carried it â—to the holy of holyest the typicall satisfaction and reâ—emption had not been obtained And so here though â—e blood of Jesus had been shed and poured out upâ—n the Crosse if he had not gone unto the Father and â—rried his blood into heaven into the holy of holyest his â—tisfaction for our sin had not been accepted and ouâ—â—edemption had not been perfected Secondly If Christ had not gone unto the Father he had not made the application of his Death and Blood and Merits unto our Souls He came into the world that we should have Repentance and Remission both were purchased by his Death But now if he had not gone unto the Father there had not been an application Both were purchased by his Death on earth But was the businesse so left at a loose no but by his going to the Father what he purchased by his Death he doth apply In Acts 5. it 's said Him hath God exalteâ— with his Right hand to be a Prince and Saviour for to givâ— Repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins So that haâ— he not gone unto the Father there had not been aâ— application of his Blood and Death and Merit untâ— our souls Thirdly If Christ had not gone unto the Fatheâ— the Holy Ghost the Comforter had not come If go not away the Comforter will not come But whâ— might not the Comforter or the Holy Ghost come though Christ had been here on earth if he had nâ— gone unto the Father I answer The gifts graces and comforts of thâ— Holy Ghost were the Dona Regia which were giveâ— out upon the Coronation of Christ for by this goinâ— to the Father he was crowned with glory and honour 〈◊〉 in Heb. 2. When the Holy Ghost comes he do bear witnesse to our spirits that we are the childreâ— of God and God reconciled to us But how shouâ— God give such a testimony of his Reconciliation unâ— us if Christ had not first gone into heaven and give up his accounts of what he had done here on earth 〈◊〉 is said expresly in John 7. This spake he of the spirâ— which they that believe on him should receive for the Hâ— Gh st was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet gloâ—fied And if Jesus Christ had not gone unto the Fâ—ther and so sent the Spirit how should we haâ— known that he had so much care for us and love to us when he was in heaven as by the sending of the Holy Ghost We are never more fit for the Holy Ghost than when we are weaned from the carnall presence of Christ And therefore if Christ had not gone unto the Father the Spirit the Holy Ghost had not come Fourthly If our Lord and Saviour Christ had not gone unto the Father we should have had no Advocate in heaven to plead our Cause in heaven upon all occasions 'T is a great matter we say to have a Friend at Court an Agent there that may plead for us What a mercy is it to have an Agent in heaven to negotiate our businesse there why now saith the Apostle If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous If Christ had not gone unto the Father we had not had this Advocate in heaven to plead for us upon all occasions And Fifthly If Christ had not gone unto the Father we should have no entrance into heaven heaven was locked up the Gates of Paradise were shut and kept by an Angel with a a flaming sword This Paradise was opened upon the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and we enter into it by Christ's going into heaven by his going into the holy of holiâ—est I go to prepare a place for you not as sent before to take up your Lodgings but as one Friend goes before another to make a great entertainment for his Friends But I say if Christ had not gone unto the Father we had had no entrance into heaven Why now is it not a matter of Joy and of great Comfort that we have entrance into heaven That the Comforter is come That we have always one in heaven to plead our Cause upon all occasions These and many other things we obtain by Christ's going to the Father This for our own concernment And Secondly As for the concernment of Christ By his going to the Father he was exalted and glorified as Mediatour I speak And if you ask what was the Glory and greatnesse that was put upon Christ as Mediatour by his going to the Father It consists in two things The Royalty of his entertainment when he came unto his Father And the greatnesse of his advancement And if yoâ— ask yet what was the Entertainment that he had when he came unto the Father Why it was an Entertainment suitable to such a Father and to such a Son When that great Sinner the Prodigall returned unto his Father his Father fell upon his neck and kissed him Bring out the Robes kill the Fatted Calf bring out the Ring And if such an entertainment for a Prodigall Son what entertainment then for the Naturall Son of God the obedient Son of God that had been upon his Father's great concernment in the world Great was this Entertainment surely beyond all my expression But now more particularly 1. No sooner did he come into heaven unto his Father but he was Justified in all that which he did and suffered for us as you have it in the 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh Justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory 2. No sooner did he come unto the Father but he was mightily declared to be the Son of God as you have it in Rom. 1. Thou art my Son this day that is upon the Resurrection this day have I begotten thee The Apostle explains it concerning the Resurrection in Acts 13. 3. No sooner did he come unto the Father but he was annointed with a new and fresh Annointing with the oyle of gladnesse above all his fellows For as David the Type had a double Annointing one by the hand of Samuel after which he was thrust out into the Wildernesse and another at the day of his Coronation so Christ Typified had a double Annointing one upon his Incarnation in which respects he saith The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath annointed me to preach and another upon his Coronation when he was crowned with Glory and honour And therefore in Heb. 1. he is annointed twith the oyle of gladnesse above his fellows comes in upon his exaltation And 4. No sooner did he come into the presence of his Father but his Father said unto him Sit thou down at my Right hand the most honourable place in heaven sit thou at my Right hand my Son Why now is it not a matter of great rejoycing to us that Christ going to heaven with our names upon his shoulder and heart
workings of the Law first Yet notwithstanding if I will lay a necessity upon such a precedency of a legal work before I do come to Christ then I am too legal 7. In the times of the Old Testament men did then upon any great discovery of God flie from God as when God gave out the Law they fled from God And when Christ did a great work before Peter Lord saith he depart from me for I am a sinful man But now in the Gospel the greater the discovery is the more a Gospel Spirit doth draw near to God Oh 't is good for me to be here saith he 8. The time of the Old Testament was a time of the Letter And therefore if a man of a legal spirit can but perform his duty according to the Letter of the Commandment he is satisfied But the times of the New Testament are the times of the Spirit We are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit And therefore a Gospel spirit though he can perform his duty according to the Letter of the Command yet if he don't attain the spirit in it he is unsatisfied 9. To say no more in it but this In the times of the Old Testament God spake by Visions and Dreams and Signs But now in these latter days he hath spoken by his Son and we have a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto we do well that we take heed So that thus you see that there is a difference and what the difference is between the way of the Old and New Testament between an Old Testament and a New Testament spirit Fâ—urthly But then 4ly Suppose now that I have recourse too much to Mâ—ses in these Gospel times and not enough unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Suppose I be legal in these Gospel times is there any great danger in it Much very much And I pray consider it that we may be all found upon Gospel ground in this Gospel day Danger I say much For I. The more legal you are in Gospel times the more sinful you will be and the less able for to live unto God 1. The more sinful you will be For saith the Apostle Let not sin reign in your mortal body for ye are not under the Law but under Grace And the less able you will be to live unto God For saith the Apostle Gal. 2.19 I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Till ye be dead unto the Law you will never live unto God and in the Rom. 7. Ye are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit untr God Dead unto the Law That ye may bring forth fruit unto God Never think of bringing forth fruit unto God while you are upon a legal ground and come not off fully to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant 'T is observed that the Law was given out twice in Tables of Stone And the first time that they were given out God did cut out the Tables of Stone and he himself did write the Law with his own Finger in those Tables The second time Moses cut out the Tables of Stone and Moses wrote the words of the Commandment upon those Tables In the 34. of Exod. Hew thee two Tables of Stone like unto the first saith God Well so he did at the 28. v. And he wrote upon the Tables the words of the Covenant the Ten Commandments The first Tables were of Gods own making and the writing was of Gods own Finger The second Tables were of Moses framing and Moses writing and yet the first were broken the second kept What should be the Reason One would think that the first Tables should have been kept as a holy thing rather then the second but the first were broken and the second kept why For a good reason saith Austine because when the Commandment was given in the first Tables then God appeared in a dreadful way with Thundring and Lightning When God gave out the Commandments again the Lord appeared in a way of Grace The Lord proclaimed unto Moses Exod 34. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands Thus God proclaimes himself as a gracious and merciful God and when the Law comes out now 't is kept No such way to keep the Commandments of the Law as from the consideration of the free grace and mercy of God When the Law comes out with a Gospel hand I then it 's kept and the Commandment not broken So that I say the more Legal you are the more sinful you will be and the less able you will be for to live unto God 2. The more Legal you are the more opposite you are to your own assurance to a full setled assurance of your interest in God and Christ We have not received the Spirit of bondage you read it again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Assurance is a work of the Comforter but the Spirit of servitude 't is opposite to the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 't is a great Enemy unto true assurance Now is it not a miserable thing for a man or woman to be always fluctuating and never to have assurance setled The more Legal you are the more opposite to your own assurance But 3. Though you do serve and worship the true God yet if you worship him in a Legal way your worship will be Antichristian For what 's Antichrist and who is Antichrist The Apostle John tells you in the 1 Epist 4.3 Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that Spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come But shall Antichrist deny Christ to be come in the flesh in so many terms No He shall not deny the Incarnation of Christ for he shall sit in the Temple of God How then shall Antichrist deny Christ to be come â—n the flesh He shall set up such a Worship as was before Christ came in the flesh As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was an outward glorious and a pompous Worship so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was a Temple and a great Cathedral so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was a High-Priest and Priests and Levites so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there were Copes and Ephods and Linnen Coats so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there were Candles and Tapers and Musick in the Temple so shall Antichrâ—st have As in the
the Description of a godly man He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate Hereby then you shall have a testimony in your own hearts that you are truly godly But you shall not only have a testimony that you are truly godly but practise it and thereby you shall be very godly for the more constant you are in godliness the more godly you are By the work of Meditation you will be constant in the work of Godliness The more extensive your godliness is the more godly you are Now by meditation you can extend your thoughts beyond your hands As by sinful musings a man can extend his thoughts beyond his power to practice so by meditation on God and the things of God a man may extend his thoughts concerning godliness beyond his power to act As in sin a man by his thoughts may be naught where he hath not an outward power to be naught so by holy meditation a man may be good where he hath not a power in his hand to practise The Psalmist saith in the 45th Psalm The Kings Daughter is all glorious within her garment is of wrought gold vers 13. Her clothing is of wrought gold is not that glorious clothing is outward but saith he she is all glorious within 'T is not the wrought gold without makes her glorious but she is all glorious within Though the garment and though her clothing be of wrought gold yet her glory lyes within Here lies the glory of a Christian to be glorious within And how can we have this inward Holiness Grace and goodness and Glory unless we be versed in this work of Meditation 6. Thereby also you shall offer up your selves unto divine Imbraces and upon this ground of Meditation will God give out his loves unto you In Cant. 7. saith Christ There will I give thee my Loves v. 12. There where Let us get up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish whither the tender Grap appear and the Pomgranates bud forth Here 's the publick Assembly What 's this to meditation Yes in the former v. Come my beloved let us go forth into the Field let us lodg in the Villages places of Retirement There will I give thee my Loves upon the ground of Retirement There will he give forth his loves O! What a great mercy is here by this work of Meditation you do not onely offer up your selves unto Divine imbraces But There upon Meditation-ground will God give out his loves unto you 7. Thereby also your souls and hearts shall be subdued unto God As in sin so here Friends It is not a sinful thought that doth subdue my heart into sin 't is not a sinful suggestion that subdues my heart into sin But A Complacential dwelling of sinful thoughts in my heart subdues my heart into sin So 't is not a transient good thought that will subdue the soul or the heart unto God but it is a Complacential dwelling of good thoughts in the heart that doth subdue the heart unto God and that 's done by Meditation Thereby therefore I say Your very hearts shall be subdued unto the Lord Oh what a mercy is this 8. By this work of meditation on God and the things of God You shall live on God Possibly a man may come to the Court where the King is and not live upon the King because he don't stay there but those that stay at the Court they live upon the King for they stay there Now by a thought I don't stay upon God but by a frequeut meditation on God I shall live in God for then I stay by God and I do stay on him 9. Thereby also you shall have a constant relief against all your afflictions both inward and outward Inward Psal 143. Have mercy upon me O Lord for saith he v. 4. My spirit is overwhelmed within me my heart within me is desolate What then I remember the dayes of old I meditate on all thy works Here lies the relief against spiritual fears and overwhelmings of soul even to meditate on God as one ought to do in a right manner I am overwhelmed but I 'le meditate on all thy works and muse on the work of thy hands As for the Outward afflictions Psal 119. the place cited before v. 23. Princes also did sit and speak against me but thy Servant did meditate in thy Statutes Reproach from an ordinary man is affliction enough but for Kings and Princes to speak against one this is a great matter What relief then But thy servant did meditate on thy Statutes So that by this you have a constant relief against both outward and inward afflictions And 10. Thereby also you shall be freed from that unkindness that God will take at your hands if you don't meditate on him and the things of God Friends If you don't meditate on God and the things of God God will take it very unkindly at your hands What man that is abroad beyond Sea hearing that his wife frolicks it at home and never thinks on him will not take it unkindly We are absent now from God and to frolick and be vain and go up and down and have no thoughts on God no meditation on God How unkindly must God take this at our hands 'T is a sleight If a man speak unto you and you don't think of what he speaks 't is a sleight to him So to read what God saith or see what God doth and not think on 't not to meditate on it what is this but a sleight unto God Respect and Meditation go together Psal 119.15 I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes So then The want of meditation and thinking on what God saith and what God doth is a great sleighting of him 't is a want of respect and God will take it unkindly And what then Why he will deal by you as you do by him if you think not on him he will not think on you and in the day of your extremity when you call and cry to him because you thought not of him he will not think of you But to end all God knows and your own souls know how you have lain musing in the way of sin how some times you have lain devising mischief upon your beds How often you have chewed the Devils Cud what swarms of unclean thoughts of proud thoughts of unbelieving thoughts have possessed your hearts Oh friends Shall we lie musing upon our bed in a way of sin and shall we not think and muse and meditate on God and the things of God What shall we not be the same for God that ever we have been for sin O we have had our sinful musing times therfore now why should we not have our holy musings also And to conclude all Meditation holy meditation is a very great friend to heavenly Conversation Sweet meditation of God is a very great friend to holy Conversation Private meditation a great friend
God prevented me with his grace and mercy Thus Paul And pray tell me what do you think of that whole Chapter Luke 15 There are three parables the parable of the lost Groat of the lost Sheep and of the lost Son The Woman lost her Groat and swept to find it but did the Groat make first towards the woman or the woman make after the Groat first The Shepherd lost his Sheep but did the Sheep make first after the Shepherd or the Shepherd after the Sheep Indeed it is said concerning the lost Son that he first takes up a resolution I will return home to my Father but when his Father saw him afar off he ran and met him and imbraced him and welcomed him home Why but to shew that the work of Grace and Mercy shall be all along carryed on in a way of preventing love Thus it was with the World from the beginning thus with the Nations of the Jews and Gentiles thus with great Towns and Corporations thus with whole Families and thus with particular Souls It is no new thing therefore for God to walk in a way of preventing love towards the children of men That is the first II. Well but then secondly How and in what respects will God prevent us with his mercies or with his good blessings He will prevent us with his Mercies 1. First In reference to our own deservings when we deserve evil we shall receive good Is it not a great prevention when a man shall deserve evil to receive good Thus will God deal with men sometimes He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Did not Moses deserve a sharp chiding and to be beaten out of his excuses when God sent him upon his work and he stood excusing the matter so long Exodus 4. he said O my Lord send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send and the anger of the Lord was handled against Moses What was the issue of it Instead of blows mercy instead of chiding and threatning a promise And he said is not Aaron the Levite thy Brother I know that he can speak well and lo behold he cometh forth to meet thee and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart and thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and will teach ye what ye shall do Here is good in the stead of evil Thus God prevents us with his mercies in reference to our own deservings 2. As God doth prevent us thus in reference to our own deservings so he doth prevent us also in reference to his own proceedings of common providence Look when God doth give in a mercy that is beyond the reach of the second cause that is stronger or greater then the root of the second cause will bear or beyond common providence then God is said to prevent us with his mercy Now thus God doth many times give in a mercy that the Root of the second cause cannot bear So he gave Elizabeth a Child and Sarah a Child when they were old With this staff came I over this brook sayes Jacob and lo I am become two bands And thus Israel said A Syrian ready to perish was my Father Deuteron 26.5 and he went down into Aegypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a Nation Great Mighty and Populous A Syrian ready to perish was my Father As if a man should say I came here to London poor having but my Pen and Inkhorn by my side and now I am risen up to a great Estate beyond all my own Parts Wits and Endeavours for the Lord hath prevented me with the blessings of his goodness Thus God doth sometimes prevent us with his mercy in reference to his own proceedings of common Providence or the course of Nature 3. And then again Thirdly As the Lord doth thus prevent us with his mercy in reference to his own proceedings of common providence so he doth prevent us with his mercy in reference to our own preparedness Look when God doth give in a mercy that we are not prepared for then God is said to prevent us with his mercy Now was it not a great and choice mercy for the Ark to be brought home again to Israel Yet notwithstanding you shall find they were not prepared for it before they were prepared God gave them in the Mercy the Ark came back 1 Sam. 6. Chapter but their preparation you read of in the 7 Chap. And Samuel said to all the House of Israel if you do return unto the Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange Gods and Ashtaroth and the Children of Israel did put away Baalim Ashtaroth and served the Lord onely This was after the Ark came home so then the Ark returned before they were thus prepared And you know what is said in the 57 of Isa For the iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart What then vers 18. I have seen his wayes and will heal him I will lead him also and restore Comforts to him and to his Mourners over and beyond all preparations for he went on frowardly in the way of his heart and he was not prepared but notwithstanding his want of preparation I have seen his wayes and will heal him and will restore comforts to him and to his Mourners Thus God doth sometimes prevent us with his mercy in reference to our own preparedness for his mercy 4. As God doth prevent us with his mercy in reference to our preparedness for his mercy so he doth prevent us with his mercy in reference to all our Prayers Look when God gives in a mercy before we pray for it then God is truly said to prevent us with his mercy It is ordinarily said God will not set in his mercy before our Oven be hot but if God should never set in his mercy till our Oven and Hearts be hot in Prayer we had been an unredeemed people to this day though God will answer Prayer yet he will be found also of them that seek him not Do ye say why then should we pray I answer that you are to pray not only because it is your duty to pray but the more God works in an extraordinary way the more it is our duty to be found in the use of ordinary means And what if I say that the same mercy may come as an answer of prayer and yet in a way of preventing love too What say you to the case of Hezekiah When he was sick he prayed and God heard his prayer and health came as an answer of prayer and yet he was prevented for fifteen years more God gave in to him which was beyond his prayer You know how it was with Zacharias sayes the Lord I have heard thy prayer and gave him a
Child yet he did not pray for a Child for he could not believe that he should have a Child so that God gave him a Child in a way of preventing mercy and yet it was in answer of prayer too So here in the Text Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips for thou hast prevented him with the blessings of thy goodness Why why although the mercy received may be an answer of prayer in regard of the body of it yet it may come in a way of preventing love as to the moreness of it so it was with David so with Hezekiah and so with Zacharias That 's a fourth thing God doth sometimes prevent as in reference to our prayer giving in mercy beyond all our prayers 5. And then fifthly As God doth prevent us in reference to our prayers so in reference to our believing thoughts or expectances When the Lord turned the Captivity of Zion we were like them that dreamed why were we as them that dreamed Why truly we never looked for it nor expected it we did not think on it it was beyond all our expectations Thus God doth prevent us sometimes in reference to our expectances to our faith and to our thoughts 6. As he thus prevents us with his mercy in reference to our thoughts and faith and expectance so in reference to his own promises and the conditions thereof if I promise a man a kindness upon a condition and do that kindness for him when he hath not performed the condition then I prevent him with kindness Now the Lord hath promised many a mercy upon a condition and yet given the mercy when we have not performed the condition I said sayes David I would confess my sin and thou Lord forgavest my iniquity Lord thou hast made a promise of forgiveness upon condition of our confession and humiliation I did not go so far I did but say I would confess my sin and thou prevented'st me with thy forgiving Love Thus now you see how and in what respects God doth prevent us with his mercy he doth prevent us with his mercy in reference to our deservings in reference to his own proceedings of Common Providence in reference to all our Prayers in reference to our Faith and Expectance in reference to our Preparedness and in reference to his own Promises and the conditions thereof That 's the Second III. Well but then thirdly what are those choice blessings wherewith God will prevent his people What not But the greater the blessing is the more it is steeped in Preventing Love There are outward blessings and there are inward blessings there are temporal blessings and there are eternal blessings Now though the preventing love of God doth shine forth in all yet the greater the blessing or the mercy is the more it is irradiated with the beams of preventing Love Will ye instance 1. First Will ye instance in the great matter of our Redemption What greater mercy or blessing then our Redemption in and by Jesus Christ that 's of Grace in whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of his Grace And when Christ came into the World in reference to our Redemption to take our Nature upon him do but see what a pack of wicked men were then extant upon the ground in the Luke 3.1 Now in the fifteenth year of the Reign of Tiberius Caesar there s one Pontius Pilate being Governour of Judea there 's another and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee there 's another and his Brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea Annas and Caiphas being High-Priests the Word of God came unto John the Son of Zacharias in the Wilderness And why was Christ born in such a time as this and among such Company but all to shew that the work of our Redemption was to be carried on in a way of Preventing Love 2. Or will ye instance in the matter of our Conversion What greater mercy or blessing then our Conversion yet look into the 33 of Job and you shall see how that Mercy comes swimming down the stream of preventing Love God speaketh once yea twice and yet man perceiveth it not What then In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction 3. Or will ye instance in the matter of our Justification What greater mercy or blessing then that of our Justification Yet this also comes swimming down the stream of preventing Love for he justifies the ungodly And in the 4th of the Romans it is said of Abraham that he was justified not yet circumcised for we say that faith was reckoned to him for righteousness vers 9. How was it then reckoned When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision Why why not in circumcision but in his uncircumcision but to shew that this mercy of Justification must be carryed on in a way of preventing Love 4. Or will ye instance in the matter of our Sanctification What greater mercy then to be truly sanctified Yet this also comes swimming down the stream of preventing Love I will wash ye with clean water Such and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified in the Name of the Lord. This also in a way of preventing Love 5. Will ye instance in the matter of Consolation What greater mercy tâ—en for a poore drooping soul to be truly comforted This also comes in a way of preventing Love e're ever I was aware before I was aware saith the Spouse My Soul was as the Charets of Aminadab I was unwilling to receive the Promise my Soul refused to be comforted but e're ever I was aware my Soul was as the Charets of a willing people of Aminadab that is of a willing people When Christ was dead how sad was Mary Christ did but come unto her and say Mary and she was comforted 6. Will ye instance in the Revelation of the truths of the times What greater blessing then for a man to be well acquainted with the truth of the times in opposition to Antichrist Now sayes John in the 1 of Revel when these truths were given out I heard a voice behind me before I was aware God prevented me acquainting me with these truths of the Revelations 7. Or will ye instance in outward blessings or mercies then I 'le appeal to you In the great turnings of your lives hath not God prevented you with his blessings It is true we are to trade in a way of Prayer to gain outward blessings and mercies but I say when ever did you meet with any great turn of your life but it was cast by preventing Love before Prayer came in So that do ye ask what are those choise blessings wherewith God will prevent his people You see here what they are So I have done with the third thing
made with Christ and his Seed and if you be Abrahams Seed then are you the Seed of Christ for you may see how they go together in the third Chapter of the Galathians Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made he saith not unto Seeds as of many but as of one and to thy Seed which is Christ And if you do believe as Abraham did then are you Abrahams Seed So that thus briefly you see who this Covenant is stricken with and who are the subjects of it 5. But then fifthly suppose I be in Covenant with the Lord or suppose I be not if I be not is there any great hurt suppose I be is there any great good Much every way give me leave to give you a little tast of it First If you be not in Covenant with God how can you expect any blessing mercy or deliverance from God for do but look into the Scripture and you shall find that all blessings mercies and deliverances come to the people of God by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant Will you instance in outward deliverancâ—s the World is not drowned again Why but because of the Covenant Will you instance in spiritual deliverances saith the Psalmist He commandeth redemption he remembreth the Covenant He maketh Redemption effectual by remembring the Covenant Or will you instance in both together see what is said in the 9th of Zech. 11. As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water It includes both outward and spiritual deliverances So that now if you be not in Covenant with God what deliverance can you expect or what mercy seeing they all come by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant But on the other side if you be in Covenant with the Lord then are you exalted and honoured yea greatly honoured For if it be an honour to be in League and Covenant with a great Prince What an honour is it to be in Covenant with the great God When God did speak to Abraham of striking a Covenant with him he falls down upon his face as if he should say Who am I that the great God should be in Covenant with me Again If God be in Covenant with you look whatever excellency there is in God that is made over to you for your use And as that King said to him that was in League with him My Horse is thine and my Men are thine and my Money is thine so when God enters into Covenant with a poor Soul he saith My Wisdome is thine and my Power is thine and my Love and Mercy is thine Whatever excellency there is in God is made over to you being in Covenant with him And if that you be in Covenant with the Lord then all his Retinue his Creatures and his Servants also are in Covenant with you in the 2d of Hos 21. It shall come to pass in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel Why vers 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgement and in loving Kindness and in Mercies And then it shall come to pass that I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth c. So that if you be in Covenant with God then all his Retinue all his Creatures and all his Servants are in Covenant with you too And if you be in Covenant with the Lord then he is in Covenant with you and your Soul and your Body both not onâ—ly with your Body but with your Soul and not onely with your Soul but with your Body with your whole man and therefore if you dye the Covenant is not dissolved between God and you The Covenant may be dissolved between a Man and his Wife at Death but this Covenant can never be dissolved and though you sin and break with God God will not break with you I hate putting away saith he And then you may go to God as upon a Throne of Grace and look upon God as sitting in a Rainbow Oh what a mercy what a blessing is it to be in Covenant with the Lord But in case I be not in Covenant with God what shall I do to get into Covenant with him And in case I be in Covenant with God how shall I walk so as becometh one that is in Covenant with the great God Here are two Questions I shall speak briefly to them and conclude First Do you ask what you shall do to get into Covenant Are you affraid any of you that you are not yet in Covenant with the Lord and would you be in Covenant with the Lord Why then be sure of this that upon a right and good understanding of the nature of this Covenant you go to God and make your choise of this Covenant of Grace to stand and fall by The word Berith in the Hebrew for Covenant some think comes from a root that signifies to choose a man is in the Covenant that he chooses and every man is indeed as his choise is But then go and renounce the other Covenant of Works c. As the way to have a part in Christs Righteousness is to renounce all your own Righteousness so the way to have a share in this Covenant of Grace is to renounce the Covenant oâ— Works Then go to Christ as the Mediator of the Covenant and desire him to put you into this Covenant He struck the Covenant with God the Father at the first and he must put you into this Covenant for he is the Mediator of the Covenant go then to him as to the Mediator of the Covenant to put you into Covenant Then leave the weight and stress of your Guilty Soul upon this Covenant of Grace bear upon this stream of Grace here lay the weight of all for thâ— Promise is made ours by resting on it And what is this Covenant but an absolute Promise there then rest and leave the weight of your Souls And to say no more but this Then go unto the Lord and give your hand unto God and your self up to God as one willing to be led by him into all the things that the Covenant shall require In the times of the Old Testament when they made a Covenant they struck hands together In Ezra 10.19 it is said they gave their hands to put away their Wives and in the former verse they made a Covenant to do it They rose and made a Covenant to put away their Wives And we find in the 1 of Chronicles that when David was dead that all the people came together Chap. 24.24 And all the Princes and the Mighty Men and all the Sons likewise of King David submitted themselves unto Solomon the King the word in the
Covenant is this that Jesus should be the Mediator of the Covenant and men should not look into it not study it not be acquainted with it 2. Sometimes we sin against the Covenant by altering the mold and the frame of the Covenant by hanging our conditions upon Gods Covenant our pad-lock upon Gods door 3. Sometimes we sin against the Covenant by slighting that Great Ordinance of the Lords Supper concerning which Christ hath said This Cup is the New Testament in my blood To slight it saying these are low things we are above Ordinances and these are carnall things now thus to slight it is to sin directly against the Covenant 4. Sometimes we sin against the Covenant by our unbelief and doubting But 5. Sometimes we sin against the Covenant by turning the Grace of this Covenant into wantonnesse Is this true that the Lord hath promised mercy upon no condition to be performed by us then why may we not live as we list say men Thus turning this Grace of God in the Covenant into wantonnesse But is this true that Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant Why then should we think speak or do any thing that may reflect against this Mediator or sin against this Covenant That is the first thing 2. If Jesus be the Mediator of the New Covenant why then why should you not trust in the Lord for ever build upon him and be secure as to the mercies and blessings promised in the Covenant If you come to a Chamber to lodge in and you see that it is laid upon weak or lathy props that the foundation be not sure you say I will not venture to lodge here but if you come to a Chamber that is laid upon a good foundation you say then I durst venture to lodge here Why this New Covenant is founded upon the blood of Christ The blood of Christ is the foundation of the New Covenant And therefore why should you not rest and be secure confident as concerning the mercies and blessings promised in the Covenant Object O but you will say I cannot be perswaded that Christ is my Mediator I know that Christ is a Mediator of the New Covenant but I cannot think that he doth mediate for me If indeed I were perswaded that Jesus were my Mediator or that he did mediate for me in particular Ah then I should trust in the Lord indeed for the blessings of the Covenant But I cannot be perswaded that Christ is my Mediator I grant he is the Mediator of the New Covenant but I cannot say that he is my Mediator or that he doth mediate for me and therefore I cannot be satisfied Answ No! What the Father satisfied who is the person offended and you not satisfied who are the person offending No! Why if the Jew had sinned and the High-Priest had offered an Offering or a Sacrifice for him the sinning Jew would not say this was not for me and therefore I am not satisfied for the sacrifice was not for me He would not say so but he would say that he was satisfied And shall Jesus be our great High-Priest and shall He make an offering of himselfe for us and will you say it is not for me But to come a little nearer to your Objection that I may bring this great doctrine home unto our hearts The Apostle hath said If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous what think you are you not within the compass of those words if any man sin will not those words reach you But if God be reconciled unto you then Christ hath mediated for you now God the Father is reconciled to you for if you be reconciled to God and the things of God then God is reconciled to you Pray tell me were you not an Enemy once to the good wayes of God and the things of God Yes And are you not reconciled now to the things of God Yes I confesse I am Well if you be reconciled to the things of God God is reconciled to you and if God be reconciled to you I am sure Christ hath mediated for you Luther was wont to say The onely way to make God our Friend is to cast our selves into his armes when he seems to be our Enemy Thus have you done poor soul when God hath seem'd to be your Enemy then have you cast your selves into the armes of God surely then God is reconciled unto you and Christ is your Mediator Againe If you be the Seed of Christ then Christ is your Mediator and Christ hath and doth mediate for you for he is a Mediator for his Seed Now mark it there are but two Seeds the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent I will put Enmity between thy Seed and the Seed of the Woman There are but two Seeds how think you are you the Seed of the Serpent Either you are Christ's Seed or the Seed of the Serpent and that 's an hissing Seed an opposing Seed Do you think you are the Seed of the Serpent No I hope I am not the Seed of the Serpent why then you are the Seed of Christ and Christ doth mediate for you Now then humble your selves for all your unbelief and lay the weight of your guilty Soul upon this sweet Covenant of Grace for Jesus is the Mediator of it 3. Lastly This Doctrine methinks looks very wishly upon all sorts It looks wishly upon those that are good and upon those that are bad It looks wishly upon those that are Godly and upon those that are Ungodly upon those that are Converted and upon those that are not Converted Upon those that are Bad Wicked Ungodly Unconverted and to them it saith why should not you even you come unto God for the Grace of this New Covenant which is confirmed by Christ the Mediator Why should not you you that are unconverted goe unto God the Father and presse him to give out the Grace of this Covenant to you Hath not the Lord said Let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree onely let him take hold of my Covenant Neither let the Son of the Stranger that hath joyned himself to the Lord speak saying The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people Onely let him take hold of my Covenant and do the things that please me This New Covenant confirmed by Christ Jesus the Mediator either it is confirmed for Saints only or for Sinners also that are Sinners for the present If for Saints onely why doth the Lord say I will write my Law in your hearts Surely therefore it is for some in whose heart Gods Law is not yet written And if this Covenant doth extend to such who as yet have not the Law written the Law of Grace written in their hearts Oh what encouragement is here for a poor sinner to go to God and say Lord thou hast made this Covenant and Christ hath confirmed it and he is the Mediator of it now this Law
the blood of Jesus If you look therefore into the Old Testament you shall find that they sprinkled blood upon a fourfold account To confirm and ratifie the Covenant between God and them To make an Attonement for their sin For the sanctification and purification of their Persons and things And for the preservation of their Persons Accordingly therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 9.19 the Book was sprinkled so in the 24. of Exod. the meaning of it is given v. 7. And he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said all that the Lord hath said we will do and be obedient and Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said behold the blood of the Covenant and the 9th of the Heb. tells us That he sprinkled the Book it self And why so But to shew thus much That it is the Blood of Jesus that doth ratifie and confirm the Covenant now made between God and us as at large in that 9th of the Hebrews 2. Then also in those times of the Old Testament they sprinkled blood to make an Attonement for the sins of the people as you have it in the 4th of Levit. 6 and the 20. verses And the Priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord before the Vail of the Sanctuary The Mercy Seat and the Altar were sprinkled the reason is given at the 20 v. And he shall do with the Bullock as he did with the Bullock for a fin offering so shall he do with this And The Priest shall make an Attonement for them and it shall be forgiven them And why so But to shew that it is the blood of Jesus whereby we have Attonement as in Rom. 5.11 3. Again In the times of the Old Testament they did sprinkle blood for the purification of mens Persons and of Things As you have it in Levit. 14. v. 7. And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the Leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean And why so But to shew that it is the blood of Jesus that doth cleanse us from all Iniquity as in the first Epist of John Chap. 1. 4. Then in those times they did sprinkle mens persons for preservation from the destroying Angel when the destroying Angel came to destroy the Aegyptians the posts of the Israelites were sprinkled that they might be preserved And why But to shew that it is by the blood of Jesus that we are preserved from the destroyer In the 1. v. of the 1. of Jude it s said Jude the servant of Jesus Christ and Brother of James to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ or preserved by Jesus Christ and Christ our passover is sacrificed for us saith the Apostle to the Corinthians So that thus now you see briefly what were the grounds and reasons of their sprinkling blood in the times of the Old Testament and how all this is applicable to the Blood of Jesus And if you look wishly into the Scripture and compare things with things you shall find that Moses in the times of the Old Testament did divide the blood of the Covenant part whereof was sprinkled upon the Altar poured down at the foot of the Altar to oblige God to the Covenant And part of it was sprinkled upon the people to confirm their souls in the certainty of the Covenant and to oblige them to observe and keep Covenant with God So with the blood of Christ And therefore when our Lord and Saviour Christ speaks at the Lords Supper he saith This Cup is the New Testament in my blood shed for many for the Remission of sins The first part part of the words This Cup is the New Testament in my blood hath regard to us shewing that our souls are to be confirmed in this that we are in covenant with God The second part of the words shed for many for the remission of sins relates unto God shewing the use of Christs blood to satisfie God for our sins and to obtain our Remission And if you would know What is the use of this Sprinkling I say Sprinkling of the Blood notes Application What are we the better for the Blood of Christ if it be not applyed to us and sprinkled on us There are two great Attributes of God that we have to deal withal in the great matter of our Redemption The Justice of God and the Mercy of God That the Justice of God might be be satisfied Christ was made a sacrifice on the Cross and his blood shed on Earth that the favour of God might be obtained Christ carries as our great High-priest his Blood the vertue of it into Heaven and sprinkles the Mercy-seat seven times And that we might be sanctified and reconcil'd to God this Blood is sprinkled upon us too As it 's sprinkled upon the Altar and the Mercy-seat that God might be reconciled to us so 't is sprinkled upon us that we might be sanctified reconciled to God And that thereby we might be assur'd that God is in covenant with us As when the Jews were sprinkled with blood the Priest saying This is the Blood of the covenant they were assured thereby that they were in covenant with God So when we are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus we are or may be assured that we are in the covenant of Grace with God And thus now you see what this Blood of Sprinkling is upon what account 't is sprinkled and what is the use of the sprinkling thereof And so I have done with the first General Secondly This Blood of Sprinkling which is the blood of Iesus is a speaking Blood and speaketh better things than that of Aâ—el or than Abel It speaketh in regard of its continual and perpetual Virtue and Operation But here are two things First What this Blood of Sprinkling speaketh 2. How and in what sense it speaketh better things than that of Abel First What this Blood of Sprinkling speaketh 1. It speaketh a necessity of satisfaction for Without blood there is no Remission 2. It speaketh the Righteousness of God If God have burnt down such a City as this to declare his Righteousness how much more doth the shedding of the blood of Iesus declare the Righteousness of God To declare I say his Righteousness saith the Apostle in Rom. 3. 3. It speaketh the highest Obedience that ever the Sun saw That the Son of God should be obedient unto death laying down his blood is the highest Obedience As the disobedience of the first Adam was in the matter of the Tree so the obedience of the second Adam was in the matter of the Tree Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree saith the Apostle As the disobedience of the first Adam was in the transgressing a positive commandment which was the symbol of obedience to the whole Moral Law So
more fit for Meditation Shall I name Four or Five 1. Look when the Lord hath made any deep Impression upon your soul by word or work then is a time for your meditation for Impression calls for meditation 2. The Morning is a fit time for Meditation before the World come in What more fit for God than the best of time the Morning is the best of time therefore a fit time for Meditation on God 3. The Sabbath Day is a fit time also for Meditation therefore the 92th Psal is appointed for the Sabbath A Psalm for the Sabbath Day saith the Title to the Psalm 4. The time of Gods special dispensations is a fit time for it Look when there is a special dispensation of God abroad either of Mercy or Judgment then is a fit time for Meditation In the 9th Psal The Lord is known by the Judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah what 's that it comes from the Heb. Hagah which signifies to Meditate When the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands here 's woâ—k for meditation Look I say when there is a special dispensation of God either in Mercy or Judgment that 's a fit time for meditation 5. Look what time that is that lies next or near or close to any great work or service that 's a fit time for meditation As for example Suppose we be to receive the Lord's Supper The time that lies next before it is a fit time for meditation Suppose a man be to be call'd out for some great service or Imployment The time that goes close before it is a fit time for him to sit down and meditate with himself upon the work For the more a man doth prepare for a work the more likely he is in reason to perform it well Now Meditation is a good preparation Look therefore what that time is that immediately before or close to the work of the Lord that 's a fit time for Meditation Thus now you see what the special times are for the work of Meditation The time of Impressions The morning time The Sabbath day The time of special dispensations either of Mercy or Judgment And the time tha goes Immediately or next or close before the great work and service of the Lord. And If you would meditate rightly observe what the fit times for Meditation are and be sure you lay hold thereon 7. I 'le name but one more Though there is a great deal of profit and sweetness to be found in this work of meditation and it 's every dayes work yet take heed that you don't so meditate on one of Gods excellencies as to neglect another nor don 't so spend your whole time in the work of meditation that this work of meditation should eat up other dutyes God would have us rise from this work of meditation as from any other duty with an hungry appetite Friends God would have us rise hungry from every duty and not glutted variety is refreshing he hath given many duties that we may not pore upon one In case therefore you have bin at the work of meditation either God hath come in upon you with his speciall Influence or not if he hath praise the Lord for his AYtance it 's mercy that you have had one good thought of God but Meditation is more than a thought meditation is thought upon thought praise God that 's the way to have more And In case that God hath not come in upon you in the work of meditation then yet be not discouraged for God would not have you glutted and God would lead you to some other work and one duty one work is not to eat up and devour another I say with one Let not your time be the measure or rule of your Meditation but your Meditation the rule of your time Yet take heed that you don't spend so much time in musing and considering and meditating as that this work of Meditation should eat up any other Duty but quicken thereunto And thus you see some means some helps to this work of Meditation Some Rules and Directions for the right carrying it on sweetly What now remains but that you up and be doing turn your hand to it You have heard the duty proved You have heard the sweetness and profitableness thereof cleared You have heard what Objects we are to lay our Thoughts out upon And you have heard some means as helps unto the Work And some Rules and Directions for the carrying of it on O then you that never spent hour in meditation all your dayes if there be any such here Now bethink your selves and now give up your Thoughts to God You that have gone one year after another and one week after another and never spent any time in meditating on God or the things of God O now bethink your selves And that you may do so and be provoked hereunto give me leave to lay down some Arguments and Motives to press both your souls and mine unto this great work of Meditation The Arguments are divers Thus First Friends The more acquaintance you have with this work of Meditation the more time you will get and the lesse you will lose A man that hath the skill on 't need never lose an hour Who knows the worth of time This little spot of time doth our Eternity depend upon Yet Lord how many are there that lose their precious hours and time But what 's the reason They have no hand at this work of Meditation When their business is over they might otherwise turn their hand to this work and lose no time The more acquaintance you have with this work of Meditation the more time you will get and the lesse you will lose 2. Hereby even by this work of Meditation you shall get into the Secrets of divine things There is a Secret and a Mystery in ever Trade A man don't know the Trade till he knows the Secret and the Mystery of it It 's said The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Knowledge brings us to the door of Truth But Meditation hath us into the House and into all the Rooms thereof Thereby I say you shall get into the Inwards and the Secrets of the things of God 3. Thereby also you shall suck out the sweetnesse of all those divine and precious things that you know As a man by musing on his Sins sucks out the sweetness thereof so by meditating on the things of God you suck out the sweetness of the things of God into your own souls 4. By this work of Meditation you shall have a Testimony in your own Souls that you are truly godly Every man is what he is most in private A good mans work lies most under-ground lies most out of sight In the time of Moses the beasts were clean that chewed the Cud and unclean that did not chew the Cud. In the time of David 't is made
to an outward holy Conversation Now then As ever you desire that the holiness of your Conversation may be advanced That you may be as godly now in your thoughts as ever you have been ungodly That God may take nothing unkindly from you That you may have a constant relief against all afflictions both inward and outward That you may live on God That your hearts may be subdued into God That God may give out his Loves unto you That you may be very godly That you may have a Testimony in your own souls that you are truly godly That you may suck out the sweetness of all the things you know That you may be let into the secret of Godliness and not stand at the door of Knowledg onely That you may never lose a pretious hour but redeem your time Now to the work of Meditation And you that have neglected it so long be not ashamed to begin it at last Gods Return to the Soul or Nation SERM. IX Psal 90.13 Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee Concerning thy Servants This Psalm is a Psalm of Moses the man of God Saith the title Wherein he doth strengthen his Faith and the Israelites Faith in God And shews the misery and frailty of mans life petitions God for his mercy He sets down the misery and frailty of mans life in the body of the Psalm But before in the beginning of the Psalm he doth strengthen his own and others Faith in God A man is never fit to look upon the troubles of this World and the miseries thereof till his heart be establisht in God by beleeving This therefore he doth in the first place by several Arguments of Comfort First drawn from their interest in God v. 1. Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all Generations As if he should say We are now in the Wilderness and so no abiding place well Thou hast bin our dwelling place in all Generations Faith finds that in God which we want here below and that 's the way to true Comfort The Second is drawn from the eternity of Gods essence and beeing v. 2. Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the World even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God The Third is drawn from our Resurrection Though now we die and are destroyed yet at the 3. v. Thou turnest man to destruction and sayâ—st Return ye Children of men Our Resurrection is an easy work with God it is but saying Thou sayest Return ye Children of men The Fourth is drawn from the shortness of the time that lies between our Death and the Resurrection for it will be said There 's a great deal of time between our Death and the Resurrection But saith he you must account as God accounts for at the 4th v. A Thousand yeers in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past And as a watch in the night These things being thus premised Now you may read over the miseries and troubles of this World Which you have at large from the 5. v. unto the 12. v. But what then what is the work and Duty of the Psalmist then Why then he Petitions God He petitions first for Wisdome That by all the troubles and miseries of this life he may provide and lay in for eternity So teach us to number our Daies that we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom v. 12. And then he petitions for the return of Gods love Returne O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy Servants Where you have the matter of the Petition The explication And the reason thereof The Matter of the Petition in those words Return O Lord. The Explication thereof And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants And the Reason How long Thou hast been long absent O Lord how long wilt thou be absent how long wilt thou be angry Return O Lord how long And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants God is said To return when after some Judgments for sin he doth shew forth some fresh tokens of his love and favour God is said To Repent when he doth change his dispensations of Anger into Love And this is that which the Psalmist doth here most desire From whence I take up this Doctrine or Observation Obs When God is in any measure departed from his people it is their great desire that God would return unto them and repent him concerning his Servants For the clearing and prosecuting of which First I shall labour to shew you that God doth sometimes forsake desert and depart from his own people for a time 2. That they are very sensible of such departures and think it long 3. That then in the time of those departures their great desire is that God would return and 4. That when God doth return unto his people then he doth repent him concerning his Servants and 5. What we should do in case God should be in any measure departed from us that he may return again unto us First As for the first God doth sometimes desert and forsake and depart from his people for a time Not in regard of their Union so he never departs But in regard of Communion and manifestation so sometimes he doth Though nothing is hid from the heat of this Sun yet our souls may be hid from the light of this Sun God doth sometimes depart from his own people For first He is the Sovereign Lord over all And what if God will to make his power and sovereignty known among his own people sometimes withdraw forsake and depart from them Two times you read in the Book of the Canticles that Christ withdraws from the Spouse Once upon occasion of her sin and security And then she meets with blows Cant. 5. Once upon an account of his meer pleasure Cant. 3. As whom God will he shews mercy to and whom he will he hardens So whom God will he is present with and whom he will he is absent from He is the Sovereign Lord over all But Secondly What if God will that his people should have a taste of hell in this life that so they may be sensible of and very thankful for their deliverance from hell and the wrath to come There are three things in hell Torment of Body Horror of Conscience Loss of God By our Pains and Torments Gouts and Stone we think of the Torments of Hell or may think By the horror of Conscience that we meet withall we may think of the horror of Conscience there And by Gods withdrawing and Gods departing from us here we may think of the losse of God for ever there These things are not in perfection here In heaven there is nothing but the presence of God and all the comforts there flow from that Fountain In hell there 's nothing but the absence of God and all the miseries there flow from that Fountain This life lyes between both And what if God will that we may be sensible
dispensation then God is said to repent So it repented the Lord that he had made man in the 6. of Gen. 2. Secondly If you ask Whether God doth or will at any time repent I Answer yes Expressly in the 32 Exod. 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people 'T is a direct Answer of prayer to the very words At the 12. v. Moses prayes Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil agâ—inst thy people And at the 14. v. The Lord repented of the â—vâ—l which he thought to do unto his people God doth and will some times repent Onely you must know God will more easily repent of his Judgments than of his Mercies And you must know that the gifts of God are of two sorts Ordinary and Common gifts and so God repents of them and he takes them away It repented the Lord that he had made man Of the gifts of God that concern effectual vocation so God repenteth not For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance Those gifts that concern our effectual Vocation those God repents not of 3. But then Thirdly how may it appear that when the Lord doth return unto his people that then he will repent him concerning his Servants Why that appears by the thing it self If a man say he will go from such a Town and never return again and then do return he doth repent him concerning the thing by his return And so concerning God In the 18th Jer. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pul down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them Well 4. But then 4thly How shall we know in case God be absent or God be departed how shall we be able in the time of Gods absence or departure to know that God will return again Suppose that God be withdrawn from my soul in particular I am this day under a spiritual desertion how shall I know that God will return again to me Or suppose that God have forsaken and departed much from the Nation how shall we know whether God will return again or no Indeed it is a very hard thing to bear the departures of God But yet if I did know that God would return again I should be comforted How therefore shall I know both in reference to my own soul in particular and in reference to the Nation that God will return again Here are two cases and I shall speak all along to both If your Question do relate unto your own particular case and soul I Answer thus You may know it by your Relations If you be in Covenant with God God will return again to you though now he be absent Though he afflict you with Rods his loving kindness will he not take away nor suffer his faithfulness to fail Will a Father or Mother leave their Child no I am sure God will not Joseph was under a great displeasure with his Brethren yet notwithstanding at the last he could hold no longer but he bursts out and saith I am your Brother Joseph And so though you be under some great displeasure from Christ yet there is a time when Christ will break forth and say unto you I am yous Brother Jesus And I say if you be in Covenant with God you may conclude it for so doth the Psalmist Psal 42. ult I shall yet praise him My soul thou art cast down and disquieted but be quieted for I shall yet praise him Why he is the health of my Countenance and my God You may know it then by your Relations But 2. Though God or Christ be gon and in a great measure departed from your souls yet If you cannot leave God God cannot leave you In our conversion God comes to us before we come to him But in Apostasie we depart from God before he departs from us How is it therefore with you Can you say truly My soul cannot leave God then conclude and say God will return again and cannot leave you But 3. Though God be very much gon and departed from you in a great measure Yet if in the time of his absence he doth send you letters and tokens of love you may know for certain he will return again Possibly God or Christ may appoint an affliction to bring you a token or to bring you a message of love in the time of his absence Possibly he may appoint or order some providence to bring you a Token or some message of love Possibly he may order and appoint upholding mercy to be a pledge to you of delivering mercy And believe it upholding mercy is alwaies a pledge of delivering mercy How is it therefore with you are you deserted is Christ gon yet have you not had the upholding presence of God all this while then be of good Comfort Christ is not gon but he will return again 4. If your case and condition be such that although you cannot find Christ Christ is gon though Christ be gon and departed from you and you cannot find him yet If you can direct others to the finding of him when you cannot find him then certainly he is not gon but he will return again unto you The Spouse in the Canticles seeks after Christ saith she he hath withdrawn himself and I cannot find him Chap. 5. The Daughters of Jerusalem say whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee my Beloved is gon down into his Garden to the beds of spices Mark she could not find him her self and yet she can direct others to the finding of him What doth this signifie but plainly teach us thus much that though Christ be gon and we cannot find him yet if we can direct others to the finding of him he is not quite gon but he will return again Now is it thus with you when Christ is gon cannot you direct others to the finding of him If you can then build upon it he is not so gon but he will return again But then Secondly suppose that the Lord be departed from this Nation much we are under a very great displeasure of the Lord this day God is departed from us how shall we know now in the time of Gods departure that he will return again to this Nation First you know how it is with a man that doth leave his house though he go away yet if his Children be there and his goods be there his Plate and his Jewels there he will either come again to them or send for them to himself Believe it Christians God hath a very great Cupbord of Plate in this Nation Christ hath much plate in England as much as in any Nation in the World and he will not lose his plate There are three things very pretious in the eies of God His truth His worship His
Nation but so long as he hath any Agents among you he is not quite gone And 3. If ever God begins to return to us again be thankful for the beginnings of his return He that is thankful for little shall have much and he that is thankful for the beginnings of return shall have a whole return Thus do then and who knows but that the Lord may yet return and leave a blessing behind him That he may do so let us now pray and say with the Psalmist Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy Servants Preventing Mercy SERMON X. Psalm 21.3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodnesse Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips Selah For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodnesse THis Psalm is a Psalm of Thanksgiving wherein the Psalmist doth profess that he will joy in the Lord vers 1. The King shall joy in thy strength O Lord and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoyce Why so because that the Lord had heard and granted his Petition Thou hast not with-holden the request of his lips vers 2. yea more then so Thou hast given him his hearts desire vers 2. yea more then so thou hast given him more then he asked for he asked life of thee and thou gavest it him even length of dayes for ever and ever vers 4. Yet more then so thou hast not onely given him his hearts desire an answer to his Prayer and more then he prayed for but thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness As if he should say Lord I never asked a Kingdome I never thought of a Kingdome but thou hast prevented me with the blessings of thy goodness and thou hast set a Crown of pure Gold on my head blessings of goodness in the Hebrew is put for good blessings wherewith the Lord did anticipate the Psalmist for thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness in the consideration of which preventing Love and Grace his heart was much warmed and affected From whence then I take up this Note or Doctrine Doct. That it is a sweet thing and worthy of all our thankful acknowledgements to be prevented with the blessings of Gods goodness or Gods good blessings Preventing mercy is sweet mercy soul-refreshing mercy which a thankful gracious heart doth well observe and in the observation thereof is much refreshed therewithall For the opening and prosecution of which Argument first I shall labour to shew that it is no new thing for God to walk in the way of preventing mercy with the Children of Men. Secondly How and in what respects God will prevent us with his mercies or his blessings Thirdly What those choise blessings are wherewith God will prevent the Children of Men. Fourthly Why God will carry on the work of his mercy in a way of preventing Love Fifthly What there is in this preventing Love that should be so sweet and soul-refreshing to a thankful gracious heart And Sixthly In case that God hath prevented any of us with his love or mercy what is our duty that doth flow from thence 1. It is no new thing for God to walk in a way of preventing love and mercy with the Children of Men Thus he hath alwayes dealt doth deal and will deal so thus he hath alwayes dealt so with the World so with the Nations of the World so with great Towns and Places so with Families and so with particular Souls 1. As for the World Did not God first come with his mercy to the World before the World made after it God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son But how did he give this gift Did we beg it first did we seek it first or did he first prevent us with it When Adam and all the World in Adam had sinned fallen did Adam and the World first go to God for Christ or for the promise of Christ or did God first give out the promise of Christ before Adam or the World sought it The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head God first gave out this promise of Christ before Adam or the World sought it Thus in regard of the World 2. And as he hath dealt thus with the World in regard of preventing mercy so with the Nations of the World with the Nation of the Jews so in the 16 of Ezek. When thou layedst in thy blood and no eye pittied thee I passed by thee and said unto thee live So when the Nation of the Jews shall yet be converted again He is found of those that seek him not it is spoken of the calling of the Jews And as for the Nations of the Gentiles sayes our Saviour Christ to his Disciples go teach all Nations Did the Nations of the Gentiles come to Christ and say Lord the Nation of the Jews have rejected thee now then let the Gospel come to us and we will receive it No but sayes our Saviour Christ Go teach all Nations whatever they be Rich or Poor High or Low whatever they be Go teach all Nations and I will be with you for their Conversion for their Salvation to the end of the World Thus in regard of Nations 3. So also in regard of Towns great Towns Places Corporations What worse Town then that of Capernaum which afterward was exalted to Heaven But did Capernaum first come to Christ or did Christ first go to Capernaum Christ first went to them Mat. 4. Ye read of several Towns in the Acts of the Apostles that did receive the Gospel by the hands of the Apostles Iconium Derbe Lystra but did these Towns first seek to the Apostles and say Pray come and Preach Christ to us or did the Apostles first go to them The Apostles first went with Commission from God to them Thus in regard of Towns 4. And as God dealt thus with Towns preventing Towns and Corporations with the means of Grace when they never thought on it so in regard of Familes Who doth not know how God by his mercy did prevent the Family of the Jaylor converting that Family by his preventing Love Who doth not know how God dealt by Zacheus and his Family Zacheus got up the tree may be in curiosity among the multitude to see Christ go by but Christ seeing him invites himself to his house Come down Zacheus for to day I must abide at thy house Did Zacheus first invite Christ or did Christ first invite himself Christ first invited himself Thus in regard of Families 5. And as for particular souls you know how it was with Mathew the Publican sitting at the receit of Custome Come and follow me says Christ preventing of him And you know how it was with Paul I was a Blasphemer and I was a Persecutor but I obtained Mercy How so Did he seek it first No sayes he I went breathing out threatnings against the people of God and God met me And unhorsed me
IV. Now Fourthly Why will God carry on the work of his Mercy in a way of Preventing Love 1. First Because the heart of God is full of love to the children of men Ordinary love will shew kindness upon kindness but where the heart is full of love it delights to prevent the person loved with kindness Now the heart of God is full of love for the children of men That 's one thing 2. God will so carry on the work of his Grace and mercy that all his mercies and blessings now may be conformed to the womb that bare them The Child follows the womb that bare it The first in every Kind is the Rule of the rest Now Election is the womb of all our mercies and doth not preventing Love sway there I have loved Jacob and hated Esau before they had done either good or evil there 's preventing love Now I say God will so carry on the work of his mercy that all his mercies and blessings may be conformed to their first original Election and there preventing mercy is very sweet 3. But thirdly God will so carry on the work of his mercy as it may be most taking and effective upon the souls of the children of men and what is more taking then preventing love What more Operative what more Powerfull what more taking I say You know the Parable some were invited to the Supper and some not invited some came and some came not who were those that came who were those that came not those that came not were such as were invited those that came were such as were in the Lanes High-wayes and Hedges compelled to come in Ay preventing love is the most taking now God will so carry on the work of his mercy as it may be most taking and most effective upon the souls of the children of men 4. Again God will so carry on his mercy as that it may be holding and sure The more any mercy is laid upon that which is in God himself and the less laid upon that which is in us the more holding and sure it is Now Mercy laid upon Grace is sure and therefore God will carry on the work of his Mercy in a way of preventing love that his mercy may be sure that it may be holding 5. Again God will so carry on the work of his mercy as that it may be most ingaging and most obliging with the hearts of men What is there in all the world that is more ingaging to an ingenious spirit then Grace And what is there more gracious then preventing love Thereby a soul is engaged to God Ah sayes a poor soul I was going on in the way of my sin lay snorting in my sin and never thought on the good wayes of God unless it were to oppose them and speak against them but then before I was aware I know not how God did reveal himself and his wayes to me Oh now what shall I do for God! I will spend and be spent for God any thing for Christ who hath thus overcome me with his preventing love Of all those that are called the Ancients Austin did most magnifie the Grace of God Bradwardin called him the Son of Grace and of all in those dayes none that we read of tasted so much of the preventing mercy of God as he When he was young he prayed for the mortification of his sin and yet he confesses that he secretly desired that God would not grant his prayer yet God prevented his prayer Another time being alone he heard a voice saying tolle lege tolle lege take and read take and read and he opened the Bible and pitched upon some words in the first of John that proved the beginning of his Conversion Another time going a Journey he misses his way and missing his way he escaped his Enemies that lay in the way for him several times God prevented him insomuch that he brake out into this expression Lord I did not first come to thee but thou didst first come and stir me up to come unto thee And who ever magnified the freeness of the riches of the Grace of God like Paul and why Of all the men in the world he lay under the greatest preventions of Divine Love no wonder therefore Paul of all men magnified the free Grace of God for he of all other lay under the preventions of Divine Love 6. Again further God will so carry on the work of his Grace and Mercy that no flesh may glory in it self that we may not rest upon any thing that we do or have or suffer When we are to come to duty we are unwilling to it after we have performed it we are as apt to rest upon it as before we were unwilling to come unto it what is the reason but because men think that they do come to God before God comes to them but let a man be once fully convinced of Gods preventing Love and he rests no more upon what he doth but sayes he then if God hath prevented me in reference to my prayer why should I rest on my prayer if God hath prevented me in reference to my duty why should I rest on my duty sayes Paul to the Corinthians He calleth things that are not that no flesh may glory in his sight And in Job 33 sayes Elihu there In deep sleep in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction Why That he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man There is no such way in the World to take down the pride of man to keep him from resting upon duty as to be well seen well experienced in the preventing love of God And therefore God carries on the work of his Grace and Mercy in a way of preventing love that no flesh may glory in it self 7. God will so carry on the work of his mercy and goodnesse and of his grace that men may be made most gracious and in case they sin against him they may be reduced to true repentance What is there in all the World will make one so gracious as a sight of Grace and what gives one a greater sight of Grace then preventing love And what is there in all the world that will reduce a soul to true repentance having sinned like preventing love It is said of Peter he went out and wept bitterly all his tears came out of the eyes of preventing Grace Christ looked upon him first it was preventing love that brought forth that repentance I say no such way to reduce a poor soul that hath sinned to true Repentance as the consideration of Gods preventing love Do you therefore ask why God is pleased to carry on his mercy thus in a way of preventing love for these six or seven reasons And so you have the fourth thing V. Well but then in the fifth place What is there in
this preventing love that is so sweet to a gracious soul to a thankful heart 1. The more immediately that any mercy doth come out or Gods hand and the less it runs through ours the more sweet it is Water is sweetest out of the Fountain Now preventing mercy comes immediately out of the hands of God and runs not through our hand at all nor through the hand of the second cause at all therefore must needs be very sweet But Secondly The more costless or less costly to us any mercy is the sweeter it is Possibly a kindness may cost more to keep it then it is worth Suppose a man promise me or give me wood the cutting down of the wood and bringing it home may cost me more then the wood is worth So a kindness may cost one more care then the thing it self doth amount unto But now preventing mercy cost me nothing it is cut down to my hand it is brought into my hand it is costless mercy it cost me nothing surely therefore it is very sweet 3. But then again Thirdly The more perfect and compleat and entire any mercy is the sweeter it is Half-mercies are not so sweet as whole Preventing mercy is compleat and entire In the 16 of Ezek. you may see what a compleat mercy is there given I washed thee with water vers 9. I throughly washed away thy Blood and I annoynted thee with oyntment I cloathed thee also with broydered work and shod thee with Badgers skin and I girded thee about with fine linnen and I covered thee with silk I decked thee also with Ornaments and I put bracelets upon thine hands and a Chain on thy neck and I put a Jewel on thy forehead and ear-rings in thine eares and a beautifull Crown upon thine head and so he goes on What mercy was this It was preventing mercy I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own blood and said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloody live So then preventing mercy is the most compleat mercy and it must needs be so for it comes immediately out of Gods hand and not through the hand of the second cause That that comes immediately put of Gods hand not running through the hand of the second cause is most compleat Upon this account our Justification is more perfect and compleat then our Sanctification because it comes immediately out of the hand of God and not out of our own hand In Justification our guilt is removed in Sanctification our filth is removed our guilt is offensive to our selves our filth is offensive to God Now one would think God should rather take away all our filth that is offensive to himself then all our guilt that is offensive to us no but our Justification is perfect our Sanctification not perfect why because our Justification comes immediately out of the hand of God and doth not run through our own hand for though we be justified by our Faith yet it is as Faith is Gods Instrument not as our act Now the more immediately that any mercy comes out of the hand of God and the less out of our hand the more perfect and compleat it is So doth preventing mercy do and therefore must needs be very sweet 4. Again Fourthly The more that any mercy doth correct difficulty and sweeten duty the sweeter is that mercy Now preventing love doth correct difficulty and it doth sweeten duty See it in Zacheus what an hard and great work was he upon Lord sayes he the half of my goods I give to the poor Stay then suppose his Estate was a thousand pounds he would have but five hundred pounds left and Lord sayes he If I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I restore him fourfold Suppose he had wronged men to the value of a hundred pounds there 's four hundred pounds more gone so there 's but a hundred pounds left of a thousand What an hard work is this yet mark how easily he comes off to this hard work Behold Lord why he had drunk deep of preventing love Zacheus come down sayes Christ for to day I must abide at thine house Christ doth not come and say Zacheus give half thy goods to the poor and if thou hast wronged any man restore him fourfold and then I will come to thy house no but Zacheus Come down for this day I must abide at thy house preventing him with his love and then this hard work comes off easily There is nothing will correct difficulty and sweeten duty more then preventing love therefore preventing love must needs be sweet And thus now you see what there is in preventing love that is so sweet to a gracious soul That is the Fifth VI. But now Sixthly and Lastly You will say Suppose I have tasted of preventing love and mercy suppose I have had experience of it for I must needs say this is my case for I was going on in the way of my sin and God prevented me many a time with his preventing Grace I have been backward to and dull in duty and God hath many a time prevented me with assisting Grace I have been full of unbeleef and said I am cast off and shall never see the face of God again but the Lord hath prevented me with his comforting grace and with the shines of his face I was galloping to Hell as fast as I could but God hath prevented me with his saving Grace And as for my outward Estate in the World I was low and knew not what to do and God prevented me with such a Gift such a House and Land what hath my life been but a Bundle of preventing mercy if any have drunk deep of this preventing grace I may say I have much more Now what is my Duty that doth flow from hence 1. If you have tasted of Gods preventing love and mercy if God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness why then should not your hearts be filled with the sense thereof why should not your thoughts be much thereupon How God hath prevented you at such a time in such a thing The more sense you have of Gods preventing love and mercy the more humbly you will walk with God and the more closely especially considering that God will not upbraid you If a man takes a Beggar from the Dunghil and makes her his Wife prevents her with his love and kindness the sense of his preventing love will make her walk humbly all her dayes unless the man upbraid her with it if he upbraids her with it it will not make her walk humbly but unless he upbraids her with it the sense of it will make her walk humbly all her dayes Friends God doth prevent us with his love and will not upbraid us with his preventions and therefore why should we not walk humbly and why should we not think much thereon and have our hearts filled with the
sense thereof The more necessary and useful any mercy is the more we are engaged to think thereon Some mercies are more necessary and some less necessary Those mercies and blessings we put God upon the giving of with our own desires we may suspect are less necessary but those that God gives us in a way of preventing love we may think them most necessary This is the wâ—y of preventing love surely therefore we are ingaged to think much thereon thus ye become Gods Darlings by his preventing love The World hath its Darlings such a one lyes long in bed takes little pains yet the World flows in upon him the World prevents him he is the Worlds Darling another man is up early and late takes a great deal of pains and yet is Poor but here 's a man do what he will yet he grows Rich for he is the Worlds Darling So now you have blessing upon blessing and in a way of prevention What doth this argue but that you are Gods Darlings And will you not think much of this O think much thereon 2. If you have tasted of this preventing love and mercy go away and be very thankfull to God upon this account Shall David be thankfull to the Lord for preventing him taking him from the Sheep-fold and will not you be thankfull for preventing mercy Shall Ruth be thankfull to Boaz for preventing her with his Kindness spreading his skirt over her and will not you be thankfull to the Lord for his preventing love to you Why should ye not all say with David here He hath prevented me with the blessings of his goodness Indeed I was a great sinner but he hath prevented me with his Justifying Mercy and I was a wandring creature as a lost sheep but he hath prevented me with his Redeeming Mercy Gpd spake once and twice unto me and I heard it not but in the deep sleep of my soul then did he open mine ears and seal instruction on me before I was aware therefore all that is within me blesse the Lord. O you that are thus prevented blesse the Lord for this his preventing mercy his sweet mercy 3. But thirdly If you have tasted of Gods preventing mercy and have indeed been prevented with the blessings of his goodness even your very prayers have been prevented with the blessings of his goodness Why then should ye not be early up and sooner at your prayers that if it may be you may prevent Gods mercy with your prayers as God hath prevented your prayers with his mercy When a Master comes into the Chamber where his Servant lyes and finds him in bed what sayes the Servant if he be ingenious This my Masters coming into my bed-chamber before I was up is a plain rebuke to my sloth I will be up the sooner hereafter So sayes a gracious ingenious soul Gods preventing my prayer with his mercy is a plaine rebuke to my prayer wherefore awake prayer up prayer through the grace of God I will never be so tardy again with my Prayer and Duty but as God hath prevented my prayer with his mercy so through grace I will prevent his mercy with my prayer for the time to come 4. If you have tasted of Gods preventing mercy and God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness why then should ye not all labour to be like unto God in your dealings with men preventing them with your loving kindness You think it a great matter to forgive a man that hath injured you upon acknowledging of his fault but God prevents us with his forgiveness before we acknowledge and be humbled therefore why should you not labour to be like to God therein If a man hath done you a wrong or injury do not stand upon it to have his acknowledgement but say I will be like to God God prevents me with his love before my acknowledgement therefore through Grace I will prevent this man with my kindness before his acknowledgement I will forgive him Thus labour to be like unto God in all your dealings with men 5. But Fifthly and Lastly If you have tasted of this preventing love and God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness why then why should ye not trust in the Lord for ever Whatsoever your condition be trust in the Lord and believe for ever now for your souls for your bodies Some there are that doubt of their Salvation of the salvation of their Souls Ah sayes one I am afraid I shall not be saved because my prayer cannot be accepted But will the Lord be found of those that seek him not and will he not be found of you that seek him Though your prayers are poor prayers Ah sayes another I am afraid the Lord will not receive me when I come to him he will not receive me No But if the Lord comes to us first and makes a tender and offer of his Grace to us if he seeks us will he not receive them think you that seek him Surely he will Some there are that doubt in reference to their outward condition and say they shall want Provision shall want Estates to maintain them but hath the Lord prevented you with his mercy in the great turns of your life why then should you not trust in the Lord though you see no means at all how you should be supplyed Heretofore God hath prevented you with his mercies and why should you not say God hath prevented me heretofore therefore now I 'le trust in him though I see no means of supply Whatsoever your condition be trust in the Lord now upon this account and believe believe Let me say this to you Would you believe Do you desire to believe Yes I desire to believe do ye Then let your eye be fixed upon Gods preventing love What is the reason that men do not believe but because their eyes are fixed no more stedily upon preventing love The more you know God is willing to help you the more you will believe I believe that you will say Now I pray then tell me Suppose a man comes to a Beggar and before the Beggar asks the man gives him money will not the Beggar conclude that this man was willing to relieve him Yes Thus now it is we beg and we beg but it is as no begging then comes the Lord and prevents us with his mercy will you not say the Lord is willing to shew mercy Surely he is Now therefore seeing God is thus willing to shew mercy O then believe you that have gone doubting and fearing and trembling all your dayes for shame now believe Have you tasted of Gods preventing mercy time after time in the matter of your Justification in the matter of your Sanctification in the matter of your Consolation and in reference to your outward Concernments O trust in the Lord for ever upon this account and magnifie the freeness of his Grace Now go away and say through free Grace I 'le doubt no more Upon all occasions trust in the Lord O you that have been made partakers of preventing mercy FINIS