but a small matter in comparison of what God hath provided for you A Christian's Blessings are future his Crosses are present therefore we need some Support Now Hope is of great use in Affliction and Temptation this appears by the Comparisons that are used it is called an Anchor in the stormy Gusts of Temptations and a Helmet in all Spiritual Conflicts There are Fightings without and Fears within here is an Helmet here is an Anchor Hope is the Anchor of the Soul and the Apostle reckons up all the Properties of a good Anchor it must be firm sharp and enter into good Ground so saith he Heb. 6.19 Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail here is a sure hold-fast upon good Ground it is a weighty Anchor which will not bow nor break Mariners when they have cast out a good Anchor which is fastned to the Ship with a strong Cable they sleep quietly tho the Winds blow and the Storms and Tempests arise they know the Anchor will keep them from floating and dashing upon the Rocks So Hope is a good Anchor Then it is an Helmet Ephes. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation that is Hope 1 Thess. 5.8 And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation The Apostle reckons up all the pieces of the Spiritual Armour Faith that is a Shield for the Body but Hope that is an Helmet for the Head as long as we can lift up our Heads and look up to Heaven we are safe whatever befals us it will hold out in the midst of all the fiery Darts that are cast at us 6. This looking for the blessed Hope is of use to resist Temptations Sin makes many Promises and so prevaileth by Carnal Hopes Balaam was moved to curse God's People against his Conscience but when he boggled and stuck at it Come saith Balac I will give thee Gold and Silver this puts quickening into him The Fool in the Gospel promised himself long Life Luke 12.19 Soul Soul thou hast Goods laid up for many Years take thine Ease eat drink and be merry So Ier. 44.17 We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own Mouth to burn Incense unto the Queen of Heaven as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of Victuals and were well and saw no Evil. And so the Devil comes to Christ and makes the Temptation as strong as he can Mat. 4.8 9. He sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them And saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me And Babylon's Fornication was presented in a Golden Cup there are Baits of Honour and Preferment to draw them to Popery and Heresy Now Faith sets Promise against Promise and Heaven against Earth and the Pleasure at God's Right-hand against Carnal Delight As one Nail drives out another so one Hope and one Promise drives out another Carnal Motions are defeated by Spiritual Promises and those Motions that are presented to the Soul SERMON XIII TITUS II. 13 Looking for c. Vse 1. INformation 1. It informs us that we may look for the Reward Those Men would be wiser than God that deny us a Liberty to make use of the Spirit 's Motives they begrudg God's Bounty To what end should God propound Rewards but that we should close with them by Faith Graces may be exercised about their proper Objects without Sin It requireth some Faith to aim at things not seen The World is drowned in Sense and present Satisfactions they are Mercenaries that must have Pay in hand their Souls droop if they do not meet with Credit Applause and Profit they make Man their Pay-master They have the Spirit of a Servant that prizes present Wages above the Inheritance but it is the Work of Grace to look for the blessed Hope and a great help to us in our Work It was the Comfort of Christ's Human Soul Heb. 12.2 Who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame Christ as Man was to have rational Comforts and human Encouragements Nothing is sinful but coveting the Reward whilst we neglect the Work when we will be Mercenarii but not Operarii we would receive the Reward but not do our Work We are all born Libertines we would sever the Reward from the Duty Hosea 10.11 Ephraim is an Heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the Corn but not to break the Clods in treading out the Corn there was Pleasure and Profit but in breaking the Clods Pain and Labour Or else we sin in having a carnal Notion of Heaven our looking for Heaven is like their looking for Christ as the Consolation of Israel Some of the Jews look for a carnal Messiah so do many Christians for a carnal Heaven for base Pleasures fleshly Delights such Hopes debase the Heart it is the Priviledg of our Profession that we have a sublime Hope Or else we sin in looking for the Reward as the Fruit of Merit if we expect it as Wages for Work done we are Mercenaries Sin and Death are as Work and Wages Rom. 6.23 The Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Eternal Life is a Donative What is the reason of this Difference because wicked Men stand upon their own bottom but Christ hath obtained this Priviledg for us Wicked Works are ours meerly evil but the Good we do is by God's Grace as a Servant tradeth with his Master's Estate I am bound to do Good and am forbidden to sin when I do that which is forbidden I deserve Punishment but when I do that which is commanded I do not deserve a Reward because I am bound to do it Jude 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto Eternal Life It is Mercy that we are called Mercy that we are glorified neither before Conversion nor after Conversion do we deserve any thing We serve a good Master he hath provided Comforts for us not only against our Misery but our Unworthiness we have not only Glory as a Reward but Mercy as the cause of it Glory out of the hands of Mercy Thus must you look for the Reward and build your Hopes of it As you pray so must you expect now you will not pray Lord give me Heaven for I deserve it natural Conscience would blush at the Immodesty of such a Request Who would not have the Title of Inheritance rather than of Hire Again our own Happiness must not be our ultimate End Man was made for a twofold End to glorify God and enjoy him for ever they must both go together we must desire the Enjoyment of God that we may glorify God to all Eternity otherwise Interest swayeth us more than Duty First we love God out of
these two Prophets Moses and Elias Mat. 17.4 Heaven is called not only a Palace but a City a World to come where there is a Multitude which no Man can number This for the Parts of this Happiness 2. For the Manner and Degree of enjoying it is full We are filled with the Fulness of God and shall eternally lose our selves in an Ocean of Sweetness the Soul is more capable stretched out to the greatest Capacity of a Creature yet God filleth it Here we have but a few drops there we shall be filled up to the Brim and have as much as we can hold Psal. 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness There shall be compleat Joy and Satisfaction all Want Sorrow and Sin shall be done away we shall enter into our Master's Joy We do not say the Sea entreth into a Bucket or Cup or a River into a Man In Heaven the Soul is so full of Joy and Glory as is inexpressible 3. For the Duration of it it is eternal Our Happiness is immortal we can never lose it which doubleth the Joy and Contentment of that State God's Love is everlasting and so shall our Happiness be there will be no fear of losing it Rev. 22.5 They shall reign for ever and ever We shall never lay aside our Diadem of Glory it is a Garland that shall not wither It is not only a certain and eternal State but a State of actual Delights Christ's Manifestations are not lessened by Enjoyment but they are like the Widow's Barrel of Meal and Cruse of Oil never spent but we shall always have the actual Comfort of his Presence SERMON XV. TITUS II. 13 That blessed Hope c. Vse 1. FOR Information in seven Particulars 1. That the Children of God are not so miserable as they appear they have other Hopes and Enjoyments than are seen a large Estate that lies in an invisible Country it is not Terra incognita a Land unknown but it is a Land unseen Pearls and precious things lie out of sight so doth the Glory and Blessedness of a Christian. Our Happiness is a Mystery to a carnal Heart it lieth in another World 1 Iohn 3.2 It doth not yeâ— appear what we shall be Here we have a Right but the Children of God are subject to the Chances and Accidents of the present World as well as others Our Happiness is only to be seen with a spiritual Eye and with spiritual Light Ephes. 1.18 The Eyes of your Vnderstanding being opened that ye may know what is the Hope of your Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints However Christians seem in the Eye of the World mean afflicted despicable yet they are blessed Creatures Look as Beasts know not the Excellency of a Man so carnal Men know not the Excellency of the Saints The Whore of Babylon the corrupt Church is set out in her glorious Out-side with a Golden Cup so carnal Men saith the Apostle make a fair shew in the Flesh Gal 6.12 that is excel in Pomp and Worldly Splendor but a Christian's Glory and Blessedness is under a Vail and Disguise which shall not be fully taken off till the Day of Judgment Col. 3.3 4. Your Life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory Look as in a Dark-lanthorn the Light is hid till the Cover be removed little of the brightness of the Light is seen So there is an Eclipse upon the Christian's Glory now it is covered and vailed and therefore now the Christian passeth under Censures and Reproaches thus was Christ in the World and we must be like him but then all shall be discovered A Garden and a Field differ little in Winter so doth a Christian and other Men till the great Imperial Day of Christ then shall we put on our best Robes Yea this Happiness in a great part is hidden from our selves If we hearken to Sense and present Experience there is not such a miserable sort of People in the World as God's dearest Servants are 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this Life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable It is true by the Perspective of Faith we may have a glimpse now and then Holy Meditation strikes out and opens a Window into the New Ierusalem and we have some sight of it A young Heir doth not know the Particulars of his Estate neither do we exactly know the Happiness of our Portion and Inheritance in Light 2. It informs us what Cause we have not only to be patient but to be thankful during the time of our Pilgrimage here while we are liable to Sin and Sorrow we may bless God afore-hand That 's one Reason why God hath revealed these things before we came to enjoy them that we may give Thanks for our Hopes Abraham when he had only a Grant and a Promise of Canaan not a Foot of Land actually possest there he built an Altar and offered Sacrifice and Praise Gen. 13.17 18. So this is one Effect of the certainty of Faith it beginneth the Life and Work of Heaven and can praise God before enjoyment Though we be subject to Sin and Misery here yet in despight of Sense Faith will praise God and rejoice in him before we enjoy him Thus the Apostle blesseth God for his Hopes 1 Pet. 1.3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the Dead unto an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you Certainly we may bless God where God blesseth us our Blessing is but the Eccho of his Ephes. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And therefore we have cause to bless him for our Hopes as well as our Enjoyments for the best of our Portion is to come therefore whenever we think of Eternity we should presently fall a blessing of God however it be with us for the present To this end let me shew you how much we expect and how much we are engaged to every Person of the God-head 1 st How much we do expect There is freedom from Eternal Torments and possession of Eternal Glory 2 Thess. 1.10 Even Iesus who hath delivered us from VVrath to come Wrath present is nothing to Wrath to come Now God manageth all things by Creatures and no Creature is sufficient to manifest all God's Wrath. Those Everlasting Flames that are the Portion of the Damned this is that from which we are delivered We tremble at the Name of Hell what should we do at the sense of those Torments that are without End and Ease The Gripes of Conscience for an Hour how terrible are they Then what is
at Dothan they were in Samaria Ignorance because it is not always accompanied with gross Acts is little thought of but it is a bloody Sin If Men did know God and themselves more they could not be satisfied with their Condition Ignorance is the greatest cause of hardning 2 dly Love I do not consider it as a Grace but as an Argument to melt the Soul It is a forcible Argument and a kindly Argument 1. It is a forcible Argument Saul relented when David had an advantage against him and spared him in the Cave 1 Sam. 24.16 17. Saul lift up his Voice and wept and he said to David Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rewarded me Good whereas I have rewarded thee Evil. To make the Heart relent it is good to study God's Kindness not only how he hath spared us but how he hath blessed us 1. For temporal Mercies Creation and Providence For the Mercies of Creation We all condemn the Rebellion of Absolom for rising against his Father God made us out of nothing none so much a Father as God and yet we rebel against him If we had lost a Limb an Eye a Tooth or an Arm would we injure him that could restore us these things God gave them to us at first how should the Thoughts of this soften our Hearts Then for the Mercies of Providence Nathan mentions God's Mercies to David to humble him 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul And I gave thee thy Master's House and thy Master's Wives into thy Bosom and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do Evil in his Sight It is God that feedeth and maintaineth you and preserveth you Men stand upon their Honour in the World to be true to their Interest not to be unthankful to their Preservers Now God giveth us Life and Breath and all things You value these things when they are given you by Men much more should you when they are given you by God Is Water the worse because it cometh from the Fountain and not from the Cistern Water is purer in the Fountain We have more Reason to value Mercies when they come from God that so great a Majesty should look after you Psal. 113.6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth That God that standeth not in need of you as Man doth of the meanest that God whom you have offended whose Favour you are so much concerned about In a small Gift from a King the Favour is valued we are continually fed and maintained at the Expence and Care of his Providence 2. For spiritual Mercies they melt the Heart What great Love Christ shewed in the Business of our Salvation what he left what he suffered what he purchased 1. What he left That Love that is accompanied with Self-denial is accounted the highest how many Degrees did the Sun of Righteousness go back 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.8 He humbled or emptied himself There was a Vail upon his Godhead when he was rich for our sakes he became poor 2 Cor. 8.9 In the Fulness of the Godhead he abstained from the Use of it Did Christ leave Heaven and wilt not thou leave thy Lusts Was he made the Son of Man and wilt not thou be made the Son of God It was his Abasement but it is our Advancement 2. What he suffered We are more affected with what Men suffer for us than with what they do for us Cubitum sin◠manu To shew the Stump of the Arm where the Hand was lost was an effectual Plea Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and be in Bitterness for him as one that is in Bitterness for his First-born Sin doth most affect the Heart when we consider the Wrong done to Christ by it Amor doloris causa the more a Man loveth another or apprehends that he is loved of him the more he is grieved that he hath any way injured him Your Sins strike at Christ and have pierced him shall not your Hearts be pierced when his Head was pierced with Thorns his Hands and Feet with Nails his Heart with Sorrows Can you look upon Golgotha with dry Eyes and a careless stupid Heart Think that you heard Christ say Behold is any Sorrow like to my Sorrow Will you still go on in your Rebellion against me Is all nothing all that I have done and suffered for you 3. What he purchased for us He gave himself a Ransom and Price a Ransom to free us from Death and Hell We would love a Man that should get a Pardon for our Lives when we are condemned to die 1 Thess. 1.10 Even Iesus who delivered us from the Wrath to come There was never any such Wrath past or present it is a thing to come when he shall stir up all his Wrath And a Price to purchase for us the Favour of God and our eternal Abode with him in Heaven Heaven is called the purchased Possession Ephes. 1.14 If we were to be annihilated or to spend our time in some obscure Place it were Mercy but to be for ever with the Lord and to be filled up with God who can express the Greatness of this Mercy And all this is freely offered to you in the Gospel Things that concern us affect us and therefore surely this should melt the Heart Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the Mercies of God What! shall not Mercy prevail Ioel 2.13 And rent your Heart and not your Garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to Anger and of great Kindness and repenteth him of the Evil. Surely God's Graciousness and Readiness to receive returning Sinners should work upon us An Hammer will easily break an hard Stone against a soft Bed but if it be laid on an hard solid Body that will not give way underneath strike as hard as you will it is kept from breaking so smite thy Soul on the Gospel Hell and Damnation may be the Hammer but then lay thy Soul upon the Gospel and Gospel-Considerations then it breaketh all to shatters Strike thy Soul with the Blows of God's Wrath against the Law and it resists still all doth but make us desperate but now remember the Mercies of the Lord how freely he inviteth returning Sinners and this breaks the Heart to pieces 2. It is a kindly Argument the Heart is not till then kindly humbled for Sin as Sin An apprehension of Wrath is one thing godly Sorrow is another thing the former is necessary but not enough 2 Kings 22.19 Because thine Heart was tender and thou hast humbled thy self before the Lord when thou heardest
be Grave and Serious The Mind is according to the course of the Life You flatter your selves when you think you are able to command Spiritual Thoughts on a sudden when you have suffered your thoughts to rove and wander Prov. 17.24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth here and there and every where 5. Watch against the first Diversion how plausible soever it be look upon it as an intruding that breaks the rank The Devil injects good thoughts sometimes that he might divert your other thoughts Charge your thoughts that they may not disturb your Meditation Cant. 3.5 I charge you O ye daughters of Ierusalem that you stir not up nor awake my love till he please 6. When you come to meditate in Gods Presence do not bring the World with you purge your selves of all Carnal Affections Ezek. 33.31 Their heart goeth after their covetousness Alwaies consider this the prevailing Lust will engross the thoughts to a distracted Mind no place is a solitude the very Closet is a Market-place Therefore before Meditation we should purge our Hearts of Worldly Affections SERMON IV. GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide I Shall not wholly divert from the Subject in hand though I shall a little interrupt the Method of it My purpose is now to speak of that Meditation that is proper to the Sacrament The main part of that Worship is dispatched in Thoughts Here we come to put Reason to the Highest and most Sublime Use to be an Instrument and Servant to Faith and Love But now the Thoughts proper to the Lords Supper are many There are an Union of Mysteries yea so many that they are a burden to some Christians and a snare to those that are most scrupulous It will be necessary therefore to give you some Directions how you may guide your selves in this Duty for your best advantage It is a matter of great profit to be wise and skilful in Duties Many that know the general Nature of them know not how to manage them David saith Psalm 119.27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works intimating that then we performe Duties with most success when we go about them with most Wisdom and Understanding and when we are skilled in the way of Gods Precepts we shall understand those Marvellous Acts of Grace which he vouchsafeth to his People Now it is good that every one according to his Talent should help one anothers Joy and therefore I shall now speak a little to this purpose and the rather because it will much conduce to the opening of the Doctrine of Meditation in the general My Method shall be this 1. I will shew the usual defects of Christians in this Service with their necessary Remedies 2. I shall handle some cases First The usual defects and faults of People in this Duty I mean so far as they concern Meditation and they are Four Barrenness Stupidity Roving of Thoughts and a lazy Formality 1. Barrenness This is a great trouble to Christians when their Understandings are unfruitful and they cannot inlarge themselves in pertinent and necessary thoughts Now how shall we do to get our Hearts to be fruitful in Holy Thoughts 1. There must be a Solemn Preparation for this Service It is good to breathe our selves in some Religious Exercises before-hand that we may run the more freely without fainting Spiritual Dispositions do not come on us of a sudden Christians are deceived that look for rapt and sudden motions there must be a time to put off the Shoes off our Feet when we come upon Holy Ground to converse with God in so sweet a Service we must lay aside the Distractions of the World and not come roaking from the World into Gods presence There must be a time to raise the Soul into a Zealous Height and Ardour there must be a blowing of the fire for here you come to the flame your thoughts are to flame out in great and raised ascents Cant. 1.12 While the king sitteth at his table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof Wood doth not blaze and flame as soon as it is laid on 2. Those solemn and preparative thoughts are chiefly to be spent in these two things The Nature of the Supper and the Love of Christ in the institution of it 1. The Nature of the Supper You are to consider the great things that are offered to you and the great Blessings and Benefits which God cometh to represent exhibit and seal up to your Souls Matth. 11.7 What went ye out into the wilderness for to see Christ examineth the grounds of their Resort and Concourse to him It is good to consider what we are about and the Dainties of the Banquet we are invited to what assurance the outward Signs are to give you what Communion we have with Christ and his Graces We are barren because we do not consider our Work and the Nature and Importance of it 2. The Love of Christ in the Institution of it 1. The Time when it was instituted 1 Cor. 11.23 The Lord Iesus Christ the same night in which he was betrayed took bread The Lord Jesus Christ had thoughts of the greatest good to Man when Man was executing the greatest Spight and Malice against him And the rather because it is an Act of Mercy that Christ frequently useth to surprize Sinners in the midst of their wickedness when Saul was breathing out threatnings against the Disciples God had a design of Love to him and smites him from his Horse Some are smitten with Conviction in the height of Provocations We read in Ecclesiastical Story of a young Man that came to stab St. Iohn was converted by him so many come to jear and catch at a Sermon and have been converted by it 2. The Rights which he instituted appointing Bread and Wine Symbols of Pleasure and Delight as a Physician conveys health to us in a Golden Pill so doth Christ convey Spiritual nourishment to us by those Elements which we take Pleasure in The outward Observance is comfortable God doth not require us to lance our selves and to exercise the Body with Whips and Cords the Rights are not bloody as in Circumcision but Bread and Wine And yet this is nothing to the inward sweetness Meat and Drink which the World knows not of Iohn 4.32 I have meat to eat which ye know not of 3. The Advantage and Relief that Faith has from these things of Sense God speaketh to you now not by Words but things He doth as it were embody Religion and represent it to the Senses Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you That is in the Word or Sacraments here God doth as it were hold forth Christ dying before your eyes
Persons were swept away at once The next news of Sin is in the instance of Sodom and there Sin was of such an evil influence that it made God to rain Hell out of Heaven as one expresses it Gehennam misit e coelo Gen. 19.24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven Dominus a Domino the Lord Christ from the Lord Jehovah Jesus Christ himself will become the Executioner upon such a Wicked People Go from Sodom to Sion and further trace the Story of Sin Who can read the Lamentations without lamentation or run over the story of Ierusalems sorrows with dry Eyes There was not such a People under Heaven both for Mercies and Judgments the dearly beloved of his Soul given up to a sad ruine Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his Sins What is the reason of all this but Sin Will you go further and see the Effects of Sin upon the Son of God himself who was the Son of his Love the man Gods fellow as he is called Zech. 13.7 his Associate they solaced themselves mutually in each other Prov. 8.30 There was I by him as one brought up with him I was dayly his delight rejoycing alwaies before him See what Sin did to him that was but imputed to him Look into the Garden see him in his Agonies go to Golgotha see Christ hanging on the Cross if you would know Sin Gold and Silver would not ransom us nothing would serve but the Blood of Christ Oh come and wonder The boundless Sea of the God-head was stopped by the bank of Sin For a Candle to be put out is no such matter but for the Sun to be quenched and darkned this is dreadful So for a poor Creature to be forsaken is nothing but when the Son of God shall complain that he cannot actually enjoy the Comfort of the God-head when the Sun of Righteousness shall complain of an Eclipse and of a suspension of Consolation this is dreadful Though the Humane Nature recoyled out of a just abhorrency of the Sufferings he was to endure and he came to his Father Matth. 26.39 Oh my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me And again ver 42. and again ver 44 saying the same words yet Divine Justice would not bate him one farthing what then would have become of us if Jesus Christ had not catched the blow Then survey common Experience If all the Charnels in the World were emptied upon one heap and all the Bones of all that ever dyed were laid together you might say all these were slain by Sin Whenever you see Sin you may entertain it as Elisha did Hazael Thou art the Murderer All Diseases Pestilences Wars Famines Tumults Earthquakes these are but the births of Sin it hath laid Houses desolate wasted Kingdoms destroyed Cities Sin may say Zephan 3.6.7 I have cut off the nations their Towers are desolate I have made their streets wast that none passeth by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man there is none inhabitant I said surely thou wilt fear me that which we â—eel we may fear But we may come nearer home Do but consider the Effects of it within your selves in the Terrors of Conscience What a sorry Creature is Man when God arms his own thoughts against him and sets home one Sin upon his Conscience He longs for Death rather than Life Heman who was a Child of God complains Psal. 88.16 17 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off They came round about me dayly like water they compassed me about together What a sad thing is this that a Man should be Magor Missabib fear round about that his own Thoughts should be his Hell and wherever he goes he carries his Hell with him when he lies down in his Bed Hell lyes down with him when he walks out into the Field or Garden Hell walks with him when he goes about his Business Hell goes with him Sin is its own Executioner however it smiles in the first address yet afterwards it scourgeth the Soul with horror and despair Consider the horrors in Death There is a Natural abhorrency from Death as an Evil to our Life and Being but that which increaseth Horrour is Sin 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sin Oh what agonies will it raise in our Souls when we come to dye if we dye in our Sins Though we were immortal yet Sin is so great an Evil that it were not to be committed but when we are to dye and give an account how doth it fill the Soul with horror and diffidence and shame and anger Some wicked Men indeed dye stupid and careless at least doubtful and some may be fool-hardy like a Man that fetcheth a leap in the dark over a bottomless gulph he doth not know where his feet may light A Wicked Man is like a Tree that grows on the Bank of a River he is on the Borders of Hell and when he dyes he falls into it When they come to dye Sin will be accusing Conscience witnessing the Law condemning Satan insulting Heaven will be shut up against them and Hell inlarging her mouth Oh how will the Body curse the Soul for an ill guide and the Soul curse the Body as a wicked Instrument It is a sad parting when these two loving Friends Body and Soul part with Curses and can never expect to meet again but in Torment A Godly Man when he dyes takes a fair leave of his Body and saies farewel flesh He goes down to the Grave with the Covenant of Grace in his hand my flesh shall rest in Hope but a wicked Man dreadeth it that ever his Body and Soul must be united again they part with an expectation never to meet but in flames But all this is nothing to the Everlasting Estate that follows after it consider either the Loss or the Pain both will represent the Evil of Sin Consider the loss by sinning thou losest God and Heaven and Glory for a trifle for a little dreggy pleasure thou thrustest away Eternal Joyes thou dost as it were say I care not for Heaven so I may have carnal satisfaction as of Esau it is said Gen. 25.34 Thus Esau despised his birth-right it is not worth a Mess of Pottage With what sad Reflections wilt thou declaim against Sin when thou shalt see the Holy ones of God stand at the right hand of Christ and thou art halled to thy own place How will thy Heart turn upon thee for thy own folly then As one dreamt that his heart was boyling for his Sins in a Kettle of Scalding Lead and it cryed out to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is I that have been the cause of this Were it not for Sin I might have had a place in Abrahams Bosom but now I am going to Everlasting Torment then you will know what Sin is
Every Sinner is as a mad Gamester he ventures a Kingdom the largest and fairest that ever was at every throw and he is fure to lose it too Then consider the pains of Hell they will set out the greatness of Sin and consider them either in regard of Gods Ordination or Appointment or in regard of your own feeling 1. In regard of Gods Ordination and Appointment That the good of God who is meekness and sweetness and Bowels it self should adjudge his Creature to Eternal Torments certainly there is some cause We pity a Dog if he should be cast into a furnace for half an hour yet those tender Bowels of Mercy shrink not up at the sight of Sinners though Man be the work of his own hands and though the Creature screech and howl under these pains yet he will not lessen and take them away Surely there is some great evil in Sin that hath tyed up the hands of Mercy 2 Consider it in regard of your selves and your own feeling Oh for a short Temporal Pleasure thou runnest the hazard of Eternal pains We that cannot endure the scratch of a Pin or the aching of a Tooth how shall we endure the torment of so many thousand years and yet still to look for more Heb. 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Mark the Attribute the living God who Lives for ever to see the Vengeance accomplished as long as God is God Hell will be Hell there can never be any Hope that Gods Being can be destroyed or that there will be aâ—cessation of those torments and pains God ever liveth to reward the Godly and to punish the wicked 3. The third sort of Arguments are from the aggravations of Sin that may enhance it and show the greatness of it to your thoughts 1. It is natural to us It is necessary to reflect upon this Circumstance because it is the hardest matter in our Humiliation to be sufficiently affected with our Birth-Sin Evils that come by Accident are Objects of Pity but Evils of Nature are Objects of Hatred we pity a Dog that is poysoned but we hate a Toad that is poysonous by Nature oh how may the Lord hate us that have Evil in our Nature it is not accidental to us It is the great fondness of Men to make that an excuse which is in it self the greatest aggravation Some will say when they are reproved for Sin I cannot do otherwise it is my Nature this will be the cause of thy ruine without an Interest in Christ. The Waters that come out of a pure Fountain may be soiled and dirtied but they will be clear again but a puddle that runneth out of a Dunghil will be alwaies nasty and filthy Our Sins are not by Accident but by Nature they are not like the muddying of a clear Fountain but like the unsavoury liquor that comes out of a Dunghil Original Sin however you think of it is the sin of sins we are born with such a Sin and it is worse than any other Sin Actual Sins are but as a transient Act whereby there is a violence offered to one of Gods Commandments but this is a constant rooted abiding contrariety to Gods own Nature Actual Sins are a blow and away but this is a remaining Enmity Actual Sins are like a fit of Anger and Displeasure soon up and soon down but this is a rooted hatred This is the cause of all other Sins the bitter root that diffuseth a poyson into all the branches All other Sins that a Man commits are but Original Sin acted and exercised Look as in the Art of numbring the greatest number that can be numbred is but One multiplyed so the whole fry of Actual Transgressions is but Original Sin multiplyed this Spawn diffused and spread abroad all those Traiterous Actions that we are guilty of in the course of our Lives are all summed up in this sinning Sin 2. Our Sins are many We sin in praying in eating in ploughing in trading and any one of these is enough to undo a World The Angels became Devils for one Sin for one Sin of thought a proud thought against Gods Empire and Greatness and for this they were thrown into places of Darkness what ruine then will a great many Sins procure to thy Soul If single Sins seem light in themselves yet what are they all together There is nothing lighter than one Sand and yet nothing heavier than Sand in a great quantity A Gnatt a Fly a Locust are poor inconsiderable Creatures yet when they come in multitudes they are called Gods great Army and destroy whole Countreys Ioel 2.11 The Lord shall utter his voice before his Army for his camp is very great If every pore in the Body were but pricked with a Pin the veins would soon be emptied of Blood One Sin was deadly but what are they altogether when from Top to Toe there is nothing but sores and putrefaction Herod was eaten up with Lice a small inconsiderable kind of Vermin yet the abundance of them destroyed him so though Sins seem small in themselves yet when they come in clusters how soon will they devour and eat out the life and comfort of the Soul Psal. 40.12 Innumerable evils have encompassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of mine head therefore my heart faileth me And if David may say so may not we much more Nothing can be little that is committed against the great God but suppose them small yet they are a Company oh this will make your hearts fail The little finger of Sin is weighty but when all the loins of it are laid upon the Soul how great will the Burden be Lok upon all the troubles of the Servants of God and you will find they were first occasioned by a small Sin as Mr. Peacocks by eating too freely at a Meal but when innumerable evils shall compass you about that wherever you look there is Sin if you look on Duty there is Sin if you look on your Calling there is Sin if you look on your Recreations there is Sin if you look on the hours of your repast there is Sin Oh this will make your hearts fail indeed 3. If they have been such as have been committed against Knowledge There is more of the Nature of Sin in such Acts for the Nature of Sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law now the more we know the Law the greater is the Transgression according to the sense we have of the Law so the offence is elevated and raised He that hath Knowledge is magis particeps legis the Law is a piece of himself it is impressed upon his Conscience and he offereth violence to the Principles of his own Bosome This is the Reason why the Children of God use this aggravation as David Psal. 51.6 In the hidden part thou shalt make me
idolize every petty and vain thing in the World therefore in Christ the Lord would shew us the highest Self-denyal when he took the Humane Nature on him and endured the Wrath of the Father The whole World wondred after the Beast and the Disciples wondred at the goodly Stones of the Temple Matth. 24.1 Oh what will you do at the Son of God in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily This should beget a special Veneration and Reverence towards God 3. To overcome us by Love There is a great engagement laid upon a Sinner hereby When the King of Moab was pressed hard by Israel He took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead and offered him for a burnt-sacrifice upon the wall 2 Kings 3.27 according to their superstition who were wont in extream Dangers and desperate Cases to sacrifice their Children whereupon they raised the Siege and went home God hath took his own Son and sacrificed him that we might leave off fighting against Heaven God would overcome Sin by the highest Act of goodness and kindness imaginable hereby he would shame and overcome the heart of a poor Sinner 4. That we might have a High and Glorious Pattern of Obedience We are referred to Angels and to Christ himself who would leave us a more glorious Example 3. Magnifie this great contrivance of your Salvation by Comparisons Compare it with Creation with other Deliverances and with the Works of Nature 1. Compare it with Creation The Lord discovered much of his Glory in making the World out of nothing but he discovered more of his Glory when Jesus Christ was born of his own Creature a Vine out of the Berry or Grape This was his Master-piece and grand design in which he purposed to gain to himself most Honour and Glory The World was made with a Word but redeemed with a serious Plot and Contrivance The World was made for Man and Woman but Christ was made out of a Woman In the Creation God made us like himself but here the Lord made himself like us In the Creation all things were made out of nothing here Order came out of Confusion In the Creation Man was made out of the Earth but here God was made Man In the Creation God went the high way to do us good in Redemption he came the lower way Jesus Christ abased himself for our sakes 2. Compare it with other Deliverances It was a great thing to be delivered out of Egypt and Babylon but it is far greater to be delivered out of Hell and from Damnation and Wrath to come Read the Story of the Children of Israels Deliverances Psalm 107. They were delivered from the oppression of Pharaoh but we from Satan God gave them Food and satisfied the longing Soul and filled the hungry But Jesus Christ incarnate is made Bread and Food to the Soul They had Deliverance from Diseases but we from Sin the Sickness and Disease of the Soul and from the Vanity of our own Spirits Then he goes on to the Wonders in the deep but we may see the depth of Mercy swallowing up the depth of Sin and the glorious Love of God breaking out in such a wonderful Deliverance by Jesus Christ that we may well cry out with them verse 31. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 3. Compare it with the Miracles of Nature There are strange things among the Creatures yet there may be some footsteps of Reason seen but it cannot enter into the heart of Man to conceive of this glorious Salvation brought about by the Son of God Therefore bless God for the Revelation and complain of thy self for not thinking of these things with serious admiration scarce vouchsafing to look into these things but art more pleased with every bawble and vain contrivance than the great and serious Plot of the Gospel SERMON X. GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide Fourthly THE Object which I shall now propose is Providence a large Field and full of useful matter It is a draught which God hath been plotting from all Eternity and accomplishing these thousands of years 1. Take it altogether and it is a continued contexture or concatenation of Decrees Actions and Events from the Creation to the day of Judgment It is our Duty to understand it for the present and it will be our happiness to understand it perfectly hereafter Psalm 107.43 Whoso is wise and will observe those things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. It is an excellent piece of Wisdom to be able to link Events together that we may see the Wisdom and Love of God in the usual occurrences that happen out We being of short narrow thoughts fail most herein Power is such an Attribute as is visible and obvious to a common and careless Eye the Heathens knew it Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead But to find out the Beauty and Wisdom of Gods Work there needs the Light of Faith and some acquaintance with God himself therefore it is said Iob 11.5 6. Oh that God would speak c. and shew me the secrets of wisdom that they are double to that which is Power is obvious to Sense and Reason but Wisdom is scarce discernable to Faith There is an out-side and an in-side in all Divine Dispensations the out-side is full of Beauty but that is but dark to the in-side to the secrets of Wisdom Gods Works are full of Mysteries as well as his Word and we cannot understand them unless God himself be our Teacher we are blind and see not and then we murmur But the full knowledge of the Mysteries of Providence is reserved for our Portion in Heaven when we shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know even as also I am known We shall view all the passages of Providence by which we have been brought to Glory and see the beautiful Order and Links of them Now we have known God or rather are known of God Gal. 4.9 God knoweth what is the meaning of such a Providence what is in the Womb of such a Dispensation Here there is a hand-writing upon the Wall but we as Beltshazzar cannot read it As when we see a Woman with Child we cannot tell what it will prove but when we are on the top of the Mount we shall look back and see how many are the crooked Lanes we have passed the up-hill and down-hill we have trod and God knew us all along and did not only lead us in but lead us out Then we shall know the multitude of his thoughts and what the great number of them is I confess by narrow
willing to return to their Obedience to God expecting their help and discharge from Gods Grace in Christ. It is opposed to such as are Righteous in their own Eyes Such as do in some measure feel their Sins are humbled for them desirous to be freed from them lost Sinners broken-hearted and grieved and wounded for their transgressions These are respected in Christs Commission Isa. 61.1 2. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening the prison doors to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Here is Christs calling to his Ministry and the exercise of his prophetical Office described Sent to preach the spiritual deliverance from sin and Sathan But to whom To such as are humbled and thoroughly touched with a lively sense of their Sin for which purpose God maketh use of legal sorrow to awaken Sinners and prepare them before Conversion II. That Christ recovereth us out of this lapsed Estate by Calling There is a two-fold Calling of Christ by which he calleth Men 1. Outward 2. Inward 1. Outwardly By the Ministry of the Word by which he inviteth Men to come out of their Sins offering Grace and Salvation in the outward means Thus Iohn preached Repentance Mat. 3.20 Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand When the Kingdom of Grace was about to be set up by the Gospel the great Duty called for was Repentance For the Gospel findeth Men involved in an evil way like mad Men out of their Wits and they must return to their Wits again if they would be capable of it Now they must change their course if they will receive benefit by it Thus Iohn preached and Jesus Christ came with the same form of proclamation Mark 1.15 The kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the gospel The great business to which he called was to be willing to own the benefit offered by Christ and to return to the Duty which they owed to their Creator So his Apostles when sent abroad by him spake to Men in the same note Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins And Acts 3.19 Repent that your sins may be blotted out They offered Pardon and Life upon these termes 2. Inwardly By the effectual working of the Blessed Spirit inclining and moving their hearts to obey that outward Calling in forsaking their Sins and turning to the Lord by true Repentance We have need of a Saviour to help us to Repentance as well as to help us to pardon And God hath exalted him to such an end Acts 3.26 God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins He by the Gospel giveth leave to repent Acts 11.18 And when they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying That then God also to the Gentiles granted repentance to life Which is a great Mercy The Law doth not say I will not the Death of a Sinner but that he turn and live but the Lord saith do and live sin and dye This favour was not vouchsafed to Angels Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He took not hold of Angels That he giveth us space to repent as well as leave that by his Providence he may do and doth to many that perish Revel 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not God is not quick and severe upon every Miscarriage He might have cut us off betimes as we crush Serpents in the Egg and destroy venomous Creatures when they are young But this is not all he giveth Grace to repent yea Repentance its self whereby Mans Heart is changed This is by his Spirit 2 Tim. 2.25 If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth The Evangelical Call carries its own blessing with it III. The Means of Application or the Duty on Mans part is Repentance For to that he calleth them here Here let me shew you these four things 1. What Repentance is 2. The kinds of it 3. That this is the way of our Recovery 4. The suitableness of this qualification to the Grace of the New Covenant I. What Repentance is It is turning of the whole heart from Sin and Sathan to serve God in newness of Life Or a turning from Sin because God hath forbidden it to that which is good because God hath commanded it There are in it as in every action two tearms a quo and ad quem We turn from something and we turn to something 1. The terminus a quo we turn from something From Sin Acts 8.22 Repent of thy wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from thy wickedness and from dead works Heb. 6.1 from Sathan Sathan is sometimes made the terme because the Sinner falleth to his share Acts 26.18 To turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan to God 2. The terminus ad quem is to God Acts 20.21 To the truth 2 Tim. 2.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth To holiness and newness of Life Rom. 6.4 To life Acts 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life 2. The kinds of it There is a general Repentance which consists in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2.11 When a Man renounceth all sin and devoteth himself to God And there is a particular repentance for any provoking Sin Acts 8.22 Repent and pray that if it be possible the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Again There is a Repentance at our first Conversion which is our passing from Death to Life or our entrance by the strait gate Matth. 7.14 And there is a Repentance afterwards which belongeth to our walking in the narrow way For after Conversion we need it still and not in our Natural Estate only 'T is not only necessary for a Sinner yet unregenerate yet unreconciled to God without which he cannot expect any peace with God or benefit by the New Covenant but also for a Believer till his full and final Recovery This Repentance after Conversion is either occasional or constant 1. Occasional After any offence given or breach between us and God Repentance is necessary to obtain pardon of Sins after Justification as well as before it God saith to the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.5 Repent and do thy first works So verse 19. Whom I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Where Repentance is put for a necessary means of removing Gods rebuke and quarrel from them whom he loveth The promise is made
much brokenness of Heart Cold thoughts of Sin beget but cold thoughts of Christ For every mans value and esteem of the Remedy is according to his sense of the Misery If we are not deeply affected with our lost Condition Christ is of little use to us It is the câ—ntrite and broken Heart which doth most relish the Grace of the Redeemer 2. Sacrifices were figures of the Mercy of God and the Merit of Christ viz. of his Death and Obedience Heb. 9.13 14. If the Blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God So Heb. 10.5 6 7. Wherefore when he cometh into the World he saith Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not but a Body hast thou prepared me In burnt Offerings and Sacrifices for Sin thou hadst no Pleasure Then said I Lo I come to do thy Will O God So that the Sacrifices were to represent Christ to them without which they did little else than qualifie for legal Priviledges Therefore it behoved every one that would make Covenant with God to own the promised Messiah the Surety who died for Sin and the great Sacrifice of Atonement the Lord Jesus Christ. And is not this incumbent upon us who would make and renew Covenant with God What is required of us in the Eucharist but to bless God for all his Mercies especially the gift of his Son to die for us That which was promised and prefigured is now accomplished Surely the Death of Jesus Christ is the only true means of Redemption and Propitiation for Sin which must be acknowledged with all joy and thankfulness 3. They were Obligations to Duty and that worship and Obedience which we owe to God For a man by offering a â—east did in effect devote himself and all his Power and Strength to God The Worshipper was to Consecrate himself wholly to his Service So Rom. 12.1 I beseech you by the Mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice Holy and Acceptable to God which is your reasonable Service This was the Interpretation of the rites of the Law and the reasonable part of that Worship And are not we to give up our selves to God with a sincere firm Resolution of new Obedience Thus for our Humiliation the Sacrifices revealed our Misery for our Consolation they propounded the Remedy of Grace and in order to our Sanctification they taught us gratitude and new Obedience But their chief and first Relation was to Christ without whom our Misery had been in vain discovered and Holiness of Life to little purpose required for we have all from him I. Vse To press you to enter into Covenant with God especially being incouraged thereunto by the Atonement and Reconciliation made by Christ. You have no Benefit by it till you personally enter into the Bond of it It is true God being pacified by Christ offereth Pardon and Acceptance on the Conditions of the Gospel but we do not actually partake of the Benefit till we perform those Conditions Though the price be payed by Christ accepted by the Father yet we have not an actual Interest through our own default for not accepting Gods Covenant The Covenant of Nature lieth upon us whether we consent or no because that is a Law but this is a Priviledge and therefore we must man by man make out our Title and Claim What shall we do 1 Bless God for this Grace That when man had irreparably broken the first Covenant and fallen from his State of Life and all the World left under guilt and a curse Rom. 3.19 All the World is become guilty before God That God took occasion by this Misery to open a door of hope to us by Christ 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself And hath set up a new Court of Righteousness and â—ife where Sinners may appear where Grace taketh the Tâ—rone and the Judge is Christ and the Rule of proceeding is the Gospel and upon Faith and sincere Obedience we may be accepted O let us run for refuge to this Court take Sanctuary at this Grace Heb. 6.18 Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us The Lord standeth with Arms open to receive us if we will but acknowledge our Iniquities Ier. 3.13 Only acknowledge thine Iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God 1 John 1.9 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness Judge and Condemn our selves for them 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judge our selves we should not be judged With Penitent and Contrite Hearts the self-condemning Sinner is acquitted Luk. 18.13 14. The Publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his Eyes to Heaven but smote on his Breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner I tell you this man went down to his House justified rather than the other For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted 2. Own Christ as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the World and the Fountain of your Life and Peace For till we own the Mediator of the Covenant we have not the Benefit of the Covenant Though his Blood be shed 't is not sprinkled on us Heb. 12.24 And to Iesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than the Blood of Abel Nor can it be pleaded by us with any Comfort and Satisfaction Therefore you must own him Iohn 20.28 My Lord and my God At least prize and esteem him Phil. 3.8 I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord. And use him to the ends for which God hath appointed him Iohn 1.16 Of his fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace And 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sancâ—ification and Redemption Let him be to you what God hath appointed him to be and do for you what God hath appointed him to do for Poor Sinners Micah 5.5 This man shall be the Peace that is in him alone will we seek it this is the Blood of the Covenant 3. Devote your selves to God to serve him and please him Isa. 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the House of Israel And Ezek. 16.8 I entred into a Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Now this must be done sincerely Not only with a Moral Sincerity not to dissemble but with a Supernatural Sincerity Deut. 5.29 O that there were such
be had at Mr. Nathaniel Manton's at the 3 Pigeons in the Poultrey A TABLE of the Texts treated on in this Fourth Volume Part I. TITUS 2.11 For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men Ver. 12. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Ver. 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ Ver. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works In 22 Sermons pag. 1. Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us In 5 Sermons p. 195 John 14.1 Let not your Heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me In 2 Sermons p. 235 Luke 12.48 For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom Men have committed much of him they will ask the more In 2 Sermons p. 249 Deut. 32.51 Because ye trespassed against me among the Children of Israel at the Waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel In 1 Sermon p. 267 Acts 17.30 And the times of this Ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to repent Ver. 31. Because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will judg the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given Assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the Dead In 1 Sermon p. 275 Mark 10.17 And when he was gone forth into the way there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal Life Ver. 18. And Iesus said unto him Why callest thou me Good there is none Good but one that is God Ver. 19. Thou knowest the Commandments Do not commit Adultery Do not kill Do not steal Do not bear false Witness Defraud not Honour thy Father and Mother Ver. 20. And he answered and said unto him Master all these have I observed from my Youth Ver. 21. Then Iesus beholding him loved him and said unto him One thing thou lackest go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come take up the Cross and follow me Ver. 22. And he was sad at the Saying and went away grieved for he had great Possessions Ver. 23. And Iesus looked round about and saith unto his Disciples How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 24. And the Disciples were astonished at his Words but Iesus answereth again and saith unto them Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 25. It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 26. And they were astonished out of Measure saying among themselves Who then can be saved Ver. 27. And Iesus looking upon them saith With Men it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible In 15 Sermons p. 284 2 Thess. 1.3 We are bound to thank God always for you Brethren as it is meet because that your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth In 5 Sermons p. 420 Matth. 8.5 And when Iesus was entred into Capernaum there came unto him a Centurion beseeching him Ver. 6. And saying unto him Lord my Servant lieth at home sick of the Pâ—lsie grievously tormented Ver. 7. And Iesus saith unto him I will come and heal him Ver. 8. The Centurion answered and said Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my Roof but speak the Word only and my Servant shall be healed Ver. 9. For I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say unto this Man Go and be goeth and to another Come and he cometh and to my Servant Do this and he doth it Ver. 10. When Iesus heard it he marvelled and said to them that followed Verily I say unto you I have not found so great Faith no not in Israel In 1 Sermon p. 459 Matth. 15.21 Then Iesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon Ver. 22. And behold a Woman of Canaan came out of the same Coasts and cried unto him saying Have Mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Ver. 23. But he answered her not a Word and his Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she crieth after us Ver. 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Ver. 25. Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me Ver. 26. But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and to cast it to Dogs Ver. 27. And she said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from their Master's Table Ver. 28. Then Iesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt and her Daughter was made whole from that very Hour In 1 Sermon p. 466 John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad In 1 Sermon p. 474 Rom. 4.18 Who against Hope believed in Hope that he might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy Seed be Ver. 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 Deadness of Sarah's Womb. Ver. 20. He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving Glory to God Ver. 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform In 1 Sermon p. 482 Mark 3.5 And Iesus looked round about on them with Anger being grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts In 3 Sermons p. 497 Exod. 4.21 I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go In 2 Sermons p. 519 Gen. 3.15 It i. e. the Seed of the Woman shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel In 2 Sermons p. 533 Gen. 24.63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the Field at the Even-tide In 10 Sermons p. 601 Part II. LUKE 16.30 And he said Nay Father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent Ver. 31. And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead In 2 Sermons p. 671 Heb. 13.20 Now the
Interest and are drawn with the Cords of a Man as first the Fire is kindled and then it sendeth forth much Smoak afterwards we love God out of pure Affection at length as the new Nature gathers Strength and Perfection Men rejoice in God's Glory as much as in their own Salvation it is a simple Act of Adoration in Heaven it will be so we shall rejoice in God's Glory as much as in our own Interest and Profit 2. It informs us of the Reason why the World and Sin have such a Power over Men why they lie under the Power of present things we do not awaken our Hopes and consider Blessedness to come so much as we should It is not only a difference between Sinners and Saints but between Christian and Christian one is more heavenly than another As there is a difference between ordinary Subjects and Courtiers those that are always in their Princes Eye and Company are more polite in their Manners than others so the oftner the Soul is in God's Court the more holy our Hopes will have an Influence upon our Practice It is Hope that carries the Soul aloft out of the reach of Temptation as Birds when flying on high in the Air need not fear Nets nor Snares nor the Crafts of the Fowler Keep Hope alive and then a Christian cannot fail Heb. 3.6 Whose House we are if we hold fast the Confidence and the rejoycing of Hope firm unto the end If a Man had such a lively Hope and some taste and feeling of Heaven and Blessedness to come and a constant groaning after them if we could but glory in our Hopes as much as if we had present Possession then we need not fear miscarrying 3. It informs us that it is a false Hope that doth not urge to Practice and Strictness of Life Some Men make full account to go to Heaven but make no preparation for it their Course is another way there is not only an Unsutableness to their Hopes but a Contrariety If there were only an Unsutableness it were enough to discover the Cheat for we are to be made meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1.12 and to walk worthy of God who hath called us to his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thess. 2.12 and to walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith we are called Ephes. 4.1 There is a Sutableness between a Man and his great Hopes When David was a Shepherd he spent his time in keeping his Father's Sheep and had the Heart of a Shepherd but when he was called to be King then he behaved himself like a King like a Shepherd of the People So a Christian discovers his Hopes in his Disposition and in his Practice and doth walk as an Heir of the Grace of Life There may be a slight Hope which hath no Efficacy but those serious Sighs and hearty Groans I speak of certainly they will work a Sutableness in the Temper of our Hearts and the Constitution of our Souls and we shall be more holy there will be more worthy walking more Detestation of Sin more Contempt of the World more Diligence in the Spiritual Life When you walk as if your Hopes were altogether in this World when Princes in Scarlet embrace a Dunghil when those that are called to great and glorious Hopes live as if their Happiness were only here below heaping up Wealth Treasure and Worldly Conveniences to themselves it is a Lamentation If you saw a Man labouring in filthy Ditches and sullying himself as poor Men do with Mire and Dirt who would believe he were an Heir apparent to a Crown and called to inherit a Kingdom So when we live as Men of the World when there is an Unsutableness between us and our Hopes how do we walk as the Heirs of Grace But now when there is not only an Unsutableness but an open Contrariety in their Practice and yet they think to go to Heaven it is as if a Man whose Journey lay North should travel just South Can that Man look to be filled up with God when God is not in all his Thoughts Can he long for the Company of Christ that slights his Ordinances Can he prize the Communion of Saints to whom good Company is a Prison Can he look for an immaculate and sinless State to whom Purity is an Eye-sore and who hates the Power of Godliness Yet many such deceive themselves with false Hopes when there is not only Unsutableness but a plain Contrariety 4. It informs us That an assured Interest in Heaven is no Ground of Loosness or Laziness Comfort serves to quicken but not to slacken our Endeavours The more we look for Heaven the more it engageth us to Strictness of Life The Apostle after he had professed his Assurance We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 What then v. 9. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him Here is a sure Recompence our great Care is that we may live and die in his Grace because we are confident we shall live with the Lord when we depart from the Body Jude 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto Eternal Life When God is so gracious in Christ providing such great things for such unworthy Creatures as Eternal Life and we come to receive Glory out of the hands of Mercy what a mighty Engagement is this to make us watch against all Decays and Coolings of Love Vse 2. To exhort us to this Expectation or looking for the blessed Hope The method and way is first to believe then to apply then to expect 1. Believe it that there is such a Happiness reserved for the Children of God Next to God's Being we are bound to believe his Bounty Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him These two Principles that God is and that he is a Rewarder are the Fundamental Notions that keep up all Religion There is a Mist upon Eternity to a carnal Heart they are led by Sense and believe no more than they see Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen Fancy and Nature cannot out-see Time and look beyond Death Faith holdeth the Candle to Hope and then we are able to look into the other World and to see a happy State to come Now because Faith is weak in most and we waver more in the Belief of God's Bounty than of his Being his Godhead is manifested by present sensible Effects but we scruple his Rewards which are wholly to come therefore let us strengthen and help Faith as much as we can The Word is clear in this Point Now God hath been true in all things Fidelis in omnibus in ultimo non deficiet He that hath been faithful in
for the blessed Hope 2 dly The Time when our Enjoyment shall be full when Body and Soul shall be glorified that is at the time of Christ's Appearing At the glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. Every one would have the blessed Hope but first there is a glorious Appearing In this second Branch there is the Person that must appear and the Kind or Manner of his Appearing 1. The Person who must appear Iesus Christ described by a Name of Power the Great God and a Name of Mercy and our Saviour as usually such kind of Attributes are mingled in Scripture Power and Goodness 2. The Kind or Manner of his Appearing it 's glorious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Appearance of the Glory of the Great God The Apostle opposed the second Coming of Christ to the first then it was an humble mean Appearance now it is full of Glory But what is meant by this glorious Appearing Some dream of his Personal Reign before his coming to Judgment but that is a Fancy The Scripture only acknowledgeth two Comings of Christ Heb. 9.28 He shall appear the second time without Sin to Salvation There is only his first and his second Appearing After he had once offered himself and ascended into Heaven and sat down at the Right Hand of God there is no more Corporal Presence of Christ upon Earth But will there not be at least a Glimpse Will he not come in the Clouds for a while to convert the Jews and set things to rights in the World Will he not appear for a very little while and so vanish again as he appeared to Paul at his Conversion Acts 9.3 So some think and therefore distinguish between his Appearing and his Coming but without Warrant from Scripture for these two Appearing and Coming are all one and the Expressions are promiscuously used in Scripture Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our Life shall appear 1 John 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him So that this Appearing is his Coming to Judgment this is that we must look for And therefore the Point I shall first observe is this Doct. That it is the Duty and Property of God's Children to look for Christ's second Coming to Iudgment There are two choice Scriptures that do describe the Communion of the Church with Christ and the Dispensations of Christ to the Church and they both conclude with a Desire of his Coming In the Canticles where the Churches Communion with Christ is described this is the last the Swan-like Note which the Church sings Come Lord And so in the Revelations where God's Providences to the Church are described this is the last Note the Swan-like Song Even so come Lord Iesus Compare Cant. 8.14 with Rev. 22.20 In the former it is said Cant. 8.14 Make haste my Beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Christ is not slack but the Church's Affections are very strong and vehement all the seeming Delay is occasioned by the Earnestness of our Desire A Harlot would have her Husband defer his Coming but the Church like a chaste Spouse thinks he can never come soon enough Those that go a Whoring after the World neither desire Christ's Coming nor love his Appearing but those that are faithful as the Spouse is to Christ this is the Desire of their Souls Make haste my Beloved So Rev. 22.20 Christ saith Surely I come quickly and the Church like a quick Eccho takes the Words out of Christ's Mouth Even so come Lord Iesus There is the same Spirit in the Church that was in Christ the Spirit of the Head is in all his Members and therefore they speak the same thing and long for the same thing Christ speaks in a way proper to himself Surely I come and the Church speaks in a way proper to her self Even so come Lord Iesus He by way of Promise and we by way of Supplication Christ's Voice and the Church's Voice are Unisons Here is his Proclamation Surely I come and here is the Churches Acclamation Even so come Lord Iesus Christ says I come as desiring our Company the Church says Lord come as desiring his Company And thus we are taught to pray in the Lord's Prayer Thy Kingdom come that we may always keep those Desires aâ—oot that Christ's Kingdom in the whole Flux from the Beginning to the last Period may come The Day of Judgment is the most Imperial Act of Christ's Kingly Office and therefore we do not only pray for the Beginnings here but also for the Consummation hereafter And mark we that live in the latter Ages of the World have an Advantage of the Church in the Primitive Time It was the solemn Prayer of the Church heretofore as Tertullian sheweth us pro morâ finis for the Delay of Christ's Coming that his Designs and Decrees might be accomplished in the World that the Kingdom of Grace might be spread far and near And we that live in the Dregs of Time pray for the hastening of Christ's Coming for the imbracing of our great and glorious Hopes that the Name of God may be no longer dishonoured that the Kingdom of Sin Satan and Antichrist may have an End They expected the Revelation of Antichrist and we his Destruction Thus the Saints are described to be those that look for a Saviour Phil. 3.20 For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for a Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. Paul speaks in his own Name and in the Name of all that were like himself We look c. The Saints here are a Company of Expectants always waiting for the good Hour of their Preferment when Christ will come that he may conduct them to everlasting Glory And they not only look'd for it but longed for it and therefore it is said they love his Appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 It is notable Paul doth not mention there other Marks and Characters not for me only but all that believe and faithfully serve and obey Christ but he describes them by this which is an essential Character of the Saints for it notes the Disposition of their Hearts not for me only but for all those that love his Appearing There are several Reasons may be given why this is the Duty and Property of the Children of God still to look for Christ's glorious Appearing Look upon their Temper their Relation their Priviledges and the Profit they gain by this Expectation 1. Look upon the Temper of the Saints within them there 's the Spirit Faith Love and Hope and all these put them upon this Desire there is the Spirit Rev. 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride that is the Spirit in the Bride say Come The Holy Ghost breeds and stirs up Desires and begets those holy Motions in their Hearts and the Church answereth his Motions This is a Disposition above Nature Carnal Nature saith Stay but the Spirit saith Come If it might go by Voices in
Sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord Acts 3.19 Then it is of Use to make you constant in walking in the Fear of the Lord Eccles. 12.13 14. Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of Man For God shall bring every Work into Iudgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Especially it is an Engagement to Faithfulness in your Calling especially Ministers 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him Again it urgeth you to keep the Commandments Christ will bear you out Keep this Commandment without Spot unrebukable until the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.14 And then it presseth to Diligence He comes with Crowns in his Hands to reward all that are faithful to him 1 Pet. 5.4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judg the quick and the dead at his Appearance and his Kingdom 1 Thess. 2. â—9 For what is our Hope or Ioy or Crown of rejoicing Are not even ye in the Presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his Coming The Day of Judgment respects our Callings especially as Ministers Christ's Officers must give an Account and in whatever Condition God hath set us in wherein he expects a Trial of our Faithfulness we are to consider what we must do SERMON XVIII TITUS II. 13 Of the Great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. I Come to the Description of the Person who shall appear who is described by a Title of Power and a Title of Mercy and Love because in Christ's Person there is Greatness and Goodness mixt for he is called the great God there is his Attribute of Power and Majesty and then there is a comfortable Name and Title Our Saviour That both these Titles do belong to the same Person the Fathers have abundantly proved against the Arians In the Original there is but one Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that greaâ— God and our Saviour We have just such another Expression 1 Cor. 15.24 He shall deliver up the Kingdom to that God and Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to God even the Father So here the great God and Saviour that is the God that is the Saviour Besides there is another Argument that the Words must be referred to the same Person because it is never said any where the Father doth appear but only Jesus Christ and therefore the Appearance of the great God must needs be applied to Jesus Christ. I shall handle these Titles conjunctly and severally I. Look upon them conjunctly and together and there you may observe the mingling of Words of Power and Words of Goodness and Mercy in Christ's Stile and Title I observe it the rather because it is often found in Scripture But for what Reasons are these Titles of Mercy and Power thus mingled and coupled together 1. For the Comfort of the Saints to shew that Christ in all his Glory will not forget himself to be a Saviour At the Day of Judgment when he comes forth like the great God with all his Heavenly Train then he will own us and will be as tender of us as he was upon the Cross. The Butler in his Advancement when he was at Court and well at Ease forgot Ioseph in Prison but Christ in his Advancement doth not grow shy and stately We may have Boldness in the great Day for he will not only come as the great God but also as our Saviour We have the like Expression Heb. 8.1 2. We have such an high Priest who is set on the right Hand of the Throne of Majesty in the Heavens And what follows a Minister of the Sanctuary Jesus Christ certainly had a gracious Welcome into Heaven and was exalted by the Father but even now he is our faithful Agent in Heaven This is made to be the Excellency and Height of his Condescention that he came in the Form of a Servant in the Fashion of an ordinary Man poor and despicable then he came to do the Church Service and now he is gone to Heaven in all his Glory still he is there as a Servant as one that is to negotiate with God for holy things to tender our Prayers to the Lord and to pass out Blessings to us this is Christ's Imployment in Heaven 2. To shew the Mystery of Christ's Person in whom the two Natures meet there is not only the Majesty of the God-head but also the humane Nature by which he claims Kin of us I observe it because the Scripture takes notice of it Isa. 9.6 To us a Child is born to us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace What a Mixture of Titles is here He is called a Child yet the everlasting Father Wonderful yet the Counsellor one that is intimate with his People he gives sweet Counsel to them He is called the mighty God and then presently the Prince of Peace Christ's Person is the greatest Mystery and Riddle in the World he is God and yet Man He is as the Apostle saith Heb. 7.3 Without Father and without Mother as Melchisedec yet he had both Father and Mother a Father in Heaven and a Mother upon Earth He was without Mother as to his Divinity and without Father as to his Manhood Another Place where the same Method is observed Zech. 13.7 Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the Man that is my Fellow He is called the Man but yet God calls him his Fellow our Brother and God's Son There are so many Mysteries that meet in Christ's Person that under the Law he could not be figured and represented by one Sacrifice Levit. 16.15 21. There were two Sacrifices chosen to represent Christ there was the Goat to be slain for the Sin-Offering and then the Scape-Goat one was not enough because there are in Christ two Natures a God that could not die and a Man that could not overcome Death The Goat that was slain shewed he was crucified in the Flesh and the Goat that was let go shewed that he did yet live by the Power of God 2 Cor. 13.4 For though he was crucified through Weakness yet he liveth by the Power of God Or as another Apostle hath it 1 Pet. 3.18 Being put to Death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit There was his humane Nature as he was Man that he might die to answer the Goat that was slain then his Divine Nature that he might live and overcome Death 3. To compare his two Comings and to show that Christ doth not forget his old Work His first Coming was in Humility to save not to judg Iohn 12.47 I
came not to judg the World but to save the World So 1 Iohn 4.14 We have seen and do testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the World But then his second Coming is in more Majesty then he comes as a God to judg To consider him as a severe Judg that would make our Heart tremble but to consider him as a Saviour that 's comfortable then he remembers his old Relation for the Elect's sake In short he is the great God and our Saviour to shew his double Work and Office at the last Day he is a Saviour to his own People when he comes to shew himself to be the great God to punish the Wicked that would not accept of Grace and Salvation 4. To give us a Taste and Pledg both of his Willingness and Ability to do us good He is a mighty God and yet a Saviour Certainly there is a Difference between God and Man If we pardon and do good it is out of need because we dare not do otherwise but Jesus Christ is the mighty God strong enough to revenge yet our Saviour gracious enough to save and pardon The coupling of these Words shew that Christ is not a Saviour out of Necessity but good Will Men forbear their Enemies out of Policy not Pity 2 Sam. 3.19 These Men the Sons of Zerviah are too hard for me Power makes us cruel Who finds his Enemy and slays him not If a Man find his Enemy will he let him go well away 1 Sam. 24.19 Among Men observe it and you will find the weakest are most pitiful and merciful Why because they need Pity and Commiseration themselves from others But now Jesus Christ that hath the greatest Power hath also the greatest Mercy and the greatest Love he is the mighty God but yet the Prince of Peace He will be a mighty God rather in saving than in destroying though he hath all Power in his Hands yet he will exercise it in Acts of Mercy We abuse our Power to Acts of Oppression and Violence O when shall we learn of Christ to be mighty and yet saving There cannot be a happier Conjunction than when Greatness and Goodness Power and good Will are met together Remember Power is only given us to do good with it and to do good is some Resemblance of Christ. What a Comfort is this to the Faithful that Christ is the great God and also a Saviour both able and willing to do them good and to bestow abundance of Grace upon them 5. To shew what Christ is to the Saints wherever he shews himself a Saviour there he doth also shew himself to be a mighty God Together with Acts of Grace and Favour there are issued out Acts of Power and Strength there 's a concomitant Operation of Power together with an Act of Pardon and Grace I find the Scripture speaking of this he pardoneth as a strong God Mich. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee pardoning Iniquity c. In the Original who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a strong God like unto thee And so Iunius renders it So Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Moses plainly alludes to it Numb 14.17 18. Now I beseech thee let the Power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great Mercy forgiving Iniquity and Transgression Whenever God shews Grace in pardoning Sin he shews Power also in subduing Sin So Psal. 62.11 God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that Power belongs to God And presently ver 12. Also unto thee O Lord belongeth Mercy Both these are dispensed together Those that come to God for Relief are under a double Trouble distemper'd Affections as well as a guilty Conscience therefore know for your Comfort Mercy and Power belong to God and in the Dispensation they usually go together 2 Pet. 1.3 According as his Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness Christians if you go to God aright you go to him not only for Life that you may be respited from Destruction but for Godliness not only for Acts of Grace but for Acts of Power as Wrath and Power are suted to the Reprobate so Mercy and Power to the Godly 6. To shew that Christ is not only a desirable Friend but a dreadful Adversary You must close with him as a Saviour or else you shall find him to your cost to be a mighty God you must submit to him or be destroyed you must accept of Mercy or feel the Power of his Wrath. And thus in Scripture Christ is represented with a golden Scepter and with an Iron Mace to dash his Enemies in Pieces like a Potâ—eâ—â—â— Vessel you must touch his golden Scepter or feel the Weight of his Iron Rod He that saveth can punish and crush as well as comfort Again we read of a Banner of Love and of a flying Roll of Curses and therefore as there is Mercy and Sweetness in Christ so he is represented as a dreadful Adversary Usually we presume on God's Mercy and fear Man's Power but this should not be so O! observe the Counsel the Lord gives Isa. 27.5 Let him take hold of my Strength that he may make Peace with me Blessed God! who is able to grapple and deal with thee in thy Strength but we overcome by yielding Let us humble our selves betimes that 's taking hold of his Strength and making Power our Friend It is an Allusion not to a Wrestler for so how can our Hands be strong and our Heart indure in the Day he shall deal with us but to a Suppliant when a Parent or Master is ready to strike the Child takes hold of his Arm and seeks terms of Peace and intreats him to pacify his Wrath So saith the Lord make Strength your Friend then his Power which otherwise would be your Enemy is ingaged to you 7. To preserve that mix'd Affection which best becomes the present State we are in Our State is mix'd and we act best under a mix'd Affection God would have us not only love him but fear him And therefore he is represented as a mighty God as well as a gracious Saviour that we may come to him with Reverence and yet with Confidence That 's the proper temper of a gracious Spirit in all our Addresses to God Psal. 2.10 Serve the Lord with Fear and rejoice with Trembling Fear mix'd and temper'd with Love is most regular so is Love that is guided with Fear Therefore when you pray to him and worship him and serve him remember he is the great God but lest that should breed Bondage and Dejection in your Spirits remember he is also our Saviour How sweet would this be if we could but make use of both these Titles
and neglected It is very sad when God is provoked to swear to the Damnation of any Creature Who are the Persons that may stand in dread of this Oath why they that believe not Heb. 3.18 To whom swear he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believe not It is the Sin of Unbelief after many tenders and offers of Mercy which provokes God to this Indignation Here is Oath against Oath the one to drive us the other to draw us and pull in the Heart to God If you continue in this course you shall have neither Part nor Portioâ— in Christ nor in the Land of Promise It is better to be satisfied with God's Oath in Mercy than to run the hazard of his Oath in Judgment Therefore speak to Conscience Do I come up to this Certainty and Confidence Is the Controversy ended between God and me Are all Suspicions laid aside Obj. But you will say I do not doubt of the Truth of the Gospel but of my own â—nterest I doubt that I am the Person to whom God hath sworn The Truth of God is sure but my Interest is not clear Sol. In Answer to this consider 1. It doth but seem so that all Doubts are about our own Interestâ— but it is not so indeed If once you were heartily perswaded of God's good Affection in Christ Doubts and Scruples about our own Estate would soon vanish Look as the Fire when it is well kindled bursts out of its own accord into a Flame so if Faith were once well laid in the Soul if Men could rest upon these two immutable things Consolation would not be so far from them if there were a firm Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel there would not be so many Buts if you did firmly believe his Mercy in Christ it would soon end in a stedfast Confidence This appeareth from the nature of the thing All Uncertainty ariseth either from a Neglect of the great Salvation or else from Trouble of Conscience Now carnal Men neglect it because they are not perswaded of the Worth and Excellency of it and Men under Horrors of Conscience distrust it they are such Sinners they dare not apply it and are so full of Doubts and Scruples because they are not perswaded of the Truth of the Gospel See how the Apostle proposeth the Gospel 1 Tim. 1. â—5 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief If negligent and carnal Men would but look upon it as worthy of all Acceptation and troubled Conscience look upon it as a faithful Saying there would be more regular Actings and Effects found in their Hearts and Lives the Negligent would give more Diligence and the Contrite would rise up into a greater Hope and Confidence If Men did believe the Worth of Salvation they would not run after lying Vanities If they did believe the Truth of Salvation for Sinners there would not be so many Scruples and Fears It is notable that the Scriptures very seldom do press Assurance of the Subject but Assurance of the Object in very many places to believe the Doctrine it self for there is the greatest Difficulty and in the Word of God we have no Precedent of any that were troubled about their own Interest If an Earthly King should proclaim a general Pardon and an Act of Grace to all Persons in Rebellion only on terms of Submission and laying down their Hostility and returning to their Duty and Allegiance the Doubt would not be of their own Interest but of the truth of his Intention to shew them such Grace and Mercy So it is with God he hath proclaimed Terms of Grace in the Gospel provided we will lay down the Weapons of our Defiance and return to the Duty of our Allegiance now that which we suspect is the Heart of God and the Gospel in the general whether there be Mercy for such kind of Sinners as we are 2. Because we cannot perswade Men to a Certainty against their Consciences what should hinder but that now you should establish your Interest and that you now make your Plea and Claim according to God's Word and Oath for Joy must arise from a Sense of it Your complaining is not the way to ease your Conscience but Obedience It is an Advantage to find our selves in an ill Condition not a Discouragement As the Woman in the Gospel made an Argument of that that she was a Dog Mat. 15.27 Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table As when the Man-slayer saw the Avenger of Blood at his Heels this made him mend his pace and fly for Refuge so when we see we are under the Wrath of God this should make us more earnest to look after Christ and Salvation in and by him The Cities of Refuge under the Law stood open for every Comer and there was free Admission till their Cause was heard So Christ is the Sanctuary of a pursued Soul and whosoever comes shall be received Iohn 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out God excludeth none but those that exclude themselves No Sin is excepted but the Sin against the Holy Ghost Therefore make your Claim till your Cause be heard The great Affront we put upon God's Oath is not so much doubting of our Condition but not running to Christ for Refuge If we still stand complaining of our lost Estate and do not attempt the Work of Faith we put an Affront upon God's Oath If the Lord had bid thee do some great thing I allude to the Speech of Naaman's Servants wouldst thou not have done it to be freed from Death and Hell How much rather when he saith unto thee Only come fly as for thy Life and see if I will cast thee out Take up a Resolution to try God and see if he will not be as good as his Word and Oath Say Lord thou hast given two immutable Grounds of Hope here I come I will wait to see what thou wilt do for me in Christ. 3. I answer Do but see whether thy Interest in Christ be not established or no Here is the lowest Qualification of an Heir of Promise and yet the highest and most solemn way of Assurance Here are two immutable Grounds and yet what 's the Description we who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before 〈◊〉 Here is a driving Work that belongs to the Law implied in these words We fly 〈◊〉 Refuge then a drawing Work which belongs to the Gospel in these words To lay hold on the Hope set before us The Law begins and works preparatively as Moses brought the Children of Israel to the Borders then Ioshua led them into the Land of Canaan The Law shews us our Bondage and makes us fly for Refuge but then the Gospel pulls in the Heart to God There is a necessity of the preparing
Work of the Law that we might be driven out of our selves Sin else would not be bitter nor Christ sweet our Motions and Addresses to Mercy would not be serious every one hath this some in one degree some in another tho all be not anxious yet all are sollicitous O what shall I do Now canst thou speak of this driving Work of the Law Thou canst not say but thou art a poor lost Sinner one willing to fly and take Sanctuary in Christ and to wait upon him in Obedience till thy great Hopes be accomplished This is the lowest Trial what canst thou deny in it Art thou not a poor chased pursued Soul else what mean these Fears and Scruples and what hath the Lord required of thee but to run to Christ for Refuge Many Christians have not Assurance but tho they dare not say Christ is theirs yet here they will wait and not let go their hold-fast for all the World God hath promised to be gracious to every one that takes hold of his Covenant Isa. 56.6 when the Soul will not let go the Grace of God in Christ tho it hath many Discouragements but in the face of all Doubts and Scruples will anchor and hold fast whatever comes of it I am a lost undone Creature it is Christ that must save me and here I will stick and hold This is the Qualification why should we be afraid to be comforted upon God's Terms If you are resolved to wait upon God in and through Christ you are the Heirs of Promise God hath plighted his Oath to you if there be such a Disposition in you being startled and awakened with the sense of your sinful Condition to take hold and not let it go then what mean those Fears and Scruples Do not you desire to take Sanctuary in Christ and wait upon him with strong Resolution not to be discouraged When therefore God hath put it upon such low Conditions why should we stand off Obj. All the fear is these Terms are too easy and cheap to give a solid Comfort and many miscarry by sudden and delusive Hopes and this makes Christians stand at a distance from their own Comfort Answ. When a Man hath God's Warrant to shew for his Confidence why should he doubt If Men were once serious in the Business of Salvation there 's no fear of Delusion You will find Comfort cannot be counterfeited as the Life of a Creature cannot be painted Carnal Men that feed themselves with delusive Hopes who make an account they shall go to Heaven are not serious and mind not what they do as appears by their Contradictions for they blow hot and cold They think that he is in a dangerous condition that doubts of his Salvation and yet they say it is Presumption for a Man to say he is assured of his Salvation the one saying suteth with their carelesness and the other with their own private feeling They have no deliberate and advised Confidence only a rash Presumption And because of their miscarrying we have no reason to weaken our own Hopes because a Man that is in a Dream thinketh that he is awaked when he is not shall not a Man that is really awake know himself to be so Shall we suspect all our Interest in Christ and the Terms of the Gospel as too free and easy Let me tell you by Experience you will find when you are serious and deliberate it is not so easy a matter to have Rest for your Souls Certainty and solid Assurance is not so soon had Guilty Nature is subject to Bondage and presagious more of Evil than of Good more prone to Fear than Hope and to Mourn than to Rejoice therefore go on with your Business wait upon God and take his way without Jealousy and doubting Thus I have shewed how you should meditate on these two immutable things Secondly When must you meditate on God's Word and Oath Answ. Very often The less you apply God's Promise and Oath the weaker will your Consolation be in Christ and the oftner the stronger for by these two immutable things we have strong Consolation Christians lose much of their Peace and Comfort because they do not exercise themselves in thinking of the Condescension and Satisfaction which God hath given them in this kind that he should lay all his Holiness his Life his Excellency at Pledg with poor Creatures I am confident if you did but think of these unchangeable Grounds and Advantages of Faith mentioned before your Comfort would not be upon such loose terms But there are some solemn Times when it must be done 1. Whenever you are conversant about the Seals of the Covenant and go to the Lord's Table Why should I doubt when I have God's Promise and Oath The Sacraments are visibilia Iuramenta visible Oaths here God reneweth his Oath to us and we to God It is an Oath of Allegiance to Christ to walk in all his Ways and it is God's Oath of Assurance to us that he will perform the Promises of the Covenant As under the Law the Blood of the Covenant was to be sprinkled half upon the Altar and half upon the People Exod. 24.6 7 8. God takes an Engagement upon himself and reneweth his Oath to be good and gracious to us in Christ and we take an Obligation upon our selves to walk before him in all Obedience There is a mutual Stipulation therefore there is a special time to meditate of the sureness on God's part God that cannot lie hath said and sworn it 2. In times of outward Trouble when you are in danger of fainting and making Revolt from God meditate of the unchangeableness of his Word and Oath Vnless thy Law had been my delight I should then have perished in mine Affliction Psalm 119.92 God's Word and Oath were given on purpose to revive a fainting Soul This is the Design of the Text the Apostle is disswading from Apostacy and pressing to keep our Hopes to the End Vers. 11. We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of Hope unto the End Why we are not upon Conjectures and Probabilities and though outward Encouragements fail yet God's Promise and Oath is a sure Ground of Comfort in the midst of all Difficulties and Hardships This reviveth the Soul we have a glorious Inheritance in Reversion and we have God's Word and Oath to shew for it as much as the Patriarchs had to shew for Christ. It is notable that when the Patriarchs were exercised with any new Trouble then God renewed his Oath implying this is a sure hold-fast we have upon God When outward Encouragements in the Service of God are like to fail then think of the two immutable Grounds of Comfort 3. In Pangs of Conscience when Guilt lies heavy and burdensom upon the Soul God's Word and Oath is a proper Meditation The Lord hath sworn That if I will out of a sense of this Misery that is upon me take Sanctuary
The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield We are not only pardoned but restored to Favours and Friendship It is much to us to be delivered from the Terrors of Hell but more to be made Heirs of Eternal Life The Prodigal only looked for a Pardon Luke 15. 19. Make me as one of thy hired Servants and the Father bringeth forth the Robe the Ring and the fatted Calf O that we that have deserved to be in the bottom of Hell should find a place in the Heart and Bosom of God! Let us enlarge our Expectations according to the Extent of Christ's Mercy Here is Pardon and Glory Heaven is more credible than Pardon Rom. 5.10 Much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life It is harder to get a guilty Sinner pardoned than a pardoned Sinner glorified And let us answer the Divine Mercy to be not only negative but positive in our Obedience Many please themselves in an Abstinence from gross Sins but do not care to maintain Communion with God Psal. 1.1 2. Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the Counsel of the ungodly nor sitteth in the Seat of the scornful But his Delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate Day and Night They are not Scorners wicked Enemies and Drunkards but there is no Savour of Religion upon their Hearts Do they delight in the Law of the Lord Do they meditate on it and make it their Study To leave Sin is but the first degree there must be something more 2 dly Why is this Hope said to be set before us I answer 1. To note the Divine Institution of this Reward it is not devised by our selves but appointed by God The Hypocrite's Hope is compared to the Spider's Web Iob 8.14 which is a poor slender thing woven out of her own Bowels and it is gone by the first turn of a Besom so is the Hypocrite's Hope a Fancy a slender Imagination or a rash and unadvised Confidence which comes to nothing 2. It is proposed and set before us for our Encouragement As it is said of Christ Heb. 12.2 For the Ioy that was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the Shame that is for the Joy that was propounded to him Well then it is a real Hope and a Hope offered to us and laid before us 3. What is it to run to take hold of the Hope set before us Sometimes it implieth a challenging it as ours as 1 Tim. 6.19 That they may lay hold on Eternal Life Here it signifies holding fast never to let this Hope go It implieth Diligence of Pursuit Perseverance to the end and all this upon Christian Encouragement 1. Diligence in Pursuit of Eternal Life in the Heirs of Promise It is express'd by working out our Salvation making it our business Phil. 2.12 Work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling Most Men make a Jest of it or a thing of course but when it must be made the main Work the great Pursuit and thing in Chase as the obtaining the Prize in a Race and not only a Business but that which is first and chief Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof And a Business that must be earnestly prosecuted and well followed and that notwithstanding Discouragements Mat. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the Violent take it by Force When Men press through and will not be kept out there must be earnestness in the Matter and this not only for a fit and for a little while until they have made some progress but there must be a getting ground daily I press toward the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Iesus Phil. 3.14 getting nearer and nearer making for Heaven apace to be established in the Hopes of eternal Life When we will not be put off with any thing else but have Heaven or nothing this is to seek Heaven in good earnest 2. This flying to take hold of the Hope set before us importeth Perseverance in well-doing notwithstanding the Difficulties in the way to Heaven The Israelites way to Canaan lay through a howling Wilderness So we have many Inconveniences and Discouragements in our way to Heaven but we are born up with this Hope that the Promise will make amends for all and so we go on in our course till we come to our Journey 's end And the Apostle speaking how Christ as Judg of the World will distribute eternal Rewards describeth those that shall inherit eternal Life Rom. 2.7 Those that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality It is not a Description of our first Address to Christ and taking comfort in his Merit no that consists in a broken-hearted acknowledgment of our Sins and a desire to be found in Christ depending upon his Merits and Righteousness to free us from the Wrath of God But the Apostle is not describing our coming to Christ but our coming to Heaven and the manner how Justified Persons look for their eternal Reward by patient continuance in well-doing they seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Though we are justified and have the Right of Sons yet we shall not have the Possession of the Inheritance until we are exercised in well-doing therefore we must wait God's leisure and persevere in Obedience And 3. All this upon Christian Encouragements for the Hope that is before them A Man may know much of his Spirit by what bears him up and what is the Comfort and Solace of his Soul Titus 2.13 Looking for the blessed Hope When a Man is born up by invisible Comforts and upon the Hopes of an invisible Inheritance kept for him in Heaven A wicked Man's Hope lies within the Compass of the World therefore it may perish and die before he dies Prov. 11.7 When the wicked Man dies his Expectation shall perish and the Hope of unjust Men perisheth or at least it ends at Death Prov. 14.32 The Wicked is driven away in his Wickedness He would fain stay longer in the World but he is arrested by Death in the Name of the great God of Heaven and driven into the other World there to be responsible to God but the Righteous hath hope in his Death then his Hope beginneth APPLICATION Vse 1. Comfort to those that can apply it even to those who are thus qualified that are driven and drawn to Christ and then go on chearfully with the Work of Obedience waiting for their Inheritance in Heaven Now that you may take in this Comfort examine your selves 1. Have you ever felt any Law work Were you ever driven to Christ Were you ever startled and rowzed out of your Sins and made sensible of the Displeasure of God and forced to sit alone and complain over a naughty Heart Have you Paul's Experience Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Have you been awakened Ephes.
1 Cor. 7.30 And they that weep as tho they wept not and they that rejoice as tho they rejoiced not and they that buy as tho they possessed not 2 Cor. 6.7 By the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the right-hand and on the left by Honour and Dishonour by evil Report and good Report Phil. 4.12 I know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need A Man must learn both Lessons or he learneth neither The Prevalency of any Earthly Love will always expose us to Disquiets and we should have more in God if we looked for less in the Creature but whilst we dote upon these things we are more sollicitous about getting or keeping and troubled at the want or loss of them 3. The great care is in the Text about the exercise of Faith on God and Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me Sense is the cause of Trouble Faith of Comfort Christ who is the true Physician of Souls knoweth what Cure is proper to the Disease Mountebanks would prescribe another Cure spare the Flesh or feed Men with carnal Hopes No ye believe in God believe also in me Tho God should not prevent the Evil feared or remove the Affliction yet if we can believe we are well enough Faith represents more Grounds of Comfort than Sense can of Trouble whilst it carrieth off the Heart from things seen to things unseen from things present to things future from the Creature to God who can give better things than the World can give or take from us Here are two Objects of Faith God and Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him One supream God from whom we derive all our Graces and to whom we direct all our Services and one Mediator by whom as a golden Pipe all our Mercies are conveyed to us and by whom also we have access to God for all that we stand in need of 4. Let us labour to keep our Consciences pure if we would not have our Hearts troubled Sin will bring on Trouble both inward and outward for it is the cause of Sufferings and it maketh them more grievous as we shall always walk in Pain till the Thorn be pulled out of our Foot Righteousness bringeth Peace and the Oil of Grace maketh way for the Oil of Gladness the Apostle bringeth this out of Melchisedec's Name and Title Heb. 7.2 First being by Interpretation King of Righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of Peace Elsewhere the Scripture doth attest it Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God And 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoicing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World David interposeth a Caution Psal. 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly 5. There are certain Ordinances appointed to fortify us against Soul-trouble The Word Psal. 119.50 This is my Comfort in mine Affliction for thy Word hath quickened me There are the fixed Grounds of that Hope and Comfort which will support and enliven us in the greatest Pressures God's Covenant and promised Mercies are Portion enough what Distresses soever he sendeth So Prayer if it be ingenuous thankful Prayer Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your Requests be made known unto God The Lord's-Supper it is our Viaticum non morientium not when we come to die Papists think so and therefore thrust the Sacrament into the Mouths of those that die if this be neglected they almost despair of their Salvation But it is Viaticum viventium of those that live Death is not a Journey but the end of a Journey a Passage in a Moment a Cessation from our Journey in this World which needeth no Viaticum a going out of the World like the putting out of a Lamp in a moment as the Lamp needeth no more Oil when it is to be extinguished We need this for our Journey in the World not our departure out of the World Acts 8.39 He went on his way rejoicing As it is our Antidote against the Corruption that is in the World through Lust so it is our Cordial against the Troubles of the World to give us more Joy of Faith more sense of God's Love It is the Feast provided for the refreshing of the weary and cherishing of the mournful Soul SERMON II. JOHN XIV 1 Let not your Heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Doct. II. ONE great Means of easing our Hearts from Trouble is believing in God and Christ. To evidence this I shall consider I. The Act. II. The Object which is double 1. One part taken for granted Ye believe in God 2. The other part of the Object they were now invited and recommended unto Believe also in me I. For the Act. Faith in the general hath a comforting Property and a Power to allay Trouble As here the Disciples being in Trouble are exhorted by Christ to believe that is to renew their Faith David felt a blustering in his Spirit and how doth he allay the Storms Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God There is no such ready way to still unquiet Thoughts as to set Faith on work and to cast Anchor within the Vail hoping for and expecting Relief from God So the Primitive Christians when they were under great Heaviness in divers Trials how did they get any Comfort to keep themselves alive 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom tho now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory A lively Exercise of Faith will bring in much Joy to the Soul in hard Times and under sore Trials and not only keep it alive as Habak 2.4 The Iust shall live by Faith or make a Believer not barely to subsist but he fareth high and liveth at a wonderful rate of Comfort such as is for nature and kind tho not degree somewhat like the Joy of the Blessed Look into the Book of God and you shall find that all our Fears and Troubles are for want of Faith As for Instance Peter when he walked to Christ upon the Waters his Feet never sunk till his Faith failed Mat. 14.31 O thou of little Faith wherefore didst thou doubt The Wind was boisterous but there was Christ at hand He looketh at the Wind too much
by without some mark of his Displeasure for a Warning to others and that he may be known to be an holy and righteous God Ezek. 38.23 Thus will I magnify my self and sanctify my self and I will be known in the Eyes of many Nations and they shall know that I am the Lord that is by his Judgments he will shew that he is the Ruler of the World and ruleth with Equity 2. The other special Reason is to shew his Love to his People because they are his People he will reclaim them and will not altogether lose them whereas he lets others walk in their own Ways That sharp Afflictions may proceed from Love appeareth from that of the Apostle Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth And that it is to reclaim them appeareth by that 1 Cor. 11.32 But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World that being amended by our Stripes we may be kept from those Punishments which shall light on the Wicked to all Eternity So that it is an Argument of his paternal Love to his Children and Servants when to promote their Repentance he dealeth thus sharply with them permitting them to be persecuted and troubled in the World Vse 1. It informs us that God may be angry with his People He was so with Moses Deut. 4.21 The Lord was angry with me for your sakes With David 1 Chron. 21.7 And was displeased with this thing therefore he smote Israel The Lord was displeased with David for numbring the People So again 2 Sam. 11.27 But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. God's Anger is the Offence taken and his Will to punish Their Sins are a great Offence to him a greater in some respects than the Sins of others If the ignorant World who know him not and are Strangers to him and his Grace dishonour his Name and transgress his Laws they do but according to their kind He expecteth better things from you whom he hath owned and adopted into his Family and embraced with the Bowels of his tenderest Mercies Others run blindfold against God you with open Eyes strike at him therefore it is a greater Offence to him and Grief to his Spirit His Anger also implieth his Will to punish Though you be not Vessels of Wrath as the Reprobate nor Children of Wrath as all were in their unregenerate Condition yet you may be Children under Wrath. And it is a dreadful thing to be under God's Anger it is dreadful in it self and it is dreadful in the Effects It may cost you dear here in this World you may lose much of the Comfort of your Pilgrimage and sweetness of your Service by your Folly for God will make you know what an evil and a bitter thing it is to forsake the Lord Jer. 2.19 that the smart of the Correction may teach you more Wisdom 2. It teacheth us a Lesson of Circumspection and Watchfulness that we fall not into God's Displeasure Good Men may prophane and pollute their best Engagements for God with such Excesses of Passion as may be very provoking to him Therefore Christians had need always live with the Yoke of Christ upon their Necks and his Bridle in their Mouths Such a strict Course may be tedious at first but Use and the pleasure of Holiness maketh it easy You are in danger not only of obvious Temptations but Sins that we little think of Therefore we need always to stand upon our Guard lest the Faults of an Hour may cost you many Days mourning Well then let your Eyes be in your Head and look right on Prov. 4.25 26. Let thine Eyes look right on and let thine Eye-lids look streight before thee Ponder the Path of thy Feet and let thy Ways be established As he that would not stumble had need look to his Way Our End and our Rule must always be before us You are in apparent danger when your Passions will not allow you Season to deliberate and Reason to consider what you are a doing nay Sin already hath too much surprized the Heart 3. It teacheth us a Lesson of Self-reflection When God denieth you many Privileges and Favours which are useful to your Service is it not because of some Sin of yours which hath brought this Evil upon you Have you born the Name of God up and down in the World with Honour and sanctified him in the Eyes of the People as you ought to do Lam. 3.39 40. Wherefore doth a living Man complain a Man for the punishment of his Sins Let us search and try our Ways and turn again unto the Lord. Surely we have no cause to complain of God since all the Evils we suffer we procure to our selves It is Sin hath exposed us to manifold Annoyances and Afflictions There is a Cause and a narrow Search will shew us for what Cause and then our Affliction will not be so bitter as Repentance will be sweet and lovely to us 4. It teacheth us a Lesson of Patience and humble Submission We should look up to the Hand of God in all Punishments Corrections and Trials As David did on Shimei's Cursing 2 Sam. 16.11 Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him He looked upon God as the supream Cause correcting him for his Sins against whom he was not to repine Not that Shimei had any Command from God so to do but was only permitted by his Providence We must not look to the Stone but to the Hand that casts it and this should breed Humility and Patience in us If we had not provoked God to Anger to cast us into these Troubles they would never have come Therefore we must accept the Punishment of our Iniquity Mich. 7.9 I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him When God is angry we must humbly stoop under his afflicting Hand without repining 5. It teacheth us a Lesson of Prayer We must not give over the Cause as hopeless for we have to do with a good God who aimeth not at our Ruin but the righting of his own Glory Moses prayeth to reverse the Sentence but in this Case God would not do that to preserve the Harmony of his Providence for Moses was only to lead them to the Borders but Ioshua to bring them into Canaan who was therein a Type of Jesus Christ who leadeth his People into the Land of Rest. But yet God gave him a sight though not leave to enter there is a Mitigation And David prayeth Psal. 6.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine Anger neither chasten me in thy hot Displeasure It is a Mercy if the Judgment break not out in all Extremity against us 6. It teaches us a Lesson of Thankfulness because Eternal Mercies are sure whatever liberty God taketh in the disposal of our Temporal Interests we may still bless God for Christ and Heaven Aye you will say if
should value more and bless God for them But for Men that know not their own great Necessities and Benefits but slight their chiefest Mercies and account them Burdens they can more feelingly thank God for a gluttonous Meal or unjust Gain or some vain Pleasure but for the Means of Grace they bless him not But now the Flower of Thanksgiving is when we can bless God for Christ for his Spirit for Heaven for Faith and Love And therefore we should labour to get these things and to make our Sincerity more unquestionable for these are the chiefest Matters for which God expecteth praise from us The Apostolical Forms insist upon these things 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead Secondly To be most affected with these Mercies Other Mercies may be overvalued especially if we look upon them under the Notion of provision for the Flesh so our very Thankfulness may be a Snare Lust ingrosseth our Hearts but Religion tippeth our Tongues Men will thank God for their Preferment more than for the Offer of Christ and Pardon and Life by him Our esteem is known by this what it is that moveth us to thankfulness if it be for the World as used for the pleasure of the Flesh rather than for the Service of God it is but Lust disguised in a Religious Form Therefore what are you most affectionately thankful for Worldly or Spiritual good things God is to be thanked for all for Temporal encrease but chiefly for Spiritual Mercies Now what endeareth God to your Hearts that he is so good in Christ or that he blesseth your outward Estate You should not lessen that Favour but look for a better and more distinguishing Expression of his Love 3 Doct. That not only the Spiritual Blessings vouchsafed to our Selves but to Others also must he acknowledged with Thankfulness 1. It suiteth with our Relation of Members in the same Mystical Body of Christ and so is a part of the Communion of Saints 1 Cor. 12.26 And whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoyce with it The Members care for one another and are affected with each others Wo or Weal if the Toe be trod upon the Tongue will cry out You have hurt me Therefore they that have lost sympathy and feeling seem to have cast themselves out of the Body as if they were no way concerned in their fellow Members in Christ. If we be in the Body we must be affected with others Concernments as with our own Phil. 1.7 I have you in my heart Where sincere Love is among Christians there will be a Communion of Prayers and Praises therefore they bless God for others Mercies as their own See Rom. 12.15 Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and weep with them that weep Spiritual Love is but acted and personated if we only drop some words of Prayer and Praise and do not look upon our selves as under a Debt and that it is meet so to do and do it upon Inclination and not meerly upon the Invitation of others We should give Thanks for all their Mercies especially for such Spiritual Mercies as constitute the Union such as Faith and Love by Faith we are united to the Head by Love to the Fellow-members Col. 1.3 4. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ praying always for you Since we heard of your Faith in Christ Iesus and of the love which you have to all the Saints These Graces qualifie for this Spiritual Communion 2. The Glory of God is concerned in it Wheresoever his Goodness shineth forth especially with any Eminency it must be acknowledged Rom. 1.8 I thank my God through Iesus Christ for you all that your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole world When Christ's Kingdom doth thrive extensively or intensively by the addition of more peace or the encrease of Grace if we love our Master we must be glad when he getteth more Servants and our Joy must be expressed in praises When Paul was Converted he saith Gal. 1.24 The Saints glorified God in me That is praised God in his behalf and gave him the Honour of that great Work that so useful an Instrument was gained to the Faith 3. The Spiritual Blessings vouchsafed to others conduce to a common Good therefore our Profit and Interest inviteth us to this Duty The good of some is the gain of the whole we have benefit by their Example and are confirmed by having Companions in the Faith and Patience of the Gospel and the common Profession groweth by their Accession to the Faith 1 Thes. 1.7 8 Ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your Faith to God-ward is spread abroad Eminent Christians promote the Interest of the Gospel and their Gifts make them serviceable 1 Cor. 1 4 5. I thank my God always on your behalf for the Grace that is given you by Iesus Christ that in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge And Rom. 1.12 That I may be comforted together with you by the mutual Faith both of you and me It is a Comfort to meet with our Father's Children every where and that we have hopes of having more Companions in Heaven 4. If we have no profit by them yet the thing it self is a Benefit to us for if we have any thing of the Bowels of Christ or Love to Souls surely we are gratified when any are Converted to God If the Salvation of our Brethren be dear to us whatever is given in order thereto we must reckon among our Benefits and we should rejoyce in one anothers Gifts and Graces as our own True Goodness is communicative and diffusive of it's self as Fire turneth all about it into Fire Hypocritical Profession is accompanied with an Envy they would shine alone and Mules and Creatures of a Bastard Production do not propagate 5. We encrease their Faith and Comfort when we give Thanks to God for them To that end doth the Apostle mention his Thanksgiving that they might be encouraged to go on Phil. 1.3.6 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it untill the day of Iesus Christ. 1 VSE They are Monsters of Men that Repine at the Riches poured down by their own or other Men's Ministry upon others Yet such a base Spirit reigneth in many they cannot endure any should be Godly and Serious 2 VSE Let us Bless God for others The Angels rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner Luke 15.10 Now this should never be omitted 1. When there is some eminent Work
tender of their Reputation lest they should be despised and turned out of their places for deserting the old way wherein they were bred But none of this can be imputed to our Centurion whose Faith Christ approved and rewarded For in Contemplation of this Faith the Cure was wrought Verse 13. And Iesus said unto the Centurion go thy way and as thou hast believed so be it unto thee And he ventureth the Credit he had with his Nation and though the particular address concerned not him but his Servant yet he maketh an open acknowledgment of Christ. II. How was this Faith wrought and bred in him I Answer The Ground-work was laid in his Knowledge of the Omnipotency and Power of God and his acquaintance with the Scriptures of the Old Testament tho' he were not a professed Iew. This prepared for his Faith in Christ the report or hearing was the ground of Faith Isa. 53.1 Who hath believed our report He had heard by Fame of his excellent Doctrine Matth. 7.29 That he taught as one having Authority and not as the Scribes And he had heard the rumour of his Miracles more particularly the late Instance of curing the Leper which was notorious and publick for Christ biddeth him shew himself to the Priests Matth. 8.4 And also the Miracle in recovering the Rulers Son an Instance near which was done a time before this Iohn 4.46 47. And there was a certain Noble man whose Son was sick at Capernaum And he heard that Iesus was come out of Iudea into Gallilee and he went unto him and besought him that he would come down and heal his Son for he was at the point of death By all which he was moved to ascribe the Omnipotency of God which he knew before to Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God can bless slender Motives to a willing Heart and there is a readiness in Holy Souls to believe sooner and easier than others Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those of Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures whether these things were 〈◊〉 no. They were not light of Belief for they searched the Scriptures yet they were more ready to believe than perverse and prejudiced Persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When there is sufficient Evidence they can hold out no longer Thus the Spirit of God blessed the knowledge of this Centurion and the Rumours that were brought to him of Christ's Doctrine and Miracles III. The Effects or Fruits of it or how it discovered it's self 1. In that he applyeth himself to Christ. They that believe in Christ will come to him and put him upon work whilst others prize his Name but neglect his Office A gracious Heart will find Occasions and Opportunities of acqâ—â—intance with Christ if not for themselves yet for others for when they have heard of him they cannot keep from him Faith never wants an Errand to the Throne of Grace either Necessity brings us thither or Delight Christ inviteth us to come for what he hath to give Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest He is angry that we will not come Iohn 5.40 And ye will not come to me that ye may have life If we be backward he sendeth Afflictions upon our selves and Families Hosea 5.15 In their affliction they will seek me early Surely it is a Delight to him to do his Office in helping distressed Creatures or else he would never have taken it upon him The Elect shall be brought to him upon one occasion or another and he will kindly receive them Iohn 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out An Apoplexy fallen on a beloved Servant bringeth this Centurion to Christ. Well then since Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 Let us not neglect the Occasions of coming to him but get nearer to God by Repentance and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Would Christ stoop so low as to take our Nature and purchase us with his Blood and be strange to us when we come for the Fruits of his purchase and his Mercy to help us and ours 2. That he accounteth Misery an Object proper enough for Mercy to work upon The Centurion came to him saying Lord my Servant lyeth at home sick of the Palsie grievously tormented Verse 6. that is grievously affected with the Disease Alas what can we bring to Christ but Sins and Sicknesses Justice seeketh a meet Object for it giveth to every one what is due but Mercy only seeketh a fit Occasion It doth not consider what is deserved but what is desired and wanted Etiam si sim indignus sum tamen indigens saith Romeranius I am not worthy but I am needy The more affected we are with our Misery the fitter for Christ's Mercy Psal. 9.18 The needy shall not always be forgotten The more hope we have the more we are sensible of our need Psal. 40.17 But I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me Faith giveth us this ground of Hope that Misery is a Motive to God's pity tho' we have nothing within us or without us to commend us to Christ yet he will not despise the Miserable and the Needy and they shall not perish who in the sense of that need repair to him God bringeth Alsufficiency to the Covenant we bring nothing but All-necessity as the Widow was only to provide empty Vessels the Oyl failed not till the Vessels failed Christ's Bowels yearn towards the distressed 3. When Christ offereth to come and heal him Verse 7th I will come and heal him which was the great Condescention of the Son of God to a poor Servant see how the Centurion taketh it Verse 8. He answered and said Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Humility is a Fruit of Faith A sound Believer hath an high esteem of Christ and a low esteem of himself and the one breedeth the other they see Christ so excellent and themselves so vile in regard of past Sin and present Infirmities What! the Son of God come to the House of an Ethnick and one that hath lived in Idolatry and the Worship of false Gods The Godly are ever acknowledging their Vileness and Baseness and Indignity and Unworthiness when they have to do with God and Christ. Gen. 18.27 And Abraham answered and said Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes 2 Sam. 7.18 Then went David in and sat before the Lord and he said who am I O Lord God! and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant So Matth. 3.11 Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear So when
great stay to the Souls of true Believers to cause them with Comfort to trust themselves and all their Affairs in the hands of Christ. We have no reason to doubt of his Care Protection and Merciful Disposal of us and if poor sick and desolate you may go to him it is in the power of his hands to help you 1. There is no want but he can easily supply it Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want 2. There is no pain or suffering but he can easily mitigate or remove it Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 3. There is no danger so great from which he is not able to deliver thee Dan. 3.17 18. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Where can we be so safe as in the Love and Covenant of such an Almighty Saviour Get but this imprinted upon your Hearts and it will beget a strong and stedfast Confidence in him 6. He reasoneth from the strict Discipline observed in the Roman Armies where there was no disputing of Commands or questioning Why and Wherefore I am a man under Authority having Soldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my Servant do this and he doth it Verse 9 th Where he compareth Person with Person I am a Man thou a God Condition with Condition a subordinate Officer with Christ the Supream Lord He knew what it was to obey and to have Power over others Power with Power his Power over Soldiers and Servants with Christ's Command over all Events Health and Sickness Life and Death Reasoning for God and his Promises is a great advantage We are Naturally acute in reasoning against Faith but when the Understanding is quick and ready to invent Arguments to encourage Faith it is a good sign VSE Go you and do likewise From the Example of the Centurion let me encourage you 1. To readiness of Believing Iames 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated This is opposite to that slowness of Heart to believe which we read of Luke 24.25 Oh Fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken These are more receptive and easie to entertain a Doctrine than others Iohn 7.17 If any Man do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God The Sincere and Renewed need less ado to convince them There is a light Credulity Prov. 14.15 The Simple believeth every word and there is the readiness of a Sincere Mind to embrace the Truth We are to captivate our Understandings to the Obedience of Faith but not every Fancy lest we be like Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine Eph. 4.14 No a Christian must not be like a Reed shaken with the Wind nor believe every Spirit but yet where the Truth is sufficiently evidenced we must embrace it Most of our Hesitancy in Religion comes not so much from the Conflict between our Light and the Doubts of our Mind as from the Conflict between our Light and Lusts which maketh us irresolute but a sincere Heart soon overcometh the difficulty 2. To represent our Necessity to Christ and referr the Event to him to commit and submit all to him There is an Alsufficiency of Power and Infinite Pity and Goodness that we need not trouble our selves about the Event Submission before the Event is Faith as after it is Patience This is true Faith in such Cases as the Centurion came about to referr all to Christ. 3. To be Humble In all our Commerce with Christ Faith must produce a real Humility Faith is most high when the Heart is most low Luke 18.11 12 13 14. The Pâ—arisee stood and prayed saying God! I thank thee I am not as other men are c. I fast twice a week I give tithes of all that I possess And the Publican standing afar off would not so much as lift up his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted The one changelled a Debt the other begged a Favour Humble Supplications to God become us better than proud Expostulations 4. To meditate often on the Soveraign Dominion of Christ and his Power over all things that fall out in the World To keep us from warping and running to unlawful shifts God propoundeth his Alsufficiency to our Faith when we enter into Covenant with him Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect He hath Power enough to help defend and reward us we need not seek elsewhere for a Protector or Paymaster the Word of his Providence is enough he can heal our Diseases supply our Necessities or bless a little as he did the Pulse to the captive Children Dan. 1.15 Their Countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the Children which did eat the portion of the Kings meat A SERMON ON MATTH XV. v. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Then Iesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon And behold a Woman of Canaan came out of the same Coasts and cryed unto him saying Have mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil But he answered her not a word and his Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she cryeth after us But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and cast it to Dogs And she saith Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table And Iesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her Daughter was made whole from that very hour WE come now to the Second Instance of a Great and Grown Faith This ought to be considered by us In the Centurion me had an Instance of a reasoning Faith now of a wrestling Faith Faith wrestling with grievous Temptations but at length obtaining help from God We ought to consider this for these Reasons 1. Because Christ pronounceth it to be great Faith and so proper for our Imitation O Woman great is thy Faith It is the Faith of a Woman a
Woman not Proselyted or Embodyed with the visible People of God at that time a Woman whose Faith is approved and commended by Christ And surely this should provoke every Christian Heart to be furnished with a like Faith 2. To Instruct us that the Life and Exercise of Faith is not easie but will meet with great Discouragements We must reckon of Tryals and prepare for them They that leap into Profession and do not count the Charges will soon find their rash Confidence disappointed They may meet with Rebukes from Men David's Enemies said There is no help for him in God Psal. 3.2 Or from mistaking Friends as those that would not have Christ hindred in his passage Mark 10.48 Many charged him that he should hold his peace but he cryed the more a great deal Thou Son of David have mercy on me But this Woman seemeth to be checked and disappointed by Christ himself who at first answereth her not a word and then seemingly defeateth her Confidence To wrestle not only with Temporal Discouragements but Disappointments of our Hope in God is the sorest Tryal The Blind Man wrestled with the Rebukes of Men but she with the Rebukes of Christ himself Yea here is Tryal upon Tryal she is put back after a first and second Address Christ as God knew the strength of her Faith at first but yet he would exercise her Faith to the uttermost as in another Miracle it is said He himself knew what he would do but this he said to prove him Joh. 6.6 Whence shall we buy Bread that so great a Company may eat Christ loveth to try them with whom he hath to do sometimes the weakness sometimes the strength of their Faith 3. Because of the Success Verse 28. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt and her Daughter was made whole from that very Hour When Faith is sufficiently tryed Christ can hold out no longer as Ioseph's Bowels yearned and he could not refrain himself Gen. 45.3 I am Ioseph so when the strength of Faith is sufficiently discovered Christ cannot continue the Conflict any longer the Believer shall have what he doth desire Hosea 11.8 Mine Heart is turned within me my Repentings are kindled together And Ier. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant Child For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have Mercy upon him saith the Lord. So Isa. 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my People saith your God speak ye comfortably to Ierusalem and say unto her that her Warfare is accomplished that her Iniquities are pardoned for she hath received of the Lord's Hand double for all her Sins Now it is enough let them have their Mercies and their Comforts In opening this instance let us consider First The Quality of the Woman She is called in Matth. 15.22 A Woman of Canaan in Mark 7.26 A Greek a Syrophoenician by Nation Phoenicia was that Countrey which was Inhabited by the Relicks of the Ancient Canaanites she was by Nation a Phoenician and by Religion a Greek for the Term of Iew and Greek distinguished the then World Rom. 1.16 It is the Power of God unto Salvation to the Iew first and also to the Greek And it is as much as Iew and Gentile she was a Devout Woman among the Gentiles that Bordering upon the People of God was acquainted with the True Religion though she professed it not Secondly That she was a Believer appeareth by her coming to Christ to cure her Daughter who was Bodily vexed with the Devil How she was acquainted with Christ it is said Mark 7.25 She heard of him That is by the Rumour of his Miracles And if God blessed Rumours or the Fame of Christ's Miracles we may be ashamed that we do no more improve a clear Word And not by her coming only but also by the Title she gave to Christ her calling him The Son of David ver 22. This was the Solemn Name of the True Promised Messiah So the blind Men Matth. 20.30 Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David So Bartimeus if it be a distinct Story Mark 10.47 Iesus thou Son of David have mercy on me Son of David was the common Title by which our Saviour was called and known among the Iews Matth. 9.27 Thou Son of David have mercy on us Because Christ was to be born of the Seed and Posterity of David Ier. 23.5 Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise up unto David a righteous Branch Rom. 1.3 Concerning his Son Iesus Christ our Lord who was made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh. The Messiah was to come as a King to rule and feed his Church and therefore he is called sometimes David in the Prophets and in the days of his Flesh in the Addresses that were made to him Son of David So that in this she sheweth her Faith There is in Faith Knowledge Assent and Affiance and all three are in this Womans Faith That the Messiah was to be the Son of David there is her Knowledge There was her Assent That Jesus was the Christ or True Messiah for she applieth the Title to him upon the Rumours of his Miracles Then there was her Affiance and Dependance in this Address to him as one that was able and willing to help all distressed Creatures and that she renewed her Suit after so many Repulses shewed a notable Confidence in his Mercy and Power Thirdly The Greatness and Strength of her Faith To set forth that we must consider 1. Her Tryals and Temptations 2. Her Victory over them by her Importunity Humility and resolved Confidence First Her Temptations they are Four I. Christ's Silence He answered her not a word ver 23. II. The Coldness oâ— the Disciples dealing in her behalf in the same Verse His Disciples besought him Send her away for she crieth after us III. Christ's Answer to his Disciples seeming to exclude her out of his Commission Ver. 24. He answered and said I am not sent but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel IV. Her renewed Importunity draweth another Answer from Christ which implieth a Contempt of her or at least a strong Reason against her Verse 26. It is not meâ—t to take the Children's Bread and cast it unto Dogs So that you see here are sore Tryals multiplied Trials but yet she keepeth begging and arguing with Christ till he giveth her Satisfaction First Christ's Silence Verse 23. And he answered her not a word It 's a great Tryal to our Faith but such as the People of God usually meet withall It is sad to go to a dumb Oracle and get not a Word from God So here What! not a Word from a merciful and gracious Saviour who was so ready to hear and help upon all occasions and to cure all those that came to him But she gets not a Word though her Daughter was grievously tormented by the Devil A
apt to desert us and forsake us 3. Penal and Judicial Hardness This adds to voluntary Hardness as voluntary Hardness implies something above natural Man as naturally hardned doth not turn to God as judicially hardned he cannot there is a great Impossibility he should This is God's Act he hardneth as a just Judg not by infusing Evil but withdrawing Grace In Scripture God is said to harden two ways 1. By leaving some in their natural Hardness Rom. 9.18 Therefore hath he Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and whom he will he hardneth So it is an Act of Dominion he passeth them by he may do it justly he is Lord of his own Grace and is not bound to save Sinners This is not an Act of Justice but Dominion God doth not act as a Judg but as a Lord it is matter of Favour to soften not Right 2. By giving up others to a reprobate Sense which is a Penal and Judiciary Act Acts 28.26 27. Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive for the Heart of this People is waxed gross and their Ears are dull of hearing and their Eyes have they closed c. There is consideration had of Man's Sin and foregoing Provocations God punisheth them by their own Sin Men first harden themselves they go before peccando by sinning then God cometh after judicando by inflicting this Judgment of Hardness of Heart on them They harden themselves and God leaveth them under their Hardness As Ieroboam stretcheth out his Arm against the Prophet and then God layeth a Judgment upon him that he could not pull it in again to him 1 Kings 13.4 So Men hardning themselves God layeth this Judgment upon them that they shall not return to any Softness 2. The next Distinction is that Hardness of Heart is either total or partial some are in the State of Hardness others complain of it as their present Frame There is a difference between Hardness of Heart and an hard Heart some Hardness of Heart is in God's Children Mark 6.52 They considered not the Miracle of the Loaves for their Heart was hardned And Mark 16.14 He upbraided them for their Vnbelief and Hardness of Heart Original Hardness of Heart is not altogether taken away by Grace Much of the Heart of Stone or old Averseness from God and holy Things remaineth with God's Children but yet they are not wholly insensible and wholly inflexible to God's Purpose their Hearts are bent to his Testimonies though ever and anon they are apt to fall back to the old Bias. Therefore David prayeth Psal. 119.36 Incline my Heart unto thy Testimonies and not to Covetousness The Children of God do often complain of Deadness and Unaptness for holy things yet there is not in them that Obstinacy Impenitency and hardness of Heart that is in the Wicked Rom. 2.5 But after thy Hardness and impenitent Heart treasurest up unto thy self Wrath against the Day of Wrath. In the one 't is bemoaned in the other not in the one it ariseth from Negligence and Drowsiness in the other from flat Disobedience and Enmity to God When God's Children give too free a Contentment and Licence to the Flesh they have not that Sense that Liveliness in Prayer that Readiness to obey that Delight in the Word as at other times but the other are contemptuous and scornful and do not set their Hearts this way to please God or enjoy his Favour In the Wicked there is a careless Security no sense of their eternal Condition they banish it out of their Thoughts Amos 6.3 Ye put far away the evil Day If it intrude upon them they look upon it as a melancholy Interruption they seek to put off what they do not put away yea there is a plain Reluctancy and Opposition to good Things and a Contempt of God's Messages But in the other there may be some hanging off from God for Original Sin is not quite done away especially under a Distemper occasioned by carnal Liberty Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your Hearts be over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and Cares of this Life and so that Day come upon you unawares A Christian is a compound Creature he hath Hardness as well as Softness when their Hardness prevaileth for the present they mourn less for Sin and do not tremble at the Word and are not affected with Providences slight the Warnings and Motions of the Holy Spirit are more dead in Duty find not alike Favour in the Promises and Duties seem more irksom to them An hard Heart maketh their Work seem hard and tedious 3. The next Distinction is that Hardness of Heart is either felt or unfelt 1. Felt as by Men under a preparative Work and in God's Children for Hardness there may be in them yea it is their Condition as long as they are in the World Grief for Hardness is a good sign that there are some tender Parts left An Heart judicially hardned can never feel that Hardness nor grieve for it but the Children of God fear it as the greatest Evil and complain of it as the greatest Burden and so accordingly strive against it Thus Ephraim bemoaned himself and his Obstinacy and Inflexibleness Ier. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God There is hope of Cure when they are sensible of the Disease they fear it in themselves and others as the greatest Evil Heb. 3.12 13. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of Vnbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the Deceitfulness of Sin Of all Judgments the Judgment of the hard Heart is worst They complain of it as the greatest Burden Isa. 63.17 O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy Ways and hardned our Heart from thy Fear They find much deadness and dulness of Spirit they are not affected with God's Presence in Duties nor with his Providences in the World This is their Complaint and Burden Lord I have a stiff Neck that will not easily be brought under the strict Duties of Religion to meditate and to pray in private I have a proud stubborn Heart too hard for me to take down Thus do they complain of these things and strive against it as a Man that hath a Stone in the Bladder he useth good Means to soften it and is careful of his Diet so are God's Children sensible and therefore fearful and careful often bemoaning themselves 2. Unfelt so it is in wicked Men who never consider the Frame of their Hearts or bemoan themselves because of spiritual Evils The Heart of Stone is not sensible of it self and so God's Children for a while may be under great Desertions and
before mine eyes I have walked in thy truth This constraineth and enforceth to Holyness and gives encouragement to it others only attempt this Work but do not consider the fruit of it 3. More orderly and prudent Others do good Duties by chance Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think of these things III. That which I am now to do is to give you the Rules to guide you in this weighty Affair of the Christian Life There are Rules to be observed to fit the Soul but those I shall handle under the terme of helps I handle such now as must guide the Soul 1. Whatever you meditate upon must be drawn down to Application Iob 5.27 Lo this we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good In Meditation our aim and design is to promote the good of our Souls The Heathen Emperour Antoninus had Observations which he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things for my seâ—f that is the proper end of this Exercise things for our selves In Conference we aim at the good of others but the end of Meditation is to fall directly upon our own Souls All the while we stay in generals we do but bend the Bow when we come to Application we let fly the Arrow and we hit the Mark when we come to return upon our own Souls Now this Application must be partly by way of Tryal partly by way of Charge 1. The first Reflection upon our selves must be by way of Tryal This should alwaies be the close of all how is it with thee Oh my Soul Or is not this my State When the Apostle had taken a view of the Doctrine of Justification he shutteth up all with a Practical return upon his own Heart Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things How am I concerned in this Truth So Nazianzen in his Forty-First Oration saith his Custom was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go aside to converse with God but alwaies in the course of the Duty he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search himself 2. By way of Charge and Command You should charge your selves to serve God with greater care Meditation is as it were the heat of the Cause and after the Debate you should give Sentence and issue forth a Practical Decree as David now I see it is good for me to draw nigh to God Psalm 73.28 When he had been meditating of the Providence of God in punishing the wicked now oh my Soul thou seest what is best for thee even to keep close to God So in two Psalms when he had been meditating of the Mercy and Power of God he layeth a Charge upon his Soul to bless God of his Mercy Psalm 103.22 Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the Lord oh my soul of his Power Psalm 104.35 Let the Sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more Bless thou the Lord O my Soul praise ye the Lord. 2. Do not pry further than God hath revealed Your thoughts must be still bounded by the word There is no Duty that a Fanatick Brain is more apt to abuse then Meditation when Men are once able to raise their thoughts they soar too high and being puffed up with their fleshly mind intrude themselves into things that they have not seen Col. 2.18 They are dazeled with ungrounded subtilties and so like a Lark that have flown high of a sudden fall down again David saith Psalm 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me In Spiritual Exercises you must stint your thoughts with what is revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.3 Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every Man the measure of faith that is as God hath revealed and dispensed the measure of Faith to you To pry into the Mysteries of the Divine Decrees were to disturb Affection not to raise it Nice Disputes feed Curiosity not Religion Again regard must be had not only to the Word but to your own Abilities those that soar too high fall low enough e're they have done consider what is fit for your pitch and size Again do not leave Bread and Wine and gnaw upon a Stone or leave Practical Matters for intricacy of Dispute 3. When you meditate of God you must do it with great Care and Reverence his Perfections are matter rather of Admiration than inquiry Some dispute whether it be best to meditate of Gods Essence or no Certainly as it is discovered to us in his Attributes it is very comfortable and useful Psal. 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. And though you should get as large thoughts as possibly you can of His Majesty and Power yet you must not pry too curiously into his Nature left you be oppressed by his Glory The Mysteries of the Trinity are matters of Belief rather than Debate we may well cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the Depth It is enough to know that it is so we cannot search how It is said 1 Tim. 6.16 Who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see And Psalm 18.11 He hath made darkness his secret place his pavillion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies God is said to dwell in Light to shew his Majesty and to dwell in darkness to shew his incomprehensibleness Do not intangle your selves while you go about to raise your Zeal the full knowledge of these things is our Portion in Heaven 4. In meditating on common things keep in mind a Spiritual purpose God hath endowed Man with a faculty to discourse and employ his mind on Earthly Objects to Spiritual purposes Eccles. 3.11 He hath set the world in their heart Mundum tradidit disputationi eorum the meaning is he hath endowed him with Natural Light to contemplate on his handy-work The Mind is soon apt to grow common and vain and therefore here you have need of more care and watchfulness Psalm 8.34 When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Basil calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a School to teach us not Knowledge but Religion Psalm 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work Philosophers study the Creatures to find out their Natural Causes we to find out Arguments of Worship and Religion 5. Take heed of creating a Snare
and Spirits and yet there is Sin in the Work and Hell in the Wages Oh consider if it seem difficult which is better to labour for a Season or suffer for ever which is the end of them that live in the constant neglect of a known Duty 3. There is nothing so hard in God's Service but he hath manifested Love enough to sweeten it We begrudge a few thoughts of God and God had thoughts of us before all Worlds Psal. 40.5 Many O Lord my God! are the wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in number unto thee if I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Psalm 109.13 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God How great is the summ of them Who can tell what a condescention it was for Infiniteness to think of poor Worms and that he should before all Worlds plot and design our Salvation And when the Plot came out there was a great deal of Love to sweeten Duty the Lord Jesus Christ thought no Danger too great no Suffering or Extremity too hard no work too difficult for our sakes what a Mercy is this God hath not only required Obedience but discovered a Love that may sweeten the difficulties of it 4. There is no difficulty in Religion wholly insuperable and too hard for an Active and Industrious Spirit Those that follow on after God do at length find him to their Comfort A faint pursuit is the cause of discouragement When a flint doth not strike fire at the first we strike again Prov. 10.4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich It is a Rule in Grace as well as Nature Let us therefore follow on till we have overcome the difficulty that is before us 5. A Lazy backward Heart must be urged forward with the greater importunity When David was shy of God's Presence he layes a Command upon himself Psal. 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord He maketh Reason to issue out a Decree and positive Conclusion So Psalm 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue So by just Analogy we may gather that the Soul should in this case determine I will go and try and see what may be done I will keep off from God no longer but will go to him 2. Another Lett and Hindrance is Love of Pleasures Men that would pass their time in Mirth are unwilling to be so solemn and serious When Childrens minds are set to play it is irksome to hear of School or of their Books so when the Heart is set for Pleasure it is a hard matter to bring the Soul to Religious Performances How shall we do to wean the Soul from Pleasures 1. Consider to love Pleasure is to gratifie the Beast in us rather than the Angel Man is in part an Angel and in part a Beast he hath a Nature common to both now when Men study altogether to gratifie their sensual part it is to turn Men into Beasts To serve our lowest faculty and to enjoy pleasures without remorse is the happyness of the Beasts to eat and drink and sleep and sport is but to do as the Beasts do A Mans Delight should be in the pure and free Exercises of Reason If Men would exercise themselves herein they would find the greatest delectation would be in the contemplation and view of Truth Psalm 19.8 The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart That Taste which Hypocrites have of the good word of God Heb. 6.5 is meerly such as Scholars have in the height of Speculation and Study because the Gospel is such an excellent Contrivance and a sublime satisfying Truth Nulla major voluptas quam fastidium voluptatis there is no greater pleasure than a disdain of sensual pleasures 2. Consider the sweetness of Religious Exercises is far better than that of Carnal Pleasures as that heat is more Manly that is gotten by exercise than by hovering over the Fire It is hard I confess to abjure accustomed Delights Pleasantness is connatural to us but we should consider that by Communion with God in Spiritual Exercises Delight is not abrogated but preferred and advanced to a more noble becoming Object it is taken out of Egypt that it may grow in Canaan transplanted out of a Fenn into a Paradice that it may thrive in a better Soyl it is less Dreggy but more Masculine and Grave Psalm 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Eph. 5.4 Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks We keep the Affection but change the Object The Comforts of Christianity are expressed by terms proper to the Delights of the Senses to teach us this Excellent Art to keep the Affection and change the Object and by an Holy Sleight and Wile to couzen the Soul into better Joyes Here Delight is most pure and more free no excess is vitious Castae deliciae meae sunt Scripturae tuae thy Scriptures are my chast Delights The Pleasures of the World are but sugard baits a Man may soon loose himself but here by Tryal you will find the same sweetness with less hazard and danger 3. We may make choice of Matter more pleasant to allure the Soul All the Objects of Meditation are not dark and gloomy there are some things pleasing to Nature the variety of Providences the Beauty of the Creation the excellent contrivance of the Gospel All Objects are not mournful and in case of such a Temptation we may allure the Soul and when we are not so fit for the severe Exercises of the Closet we may as Isaac go out into the Fields to meditate and heighten Fancy and Imagination by Objects more pleasant 3. The next general Hindrance is a Guilty Conscience When the Soul is under the burden of Guilt we are loath to be serious and alone lest the Mind should fall on it self of all things we then desire to flee the Company of our selves and therefore Meditation is an unpleasant Duty We cannot think of God but as of a Judge nor of a World to come but as of our own Ruine A guilty Conscience would fain obliterate the thoughts of God as the guilty Heathens Rom. 1.28 They did not like to retain God in their knowledge that is Actual Sound Distinct Thoughts of God It is said Iames 2.19 The Devils believe and tremble Thoughts of God impressed the more horrour on them therefore they cryed out Matth. 8.29 Art thou come hither to torment us before the time So guilty Men are under these horrors They are all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 which though it be not alwaies felt is soon awakened Iob 21.14 Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What shall we
thou hast ordained What is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him But here the Son of God himself is become Man for us oh that Jesus Christ should stoop so low That he that fills all things should be shut up in the narrow straits of the Virgins Womb That Christ should disrobe himself of all his Glory and submit to the greatest abasement Iohn 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 2. Hereby his Justice is discovered One Attribute is not to be exercised to the wrong and prejudice of another Now in this excellent contrivance God did glorifie his Mercy so as his Justice was no loser that being sufficiently satisfied in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore Justice which in it self is our dread is in Christ the ground of our comfort and support and that Attribute which would discourage Sinners doth now invite and draw unto Christ 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness So Rom. 3.25 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare at this time I say his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Iesus God would dispense acts of Grace with the greatest advantage to his Justice This is the Beauty of his design he would be just in Justification and those Acts which to be Acts of meer Grace are now made Acts of Righteousness 3. Hereby the Authority of the Law is still preserved God in Innocency had written a Law in Mans heart and he was to preserve the Honour of it Man transgressed this Law now by appointing Jesus Christ to dye for us the dignity of the Law is kept up Impunity maketh Sin to be lightly esteemed when Laws are relaxed there must be some Commutation or Recompence or else their Authority is not preserved Matth. 5.18 Till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled The omission of punishment would detract from it therefore Christ must be made under the Law Gal. 4 4 5. But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Christ endured the severity of it 4. Hereby Gods Essence is discovered even the whole Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost The Doctrine of the Trinity was but darkly revealed in the Old Testament till Christ came in the Flesh. One of the main designs of our Redemption was to discover God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost There is a God that must be satisfied there is a God that must satisfie and there is a God that must seal up all this to the Soul At Christ's Baptisme when he was solemnly inaugurated into the Mediatorship there was a discovery of the Trinity the Father in a Voice the Son in Person and the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove 2. If we consider the Creatures Comfort it was the best way to establish that 1. Here is excellent Provision made against the infiniteness that is in sin by the infiniteness of Christs sufferings For though sin be but a Temporay Act yet it is infinite because of the Object being committed against an Infinite Majesty so Christs Sufferings were but a Temporary Act yet they were Infinite he being a Person that was both God and Man Therefore as Sins receive a value from the Person against whom they are committed so Christs sufferings receive a value from the Person by whom they are performed The Apostle puts a how much more upon the Blood of Christ. Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God His Godhead did put a value and merit upon his Blood to expiate the guilt of Sin and therefore the blood of Christ is called the Blood of God Acts 20.28 Feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood So that if Sin did abound Grace had superabounded if Sin be put into one Scale put the Blood of Christ into the other The great purpose and design of God was to give us Triumph over the clamours of our own Conscience Sin is expiated and done away by the Blood of the Son of God 2. There is an excellent Provision made for all that the Creature stands in need of There are three things which trouble the Creature and they are only accomplished and made good in this great Contrivance of God the bringing of God and Man together the bringing of Justice and Mercy together and the bringing of comfort and duty together How God and Man are brought together who were separate by Sin 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ also hath once suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God To unite Man fallen to God there is Mortal and Immortal Greatness and Baseness Finiteness and Infiniteness brought together There is God and Man in one Person that there might be a Commerce between us and God our Nature as it were grafted and planted into the Person of Christ that our Persons might have social Communion with God Then Justice and Mercy are brought together the great inquiry of Nature is how to have a satisfaction for Justice that Mercy might have a free course what shall we do to recompense Justice Creatures would sacrifice themselves and all they have Micah 6.6 7. Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God Shall I come before his face with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousand of rams or with ten thousand of rivers of oyl Shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul But it is not our first-born but Gods first-born So also Comfort and Duty are sweetly united together the Lord having provided a Merit against our Defects and a Spirit against our weaknesses the Lord is at peace with us and we are inabled comfortably to serve God 3. If we consider the profit of the Creature 1. This way serves to represent Sin You have no where such a sight of sin as upon Mount Calvary when you see the Son of God stretched out upon the Cross and crying out My God! My God! why hast thou forsaken me When the punishment of our Sins was laid upon Christ God sheweth how displeasing Sin was to him 2. To wean us from Vanity We make great matters of trifles and are apt to
suit with the Duty of their place give warning of the danger And Magistrates may not give liberty to the wickedness of the People least they bring a Judgment on their own heads I have given you some view of the Words let me come to the points 1. That those that have received Mercies must be careful to give in answerable returns or to render according to what they have received 2. That it is a sign we are unthankful for Mercies when our hearts are liftd up under the injoyment of Mercies 3. Pride and Unthankfulness is a sad intimation of approaching Wrath and Destruction 4. When a Rulers heart is lifted up and doth not thankfully improve the mercies received from God the whole Land may smart for it I shall speak but to the Two first of these points Doct. 1. That those that have received Mercies must be careful to give in answerable Returns or to render according to what they have received It was Hezekiah 's Sin that he did not render according Here I shall enquire what it is to render according to what we have received Observe 1. There must be a Rendring 2. A Rendring according to the Rate and Kind of our Receipts I. A rendring There is a Reflection upon God from all his Works Hell-Fire casts back the Reflection of the lustre of his Justice and the Power of his Wrath. The World is round and the Motion of all things circular they begin in God and end in God their Being is from him and the tendency of their Motion is to him Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things All things do thus reflect upon God The wrath of man shall praise thee Psalm 76.10 We should want many occasions of rejoycing in God if it were not for the Wrath of Man Thus God is glorified passively All Events turn to a good account Thus all Creatures praise him Psalm 145.10 All thy works shall praise thee O Lord The Creatures offer matter of praise to God But we speak of the active rendring and returning Praise to God There are many words used in this Matter Those three which are most solemn are Praise Blessing and Thanksgiving which last is the Solemn Word of the New Testament as being proper to the Dispensation of it Gods Benefits being now fully manifested and accomplished There is a difference between these three terms Praise respects Gods Excellency as I may praise a Man that never did me good Blessing Gods Benefits It is an eccho to him Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Iesus And Thankfulness is not only declared in Word but in deed These three should alwaies go together We should gather up Gods Excellencies out of his Providences and acknowledge the Mercy and live the Life of Love and Praise Or if you will in rendring Praise to God these things concur 1. We must be affected with the Mercies 2. Solemnly praise God for them 3. Renew the Remembrance of them 4. Improve them to some good use 1. We must be affected with the Mercy Formal Speeches are but an empty prattle which God regardeth not David first calleth upon his Heart Psal. 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name The Noblest Faculties must be exercised in the Noblest Work Is the Soul raised into an admiration of God Church Adversaries took up the customary forme Isa. 66.5 Your brethren that hate you that cast you out for my names sake said Let the Lord be glorified In an Instrument of Musick the more the sound cometh out of the Belly of it the sweeter if we expect flame we presuppose fire When the Heart is full of gracious Affections the Tongue will be loosed to praise God Psalm 45.1 My heart is inditing a good matter my tongue is the pen of a ready writer 2. Solemne praising God for them It is an honourable Work Love is the Grace of Heaven Praise the Duty of Heaven There is no room for Faith nor use of Prayer It is Angels work as Sin is the Devils work It is good to be preparing for our Everlasting Estate It is comely for the Saints Psalm 147.1 Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely Usually we thrust gratulation into a narrow room It is a Stranger in our Publick Worship Self-love will put us upon supplication and our wants will beget a Natural Fervency in Prayer We are eager to have Blessings but we forget to return to give God the Glory Hosea 5.15 In their affliction they will seek me early This is Self-Love not Religion All the Ten Lepers could say Iesus Master have mercy upon us Luke 17.13 but only one of them when he was healed turned back and with a loud voice glorified God verse 15. Pharaoh could pray when Gods hand was upon him Oh it is the more honourable thing to give thanks and it is profitable Psalm 67.5 6. Let the people praise thee oh God! let all the people praise thee then shall the earth yield her increase There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a circular Generation between Vapours and Showers Vapours cause Showers and Showers cause Vapours The course of Mercy is stopped when God is not praised where do Husbandmen bestow their Seed most plentifully but where the Ground yieldeth most increase When the Land faileth year after year Men withhold their Seed God will not bury Mercies in the Grave of Unthankfulness It is a due to God it is his bargain with us Psalm 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me He expects it as the return of all his Mercies Glory and Praise are the Revenews of the Crown of Heaven the rent reserved to God We have the Comfort and Use God will have the Glory and Praise We promised it to him Psal. 51.15 O Lord Open thou my lips and our mouth shall sâ—ew forth thy praise Want of Mercies maketh us prize them If we would look upon the vowes of our Affliction we should find cause to value our enjoyments It is our Priviledge as Men that we have a Tongue to bless God Iames 3.9 Therewith bless we God even the Father Therefore our Tongue is called our Glory Psalm 108.1 I will sing and give praise even with my glory Beasts have no reason Angels no Tongue Praise is necessary to give vent to our Affections yea to increase them Fire warmeth the Hearth and then the warmth of the Heart doth preserve the Fire Praise is necessary to convey our Affections to others as one Bird may set the whole flight on chirping 3. Renewing the remembrance of them Psal. 111.4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred the Lord is gracious and full of compassion Great Deliverances are things not to be once
Faith Some Christians know not all things which are contained in the Prophets and Apostles and yet in a sense they do believe by an implicite Faith As Agrippa believed the Prophets Acts 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the prophets I know that thou believest Yet he was ignorant of some things revealed by them So all Christians own the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets as the Rule and Warrant of Faith yet they do not discerne every Truth therein contained They do believe that whatever the Prophets and Apostles say and have written is true and so are ready to believe all things which shall be demonstrated to them to be written or said by them But by an explicite Faith they believe all Fundamental Truths such as are absolutely necessary to Salvation and usually most other Truths which are next to Fundamentals The Fundamentals are set down Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent That God is to be known loved obeyed worshipped and injoyed and that the Lord Jesus is our Redeemer and Saviour to bring us home to God with his gifts of Pardon and Life to be begun by the Spirit here and perfected in Heaven Thirdly The Act believing It is not enough not to deny or not to contradict but we must actually and positively believe The Reason why the generality of People living in the Christian World feel so little force of their Faith is from their inadvertency they leap into the Christian Faith by the advantage of their Birth but do not consider what they believe nor why they should believe it and how they are concerned in it and so may be rather said not to contradict than to believe But true Faith is a positive firm assent excited in us by the Spirit of God As the Apostle saith of some that were zealous for the Law Vnderstanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 So the Rabble of Common Christians may be zealous for the Gospel yet are not instructed in the Nature and Grounds of it what and why they should believe A sound belief requireth a thorough understanding of what we believe and a deep consideration of the Grounds and Reasons why we are to believe it And then it is such a fixed assent as is not perplexed and haunted with doubts about the truth of it And such a close adherence as is not discouraged with difficulties and oppositions It would be much better with the Christian World if every one that carryeth the name of a Christian could say I believe all that is written in the prophets and the apostles In short To a sound belief there is necessary 1. A Knowledge or full Instruction in the things which we believe for it is said 1 Iohn 4.16 We have known and believed the love that God hath to us first known and then believed 2. A due Conviction of the Certainty of them Luke 1.4 That thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed And Iohn 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God And Iohn 17.8 They have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me 3. This Faith doth not only imply a bare intellectual assent but a practical trust and affiance For the Nature of the Object requireth so much Christianity doth not only propound bare Truths to be assented unto but joyful comfortable Truths suitable to our necessity and desires and therefore we must depend upon them seek our Happyness in them in the way appointed by God which is nothing but practical trust and affiance Therefore it is not a bare Opinion but a relyance upon God that he will make good his word to us whilest we continue with Patience in well-doing Therefore we are said to belong to Christ if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 4. Those Truths which are contained in the word are to be considered with application that we may know them for our good Iob 5.27 Hear it and know thou it for thy good Every Doctrine which upon search we find to be sound and good we must make application of it to our selves that it may affect our own Hearts if Threatnings that we may escape the Curse if Comforts or Promises Rom. 8.32 What shall we say to these things The promise of Pardon to all Believers is so universal that it includeth you as well as others Christ is offered to every Creature that he may be yours as well as anothers and the offer of Heaven and Eternal Life is so propounded that you should ingage your Hearts to seek after it and closely to adhere to it till you obtain it But to apply it so as to be perswaded that your own Sins are already pardoned that you are an Heir of Glory that you are Christs as to actual Interest you must have good Evidence for that from a Spiritual Sense of your own Qualifications but it belongeth not to Faith simply taken Thus we have set forth a Christian in his first part as a Believer II. The Apostle asserts his Hope And have hope towards God which they themselves allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust 1. Mark that he propoundeth his hope as the immediate effect and product of Faith for when I believe then I must look and long and prepare for the Blessedness offered otherwise my Faith is but a cold Opinion not such a Faith as will subdue the inclinations and Interests of the Flesh nor make the Labours and Sufferings of the Spiritual Life tolerable And that is true Faith which breatheth and longeth after the end of all Religion and looketh for it What will it do me good to believe the Doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles if I expect no good from thence Faith would be vain and Religion vain Only note here that Hope is two-fold 1. One the Fruit of Regeneration or the immediate effect of Conversion to God 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope And this is nothing else but a seeking and looking for an Happiness in another and in an unseen World with a longing desire and diligent care to obtain it It is Faith to place my Happiness so high and so far from sense now when my desires and delights are there and my daily care is to get thither and to live in a continual preparation for it and desirous expectation of it and to deny my self and suffer any loss and pain to get thither this is the work of Hope 2. There is an Hope built upon experience Rom. 5.4 5. And experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost
thee pray to God for us that he take away the fiery serpents In Adversity Men will own the faithful Servants of God against whom they have murmured when all is well Moses forgetteth the injury and prayeth to God for them and God though he doth not take away the Serpents yet he provideth a Remedy unlikely in appearance a Brazen Serpent to cure the bites of Living Serpents but Divine Institution conveyeth a Blessing The word of Command is that they should look upon the brazen serpent and the word of Promise is that they should be healed Numb 21.8 Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that every one when he is bitten that looketh upon it shall live This is in short the History Secondly The Mistery or Typical use of the Brazen Serpent The chief things represented in it are Sin Christ and Faith the deadliness of Sin the manner of our deliverance by Christ and the Nature of Faith 1. Israelites deadly Sin and Misery occasioned the setting up of the Brazen Serpent so the occasion of Christs sending into the World was Mans Sin and Misery we being all bitten by the old Serpent and so liable to the Curse The Devil is called the old serpent Rev. 12.9 And in the appearance of a Serpent he deceived our first Parents Therefore we read that the serpent beguiled Eve 2 Cor. 11.3 Humane Nature was then stung to Death by Sathan and the Venome dispersed its self throughout the whole Race of Mankind Among the Israelites there were but a few stung here all there their Bodies here the Soul there Temporal Death followed here Eternal In the Sting of these fiery Serpents two things representeth our Misery by Sin 1. It is painful 2. Deadly 1. This Sting is painful The bitings did presently cause pains and an intolerable thirst and burning which was very grievous to them so the sting of Sin is painful not alwaies felt but soon awakened In Spiritual things we are more stupid and are not so sensible of the Maladies of the Soul as they were of the pains of the Body We are subject to bondage Heb. 2.14 Though we do not alwaies feel actual horrour There is a fire smothering in our Bosoms though it be not blown up into a Flame One of our Spiritual Diseases is a Lethargy and it is a great part of our Misery not to know our Misery If Conscience were not lulled asleep we would be more sensible Surely Sathans bites are more painful than those of these Serpents his Darts are called fiery darts Eph. 6.16 His Darts are dipt in the gall of Asps and Vipers Boiling Lusts will in time awaken raging Fears and Despair O what horrour and torment will Sin procure to us if it be not speedily cured Sin is an Evil and a Mischief whether we feel it yea or no but we shall soon feel it an Evil as the stung Israelites felt the biting of the Serpents Sin in the Life will make Hell in the Conscience it seemeth a sweet draught while we are taking it down but there is rank poison at the bottom A wounded Spirit findeth it now Prov. 18.14 A wounded spirit who can bear Horrour and anguish of Conscience is insupportable ask any Man whose Heart is well awakened and he will tell you that the sense of the guilt of Sin is more bitter to the Soul than the gall of Asps no terrour comparable to the terror and sting of an accusing Conscience Gods terrors are compared to a Fire that drinketh up the Blood and Spirits Iob 6.4 The arrows of the almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me No poison more burning than Sin in an awakened Conscience it may lie asleep till you come to dye in Sin stupid and benummed Creatures But then the sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15.56 Death is made terrible by those sad horrors and apprehensions which Sin raiseth in us 2. This Sting is deadly As the biting of the Fiery Serpents could not be cured but was present Death till God found out a Remedy so this sting of Sin is deadly Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye dying thou die Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death Death Temporal Eternal Thou art a dead Man lost for ever if thou art not cured Those who were not solicitous about their Cure are a figure of the impenitent who obstinately continue in their Sins though they bring destruction upon them Not only Death Temporal which consists in the separation of the Soul from the Body but Death Spiritual which consists in an estrangement from God as Author of the Life of Grace yea Death Eternal which consists in a separation both of Body and Soul from the presence of God for evermore and is a perpetual living to deadly pain and torment This Second Death is set forth by two solemn Notions the worm that never dyeth and the fire that shall never be quenched Mark 9.44 By which is meant the Sting of Conscience and the Wrath of God Prov. 8.36 All they that hate me love death 2. Christ is set forth by the Brazen Serpent Here I shall shew you 1. The Resemblances 2. The Superexcellency of Christ above this and all the Shadows and Types of him 1. The Resemblance between Christ and the Brazen Serpent 1. The Brazen Serpent was a Remedy of Gods own prescribing out of his great Mercy So is this Remedy for lost Sinners the meer Fruit of Gods Love Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son the causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Occasion or outward moving Cause was our Misery the causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward impulsive Cause was his own love and pity to lapsed Mankind God found out the Remedy we neither plotted it nor asked it he saw the world of Mankind was perishing and involved in Eternal Ruine and because there was no Intercessor therefore his own Arm wrought out Salvation Herein the Antitype differeth from the Type The stung Israelites having Death in their bosoms go to Moses Moses goeth to God for he saw there could be no help elsewhere then God said Make thee a brazen serpent The motion came from them first but here it is quite otherwise God is the offended Party yet he maketh the first motion 1 Iohn 4.19 We love him because he loved us first There God found out the Remedy but here his meer love began the whole business and did set at work all the Causes that did concur to our Salvation we neither minded our Danger nor asked our Remedy 2. The conveniency of this Type to set out the low Estate and Humiliation of Christ. The form of a Serpent was chosen to shew
new Convert Acts 16.34 That he rejoyced believing in God with all his house he was but even recovered out of the Suburbs of Hell ready to kill himself just before verse 27. so that a Man would think he should easier fetch Water out of a Flint or a spark of Fire out of the bottom of the Sea than to find joy so soon in such an heart yet he rejoyced though he was still in danger of his Life for treating those as Guests whom he should have kept as Prisoners So 2 Cor. 8.2 We read of the abundance of their joy and deep poverty because they were acquainted with the Gospel So Zacheus received Christ joyfully because Salvation was come to his House Luke 19.6 He made haste and came down and received him joyfully And the Man that found the true Treasure for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath Matth. 13.44 He parted with all His Satisfactions Comforts and Contentments This is so sure a Truth that where-ever the Gospel or Christ is received in any degree and proportion though not to a converting degree there is some joy In Converts I have showed you and you may cast in that Text by way of over-plus Acts 2.41 Then they that gladly received the word were baptized and the same day there were added to the church about three thousand souls It is a degree not amounting to Conversion Luke 8.13 The stony ground received the word with joy Herod had some kind of joy in hearing Iohn the Baptist Mark 6.20 He did many things and heard him gladly And his other Hearers rejoyced in his light for a season Iohn 5.35 These had a joy but not in such a predominant degree as to be able to controul their Affections to other things and so this joy could not maintain it self or keep it self alive Therefore it is said That we are his house if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 The first offers of Pardon and Life by Christ do stir up this joy in us as the Gospel sheweth us a way how to come out of the greatest Miseries and get an interest in the greatest Happiness The possible hope of Relief and Deliverance cannot but affect us if we be serious 2. As to our Progress in the Duties and hopes of the Gospel it is still carried on with joy Therefore Believers are described by it as their vital act Phil. 3.3 We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh What is the constant work of a Christian but a rejoycing in Christ Jesus or a thanâ—ful sense of our Redeemers Mercy And therefore the whole Life of a Christian is represented by keeping a Feast 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the feast Seven dayes the Iews kept their feast of unleavened Bread which figureth the whole time of our pilgrimage till we enter into the Everlasting Sabbath Every day is a Holy-day and a Feast-day with a Christian now Christ his Passeover is sacrificed for him partly through a sense of Gods Love partly through the Testimony of a good Conscience and partly through the hopes of Glory He is alwaies rejoycing in God if he be in a right frame and liveth up to his Gospel-Priviledges Let me chiefly instance in two Duties of Prayer and Praise or Thanksgiving which take up a great part of our Commerce with God And especially because they are connected with the Duty we are upon for we must rejoyce evermore praying without ceasing and in every thing give thanks The Duties that follow serve to act and cherish this joy 1. Rejoyce evermore so as to pray without ceasing They that delight in God will be often with him and can come chearfully and unbosom themselves to him as a Man would to his Friend They are not drag'd into his presence as into the presence of a Judge but they come freely to him as Children to their Father They that love God as their portion and happiness will much converse with him they are out of their Element but when they are praying to God or speaking of God or thinking of God therefore they are still with him But this is denyed of the Hypocrite Iob 27.10 Will he delight himself in the almighty Will he alwayes call upon God They may sometimes cry to him not because they love him and his service but because they love their own ease and to be free from trouble their streights may force a little Service from them Well then without delight we cannot keep a continual course of Communion with God in Prayer 2. For Praise or giving of Thanks in every thing give thanks that is both the fruit of our delight in God and a means to quicken it One that delights in God will have cause enough to give thanks whether the Creature come or goe what-ever is taken from him his joy is not taken from him He can bless God for his Mercies in Christ when retrenched and cut short in the World though he hath lost some Comforts yet others are yet remaining Shall one Cross imbitter all our Comforts As one string broken puts the whole Instrument out of Tune They can bless God for taking as well as giving Iob 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the â—ord If the Lord gave all why may he not take away a part A thankful heart can praise God for God himself for choicer Mercies yet continued for some outward Mercies remaining If God gave all and take but a part have we any cause to complain 3. Still I prove this joy must be continued throughout the whole course of the Spiritual Life because the beginning progress and ending is carryed on by it the joy of God is our support in our declining time the staff of our Age for then Christians grow more dead to the World and worldly things and are less moved by them whether they keep or loose have or want them and then they are nearer to Eternity and have more of that rejoycing in hope spoken of Rom. 2.12 This joy is a beginning of the joyes in Heaven here we have a Sip there a full Draught Our Delight in God now is of the same Nature with that which the Saints and Angels have in Heaven There is indeed a vast difference in the degrees here a little joy entreth into us but there we enter into our masters joy Math. 25.23 But though they differ in degree yet the Object and Affection is the same It is the same God and the same Glory which delighteth us only now they are seen by Faith then they shall be Objects of direct sight and fruition we shall see him face to face In short rejoycing in God is a beginning of the Imployment we shall then have in Heaven Therefore when we expect in a few days to be
they visited thee The keeping up of this Acquaintance is necessary both to our present Comfort and future Acceptance 1. For our present Comfort it giveth you boldness to come to God in all your necessities and streights if you daily wait upon him Frequency of Converse begets familiarity and familiarity begets confidence When God and you grow strange you cannot come with that freedom to ask his help as those that familiarly converse with him do Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him A Child is not afraid to go to his Father nor a Man unto his Friend to pour out his complaint into his bosom nor a Servant of daily attendance to open his Suit to his Master they know his name Psalm 9.10 and are acquainted with him 2. For our future acceptance Luke 21.36 Watch ye therefore and pray alwaies that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man viz. at his coming They that are constant in Prayer make up their Accounts with God daily and so may with the better confidence attend his coming When you have been frequently with him frequently entertained by him and accepted with him had your Prayers heard and Desires granted it is a great incouragement in the hour of Death when you are to leave the World and come immediately before him On the other side for Men to appear before a God whom they never knew nor heartily loved and with whom they were never acquainted as to any intimate Communion and Converse this is a sad case Alas at the best it is to an unknown Friend but indeed it is to a certain Enemy they never had experience of his kindness which they would own nor interest in his Love and now are forced into his Presence against their Will Alas how soon will the time come when Men would fain set about Prayer but it is too late they have then neither Treasure nor skill to pray and the Prayers they then make are not the Fruits of Faith and Love but of Despair and Horrour they cry Lord Lord but Christ saith I know you not ye are workers of iniquity But on the other side they are fitted for Everlasting Communion with God who are acquainted with him already and when they come to be translated they do but change Place not Company Heaven is an access to God and the Throne of Grace is the Porch of Heaven We begin the Heavenly Life here by these frequent converses with God and our access to him now 3. With respect to the New Nature or the Temper and Disposition of the Saints Prayer is the cry of the New Creature a work natural and kindly to the Saints Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications A Spirit of Grace will soon break out into supplications and vent it self that way Acts 9.11 Behold he prayeth Zeph. 3.9 I will turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one consent In the Margin it is a pure lip Gods true Children are carryed to him by a kind of Natural Motion as light Bodies move upward they are a sort of Men that are seeking after God Psalm 24.6 This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Iacob Selah Therefore we should quite check and cross the bent and inclination of the New Nature unless we be much in Prayer and often with God 4. With respect to the necessities of the Saints Our wants are continual as well in Spiritual as in Temporal things That we need daily Bread is evident to Sense and that we need daily Pardon and daily Strength against Temptations should be as evident to Faith The Soul hath its necessities as well as the Body yea they are greater and of a more dangerous Nature Sometimes we lack Wisdom and who shall give it us but God Iames 1.5 If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Sometimes we lack Strength and that is to be sought in Prayer Eph. 3.10 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with all might by his spirit in the inner man Sometimes we lack life and quickning and to whom should we go but to the live-making Spirit to him who quickneth all things In short the Throne of Grace was set up for a time of need and therefore when our necessities drive us to it we should not hang off Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need We alwaies need to be delivered from evil we alwaies need to be established in good sometimes we need a Blessing on what we have that our Comforts may be sanctified to us sometimes a Blessing on what we do that we may begin it and end it in God All our Relations increase our necessities so do all our injoyments new Mercies occasion new Necessities And in the variety of our Afflictions we have still somewhat to do with God The receipt of one Mercy discovereth the need of another 5. With respect to the utility and profit of it It is endless to instance in all things I shall confine the Discourse to Spiritual profit and there 1. The Three Radical Graces Faith Hope and Love are acted and increased in Prayer Iude 20 21. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercies of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life Mark there praying in the Holy Ghost is to be referred in common to them all to building up your selves in your most Holy Faith to keeping your selves in the Love of God to looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life Surely frequent Prayer keepeth every Grace active and more ready than if it were seldom used 1. For Faith in this Duty the Misteries of our most Holy Faith are reduced to practice even that great Mistery of the Trinity and their distinct personal Operations we find the benefit of it in Prayer Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one spirit unto the Father To the Father as an All-sufficient Fountain of Grace Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God By Christ who hath purchased leave welcome and audience Heb. 10.19 By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh And by the Spirit who hath given us an Heart to come inspiring us with Holy Motions enlivening our Affections Rom. 8.26 Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities That we may open our Hearts to God If Prayer be Prayer indeed
should be broken off Alas whosoever readeth the carriage of this people in the Wilderness towards God he shall still find Grace striving with sin and the goodness of God overcoming the evil of Man and his fidelity prevailing above their unthankfulness and unfaithfulness And the character of this people in the Wilderness is just our own in travelling to Heaven how often do we forfeit the blessing of God's presence but he is not severe upon every failing and upon repentance he is willing to renew covenant with us and set us in joint again nothing hurteth us more than the sinful provocations of God's people have no hand in them or if you have been accessory to publick guilt bemoan it and humble your selves before God and be more awful and tender for the future and you will find God to be a merciful God III. Why such kind of Mercies should not be forgotten Here I will prove First That Man is apt to forget the great mercies of God especially national Mercies Secondly That yet these Mercies should not be forgotten both because of God's command and the profit of remembring them First That Man is marvellous apt to forget these benefits Therefore there are so many cautions that we forget them not In private mercies Psal. 103.2 Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Deut. 8.11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes which I command thee this day and verse 14. That thy heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt from the House of Bondage So we have many Precepts Deut. 8.2 Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years 1 Chron. 16.12 Remember his marvellous works which he hath done his wonders and the judgments of his Mouth And so many charges and complaints Jud. 8.34 The Children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God who had delivered them out of the hands of their Enemies on every side Psal. 78.11 they forgot his works and his wonders that he had shewed them and Psal. 106.13 They soon forgot his works And all this is no more than needeth for Man's memory is a bad friend to benefits Injuries are written in Marble but benefits in the Water Now as these cautions charges and accusations do respect all Mercies so especially more eminent Mercies for it is said He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred Psal. 111.4 The great miraculous works of his Providence should make such impression upon Men as never to be forgotten but recorded and reported for ever As for great deliverances God hath appointed Ordinances for a memorial such as the Passover or the Lord's Supper to remember our Redemption by Christ for by these works God maketh himself a name by doing great things for his people 2 Sam. 7.23 Redemption from the tyranny of Antichrist is not to be forgotten 2. That yet these mercies should not be forgotten partly because God hath commanded the contrary as we have seen It is not only a sin to forget his Word but his Works and partly also because of the profit 1. That we may be more deeply possessed of the goodness of God The Ear doth not affect the Heart so much as the Eye and what is felt leaveth a greater impression upon us than what is talked of for experience giveth us a more intimate perception of things The King of Syria said We have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are merciful Kings 1 Kings 20.31 A rumour and report giveth incouragement but actual experience silenceth all contradiction when I can say I know God is not unmindful of his people but relieveth them in their great streights and watcheth over their welfare As the Apostle Acts. 10.34 Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons Psal. 140.12 I know that the Lord will maintain the right of the poor and the cause of the afflicted Unquestionably God will undertake the patronage of his distressed Servants when all other hopes fail them meaning when God did signally defend them and watch over them 2. To incourage us to walk in his ways It is our forgetfulness of God's goodness that maketh us so disobedient and unthankful to him Psal. 78.7 That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments Nothing breedeth a careful uniform obedience to his commands so much as a grateful remembrance of his Mercies Alass as our thankfulness is abated so is our obedience God's authority sways the Conscience but God's love inclines the Heart Therefore mercies should be remembred 3. To fortifie us against all oppositions and temptations Deut. 7.18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh and unto all Egypt It is a great comfort to Faith to look back upon the former manifestations of God's power and good will towards his People We have manifold fears and infirmities upon us when we see the power or suspect the craft of our Enemies but let us remember former experiences and that will be an allay to them When we see the continuance of his judgments so many years and in so many forms frequently varied but still lying upon us we are filled with many sad thoughts and reasonings of unbelief but we may soon suppress and silence them by the thoughts of God's power and love heretofore and the evidences of his love and good will and fidelity to all that depend upon him Former dealings raise our hearts to the expectation of future mercies Vse is to press us to this remembrance 1. Of the great Christian Mercies that concern the whole common-wealth of Believers such as the Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension and Intercession of the Lord Jesus these are the standing Dishes at a Believer's Table the constant food for our Faith Mercies never out of season these are mercies so general and beneficial that they should never be forgotten but remembred before God we should always bless God for Jesus Christ and desire that the knowledge of these things may be perpetuated to after Ages Eph. 3.21 Vnto him be glory in the Church by Iesus Christ throughout all Ages World without end Amen 2. For National Mercies so far as they concern either the first planting or the restoring of Christs Religion or the maintenance of it against the eminent open attempts or secret plots of Antichristian Adversaries These should be remembred by us partly to awaken our zeal that religion thus owned may not die upon our hands partly to shew our esteem both of the Religion and the mercy of God in owning it partly that we may beg the continuance of it for every thanksgiving is an implicite prayer partly that we may embolden our selves against all the difficulties we may be exposed unto in owning the true profession
wherewith Manasseh had provoked him Thus godly Children may bear in their bodies the fruits of their Parents uncleanness and intemperance and their estates which they had from their Parents may moulder away in their hands And this may teach Parents as they love their Children to beware of leaving such sad debts upon the heads of their posterity Their Children shall smart for the fruits of their sin We often see that the godly Children of wicked Parents are ruined for the sins of their Families both in their Persons and Estates If you ask for what sins Perversion of God's Worship as in the Second Commandment Persecution of God's Children so Ahab's Posterity was rooted out 1 Kin. 21.29 I will bring the evil in his Son's days Ill getting an Estate Haereditates transeunt cum onere The Inheritance passeth with its burden There is a Curse goeth along with it Parents sell their own Souls to make their Children great and God will shew the fallacy of it by blasting that greatness Iob 20.10 His Children shall seek to please the poor and his hands shall restore their goods 2. How far godly Parents are blessed in their Posterity 1. Good Men convey many a temporal blessing to their Relations As God blessed Ishmael for Abraham's sake Gen. 16.10 And the Angel of the Lord said unto her I will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbred for multitude Gen. 21.13 And also of the Son of the Bond-woman will I make a Nation because he is thy Seed They have the blessing of Ishmael if not the blessing of Isaac 2. They are without scruple Children of the Covenant in visible relation to God and in better case than the Seed of Infidels not merely as the Off-spring of your bodies nor as deriving Grace from you by generation but because you have dedicated your selves and all that you have to God They are capable of Ordinances Rom. 9.16 For if the first fruit be holy the lump also is holy and if the root be holy so are the branches 3. If they die before they come to the use of reason you have no cause to doubt of their Salvation God is their God Gen. 17.7 I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee compared with Gal. 3.14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith And they never lived to disinherit themselves As we judge of the Slip according to the Stock till it live to bring forth fruit of its own So here 4. If they live to years of discretion they have greater advantages of being godly than others Partly as your dedication doth oblige you to greater care in their education Eph. 6.4 Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Partly as God tendereth them more means with respect unto the Covenant Act. 3.25 26. Ye are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy Seed shall all the kindreds of the Earth be blessed unto you first God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you You are Children of the Covenant therefore unto you first c. partly as the Grace of the Covenant runneth most kindly in the Channel of the Covenant Rom. 11.24 How much more shall these which be the natural branches be graffed into their own Olive Tree 5. If they take to their parents Covenant and fear and love God their blessings are increased David urgeth that Psal. 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant and the Son of thine Handmaid When they are serious they have a greater holdfast upon God 2 Chron. 6.42 Remember the Mercies of David thy Servant Well then out of all you see it is such a blessing as is dispensed in the way of a reward yet it is such a blessing as may be turned into a Curse It is a Door whereby God may let in blessing or cursing upon us And though they are an happiness yet not our main happiness but dispensed sometimes as rewards and sometimes as punishments Vse 1. To reprove those who are not thankful for Children but do grudge and look upon it as a burden when God blesseth them with a numerous issue These murmur at that which is in it self a Mercy When we want them we value them when we are full of Children we are full of distrust and murmuring It was counted an honour to be a Father in Israel Surely those that fear God should not count an happiness to be a Burden Psal. 128.3 4. Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine by the sides of thine House thy Children like Olive Plants round about thy Table Behold thus shall the Man be blessed that feareth the Lord. God maketh his People Families like a flock Psal. 107.41 Use 2. Reproof to those who do not acknowledge and improve this mercy 1. Those who do not acknowledge this mercy Surely Parents should acknowledge God in every Child given to them Much of his providence is seen in giving and with-holding Children We have songs of thanksgiving very frequent in Scripture upon this occasion It is a thing wherein God will have his bounty taken notice of by solemn praises And for every Child God should have a new honour from you What hath been done to the Lord for this Therefore do not look upon the birth of a Child as a natural thing see God in it When Rachel fell out with Iacob about her barrenness Am I saith he in Gods stead Who hath with-held from thee the fruit of the Womb Gen. 30.2 Specially confederate Parents should acknowledge this mercy It is a mercy that when a sinner is taken into favour God will accept of our Actions which are the fruit of our souls That the evil that is in all these should not out-weigh the little goodness which is in them nay that they should not only be accepted but rewarded But further that he should make a Covenant with the fruit of our body if you consider your natural sinfulness it is wonderful that your Children should be holy and Gods portion Grace like a mighty River will be pent within no banks but overflow all that a man hath God loveth not to take a single person but grace cometh to our houses Act 16.31 Believe in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved thou and thy house Doth the faith of the Master of the Family save the Family occasionally it doth as it giveth a title to the means of Grace Therefore this should be acknowledged with all thankfulness 2 Sam. 7.19 Thou hast spoken also concerning thy servants house for a great while to come 2. Those that do not improve the mercy nor indeavour to make Children
Subjects For all Kingdoms are Governed by Laws Now the Law of Christ is the Gospel or new Covenant which is both a rule of Duty to shew what is due from us to Christ and a Charter of Grace to shew what we may expect from him upon the account of his Merit and Mercy if we be duly Qualified Therefore the whole design of the Gospel is to bring us to an humble submission and obedience to Christs Healing and Saving Methods all the Doctrines Precepts and Promises of the Gospel tend to this The Gospel is not only a Promise but a Law Rom. 3.27 Called a Law of faith And requireth not only confidence but obedience 2 Thes. 1.8 In flaming Fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel 1 Pet. 4.17 What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of God 'T is not enough to profess the Gospel but we must obey the Gospel Some of the precepts of the Gospel are Mystical such as believing in Christ 1 John 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ. Some moral viz. The primitive Duty we owe to God 1 Cor. 9.21 Being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ. Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. Rewards and Punishments 1. For punishments Though the proper intent and business of the Gospel is to bless and not to curse yet if men wilfully refuse the benefit of this dispensation they are involved in the greatest curse that can be thought of John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the World and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Heb 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trâ—den under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith ye were Sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace It will be more grievous to sin against our Remedy than our bare Duty More aggravating circumstances are in it and therefore the more it increaseth our torment not only on Gods part inflicting but on our part reflecting upon our sin and ingratitude 2. Rewards The Priviledges of Christs Kingdom are Exceeding great 1. For the present Pardon and Peace are obtained both in the way of Justificacation as Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. And also of Sanctification Gal 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God This is the intertainment God giveth to the Obedient Soul and the fruit of Christs internal Government 2. Hereafter Eternal Happiness or an immutable State of Glory Mat. 25.34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World That 's the consummation of the Kingdom of God and it shall be the portion of all those that obey Christ how despicable soever their condition be in this World Jam. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him II. That in all reason this Kingdom should be submitted unto 1 Because of the right which Christ hath to Govern He hath an unquestion able Title by the grant of God Acts 2.36 Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made the same Iesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. And his own merit and purchase Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and Living Which should silence and quiet all Rebellious Motions Hath not God a right to dispose of you and shall Christ lay down his life to be head of the renewed estate and at length be deprived of that Honour and that meerly by the Rebellious Obstinacy of the Creature There can be no hope of exemption His we must be whether we will or no Our consent and willingness doth not add to the validity of his Title only aggravateth our sin if we refuse or prove unfaithful or maketh our Obedience acceptable if we be sincere in it Now God is tender of his grant and Christ of his acquired right and purchase that he may not lose the fruit of his Death and sufferings 2. This new Right and Title is comfortable and beneficial to us 'T was the fruit of Gods pity to mankind to set up a new Government which might be Remedial of our Misery but not Destructive of our Duty 'T is a full Remedy for our Misery for the purpose of it is to effect mans Cure and Recovery to God The Scripture always speaketh of it as Medicinal and Restorative Acts 10.38 God Anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil for God was with him Preaching Peace in his Name for he is Lord of all So Acts 5.31 Exalted to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of Sins That we might injoy Gods favour and live in his Obedience In this new Remedial dispensation God aimed at the healing of our Natures and the restoring our Peace and Comfort that we might serve him with pleasure and delight who otherwise could not think of him without fear and horror Much less set our selves to please him with any Hope of acceptation 3. 'T is by his Kingly Office that all Christs benefits are applied to us As a Priest he purchased them for us as a Prophet he giveth us the knowledge of these Mysteries but as a King he conveyeth them to us overcoming our Enemies changing our Natures and inclining us to believe in him love him and obey him For he doth not only convey the benefits giving us Remission of sins but he worketh in us the Qualifications giving as well as requiring Repentance Acts 5.31 He hath Exalted him to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance Well then since his Executive Power attendeth upon his Kingly Office we have no reason to dislike it but to bless God for this part of his Administration The Fruit and Effect of it is the Gift of the Spirit by which all is applyed to us So that the Communication to us is done this way His work as a Priest lyeth with God and as a Prophet and King with us As a Prophet he maketh way by giving us the good Knowledge of God through the Remission of Sins but he Actually communicateth his benefits to us as our Quickening Head and King 4 Our Actual Personal Title to all the benefits intended to us is mainly Evidenced by our Subjection to his Regal Authority Certainly without it we can have no benefit by Christ Heb 5.9 And being made perfect he
worldy Spirit we are not fit for Christ 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have not received the Spirit of the World but the Spirit of God So much as the Spirit of the World is deadned in us so far doth Christ prevail upon us So for the Flesh Men are given up to their own Hearts Lusts till God changeth them and care not for God nor Christ and his Salvation bruitish Appetite and Sense governeth them But what will be the issue of these things see Rom. 8 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die Well then to bring us back again to God that we may totally resign up our selves to him you see what a power is necessary to vanquish the Devil and save us from the World and change our own Flesh by his Spirit 4. It informeth us of the reason why so many Nations shut the Door against Christ or else grow weary of him you see frequently Men can bear any Religion rather than Christianity in its power sottish superstitions such as were practised and in vogue among the Gentiles Popery which is palliated Atheism or Gentilism trick'd up in a Christian dress and form half Christianity the form not the power priviledges not the duties The World disputeth it with Christ by inches what 's the reason His Spiritual Kingdom which is not calculated for the interest of the Carnal World and altogether draweth us to an Heavenly Life and State those that submit to it or would speak of it exasperate the World against them as upbraiding their course of Life 5. It informeth us how ill they deal with Christ who have only notional opinions about his Authority but never practically submit to it Many will say we must receive Christ as a King as well as a Priest and Prophet but do we live accordingly Luke 6.46 why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Professed opinions unless followed with suitable actions are but a mockage of Christ and a cheat and fallacy that we put upon our selves A mockage of Christ Cui res nomini subjecta negatur is nomine illuditur He that wants the thing signified by the name is deceived by the name They did little honour to Christ who Buffeted Him and Spit upon him and all the while cried Hail King of the Iews so whilest we call him Lord and King but make little Conscience of his Precepts we deny him the honour in deeds which in words we ascribe to him So that a practical sense of Christs Authority and Right to Govern should be deeply impressed upon our Hearts When is it practical when it breedeâ—h an awe upon us and checketh sin As the Rechabites were afraid to transgress the commandment of their Father Ier. 35.6 They said We will Drink no Wine for Jonadab the Son of Rechab our Father commanded us saying Ye shall Drink no Wine neither ye nor your Sons for ever So Ioseph Gen. 39.9 when Tempted by his Mistress to lye with Her he repels the Temptation saying How can I do this great Wickedness and Sin against God So all that have a reverence of their supream Lord you shall find that it works upon all occasions if tempted to Fleshly Lusts do this to please thy Flesh They answer as the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.12 We are debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh. If they be assaulted by the Persecutions of the World still they have the authority of the Great Lord If threatned for speaking in his Name and commanded not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus as the Apostles Peter and Iohn answered Acts 4.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God Iudge ye so I dare not obey the Wills of Men or the Inclinations of the Flesh but my Great Lord. If Satan would draw you to any Inconvenience answer as Christ Himself did to Peter dissuading Him from suffering Mat. 16.23 Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of Men. When there is something that doth constrain within us and urgeth us to a constant obedience For Christ that requireth us to die unto sin doth also require us to live unto Righteousness When the sense of this becomes as an Habit or new Nature in us or the principle of our course of living it puts the Soul upon obedience it constraineth us most powerfully to live in him and to him Col. 2.6 and 10. verse the 6th As ye have therefore received Christ Iesus the Lord so walk ye in him ver 10. ye are compleat in Him and Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Vse 2. is Exhortation If we would distinguish our selves from the Carnal World let us resolve upon a thorough course of Christianity owning Christs authority in all things 1. If we be to begin and have hitherto stood against Christ Oh let us repent and reform and return to our Obedience Mâ—t. 18.3 Except ye be Converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 2. Remember that Faith is a great part of your works from first to last Iohn 6.27 Iesus answered and said unto them This is the Work of God that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent All the Grace and Mercy of the new Covenant it is begun kept up and carried on by Faith we are sincerely to believe on Him before we can rightly obey him 3. Your obedience must be delightful and such as cometh from love 1 Ioh. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments Believers are not called to the Obedience of Slaves nor to be acted only by the fear of Hell but to the Obedience of Sons and Children that you may obey with love and delight Forced motives endure not long fears will abate and then your duty be neglected Love should be as a new Nature and the habitual constitution of our Souls and you should act not as driven to Obedience but as inclined to it and delighted in it Psal. 40.8 I delight to do thy Will O God for this is a Soveraignty not forced upon us â—ut consented unto 4. Your Obedience must be very circumspect and accurate Heb. 12.28 Having received a Kingdom which cannot be moved let us have Grace that we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear A Kingdom may be received either by a King to Govern or Subjects to be Governed a King to Govern Luke 19.12 A certain Nobleman went into a far Country to receive a Kingdom Or Subjects to be governed when we submit to the Sovereign to injoy the priviledges which belong to that Kingdom So we must serve him with Reverence and Godly Fear For boldness in Sinning and coldness in Duty is a depreciation of his Majesty He is
it Again it is an holy Law according to which the process of that day shall be guided A Law that is clean and pure which alloweth not the least evil Thy Law is exceeding pure Psal. 119.140 The Gospel abateth nothing of the purity of it Now when we appear before an holy God and must be judged by an holy Law surely we must have holiness and righteousness answerable or how can we stand in the Judgment It is an holy God before whose Tribunal we must appear and an holy Law that we must be judged by therefore if we be destitute of all kind of righteousness What shall we do 2. No other righteousness will serve the turn but the righteousness of Faith And therefore till we submit to the New Covenant we are in a woful case Now the righteousness of the New Covenant is supream or subordinate The supream by way of Merit and Satisfaction The Subordinate by way of Application and Qualification on our parts 1. The Supream is the Righteousness or Obedience of Christ. VVhich can alone deliver us from Hell Job 33.24 Deliver him from going down to the Pit for I have found a ransom There is no deliverance from eternal destruction which our sins deserve but onely by the Ransom which he hath paid Till his Justice be satisfied by Christ no good can come unto us 2. The Subordinate Righteousness which qualifieth us and giveth us an interest is Faith Repentance and new Obedience All which are hugely necessary and convenient and gracious terms 1. Faith By which we own and acknowledge our Redeemer with love thankfulness dependance and hearty subjection to him Certainly love and thankfulness is due to him who hath indured so much and procured such great benefits for us Would we have the blessings instated on us and not know from what hand they come And acceptance is due for should Christ save us without our wills and against our consent Dependance is due Should they have benefit by Christ's Merits who question the force and efficacy of them Therefore God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his Blood Rom. 3.25 2. Repentance is necessary Would we have God to pardon us while we continue in our rebellion without sorrow for it or purpose to leave it The case of the obstinate is not compassionable Jer. 3.13 Onely acknowledge thine iniquity and I am gracious And to acknowledge an offence and continue in it is to condemn our selves 3. New Obedience That was due before to our Creator and our Redeemer strengtheneth the Bond and maketh it more comfortable For we have a new Lord by right of Redemption Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living A Lord that hath payed dear for our Souls 3. This righteousness is every way sufficient that we may venture our eternal well-being upon it For what is appointed by God will be accepted by God And though there be many defects in our Faith Repentance and Obedience yet there is an intrinsick value in the obedience and death of Christ besides the Institution Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God And 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Lastly See your help The Spirit is the great New-Covenant Gift purchased by Christ that it might be dispensed to us the more abundantly John 1.16 And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Tit. 3.5 6. By the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us By his Sanctifying and renewing Grace we are inabled for all this duty We have it by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 And the whole dispensation of the Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.8 Therefore if a sluggish heart did not possess Christians they might do more than they do A Sermon on 2 Pet. III. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance THe Apostle in Answer to the Cavil and Exception of the Mockers of Religion is taking off the Scandal of the delay of Christ's Coming Three Considerations are produced to satisfie the Godly 1. The true measure of speed or delay is the Eternity of God which admits of no beginning succession and ending but consists in a constant presentness to all that which to us seemeth past or to come And we must judge as he judgeth This is laid down vers 8. 2. The end of this delay which is the conversion of Sinners It proceedeth not from any culpable slackness in God but onely his patience towards the Elect. God is not slack but we hasty Our temper requireth time and patience to work upon us and bring us under the power of Grace This is in the Text. 3. The manner of coming which is sudden and unexpected like the coming of a Thief upon a sleepy family ver 10. Therefore we should rather prepare for it than complain of slackness We are upon the second consideration Wherein 1. The false cause of this delay is removed The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness 2. The true cause assigned But is long-suffering to us ward 3. The end of this long-suffering propounded First Negatively Not willing that any should perish Secondly positively But that all should come to Repentance Wherein the way to escape ruine is intimated which is Repentance The only doubt is about the sense of the words How that is to be understood that God would not have any perish but all come to Repentance For we see many do yet perish all do not come to Repentance And is God frustrated of his end Ans. To this doubt three answers are given and all solid though I prefer the two first 1. The Patience of God according to its nature hath that use and end to invite all sinners to Repentance Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodness forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance Gods continuing forfeited Mercies and tarrying the sinners leisure giveth us an hope that he is willing to be reconciled And if we do not seek his favour and turn to him by Repentance it is long of our selves the fault is our own because we do not improve this hope 2. The Apostle in this place hath special reference to the Elect who are concerned more especially in the promise of Christs coming to put an end to their sufferings and to render them an eternal reward Certain
slack who doth not come at the due and appointed time The time is set though unknown to us and accordingly it shall be kept God puts not off his coming not an hour after the time Heb. 10.37 out of Hab. 2.3 Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry How much how much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will not stay a moment after the time appointed 2. It is not ignorance as not knowing the fittest time when to put a period to the course of the World or of our Lives That cannot be imagined for his waiting is guided by judgment Isa. 30.18 He waiteth that he may be gracious for he is a God of Iudgment He delayeth till the fit time come of putting an end to the troubles of the Faithful and the sins of the Wicked for he guideth all things with Wisdom and will take hold of the fittest season and occasion of putting his designs in action 3. It is not from forgetfulness of his promise For he is ever mindful of his Holy Covenant Psal. 111.5 He hath promised to come to accomplish the deliverance of his own and the punishment of the wicked and he doth not forget what he hath promised 4. Not from change of Counsel For he is Jehovah that changeth not Men change out of the mutability of their Nature or because they have not a due foresight of all possible difficulties But 1 Sam. 15.29 The Strength of Israel will not Lie nor Repent for he is not a Man that he should repent 5. Not from impotency and weakness as if he could not execute what he hath promised That among Men is the cause of delay Men must do as they can Sometimes they must be patient perforce they want strength to punish when they have a just cause and a good mind to it As when David had a strong mind to punish and put Ioab to death for the murthering of Abner but Ioab was too potent 2 Sam. 3.39 I am this day weak though Anointed King and these Men the Sons of of Zeruiah are too hard for me They had too strong a party in the Army and among the Soldiers But this case is not incident to God who is able to dissolve all things in an instant at the beck and nod of his Will 2. By assignment of the true cause why the World and the present State of things is not dissolved 1. Many that belong to the purposes of Gods Grace are not yet born and come into the World And all things in the World are continued and preserved with a subserviency to Gods Decrees This you shall find in that sometimes Providences are shortned Mat. 24.22 For the Elects sake those days shall be shortened that the Nation might not wholly be wasted and worn out that they might not have too great a trial God had Elect among them whom he would preserve the chosen among the Jews whom God would gather in the appointed time But on the contrary here in the Text time is enlarged for their sakes All particular providences wherein they are concerned are dispensed with this reference Rom. 8.28 And all that act under God are carried on with this encouragement For the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 2.10 Wherefore I indure all things for the Elects sake that they may also obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Iesus with Eternal Glory Surely the Apostle knew what was his Masters business and for what end the Gospel was to be Preached whatever became of the Messengers I endure all things for the Elects sake Providence being continued for their sakes he was to continue his labours in the Gospel whatever entertainment he met with 2. Many of them are not yet converted They are as yet brands lying in the burning hidden in the polluted Mass of Mankind and God will draw them forth for Iohn 6.27 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me And God will draw them forth in a way suitable to his Glory and their temper as men Which requireth time till they come to years of discretion and pains to work upon their Souls by commands threatnings and promises and alluring motives and sometimes disappointments in their worldly concernments and every one of these multiplied one after another And after many refusals of his renewed offers and slighting means they are at length gained and overcome by his powerful love Observe here two things 1. That God gaineth the Elect by the same means which are propounded to the Reprobate He dealeth in common with mankind in the external means shewing no more favour to the one than to the other They both it may be live under the same Ministry yet one is taken and the other is left Observe 2. That it is long ere many of the Elect are gained They may withstand many a call both from Gods Word and Providence But because it is night for the present we cannot say that it will never be day And then when they are gained it requireth some time to bring them to that measure of Grace that God hath intended to work in them that he may fit them for glory and we may grow into that perfect age which we are appointed unto in Christ Eph. 4.13 Till we all come to a perfect Man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. The edification of the body of Christ is a work that is still kept afoot until all that are given to Christ of the Father be effectually called and united with Christ the Head and every one of them attain to their full and perfect measure of Spiritual growth And so long the World indureth 3. The Wicked by this forbearance of God are rendered more inexcusable 1. Because while they are in this life there is place for Repentance It is a great Mercy that they are not presently cut off and destroyed but that God giveth them opportunities of breaking off their sin by Repentance Rev. 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not If God doth not suddenly execute judgment upon them their crime is the greater It was a favour not vouchsafed to the Angels they were executed quickly 2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto the judgment The Angels were the most glorious Creatures yet when they sinned against God they were presently in termino in their final estate Man is yet in via in the way to a better estate For God to bâ—ttâ—r to pieces vessels of Gold as soon as they had the least crack and flaw in them and spare Earthen Vessels this is the wonder of his Mercy Therefore it should be esteemed as a great favour and indulgence that he doth not presently thrust down sinners to Hell as soon they do provoke him much more that he hath provided a remedy and offereth pardon to them and hath not secluded them from all possibility and hopes
of recovery for ever 2. God provideth great helps and means of Repentance for them For he hath sent his Messengers into all parts of the Earth and commanded every one to Repent and prepare for the judgment Act. 17.30 And the times of their ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to Repent because he hath appointed a day c. So that the World now perisheth for rejecting the means tending to recover them The sins of the Nations were not so great till God sent them the means When the Lord giveth any people the means to Repent their sin is the more aggravated and their judgment is the greater for the rejection of the means is a sin not only against our duty but our remedy and a vile ingratitude and obstinacy which hath no cloak and colour of excuse For though Men have an impotency of Nature and cannot convert themselves without the internal efficacy and power of the Holy Ghost yet the impotency of nature doth not necessitate men to wallow in a course of sin against the light of Conscience and to put away the means by which they might be reformed III. What encouragement there is from Gods long-suffering to induce Men to Repentance And 1. Gods forbearance and continuing of some Grace to us possesseth all Mens Minds with this apprehension that he is gracious merciful willing to be reconciled if we will but accept of terms agreeable to his glory and our good Therefore it is said that the goodness of God leadeth to Repentance Rom. 2.4 For wherefore should he defer vengeance and forbear so long to punish thy sinful course but only that thou mayest bethink thy self and make thy peace He could destroy thee in an instant and why doth he not but to see if thou wilt yet repent and love him and serve him If a Man were under a sentence of Death and the execution were delayed and put off from day to day would not he think it were a fit time to interpose by supplication and obtain his pardon Surely we should gather the like conclusion and make supplication to our Judge 2. The incouragement is the greater that we have not only time and life but many mercies forfeited mercies continued to us Such as food raiment friends house liberties health peace What do all these do but invite us to God For whosoever hath the Heart of a Man would be thankful to his benefactour Yea the very Beasts express a gratitude in their kind to them that feed them Isa. 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib The duâ—lest of the Bruit Beasts will take notice of such as feed them and make much of them And shall not we take notice of God and be obsequious to him from whom we have received all our supplies our Lord and Owner who hath fed us and most kindly intreated us Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man the Bands of love Unless we renounce humanity we cannot but look upon our selves as having strong bands upon us obliging us to duty and mindfulness of God 3. These mercies do not harden in their own nature but meerly by the sinners abuse of them For in their own nature they have a fitness and tendency to recover Men to the Love and Service of God but through our abuse they become snares and intangle us in the service of the Flesh. In the Creature there is something good to lead us up to God who is the first and chief good something imperfect uncertain and unsatisfactory to drive us off from it â—elf Is there any thing comfortable in the creature Whence came it Who put it there Common Mercies point to their Author if we would recollect our selves and receive them with thanksgiving Is there vanity and vexation in it Why is it but that the Creatures may not detain us from God that we may not sit on the Threshold when we may come before the Throne Our great fault is loving the Creature above the Creator Now the Creature is imbittered and is an occasion of so much vexation and trouble that we may not rest in it self All the good that is in the Creature is an image of that perfect good which is in God Now who would leave the substance to follow the Shadow As if a Virgin wooed should fall in love with the Messengers of a great King and despise the person himself There is a sweetness in these things mixed with imperfection the sweetness to draw us to God the imperfection to drive us off from the Creatures to make us look â—igher They do as it were say to us We cannot satisfie you you must seek for happiness in that God that made us and you Now Men are inexcusable if after all this they forsake God for the Creature Ier. 2.13 My People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters and have hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no Water 4. God hath provided a remedy for us by Christ. Whereby he would astonishingly oblige Man to seek after his own Salvation Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life There is love to the World in it there is man-kindness in it Tit. 3.4 After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward Man appeared A propitiation for the whole World 1 Iohn 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World Here is a sufficient foundation for this truth that whosoever believeth shall be saved If after all this Man shall be negligent vain careless unmindful of his misery or remedy his own Conscience will bear witness against him that the cause of his sin and the hinderance of his recovery is from himself and from his own obstinacy and impenitency Hosea 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy hope God is not to be blamed for our destruction it is of our own procuring There was help in God but they would not accept it 5. Affected scruples whether this be intended to us are a sin and do not disoblige us from our duty They are a sin because secret things do not belong to us but the open declarations of God concerning our duty Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong unto the Lord but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our Children Let us perform our duty and the secret purposes of God will be no bar and hinderance to us To betray a known duty by a scruple is the part of an erring and deceitful Heart God may do what he pleaseth but we must do what he hath commanded This is the only true principle that will inable us to carry our work through to the last 6. God hath appointed means which during the time of his patience are liberally vouchsafed to us and we being
out of the reach of his Commerce 2. Difference A Mediator is chiefly one used between disagreeing parties Gal. 3.20 Now a Mediator is not a Mediator of one but God is one There must be two parties and usually two different parties There is God angry and Man guilty Conscience of guilt presents God terrible and taketh away all Confidence from the guilty Sinner so that of our selves we cannot approach in a friendly manner to an offended and provoked God Heb. 12.29 For our God is a consuming Fire And who can dwell with devouring Burnings Isa. 33.14 Who shall interpose and stand between God and us the Power of his Wrath and our weakness and obnoxiousness to his Righteous Vengeance II. That none but Christ is fit for this High Office that though God be High and Just and Holy yet poor Creatures and Sinners may have access to him A Mediator must be one that can take off the distance and compromise the difference between us and God Oh that there were saith Iob a days-man between us that might lay his hands upon both Job 9.33 Now considering this Jesus Christ is the only fit interposing party Therefore he is called the Mediator of the new Covenant Heb. 12.24 And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 1. As to the distance so in his Person he is God-man Our Mediator must be one in whom God doth condescend to man and by whom man may be incouraged to ascend to God Now in Christ God is nearer to Man than he was before and so we may have more familiar Thoughts of God The pure Deity is at so vast a distance from us while we are in Flesh that we are amazed and confounded cannot imagine that he should look after us concern himself in us and our Affairs love us shew us his Free Grace and Favour Now it is a mighty help to think of God manifested in our Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 The Word made Flesh John 1.14 So that while we are here in the flesh yet we may have commerce with God 'T is a mighty incouragement to consider how near God is come to us in Christ and how he hath taken the Humane Nature into his own Person For surely he will not hide himself from his own Flesh Isa. 58.7 He came down into our flesh that he might be man and familiar with man This wonderfully reconcileth the Heart of Man to God and maketh the thoughts of him comfortable and acceptable to us so that we may incourage our selves in free access to God 2. As the Person of the Redeemer so his Work Which is to take away the Difference and Quarrel between us and God To understand this observe that the Mediation between the two differing parties must be carried on so that God who is the Supream and Offended party may be satisfied Now God stood upon these Terms that the Honour of his governing Justice should be secured Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins And that the Repentance and Reformation of sinful man should be carried on strictly Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and Remission of Sins These must be done otherwise man must lye under his Eternal Displeasure If the one be done and not the other done no Reconciliation can ensue Therefore we must not look to Christs Mediation with God so as to overlook his Work with man nor so look to his Work with man as to overlook his Mediation with God Heb. 3.1 Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Jesus Christ. We have both here The work of an Apostle lieth with men the work of an High Priest with God He hath an Office with God and Man and both are necessary to bring about our Salvation And Christ cannot be a compleat Saviour without doing both To be barely a Prophet would not serve the turn but he must be a Priest to satisfie Gods Justice also by the Merit of his Sacrifice In short his Work with God is that of a Priest his Work with Man is that of a Prophet and King 1. His Work as a Priest is to pacifie Gods Wrath procure his Grace Love and Favor for us and this he doth under two Relations as a Sponsor and Intercessour 1. As a Sponsor and Surety He was the Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 By so much was Iesus made a surety of a better Testament So First By way of Satisfaction he undertook something to be paid and performed for us He undertaketh to satisfie Gods Justice by the Sacrifice of himself and so make way for his Mercy on easie Terms The pacifying of Gods Justice was a great part of his Mediation Heb. 9.15 For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death fâ—r the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal Inheritance That is that Penitent and believing Sinners might be acquitted from the curse due to them by the first Covenant and so made capable of Eternal Life What they owe he hath paid Secondly By way of Caution Undertaking for those whom he reconciled to God that they shall perform what God requireth of them in the new Covenant Having purchased the Spirit he hath inabled them to repent and believe and mortifie and crucifie the flesh and obey the Gospel Rom. 6.6 Knowing that our old man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin 2. As an Intercessour He is in Heaven dealing with God in our behalf He hath not cast off his Relation or Affection to his People upon his Advancement Heb. 8.2 A Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man In all his Glory He is the Churches Agent appearing for us as our Atturney in Court Heb. 9.24 Pleading for us and answering all Accusations as our Advocate 1 Iohn 2.1 And if any man Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous And maintaining a correspondency between us and God As an Ambassador between two States promoting our Desires and Prayers Rev. 8.3 And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden Cenâ—er and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne And obtaining all necessary Graces for us 2. His Work with Men as a Prophet and King 1. As a Prophet and so as a Messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3.11 He sheweth us the way how we may be reconciled with God perswading us also to be so reconciled to God For we are ignorant and obstinate loth to part with sin and submit to God's
drink indeed But especially in invocation or solemn calling upon God in a way of Prayer or Praise into which all duties issue themselves 1. In a way of Prayer the mediation of Christ doth especially respect that duty and you must put your suits into his hand if you mean to speed Iohn 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you There is no speaking to God or hoping for any thing from God but by Christ. Having such a Mediator to present our desires and requests we may come boldly to him The Father is well pleased with these requests We cannot have sufficient sense enough of our unworthiness and his worth and merit 2. In a way of praise Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in Word or Deed do all in the Name of the Lord Iesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him All the success of our lawful undertakings or expectations is to be ascribed to God through Christ. All good things derived to us from God as the prime Authour is by Christ's Mediation Eph. 5.20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ. For all things Temporal Spiritual success of all Ordinances Providences his merit procured the mercy and maketh the duty acceptable 3. We come to God in the practice of all commanded duties A Christian is always with God he liveth with him and walketh with him He that is a stranger with God in his ordinary conversation can never be familiar with him in his worship and the Grace of Faith Hope and Love are acted not only in worship but ordinary practice whilest having a deep sense of an invisible God and a constant aim at an invisible World Love doth level and direct all our actions that we may please this God and attain the happiness of that unseen World Every righteous action is done in obedience to God and an aim at Heaven either by a noted thought or the unobserved act of a potent habit Sure I am that a great part of our communion with God is carried on in our ordinary conversation 1 Iohn 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another And every holy action is a step towards â—eâ—ven as every sinful one is in its self a step to Hell Now this can only be by Christ. Unless we are in him and be assisted by his Spirit how can we bring forth fruit unto God Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ unto the Glory and Praise of God He is the root of your life and you live as upon him and by his Life The Apostle saith in one clause that we are for him in the other that we are by him whole we not only some actions of ours but God hath put our life into his hands and because he liveth we live also Iohn 14.19 We do not use Christ only at our need but as the Branches the Root or the Members the Head we can do nothing apart from him but in all businesses and in all conditions we must live in him to God Now this is to come to God by Christ. Vse I. To press us to improve this for our comfort and use 1. 'T is an incouragement in our expectations from God and those communications of Grace which he exhibiteth to us in the covenant of Grace for here is one God and Father from whom are all things and one Lord Iesus by whom are all things God is set before you as an all-sufficient Fountain of Grace and Christ as an all-powerful Mediator 1. Here is one God and Father from whom are all things Where shall we find comfort if not in God He can supply all our Wants cure all our Diseases overcome all Enemies deliver us out of all Dangers God in the New Covenant is represented under the notion of God All-sufficient Gen. 17.1 He offereth himself under that notion to ingage us to trust him alone The People of God gather it from their Covenant interest Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want So elsewhere there is an infinite latitude in the object of Faith This one God and Father is every way sufficient to do us good no pain so great but he can mitigate and remove it no danger so dreadful so likely but he can prevent no misery so deep but he can deliver us from it no Enemies so strong but he can vanquish them no want that he cannot supply When we have a want God cannot supply or a Sickness that God cannot cure or a danger that he cannot prevent or a Misery that he cannot remove or Enemies that are too hard for him then you may yield to despondency of Heart Chuse God for your portion and chief happiness and you shall want nothing whatever faileth we have an All-sufficient God still to rejoice in and depend upon See how largely God expresseth himself in the offers of his Grace Psal. 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly We are subject to dangers and perils from Enemies Bodily and Spiritual he is our Shield we want all manner of Blessings now he will give us all things that truely belong to our happiness he will be a Sun to us A Shield here a Sun hereafter I am thy Shield and exceeding great Reward If He be a reward and a great reward it cannot come short of Heavens Glory and that Eternal Happiness which is an aggregation of all Blessings then our Sun shall be in his Meridian and shall fully and for ever shine upon the Saints It followeth there Grace and Glory will he give He will restore what we lost in Adam the Image of God the Favour of God and Fellowship with God and bestow upon us a Blessedness which possibly we should not have had if Adam had stood Eternal Life and Rest in Heaven Grace to bear our expences to Heaven and Glory at the end of the Way All manner of light life and comfort See one place more 2 Pet. 1.3 According to his Divine Power hath he given unto us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness Whatever pertaineth to life that is life Spiritual the substance of every saving Grace though not the full Measure also a right to what may inable us to honour God in practice either to an Holy Heart or an Holy Life 2. Here is a compleat and powerful Mediator And 1. Hereby we see God in our Nature and so nearer at hand and ready to help us God is become our Neighbour yea as one of us Bone of our Bone and Flesh of our Flesh That made Laban kind to Iacob Gen. 29.14 Though he hath removed his Dwelling into Heaven again yet 't is for our sakes and for our benefit our Nature remaineth there at the Right Hand of
God Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens c. 2. God in our Nature was Abased Crucified made Sin made a Curse for us that he might pacifie the Justice of God and reconcile us to him So that besides the infinite Mercy and Power of God there is the Infinite Righteousness and everlasting Redemption of a Mediator God offended with Man is fully satisfied with the Ransom paid for Sinners by Christ Mat. 3.17 This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 3. God having laid such a foundation and bestowed so great a gift upon us will not stick at any thing which is necessarily required to make us fully and eternally happy Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him up c. shall he not with him freely give us all things Here in the Text 't is said All things are by him such abundant provision hath he made for Mans Salvation Surely here is a broad foundation for our comfort and hope Here is God appeased the works of the Devil dissolved our wounded Natures healed our Enemies vanquished by him as the Captain of our Salvation the Church defended and maintained by him as supream Head and Pastor all kept quiet by him between God and Us as our Agent and Advocate and finally he will bring us into the immediate presence of God that we may remain with him for evermore 4. Besides the dignity of his person consider the suitableness of his office to our necessity The dignity of his person must not be over-looked for he is God-man and therefore he is accepted by the Father and may be relied upon by us Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Besides the institution there is an intrinsick value Act. 20.28 'T is called the Blood of God But what a suitable as well as valuable a remedy do his Offices of King Priest and Prophet make him By these three Offices he exerciseth the Office of Mediator The three Offices are alluded unto Iohn 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life The Way as a Priest Truth as a Prophet Life as a King The Way because he hath removed the legal exclusion we were fugitives exiled and then Truth to direct us and give us the knowledge of Gods Nature and Will The Life To begin a Life of Grace in us by his Spirit which shall be perfected in Heaven So 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption All the offices of Christ are there expressed with a suitableness to our misery Wisdom as a Prophet to cure our ignorance and folly we had no true sense of the evil we deserved nor the good we wanted nor of the way to remove the one or obtain the other but he convinceth and instructeth us in all these things We lye also under the guilt and power of sin that is our second necessity and so Christ is made Righteousness and Sanctification as a Priest for he gave himself to cleanse us from sin Eph. 5.26 We are also liable to many miseries introduced by sin yea under a necessity of dying and perishing for ever therefore Christ is made Redemption as a King and as Captain of our Salvation at length fully redeemed us from all evil Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodies Luk. 21.28 And when these things begin to come to pass then lift up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby ye are seal'd to the day of Redemption Thus you see how amply we are provided for in Christ. It may as well be said By him are all things as it may be said of the Father From whom are all things Secondly Another improvement is to ingage and incourage us to make those returns of Love Worship and Obedience Service and Glory which are expected and required of us There is something which reflecteth from us upon God from all this Grace and Mercy which God dispensed by the Mediator We must be for him and we must be by him 'T is more than if it were said we must serve him glorifie him We in our whole capacity we must be whatever we are and do whatever we do to God and for God by the Mediator 1. We must enter into Covenant with him and give the Hand to the Lord and consent to be his Isa. 44.5 One shall say I am the Lord 's another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his Hand unto the Lord. They should enter their Names to God to be entred into his Muster-Roll or Listed among the Faithful that belong to him and are Listed for his service a Member of that Body whereof Christ is Head a subject of that Kingdom whereof Christ is King 2 Cor. 8.5 'T is said But first gave their own selves unto the Lord. Rom. 12.1 Present your Bodies a living Sacrifice Holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service Christ gave himself a Sin-offering and we give up our selves a Thank-offering 2. There must be a strong love to God ever at work in our Hearts levelling and directing all our actions to his glory and this love must be an impression of the love shewed to us by Christ a thankful sense of his Mercies and Benefits 1 Iohn 4.19 We love him because he loved us first 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constraineth us Love is an earnest bent and inclination of Heart towards our chief good and last end and its effect and work is to devote our selves to his Service Will and Honour longing after more of God and continually seeking for it Psal. 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is A Soul that hath chosen God for its portion cannot want him nor be long without him nor satisfied with any partial enjoyment of him therefore still seeketh for more The main work of this life is a desirous seeking after God and getting nearer to their last end by all the means which God hath appointed us to use 3. There must be a constant study and care to please honour and glorifie this God Acts 27.23 Whos 's I am and whom I serve If we be dedicated to God there must be a conscience of our dedication that we may live unto God and this not now and then but in our whole course All our Faculties Bodies Souls 1 Cor. 6.19 20. What! know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy
diverted either by the comfortable or troublesome things we meet with here in the World Not by the comfortable things 1 Pet. 1.13 Wherefore gird up the Lâ—yns of your Mind be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. Nor by the troublesome things of the World Rom. 8.39 Nor height nor depth nor any other Crâ—ature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iâ—sus our Lord Well then the Supreme Good or Fruition of the ever-blessed GOD is believed sought after waited for we know it by Faith we seek it by Love we wait for the enjoyment of it by Hope Faith affordeth us Light to discover it and direct us to it Love possesseth the Soul with a Desire to enjoy it and Hope giveth us a Confidence of obtaining it through Jesus Christ our Lord. III. Their Use in the Spiritual Conflict 1. They impel us to do our Duty with all diligence whatever Temptations we have to the contrary 1 Thess. 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of Love and patience of Hope Whence you see Work is ascribed to Faith Labour to Love and Patience to Hope Work to Faith because that Grace is working and ready to break out into Obedience 2 Thess. 1.11 And the Work of Faith with Power Labour to Love because Love puts Men upon Industry and Diligence they that love God will be hard at work for him Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your Work and Labour of Love Patience to Hope because that Grace produceth Endurance and Constancy 2 Thess. 3.5 The Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. And the good Ground brought forth Fruit with Patience Luk. 8.19 In short you see these Graces are of an Operative and Vigorous Nature Faith is but a dead Opinion unless it break out into practice Love but a cold Approbation of the Ways of God unless we overcome our Slothfulness Hope but a few slight Thoughts of Heaven unless we persevere and hold out till the time of Retribution cometh 2. These Graces restrain and subdue those corrupt Inclinations which are yet in the Heart and would be a great impediment to us if they be not more and more overcome such as Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts Atheism or a denial of Gods Being and unbelief or distrust of his Promises Worldly Lusts Tit. 2.12 Teaching us to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts. That is to say Worldly Fears and Worldly Desires or in one word the Sensual Inclination called the Spirit of the World These can never be overcome without Faith by which the Mind is soundly perswaded of the Truth of Salvation by Christ nor without Love by which the Will is firmly resolved and bent upon it nor without Hope by which the Executive Powers are fortified and strengthened in their Operations In short when the Doctrine of Christ concerning things to be believed and done is first propounded to us it findeth us wedded to the World and intangled in the Vanities thereof but as this Doctrine is received and believed the bent and inclination of our Souls is altered a new byass is put upon us and our love to God and heavenly things is more and more increased the Heart is set to seek after God and that with the greatest earnestness and diligence Without this the Carnal and Worldly Inclination prevaileth over us As in the want of Faith Heb. 3.12 Take heed Brethren lest thâ—re bâ— in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Want of Love 1 Iohn 2.15 16. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World Want of Hope Heb. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your Confidence which hath great recompense of reward Many are beaten out of their Christianity at last because they cannot tarry for Christ's Recompences 3. To fortifie us against all evil without Besides Corruptions within there are Temptations without manifold Afflictions which Satan maketh use of to draw us to sin Now these three Graces arm us against them 2 Tim. 1.7 where he speaketh of enduring the Afflictions of the Gospel by the power of God God hath not given us a Spâ—râ—â— of Fear but of Power of Love and of a sound Mind Faith Hope and Love are intended thereby by a Spirit of Power meaning Hope which breedeth â—ortitude notwithstanding Dangers and Threats of Men Love retaineth its own Name and by the sound Mind is meant Faith All these help us to encounter the Difficulties and Hardships of our Pilgrimage and breed in us a Tranquility of Mind and Contentedness in every State 4. Without Faith Hope and Love we cannot pray to God nor entertain any sweet Communion with him while we dwell in Flesh. Iude 20.21 But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy-Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life That Clause Praying in the Holy-Ghost is to be referred in common to them all praying to be built up in our most holy Faith praying to be kept in the love of God praying that we may look for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus to Eternal Life Prayer is not an Exercise only of our natural Faculties but also of the three fundamental Graces of the Spirit There are three Agents in Prayer the Humane Spirit the new Nature and the Spirit of God The Humane Spirit for by the Understanding and Memory we work upon the Will and Affections The new Nature as Prayer is the work of Faith Hope and Love And the Holy-Ghost is there mentioned as also Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God The middle is to our purpose now Prayer is a Work of Faith as the great Mysteries of our most holy Faith are therein reduced to Practice Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one spirit unto the father Love is acted in Prayer as we delight our selves in conversing with God all our Desires and Groans in Prayer are acts of Love expressing our Longings after more of God Hope is acted in Prayer as we express our Trust in God and the Merits and Intercession of Christ and plead his gracious Promises Prayer it self is but Hope put into Language Psal. 62.8 Trust in him at all
Objects of Pity and Compassion rather than of Passion and Anger Eph. 1.32 Be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Consider what God hath done to you that you may do the same to them Secondly The next consideration of this Prayer of Christ is as a Tast and Pledge of his Mediation and Intercession So it is Prophecied Isa. 53.12 He was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors Christ was placed in the midst of Thieves as the first Clause is explained Mark 15.28 and he made Intercession that is prayed for his Persecutors The whole Chapter is a Prophetical Narration of the Acts and Sorrows of Christ upon the Cross. In this publick Sense and Consideration let us see what may be gathered out of the Clause Father forgive them 1. It is an Instance of Christ's Love and Bowels to Sinners he loved Mankind so well that he Prayed for them that Crucified him Look on the Lord Jesus as Praying and Dying for Enemies and improve it as a ground of Confidence Upon the Cross he would give us an Instance of his Efficacy in converting the Thief and of his Affection in praying for his Persecutors We were as great Enemies to Christ and as deep in the Guilt of his Passion as they Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son The Enemies of his Kingdom are every way as bad as the Enemies of his Person if Christ did not say Father forgive what would become of us You will say we are Christians But scandalous Sinners renew his Sufferings and put him to an open shame Heb. 6.6 Oh! let us Adore God for these Experiences it is a mighty ground of Hope that Christ hath put in for a Pardon he would not die till he had expressed his Reconciliation with his Enemies 2. See what is the Voice and Merit of his Sufferings Father forgive them This is the Speech that Christ uttered when he was laid on the Cross. The Apostle compareth Christ's Blood and the Blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel Abel's Blood was clamorous in the Ears of God Gen. 4.10 The voice of thy brothers blood crieth to me from the ground And so in the Conscience of Cain it crieth Avenge Avenge me Christ's Blood hath another Voice it speaketh to God to pacifie his Wrath and to Pardon us if penitent and believing Sinners it speaketh to Conscience to be quiet God hath found out a Ransom The Blood of Christ may speak against us as well as against the Iews for by our Sins we made Christ to die Oh! be not quiet till it speak Peace in your Consciences Christ's Blood was spilt in Malice as Abel's was and might have cried for Vengeance on the Actors who were not only the Iews but we and it yet speaketh as Abel's did Heb. 11.4 By it he being dead yet speaketh It is a speaking Blood and is yet speaking The speaking of the Blood is interpreted according to the Words in their Mouth wherewith they died Mat. 23.35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zecharias the son of Barachias whom ye slew between the porch and the altar Our Lord gathers it from Zecharias his saying The Lord look upon it and require it 2 Chron. 24.22 So the Words of Christ interpret his Death 3. In the Mediatory Consideration it hinteth the coupling of his Intercession with his Satisfaction On the Cross there he dieth and there he prayeth he was both Priest and Sacrifice The High-Priest under the Law was not only to slay the Sacrifice but to intercede for the People first the Beast was slain without the Camp and then the Blood was carried into the Holy of Holies and there Prayer was made with Incense but before that Aaron when he was going into the holy Place before the Lord was to cause the sound of his Golden Bells to be heard under pain of Death Exod. 28.35 To this I parallel this Action of Christ upon the Cross. This Prayer was as the sound of the Golden Bells he would make his Voice to be heard by Prayer and then he goes into the Holy of Holies the Lord Jesus Christ when he shed his Blood before the Tribunal of God he sendeth forth a Prayer God would have our Salvation carried on in a way of Mercy and Justice and Christ was to mingle Intreaty with Satisfaction as Lev. 16.14 the High-Priest was to bring the Blood within the Vail and to sprinkle it upon the Mercy-Seat He must satisfie Justice and make an Address to Mercy that we that have sinned with both hands may take hold of God with both hands Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ it is freely and yet through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ these two sweetly accord 4. This is a Pledge of his constant Intercession in Heaven The Ceremonies of the Old Law were not only Types of Christ but his visible Actions were a kind of Types and Pledges of his Spiritual Actions 1 Iohn 2.1 If any man sin we have an advocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous He that could pray for Enemies will pray for Friends and he that got our Pardon by his Intercession will promote our Salvation Certainly Christ's Glorified Soul looseth no Affection he is as earnest with the Father for his Friends as ever he was upon the Cross for his Persecutors Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Christ doth appear as our Advocate in Court not only in our Name but in our stead 5. It shews the Nature of his Intercession It not only implies the everlastingness of his Merit that his Blood doth continue to deserve such things at the hands of God as we stand in need of but it is a continual representation of his Merit it is not a Metaphor but a solemn Act of his Priesthood Again it is not by Verbal Expressions such as he used here upon Earth Father forgive them this became the state of his Humiliation but now he intercedes Non voce sed miseratione Not by Voice but by Pity What is it then Partly his appearing in Heaven as God in our Nature Heb. 9.24 Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands c. but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us He is said to appear before God for us as the High-Priest came and presented himself before God with the Names of the twelve Tribes engraven on his Breast-plate Partly in his expressing an actual Willingness or the
away The Party displeased and provoked is God and the Party defiled is the immortal Soul of Man which being subject to the Power of God and bound by his Laws upon Disobedience is conscious to it self of the Merit of Death and Punishment and debarred from all Communion with God And it cannot have any sound Peace till it knows that God is satisfied and that it shall be admitted again into terms of Grace and Favour with him That Sin hath made us filthy and loathsom to God that we cannot please him nor be accepted with him the Word doth not only assert it Psal. 14.2 3. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the Children of Men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one Job 15.14 What is Man that he should be clean and he that is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one But Conscience is in part sensible of it so that a Sinner hath a secret Dread and Shiness of God especially upon the commission of actual Sins 1 Iohn 3.20 21. For if our Heart condemn us God is greater than our Heart and knoweth all things Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God I know generally Man looketh to the Foulness and Cleanness of the body but is insensible of the Stain of the Soul Yet we cannot always exempt no not the worst from a secret Sense of this However our Misery and Happiness dependeth upon God's Judgment not our own If in the Eye of God all of us are polluted and unclean lying in our Blood defiled with the Guilt of Sin already committed and the filthy Vileness of Sin yet in-dwelling This is evident we were miserable enough till God found out a Remedy And this Misery is the deeper because Man loveth what God loatheth as the Swine loveth wallowing in the Mire and therefore it is a Creature loathsom to us We count Sin a Bravery when it is the greatest Impurity a Filthiness deeply ingrained in our Natures and therefore not easily washed away both as to the Guilt as also to the Stain and â—lot 2. This being our Misery Christ came to wash us and with no other Laver than his own Blood as a Priest offering himself a Sacrifice for our Sins The Remedy for so great a Mischief must have a noble and excellent Cause That Blood was necessary appeareth by the Types of the Law for the typical Expiation was made by the Blood of Bulls and Goats offered in Sacrifice And that no Blood but the Blood of Jesus Christ would serve the turn is evident if you consider the Party displeased and provoked who was God the Party defiled the immortal Spirit of Man and the heinous Nature of the Offence which was a Breach of his righteous and eternal Law Therefore it is said 1 Iohn 1.7 The Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Heb. 1.3 He by himself purged our Sins And Heb. 9.13 14. If the Blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God purge your Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God There is Virtue and Efficacy enough in the Blood of Christ partly from the Institution of God and its own manifold Worth and Value as being the Blood of God partly by the way and manner in which it was offered by an Act done in our Nature of the greatest Obedience and Self-denial that ever was or can be and so God is fully repaired in point of Honour 3. This Sacrifice thus offered was accepted of God in the Behalf of sinful Man as a full Price and Merit to procure for us both Justification and Sanctification We needed both being polluted both with the Guilt and Stain of Sin Both are a Trouble to a sensible Conscience or an awakened Sinner who is in the next Capacity to receive this Sacrifice 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness As a Man that hath broken his Leg is not only troubled with the Pain but would have it set right again Both are implied in this Washing and both are effectually accomplished by virtue of his bloody Death and Sacrifice 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God And Christ hath obtained both by virtue of his bloody Death and Sacrifice for our Pardon and Restitution to God's Grace and Favour Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ As also the Gift of the Spirit to sanctify and renew us to the Image of God Tit. 3.5 6. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour 4. Besides the Impetration of this Benefit we must consider the Application The Sacrifice had Power to purge us and wash us from our Sins as soon as it was offered and accepted of God The procuring of the Power is the Impetration which was antecedent to actual Pardon and Sanctification Therefore it is said When he had by himself purged our Sins he sat down at the right Hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 1.3 Then he interposed the Merit then was the first Grant made or Liberty given But then for the Application It is applied when we submit to those terms that are agreed upon between our Redeemer and God as our supream Judg and Lawgiver As when this Sacrifice is believed and depended on and pleaded in an humble and broken-hearted manner and improved to Thankfulness and Resolutions to return to the Obedience of our Creator then is Sin actually pardoned and our Hearts cleansed He did not pardon nor cleanse nor sanctify as soon as this Blood was shed upon the Cross until it be effectually applied to the filthy Soul by a lively Faith Acts 15.9 Purifying their Hearts by Faith and a serious and broken-hearted Repentance 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins We must bewail our Sins depend upon the Sacrifice of Christ sue out the Virtue of it by Prayer Psal. 51.2 VVash me throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin Extinguish the Love of Sin by godly Sorrow and all holy means and mortify the Flesh by the Help of the Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Body c.
say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luk. 22.29 30. I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel This was spoken at the Lord's Supper which is a Pledg of it The Vpright shall have Dominion over them in the Morning Psal. 49.14 3. They shall be Kings eternally in Heaven Luk. 12.32 Fear not little Flock for it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer we shall also reign with him that is in Heaven with respect to this Right Title and Interest so they are made Kings We are Heirs in Christ Rom. 8.17 If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ if we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together We are Heirs of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken 2. Priests That was a great Dignity among the Iews To this all Christians are now advanced 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye are an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Our Sacrifices are not Expiatory but Gratulatory not Sin-offerings but Thank-offerings not Typical but Spiritual Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering Our Thank-offerings are either our selves Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the Mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable Service Or our Duties which are Spiritual-offerings we offer not Beasts which were Typical but the Calves of our Lips our Prayers and Praises Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips giving Thanks to his Name Or Alms ver 16. But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Phil. 4.18 But I have all and abound I am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an Odour of a sweet Smell a Sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God Now this is a great Honour that we should be separated by the Lord from all the rest of the World and admitted into such a Nearness and Access to God with Boldness and Hope of being accepted through Christ. Vse 1. In the general All this should stir up our Hearts to give continual Praise and Glory to Christ our blessed Redeemer So doth the Apostle here that is the use he maketh of it To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen It is a thing to be reproved in Christians that we take so little time to admire honour and praise our Redeemer which yet is a great part of our Work Surely if you had a due Sight of his Excellency or a Sense and Taste of the Riches of his Goodness and Love you would be more in this delightful Work Usually Praise is a Stranger to our Worship and however we are enlarged in Confession of Sin or Supplication for such things as we want yet we are straitned in our Gratulations Surely Lauding and Praising God in Christ is as necessary as the other parts of Worship Psal. 22.3 God is said to inhabit the Praises of Israel that is in Israel where he is praised The great End of Worship is not the Relief of Man so much as the Honour of God Therefore we should not only ask things needful for our selves and mind meerly the Supply of our Necessities but the Honour of Christ. Psal. 50.23 Whoso offereth Praise glorifieth me If God will account it an Honour to be well thought of and spoken of by his Creature we should more abound in this Work Why are we then so scanty in Praises and Thansgivings The Reasons of this Defect are Self-love We are eager to have Blessings but we forget to return to give God the Glory Prayer is a Work of Necessity but Praise is a Work of mere Duty Self-love puts all upon Prayer but the Love of God upon Praise Again stupid Negligence we do not gather up Matter of Thanksgiving nor watch in our Prayers nor seek after Matter for it Coloss. 4.2 Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving 2. More particularly let us take our Example from this Doxology To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen We can but ascribe to Christ what he hath already but we must do it heartily Observe here 1. The things ascribed to Christ Glory and Dominion 2. The manner of Ascription it is Imperative 3. The Duration For ever and ever 4. The Seal of all in the word Amen 1. The things ascribed to Christ Glory and Dominion In other Places it is Honour and Power everlasting 1 Tim. 6.16 Who only hath Immortality dwelling in the Light which no Man can approach unto whom no Man hath seen nor can see to whom be Honour and Power everlasting Amen In the Lord's Prayer more fully Mat. 6.13 For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen Where by Kingdom is meant Right and Authority to dispose of all things according to his own Pleasure by Power Strength and Alsufficiency to execute what he pleaseth by Glory his Honour which is the result of all that he doth Clara cum laude notitia Excellency discovered with Praise We desire that he may be more honoured and brought into Request and Esteem in the World Here we have but two Words Glory and Dominion Glory that is just Praise and Esteem gracious Hearts think they can never set Christ high enough in their Esteem and Praise this is all they can return to him for his great Benefits Glory that he may have the Honour as they the Comfort Dominion implieth Lordship and Soveraignty this they would have given to Christ as his Due by his own Purchase and God's Assignment Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and Living It was God's End Phil. 2.10 That at the Name of Iesus every Knee should bow 2. The Form is Imperative as binding themselves and others to give him Glory and Dominion Themselves in the first place and that not only with the Tongue but with the Heart not only in Word but in Deed So they would give him Glory praise him with their Lips and honour him with their Lives They would make that their Work and Scope that this may be the real Language of their Hearts and Actions which speak much louder than Words These shew forth the Praises of him who hath called them out of Darkness into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 that really they may be the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 They are the Messengers of the Churches and the Glory of Christ. 2 Thess. 1.12 That the Name of
our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you So for Dominion the practical Acknowledgment is better than the verbal Luke 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Christ was mocked when they cried Hail King of the Iews Mat. 27.29 and yet they crucified him If we would have Dominion given to Christ we must look upon our selves as not our own but his not live to our selves or use our selves for our selves but resign up our selves absolutely to him Then for others such is their Love to Christ and the Souls of Men that true Christians desire that Christ may not only be glorified by themselves but others that he may be known worshipped and believed on in the World especially those about them as Fire turneth all things about it into Fire 3. The Duration For ever and ever In all Doxologies a long Duration is expressed They desire not only the present Age may glorify God but the future When we are dead and gone the Lord remaineth and they would not have him remain without Praise and Honour It is the Comfort of their Souls when dying that God shall have a People to praise him and they prize their own Salvation the more that they shall live for ever to glorify God that as God's Blessings are everlasting so shall be their Praises 4. It is ratified by a solemn Attestation Amen It is Notum Desiderii Supplicationis by it we testify our fervent Affection and strength of Desire after the Glory of Christ. We should have an Amen for our Praises as well as for our Prayers Not only to say Iesus Master have Mercy on us Amen but To him be Glory for ever and ever Amen SERMON II. REVEL I. 6 And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father I Shall take up this Subject again and speak of our Priesthood when we shall be admitted into the immediate Presence of God and praise him for evermore There is a Ministration before the Throne of Grace or before the Throne of Glory before the Throne of Grace we minister in this Life before the Throne of Glory in the Life to come Of the latter I shall now speak because it is a Truth commonly overlooked Doct. That the Priesthood which we have by Christ concerneth our Ministration in the Heavenly Temple I shall prove it by these Arguments 1. Because a Christian so is conformed to Christ and made like him in all things Christ must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first it in all things Col. 1.18 That in all things he might have the Preheminence Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he did also predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born amongst many Brethren Now if I shall prove to you that Christ was not consecrated to his everlasting Priesthood till he died then it is very congruous that it should be so with a Christian for our Office dependeth upon his and is carried on in a way of conformity to his Now that Christ was consecrated at his Death I prove by these Places Heb. 5.9 And being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him that is when he had learned Obedience by the things which he suffered ver 8. And Heb. 2.10 The Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through Sufferings that is fully consecrated and fitted to be a Priest to perform that Office to our Comfort His Death is expressed by a Notion of Perfection Luke 13.32 Behold I cast out Devils and I do Cures to day and to morrow and the third Day I shall be perfected that is shall suffer Death It is good to enquire in what Sense in these and in many other Places Christ is said to be made perfect it is not meant of his Personal Perfection but Official As to his Person as he was God he was perfect from all Eternity as God-Man he was perfect from the first moment of his Conception The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being made perfect relateth to his Office and may be rendred consecrated as well as made perfect Being consecrated he became c. And it behoved the Captain of our Salvation to be consecrated through Sufferings The Word signifieth in its first sense to finish and accomplish a thing That which is brought to an end is perfected So was Christ as a Priest perfected that is fit to minister before God as a Priest But that it should be rendred consecrated I prove 1. Because the Word is rendred consecrated elsewhere Heb. 7.28 Consecrated for evermore In the Margin perfected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is in the Old Testament Thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his Sons Exod. 29.9 the Septuagint render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt perfect or fill the Hand of Aaron and his Sons And the Sacrifice of Consecration is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sacrifice of Perfecting or Compleating because the Priest was to pass through some Ceremonies and these being done he is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be consummate or made perfect or fully authorized to perform the Priest's Office 2. I prove it from the Context in Heb. 5. There the Apostle is discoursing of Christ's everlasting Priesthood and his being made perfect is with respect to that Office He was not perfect or fitted for that Work till he stood before God with a Sacrifice in his Hand till he had offered up himself with Prayers and Tears and strong Cries and had learned Obedience by the things which he suffered but then he was made perfect for the Rites of his Consecration were over that is his Agonies and bloody Sufferings then he was fully consecrated and compleated to be a Priest So that Christ's solemn Consecration was at his Death 3. The Reason of the thing sheweth it◠Jesus Christ was to be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People Heb. 2.17 These two Attributes merciful and faithful refer to God and us Merciful to help and relieve sinful miserable Man Faithful with Respect to God in performing all things which belong to his Sacerdotal Office and going through with his Work given him in Charge till he hath fully finished it The best and most merciful High Priest that ever was must be made in the best and most convenient manner Well then he is made perfect when he hath had a thorow Sense of our Misery and took the Course presented to remove it when his Heart was intendered and his Hand was filled with the purest Sacrifice that ever was offered and so by his Agonies and bloody Sufferings he was perfected consecrated and fully qualified to minister before the Lord and to intercede for poor Creatures and to bless them
rebuke him shall be Delight and a good Blessing shall come upon him that is all will pray for him whereas they curse and detest Flatterers Many such Promises there are 2. Taking a Reproof is commended Eccles. 7.5 It is better to hear the Rebuke of the VVise than for a Man to hear the Song of Fools It sads the Heart for the present yet it is more wholesome and beneficial than vain Mirth that puts us off from Seriousness in Soul-Dangers and feedeth our Lusts and Corruptions So Prov. 13.18 Poverty and Shame shall be to him that refuseth Instruction but he that regardeth Reproof shall be honoured A head-strong wicked Man bringeth himself to Beggary and Shame but he that taketh Counsel betimes soon wipeth off the Stain of his Miscarriages So see two Proverbs together Prov. 15.31 32. The Ear that heareth the Reproof of Life abideth among the VVise He that refuseth Instruction despiseth his own Soul but he that heareth Reproof getteth Vnderstanding The one is a slight careless Person that despiseth God and his Salvation but the other giveth a Token of a wise and tractable Disposition So Prov. 17.10 A Reproof entreth more into a wise Man than an hundred Stripes into a Fool. Correption doth more good than Correction Now when God doth argue and perswade and not only interpose his Authority surely this is a Duty of Importance which we should make Conscience of 5 thly If God hath given Directions about it is is unquestionably a Duty belonging to us for Directions suppose the Duty and shew that God would not have it miscarry in our Hands As when God directeth to pray he supposeth Prayer when God directeth to hear he supposeth hearing so when he directeth to reprove he supposeth Reproof to be a Duty Now the Word of God doth every where abound with these Directions as with what Lenity and Meekness we should reprove 2 Cor. 2.4 For out of much Affliction and Anguish of Heart I wrote unto you with many Tears not that you should be grieved but that you may know the Love which I have more abundantly unto you Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a Man be overtaken in a Fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the Spirit of Meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted What Difference we should make of Faults Gnats and Camels Matth. 23.24 Ye blind Guides which strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel Of Persons Iude 22 23. And of some have Compassion making a Difference Others save with Fear pulling them out of the Fire 6 thly The Duty is necessary to prevent a Sin such as Detraction Censure and Backbiting It is the usual Fashion of the World to change a Duty into a Sin it should be the Care of God's People to change a Sin into a Duty Ephes. 5.4 Not foolish Talking or Iesting which are not convenient but rather giving of Thanks So do not speak of them that sin but to them do not judg but reprove 7 thly That without which no Society can be maintained no Relation faithfully improved certainly is an unquestionable Duty but so is Reproof No Society can be maintained for Faults will arise the Injured will vent themselves in Passion or Reproof now which conduceth to the Welfare of Humane Society And for Relations how can I be faithful to God in them unless I make Advantage of this Nearness and Frequency of Converse for spiritual Use Even good Men will miscarry if we be privy to it must we hold our Peace Well then observe the Reasonableness of God's Ordinance III. What is Reproof It is an Act of Charity or Mercy by which we seek by fit Discourse to draw our Brother from Sin to his Duty 1. It is an Act of Charity and Mercy not of Pride and Vain-glory Iam. 3.1 My Brethren be not many Masters knowing that we shall receive the greater Condemnation No it is not an Act of Mastery or rash Judging but of Mercy towards our Brother in his spiritual Misery as he hath rendred himself obnoxious to God's Wrath. 2. The Means it useth is fit Discourse not Correction and Chastening but Correption or Rebuke It must be dispensed in most wholesome ways such as may be most fit to gain a Sinner and heal his Soul To some we must use more Tenderness but more Sharpness to others In general we reprove from God's Word Col. 3.16 Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all VVisdom teaching and admonishing one another That the Offender may see God reproving him rather than Man as Christ reproved the Pharisees with mere Words of Scripture Matth. 15.7 8 9. Ye Hypocrites well did Esaias prophesy of you saying This People draweth nigh unto me with their Mouths and honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me But in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. The Reproof must be insinuated as the Matter requireth either by Exhortation Admonition or Caution 3. The End not to shame him but to gain him from Sin to his Duty If the Man be good to set him in joint again Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a Man be overtaken in a Fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the Spirit of Meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted If carnal to take this Occasion to turn him from Sin to Holiness or to save his Soul from Death Iam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do err from the Truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the Sinner from the Error of his way shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a Multitude of Sins IV. Let us see when this Duty bindeth or bindeth not For it being an Affirmative Precept it doth not bind at all times but as circumstantiated Affirmative Precepts non ligant ad semper do not always bind as negative Precepts do for evil Actions are never lawful Affirmative Precepts bind only when Time and Place and other Circumstances concur and then the Omission is faulty The Question then is At what times and in what Circumstances this Duty bindeth 1. It bindeth not if I do not certainly or probably know the Sin of my Neighbour For Reproof by way of Charge must be upon an apparent Crime as Gal. 2.11 But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the Face because he was to be blamed 1 Cor. 5.1 It is reported commonly that there is Fornication among you and such Fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his Father's VVife 1 Cor. 1.11 For it hath been declared unto me of you my Brethren by them which are of the House of Cloe that there are Contentions among you Mark the Grounds he goeth upon certain Knowledg publick Fame and valuable Testimony It is commonly reported And it is declared by the House of Cloe. Faults that we reprove must be certainly known and evident we may not reprove upon bare
knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome 2 Pet. 2.20 Vse 2. Is Exhortation to press you 1. To seek after Honour Glory and Immortality O this is the best Pursuit you can engage in What is better for you Can the World or the Devil propound any thing so good or better than this glorious Estate Are the dreggy Contentments of the Flesh the Vain-glory and Honour of the World the uncertain Riches we enjoy here worthy to come in competition with Eternal Life Surely in matter of Motive a Christian hath the Advantage however a carnal Man hath the Advantage in matter of Principle because in him it is wholly intire and unbroken 2. To Well-doing Surely you should not need many Arguments to press you to do well rather to press you to do ill should be the more difficult Task it is so contrary to our Reason and the right Constitution of our Natures but that we are strangely depraved O Christians what do we invite you to but to love God above all and seek his Favour in Christ and love your Neighbour as your self and by Temperance Purity and Chastity to preserve your own Vessels both Bodies and Souls in Sanctification and Honour Surely these Duties are not Gifts but Ornaments and such Subjection to God should be preferred before Liberty in Sinning 3. To continue with Patience I will press you to this by two Arguments 1. There will be always the same reason for going on that there was for beginning at first Did the Sense of your Duty invite you The same Bond of Duty lieth upon you still Did the Hopes of the World to come engage you Heaven is not yet obtained And will you lose all the Coâ—t you have been at already Gal. 3.4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain 2. There can be no Temptation great enough to recompense you for the loss of your Reward of Eternal Life Is it Reproach When Men despise God will honour thee and it is a blessed thing to be reviled for Righteousness sake Is it worldly Loss Better lose the World than lose our Souls Mat. 16.26 What will it profit a Man if he should gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Is Life in danger Losing Life for Christ is the way to save it And Iohn 11.25 Though he were dead yet shall he live Is it the continual reviving of Troubles In the other World there is nothing to assault thy Perseverance there thou art out of the Gun-shot of Temptations and shalt serve God without defect or difficulty there our Service is not troublesom to us A SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS XIII 14 The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen MY Purpose is to open the Apostolical Benediction or Prayer for the Corinthians for our way of Blessing is only to pray for those whom we bless To love others is to desire their Good They that love best and most desire the best Good for their Friends and better Good there cannot be desired than that those we love may have God for their God Now they that have God for their God have all that is in God and all that is God God the Father Son and Holy Ghost will imploy all his Wisdom Power and Goodness to save them from all Evil and bring them to eternal Blessedness This is that which is prayed for in this place The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen In the Words we have The Thing prayed for together with the Persons from whom Or rather 1. The Matter of the Blessedness wished The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the Love of God the Communion of the Holy Ghost 2. The effectual Application to the Corinthians Be with you 3. The Confirmation of these Hopes and Desires in the word Amen 1. The Matter of the Blessing It consists of three Branches suted to the Persons of the Godhead 1st The Grace of Christ. 2dly The Love of God 3dly The Communion of the Holy Ghost 2. The effectual Application Be with you These things are with us or in us two ways 1. In the Effects 2. In the Sense 1. In the Effects when we have the Fruits of the Father's Love and Christ's Grace and the Spirit 's Operation That the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them John 17.26 2. In the Sense and Feeling when we comfortably know it is thus with us Ioh. 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him Rom. 5.5 Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us 3. The Confirmation of these Desires and Hopes in the word Amen which is Signaculum Fidei an Expression of Faith and Votum Desiderii an Eruption of our Desire and Love Doct. That all the Persons of the Blessed Trinity do concur to the Happiness and Salvation of Believers Here let me shew you I. How they do concur II. Why they do concur I. How they do concur Let us explain the Text. 1. Here are all the Persons of the Godhead mentioned God is taken personally for the Father and then Jesus Christ and the Spirit are distinctly mentioned So in other Scriptures 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the fore-knowledg of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Iesus Christ. The fundamental Cause of Salvation is the Election of God who when he had all fallen Mankind in his Prospect and View was pleased to choose out some to Grace and Glory passing by others Then there is Reconciliation ascribed to Jesus Christ and Sanctification to the Spirit as the Means by which this Purpose is brought about The Beginning is from God the Father the Dispensation is by Jesus Christ and the Application is through the Holy Ghost So also Titus 3.4 5 6. But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour God the Father out of Love sent a Saviour by whose Grace we are saved and God the Son from God the Father sent God the Holy Ghost who applieth the Love of God and the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ by renewing and healing our Natures So 2 Thess. 2.13 14. But we are bound to give Thanks always to God for you Brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord
Iesus Christ. Where the three Persons are again mentioned and their Concurrence to our Salvation 2. That Words proper to their personal Operation are used for there is Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost The Father is represented as the Fountain of Love and all Goodness and as expressing and exerting his Love by the Son and Spirit By the Grace of Christ is meant all that gracious Provision which he hath made for Man's Salvation both in the reconciling God to us and procuring the Mission of the Spirit Communion is ascribed to the Spirit because all is applied or communicated to us by him Or thus our Salvation is ascribed in Election to the Love of the Father in Redemption to the Grace of the Son in Sanctification to the Communion or Participation of the Holy Ghost 1st The Love of God Love is ascribed to the Father for the Love of God is the Cause of all consider his giving Christ for us or giving Christ to us and us to him 1. In giving Christ for us Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life Christ did not merit electing Love but Love rather moved God to give Christ for Sinners Love appointed the Son to be our Redeemer there was the Bosom and Bottom-Cause 2. In giving Christ to us Iohn 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 17.6 I have manifested thy Name unto the Men which thou gavest me out of the World thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy Word And in time he doth execute and accomplish this out of his meer Love Ier. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared to me of old saying Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with Loving-kindness have I drawn thee As by Elective Love the Heirs of Salvation were distinguished from others in God himself or in his Intention and Purpose so by Regeneration and converting Love they are distinguished from others in themselves and set apart from the rest of the World to be the Objects of his special Love and Instruments of his Glory Besides there is a Love of God whereby he loveth us when we are in Christ Jesus which is the Ground of our Safety and Preservation Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 2dly The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. What is intended us by the Father is brought about by the Grace of the Redeemer and therefore all the Provision Christ had made for our Salvation is called Grace 2 Cor. 8.9 For ye know the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his Poverty might be rich That is ye know his gracious Condescension in submitting to such a mean Condition for our sakes So 1 Cor. 16.23 The Grace of Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Grace is God's Favour and Love which was first purchased by Christ by his Obedience and bloody Sufferings Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Secondly applied by his Intercession which is also another Act of his Grace and therefore we come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help us in time of need Heb. 4.16 Namely having a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God ver 14. who knoweth our Infirmities Thirdly As it is bestowed by him as Lord of the New Creation upon such Terms as every way keep up the Honour and Interest of Grace in our Salvation Ephes. 2.8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God All the saving Benefits we have by Christ are from Grace such as Reconciliation with God the Renovation of our Natures and everlasting Glory and Happiness they are all dispensed in a gracious way from first to last 3dly The Communion of the Holy Ghost Communion is ascribed to the Holy Ghost It may be rendred Communion or Communication The Spirit reneweth and changeth our Nature and worketh Faith and Holiness in us Light Life and Love are the special Benefits which he communicates to us He doth enlighten our Minds to understand and believe the great things prepared for us by God through Jesus Christ. It is said 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God So Ephes. 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledg of him the Eyes of your Vnderstanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Life for we live in the Spirit and are born of the Spirit that is have a new Life begotten in us therefore called a Spirit of Life before we lived as Men now as Christians And Love the Heart is bent and inclined to God It began in Love and endeth in Love Love of God endeth in Love to God This threefold Effect is expressed 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Power of Love and a sound Mind Life in Power as Light in a sound Mind And it is all together called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature For it answereth to the Wisdom Power and Goodness of God 3. That all these Words imply Riches of Goodness Bounty and Liberality Love noteth a ready Inclination to do Good to others without the Excitement of external Motives it openeth and inlargeth the Heart to another and then the Hand cannot be shut 2 Cor. 6.11 O ye Corinthians our Mouth is open unto you our Heart is enlarged Grace is some good thing freely given So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion noteth a liberal Effusion or Distribution of the Graces of God's sanctifying Spirit and so it suteth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Love of God and the Grace of Christ Elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Communion of the Spirit is joined with Bowels and Mercies Phil. 2.1 If any Fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies that is if you have received any Good from Christ by the Spirit So Rom. 15.26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain Contribution for
In some Sence it is our Duty to consider them that we may not go about the most serious Work hand over head Christ bids us sit down and count the Charges Luke 14.28 For which of you intending to build a lower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it The Saints are wont to put hard cases to themselves Psal. 3.6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about And Psal. 23.4 Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil 2. Therefore the Ends must be observed We must consider them to prevent Slightness and to weaken our Security but not to weaken our Confidence in the Promise When they are urged against the Promise they impeach the Truth of God but when we consider them to prevent Slightness it is good The Difficulties of Salvation must be sufficiently understood oâ—herwise we think to do the Work of an Age in a Breath Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Josh. 24.19 And Ioshuâ— said unto the People Ye â—annot serve the Lord for he be is a holy God It is not so easie a Matter as you take it to be 3. Difficulties must be thought on to quicken Faith not to weaken it If they be pleaded against the Promise they weaken Faith if they be pleaded to drive us to the Promise they quicken Faith What greater Arguments are there to press us to dependance than to consider our Impotency the loosness of our Hearts and the strength of Temptations 2 Chron. 20.12 For we have no might against this great Company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are unto thee But to plead against the Promise is to Consult with the Wisdom of the Flesh and it hath ever fared ill with the Saints Luk. 1.18 And Zacharias said unto the Angel Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my Wife well stricken in years Therefore for a while he was struck dumb So Moses Numb 20.12 Hear now ye Rebels must â—e fetch you water out of the Rock God had bidden him smite the Rock and assured him the Water should flow but he pleadeth the natural Impossibility therefore he was shut out of Canaan So that Noble Man 2 Kings 7.2 Then a Lord on whose hand the King leaned answered the Man of God and said Behold if the Lord would make Windows in Heaven might this thing be And he said Behold thou shalt see it with thine Eyes but shalt not eat thereof But he that will not believe the Truth of a Promise shall not partake of the Benefit of it Well then as Abraham regarded not the great Difficulties that might be pleaded to his Faith from his own and his Wife's Age so must not we Secondly I shall shew you the Inconveniences of this sinful considering the Difficulties in all the parts of Faith Assent Consent and Affiance 1. As to Assent There are many Difficulties which may be objected against the Truths propounded in the Word but it is enough to a Believer that God hath revealed them in his Word and propounded them to his Faith Reason is apt to reply as Nicodemus when Christ spake to him of Regeneration Iohn 3.9 How can these things be Carnal Reason keepeth Men from simple believing or resting on what is revealed till they see a Reason for every thing Now we see a Reason why we do believe and that is the Word of God or Divine Revelation though we do not see a Reason of every thing which we do believe for many things are Mysteries In such cases we must receive Truths as we do Pills not chew but swallow them take them upon the Credit of the Revealer To chew produceth a loathsom Ejection to swallow a wholsom Remedy Believing in the common Notion of it is a receiving of Truths upon Trust from another so it differeth from knowing And Divine Faith is a receiving such things as God hath revealed because he hath revealed them Therefore our first Enquiry is Whether these things be so or no Not how they can be so There we begin at the wrong end In many Cases constat de re the thing is evident in Scripture whereby it is revealed but how it can be is beyound our reach the Modus is not certain Now when we should believe we dispute and so cavil rather than enquire If it be not plainly revealed by God you may reject it without Sin and Danger but if it be you must not contradict all that you cannot comprehend otherwise dangerous Mischiefs will ensue The True God will be no God to you because you cannot comprehend the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Divine Essence Christ will be no Christ because you cannot comprehend how a Virgin should conceive or how a God should become Man It is sufficient that it is revealed in Scripture which carrieth it's own Evidence in it's Forehead shining by it's own Light hath the Seal and Stamp of God upon it and moreover is confirmed by Miracles and handed and brought down to us by the Universal Tradition of the Church through the Successions of all Ages in whose Experience God hath blessed it to the converting comforting and sanctifying of many Souls In short to see a thing in it's Evidence is not to believe but to receive it on the Credit of the Testifyer If you will not credit it unless the thing be evident in it's self without his Word you do not believe Christ but your own Reason and instead of being thankful for the Revelation you quarrel with his Truth because it is in some things above your Capacity You should be satisfied with the bare Word of God and captivate your Understandings to the Obedience of it 2. As to Consent and Acceptance There are many things may be objected against entring into Covenant with Christ as our Unworthiness the fickleness and loosness of our Hearts how unable we are to keep Covenant with him but these things must not be alledged against our Duty and the free offers of the Lord's Grace 1. Our great Unworthiness This is one Reason why the instance of Abraham is produced by Paul as a pattern of Faith to the Gentiles As Abraham considered not his Natural Incapacity to have Children so they not their unworthiness to be Adopted into God's Covenant The Gentiles were not a People unto God but were over-looked in the Dispensations of his Grace but Hosea 2.23 I will have Mercy upon her that had not obtained Mercy and I will say unto them that were not my People Thou art my People and they shall say Thou art my God Our condition is not so desperate that the Mercy of the New Covenant cannot reach us and recover us So for particular Christians they exclude and repell
Comfort because they are so vile and unworthy and such Sinners If you be such a Sinner the more need of a Saviour You would laugh at him that would argue thus I am too Cold to go to the Fire too Sick to send for the Physician too Poor to take Alms too Filthy to go to the Water to be Washed You must not consider what you have been but what you would be Christ doth not Invite us because we are Holy but that we may be Holy The Objection were of weight if we did only advise you to be eased of your smart but not to be rid of your burden if this Consent were only a Claim of Priviledges and not an Obligation to Duties or a submission to Christ's Healing Methods Celsus objected against Christianity that it was a Sanctuary for naughty Persons and Men of a Licentious Life Origen answereth him That it was not a Sanctuary to shelter them only but an Hospital to cure them It is not the Worthy are Invited â—ut the Thirsty and the Needy you are unworthy to the very last but are you hungry You are unworthy to receive Christ but God is worthy to be oâ—â—yed it is not a matter of Priviledge only but Duty 2. Your Hearts are so loose and changeable you are afraid to bind your selves to God The truth is this consent implyeth a delivery over of your selves to Christ to seek Happiness in the way that he hath appointed it is the first Egress of the Soul towards the Execution of the Duty of a Christian our entry into the practice of the Holy Life and an entry withall into a resolved War with the Devil the World and the Flesh who will resist us herein and you must consider difficulties so as to fortifie your Resolution Matth. 16.24 If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me He will surprize no Man Matth. 20.22 Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I drink of and to be baptized with the Baptism that I am Baptized with And not to consider is to discourage your Consent Obj. You will say You cannot do it by your own Strength and you are uncertain of God's Assistance Answ. Do not foretell the Event but charge your selves with your Duty It is your Duty to engage your Hearts to God tho' you cannot lay Wagers upon your own Strength You must resolve but continually depend upon Christ for the performing of your Resolutions He will maintain you in your way to Heaven 2 Tim. 1.12 For I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day In a sense of your own Insufficiency and Deceitfulness of Heart you must still relye upon his Grace and Spirit who hath made many Promises to support and to keep you by his Power through Faith unto Salvation 3. For Affiance in the great Promise of the Gospel or offer of Pardon and Life by Christ. There seemeth to be an impossibility to Sense and Reason from first to last If the 〈◊〉 of Salvation were sufficiently understood we should see from the beginning to the end from the first step to its last Period in everlasting Glory it is the meer Grace and Power of God that carrieth it on in despite of Men and Devils and therefore it is said Eph. 1.19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us word who believe according to the working of his mighty power As for instance the reconciling of a guilty Soul to God Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we had oâ—r Conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nâ—â—ure Children of Wrath even as others The changing of a naughty and obstinate Heart Ier. 17.9 The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it And the giving us an Holy Nature and Life Iob 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean nâ—t one Or to quicken us that were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 You also hath be quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins To strengthen a feeble and weak Creature 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God That things meet with so much opposition by the way Eph. 6.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high places What can maintain us in the midst of so many Temptations We at length dye and rot in the Grave as others do now the rising of our Bodies after it is eaten by Worms and turned to Dust is a thing incredible and to Flesh and Blood wholly impossible 't is wholly within the reach of God's Power Now since we have ground to hope for all this from the Word of God even to Pardon our many sins Isa. 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon To change this sinful Nature that we may become an holy People to God Titus 3.5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saveth us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost To overcome our Obstinacy perverseness in evil fickleness in good To maintain Grace in the midst of Temptations Iude 24. To him that is able to keep you from falling And finally to raise us up out of the Grace We must not consider and plead the difficulties to damp Faith but to quicken it going on with our Duty and wait for his Salvation III. He staggered not at the Promise through Vnbelief Strong Faith is so satisfied with God's Promise that it leaveth no place for considerable doubtings as Abraham here admitted no doubts or questionings touching the Promise of God but without disputing or arguing to the contrary depended fully upon the Lord being perswaded he could do what he had promised There are two Reasons hereof The Immutability of his Nature Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong Consolation And his Tenderness of his Word Psal. 138.2 For thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name Both these breed this assured Perswasion of God's Faithfulness and Stedfastness and make his Promise the great Prop and Support of Faith Now this staggering or not staggering at the Promise and so the Weakness and Strength of our Faith may referr to three Acts or Parts of Faith 1. A strong Assent or clear sight of the Evidence of the Truth If we have the Word and Promise of God we should believe any thing as surely as if we had the greatest Evidence in the World
Reverend Thoughts that by a deliberate gaze you may raise your Souls into an Holy Wonder and Amiration 1. I shall lay down some preparative Considerations 2. I shall come to the work it self I. To prepare you To consecrate your thoughts for the entertainment of so great a Mystery consider these things 1. When you have done your utmost your thoughts will still fall short Isa. 40.28 There is no searching of his understanding There is an excess in every Attribute above all Humane Thought and Conceit and though we follow on after God yet we cannot find him out to perfection Now among all his Attributes none is more hidden from us than his Wisdom as Children that are only busied in puppets and bawbles cannot imagin what it is to govern a Common-wealth Power is obvious but our foolish Spirits cannot trace the Wisdom of Providence much more his Wisdom discovered in the Gospel One of the Names of Christ is Wonderful Isa. 9.6 It is a point that we should alwayes be studying and yet we can never come to the bottom of it and therefore what is wanting in Thoughts must be supplyed by wonder When we have done all we must cry out Rom. 11.23 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out As if he had said I have done as much as I can I have discovered as much as I am able but I must leave off disputing and fall now to wondring The Light of the Scripture doth not discover him fully 1 Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophesie in part Full Knowledge is our Portion in Heaven these are but partial Discoveries we have even in the Word of God However this is no excuse for Negligence and Barrenness Not for Negligence for we must follow on to know the Lord Hosea 6.3 It is the fault of Christians that they keep alwayes to their Milk and first childish Thoughts and Apprehensions we should rise higher in our Considerations and Admirations of the Love and Wisdom of God It is notable that Moses his first request to God was What is thy name Exod. 3.13 and then I beseech thee shew me thy glory Exod. 33.18 we must follow on from considering Gods Name to clearer sights of his Glory Not for Barrenness Empty Thoughts void of Argument and Discourse beget a confused Stupor not a Wonder the Thoughts are only stayed not raised 2. Not only Men but Angels themselves are at a loss in this great Mystery they study it as well as we and cannot come to the bottom of it 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to bow down and bend the Body it is an allusion to the Cherubims that were pictured over the Ark stooping and as it were bending their Bodies as prying into the Mysteries of the Ark. The Mysteries of the Gospel are so sublime that the Angels which do continually behold the face of God cannot perfectly comprehend them they are learning and improving their knowledge by learning and improving the dispensations of God to the Church Ephes. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God that they may know the curious contrivances of Gods Wisdom by observing the Revelations that are made and the Dispensations God hath used towards his Church And possibly this may be the meaning of the Apostle in that expression 1 Tim. 3.16 Seen of Angels that is with Reverence Admiration and wonder to see Christ stoop so low to be cloathed with Flesh to condescend to a Nature so much beneath their own This is the work of Angels either they desire to know more of Christ or they delight themselves in beholding of that they know Oh we should never be weary of searching into these Holy Mysteries and acting our thoughts upon them 3. They wonder most at the contrivance of the Gospel that have most Interest in it to others it is but a cold Story or naked Plot. Concernment sharpneth Invention and Affection a Man doth then more seriously consider of it their Eyes are open and they have more of sense and feeling And that is the Reason why the injoyments of the Saints have notes of wonder annexed to the expressions of them as Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding c. 1 Pet. 1.8 Ioy unspeakable and fall of glory they that have a taste of it know what it is to enjoy a calm and serene Conscience through the application of the Promises of the Gospel They can best wonder at the contrivance of the Gospel who are called out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 They wonder in their thoughts that God and Christ should design their Heaven be plotting and contriving their Salvation before all Worlds how they may be Vessels â—â—lled up with Glory Oh marvellous Light wonderful unutterable Joy These are the apprehensions of Gods Children others may look upon the Gospel as a probable Truth but they have found it a comfortable Truth therefore their hearts are raised in wonder II. I come to the Work it self You may manage it three wayes 1. By Observations 2. By Arguments 3. By Comparisons 1. By Observations Observe what is Beautiful and Excellent in the Gospel 1. God did not contrive to save the fallen Angels Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham He was not made an Angel for Angels as he was made a Man for Men. Oh Lord Thou sawest Angels sinning but not returning in them thou didst discover the severity of thy Justice but in us the riches of thy Mercy God would not so much as treat with a fallen Man Angel but plotted a way to recover In the Election of Angels Mercy is not so much glorified as in the Election and Calling of Men there was Grace showed in the Election of Angels but not Mercy none of the fallen Angels were saved but fallen Man is called to Grace in Christ. Certainly whatever the causes were there was much of Wisdom and Mercy in it Whether it be for this cause that when Adam sinned the whole Humane Nature fell but the whole Angelical Nature did not fall but only a part of it the kind it self needed not to be repaired but all the Mass of Mankind was poysoned Or whether this be the cause meerly the Will of God certainly there is much of Mercy in it Love after a breach is more glorious it is more to be reconciled than to be confirmed Poenitens the Penitent have more cause to glorifie God then Innocens the Innocent those that are received to Mercy than those that are confirmed by Grace Or else was this the cause Because the Angels sinned out of their own Motion Angels had no other Gemptation but their own
Ambition and Aspiring thought but Man sinned by the Devils suggestion certainly it is more to be a Tempter than a Sinner and he that sinneth himself doth not offend God himself so much as he that made Israel to Sin However it be we have cause to bless God that he hath revealed his Justice against them and his Mercy to us 2. Observe Gods Wisdom fetched a large compass and circuit and those things which we count the ruine of Man were through the Wisdom of Providence his Preservation The fall of Angels the fall of Man those crooked things which seemed to be the destruction of the Creature through the over-ruling of God made for the manifestation of his Glory Gregory called the Sin of Adam Foelix Scelus because it occasioned the coming of Christ. Providence hath many creeks and turnings but all concur to the Beauty of the whole Frame The Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manifold wisdom of God Ephes. 3.10 Therefore we are not to judge by present Sense Gods mending is better than his making he would have all fall to pieces to discover more of his Mercy Man must commit a shameful Act and Christ must suffer a shameful Death and all this to advance his own Glory As a Vessel that is crackt and sodered is the stronger there or a Legg that has been broken and set again by a skilful hand is the stronger so the Lord would first have Man to fall and ruine himself that he might be the better established by his own Grace 3. Observe again that God should pitch upon this way of sending his Son God was not limited or bound up he could have done it by an Angel or of his own will have released the Creature of his offence but it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 it was Gods Will that Salvation should be brought about this way In the whole business of Salvation God would proceed by choice not necessity I confess supposing the determination of the Divine Decrees no Creature was qualified to do us good the Angels do but their work they could not so fitly super-erogate for us But if God would send his own Son he might have come as a King in Glory and Triumph and wrestled with Satan and rescued all the Elect out of his hands but the Lord would not now discover Power but Love he had discovered Power in Creation Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead but in Redemption he discovered his Wisdom every Attribute of God was to be discovered in its season Again the Lord would meet with the Sin of Men and Angels The Angels had lost their Holyness out of a desire of greatness they would be over all and under none And Man was sick of the same Disease and did desire to be rather great than good Adam would be as God Adam fell by Pride and to counter-work this Christ was to restore Mankind by Humility When he cometh to save Mankind he layes aside his Majesty and puts on a humble garb he would not save Mankind by Power but by Suffering the Lords design was by the quality of the Remedy to shew the Nature of the Disease 4. Observe Man or Angel could not have found out such an excellent Plot or Design as this is It could not have come into our heads or hearts and therefore it came meerly from the Breast of God it was devised by Father Son and Holy Ghost Rom. 11.34 Who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his counsellor What Creature did prescribe to God or direct him to such a way The Apostle sheweth it could not enter into the Creatures thoughts 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him You will find by the Context he speaks of the Doctrine and Contrivance of Christ crucified neither Sense nor Fancy nor Reason could suggest such a thing to the Creature There are some seeds of the Law in Nature but not the least seeds of the Gospel We see in other Nations they cannot so much as think of a way of a Recovery Isa. 56.19 He saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no Intercessor therefore his arm brought salvation unto him it is chiefly understood of the Everlasting Salvation by Christ. If the Lord had tarryed till Man had devised a way for his own Comfort we had been miserable to all Eternity 5. Observe God discovered this design before it was accomplished in the fullness of time Isa. 42.9 Before they spring forth I tell you of them This Love was too big to be contained in his Heart but he must open his Mind the Prophecies and Promises of the Old Testament were the Eruptions and Overflows of Gods Love his Heart was so full of Love that it could not be contained within the bounds of secrecy he openeth his Heart and gives vent to his Love in the midst of Anger Assoon as Man had displeased him God drops out the Promise That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents Head 6. Observe again God discovered this by Degrees first in Types then in Truths first in Promises then in Performances God spake to his People formerly not so much by Words as by Things We teach Children to fight with Puppets and in the Oriental Nations it is their genius to be taken with Allegories and Figures God would prepare the World by degrees as the day groweth till it cometh to high Noon to us he hath opened all his good Treasure And further it was for our instruction that wickedness should be perfectly discovered And besides the former Ages needed Restraints more than Comforts Every Age had sufficient Revelation for what God required of them 2. Follow this Meditation by Arguments There could not have been a better way to save the Creature whether we respect Gods Glory or the Creatures Comfort and Profit 1. If we consider Gods Glory It was the best way to commend his Love Rom. 5.8 But God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Herein was the commendation of the Divine Love that God would give up the Son of his own Love and Bosom to dy for us that were Sinners As the Apostle saith Heb. 6.13 When God made promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself So when the Lord could give us no greater gifts he gave us his Son David seems to be amazed with wonder when he considers the Power of God in making such Creatures as the Moon and Stars much more when he considers the Love of God in framing of Man Psal. 8.3 4. When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which