and Comfort and Mercy and lead men to Heaven in a mild and meek and gentle way To this I Reply What would you have us apply a Plaister where there is no sore Would you have us apply a Cordial where they are not sick Would you have us pour in the Oil where there is no wound God himself pours not in the Oil of Mercy but into a broken Vessel Isa 61.1 The Lord knows we delight not in preaching any terrible Doctrines to you if you were but fitted for mercy but if you are not fitted for Mercy then as the pricking Needle makes way for the sewing of the Cloth together so this kind of Preaching convincing and humbling the Sinner makes way for the bringing of Christ and the Soul together and therefore you may well bear with it A second Instruction that we may learn from hence is this It serves to let us see what the reason is that there are so few Believers so few converted and convinced O Ministers cannot speak of this scarce without watery eyes Truly heretofore three thousand were converted at one Sermon but now there is scarce one that is converted with three thousand Sermons O whence is it that the work of Conversion is almost at an end in England in London It is rare to hear of a Soul converted we hear of many that are perverted that are led into by-paths of Error and Heresie and Blasphemy and Schism but it is a rare matter to hear of one converted they are but few that see the need they have of Christ that prize him that believe in him that obey him that constantly cleave to him but most men are very well contented to be in a natural condition they are secure and quiet without Christ but what is the Reason Because they do not see the need they have of Christ for if they did but see the need they have of him they would say They may better want light than want Jesus Christ who is the Light and by whom they may have the Light of Life John 8.12 They may better want Bread for their bodies than the Lord Jesus Christ who is the bread and spiritual food of the Soul I am the Bread of Life John 6. If they did but see the need they have of him doubtless they would close with him but why do not they see the need that they have of him The Reason is Because they are not humbled they were never yet stricken with the sense of sin they never yet saw the inside of themselves they never with the Jaylor in the Text were afrighted amazed stricken down in the sense of sin Oh this is the misery of all miseries which Ministers have most cause to complain of that men are not fitted enough for Jesus Christ they are not lost enough in themselves for a Saviour Hos 14.3 With thee the fatherless find mercy Were we more hopeless helpless and fatherless we should find more mercy from the hand of Jesus Christ O that God would awaken and shake some sin-sleeping Soul this day Oh that this Doctrine thus opened might be as a Thunderbolt to let some of you see the inside of your selves O poor Sinner thou hast an insupportable burden of sin and guilt lying on thy Soul ready to press thee down to Hell and yet thou feelest it not thou hast the wrath of God hanging over thy head by the twined thred of a short life which it may be thou mayst not be free from one year nay perhaps not one month but thou seest it not if thou didst but see it then thou wouldst cry out as he did in Bosworth field A Horse a Horse a Kingdom for a Horse so thou wouldst cry out None but Christ nothing but Christ ten thousand Worlds for Christ The second Use of Exhortation And I have but two Exhortations to tender to you First I beseech you and exhort you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ whose poor Messenger I am that you would labour to be convinced of the necessity of humiliation believe it be perswaded of it be convinced of it that thou must be broken if ever thou wouldst have Jesus Christ to bind thee up thou must be sick of sin if ever thou wouldst have Jesus Christ to heal thee thou must be dejected and cast down if ever thou wouldst have Jesus Christ to comfort thee if God therefore do not open thine eyes and awaken thy Conscience and touch thy heart I do pronounce against thee that there is no Christ no Heaven no Pardon no Peace no Comfort no Salvation for thee Oh the miserable deplorable condition of all you that were never yet humbled you that never yet were convinced of sin you that never tasted the bitterness of sin you that never felt the burden of sin that never yet complained with the Apostle Rom. 7 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Some derive the word from a man that is troubled with the stone in the bladder O wretched man that I am O miserable is the condition that you are in you that never yet felt sin to be sin that have not felt the burden of it nor tasted the bitterness of it you are not fit to come to Jesus Christ you are out of his Commission for he is sent to the humble and broken hearted Sinner Isa 61. It may be thou knowest what sin is and Christ is and Grace is notionally but there is a great deal of difference between knowing and inward feeling wretched was thy condition if thou didst but feel it but a thousand times more wretched it is because thou feelest it not My second Exhortation to you is this If so be sound humiliation be a necessary Antecedent to Faith and Salvation then use the utmost of your endeavours that you may be humbled broken and bruised Sinners that you may be put into a capacity to close with a Saviour Now because I know this is but a harsh Exhortation give me leave to sweeten it with these three Considerations First Remember that the promises of Grace and Mercy are made to all humbled Sinners Levit. 26.41 If then their uncircumcised hearts shall be humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquities then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land Secondly Consider God never looks with so much mercy and compassion on any as those that are most humbled Jer. 31.18 20 When Ephraim bemoaned himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke I have been proud and stout and stubborn under all thy Rods Turn thou me and I shall be turned Surely after I was turned I repented after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded Now in the 20 verse you have God bemoaning Ephraim Is Ephraim my dear
in thy name Thus if you follow this Shepherd hear and obey him then all the sweetness and marrow of this Doctrine belongs to you The Lord write these things upon our hearts and draw us nearer and nearer to him that we may say he feeds us and cloaths us and gives us eternal life So much for the first point of Doctrine drawn from the first part of that Christs Relation to his People CHRIST'S PROVISION FOR MANS DIRECTION Isaiah XL. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young 2. Doct. JEsus Christ in his carriage to his People hath a tender respect to their infirmities For the proof of this Point I shall give you but one place of Scripture and it is so full that I shall need no more Ezek. 34.19 It is spoken of our blessed Saviour says our Saviour I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick There are four sorts of Persons mentioned there that have a great deal of need of Christs care and compassion and of his tender indulgence towards them First Some there are that are lost Sheep not finally or totally lost but lost in their own apprehension in their own sense and feeling as David complains in Psalm 119.176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep Now these our Blessed Saviour will seek he will recover them by his Word and Spirit though in their own apprehensions they think themselves lost dead damned and undone yet notwithstanding he will seek them and bring them into his Fold again Secondly Others there are that are driven away and that is a further degree of Misery Satan hath not only gotten them out of the Fold but when they are got out they wander more and more they are driven more and more from Jesus Christ by Satans subtilty and his temptations Now says our Saviour those which are driven away I will bring them again Thirdly Some are in a further degree of Misery they are broken broken with discouragements they are ready to say There is no hope no mercy belongs to such sinners as they are and these are in a worse condition than the former for a sheep may be lost and driven from the Fold but if that be all he may return but if the sheep have broken a Leg though he hear the voice of the Shepherd he cannot help himself his Leg is broken and he cannot come at the call of the Shepherd So some are so broken with discouragements that though they hear the voice of Christ they are ready to say No mercy belongs to us Now says Christ these will I bind up again and restore that Comfort that will quiet their hearts and speak peace to them Fourthly Others are sick and that is yet a further degree of misery when a poor sheep doth not only wander and is driven away and hath a broken leg discouraged with temptations but hath some kind of sickness of spirit seized on him so that he saith his soul abhors all manner of meat as David describes a man in such a condition says he his soul abhors all manner of meat and they are brought to the very gates of death Psalm 107 18. This is the saddest condition of all but says Christ these are such that I will strengthen If you would know the reason why Christ hath such a tender respect to his Peoples infirmities I will give you these Three The First is drawn from that gracious Disposition that is in him He is a Saviour of a very meek mild tender and compassionate heart this appears by those Names and Titles that sets forth the sweetness of our Saviours disposition in Scripture he compares himself to a Father to a Physician to a Husband To a Father Heb. 2.13 it is the speech of Christ Behold I and the Children which God hath given me And again he compares him to a Physician Matth. 9.12 But when Jesus heard that he said unto them They that be whole need not a Physician but they that be sick So likewise to a Husband Isa 54.5 For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name Now of whom should Children expect pity and compassion but of their Father as a Father pitieth his own Children so is the Lord merciful to them that fear him Psalm 103.13 And of whom should a Patient expect help but of the Physician And of whom should a Wife expect pity but of her Husband band who knows how to give the Wife the honour of a mild Usage because he knows she is the weaker Vessel All these Relations of a Father a Physician a Husband and of a Shepherd they are most eminently in the Lord Jesus Christ That is one reason Secondly He hath a tender respect to our infirmities because he is a Merciful High-Priest toucht with the sense of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 For we have not a high Priest which cannot be toucht with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Heb. 2.18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted As God speaks to the Jews Exod. 23.9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger for ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt So the Lord Christ he knows the hearts of poor tempted broken bruised souls because he himself was tempted A Father you know because he is acquainted with the distempers of his Child more than a stranger is pities his Child more than a stranger doth So the Lord Christ he knows our frame he considers our temper Psalm 103.13 24 therefore he pities us more than strangers do that do not know our tempers he considers we are but dust and as the wind that passeth away therefore he suffers not his whole displeasure to fall upon us Psal 78.38 39. That 's the second reason he pities us and hath a tender respect to our infirmities because he is a merciful High Priest toucht with the sense of our infirmities Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ hath a tender respect to the infirmities of his people because he loves and likes and means to cherish the beginings of grace in any one of his poor children he loves grace and he likes it and cherisheth it he looks more at the good in us which he means to cherish than at the bad in us which he means to abolish the Lord Christ looks at the very buddings and blossoms of grace in the soul those beginnings of grace are precious unto him therefore he says of a little grace as a man says of a tree that has but one cluster upon it Do not cut the tree it hath a blessing in it Isa 65.8 The Lord Christ will not destroy a cluster
I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me In a word They know that Jesus Christ is their Rock their Refuge their Redeemer their Peace their Portion their All and therefore they see the infinite need they have of him and that without him they are nothing they can do nothing they are worse than nothing therefore they prize him Here is one Reason why Jesus Christ is so precious to true Believers because they see the infinite need they have of him Secondly Jesus Christ is thus precious to true Believers because they see an invaluable and unconceivable beauty in him It is true indeed to Unbelievers Jesus Christ hath no beauty in him that they should desire him as it is Isa 53.2 For be shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him A carnal earthly minded man he says concerning Christ as they did in the place before named Cant. 5.9 What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved What is there of so much beauty in Christ that we should either eye him observe him prize him or seek him or look after him Acts 4.11 This is the Stone which was set at nought by you builders Jesus Christ is as a thing of nothing in an Unbelievers eye such a one makes no more reckoning of him with reverence be it spoken than the dirt under foot Whereas Faith you must know hath an Eagles eye it can see things afar off it sees a great deal of beauty in the Lord Jesus Christ though in respect of any of these outward accommodations there is no beauty at all in him yet discerning things with a Spiritual eye a Believer sees Christ afar off as it is said of Abraham John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad There was an eye of Faith in Abraham He saw my day and rejoyced Hence it is that believing in Christ is sometimes expressed by this Phrase of seeing Christ Act. 22.14 Ananias speaking to Paul said The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will and see that just one and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth See him that is that thou shouldst believe in him Faith therefore sees Christ sees him afar off sees him though cloathed with our flesh with our infirmities Faith looks upon Jesus Christ and does see him evidently crucified as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you Nay Faith sees a great deal of beauty in his sufferings how much more in his glory for Example Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt Heb. 11.26 Why for he had respect unto the recompence of reward he had the quick-sighted eye of Faith You read in Mark 2 when the Wise men came from the East to Jerusalem to enquire after him that was born King of the Jews that is after Jesus Christ when they came to enquire of him they first came to Jerusalem and they saw Herod it may be arrayed in all his glorious Robes but we do not read that they fell down and worshipped Herod then they came to Bethlehem where they saw the Babe Jesus wrapt in Swadling-cloaths in a poor Garb it may be little better than rags yet they fall down and worship him Now what is the reason that they did not worship a magnificent glorious Herod in all his Robes but they worship a poor contemptible Babe in Swadling-cloaths surely this was because they had a spiritual eye of Faith they looked on Christ with an eye of Faith therefore in his Infancy they saw greatness in his meanness they saw Majesty and more Glory in Christ in his Rags than in Herod in his Robes Thirdly Christ is thus precious to true Believers because they do not only see the need they have of him and a great deal of beauty in him but they do receive very rich and invaluable benefits by him for the present First They receive many temporal mercies by him all their temporal comforts come streaming to them in the blood of Jesus Christ Christ is the Heir of all things and all things are Believers by Christ All things are yours says the Apostle so far as you are Christs 1 Cor. 3.22 Secondly As they receive temporal mercies so they receive many spiritual Priviledges Graces and comforts by him They receive spiritual Priviledges as Justification Sanctification and Adoption First Justification Oh what a Priviledg is this that through Jesus Christ God should look upon Believers not as Sinners but as Saints for God to say of them Thou art all fair my Beloved there is no spot in thee in respect of Justification there is no spot in thee though their Sanctification be imperfect Cant. 4.7 Believers have the blood of Jesus Christ to take away all their guilt not only the guilt contracted in their unregenerate estate but the guilt contracted in the estate of grace Alas says a Believer when I have done a Duty used a comfort filled my Relations in the best manner I can what would become of me if I had not a Saviour a Mediator to take away the iniquity of my holy Offerings But now this is a priviledg better worth than the Gold of Ophir nay better worth than the whole World namely by Jesus Christ and believing in him We are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13.39 Secondly And as they receive the priviledg of Justification so Believers receive the priviledg of Sanctification by him for Christ is not only made to us Wisdom by his Word and Righteousness by his Merit but Sanctification also by his Spirit 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made not only a pattern of holiness to us but the principle of holiness Believers are strong in his Strength and wise by his Wisdom and holy by his Holiness and meek by his Meekness they have the Image of Jesus Christ stampt upon their Souls they know him in some measure in the power of his death killing and crucifying the old man together with the affections and lusts thereof they know him in the power of his Resurrection raising them up to a holy and Heavenly Conversation Thus I say they receive the priviledg of Sanctification by Jesus Christ Thirdly And then they receive the Priviledg of Adoption too as he is the Natural Son of God Believers being united to him they are partakers of his Son-ship they are made the Sons and Daughters of God by Adoption And I will be a Father to you and you shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6. ult Secondly And so Believers receive spiritual grace from him Look as the Oyl that was
the Gospel may be said to increase a mans curse and condemnation Whereas now the Law in its own nature is said to be a killing Letter because it leaves a man in a state of death and leaves him under a curse and does not shew him the way at all â—ow to avoid that curse as the Gospel does therefore the Apostle says The Law is a killing Letter of it self but the Spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 because in the preaching of the Gospel the Spirit of God is conveyed into our souls which enables us in some acceptable manner to perform what the Gospel enjoyns and thus you have the Point opened to you That the knowledg of Life and Immortality that Eternal Salvation that is laid up for the Saints in light is discovered and revealed by the Preaching of the Gospel For the Use of the Point now And the first is by way of Information and there are four Doctrinal Inferences or Lessons that we may learn fron this point thus opened 1. See how infinitely we stand indebted and ingaged to our gracious God that hath lookt upon us here in this Nation and in this City who hath brought us into the fellowship of th Gospel and hath kept us in that fellowship for so many years together Oh that we should live under the showres and Sun-shine of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ for almost a hundred years together without interruption What a singular mercy is this if we did but know how to prize it He hath scarce dealt so with any Nation under Heaven as he hath dealt with us What did God see more in us than in Turks Indians and Pagans that never heard of God nor Gospel He foresaw how we would despise this precious Pearl and how we would be ready to trample it under foot God foresaw how weary we would be of those glorious Gospel-mysteries that are discovered to us from day to day yet it did not hinder him from bestowing this precious Jewel upon us therefore not to us not to us but to his own Name be the Glory 2. A second Lesson we may learn by way of inference is this If the knowledg of eternal life be discovered in the Gospel then it follows Where-ever God hath a Church planted or a Church to be planted there will still be need of a powerful quickning soul-searching Ministry for the discovery and making known the Mysteries of Salvation The publick preaching Ministry of the Gospel is that standing Ordinance that must continue in the Church of Jesus Christ so long as he hath a Church here upon earth and this appears by that of the Apostle Ephes 4.11 12 13 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the prefecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ How long till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ That is to the end of the World God will have a standing Ministry where-ever he hath a Church planted or to be planted God will have a Gospel standing Ministry till all the Saints be gathered If this be so then how justly are they to be reproved that think that a Gospel-ministry of all other things may be best spared if there be any such here mark what I say You could ill want any of the four Elements Earth Air Fire or Water You could ill want Salt Bread Drink Cloathing let me tell you a Gospel-ministry is as needful as any of these I have named as Earth Air Fire Water as Salt Bread Drink Cloathing for does not Solomon say Prov. 29.18 Where there is no vision the people perish and would you have your souls perish everlastingly Is not our soul worth a whole World It was a noble speech of Luther It were better that the whole World were in a Combustion and Confusion than that the Gospel should not be preached or that any one soul that belongs to Jesus Christ should be neglected And it was spoken concerning Chrysostom who was a famous Light in the Church It was better that the Sun should not shine than that Chrysostom should not preach and it was a witty observation of a Father speaking concerning the beheading of John Baptist Herod took off John Baptists head because of the promise he made to the Damosel Whatever she ask'd him to the half of his Kingdom should be granted says that Father speaking of this passage Herod might have kept his promise though he had not taken off John Baptists head for he promised the Damosel to give her to the half of his Kingdom But now says he John Baptists head was worth a whole Kingdom Pray tell me you that have slight thoughts of the Gospel or of a Gospel-ministry Does not the Scripture compare Ministers to Planters to Builders to Fathers to Remembrancers to Stars to spiritual Guides and to a City upon a Hill and the like If ever you be trees of Righteousness in Gods Garden it is a Ministry that hath planted you and if ever you be spiritual stones in Gods everlasting Building it must be the Ministry must build you if ever you be Sons and Daughters begotten to eternal Life it is the Ministry must beget you For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 says the Apostle and if ever your seet be guided into the way that leads into everlasting life it is a Gospel-ministry must guide you and if ever you be led to Jesus Christ as the Wise-men were by the Star in the East when Christ was born in Betlehem it must be these spiritual Stars that are in the firmament of Gods Church that must lead you Now judg in your selves therefore whether a Gospel-ministry can be spared 3. The third Doctrinal inference is this If the knowledg of eternal Salvation comes by the Gospel then it teacheth us this Lesson also How infinitely it does concern us to prize and fruitfully to improve our Gospel-seasons those opportunities God puts into our hands for the enriching of our souls but especially we should improve our Sabbath-day opportunities because Sabbaths are the Market-days of Eternity the Markets wherein we must make provision for Eternity Oh how careful should we be to improve these Gospel-seasons Let me tell you Gospel-seasons are very precious seasons because marvellous precious things are tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel more precious than all the Gold of Ophir more precious than all the Kingdoms of the World if they were in your own power for in the preaching of the Gospel a precious Christ who is the Pearl of price worth ten thousand thousand Worlds and more worth this precious Christ this Pearl of Price may now be obtained and a precious Covenant a Covenant made between God and the soul this precious Covenant may
punish but to pity thee Oh think therefore with thy self that thou hearest the Lord Jesus Christ to use a homely Phrase as it were whistling after thee as he doth in the ministry of his word sometimes he comes with secret whisperings sometimes he comes openly whistling speaking calling crying in the ears of sinners Oh do but think that thou heardst the Lord Jesus Christ calling and crying after thee Why wilt thou die and perish Why wilt thou be lost when thou mayst have a Saviour Oh but says the poor soul I fear I fear that I am so diseased and that the Lord Jesus Christ will not look upon me Remember that this Shepherd is compared to a Shepherd that hath healing under his wings Mal. 4.2 But says the soul I am afraid I have so displeased him he will never own me Remember he is a meek gentle and compassionate Saviour There are two things that make men afraid and they are Pride and Fury these are not in Christ I am meek and lowly says he Matth. 11.29 and fury is not in me But I am lost says the poor sheep Jesus Christ will seek that that is lost but if I do come will he certainly own me and look upon me I answer Look upon that comfortable Scripture Luke 15.4 5 6 What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them doth not leave the Ninety and nine in the Wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it and when he hath found it he layeth it on his shoulders rejoycing and when he cometh home he calleth together his friends and neighbours saying unto them Rejoyce with me for I have found my sheep which was lost There are three or four things very observable in that Parable which I would have every poor sinner that is afraid to come to Christ to look upon First Observe the Shepherd he leaves ninety and nine in the Wilderness and goes and seeks after that one sheep that is lost Observe if there be but one sheep lost or missing the Lord Jesus Christ bestows as much pains and care in seeking that one sheep as if that all the sheep were lost there was but one sheep missing yet he hath so much care of that one that he leaves all the ninety and nine to seek that The Lord Jesus Christ hath so much care of every one of his sheep as if he had but one sheep to care for as the Sun for example would shine upon the world though there were but one man in it to shine upon so this blessed Son of righteousness if but one sheep be lost he seeks after that one Secondly Observe the Shepherd there seeks the sheep before ever the sheep seek the Shepherd The Lord Jesus prevents us with his mercies we cannot seek him till he first seeks us Psalm 119. v. last you have Davids Prayer I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant for I do not forget thy commandements Thirdly Observe when he hath found this sheep he carries it upon his shoulders or as the Text tells you he carries his lambs in his arms and gathers them in his bosom Mark this and let it sink into your hearts never did any man upon earth go to heaven any other way but upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ never was sheep saved but only by being embraced in the arms of this blessed Shepherd Fourthly Observe the Shepherd rejoyceth when he hath found the sheep he rejoyceth to find this one lost sheep observe this for thy comfort thou that art a poor wandring sheep discouraged from coming to Jesus Christ observe the Lord Jesus Christ will be more glad in receiving and entertaining thee than thou canst be in receiving him You see he rejoyceth that he hath found this one lost sheep Oh therefore be exhorted in Gods fear to stand out no longer but you that have not yet closed with Jesus Christ come to this Shepherd that whatsoever your diseases and maladies may be they may be all removed and your souls saved But may be you will say how shall we do to come to this Shepherd that so we may be saved by him I answer briefly That man that would come to Christ he must resolve First That he will flye out of himself and renounce all self-confidence and self-excellency and self-righteousness he that would come to Christ he must come poor come in the sense of his own poverty come like a poor distressed sheep without a Shepherd he must come in the sense and feeling of his own wants and weakness The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Matth. 18 1â— Luke 19.10 Lost we are lost by nature therefore Christ came to save all no that is not the meaning but he came to save those that feel themselves lost thou must be sensible of thine own spiritual want thou must be spiritually poor or poor in spirit Secondly Learn to see so much beauty and excellency in him that thou canst be content to part with any thing for him any thing that stands in competition with him or opposition against him let all go and say I would have Jesus Christ whatever I part with for his sake Again Be sure you hearken to the voice of Christ if thou wouldst have him for thy Shepherd John 10.4 5 And when he putteth forth his own sheep he goeth before them and his own sheep follow him for they know his voice and a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers If thou art a sheep of Jesus Christ thou wilt learn the voice of Christ and not be seduced and led away with the error of the wicked to fall from your own stedfastness When Theodosius the Emperour desired to have some conference with Arius the Heretick the Empress perswaded him not to talk and confer with such a Heretick that was so envious for says she by hearing of him you may be perverted by his words and so insnared in his cursed opinion This was excellent counsel Lastly You must come to Christ in a way of Obedience you must take up a resolution to obey this blessed Shepherd The same Hebrew word that signifies to feed signifies to rule if Christ feed thee in his Pastures he must rule thee Vnite my heart to thee that I may fear thy name Psal 86.11 But what would you have me do Come with a full purpose and cleave to this Shepherd and never to leave him Do as the Disciples of Christ in John 6.67 68 Then said Jesus unto the Twelve Will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Oh that we had such a resolution as Peter had not only to say so but to do so Matt. 26.33 Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Master though all forsake thee yet will we believe
is no mud at all but now Satan never comes to us but he finds matter enough and ground enough to work upon there is a great deal of mud at the bottom therefore he prevails on us when he comes But that is one end that he may teach us to expect temptations he himself was tempted then certainly much more must we expect to be tempted Secondly Jesus Christ was tempted that he might know how to compassionate us in our temptations Thirdly He was tempted that he might take out the sting the poison the venom of every temptation that though we be sorely assaulted by Satan yet we may not be conquered by Satan That that David speaks to Saul Psal 188.13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me The like may Believers say of Satan Thou hast thrust sore at me if it were possible to thrust me into hell but the Lord is my helper nay God can so order it when Satan thrusts his forest darts at us he can ward off the blow or at least so order the temptation that it shall kill our sins and not hurt our souls As I have read a story of one Pareus Jason who was conflicting with his adversary when his adversary thought to have run him through with his sword God did so order it that it did open an imposthumation which all Physicians could not heal so that instead of killing of him he preserved his life so God can so order it when Satan is thrusting sorely at us with his temptations they shall kill our sins but shall not hurt our souls So then the words being opened to you the way to the Doctrine is made plain which is this Doct. Christs temptations and his sufferings for us stir up in his heart a tender compassion to succour us in our temptations and in our fufferings That which God commands Israel is suitable to this Exod. 23.9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger for ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt So the Lord Jesus Christ knows the hearts of tempted ones and knows how to pity tempted ones because he himself was tempted That which the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 1.4 God comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God I may apply it thus The Lord Jesus Christ knows how to succour us to comfort us to support us in our temptations with the same spirit that he had in his sufferings and in his temptations though his temptations were so great that he himself needed an Angel to come and comfort him For the better explication of this point there are two Quaeries that would be satisfied First Why Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart such tender compassion towards us to succour and relieve us in our temptations and sufferings Secondly How the Lord Jesus Christ does succour and relieve poor tempted ones in their distrsses and sufferings For the first Why does Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart such tender compassions towards us I answer The reason is plainly this because the Lord Jesus Christ his suffering in our Nature makes him not only a merciful God but a merciful Man also the Lord Jesus Christ as he is God equal with the Father to all Eternity so his mercies are from everlasting to everlasting Psal 103.17 But now his sufferings in our flesh makes him not only a merciful God but a merciful man also a merciful Mediator between God and man so he hath not only beams of Majesty but bowels of mercy his sufferings made him a merciful High-priest that is touched with the sense of our infirmities as you read Heb. 4.15 for says he We have not an High priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin The Lord Jesus Christ suffered all our natural infirmities though he did not suffer our sinful infirmities He was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sin a merciful High-priest he is and this is that that makes him so tender-hearted to the sufferings and infirmities of his People Oh what bowels of compassion hath Jesus Christ towards the souls of poor People Mat. 9.36 the Text says When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard His bowels did earn towards them as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he had compassion on their souls because they wanted those that might instruct them in the way of life and happiness And what compassion had he on the bodies of poor ones that waited on his Doctrine Mat. 15.32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said I have compassion on the multitude because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away sasting lest they faint in the way And what compassion had he towards the poor Widow that had lost her only son and they were now carrying him to the Grave the Text says he had compassion on her his Bowels did earn towards the poor Widow therefore he touched the Coffin and raised him up again Luke 7.13 Look as a Child-bearing woman that hath felt the bitter pangs and pains of Child-birth hath more compassion towards a woman in that distress than a barren woman that never felt those pangs and sorrows or as a man that hath been sorely afflicted with the Gout or Stone pitianother man that is afflicted with the same disease more than one that never felt the torment of that disease and as it is storied of Queen Elizabeth when she past once through an Hospital where she saw many poor Orphans and Fatherless and helpless Children Oh says she I was once an Orphan a poor helpless creature when I was shut up in prison therefore says she I have tasted of the sufferings of Orphans and I cannot but be merciful to Orphans and as it is said of Luther That he was a rare and and excellent man in comforting afflicted consciences those that were tempted and afflicted why because he himself was exercised with temptations for three years together so here the Lord Jesus Christ is a most rare and excellent Comforter a Physician good at all diseases especially at binding up broken hearts and comforting tempted souls why because he himself had experience of the sting and venom of temptations but some may say the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven hath he not left the bowels that he had on earth I answer No the Text says Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old Act. 9.4 the Lord Christ cryes
poured upon Aarons head run down to the skirts of his cloathing so from that fulness of Grace which is in Jesus Christ Believers receive and grace for grace a continual supply of grace from him he is the Author of all their graces he is the Author of their Faith he is called The Author and Finisher of their Faith Heb. 12.2 He is the Author of their Love Christ first warms their hearts with a sense of his Love before they can love him We love him because he first loved us 1 John 4.19 He is the Author of their Repentance God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins to his people Acts 5.31 Thirdly And then they receive spiritual comforts by him too My peace I give unto you my peace I leave with you not as the world giveth give I unto yon let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid John 14.27 He gives Believers that peace that the World can neither give nor take away from them that peace and comfort that can hold up their heads in all outward storms In the world says he you shall have tribulation but in me you shall have peace John 16. ult At the same time when they have tribulation in the world they may have peace in Christ at the same time when there is ratling upon the Tiles there may be Musick in the Chamber outward tribulations and inward consolations they may stand together at the very same time In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul Psalm 94.19 So though there may be multitude of troubles within yet there may be comforts to refresh the Soul This is the third Reason why Jesus Christ is so precious to Believers Because they have much in hand from Christ they have Temporal Mercies and Spiritual Mercies Spiritual Priviledges Justification Sanctification and Adoption and Spiritual Graces and Spiritual Comforts Reas 4. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers because they expect much from him As they have much in hand by him so they have more in hope from him they have much for the present but more for the future for what do they expect from him but an Inheritance incorrupted undefiled reserved in Heaven for them an everlasting Kingdom a Kingdom that cannot be shaken everlasting Communion with himself bosom-Communion with himself in Glory to have their Souls bathed in those Rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand for evermore yea the following the Lamb. wheresoever he goes to be triumphing in his Praises to be sounding forth those Hallelujahs to him that sits upon the Throne for ever to live and lie in his continual embraces Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath laid up for them that love him Now because with the eye of Faith they look upon these things and they fully expect to enjoy them therefore hence it is they do so highly prize Jesus Christ Reas 5. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers they do most highly prize him Because Faith you must know is a uniting grace an espousing grace it is the Wedding-Ring as I have sometimes told you that makes up the Match between Jesus Christ and the poor Soul as soon as ever a man comes to be a Believer to take Jesus Christ to be his Head his Husband his Portion then is the Match made up between them Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 Now then Believers being thus espoused to him thus united to him they cannot but dearly love him As a Wife that hath pitcht her affections upon a Husband and forsaken all others and hath vowed to cleave to him and him only while they both shall live therefore she does prize him above all the men in the World so when the Soul is once united to Christ marryed to him Thy Maker is thy Husband when the Soul is espoused to Christ it cannot but dearly love him and forsake all others in comparison of him Reas 6. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers Because true Faith ever works by Love Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love True Faith will make a man dearly love the Lord Jesus Christ now if we love him we cannot but prize him whom we love so dearly The Use I shall make of this Point briefly First For Examination And O that you and I could engage our own hearts a while and call our selves to account in sad and serious thoughts whether Jesus Christ be precious to us yea or no Is he highly prized by you even by you that hear me this day Can you say with the Church My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand And with St. Paul I esteem all things but dross and dung in comparison of Jesus Christ the whole World the glory the beauty and treasures and pleasures of it but as a heap of dung in comparison of him this pitch and frame you must come unto or else you can never have any assurance that Christ is yours and that you are his for as our Saviour saith in the like case He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. Matth. 10.37 So here if any thing be more prized than Jesus Christ you can have no assurance that Christ is your portion if any thing be preferred before him or prized more highly than he is there not great need then that you should enquire whether Jesus-Christ be precious to you yea or no That I may press you to this enquiry consider but this one Motive this is one of the surest Characters to distingnish between a sincere-hearted Christian and an Hypocrite For he that is sincere and upright-hearted does lay Jesus Christ the nearest to his heart and says None but Christ nothing but Christ whereas ever observe it and you shall see a Hypocrite hath always something that lies nearer to his heart than Jesus Christ does however he may shew much love to Christ with his mouth yet his heart goes after his covetousness or after some base lust or other as God told the Prophet Ezek. 33.31 And they come unto thee as my People and they sit before thee as my People and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness So that Jesus Christ hath not the heart of a Hypocrite he may have the mouth of a Hypocrite a shew of love but there is something still that doth lie nearer his heart than Christ does Look into the parable of the Sower and you will find that Seed that was sown in the stony-ground it sprung up and made a fair shew for a while but there was something that lay between the seed and the Soil so there is something that lies between
because a man can never have too much grace and a man may have too much Legal humiliation Again some Reprobates have had a great measure of Legal humiliation and yet have perished and some that have been converted have had but a little measue of Legal humiliation and yet have been saved I say Legal humiliation though it makes a great noise is not absolutely needful But Evangelical humiliation though ir makes a less noise this is absolutely needful to every person because this drives a Sinner out of himself and causeth him to fly to Jesus Christ in a mild and melting way making him to look on him whom he hath pierced and to mourn for his sin as he that mourns for the loss of his only Son that serves him The third thing to be opened is this But why doth God take this course in bringing men to Faith and Salvation The reasons are these three First It is Equal Secondly It is Fitting Thirdly It is Necessary First It is Equal because it is Gods way and there is all the reason in the World that God should bring us to Heaven in his own way that it is Gods way appears Isa 61.1 2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me saith Jesus Christ because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn So you see they are to be comforted that mourn and they are to be bound up that are broken-hearted so that till a man be meek and humble and have a broken heart he is out of Christs Cnmmission to comfort Christ will say to such I have nothing to do with thee I am sent to those that are meek and humble and broken-hearted Luke 19.10 In Matth. 18.11 The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Then may some say he came to seek and to save all for all were lost in Adam but that is not the meaning but the meaning is All that feel themselves lost a man may be in a lost condition and yet never feel himself in a lost condition but when a man sees himself to be in a lost estate and in a damned and undone condition without Christ Christ came to seek and to save such Secondly It is Fitting that God should bring us to Faith and Salvation this way fitting you will say But how In reference to God In reference to Our selves In reference to Others First In reference to God because by this humiliation the Justice of God is acknowledged and the Mercy of God is magnified these are the two great Attributes that God will have magnified in the conversion of a Sinner The Justice of God is acknowledged when the Sinner falls down at the feet of God and saith Lord against thee against thee have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Psalm 51.4 And the Mercy of God is wonderfully magnified when he hangs out a white Flag of Pardon after all the Sinners rebellions and provocations O now mercy is mercy indeed As a King when he is about to pardon a Traitor he suffers him to be brought to the place of Execution to have the Rope about his neck and the Handkerchief drawn over his face O how welcome is a pardon then to that Traitor So an humbled Sinner will say Mercy is mercy indeed when he is convinced of his desperate and undone estate and condition Secondly It is fitting in respect of our selves that we may know our selves know the plague of our hearts 1 Kings 8.38 God will have us to see and to feel that it is an evil and bitter thing that we have sinned against him Jer. 2 19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts God would have the Sinner see his polution and to cry out with the Leper under the Law I am unclean I am unclean Levit. 13.45 As Miriam for her miscarriage towards Moses was smitten with a Leprosie Moses cryed to the Lord to heal her No stay saith God If her Father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days She must know her self before she be healed Numb 12.10 13 14. Thirdly It is fitting in respect of Others that they may not speak reproachfully of God and the ways of God If so be a Sinner could instantly step out of an Ale-house to Christ or out of a Whorehouse to Christ if there were no more required to get to Christ than the putting of meat out of one Dish into another carnal men would be ready to have very low thoughts of God that he is such a one as themselves that he doth patronize and approve their wicked courses but God will have the mouth of iniquity stop'd and carnal men themselves acknowledg that the ways of God are equal Thirdly It is necessary that the Soul be humbled I shall give you these five Reasons of the necessity of it First Because without this humiliation the Sinner can never highly prize God To an unhumbled Sinner Christ is no more esteemed with reverence be it spoken than the dirt under his feet Acts 4.11 This is the stone which was set at nought by you Builders they made no reckoning of Christ at all Tell an unhumbled Sinner of Justification of Sanctification of Adoption of the hope of Glory and the like he makes no more reckoning of them than the children of Israel did of the Manna who loathed it but now when a Sinner is smitten with the sense of sin and fear of wrath and knows the burden of guilt upon his Conscience now Christ is Christ indeed and he looks upon him with an admiring eye and cryes out O the dignity of his Person the preciousness of his Blood the value of his Merits the efficacy of his Intercession the comforts of his Spirit Oh the comforts and excellencies that are in this sweet and precious Saviour My Beloved saith such a Soul is the choisest of ten thousand The poor saith our Saviour receive the Gospel that is those that are poor in Spirit they like the wise Merchant will be contented to sell all to buy him who is the Pearl of invaluable Price an humbled Sinner will say Give me Christ though I have a Cross with him though I have a Prison with him nay though I die with him though I die for him Secondly Without humiliation the Sinner can never duly and diligently seek Christ You know The Law is a School-master to bring us unto Christ Gal.