnderstand this concerning great and spiritual blessings Page 160 2 The sentence of death may be put upon the blessing in another mans hand Page 161 3 It is much according to the life of the mercy that come afterward Page 162 Quest Why doth God first give the promise Answ 1 To shew us where the mercy lies Page 163 2 Because he doth not intend we shall have it presently ibid 3 That our hearts may be born up against all discouragements Page 164 Application Rest upon God in the darkest times Page 164 Quest How shall I know the mercy will revive again Answ There are two acts of faith 1 Reliance 2 Assurance Accordingly there are two objects of faith 1 A may be of mercy 2 A shall be of mercy A may be of mercy causeth Reliance A shall be of mercy causeth Assurance Reliance causeth quietness Assurance causeth joy ibid Waies to know whether mercies shall rise again or not 1 By the frequent visitings of the promise Page 167 2 By the first fruits of the promise Page 168 Encouragements to wait 1 If ever it rise it will be the choicest mercy we had in all our lives Page 170 2 It will be the surest mercy ibid 3 It will be the sweetest mercy Page 171 SERMON II Rom. 4.19 Doct. When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the means that leads to it it is the duty of the sons of Abraham to trust in God and not stand poring upon the means and deadness thereof Page 174 Divided into three propofitions and cleered 1 A meer rational considering of the means and the deadness thereof is a great enemy to beleeving cleered Page 174 2 When all means fail and seem to lie dead then it is the duty of all the sons of Abraham to beleeve cleered Page 177 3 Thus to beleeve when all means fail is exceeding well pleasing and acceptable to God cleared Page 180 Application What an encouragement is here to to live above hope and under hope Page 183 Object We are afraid to beleeve when means fail because God hath commanded us to use the means Answered Page 184 1 It may be God takes away the means to try thy faith Page 185 2 God doth never give to supply our lusts but to supply our wants ibid 3 If all the means fail faith is a means to a means Page 186 4 Look what way God is used to walk in towards you in that way you may boldly expect him ibid Object I should prosume if I should trust in God when means fail Answered Page 188 SERMON III Rom. 4.19 Doct. True saving faith carries the soul through all difficulties Page 192 Cleered 1 In that the wy to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties Page 193 2 True saving faith will carry a man through them all Page 195 3 Nothing but faith can do it For 1. Conviction of the good waies of God cannot Page 200 2 Resolution will not ibid 3 Morral vertues will not Page 201 4 Gifts and parts Gospel enlargments cannot ibid 4 What it is in faith that doth it 1 Faith shews the soul the invisible things of God Page 202 2 It tels the soul all things are it 's own Page 203 3 It shews a man greater excellencies in Christ than all difficulties Page 204 4 It enables the soul to leave the success and event of all to God ibid 5 It is that grace whereby a soul takes up the yoke of Christ Page 205 6 It teacheth man to pick out the love of God from under the anger
First Proposition The Second afforded this Observation That all the Saints and People of God do partake of the Fulness of Jesus Christ in a way of receiving This fals asunder into Two Parts or Two Branches First That there is a Communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Secondly That what ever Grace or Holiness the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving I have done also with the First of these And am now God willing to speak to the Second Whatsoever Grace or Holiness the Saints and People of God have from Christ they have it all in a way of receiving Of His Fulness all we have received The former Branch told us That Christ Communicates This tels us That we Receive There the Emphasis lay upon Christs Communicating And here the Accent is set upon our Receiving The Grace of Jesus Christ is not borne with us We do not go to Jesus Christ in the strength of our Nature to take of His Fulnesse to our selves But Jesus Christ gives out and we receive All in a way of Receiving The Grace and Mercy of our Justification and remission of Sins is by way of Receiving Rom. 5.11 Not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Atonement is to be had it is to be had by Christ and this in a way of Receiving Again The Grace and Mercy of our Adoption is to be had in a way of Receiving Gal. 4.5 He came to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Adoption is a Blessing that is most desirable This Christ gives and this we receive Again The Grace of our Sanctification is to be had in a way of Receiving What is the Cause and Original of all our Grace or Holinesse but the Spirit of God And that is received Gal. 3.2 This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith The Schools say that the word Grace is either taken for The Gifts of the holy-Ghost or for Saving and Sanctifying Grace Take Grace for The gifts of the holy-Ghost as sometimes the Word is used in Scripture and that is in a way of Receiving Acts 10.47 They heard them speak with Tongues at the 46. ver Then answered Peter Can any man forbid water that these should not be Baptized which have received the holy-Ghost That is The Gift of the holy Ghost Take Grace for Holiness and Sanctification and that is also in a way of Receiving to be had in a way of Receiving Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father There are Gifts of Prayer And there is the Spirit of Prayer of Adoption crying Abba Father The First may be without Grace but the Second not where ever the Second is there is Grace And this is Received saith the Apostle here In general all is by way of Receiving Col. 2.6 As ye have Received the Lord Christ saies the Apostle see that ye walk in Him And in another place 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not Received What hast thou that thou hast not Received All in a way of Receiving He shall come down saies the Psalmist in the 72. Psalm speaking concerning our Lord and Savior Christ and His Grace at the 6. verse He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass Or as some write it for so the Original will bear it He shall come down like rain upon the Fleece having relation to Gideons Fleece He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass as showers that water the earth A Psalm for Solomon saies the Title But there are many things in this Psalm that cannot properly be understood of Solomon but in a type properly belonging to Jesus Christ For as Strigelius does well observe at the 7. verse the verse next following this text it is said In his daies shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth Solomon did not live so long as the moon endures This therefore is to be understood of Christ And at the 5. verse it is said They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and moon endure throughout all generations They did not fear Solomon men did not fear Solomon as long as the Sun and moon endures through all generations This therefore must be understood of Christ Now see therefore what is said of Christ and concerning His Grace saies the Text in the 6. verse He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass Like rain rain you know is that that does make the earth fruitful Non ager sed annus facit fructum 'T is not the sowing but 't is the Year that causes fruit 't is the rain that causeth fruit And so 't is the Grace of Jesus Christ that does make us fruitful His Grace the cause of our Grace I will be as a dew saies the Lord in the 14. of Hosea unto Israel and then follows fruitfulness Again The rain cometh by special appointment from God Amos. 4.7 Judg. 6.38 39 40. with a kind of dis-crimination He maketh the rain to fall upon one City saith the Prophet and not upon another As wee reade concerning Gideons Fleece the dew fell upon the Fleece when all the earth was dry round about it And then the dew fell upon the ground when the Fleece was dry And this was a Type of the Grace of Christ when the Jewes were bedewed with the Grace of Christ then all the Nations round about they were dry And then when God bedewed the Gentiles the Nations round about with His Grace then the Jews were dry and they are dry to this day Again The rain falleth 't is the Scripture phrase the rain falleth and falleth upon the earth and the earth is a recipient to receive it it is meer recipient at the first and then brings forth it 's fruit the Rain falleth And so doth the Grace of Christ the Grace of Christ falls upon the souls of men and women saith the Text here He shall come down like the rain upon the mowne grass So doth the Grace of Jesus Christ it comes down upon a poor soul All in a way of receiving al in a way of receiving whatever grace or holiness a man hath on this side Heaven it is all in a way of Receiving And this will appear further to you if you consider The insufficiency of Nature The Supernaturallity of Grace The Shortness of all means that are appointed thereunto The work and nature of Faith And the posture and true behaviour of Prayer First of all There is a Natural inability in a man unto what is good truly Spiritually good First A man is unable by Nature to overcome any sin though it be never so small A man by Nature
that he beleeved more plainly expressed in the 18. v. Who aginst hope beleeved in hope that he should become the father of many Nations according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be Aggravated and inlarged in this 19. verse The Matter that he beleeved was inclosed with many difficulties he beleeved that he should be the father of many Nations and that in his seed all the Nations of the world should be blessed herein he had an eye unto Jesus Christ but now his owne body was dead being about an hundred years old and Sarahs wombe dead yet notwithstanding sayes the text Being not weak in the faith he considered not his own body now dead nor yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe You will say Obj. How can this be tht the Apostle here sayes Abraham considered not his own body being now dead when we read in the 17. Chapter of Genesis and vers 17. unto which Story this Chapter relates it is said That Abraham fell upon his face and laught in his heart and said Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred yeares old and shall Sarah that is ninety yeares old beare Did not Abraham here consider the deadnesse of his own body and the deadness of Sarahs wombe why does the Apostle say thus then Some answer it thus Answ That the Apostle here speakes of the first giving out of the promise unto Abraham which we read of in the 12. of Genesis but that cannot be he was not then an hundred years old He considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old and so t' is said he was an hundred years old in the 17. Chapter of Genesis and the 17. verse therefore it must relate unto that Others they answer it thus That Abraham hideed at the first did consider his owne body and did doubt through unbeliefe but afterwards Abraham recollected himself and got over that unbeliefe but the Apostle he speakes the contrary in the 20. verse He staggered not at the promise through unbeliefe Others they answer it by labouring to sind out some mysticall interpretation of those words Shall a child be brone unto him that is an hundred years old and shall Sarah that is ninety years old beare as if Abraham say they had said thus Lord thou hast some secret meaning in these words I pray thee speak it out unto me and tell me plainly thy meaning and therefore say they God answered to that purpose in the 19. verse And God said Sarah thy wife shall beare thee a son indeed I meane according to my words Sarah shall beare thee a Son indeed But we need not straine for any mysticall interpretation or expression when Abraham sayes Shall a child be bron unto him that is an hundred years old In that seventeenth of Genesis and the seventeenth they are words not of Doubting but words of Inquiring Abraham desiring to be further satisfied and rightly to understand the meaning of the promise and rightly understanding the meaning of the promise sayes the Apostle He did not much mind he did not throughly mind he did not stand poring upon or considering the deadnesse of his own body or the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe There are three things especially considerable in these words Frist of all That Abrahams body and Sarahs body are dead after God gives out a promise of a great seed of his Secondly That notwithstanding this yet Abraham beleeved is commended for it He being not weak in the faith considered not his own body being now dead And thirdly That in all this he had an eye unto Jesus Christ as I shall shew you afterward Accordingly I would take up three observations thus First When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing to the children of Abraham he does first of all put the sentence of death upon the blessing and upon all the means that do lead unto it Secondly That then and then especially it is the duty of all the children of Abraham to trust in God And thirdly That no difficulty can stand before faith true saving justifying faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ I begin with the first at this time When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing to the children of Abraham Doct. to beleevers he does first put the sentence of deathupon it and upon all the means that do lead unto it A promise of a great seed like the starres of heaven and the sand upon the sea-shore is given to Abraham but before it is fulfilled Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs wombe dead the sentence of death put upon the mercy and the means that do lead unto it and herein Abraham is held forth for our example it was written not for his sake alone at the 23. verse but for us also to whom it shall be imputed at the 24. verse And as thus it fell out with Abraham so it falls out with all the children of Abraham with all beleevers when God intends to give any speciall or great mercy by fulfilling his promise he does first of all write down the sentence of death upon the mercy and upon the means that do tend unto it The Saints and People of God lsa 62 12. they are called the Redeemed of the Lord not onely because they are redeemed from hell and from wrath but because that they have their mercies and blessings in a way of Redemption there is a line of that great mercy of Redemption that runnes through all the mercies which they have they have Health redeemed our of the hand of Sicknesse they have Liberty redeemed out of the hand of Straitnesse they have peace redeemed out of the hand of Warre they have Assurance redeemed out of the hand of Doubting and Vnbeliefe they have Mercy redeemed out of the hand of Misery they have Joyes and Comforts redeemed out of the hand of Griefe they are the redeemed of the Lord whatsoever great Mercy or Blessing they have they have it in a way of Redemption Thus it was with Abraham And was it not thus with Joseph I shall not have time to speake of the Patriarchs all of them Joseph you know had a promise by way of vision Gen. 37. That his sheafe should be higher then all the sheaves and all the sheaves of his Brethren should bow down to his the Sunne and the Moone should bow down before him his Father and mother this promise was afterward fulfilled when his Brethren went down into Egypt and bowed before him there and his Father went down into Egypt but first of all Joseph is sould into Egypt the sentence of death put upon the Mercy the promise did bring forth but it had a sore and a hard labour first And was it not thus with the People of Israel they had a promise of great increase like the sands upon the sea and that they should be brought
rise again how shall one know that are there no meanes to know it whether a Mercy shall rise againe when the sentence of death is upon it I shall speake but two things unto that briefly A Christian may have some perswasion of the Resurrection of his Mercy when the sentence of death is put upon it Answ 1 by the frequent visitings of the promise marke when God intends any speciall Mercy to his people he gives out a promise then comes the sentence of death but if he intends to fulfill the promise he does cause the promise frequently to visit the Soule even when the sentence of death is upon the businesse often to knock at the doore of the Soule When there is Good-will between two Young people kept from marrying by their Parents and the Young man often is at the house ye say surely if the Parents were but dead there would be a marriage quickly by the frequent visitings So now when the promise does frequently visit the Soule in the time when the sentence of death is upon the businesse it argues that the Mercy is not quite dead Moses had a promise in a vision the Bush burning and not consuming Israel in Egypt and not destroyed Moses he carries this promise along with him in his bosome indeed we do not reade of it till Moses comes to die and when Moses comes to blesse the People Deu. 33.16 The good will of him that dwelt in the Bush be with you This same promise kept Moses company all along and though the sentence of death was often put upon the businesse yet notwithstanding in that the Mercy came and visited him it argued that this promise was not quite dead So by the frequent Visitings of the same promise Job 14.9 Though the Tree be cutt down yet through the sent of those waters it shall rise again But especially in the second place A Christian may have some comfortable perswasion that the Mercy is not dead but sleepeth By the First-fruits of the promise When the Jews kept the Feast of the First-fruits they knew that the Harvest was not farre off And so when the First-fruits of a Mercy comes we may know that the Mercy or blessing is not farre off Beloved God does use to give the First-fruits of a blessing before the great blessing comes It 's a good speech of one sayes he God does with the same seale seale divers matters one Mercy is made a seale to another God does give one Mercy as a pledge of another and as a seal of another And so our Saviour Christ does in that 9. Chapter of Matthew we reade of a certain Ruler that came to him for his Daughter and he said at the 18. verse My Daughter is ever now dead but come and lay thine hand upon her and shee shall live Here was his unbeliefe that he should say Come and lay thine hand upon her Christ could have healed her without coming to her But Jesus arose and followed him And behold a woman at the 20. verse which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years came behind him and touched the hem of his garment Jesus turned him about and when he saw her he said Daughter be of good comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole And the woman was made whole from that same houre And when Jesus came into the Rulers house and saw the Minstrels and the People making a noise He said unto them Give place for the maid is not dead but fleepeth And they laught him to scorne He did a miracle in the way as a pledge unto them that he would do this miracle also that he would raise up his daughter and by this miracle that he did in the way he did give them a seale of the miracle following of the Mercy following Thus he does many times Thus he dealt by David the Lord made David a promise of the Kingdome to give him the Kingdome bring him to the Throne David he is thrust out into the Wildernesse well when he is there Saul he persecutes him hunts him Saul comes so neare him as that Saul is on one side the hill and he on the other nearer But even there Saul is delivered into the hand of David This now this Mercy here in the Wildernesse was a pledge to him of the Kingdome afterward So now is it with you hath the Lord given you a promise of some great blessing or some great Mercy and thereupon does the sentence of death come upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it In the interim between the promise and the fulfilling does the Lord deliver you from some affliction that rises up in your way the Interim-mercy the deliverance being of the same nature with the Mercy promised is a pledge unto you that the Mercy shall rise againe though the sentence of death be now upon it And thus you should look upon things But while I am upon this 'T is enough for the Reliance of the Soule upon God A may be of Mercy I say a may be of Mercy is enough for the act of Reliance And this Doctrine alwayes hold forth this truth unto you that there is a may be because when God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing or Mercy to the children of Abraham he does first of all put the sentence of death upon the blessing and upon all the means that do lead unto it Shall we not then waite upon him keep silence in the day of trouble I 'le give you two or three incouragements hereunto and so I will winde up all Beloved The sentence of death you say is upon the Mercy or the blessing that you do much desire If ever the Mercy rise and the grave-cloathes be taken off it shall be the choisest Mercy that ever you had in all your lives Abraham had divers sons but the jewell was Isaac the dead Mercy Hannah had divers children but who like Samuel the found Mercy Mercy once lost and then found is a choise Mercy it is the greatest Mercy First I say If ever you come to find the Mercy you have lost if ever that rise which the sentence of death is put upon it shall be the greatest Mercy Job had a good Estate but when all was plunder'd a sentence of death came upon all when he came to his comforts and his Estate againe then it was done Some have observed concerning Joseph that according to the severall links of his Affliction were the pearles in the crown of his Mercy Ther 's observed some eight or nine I shallnot have time to inlarge my self in them onely thus Joseph he is sold by his Brethren into Egypt Answerable unto that Josephs Brethren come down to Egypt and worship before him Joseph is accused for wronging his Mistrisse sad reproaches cast upon him Answerable to that a Herauld proclaimes before him This is the man whom the King honours Joseph is thrown into prison the irons enter
businesse and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it You will say Object I am affraid to beleeve when meanes faile for God hath commanded us to use meanes and as in angling of fish a man is to have his eye upon the cork so he is to have his eye upon the meanes God hath commanded us to use the meanes True Answ in your fishing and angling you have an eye unto the cork but in Christs fishing there is another corke that you are to have an eye unto Christ commands to beleeve Master say they We have fish't all night and caught nothing neverthelesse at thy command we will cast in againe Luke 5.5 The same God that hath commanded you to keepe the ten Commandements commands you to beleeve when all meanes faile And whereas ye say ye are affraid to beleeve when you have no meanes because God hath commanded you to use the meanes and now meanes are wanting I shall desire you to consider with me but these foure things First of all Thou sayest meanes faile and seeme to lie dead before thee and thou art affraid now to beleeve but it may be that this is the time that God does take away the meanes on purpose to try thy Faith Beloved there is a time when God does purposely take away the meanes to try a mans Faith God does first try our Faith before he does feed our sence When our Lord and Saviour Christ was to worke that great miracle feeding so many thousand with five barley loaves and two small fishes we reade in the sixth Chapter of John and the 5. verse thus Jesus lift up his eyes and saw a great company and said to Philip whence shall we buy bread that these may eate Why did our Saviour Christ thus put Philip upon it reade what followes And this he said to prove him He took away the meanes and this he said to prove him There is a time when the Lord does sometimes take away the meanes on purpose to prove thy Faith how doest thou know man or woman whether this be not the day and the time Thou sayest thou canst not beleeve because meanes faile it may be 't is the time of thy triall God sending this time of purpose to try thee Again secondly Consider this God does never give to supply our lusts but to supply our wants Possibly there may be meanes to supply thy want though not meanes to supply thy lust When our Lord and Saviour Christ fed so many thousand what did he feed them with Five barley loaves and two fishes not with Turkey not with Partridges Iohn 6.9 not with Quailes not with Chickens but with barley loaves It may be thou hast a barley loafe-meanes but thou hast not Chicken-meanes and because thou hast not meanes to supply thine appetite and to supply thy lust thou sayest thou hast no meanes and all meanes faile Oh! this is very ordinary among some people because they have not meanes to satisfy their mind and their lust therefore they say that all meanes faile I beseech you Beloved consider whether there be not this great mistake when you say that all meanes faile onely a failing of meanes to supply your appetite and your lust but not a failing of barley loave-meanes whether there be not alwayes that meanes left by God In the third place But suppose that all meanes faile indeed and lie dead before you now Faith is a meanes to a meanes marke now Faith is a meanes to Faith Faith hath a commission from God to put life into that meanes that lies dead before you Faith hath a power from God to make that a meanes which was none before Poor Soule thou stand'st quaking and shaking at a distance sayest Oh! there 's no meanes but contrary meanes Come up to that contrary meanes come up to it in a way of beleeving and thy very coming up to that which thou look'st upon as contrary through thy faith will be made a meanes to thee When the Apostle Peter was in prison the Angel comes to him strikes off his chaines and bids him go out presently Peter does not say thus what should I stirre for Lord Sir there is an iron gate to go through there are so many guardes of Souldiers to passe through Peter does not say so but rises in a way of beleeving comes to the iron gate in Faith and when he comes at it the iron gate doth open And so it will be with you indeed if you come unto that which seemes a contrary means in a naturall way the iron gate still continues shut but Oh! if you would use your Faith come up unto that which you look upon as the most contrary in the way of beleeving faith hath such a power from God to put life into that meanes that lies dead before you And in the fourth place consider this for your further incouragement that look what way God is used to walk in towards you the same way you may boldly expect him in Does the Lord use to walke towards thee in a way of preventing mercy You may boldly expect him in that way Does the Lord walke towards you in an extraordinary way as in these times he hath towards us though an unworthy people I say does the Lord walke towards you in an extraordinary way Hath he done so heretofore You may expect him in that way Now I appeale to you you that are the people of God hath not the Lord walked towards your Soules in an extraordinary way Hath not the Lord said concerning Christ His name shall be called wonderfull Isa 9.6 As you are known by your name Richard or Thomas or John so Jesus Christ shall be known by this name among his people Wonderfull working wonders Hath not the Lord said His way is in the deepe Beloved Psa 77.19 the Lords way is in the deepe towards his people and towards the wicked towards his people his way is in the deep when he walks towards them Behold saith he by the prophet Jeremy speaking concerning the times of the Gospel a new thing will I worke I will do a new thing a woman shall compasse a man you reade it but as Calv in reads it Ier. 31.22 A woman shall lay Siege to a man That is the weaker shall take the stronger And sayes the Lord never tell me 't is a new thing and such a thing as was never done before I 'le never stand upon that I le doe things never done before I 'le doe a new thing saith the Lord I will lead you in a way that was never went never troden before I 'le doe a new thing And when the Lord walkes in an extraordinary way towards you now his way is in the deepe His way is in the whirle-wind sayes the Prophet Oh! beloved Nah 1.3 shall we tye God to meanes then True God hath commanded you to use the meanes when you have them But where hath God forbidden you to trust in him
fallen upon his neck and forgiven him and showed mercy to him then he said so and not before And saies the text when his father saw him a far off Notwithstanding he had resolved to go home yet he was far off from mercy his father saw him a far off and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kis't him preventing of him by his grace this makes it more prevalent But yet you will say Object How can this be can God love sinners can God set his love upon poor sinners that are so What saies the Apostle in Rom. 4.5 Answ He justifies the ungodly not in their sins but from their sins through Christ 'T is not in Gods love as in our love you love because the thing loved is lovely but Gods love does make lovely your love finds lovely and Gods love makes lovely You love a person because of some beauty but Gods love does make beautiful You love a person because of some good you do find before you love but Gods love brings the goodness with it Gods love makes the person good that he does love His love is the original root of all our obedience and sanctification Though the Root lies under ground all the branches are beholding to it and the fruit have their sap and life from it So though Gods reconciling love lies under ground and ye see it not yet 't is the Root of all your obedience of all your sanctification Ye may observe therefore that in the Epistle to the Romans to the Galatians to the Hebrews when the Apostle would stir up the Romans Galatians Hebrews to holiness of life that he laies his Exhortation upon the Doctrine of free-grace love justification by faith alone and the sulness of Christs satisfaction for poor unworthy sinners In the book of the Romans he begins to state the Doctrine of free justification of sinners and remission by Christ alone In the book of the Galatians he begins with free-remission of sins and justification by faith alone So in the book of the Hebrews But the end and conclusion of all these Epistles to the Romans Galatians Hebrewes is Obedience Repentance and holiness of life As if this were the great Root that all our obedience did grow upon even free remission of sins and Justification by faith alone And if justificiation do go before our sanctification then of Necessity there must be an approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven to us before we do come to it Give me leave to give you Two or Three Reasons of it and so I will come to the Application First of all Reas 1 God doth so order things in the dispensations on s of his grace and administration thereof as that he may be known to be God Jehovah that all flesh may see his glory What is the glory of God His free-grace is his glory And therefore ye shall observe that when Moses begs to see Gods glory Lord saies he show me thy glory Exo. 33.18 19. The Lord made him this answer Moses would'st thou see my glory What otherwise than thou hast seen it in the Mount Moses here is my glory I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy The Lord read him a lecture of his free-grace Moses here 's my glory my free-grace is my glory And how can Gods freegrace be more seen and manifest than in such a way Causing the Kingdom of Heaven of grace and free remission to draw neer to us even before we do stir towards it Secondly Reas 2 God does so order things in the dispensations of his grace as that men may be made the most gracious The sight of Gods grace wil make a man gractions the more ye see the grace of God in Christ the more gractious ye wil be And pray mark that instance which ye have in the 7. of Luke the same that Inamed before consider it well at the 37. verse Behold a woman in the City which was a sinner it seems she was a very wicked woman a sinner when she knew that Jesus Christ sate at meat in the Pharisees house brought an Alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feet behind him weeping and began to wash his seet with teares and did wipe them with the haires of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment What 's the reason of this Saies our Saviour Christ I say unto thee at the 47. verse Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much She wept much because she loved much and she loved much because much was forgiven her The Papists and those that do follow them say indeed That her forgiveness was a fruit of her love because 't is said here Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much But good people makr it and you-will find that first of all there is forgivenss and thereupon the woman loved and her loving much was but a sign of her being much forgiven For this is sutable with the latter end of the 47. verse Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much Much forgivenss is the ground of loving much and loving much is a fign of much forgiveness for it follows But to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little And this sutes also with the Parable that ye have before at the 41. and the 42. and the 43. verses Which is brought in upon occasion of this womans loving thus much A certain Creditor had two debtors the one ought five hundred pence and the other fifty and when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most Marke the scope of the parable and you will find it is to show That love flows from forgiveness The Papists and others that cleave to them therefore go against the scope of this Parable And now my beloved if all our love be upon forgiveness and forgiveness goes first Oh! what free-grace is here We Repent and we Weep because we love and we love because we are forgiven but forgiveness goes first Oh! what grace and love is here Paul was so taken with this that to me he seems to be more taken with it than with the vision that he had in the third Heaven saies he I knew a man whether in the body 2. Cor. 12.2 or out of the body a man saies he wrapt up into the third Heaven and heard unspeakable words which is not lawful to be uttered And this Paul speaks of but once But saies Paul I was a blasphenter 1. Tim. 1.13 I was a persecutor but I obtained mercy This story he tels three times he tels the other story but one time but this story this story of free grace how he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and how he obtain'd mercy this was never out of his mind As if he were more refresh't with the thought of
I say to you man or woman young man or old hath the Lord brought a gale upon thine heart at any time a gale of mercy made a tender of mercy and free remission to thee Oh! for the love of God and of thy own soul take heed how you lose this opportunity is the wind come about the Spirit blows where it listeth is the wind come about Up with thy sailes up with thy sailes take heed how you lose this opportunity that now you have Little do you think that the Kingdom of Heaven may be in such a motion as you despise the Kingdom of Heaven may be knocking at your door the door of your heart by such a hand as you little think of The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of musterd-seed Mat. 13 31 32. which indeed is the least of all seeds but it grows to that bigness that the fowles of the aire come and make there their nests When you see a little musterd-seed you will say 't is impossible can ever this musterd-seed grow to that bigness that the fowles of the aire should there make their nests The Kingdom of Heaven is like Christ himself Can this be the Messiah 't is the Carpenters son can this Carpenters son be the Messiah So the Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of musterd-seed comes with a small motion May be a Child makes a motion to his father Oh! father let there be prayer in our family Oh! let there be reading the Word in our family May be the servant comes and makes a motion to the Mistrisse Oh! Mistrisse let 's go to such a Sermon let us go to such a meeting let 's go to prayer The Kingdom of Heaven may come in such a motion by the hand of a Child by the hand of a servant take heed therefore if you have not submitted to this offer Oh! take heed take heed how you neglect so great salvation I say the Kingdom of heaven may come in such a small motion as you despise And therefore if ever the Lord breath upon any of your hearts if the wind come about man and woman up with thy sailes now for thy life now for thy Eternity if this gale be lost may be thou shalt never have such a gale again The Kingdom of heaven does approach and draw neer unto us before we draw neer unto it well therefore when it comes see that you accept of it SERMON II. MATTHEW 3.2 Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Preached at Margrets New-fishstreet March 16. 1645 Or hath approached THESE Words are part of that Sermon which John the Baptist preached when he first began for to preach the Gospel They contain ye see at the first view An Exhortation to Repentance with a motive or encouragment thereunto For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand I take it for granted that ye understand what is the notion of Repentance And my design is not to fall into the common place of Repentance but only to speak to it so far as it hath relation to this motive Some there are that think these words are to be understood of a Legal Repentance as if John the Baptist's Ministry were a legal Ministry and in that sense he himself a fore-runner to Jesus Christ This me thinks is to lowen the Ministry of John the Baptist And if you look into the 1. Chap. of Luke you will find that John's Ministry was not a Legal Ministry but a Gospel-Ministry the 76 and the 77. verses Thou Child shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins And if ye look into the following verse to the Text ye shall finde the interpretation of this Repentance Repent ye for this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight So that preparing the way of the Lord and making his paths straight is all one with that which is going befoe Now is any one able to make his paths straight before he do come to Christ why then do we come to Christ if we be able to make our paths straight before we do come unto him And besides As the Motive is such is the Repentance that is founded on it The motive here is Evangelical Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand The motive is Evangelical surely therefore the Repentance here required is not a Legal but an Evangelical Repentance But what is it then what is here meant by the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Heaven being at hand or approaching In the language of the new Testament the Kingdom of Heaven is sometimes put for the Kingdom of Glory Sometimes it is put for the Church of Christ under the new Testament Sometimes it is put for the Gospel and the preaching of the Gospel Sometimes for the whole Kingdom of Grace I take it here for the whole state of the Messiah the Kingdom of grace the preaching of the Gospel and the dispensations thereof And he saies here That the Kingdom of Heaven hath approach't therefore do you turn therefore do ye repent There are these Two Notes that lie before ye First The Kingdom of Heaven does approach unto us before we do come unto it Repent ye or turn ye because the Kingdom of Heaven hath approach't unto you So in the beginning Secondly That the appropinquation approaching or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and the greatest motive in the world unto true Repentance I have spoken to the former in a Congregation not far distant and my desire is to speak unto the Second The appropinquation approaching Doct. or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and the greatest motive in the world unto true Repentance This is the Motive that John uses here thus John begins when he began for to preach the Gospel And if you look into the 4. the next Chapter ye shall find that our Saviour Christ begins to preach Repentance upon the same Motive verse the 17. from that time Jesus began to preach and say Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand The same words And if ye look into the 10. Chapter of Matthew ye shall find that when he sent out his Apostles for to preach he put the like words into their mouthes also at the 7. verse And as ye go preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand There the word Repent is not you will say But if you look into the 6. of Mark and the 12. verse ye shall find that 't is said there Then they went out and preach't that men should repent It was part of their Commission and thus they were to preach Repentance upon this motive That the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand or the Kingdom
of heaven is approaching Surely therefore this is the great Motive the motive of motives In the invitation to the great Supper spoken of in the Gospel what is the motive used for to bring men unto the supper but this Come for all things are now ready Mercy is ready the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is ready Come for all things are now ready this is the motive that is used there And if ye look into the 12. Chapter of Paul to the Romans ye shall find at the 1. verse That when the Apostle doth exhort them to present themselves a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God he perswades by this motive of mercy I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice I beseech ye therefore That Therefore sends us unto the former Chapter to enquire what these mercies were At the 30. verse of the former Chapter he saies unto them For as ye in times past have not beleeved God yet now have obtained mercy through their unbeliefe The Jewes were cast off and the Gentiles these Romans received to mercy the Kingdom of Heaven did come to them the Gospel effectually preach't to them the Doctrine of free-remission of poor sinners Now saies he I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice The Scripture is full of this But for our better opening and clearing of this Truth Let us I pray descend into the particulars of Repentance and consider how the grace and mercy and love of God in Christ which is the substance of this Kingdom of Heaven hath an influence upon them all and how all of them are caused thereby First A man that does Repent must see and know his sins true-sight of sin is requisite to true Repentance Indeed a man may in some measure attain unto the knowledge and discovery of his sin by some Affliction when Adoni-bezek had his fingers and toes cut off you know what he said Thus have I done Afflictions do un-leave a man take off his leaves when the leaves are off the hedges ye see those birds-nests that ye could not see before when the leaves were on And so when affliction hath made one naked and taken ones leaves off a man is able to see those nests of corruption in his own heart that he never did see before The Apostle saies By the Law is the knowledge of sin but now though by the Law as by a rule we come to the knowledge of our sin and by Affliction we are help't to see the nests of our own hearts yet notwithstanding a man cannot see his sins fully but by Gospel-light it is a work of the Spirit to convince of sin I will send the Spirit the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin And where does the Spirit breath but in the Gospel the Kingdom of Heaven the preaching of the Gospel Received ye the Spirit saies the Apostle by the works of the Law or by the preaching of faith When once Esay the Prophet had had a fight of Christ he cries out Vae mihi I am undone We is me I am undone I am unclean Again for I will but touch upon these As a man must know his sin So if he will repent truly he must be grieved and humbled for it If you look into the 7. of Luke ye may see what work it had A woman a great sinner comes to Christ and she washes his feet with her teares what made her do so She loved much for much was forgiven her So that the more the love and mercy of God in Chrst is opened in the Gospel or does make it's approach unto a soul the more the soul is set a weeping and mourning for sin committed Again As a man Repenting must be grieved for sin committed So he must and he will loath himself self-loa-thing is requisite to Repentance If a man have taken a surfet by cating or drinking he does not only loath the meat which caused the surfet but he loaths the very Vessel that hath the smell of the meat or the liquor in it So now when a man comes to Repent he does not only loath his sin but he loaths himselfe the vessel where the sinne was Oh! these filthy eyes of mine Oh! these vile hands Oh! this vile heart of mine hee loaths himself But what causes this self-loathing Th Prophet Ezekiel will tell ye in the 20. of Ezekiel the 41 42 and 43. verses Then shall ye loath your selves when I am pacified or when God had shown them mercy caused his love to approach unto them Then should they loath themselves 'T is not all your Afflictions nor all my Threatnings saies God that will make ye to loath your selves but when ye see my love my grace my pardoning mercy then shall ye loath your selves not your sins only but your selves also Again A Repenting person does not only loath himself for his sin but he is ashamed of it he is ashamed of his former evil waies What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed not before but wereof ye are now ashamed So long as a man walks in the dark he does not blush he is not ashamed though his Cloaths be ragged and torne and his naked flesh appears because he is in the dark But if he come to the light then he blushes that his nakedness appears And so long as men are in their sins and are in darkness they are not ashamed of their sins because they are in darkness But when once they come to the light then they blush and then they are ashamed What light is that that will ashame one of sin there is light enough in hel-fire for the damned there to reade their sins by but that don't make them ashamed where the light of the Gospel the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven is and pardoning love is there is shame Ye shall see therefore how Ezra bulshes when he considered the love of God and their sins together in the 9. of Ezra and the 6. verse And he said O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God Why for our iniquities are increased Is that all No saies he at the 8. verse for a little space grace hath been shewed us from the Lord our God to give us a remnant to eseape and to give us a nail in his Holy place we were bond-men yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage And now O our God what shall we say after this after this The sight of their own sins and the remembrance of Gods love together made him blush Ye know the place in Ezekiel Then shall ye be confounded and ashamed when I am pacified towards ye The more a man knows that God is pacified towards him the more he is ashamed Again A Repenting person is not only ashamed of his former evil waies but as occasion serves he will acknowledge his
fulness we have all received Thirdly That we have all received even Grace for Grace There is a great Controversy upon the latter Clause what should be meant by those Words Even grace for grace But because the Determination thereof fals properly within the compass of the Third Proposition and will have little influence upon the first which I intend God willing to speak unto at this time therefore I pass by that Controversy and come presently unto the First Proposition which is this Doct. That there is a fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Fulness is here attributed you see unto Jesus Christ The word in the Original sometimes is taken for Abundance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psa 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof So here it is not taken here it is too narrow for there is not only Plenitudo abundantiae but Plenitudo redundantiae not only a fulness of Abundance but a fulnesse of Redundancy an over flowing of fulness in Jesus Christ Sometimes the word is used for Fulfilling and Perfecting of a thing So Love is said to be the Fulfilling of the Law So it is not taken here for though Christ be the end of the Law yet notwithstanding the Fulness spoken here is that which we do receive and that is the Fulness of grace The word Firstly and Properly is given unto Vessels that are brim-ful of liquor and so Metaphorically appli'd here unto our Lord Jesus Christ who is brim-ful of grace in whom there is no emptyness there is no evacuity While I speak of Jesus Christ I mean Christ as Mediator as God-man There is a Fulness in Christ as God That is not the fulness so Christ is not taken here by what is said in the verse before the Text the 14 verse And the Word was made flesh And of His Fulness we have all received So that it is the Fulness of Christ as Mediator there is a Fulness of grace in Christ as Mediator I shal keep me close unto the words The Fulness is here spoken of which we are said to receive of which we receive we receive grace for grace 't is the Fulness therefore of grace that is in Christ that I am now speaking of Now the word Grace sometimes it is taken for the Love and Favour of God We are saved by Grace That is Eph. 2.5 we are saved through the Love and Mercy of God Sometimes this word in the Original is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coll. 3.16 or put for Holiness Singing with grace in your hearts that is with Holiness in your hearts And sometimes 't is used for Excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Donum quodquis gratificatur for Gifts or Ability as in Ephes 4.7 and in al these respects there is a fulness of grace in Christ First of all Take grace for Love and Bounty and Mercy and so there is Plenitudo bonitatis there is a Fulness of Love in Christ The heart and love of Christ now in Heaven is the same toward poor sinners toward His Children toward Beleevers toward Men as it was when He was upon the earth when Christ was upon the earth First There was a fulness of Pardoning Love in Him Then He would pardon men before they did come for pardon Father Luk. 23.24 saies Christ Father forgive them they know not what they do Ye count it a great act of love where the fault is great to forgive a man upon his acknowledgment of the fault Our Lord Christ did not stay for their acknowledgment but whilst they were reeking in their sins He forgives Father forgive them forgive them they know not what they do Yea if you look into the Gospel ye shall find that when men were putting forth the highest acts of fin He was putting forth the highest acts of His love When Christ was suffering for Peter Peter was denying Christ Peter denying Christ and Christ suffering for Peter When He was upon the earth He did not only pardon once but He would pardon again and again if men sinned again He would pardon again The Disciples slept and Christ Pardon'd They slept again and Christ pardon'd again they slept again and Christ pardon'd again Yea and when He had pardon'd He would not upbraid them with their former sins or with His own mercy After His Resurrection not a word to Peter of all his denial or of Christ mercy Beloved Christ is the same in Heaven He is the same in Heaven now Again when Christ was upon the Earth His first and His great care was Matt. 5.3 4. for those that were weak in grace The first Sermon that He Preached Blessed are the poor in spirit and blessed are those that mourn He doth not say blessed are those that have assurance of the love of God and blessed are those that have the sence of His Love in their hearts but blessed are the Poor and blessed are they that mourn And when any poor doubting trembling soul came unto Him He would not cast away their service because it was accompanied with infirmity but He would rather passe by their infirmity because it was accompanied with some sincerity So the Woman that came behind Him So Nicodemus And when any poor soul could not come to Christ could not come to Christ in Christs way Christ would come down to him in his way Thomas saith He Thou sayest thou wilt not beleeve unless thou thrust thy hands into My side Thomas Thou wilt not honour Me by beleeving unless thou seest Thomas Thou wilt not come up to Me in My way Well I will come down to thee in thy way Come reach hither thy fingers and thrust thy hands into My side and be not faithless but beleeving Oh! the admirable condescention of the love of Jesus Christ Beloved He is the same now in Heaven Again When He was upon the Earth He professed that His heart and His love and affections was as much if I say not more unto one Saint Rev. 22.14 Matt. 12 47.50 as unto all His kindred that are such Blessed are those that keep Thy Commandements Bebold say they Thy Mother and Thy Brother and Sister are without to speak with Thee Saies He Whosoever shall do the Will of My Father which is in Heaven the same is My Brother Sister and Mother As if He should say You count My kindred happy because they are neer unto Me but do you see one poor beleeving trembling gracious soul I tel you the soul that keeps My Commandements is as much unto Me as all My kindred that are such Here is love And I say the Lord Jesus His heart is the same still in Heaven And therefore you shall observe that when He was risen and came amongst His Disciples the dore being shut He comes into the room and He saies unto them Luke 24.36 Peace be unto you Why Peace be unto you the ordinary way and manner of Salutation As if He would say thus much
Oh! therefore you servants and People of God that have gon fearing and trembling up and down drooping under many fears without assurance of Gods love in Christ if there be such a fulnesse in Christ then trust unto Him yea trust and trust perfectly to Him If Satan come and tempt you and saies thus unto you Thou art a poor unworthy creatrue and dost thou think to have mercy Answer True Satan I am so indeed most unworthy but there is a fulnesse in Jesus Christ and I will trust in Him Does Satan tempt thee and say unto thee Thou art a poor guilty creature and dost thou think to find mercy Answer True Satan I confesse I am I have committed such and such sins but there is a fulnesse in Jesus Christ and I will trust in him Say say Satan what thou wilt against me I subscribe unto it I am poor I am empty I am unworthy I am guilty but Christ is Full Christ is Full there is Fulnesse in Jesus Christ I will trust unto Him Oh! you Servants of the Lord Live much by Faith there is a Fulnesse in Christ trust unto it And that 's the second Thirdly If there be such a fulness in Christ 3. Duty Then 't is our duty to draw forth this fulness Let all men draw forth this fulness That is done these Three waies First by a serious frequent solemn consideration and eyeing of Christs fulness 2 Cor. 3.18 For beholding as in a glass saies the Apostle we are changed from glory to glory The beholding of Christs glory changes us into glory 'T is drawn forth also by our resting upon it in a time of Temptation 'T is here in regard of Christs fulness as in regard of Gods mercy or promise pray mark it My very resting upon Gods promise in the time of a Temptation does make it mine my very resting upon His mercy in a time of Temptation does make His mercy mine and my resting also or your resting upon the fulness of Christ in the time of a Temptation does make it yours 'T is drawn forth also by giving forth As now the Conduit or Cistern receives more water into it by letting out the water which it hath Possibly there may be much water in the Conduit or much water in the Cistern and the fountain may be willing to furnish it with more but 't is full already therefore now turn the cock and let that run out which it hath received already and it draws more into the Cistern So here beloved our very spending for Christ receives from Christ the way to draw out His fulness is to lay out His fulness as you do receive from Him so to comunicate to other folk this draws it out Well then A fulness ye have heard there is in Christ This fulness is to be drawn out ye hear also how it is or may be drawn out Enter therefore into your Chamber and when you are all alone seriously frequently think much of this Fulness of Jesus Christ and in the time of your Temptation then rest upon it And as it pleaseth Jesus Christ to give out any of His Fulness unto you so let it run out again upon other folk And this is the third thing Fourthly 4 Duty If there be such a fulness of grace in Christ Then let us all labour to be like unto Him full of grace as Christ full of meekness full of humility full of Love especially for there is a fulness of love in Christ And yet alas when ever was there lesse love and more strife then now when ever lesse love among Professors when ever more strife then now Give me leave a little Beloved in the Lord you see and know what great divisions there are among us great strifes All strife and envy arises from an apprehension of scantiness and narrowness in the thing desired Now then that which we do strive for either it is more of the World Or more of Christ If it be more of the World that we sirive for who shall be most Rich who shall have most Honor if it be more of the world that we strive for Why Oh! why should we strive for that which may make us worser but cannot make us better why should we strive for that when as the very striving for it will deprive us of it If it be more of Christ that we strive for mark if it be more of Jesus Christ and more of Him that we strive for There is enough in Him there is enough in Jesus Christ for to serve us al. If two or three or six or twenty men be a thirst and they go to drink out of a Bottle while one is drinking the other envies because he thinks there will not be enough for him too But if now five six twenty a hundred be a thirst and go to the River while one is drinking the other envies not Why because there is enough to serve them all Beloved if it be more of Christ that we strive for if it be more of Jesus Christ that we strive for there is a fulness in Him there is enough in Christ there is enough in Jesus Christ ye have heard to serve all our turns Oh! therefore that there may be no more striving no more enuy no more contention no more division labor let us all labor to be more and more like unto Jesus Christ He was full of grace especially He was full of love let us labor to to be like unto Him In the fift and last place The fift Duty 5 Duty If there be such a fulness in Jesus Christ Then take heed how we do any thing that may rob Christ of the glory of His fulness Let all men take heed how they do any thing that may rob Jesus Christ of the glory of His fulness As now Suppose that I think and am perswaded that Jesus Christ hath not given a sufficient rule hath not laid down a perfect a sufficient rule in the Word for the Ordering and for the Governing of the Churches and therefore I will eek out what He hath done with my own prudence This robs Him of the glory of His Prophetical fulness Or suppose I think my sins are so great they can never be pardoned so great there is no hope for mercy This robs Him of the glory of His Priestly fulness Or suppose that I stint and limit Christ unto this or that particular means of delivering of the Church I know that God is able to deliver England and to deliver the Church but if He do not take this way if He do not take this course if this means fail then we are all undone then all all is lost if this means take not This is to rob Christ of the glory of His Kingly fulness to stint Him to one means to tie Him and limit Him to one means Or suppose that I set my heart upon any Creature fulness and say as the whore said in the 7 of the Proverbs
Answ That mercy may be sure unto all His servants which they would soon spend if it were in their own keeping Mark I pray There are these Two or Three Reasons of Gods Proceeding this way That all Grace should be in a way of Receiving And the First is That all Boasting rejoycing 1. Rea. confidence in ones self may be taken away If Abraham saies Paul in the 4. of the Romans were justified by works he hath whereof to glory though not before God He hath whereof to glory But now when all is in a way of Receiving there 's no room for Boasting Mark therefore what is said in the 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it God cannot indure Boasting cannot indure Self-confidence God cannot indure that a man should glory in any thing in himself therefore all all is in a way of Receiving This is Gods Reasoning Again 2. Rea. God hath so ordered things in the dispensations of His Grace under the Gospel That Jesus Christ may be fully Honored Exalted No such way to Honor Christ as this that all should come out of His hands to be received from Him Pray Was it not a great Honor to Joseph in the time of the famine in Egypt that no bread but should come through his hands not a corn of grain but should come through his hands So here when no grace no strength no aid no assistance no supplies but all through the hand of Christ all in a way of Receiving does not this glorify Christ much What is it I pray that makes the Sun so glorious a creature above all the creatures in the world but this That all the creatures depend upon him for light and for warmth This is that that makes the Lord Jesus Christ glorious That all must be in a way of Receiving from Jesus Christ Thirdly 3. Rea. God hath so ordered things in the dispensations of His Grace under the Gospel That the Saints and Children of God may live by faith Good people mark it Some there are some creatures in the world that do live by Sence as the beasts and beastly men Some creatures there are that do live by Reason moral men But the Lord would have His Children to live by Faith That as the men of the world do live by Sence and Reason So the Lord would have all His Children to live by Faith What way or means to bring a soul off for to live by Faith Establish this Doctrine let this be a Statute made in the Churches All in a way of Receiving I saies a poor soul is it so indeed What all in a way of Receiving Then I fee a necessity of living by Faith Oh! Lord teach me now for to live by Faith Thus you see the Doctrine clearly proved by Reason to you I shall not be able to reach the Use of the point so as I intended The Doctrine is exceeding Useful ful of Spiritual Use yet though I shall not be able to do what I would give me leave for to make some Application of the point and so I will winde up all Is this Doctrine true 1 Applic. That all all is in a way of Receiving Then behold what infinite care the great God of Heaven and Earth hath of Beleevers of every beleeving soul though he be never so mean would you not think that if a mother were so tender of her child that she would not let her child eat a bit of bread but it should be of her own cutting that she would not let it drink a drop of drink but it should be of her own drawing would you not think this mother this woman were very careful of her child Beloved thus the case stands No Grace no Assistance no Help for duty no Help against sin but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will have the cutting of it the Lord Jesus Christ will have the giving of it out He will have the drawing of it all all in a way of Receiving Oh! what care Oh! what infinite care hath God of poor Beleevers When the Lord would commend His care of the Children of Israel unto them pray mark what an argument he uses in Deut. 11.10 11 12. For the Land whether thou goest in to possess it is not as the Land of Egypt from whence ye came out where thou sowedst thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbs They fetch 't water out of the River Nilus and so they watered the Land of Egypt with their feet But saies he at the 11. verse the Land whither ye go to possess it is a Land of hills and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of Heaven Not taken out of the River and watered by mens feet as Egypt was A Land saies the Lord which the Lord thy God Careth for A Land which the Lord thy God Careth for He Cared not for Egypt How does he prove that the Lord Cared for it The eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies on it from the begining of the yeer even unto the end of the yeer He giveth rain from Heaven and when your Land wants water 't is given from Heaven 't is not watered by mens feet 't is not watered as Egypt was watered which Land God Cared not for So now there are some people in the world that water themselves that go forth in their own strength that have moral vertues and they water their hearts with their own feet as I may say the Lord Cares not for those the Lord Cares not for such Oh! but give me a soul that hath rain from Heaven that lives in continual dependance that acknowledges that all is Received that lives upon Heaven the Lord Cares for such a soul Now this is the condition of all the Saints of every Beleever he hath all in a way of Receiving Oh! the infinite care that the Lord hath of every Beleever though he be never so mean Secondly Appli 2. Is this Doctrine true All in a way of Receiving Then behold what sweet and comfortable and pleasant lives the Saints live Beleevers have When you look upon a Godly man and consider what great works he does and what hard things he bears what great Afflictions he goes thorow You say Good Lord how is a man able to do or bear all this Paul and Silas â—â—nging in the stocks when they were whipt and scourg'd the blood running down their shoulders and yet singing How how are they able to do all to bear all To here here is the reason They have all in a way of Receiving When you see the little Child run by the father in his hand in a green meadow you say the Child hath a â—â—ne and a sweet time but when you see the Child coming at a high gate or stile to get over or dirty lane to passe
is you shall have a godly man work work with fear and trembling as if he would earn Heaven with his fingers-ends and yet he relies upon Jesus Christ only for his salvation Further. You say 't is no great matter for a man To walk closely with God But 't is a great matter It may be you wil say 't is not I but for a man to walk closely with God and yet to be in the dark to walk exactly and yet to be in a crowd and throng of business who can walk exactly in the dark and who can walk exactly in a crowd when he is carried to and fro in a crowd Thus now you shall have a godly gracious man walk exactly with God closely with God and yet may be in the dark a Child of light and yet in the dark and in a crowd of occasions and businesse and yet walk exactly this is much Again You will say 't is no great matter for a man to be diligent in his particular Calling I but for the same person for to take no thought no dividing thought what be shall eate or drink or put on and yet be diligent in his particular Calling this is much Now so it is you shall have a godly gracious soul taking no care no dividing care what he shall eate or drink or what he shall put on and yet diligent in his particular Calling Again You will say It is no great matter for a man To grieve for sin past and to strive against sin for the time to come I but for the same person to know that his sin past is pardoned and to know that if he fall into a sin for the time to come God will work good out of it it shal be for his gain God wil over-rule it so and yet strive against it as the greatest evil in the world this is much Now thus it is A gracious soul knows his sin is pardoned yet he grieves for it and he knows that if he shall fall into a sin the Lord will over-rule things so as he shall be the better for it and yet he strives against his sin as the greatest evil in the world Here is a Mastery this is much Again You will say 't is no great matter for a man to be quiet under his Affliction because it does come from God for that reason I but for the same person To be the more sencible and to be the more afflicted because it does come from God this is much Beloved you shal have these Two meet together A godly gracious soul he is therefore quiet under Affliction because it does come from God and he is therfore the more sencible of his affliction because it does come from God Here 's a mystery put these together and you will say things rese high I 'le Instance but in one more and that is a Tenth You will say 't is no great matter For a man to be contented with his condition to be contented with his condition when 't is mean and when 't is poor I but for the same person To desire a better and pray for a better and to pray earnestly for a better and yet be contented with his condition though it be never so mean this is much Thus 't is with the Saints a Child of God being in a mean condition he desires a better he prayes to God for a better and he prayes earnestly to God for a better and yet he is contented with his condition though it be never so mean pray and pray earnestly and yet contented with his condition though it be never so mean Thus my Beloved Oh! there is a Mystery there is a mystery in every piece of godliness and you look not upon things under the mysterious Notion and you say 'T is no great matter that is in the life of such a one Oh! but if you would look upon things under this Notion and consider the mystery of godliness and every piece thereof you would lift up your hands and say Oh! surely he that hath but the least measure of Gospel-Grace hath Abundance of Grace he that hath but the least degree of Grace hath Abundance of Grace of Christs Fulness Now under the new Testament we have received not Sparingly not Scantly but Grace for Grace and Abundance of Grace he that hath but the least measure hath received much hath received Abundance Some few things by way of Application and so I have done If it be so Applic. 1 Then why should any of Gods People vilifie and degrade and lowen the gift of God wherewithal they are enriched through Jesus Christ Would you take it as fair dealing from a child that is estated in great lands by his father if he should say my father indeed was pleased to bestow a great Estate upon my Brother but he hath given little or nothing to me He hath bestowed great means upon such a Sister but he hath given little or nothing to me This were not fair dealing And is this fair dealing with your God and with your father When you shall say I there is such a godly man the Lord hath given him a great Estate of the Gospel but little or nothing to me And there is such a woman such a Sister the Lord hath done much for her soul but Oh! little or nothing for me Beloved There is no sin small because committed against the great God There 's no blessing small because received from the great God but of all blessings Gospel-blessing is the greatest blessing Hath the Lord therefore man or woman given thee any Gospel-Grace the Grace of Jesus Christ He hath given thee much that which thou look'st upon as little 't is much in the eye of Heaven Wherefore now let not the Eunuch say Oh! let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree any longer Take heed how you degrade and vilifie and lowen the Grace of God wherewithal you are inrich't through Jesus Christ Secondly Appli 2. If there be such Abundance of Grace even Grace for Grace Abundance of Grace given unto the Saints and People of God under the new Testament Behold then what great finners Professors are yea the fins of Gods own people The more light and knowledge a man hath if he sin the greater is his sin The more beams of Grace fall upon a mans heart the more he is able to discern the motes that are there and so may avoid them and sinning he sins the more The more grace and the more mercy a man sins against the greater is his sin because free Grace and mercy is the remedy The more strength a man hath to stand the greater is his sin if he fall As it was with Adam He had strength to stand and yet he fell I say the more strength a man hath to stand the greater is his sin if he fall Now Beloved ye have heard what Abundance of Grace is Discovered Exhibited Communicated unto all the Saints under the new Testament unto
Hypocrites stand by as having no share and interest in Jesus Christ As for Profane men they will be Drunk and Swear and commit Adultery and Lye and break the Sabbath But would Jesus Christ do so They count it the life of their life and the soul of their soul to be at a merry meeting a jovial meeting but would Jesus Christ do so When Jesus Christ was upon the earth He went up and down doing good and scattering good communicating good and they go up and down scattering their sins and is this Grace for Grace is this Answerable I appeal to you As for those that are meerly Civil Moral Though they will not swear great and gross Oathes yet swear by their faith and by their Troth but would Jesus Christ do so They carry a secret spleen and envy at the power of godliness and those that have it but would Jesus Christ do so They frame up their Religion and their Worship according to the Times if Authority comand it they will they will do it whatever it be but would Iesus Christ do so When Iesus Christ was upon the earth He was Zealous The Zeal of thine house hath eaten me up Ioh. 2.17 but they are formal and they are Luke-warm Oh! is this Grace for Grace is this your Answer ableness and are these in Iesus Christ As for those that are Hypocrites They have alwaies some secret sin or other some back-door or other that they may go out at but had lesus Christ so They lie contemplating and chewing of the Devils Cud and are indulgent to their base thoughts their sinful thoughts but was Iesus Christ so They savour gifts and expressions more then Graces but did jesus Christ do so They though they seem to be mortified and dead unto the grosser part of the world meat drink and clothes yet they are no way mortified and dead unto the finer part of the world their Names and their Credits Was it thus with Jesus Christ Indeed an Hypocrite through the strength of Education living under the Gospel may set himself to imitate Christ but there is an Artificial imitation and a Natural resemblance A father may have two sons The one that is unlike him but imitates him the other that does naturally resemble the father and imitate him too Such are the Saints being made partakers of the Divine Nature they naturally care for the things of Christ hypocrites do not so Behold here 's the Character of a Christian indeed he hath Grace for Grace whatever Grace there is in Christ he hath somewhat Answerable thereunto Oh! how few men and women are there in the world that have a saving share and interest in Jesus Christ Secondly If this Doctrine be true What a happy Appli 2. and blessed thing is it for a man to be in Christ Behold the Dignity of the Saints Beloved here 's glory on this side glory 't is the glory and the honor of a man to be like to God 't is the glory and honor of a Disciple to be like his Master 't is the glory and honor of a Child to be like his father 't is the glory and honor of a Christian to be like unto Jesus Christ Every Christian hath the Image of Christ drawn upon him Had our Lord Iesus the Great Mighty Potentate only come by a poor soul and cast His Skirt over him and said unto the soul wear thou my Livery it had bin a great honor to belong to Christ to wear His Livery But behold here 's more than so the Saints do not only wear His Livery but they have His Grace and their Grace is of the same nature with the very Grace of Christ as our Grace should a bin of the same nature with Adams if Adam had stood Yea not only their Grace is of the same nature but look what Grace Christ had they have Answerable to it Had this great and royal Loadstone that draws all mens hearts after him only touch't our hearts that we might have followed him what a Mercy had it bin But behold here is more than so the Saints they have Grace for Grace whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in Christ somewhat in a Christian Answerable thereunto Oh! Dignity Oh! Dignity how can a Christian but be welcome to God the Father that does not come only in the Name of Christ to Him but brings the Image of Christ too with him Grace for Grace Oh! who would not be Incouraged to get into Jesus Christ Oh! you that are in Christ do you know what priviledges you walk under every day You sometimes are ready to envy at the men of the world but I pray Would you now change your condition with them Such a one he hath passion for passion and pride for pride and sin for sin with the world and you have Grace for Grace with Jesus Christ Here 's Dignity here 's Priviledge indeed But you will say Quest All Dignity cals for Duty Suppose it be so That whatsoever Grace and holiness there is in Christ there is somewhat Answerable in my soul Oh! what is my Duty now that does flow from hence Surely Ans you cannot be proud of it for then you shal not be like to Christ Who though He thought it no robbery to be equal with God the Father He humbled Himself became of no reputation Beloved you know that all Talents lents are to be improved and the greater the Talent the more improvement is to be made and improvement is to be made of the same kind 'T is our wisedom to observe what work God is a doing upon our souls and to help forward that work If God be working Faith in our hearts it is our duty to help forward the work of Beleeving If God be working Patience in our hearts 't is our duty to help forward the work of Patience Look now what work that is that God is doing in our hearts and lives for us that work we are bound to help forward Now hath therfore God drawn the Image of Jesus Christ upon your hearts so that there is an habitual likeness in your souls unto Jesus Christ Then it is your duty to labor for an actual likeness to be like unto Him in all your working to live as He lived and to do as He did and to speak as He spake labor more and more to be like unto Him in your lives And if you say How should that be The Apostle tells you Whom beholding as in a glass 2 Cor. 3.18 we are changed from glory to glory according to His own Image The serious frequent beholding of Jesus Christ is the only way to be like unto Him Beloved your lives they are divided into two parts There is a Doing part and a Suffering part As Christs Obedience was divided into Active and Passive Obedience Would you in the Doing part of your life be like unto Christ Behold Him in His Doing Omnis Christi Actio est instructio Every
into the Land of Canaan first the sentnece of death is put upon both these their Males are to be cutt off from Egypt and before they come into Canaan they must go into a howling wildernesse thus the sentence of death passes first upon the mercy before they do come to it And was it not thus with David David had a Kingdome promised him that he should be the King of Israel but first of all David must be thrust out of the Kingdome he must into the wildernesse he must be hunted up and down there like a partridge David must be a Traitor first before he can be a King and David must be a Rebell first in the eyes of the King before he can come to the Kigndome and to the Throne he had the mercy afterward but first the sentence of death was put upon it So Job a great and a large and a comfortable Estate that God gave unto him but first he is plundered and spoiled of all a sentence of death passes upon all his comforts And is not this Gods dealing with his People still look I pray into the 11. of the Revelation and ye shall see how the two witnesses are to fare After three days and an half at the 11. v. the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them and they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them Rev. 11. come up hither But I pray marke they are kild first at the latter end of the 7. verse He shall make warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great City which spiritually is call'd Sodome and Egypt and they of the People and Kingreds and Tongues and Nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and an half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves There is a Spirit of life enters into them afterwards I but first of all a sentence of death passes upon them this is Gods way and manner of dealing with his People with the children of Abraham with those that are true Beleevers What Reason for it This seemes somewhat strange Not a blessing or a mercy of any great importance or concernment but the sentence of death passes upon it first What Reason for this Why is God pleased to take this way with his owne people the Children of Abraham First of all Reas 1 God doth so give blessings and mercies unto his own people as That he may be most of all seene therein Beloved God doth not onely give us these outward creature-comforts for to supply our Wants but to beare up the honour of his owne greatnesse You have not fish out of the water onely to supply your wants nor fruit from the earth onely to supply your wants nor light from the Sun only to supply your wants but to beare up the honour of Gods greatnesse also When he gives unto his people he does give in such a way as may most of all bear up the honour of his own greatnesse if it were only to supply their wants then possibly the sentence of death should never come upon the second cause but now it is also to beare up his own honour the honour of his own greatnesse and that is done this way Hereby God is known to to be a living God so long as there is life in the meanes God is not so well known to be a living God but when all meanes are dead and yet the mercy comes Oh! sayes a soule now I see that God is a living God Hereby the Power of God is made known he must needs be great in power that can say to things that are not Bee and give a Resurrection unto dead things so long as there is strength and ability in the meanes men do not so much consider the power and the All-suffciency of God but when all meanes are strengthlesse and all meanes are dead and yet the mercy comes Oh! sayes a soule now I see that God is a God Almighty God All-sufficient Hereby he is made known under the name of Jehovah a Being that gives a Being unto all other Beings faithfull in fulfilling his promise so long as there is a being in the second cause and in the meanes God is not known by the name Jehovah but when there is a sentence of death put upon the second cause and yet the mercy comes Oh! now sayes a soul I see that God is Jehovah a Being that gives a Being to all other Beings Therefore God does it 2. Reas And then againe secondly God does go this way with his people with beleevers the children of Abraham That they may learne more to trust unto him to trust unto God alone You know what the Apostle sayes in the first of Timothy the fifth chapter and firth verse She that is a widdow and desolate trusteth in God We seldome trust in God till a desolation come upon the meanes A widdow that is desolate trusteth in God when desolation comes upon the meanes then we learne for to trust in God One that does learne to swimme so long as he can touch the bottome can touch the earth with his foote he does not commit himselfe unto the streame but when he can feele no bottome then he commits himselfe unto the mercy of the waters Now so long as a man can stand upon the second cause he can feele the bottom with his feete he does not commit himselfe to the streame of mercy but when once the second cause is gone and he cannot feele the bottome then he commits himselfe unto the streame of mercy And you shall see the Apostle gives you this account of it in the second of Corinths the first chapter and the ninth verse But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead This is another reason why God is pleased to go this way Againe Reas 3 Thirdly It is fit that all beleevers should be conformable to Jesus Christ It was thus with Christ we read in that second of the Philippians of our Lord and Saviour That God highly exalted him and gave him a name above every name But see first of all a sentence of death passes upon his name He was made of no reputation verse the seventh he was made of no name first And being of no reputation tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of man wherefore God hath highly exalted and given him a name which is above every name He brought salvation life to ligth he spoil'd Satan but first of all he was spoil'd himselfe and a sen tence of death passes upon him before he brought things unto life and he gives you to understand thus much himself here he holds forth himselfe for our example in the twelfth chapter of John sayes he at the
to Marah they could not drink of the waters of Marah for they were bitter therefore the name of it was called Marah And the people murmured against Moses saying what shall we drinke and he cried unto the Lord and the Lord shewed him a tree which when he had cast into the waters the waters were made sweet The speciall waters and blessings of Gods people come to them thus Againe the sentence of death may be put upon your mercy in another mans hand It was a great mercy even to Isaac that by him all the Nations of the world should be blest but the sentence of death was put upon this mercy in Abrahams hand as well as in his owne Thou comest it may be to the preaching of the word and thou art converted by such a sermon thou doest not see how the sentence of death was put upon this mercy before thou hadst it may be the sentence of death was put upon it in the Ministers hand in the Preachers hand may be he had laid aside those Doctrines and those Truths and thought to preach upon another matter may be the sentence of death was put upon thy mercy in his hand so sometimes it is in another mans hand Againe though the sentence of death be put upon a mercy before a beleever comes to it yet it is much according to the life of the mercy that is afterward If the life be great the death is great If the life be small the death is small And sometimes the sentence of death falls mostly upon the apprehension as it was with Hagar she was in the wildernesse and she thought she should die for want of water only said she I won't see my child die and there was a Well by So that now here the sentence of death lay mostly upon her own apprehension And thus you have it also with Joshua of whom you reade in the first of Ioshua the Lord makes him a great promise now therefore arise sayes he at the second verse go over this Iordan thou and all this people every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon that have I given unto you And at the latter and of the fift verse I will be with thee I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Now if you look into the seventh Chapter you find that Joshua had rent his clothes in the sixt verse and fell to the earth upon his face before the arke of the Lord untill even-tide and Ioshua said alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Iordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan why what 's the matter you read there went up 3 thousand men of the Israelites and thirty six men of them were smote by the men of Ai. Here was cause now of fear but no cause of such expressions as did fall from Ioshua a sentence of death passes upon the mercy but it lay mostly upon the apprehension of Ioshua Sometimes it fals more upon the apprehension and lesse upon the thing sometimes it fals more upon the thing and lesse upon the apprehension but alwayes more or lesse when God intends any great or speciall mercy to his people to the children of Abraham he does first cause the sentence of death to passe upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it You will say then Quest why does God give the promise I confesse this is true I seldome had any great mercy in all my dayes but first of all the sentence of death came upon it But one thing seemes very strange to me that the Lord should give out a promise first a promise given out and then comes the sentence of death upon the mercy and upon the meanes that do lead unto it What should be the meaning of this why does the Lord deal thus give out a promise first A promise is given out twice At the first Answ 1 before we do use the meanes to incourage us thereunto Afterwards upon some incouragements that we do meet with in the use of means When the Lord does first give out the promise a sentence of death then passes that he may shew you where the mercy lies As the mother does deale by her child showes the child where the meat stands child thou art not yet fit for it thou shalt have it in due time look here it stands Or as a father that showes the child where the money lies child time is not yet but there the money lies ther 's the bag it 's in none shall take it from thee So does God do you thinke that the Mercy lies in the second cause No sayes God here here 's the bag that it lies in Therefore he does first give out the promise that he may tell the soule where the Mercy lies show the soule where it is And then againe Answ 2 God does therefore give out the promise notwithstanding the sentence of death because he intends not to give the Mercy presently You think it may be that assoone as you have a promise set on upon your heart you shall presently injoy the Mercy Nay but God does therefore give you a promise because you shall not have it presently As for Example If I would pay a man my money down presently I would not give him a bond but my very giving him a bond argues I am not to pay him presently So the Lord he gives out a promise and you thinke now you must have it presently No sayes the Lord but because a sentence of death is to come and thou shalt not have it presently therefore I give out the promise And againe thirdly Answ 3 God does therefore give out the promise notwithstanding his sentence of death that your hearts may be borne up against all discouragements when the wombe of the second Cause shall be dead God sees that his child or servant is going to a great storme ther 's such a child of mine sayes God he is going into a great storme and his Faith will be put to a great stresse therefore I will furnish him with Cables and good Anchors I 'le throw him out a promise You thinke because God gives you a promise because God gives you Cables because God gives you Anchors therefore you shall come to land presently the Lord does therefore give you a promise because he does see that a storme is coming you mistake the way of God in his promise this is Gods way he gives out a promise and then causes the sentence of death to passe upon the businesse and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it I come unto the Application Whilst I stand upon this truth Applicat me thinkes I see matter of great and everlasting incouragement to all the Saints and people of God be not discouraged but rather keep silence waite and stay upon God when the darkest times go over your
head when the sentence of death is put upon the Mercy and blessing which you do most desire This is Gods way when he intends any great Mercy to any of his children he puts a sentence of death first upon it Oh! when death sits upon the meanes Psal 116.11 then we conclude all 's dead the Mercy dead all 's gone and we are very apt to have despairing thoughts and to make despondent conclusions I said in my hast sayes he all men are liars Samuel sayes I shall have a Kingdome the sentence of death is put upon the businesse All men are liars Psal 31.22 So in another place I said in my hast I am cast out of thy sight shall I see the face of God nothing but death upon all the means Isai 38.11 I am cast out of thy sight So with Hezckiah I said saies he I shall be cast out of the Land of the living And so now adayes I thought indeed that we should have had a Reformation but now nothing but sad Division I thought we should have had free enjoyment of al the Ordinances but now the sentence of death put upon all I had thought I should have had Assurance and never doubted again but now death put upon it and upon all the means that do lead unto it all 's dead all 's gone Oh! we are very apt to be much discouraged to make strange conclusions when death comes upon the meanes 't is a hard thing to keep from such conclusions For the businesse comes to a Vote as it were it comes to a Vote before the Soule The question is sayth the Soule whether I shall be saved or no As many as are for the Affirmative say I I sayes the Promise As many as are for the Negative say No No sayes Threatnings and No sayes guilty Conscience No no no sayes a thousand sinnes The question is whether I shall be delivered or no I am in such an Alliction and straitnesse the question is whether I shall be delivered or no As many as are for the Affirmative say I I sayes the Promise As many as are for the Negative say No No sayes Providence No say all second Causes and all the meanes round about No no no say a thousand sinnes Now my beloved it s a hard thing for a poor Soule to give an Affirmative with the bare Promise when all else gives a Negative but the reason is because this truth that now I am upon is not by you were but this truth by you it were easy to give an Affirmative with the bare Promise when death sits upon all the meanes As for example Suppose our Army by in the field engaged with the enemy a Troupe routed a Regiment routed a Wing routed Come sayes a carnall Souldier fellow Souldiers shift for your lives for we are all undone and spoil'd Nay not so stay sayes the beleeving Souldier this is Gods way when God intends any great Mercy to his people he does first of all put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it and therefore come fall on fall on brave hearts fall on for this is Gods way ans so it proves many times Or suppose a man be in some personall straite or affliction the Devill the Tempter he comes ye see in what straite ye are ther 's no meanes at all for your deliverance you had as good take such and such an indirect course why should you waite any longer Nay sayes the Soule but I have learned otherwise when God intends any great Marcy to his children he does first of all put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it and therefore I will waite on God still I may be in Gods way this may be Gods way it may be the Lord is in a way to give me a greater Mercy then ever I had in all my dayes Oh! my Beloved that you would but gird this truth upon your thigh how might you cutt off all discouragements as they rise upon you You will say Quest How does this cutt off discouragements some things there are that die and never rise again as Beasts some things there are that die and do rise again as Men The sentence of death is upon the Mercy that I do much desire and did I know indeed that it should rise again it were a matter of great Incouragement to me but that I do not know For Answer Answ I shall onely say thus much to it A may be of Mercy is a sufficient ground for our reliance and support of the Soule upon God Marke there is two acts of Faith the Faith of Reliance and the Faith of Assurance Assurance that causes Joy Reliance that causes Quietnesse Accordingly there are two Objects of Faith A shall be of Mercy that is the Object of Assurance A may be of Mercy that is the Object of Reliance Ye shall observe therefore that when the Lord would call out his people to an act of Reliance upon him he holds out a may be of mercy to them Zeph. 2.3 Seeke the Lord ye meeke of the earth seeke righteousnesse seeke meeknesse it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger ye know the place in Zephaniah And if you looke into the 1 Samuell the 14. Chapter ye shall find that this may be was that encouraged Jonathan at the 6. verse Jonathan said to the Young man that born his Armour Come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised it may be that the Lord will worke for us for there is no restraint with the Lord to save by many or by few It may be the Lord will work for us for there is no restraint with the Lord to save by many or by few This encouraged Jonathan and hereby he incourages his Armour-bearer So when a man can say thus it may be the Lord will show Mercy to me in such a work or in such a businesse there is no restraint with him it causes the Soule to rely on God Now this Doctrine it holds forth a may be to you a may be of Mercy to you though you have not an Assurance that this mercy that hath the sentence of death upon it will certainly rise againe yet notwithstanding seeing it is Gods way this is Gods way with the Children of Abraham when he intends to give a speciall Mercy he does put a sentence of death upon it This holds forth a may be unto you a may be of Mercy this Doctrine holds forth unto you Why therefore my beloved should we not relie upon God when the sentence of death is put upon the meanes upon all the meanes that does lead unto the Mercy that you most desire But you will say unto me Is there no way Quest no meanes to spy out Gods meaning in this particular Oh! that I did but know whether this Mercy that hath the sentence of death upon it shall
when you have no meanes Thus Abraham did he considered not his own body being dead nor Sarahs wombe being dead for this his faith is commended So shall you be Oh! that our faith were right Oh! that we could learn to live by faith at a higher rate then ever yet we have done Time yet may come for ought we know that you may find more use of this point But you will say unto me I am afraid I shall presume Obj. trust in God when all meanes faile meanes for my soule and meanes for my body and meanes for my family trust in God now I am afraid I shall presume presumption is a great sinne Marke I shall onely tell you what 't is to presume Answ in answer to this praesumo is to take a thing before 't is given or offered Mercy 't is alwayes offred to a poore sinner Jesus Christ came to save sinners and die for sinners thou canst not take mercy before 't is offred For a man to thinke that he shall fly in the ayre with wings like a bird this is to presume for a man to put God upon provision for his lust this is to presume for a man to put God upon extraordinary where ordinary may be had this is to presume But for a man to relie upon God for necessities in extraordinary cases when ordinary cannot be had this is no presumption but Faith Mark I say to put God upon extraordinary when ordinary may be had this is presumption But to rely upon God for necessities in an extraordinary case when it cannot be had in an ordinary this is no presumption at all Beloved 't is presumption in the highest degree for you and mee poore creatures to tye up the hands of God to labour to do it is dangerous As for example one poore Subject to go to his Prince and tye up his hands and feet or to go to his Pallace and nayle up all his doores and leave him but one little wicket to come out at this is presumption And so for a man to tye God to meanes to tye God to a time to tye God to this or that meanes to tye God to meanes in generall this is presumption Marke Some there are that tye God to a Time Oh! if mercy does not come by such a day or such a time I am undone for ever Others they won't tye God to a Time but they will tye God to this or that particular meanes Oh! if mercy come not that way or by that meanes I am gone I am lost for ever Others they won't tye God to time nor to particular meanes but they will tye God to meanes in generall they won't beleeve God a whit beyond meanes and so tye God to meanes in generall Ah what is this but ranke presumption for a poore creature to tye up the hands of his Creator the fin that you seeke and thinke to avoid you fall into This is presumption And beloved do you know how prejudiciall this is to your selves As a dishonour to God so a great hinderance to your selves to doe thus it turnes God out of the way of his mercy Nay sayes God seeing you will have no mercy but in a roade of meanes you shall have none but in a roade of meanes so mercy comes thinne and scant and by little drops whereas otherwise mercy would come thick and full and large Hereby you are put upon indirect meanes to get out of trouble pray what is the ground that causes men to use indirect meanes to get out of trouble is not this at the bottome you thinke meanes must be used this is at the bottome Beloved in the Lord as you do desire God may not be dishonoured that Mercy may come full and not scant unto you learne to beleeve at another rate then ever you have done when all meanes faile and seeme to lie dead before you then beleeve so for thy Soule so for thy Body so for thy Estate You will say How should I do this Quest to beleeve when all meanes faile and lie dead before me I have a great prospect in my sinnes the guilt of one sinne comes and that hath a blow at my conscience and the guilt of another sinne that comes and that gives a blow to my conscience and my conscience is all blacke and blue with blowes and they all cry out and say poor damn'd damn'd and undone creature and I see no way no meanes at all left for my salvation Ah! Lord what shall I do to beleeve now when all meanes faile I shall onely speake a word to it and so winde up all Answ thus Know that thou mayest trust God that thou mayest find Mercy that thou mayest beleeve in such a case as this is Beloved therefore thou hast not beleeved in such a case heretofore because thou didst think thou mightst not beleeve But now know from the Lord 't is no temptation 't is no presumption in such a case as this thou mayest leane thy poor guilty soule upon God this day I am loath to make comparisons between one duty and another but if there be any compares this act of beleeving when all meanes seeme to lie dead before us is more then all thy prayers and teares Thou criest out and sayest Oh! that I had teares in prayer Oh! that God would inlarge my heart in prayer Oh! that God would breake this hard heart and blessed be the Lord indeed when so it is But now art thou in such a case hast thou a prospect of all thy sins and all means seem to lie dead before thee and doest thou now go unto Jesus Christ saying to him Ah Lord I have been a great and a wretched sinner yet now hearing of thy free and rich grace I do throw my selfe upon thee Lord if thou killest mee yet I will trust in thee through thy grace I will never returne againe unto folly onely Lord I do leane my Soule upon thee as for comfort Lord give me comfort when thou wilt onely I leane my Soule upon thee I tell thee this act of thy Faith is more pleasing to God then thy twenty years teares then thy twenty years prayers if there be any compare But why then my Beloved should you look at this as a matter of presumption to trust upon God and upon Christ in this condition know 't is your way unto Jesus Christ when all meanes faile Oh! 't is the only way for your deliverance deliverance from your sinnes and the feare of your sinnes carry this rule home along with you deliverance is then nearest when Faith workes highest and Faith then workes highest when all means are lowest Do not stand poring then Christian don 't stand poring upon the deadnesse of the meanes or the deadnesse of thine owne heart As the sight beholding and gazing upon beauty is a snare and a temptation to those that are given to wantonnesse and the sight of much gold and silver and fine houses a temptation to those
this than with the other And I pray what then Do but observe Paul who gracious he is how humble he is how thankful he is how ready to serve Christ how ready to serve the Churches for Christ how ready to suffer for Christ upon all occasions Oh! how gracious did this make him Thus 't is with a poor soul that hath tasted of the free-grace of God in Christ the heart is more taken herewithal than with the thoughts of Heaven Ah saies a poor soul I was going on in such a sinful way or I lay sleeping and snorting in my sins and I know not how before ever I was aware the Kingdom of Heaven did approach unto me and the Lord in his free-grace showed mercy to my family and to my poor soul Oh! therefore any thing for Jesus Christ Oh! I will spend and be spent Oh! any thing for Jesus Christ The sight of Gods grace does make one gracious and therefore Christ does take this way Causing the Kingdom of Heaven grace and free remission to approach first unto us before we do draw neer to it There is one Reason more I will but name it Christ does so order things in the dispensations of his grace that no flesh might glory in it selfe or in any thing that it hath or doth that no flesh might rest in any duty in any service in any suffering but only upon grace upon Christ alone Beloved we are very unwilling to come unto any duty and when we have done we are then as apt to rest upon it as ever we were unwilling to come unto it But what 's the reason that men are so apt to rest upon their duties but because there are these secret thoughts that they come to Christ before he does come to them Let the heart be possest with this truth That Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and of free-grace does approach unto us and come neer to us before we draw neer to it And then he will not rest so much upon what he is doth or suffereth A man in this case is like unto a Silk-worme you know how 't is with that worme it makes a fine web a fine work and when it hath done it dies in it afterward it eats a hole through the work and it comes out with wings a quite other creature than it went into it So it is with a poor Christian he makes a fine work of duty and then he dies in it but through the manifestations of Gods free grace he does as it were eat a hole through all and he comes out with wings flying away from his duties not so as to neglect the performance of them but so as not to rest upon them flyes away from in regard of resting upon any duty and only upon this ground because saies he God did draw neer to me grace did draw neer to me mercy did draw neer to me before ever I drew neer to it and therefore why should I rest upon any duty performe it I will but through grace I will not rest upon it By way of Application Applic. 1 Let us I pray consider with our selves whether God hath dealt thus by our souls or no Hath the Kingdom of Heaven approch't and drawn neer unto us before we drew neer to it if not truly for ought that I know we are yet under the Law and all our mournings and walkings Heaven-ward they are but Legal If God love you indeed He shews kindness and mercy to you before you do come to him 'T is with Gods darlings as 't is with the worlds-darlings You have some men take a great deal of pains rise early and go to bed late and yet the world does not smile upon them these are the world's enemies Some take pains and grow rich thereby these are the worlds friends Others there are again that before ever they take any pains the Lord is upon them with the worlds blessings these are the worlds darlings So I say God hath his darlings and if thou art one of Gods darlings He does cause the Kingdom of Heaven Grace and Free-remission to appear and draw neer unto thy soul even before thou dost draw neer to it Hath God dealt thus by any of you Oh! contemplate consider seriously the sweetness of this grace Beloved preventing grace is sweet grace The Lord gave a Grown a Kingdom to David but the best Pearle in all the Crown that his eye was most upon was Gods preventing mercy Psa 21.3 Lord saies he thou hast prevented me with the goodness of thy blessing As if he had said thus Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom made me a King over thy people but when I was a poor Shepheard keeping my fathers sheep thou diddest prevent me with thy love So may a poor soul say Ah Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom but thou hast prevented me with thy love 'T is a great matter that the great God of Heaven and Earth should answer our prayers give us any mercy upon our request I but that the Lord should give us the greatest mercie before we come for it Pray good people mark it a little Ye shall observe that the greatest mercies that ye have ye have them and they are given unto you before you come for them There are some great mercies that a Christian hath as Conversion of his soul Justification Remission of sin Some lesser mercies as comfort and peace and outward plenty As for these lesser mercies God gives them when we do come for them but as for the great Mercies Remission of sin Justification of our persons Conversion of our souls God is upon us with these mercies before we come for them Oh! what grace is here Oh! what glorious rich grace is here What! shall be not stand and admire at the glory of this free grace of God in Jesus Christ You will say unto me Quest But suppose this that the Lord hath brought the Kingdom of Heaven neer to me and my family before I did come to it for I must confess that I have tasted and drunk deeply of Gods preventing love Oh! how graciously hath God dealt by our poor family wee were a poor ignorant family and the Lord shewed mercy to our family when we little thought of it to such a Child to such a Servant to such a Friend to mine own soul Indeed this is true That the Kingdom of Heaven hath approch't unto me drawn neer unto me before I drew neer to it Oh! what is my duty now that does flow from hence Let me tell you Ans 1 Duty First of all Be sooner at Heaven gate with your duties hereafter than ever you were before When as a Master comes into his servants Chamber in the morning and takes him abed if the servant have any ingenuity the servant saies this my Masters coming thus early is plainly a rebuke to my sloth and therfore God willing I will be up sooner another day So now
as unto a Creator that works out of nothing Page 177 D Debt see Christ Death The sentence of Death put upon blessings and the means to obtain them Page 154 The sentence of Death put upon mercies in another mans hand Page 161 The sentence of Death is according to the life of the mercy Page 162 Why God gives the promise first and puts the sentence of Death upon it afterwards Page 163 When the sentence of Death is put upon a mercy how to know whether it shall rise again Page 167 The Devil is the great hunter of souls Page 193 Difficulties The way to Jesus Christ is clogd with many Difficulties Page 193 See Faith Divisions The way to take away Divisions Page 59 Duties see Obedience E Encouragement Encouragments to come to Christ Page 88 Excellency The Excellency of beleevers Page 33 Experience Experience is many times a false rule Page 159 F Faith What are enemies to Faith Page 175 The large field of Faith Page 176 Faith must be sutable to God Page 179 Faith wears the crown of all graces Page 180 True Faith is most succesful Page 181 Faith is the means to get Faith Page 186 Faith carries a man through all difficulties Page 199 Nothing but Faith will do it Page 200 Faith shews the soul the invisible things of God Page 202 Faith tels the soul all things are it 's own Page 203 Faith opens the eyes of the soul to see the excellency of Christ Page 204 Faith enables a man to leave the success of all things to God ibid Faith picks out the love of God from his anger Page 206 How to raise ones Faith to break through all difficulties Page 208 Faith opposeth Legal terrours Page 209 How to raise Faith when it is sunk Page 201 Fear Fear in beleeving answered Page 184 Forgive We must Forgive others without their Acknowledgment Page 235 Freedom Our Freedom comes from Christ Page 50 Friendship How the Friendship between God and man was procured Page 8 Fulness Fulness the meaning of the word Page 3 There is a Fulness of pardon in Christ Page 4 Difference between a Fulness of sufficiency and a Fulness of efficiency Page 9 Fulness in Christ what it is Page 9 Fulness in Christs Prophetical office Page 10 Fulness in Christs Priestly office Page 10 Fulness in Christs Kingly office Page 10 How all creatures pertake of the Fulness of Christ Page 20 Fulness of grace in a beleever may sometimes be hid from the world Page 31 Difference between the Fulness of the world and the Fulness of Jesus Christ Page 32 The Fulness of Christ makes us firm Page 40 See Love Holiness G Gifts Great Gifts the Scripture mentions Page 128 God Gods eye is over his children Page 8 Gods people should trust God perfectly Page 14 God infinitely contented in Jesus Christ Page 99 We can do nothing without God Page 100 God will be seen in his blessings Page 156 God is the being of al beings Page 157 We may boldly expect God in his accostomed waies Page 186 God justifies the ungodly Page 228 God will be known to be God Page 229 Gods darlings Page 233 Men must labour to be like God Page 234 See Beleevers Power Trust Glory Eyeing of Christs Glory makes us glorious Page 15 Gospel Difference in holiness between the Law and the Gospel Page 6 Grace Grace the meaning of the word Page 3 Benefits arising from all Grace being in Christ Page 104 The Saints Grace is answerable to the Grace of Christ Page 122 The Infinite Treasury of Grace in Christ Page 22 Christ as Mediator received not grace for himself but for others Page 23 The grace of God may be gainsayed but it cannot be overcome Page 30 Christ is the universal cause of grace Page 31 Grace is given out by proportion Page 32 All grace comes in a way of receiving Page 46 Grace is supernatural Page 54 All is from grace Page 66 Difference between the times of the Law and the times of Grace Page 77 Grace is much opposed Page 80 See Boldness Retinue mystery Abundance advance Guilt ought not to keep a man from Christ Page 12 H Happiness The happines of a man in Christ Page 123 Hypocrits not answerable to the grace of Christ Page 123 Fulness of Holines in Christ Page 6 See Gospel How we should honor God Page 107 I Ignorance Ignorance ought not to keep a man from Christ Page 12 Incouragements Incouragements to Saints Page 164 Insufficiency see Nature K Kingdom Kingdom of Heaven what it is Page 247 Kingly Office of Christ how wronged Page 18 See Fulness L Law see Gospel A Legal spirit relisheth arguments best that are drawn from hell the wrath of God Page 247 The Lives of the Saints are very pleasant Page 65 Long-suffering Christians ought to wait upon others with Long suffering Page 235 Love There 's a fulness of love in Christ Page 4 Wherein the fulness of Christs love consists Page 5 The love of Christ draws men to him Page 40 The love between Christ christians described Page 117 Love causeth Love Page 247 Lusts God doth not give to supply our lusts but our wants Page 185 M Man Man unable to rise when he is fallen Page 50 Man cannot stand of himself Page 51 What it is that causeth men to use indirect means Page 189 Mercy The more mercy a man sins against the greater is his sin Page 87 See Death Mystery The great mystery of Grace described Page 82 Moment Conversion done in a moment Page 54 Moses see Christ N Name The Saints â—â—â—ht to lift up the Name of Christ Page 106 Names of Christ and the reason of them Page 95 Nature The Insufficiency of Nature oscerted Page 49. 92 Natural see Powers Neglect see Opportunity O Obedience Duties of Obedience are not taken away by faith Page 58 Office The Saints imitate Christ in his Offices Page 120 Opportunity Opportunities must not be neglected Page 237 Opposed see Grace P Powers All natural Powers rise against Conversion Page 81 God will have his Power seen Page 156 Pray We ought to Pray for whatsoever Grace we have Page 56 Presumption 'T is no Preshmption to take a thing when 't is given Page 188 Preparation Preparation to good comes from God Page 52 Priestly-Office How the Priestly-office of Christ is wronged Page 18 See Fulness Prophane Prophane men are not answer able to the grace of Christ Page 122 Prophetical-Office How the Prophetical Office of Christ is wronged Page 17 See Fulness Promise So much as we rest upon a promise so much of it we make our own Page 16 It is a hard thing to give the afirmative to a bare promise Page 165 We have the promise of our forefathers Page 183 See Death R Rebellious Christ received gifts for the Rebellious Page 41 Redeemed Who are the redeemed of the Lord and why Page 154 Reliance Encouragements to Reliance upon God in Christ Page 170 Remission Remission brought neer to people before they at all make after it proved Page 220 Repentance What Repentance is Page 216 Repentance both Legal and Evangelical ibid Repentance brought neer to people before they make after it Page 223 How many waies Repentance is known Page 242 What causeth Repentance ibid Repentance is a fruit of faith Page 245 Difference between Legal and Evangelical Repentance Page 248 The reason why no more men repent than do Page 252 The benefits of Evangelical Repentance Page 255 Retinue The Great Retinue of Grace Page 81 S Saints Saints must be contented in sufferings Page 129 See Christ Gospel Beleevers Fulness Scantiness see Contention Self All self-boasting is hateful to God Page 61 Sheep We are all as lost sheep Page 223 Sentence see Death Services All our services in this world are our waiting upon God Page 60 Spirit The same Spirit that was in Christ is in Christians Page 119 Sin see Mercy T Throne Christ hath a throne on earth Page 120 Treasury see Grace Trust We ought to trust in God for ever Page 236 See God V Ungodly see God Union What the union between Christ and Beleevers is Page 21 Union between Christ and men how it is taken Page 65 The union between Christ and the Saints is very glorious Page 115 Universal Universal causes seldom produce particular effects without the concurrence of particular causes Page 31 Upbraid Christ upbraids not men with sin Page 4 W Waiting see Service Way see Difficulties Want All that want should come to Christ Page 12 Wheels Fear and love are the wheels of every Motion Page 59 Willingness Christs willingness to communicate Grace to the sons of men Page 25 Our williness to receive proceeds from Christs willingness to give Page 27 Wonderful God will be known by his name Wonderful Page 187 Work No power in heaven nor earth can let Christs work Page 28 World Reason why the goods of this world satisfie not the soul of man Page 35 Who are the worlds darlings Page 233 FINIS
I am in notwithstanding sall thy discouragements Firm against all Afflictions if you want this creature-comfort or the other creature-comfort you will answer I true I want Friends I want Money I want Credit Oh! but yet there 's a Fulness in Jesus Christ and there 's enough in Him and of this Fulness through the Lords mercy I have received Oh! what a drawing what a drawing argument is here me thinks the stoutest sinner in all the Congregation should now come in and close with the Lord Jesus Christ You will say unto me Here are incouragements indeed Quest to Beleevers for the Doctrine runs thus There is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Oh! but what incouragement is here for others that are not Beleevers And truly I am afraid I am even afraid that I am not one of those what incouragement is there for others that are not Beleevers also I pray look into the 68. Psalm Answ and consider it wel at the 18. verse See what is spoken concerning Christ to this purpose that now I am upon Thou hast ascended on high Thou hast led captivity captive Thou hast received gifts for men 't is spoken of Christ yea for the Rebellious Also Mark that word Thou hast received gifts for men yea For the Rebellious Also Well then is there ever a Rebellious Childe in this Congregation Is there ever a Rebellious Drunkard that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ Is there ever a rebellious Swearer or an unclean heart here that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ Saies the Text He hath received gifts for men yea for the Rebellious Also The Reason why you have not these gifts is because you do not come to Christ Oh! But if you would come to Christ Mark If you would come to Christ you that are Rebellious if you would come to Jesus Christ He hath these gifts or Grace by Him if you would come to Him you should have these gifts from Him Who would not throw down his weapons now Is there ever a Rebel in all this Congregation that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ heretofore Me thinks he should be incouraged hence to come unto Jesus Christ Bodin hath a story concerning a great Rebel that had made a great and strong party against a Roman Emperour the Emperour makes Proclamation that who ever could bring in the Rebel either alive or dead should have such a great sum of money The Rebel hearing of this he comes in himself presents himself unto the Emperour and demands the sum of money Saies the Emperour if now I should put him to death the world would think that I did it to save my money notwithstanding all his former rebellion the Emperour pardons him and gave him the sum of money Oh! would a Heathen Emperour do thus by a poor Rebel And if thou man or woman wilt throw down thy weapons and come in unto the Lord Jesus Christ do you think that the Lord Jesus Christ will not give to you those gifts that He hath received for you Certainly He will Oh! me thinks therefore every poor sinner should now hang upon this last word yea For the rebellious Also Hath the Lord Jesus Christ receiued gifts for men and for the rebellious Also I wil for ever hang upon that word Also Oh! I have bin a Rebel I have bin an unclean Rebel I have bin a swearing Rebel I have bin a drunken Rebel Oh! Lord I will throw down my weapon and hang upon this word Also Hath He received gifts for men and for the rebellious Also Oh! I will come in unto Him Oh! what a mighty incouragement is here for all good and bad to come in unto Jesus Christ Come Drunkard Come Swearer Come Unclean heart Come Sabbath-breaker Come lying-Children Come stealing-Servants Oh! Come unto the Lord Jesus Christ that you may be fil'd for ever Oh! Come unto Christ that you may leave your sins Here is incouragement to all good and bad to come unto Jesus Christ One word more of Use unto Beleevers Appli 3. and so I have done Is there a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Then Beleevers Own your own own your own labor to strengthen your Assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ and maintain your confidence in Him If you have Assurance of Union with Jesus Christ you may have the comfort of all this truth you may and you will say thus or to the like purpose Hath the Lord given me Christ and will He not with Him give me all things else True indeed I want Grace to do such a work with to pray with to hear with to examine my own heart withal I want Grace to do such a work for God Oh! but there is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers and through the Lords Grace I am one There is a communication of the Fulness of the Lord Jesus Christ unto all the Saints and through the Lords Grace I am one and therefore in due time I know I shall have this Grace communicated to me But if you want the Assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ Oh! then you will want the comfort of this Truth then you will break out and say True indeed there is the communication of the Fulness of Christ unto Beleevers but the Lord knows I am none 'T is true indeed there 's a communication of the Fulness of Christ unto al the Saints but the Lord knows I am none I have an unclean heart of mine own the Lord knows I am none Oh! therefore you that have gone doubting up and down and had no assurance of your condition all this while assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ for the love of God get it now as you desire to have the comfort of this truth that now I have bin upon get it now You see Beloved these times we are fallen upon are dying times and truly I may say Dying times and Doubting hearts cannot stand together Oh! Cock up cock up you that have had your evidence for Heaven lying abroad all this while get it in Labor to get assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ and maintain your confidence and assurance and so shall you have the comfort of all this Truth made good unto you And the Lord give it in unto you SERMON III. JOHN 1.16 And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace Preached at Magnus Aug. 24. 1645. I Have made entrance into these Words in other Congregations And desire to proceed here where I left there The Words are spoken of our Lord and Savior Christ They hold forth Three great grand Propositions First That there is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Secondly That of His Fulness all we have received Thirdly That of His Fulness all we have received Even Grace for Grace I have done with the