would not have accomplisht and by that cunning fetch of the Woman of Tekoah brings into the light that birth of desire whereof he knew David was both bigg and ashamed 2 Sam. 14.21 See here the mask of Royal Indulgence It is not David that recalls Absalom Not He he only does it to answer the humble Petition of an importunate Subject and to follow the advice of Joab a discreet Councellor The King said Behold now I have done this thing that ye desire go therefore bring the young man Absalom again But stay Another fetch Let him turn to his own House and let him not see my face v. 24. for fear the People should cry shame on this unjust Indulgence 2. Absalom the Rebel Absalom the Traitor 2 Sam. 15.10 Having prepar'd the People for a Rebellion by a wicked insinuation of his Fathers unjust Government he sets up as King in Hebron and the Conspiracy was strong His Eye is on the Metropolis His first March must be to Jerusalem To make room for the young Rebel the poor old Father must pack up and be gone v. 14. with an heavy heart weeping eye cover'd head and bare feet as it were Never did he with more Joy come up to this City than now left it with Sorrow And how could he do otherwise when the Insurrection of his dearly beloved Son drove him out from his chief City and Throne yea from the Ark of God 1. His first Prank was a sufficient Earnest of what was like to ensue An Act of the highest incestuous Uncleanness that ever the Sun saw They spread Absalom a Tent upon the top of the House and Absalom went in to his Fathers Concubines in the sight of All Israel 2 Sam. 16.2.22 23. The Practice was like the counsel v. 22. as deep as Hell it self An Act uncapable of Forgiveness Beside the usurping the Throne to violate the Bed of his Father unto his treason to adde incest is no less unnatural that the World might see that Absalom neither hoped nor cared for the reconciliation of a Father And as if the villany could not have beâ—n shameful enough in secret he sets up his Tent in the top of the House and lets all Israel be witness of his own sin and his Fathers shame Ordinary sins are for Vulgar Offenders but Absalom sins like himself eminently transcendently and doth that which may make the World at once to blush and wonder The filthiness of the Sin is not more great than the impudence of the Matter 2. His pursuit 2 Sam. 15.14 Absalom is now on his High march ready to make his onset David rallies up all the forces he could make not so much to Assault his Son as to defend himself But see his charge 2 Sam. 18.5 The King commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai his three Generals saying Fight neither against small nor great for they poor deluded Souls are come forth in the simplicity of their hearts are meerly drawn in and Know not any thing 2 Sam. 15.11 but against the Head and Ringleader of these Rebels that Son or traitor rather that came forth of my Bowels and seeks my life 2 Sam. 16.11 Is not this Davids Charge No not such a Syllable in their Commission But thus which is not to be mention'd without a blush Deal gently for my sake with the young man even with Absalom 2 Sam. 18.5 But stay what do I hear Is this the voice of David what that David that formerly was forced to employ his Arms for his defence against a tyrannous Father-in-law and is now forced to buckle them on against an unnatural Son What he that has muster'd his men commission'd his Generals marshal'd his Troops what is this his charge and word and signal for the Battel Doth he at once seem to encourage them by his eye and restrain them with his tongue Oh! David what means this ill-placed Love this unjust cruel mercy Deal gently with a traitor of all Traitors with a Son of all Sons with an Absalom The graceless murtherous incestuous traiterous Son of so good so tender a Father And all this for my sake whose Crown Kingdom Blood he hunts after For whose sake must this wretch be pursued if he must be forborn for thine He was still courteous thô hypocritically to thy followers affable to Suitors plausible to all Israel that so he might be perfectly cruel to thee Wherefore are these Arms if the sole cause of the quarrel must be the Attractive perswasive motive of Mercy Yet thou sayst Deal gently We see even in the holiest Parents on Earth corrupt Nature may be guilty of most unjust tenderness of bloody Indulgence But let 's advance a step farther 3. The Battel is joyn'd The God of Justice takes part with Justice lets Israel foolish Israel feel what it is to take part with and to bear Arms for a traiterous Usurper 2 Sam. 18.6 to 9. the Sword devours twenty thousand of them and the Wood devour'd more than the Sword Among the rest the loyal Oak singles out the Ringleader of this horrible Conspiracy and by one of his spreading Arms becomes at once his Gaol and Gibbet The Justice of God twists an Halter of his locks and no marvail if his own Hair turn'd traitor to him who durst rise up against his Father Joab is inform'd that the Beast is noos'd comes and sees him hanging makes no demurr but immediately thrust three darts through the Heart of the bloody Traitor Wâ—â—t the poor Souldier forbore to do in obedience v. 12 13. that the General doth in zeal v. 14. not fearing to preferr his Sovereigns safety before and beyond all little respects whatever as being more tender of the Life of his Prince and the peace of his People than the weak or strohg affections of a misguided Father v. 14 15. 4. Now for the Catastrophe the last Scene the Battel 's ended David hears the Trumpets sound a Retreat What news Our Care is wont to be where our Love is How fares the Army Joab Abishai Ittai my Generals how is it with them My Crown does it stand more firm and fixt or is it fallen Speak Ahimaaz say Cushi None of this in the least but to the everlasting reproach of fond Parents Is the young man Absalom safe v. 29. Ahimaaz prudently answers The Lord hath deliver'd up the men that lift up their hand against my Lord the King v. 28 29. Ahimaaz turn thou aside and stand thou here Behold here comes Cushi with a joyful heart and open mouth Tydings my Lord the King for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee v. 32. But these are not the Tidings that David so much pants after Cushi thou must learn to distinguish betwixt the King and the Father and tell him plainly Is the young man Absalom safe v. 32. That murtherous incestuous Traitor whom thou callest the young man is dead O King And let the Enemies of my Lord the King and
mans Conscience in the sight of God Paul's Preaching this is the principal thing to be aimed at and it is the proper source of all profitable Preaching To conclude You that are Ministers suffer a Word of Exhortation Men Brethren and Fathers you are called to an high and holy Calling your Work is full of Danger full of Duty and full of Mercy You are called to the winning of Souls an Employment near a-kin unto our Lords work the saving of Souls and the nearer your spirits be in conformity to his holy temper and frame the fitter you are for and the more fruitfull you shall be in your work None of you are ignorant of the begun departure of our Glory and the daily advance of its departure and the sad appearances of the Lords being about to leave us utterly Should not these Signs of the times rowse up Ministers unto greater seriousness What can be the reason of this sad Observation that when formerly a few Lights raised up in the Nation did shine so as to scatter and dispell the darkness of Popery in a little time yet now when there are more and more Learned men amongst us yet the Darkness comes on apace Is it not because they were men filled with the Holy Ghost and with Power and many of us are only filled with Light and Knowledge and inefficacious Notions of Gods Truth Doth not always the Spirit of the Ministers propagate it self amongst the People A lively Ministry and lively Christians Therefore be serious at heart believe and so speak feel and so speak and as you teach so doe and then People will feel what you say and obey the Word of God And lastly for People It is not unfit that you should hear of Ministers Work and Duty and Difficulties you see that all is of your Concernment All things are for your sakes as the Apostle in another case Then only I intreat you 1. Pity us We are not Angels but men of like Passions with your selves Be fuller of Charity than of Censure We have all that you have to do about the saving of our own Souls and a great Work besides about the saving of yours We have all your difficulties as Christians and some that you are not acquainted with that are only Ministers Temptations and Tryals 2. Help us in our Work If you can do any thing help us in the work of Winning Souls What can we do say you O! a great deal Be but won to Christ and we are made Make haste to Heaven that you and we may meet joyfully before the Throne of God and the Lamb. 3. Pray for us How often and how earnestly doth Paul begg the Prayers of the Churches and if he did so much more should we begg them and you grant them for our Necessities and Weaknesses are greater than his 2 Thess 3.1 2. Finally Brethren pray for us that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not Faith THE CHAMBER of IMAGERY IN THE Church of ROME laid open OR AN Antidote against Popery Quest How is the Practical Love of Truth the best Preservative against Popery SERMON X. 1 PET. II.III. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious WHen false Worship had prevailed in the Church of old unto its Ruine God shewed and represented it unto his Prophet under the name and appearance of a Chamber of Imagery Ezek. 8.11 12. For therein were pourtraied all the Abomination wherewith the Worship of God was defiled and Religion corrupted Things relating unto Divine Truth and Worship have had again the same event in the world especially in the Church of Rome And my present Design is to take a view of the Chambers of their Imagery and to shew what was the occasion and what were the Means of their Erection and in them we shall see all the Abomination wherewith the Divine Worship of the Gospel hath been corrupted and Christian Religion ruined Unto this end it will be necessary to lay down some such Principles of Sacred Truth as will demonstrate and evince the Grounds and Causes of that Transformation of the Substance and Power of Religion into a Lifeless Image which shall be proved to have fallen out amongst them And because I intend their benefit principally who resolve all their Perswasion in Religion into the Word of God I shall deduce these Principles from that Passage of it in the first Epistle of the Apostle Peter Chap. 2. and the three first Verses The first Verse contains an Exhortation unto or an Injunction of universal Holiness by the laying aside or casting out whatever is contrary thereunto wherefore lay aside all Malice and all guile and hypocrisie and envy and all evil speaking the Rule whereof extends unto all other vicious habits of Mind whatever And in the Second there is a Profession of the Means whereby this End may be attained namely how any one may be so strengthened in Grace as to cast out all such sinful Inclinations and Practises as are contrary unto the Holiness required of us which is the Divine Word compared therefore unto Food which is the Means of preserving Natural Life and of increasing its strength As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Hereon the Apostle proceeds to declare the Condition whereon our profiting growing and thriving by the Word doth depend and this is an experience of its Power as it is the Instrument of God whereby he conveys his Grace unto us if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious See 1 Thes 1.5 Therein lies the first and chief Principle of our ensuing Demonstration and it is this All the Benefit and Advantage which any men do or may receive by the Word or the Truths of the Gospel depend on an experience of its Power and Efficacy in communicating the Grace of God unto their Souls This Principle is evident in it self and not to be questioned by any but such as never had the least real sence of Religion on their own Minds Besides it is evidently contained in the Testimony of the Apostle before laid down Hereunto three other Principles of equal Evidence with it self are supposed and virtually contained in it 1. There is a Power and Efficacy in the Word and the Preaching of it Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it 〈…〉 Pâ—â—â—r of God unto salvation It hath a divine Power the Power of God accompanying it and put forth in it unto its proper Ends for the Word of Gâ—d is quick and powerful Heb. 4.12 2. The Power that is in the Word of God consists in its efficacy to communicate Grace of God unto the Souls of man in and by it they taste that 〈◊〉 Lord is gracious that is is efficacy unto its proper Ends. These are Salvation with all things requisite
them Many dark Souls are assaulted by the erroneous and told that they are in a wrong way and they must take up some Errour as a necessary Truth and so are cast into perplexing difficulties and perhaps repent of the Truth which they before owned Many fearful Christians are troubled about every Meal that they eat about their Cloaths their Thoughts and Words thinking or fearing that all is sinful which is lawful and that unavoidable infirmities are heinous sins All such as these are Troubles and Sorrows without Cause and therefore overmuch 2. Sorrow is overmuch when it hurteth and overwhelmeth Nature it self and destroyeth bodily Health or Understanding Grace is the due qualification of Nature and Duty is the right employment of it but neither of them must destroy it As Civil and Ecclesiastick and Domestick Government are for edification and not for destruction so also is personal self-government God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice and he that would not have us kill or hurt our Neighbour on pretence of Religion would not have us destroy or hurt our selves being bound to love our Neighbour but as our selves As Fasting is a Duty no further than it tendeth to some good as to express or exercise true humiliation or to mortifie some fleshly Lust c. so is it with sorrow for sin it is too much when it doth more hurt than good But of this next II. When Sorrow swalloweth up the Sinner it is overmuch and to be restrained As 1. The Passions of Grief and Trouble of mind do oft overthrow the sober and sound use of Reason so that a mans Judgment is corrupted and perverted by it and is not in that case to be trusted As a man in raging Anger so one in fear or great trouble of mind thinks not of things as they are but as his Passion represents them about God and Religion and about his own Soul and his Actions or about his Friends or Enemies his Judgment is perverted and usually false and like an enflamed Eye thinks all things of the colour which is like it self When it perverteth Reason it is overmuch 2. Overmuch Sorrow disableth a man to govern his Thoughts and ungoverned Thoughts must needs be both sinful and very troublesom Grief carrieth them away as in a Torrent you may almost as easily keep the Leavs of Trees in quietness and order in a blustring Wind as the Thoughts of one in troubling Passions If Reason would stop them from perplexing Subjects or turn them to better and sweeter things it cannot do it it hath no power against the stream of troubling Passions 3. Overmuch Sorrow would swallow up Faith it self and greatly hindereth its Exercise They are Matters of unspeakable Joy which the Gospel calleth us to believe and it is wonderful hard for a grieved troubled Soul to believe any thing that is matter of Joy much less of so great Joy as Pardon and Salvation are Though it dare not flatly give God the Lie it hardly believes his free and full Promises and the expressions of his readiness to receive all penitent returning Sinners Passionate Grief serveth to feel somewhat contrary to the Grace and Promises of the Gospel and that feeling hinders Faith 4. Over much Sorrow yet more hindreth Hope when men think that they do believe Gods Word and that his Promises are all true to others yet cannot they Hope for the promised Blessings to themselves Hope is that Grace by which a Soul that believeth the Gospel to be true doth comfortably expect that the benefits promised shall be its own it s an applying Act. The first act of Faith saith the Gospel is true which promiseth Grace and Glory through Christ The next act of Faith saith I will trust my Soul and all upon it and take Christ for my Saviour and Help And then Hope saith I hope for this Salvation by him But Melancholly overwhelming Sorrow and Trouble is as great an Adversary to this Hope as water is to fire or snow to heat Despair is its very pulse and breath Fain such would have hope but they cannot All their thoughts are suspitious and misgiving and they can see nothing but danger and misery and a helpless state And when Hope which is the Anchor of the Soul is gone what wonder if they be continually tost with storms 5. Over much sorrow swalloweth up all comfortable Sense of the Infinite Goodness and Love of God and thereby hindereth the Soul from Loving Him And in this it is an Adversary to the very Life of Holiness It is exceeding hard for such a troubled Soul to apprehend the Goodness of God at all but much harder to judg that he is good and amiable to him But as a man that in the Desarts of Lybia is scorched with the violent heats of the Sun and is ready to dyâ— with draught and faintness may confess that the Sun is the Life of the Earth and a Blessing to mankind but it is misery and death to him even so these Souls overwhelmed with Grief may say that God is good to others but he seems an Enemy to them and to seek their destruction They think he hateth them and hath forsaken them and how can they love such a God who they think doth hate them and resolve to damn them and hath decreed them to it from Eternity and brought them into the world for no other end They that can hardly love an Enemy that doth but defame them or oppress and wrong them will more hardly love a God that they believe will damn them and hath remedilesly appointed them thereto 6. And then it must needs follow that this distemper is a false and injurious Judg of all the Word and Works of God and of all his mercies and corrections Whatever such a one reads or hears he thinks it all makes against him every sad Word and Threatning in Scripture he thinks meaneth him as if it named him But the Promises and Comforts he hath no part in as if he had been by name excepted All Gods mercies are extenuated and taken for no mercies as if God intended them all but to make his sin the greater and to encrease his heavy reckoning and further his damnation He thinks God doth but sugar over poison to him and give him all in Hatred and not in any Love with a design to sink him the deeper in Hell And if God correct him he supposeth that it is but the beginning of his misery and God doth torment him before the time 7. And by this you see that it is an Enemy to Thankfulness it rather reproacheth God for his Mercies as if they were Injuries than giveth him any hearty thanks 8. And by this you may see that this distemper is quite contrary to the Joy in the Holy Ghost yea and the Peace in which Gods Kingdom much consisteth Nothing seemeth Joyful unto such distressed Souls Delighting in God and in his Word and Ways is the flowâ—r and life of true Religion But
holy thankfulness and joy And as for hardness of heart in Scripture it is taken for such a stiff rebellious obstinacy as will not be moved from their sins to obedience by any of Gods commands or threats and is called oft an Iron sinew a stiff neck c but it s never taken from the meer want of tears or passionate sorrow in a man that is willing to obey the hard hearted are the rebellious sorrow even for sin may be overmuch and a passionate woman or man may easily grieve and weep for the sin which they will not leave but obedience cannot be too much 3. And abundance are cast down by ignorance of themselves not knowing the sincerity which God hath given them grace is weak in the best of us here and little and weak grace is not very easily perceived for it acteth weakly and unconstantly and it is known but by its acts and weak grace is always joyned with too strong corruption and all sin in heart and life is contrary to grace and doth obscure it and such persons usually have too little knowledge and are too strange at home and unskilful in examining and watching their hearts and keeping its accounts And how can any under all these hinderances yet keep any full assurance of their own sincerity if with muchado they get some assurances neglect of duty or coldness in it or yielding to temptation or unconstancy in close obedience will make them question all again and ready to say it was all but hypocrisie and a sad and melancholly frame of mind is always apt to conclude the worse and hardly brought to see any thing that is good and tends to comfort 4. And in such a case there are too few that know how to fetch comfort from bare probabilities when they get not certainty much less from the meer offers of Grace and Salvation even when they cannot deny but they are willing to accept them and if none should have comfort but those that have assurance of their sincerity and salvation despair would swallow up the soules of most even of true believers 5. And Ignorance of other men increaseth the fears and sorrows of some They think by our preaching and writing that we are much better then we are And then they think that they are graceless because they come short of our supposed measures whereas if they dwelt with us and saw our failings or knew us but as well as we know our selves or saw all our sinful thoughts and vicious dispositions written in our fore-heads they would be cured of this errour 6. And unskilful Teachers do cause the griefs and perplexities of very many some cannot open to them clearly the tenor of the Covenant of grace some are themselves unacquainted with any spiritual heavenly consolations and many have no experience of any inward holiness and renewal by the Holy Ghost and know not what sincerity is nor wherein a Saint doth differ from an ungodly sinner as wicked deceivers make good and bad to differ but a little if not the best to be taken for the worst so some unskilful men do place sincerity in such things as are not so much as duty as the Papists in their manifold inventions and superstitions and many Sects in their unsound opinions And some unskilfully and unsoundly describe the state of grace and tell you how far an hypocrite may go so as unjustly discourageth and confoundeth the weaker sort of Christians and cannot amend the mis-expression of their Books or Teachers * One of my Hearers fell distracted with reading some passages in Mr. Sheepherds sincere Beleever which were not justifiable or sound And too many Teachers lay mens comforts if not Salvation on controversies which are past their reach and pronounce heresie and damnation against that which they themselves understand not even the Christian world these one thousand three hundred or one thousand two hundred years is divided into parties by the Teachers unskilful quarrels about words which they took in several sences Is it any wonder if the hearers of such are distracted IV. I have told you the causes of distracted sorrows I am now to tell you what is the cure but alas it is not so soon done as told and I shall begin where the disease beginneth and tell you both what the Patient himself must do and what must be done by his friends and Teachers I. Look not on the sinful part of your troubles either as better or worse than indeed it is 1. Too many persons in their sufferings and sorrows think they are only to be pittyed and take little notice of the sin that caused them or that they still continue to commit and too many unskilful friends and Ministers do only comfort them when a round chiding and discovery of their sin should be the better part of the Cure and if they were more sensible how much sin their is in their overvaluing the world and not trusting God and in there hard thoughts of him and their poor unholy thoughts of his goodness and in their undervaluing the heavenly Glory which should satisfie them in the most afflicted State and in their daily Impatiences cares and discontents and in denying the mercies or grace received this would do more to cure some than words of comfort when they say as Jonah I do well to be angry and think that all their denials of Grace and distracting sorrows and wrangling against Gods love and mercy are their duties its time to make them know how great sinners they are 2. And yet when as foolishly they think that all these sins are marks of a graceless state and that God will take the Devils temptations for their sins and condemn them for that which they abhor and take their very disease of melancholly for a crime this also needs confutation and reprehension that they may not by errour cherish their passions or distress II. Particularly Give not way to a habit of peevish impatience though it is carnal love to somewhat more than to God and Glory which is the damning sin yet Impatience must not pass for innocence did you not reckon upon sufferings and of bearing the Cross when you first gave up your selves to Christ And do you think it strange look for it and make it your daily study to prepare for any tryal that God may bring you to and then it will not surprize you and overwhelm you Prepare for the loss of Children and Friends for the loss of Goods and for Poverty and Want prepare for slanders injuries or poysons for sickness pain and death It is your unpreparedness that maketh it seem unsufferable And remember that it is but a vile body that suffereth which you alwayes knew must suffer death and rot to dust and whoever is the instrument of your sufferings it is God that tryeth you by it and when you think that you are only displeased with men you are not guiltless of murmuring against God or else his overruling hand
our Fathers have told us this and that Observation And likewise as we have heard so we have seen what may be very useful to many a Soul So that you see a good Memory is useful many ways 6. The want of Memory is a great defect and loss when we cannot remember what we read or hear why time is lost I will not say quite lost but it s not improv'd The Chapter 's lost I hope you do not read only to pass the time When Gods Word is remembred then When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee Prov. 6.22 But a broken memory hath heard of Gods famous Acts of Providence but forgotten them hath read rare examples of Gods Mercy Justice Power and Goodness but they are slipt and lost In a word so far as thy Memory fails so far will Meditation fail Delectation fail and Practice in a great measure fail And therefore set your selves in the use of the means prescribed and all other good means to heal and strengthen your memories and give the more earnest heed to the things which ye have heard lest at any time ye let them slip Heb. 2.1 And so far in the third use 4. The fourth Exhortation is to young people to store your Memories in the time of Youth Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Youth Now your Memories are fresh and strong hereafter they will be shattered with cares and business A new Ship or any Vessel that is new is free from leaks but time and travel will batter it so will it be with you care will batter you grief will batter you and therefore now store your selves now a dozen Chapters a good Catechism a Collection of useful Texts and Doctrines will take no room nor make you go the heavier nor sleep the worse And therefore it concerns Parents both to have such things in their hearts and to teach them diligently to their Children perhaps they may not understand the sense of them at the present but these will be ready in their minds till grace and understanding come and then they will help them exceedingly As we lay some sticks or fagots ready in the Chimney which when fire comes signifies something Yet a measure must be observed both with old and young a Ship may be laden but must not be overcharged lest all the Cargo be sunk and lost A just discretion will best determine the measure herein according to the capacities of the Subjects 5. Let us all labour for more holiness for that raiseth all the faculties and reduces them to their right frame and proper Objects The more Grace we have the better we shall remember and especially better things Grace saith excellent Dr. Harris strengthens the memory always for practice though it serve not always for Discourse some says he have such memories that they can repeat vastly but when they should advance to practise they are nobody when others are more confused in their memories but very clear in their practise A grain of Grace is worth an ounce of Parts For thereby we love truths and duties better and it is easy to remember that which we love and therefore let it be our daily Prayer that the God of Peace would sanctifie us wholly Spirit Soul Body all It is not for Christians to enquire just how little Grace will serve our turn for Salvation but rather how much may be attained and improved to the glory of God 6. Lastly Reduce into practice that which you do remember Christus Magister vitae non schola The end of all true knowledge is Practice Remember his Commandments to do them If it be a Doctrinal Truth which you read or hear consider what influence it hath upon the Heart If it be a duty which is set before you immediately set about it If a sin be exposed presently root it out If Sincerity or Hypocrisie be decyphered try thy spiritual State thereby without delay For as a Treasure in the Chest is in danger of the Robber but when it s laid out on a good Purchase here its safe from starting so while spiritual Notions swim only in the memory you may easily lose them but they are safe when they are once incorporated into your real Practise But alas there are too many that are like those whiffling Chapmen who come to the Shop and lay by a great many rich wares but when all is done they buy few or none so these cheapen and bid for the Pearl but will not buy it they will talk over all the points of Religion before they will seriously Practise any one of them Then you remember the Sabboth a right when you so remember it before it comes that when it comes you keep it Holy Then you remember God truly when you fear and love and trust in him Then you remember your Neighbour as you ought when you remember to do good and Communicate Then you remember your selves best when you remember to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God or men In a word then you remember your latter end rightly when you keep your oyl ready in your Lamps and in your Vessels that your Master may find you so doing But I conclude It is worth observing that Holy David among all the rest of his blessed Psalms hath one which is the Thirty eight Psalm which he Stiles a Psalm of David to bring to remembrance His memory it seems had need of help as well as ours Now the Lord grant that this Sermon may by the blessing of God upon it be herein at least useful namely to preserve better Sermons in your mind so shall I have my end God the Glory and you the Comfort Amen Quest What are the Signs and Symptoms whereby we know we love the Children of God SERMON XV. I. JOHN V. II By this we know we love the Children of God if we love God and keep his Commandments OF all the Marks that are useful in the Trial of our spiritual state in reference to Eternity there is none affords a more clear and comfortable assurance of Gods special and saving Mercy than Love to the Saints This has often resolved the Doubts and quieted the Fears of afflicted enquiring Souls when other Graces have not been so apprehensible in their operations But there is no Mark which the deceitful heart does more securely rest upon through the mistake of natural humane Love for that which is spiritual and divive it is therefore most worthy our serious thoughts the deceit being so easie and infinitely dangerous to shew what is the unfeigned genuine Love of the Brethren to which Salvation is annext to confirm the humble sincere Christian and undeceive presuming hypocrites The great Design of St. John in this Epistle is to excite and enflame in Christians the Love of God and of their Brethren the two comprehensive Duties and Sum of the Law
the more we are in the dark the more at a loss yea the more perplexed and confused are our Apprehensions This the Transcendency of the Doctrines and Providences of God does evince which is enough to shew how humble we ought to be when we discourse of God and how modest in our Enquiries into his Doctrines and Providences Content thy self therefore with what is clearly revealed and leave what is hid and above thee unto God Be not thou so bold as to measure the boundless Mysteries of God by thy narrow confined Understanding neither do thou presume to reject what thou canst not comprehend What is of God is above thee for God is God he is cloathâ—â— with Honour and Majesty and with that Light which is inaccessible We ought therefore to be modest when we speak of the unsearchable Doctrines and Providences of God for in them we see enough to admire but can never comprehend and when we have spent all our time to find out God and the Infinity of his Being the Mystery of the Trinity the Mode of his Workings or Operations the depth of his Contrivances about the accomplishing fallen mans Salvation and all the great Counsels of God and the Intricacy of his Providences we must come to this Close with the Apostle O! the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Quest How ought we to do our duty towards others tho they do not theirs towards us SERMON XIX ROM XII 21. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good WHEN God first made the Heavens and the Earth Gen. 31.1 and all the Host of them looking back upon his Work as taking delight in it He saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good There was an excellent order and sweet harmony every where all the Creatures above and below making then but one Host Gen. 2.1 did conspire to glorifie their Creator and be beneficial one to another So that if man had stood in his integrity the Earth would have been a kind of Heaven to him but when he put forth his hand to take and eat of the tree of knowledg of good and evil which alone of all the great Variety was forbidden him an inundation of sin and misery broke in upon him and all his Posterity For from that one sin of his there sprung in a little time a far greater number of sins than persons out of his loins one sin still begetting another and that another till in a while the earth was filled with violence Gen. 6.11 God not willing to leave things in this woful state designed a Renovation by a Second Adam a Reconciler one that should be our peace both with God and one another that there might be peace above and peace below restored again There were two Songs sung to this purpose the one at Christs coming into the World the other as he was about to depart out of it the former by a multitude of the Heavenly Host saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace the latter by the whole multitude of the Disciples saying Peace in heaven and glory in the highest Luke 2.14 and 29.38 The subordinate means of Reconciliation is the Gospel called the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 Eph. 6.15 and the Gospel of peace This is the great Engine in the hand of God to bring men powerfully yet sweetly to God and one another There are no Arguments so powerful to perswade to holiness towards God and righteousness towards men as those drawn from Gospel-Grace The Grace of God which bringeth salvation will teach a man those lessons Tit. 2.11 12. which can never be truly learned otherwise To live soberly righteously and godly Therefore our Apostle like a wise Master-builder in his Epistles usually as may be seen particularly in those to the Ephesians and Colossians lays a good Foundation for Gospel-obedience in the Grace thereof He first sets forth the great mystery of Redemption by Jesus Christ and the Grace of God therein and then concludes with exhortation to all duties both to God and Man from the consideration thereof He doth the like here in this to the Romans For having in the foregoing part of the Epistle convinced both Jew and Gentile and concluded all under sin and shewed the only way to Justification to be by the Grace of God through Jesus Christ he comes in this and the following Chapters to engage them to their duty both to God and Man See how he doth it ver 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Your bodies that is your selves souls and bodies the body being put by a Synecdoche for the whole man He expresseth both elsewhere as due to God upon the account of redeeming-love 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods He exhorts them to many excellent duties in this Chapter upon all which the word therefore ver 1. hath a powerful influence Altho the duty here exhorted to in the last Verse be so high that it is not easie to reach unto it viz. not to be overcome of evil but overcome evil with good yet the consideration of the mercies of God mentioned above will make this appear to be but a reasonable service The point of Doctrine from this Text is Doct. That every Christian should not only take heed that he be not overcome of evil but endeavour what in him lieth to overcome evil with good It divides it self into Two Branches 1. Every Christian should take heed that he be not overcome of evil 2. Every Christian ought to endeavour what in him lieth to overcome evil with good We shall speak a little to each of these in order and make the Application of both together which done you will see How we ought to do our duty towards others tho they do not theirs towards us I begin with the first 1. Bran. Every Christiaa should take heed that he be not overcome of evil By evil understand any unkind or injurious dealing from others which may be 1. By detaining or withdrawing from us the love or the fruits thereos which by the will of God are due to us either as men or men standing in such or such a special Relation to them Or 2. By speaking or doing that to us or against us which the Law of Love or the special Relation wherein we stand unto them forbids To be overcome of evil is to be drawn by the evil Temper or Carriage of another towards us to be of the like Temper and Carriage towards him To be so provoked by an injury done unto us as to return the like again As when two contraries are put together suppose Fire and Water that
as by abiding in Christ they are spiritually fruitful r Jo. 15.4 so they may well hope that in bringing forth their natural fruit they shall be evermore kept under Gods benign influence and blessing The promise in my Text is ensur'd upon Gods fidelity to all those good women who are interessed in it But all those who have evidence of their sincerity may be well satisfied as to their interest therein and the continuance in the exercises of the Graces of Faith Charity Holiness and Sobriety doth clearly demonstrate they are persons qualified with sincerity who in and through Christ in whom the promise is yea and amen shall certainly inherit it ſ 2 Cor. 1.20 Heb. 6.12 I may not enlarge having staid over-long already yet would crave a little further leave to make some use of what hath been said Applicat The Application of this last and chief Observation viz. That perseverance in Christian and Conjugal Graces and Duties is the best support to child-bearing women against in and under their Travail may briefly serve to teach care and administer comfort 1. This teacheth an holy care and that to Men as well as to Women We shall find they of either Sex may hence learn instruction 1. It may teach a lesson to Men whether they be in a single or a married state 1. They who are not yet married but are waiting to meet with good Wives of Gods giving they are concern'd to be careful as nigh as they can to choose such as are so qualified as to be interessed in the promise here of preservation and salvation in their child-bearing Plato * Cratyl p. 284. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. derives the Greek word for a Woman from that which signifies fruitful and a beinger forth And he that seeketh such an one to marry with only in the Lord t 1 Cor. 7.39 that things may go well with her in her child-bearing condition should consult well how she is endowed and stored with the Graces I have been discoursing of both for the good of her self and the seed she may have by him 'T is certainly of great importance to make choice of such a Yoke-fellow as may be assuredly entitled to this good and comfortable word that we have here before us for the support of child-bearing Wives in whose sorrows and joys good-natur'd and conscientious Husbands cannot but have their shares 2. They who have Wives already should take special care upon this account to discharge the duties of good Husbands towards their child-bearing Wives with all good fidelity viz. 1. To dwell with them according to knowledg giving honour unto them as the weaker vessels and as being heirs together of the grace of Life that their prayers be not hindred u 1 Pet. 3.7 yea and to labour daily with them both by their Christian Advice and Holy Conversation to engage their fruitful Wives more and more to the constant exercise of these Graces and Duties that their sorrows may be sanctified to them and they may see the salvation of God in their breeding and bearing of children And if the great and holy God should in his wise Government think it best to take them hence from a child-bed they may learn to submit to his disposing will and rest the better satisfied as having good evidence of their Souls eternal welfare 2. To endeavour as much as may be to discharge the parts of good Christian and tender Husbands towards their dearest Yoke-fellows in such a travailing condition laying much to heart those antecedent concomitant and consequent pains a state of pregnancy involves them in which these Husbands themselves in such a kind cannot have experience of That as it becomes them for the sake of their good and godly Wives they may as is sometimes said of some Sympathizing ones in a sort breed with them and for them by putting on as the elect of God bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering c. w Col. 3.12 and fulfil all the Duties of the Relation they are in readily and timely providing for them not only necessaries but conveniencies as they can for their longing appetites and for the heartning of their dear and suffering Wives apt to be cast down under apprehensions of their approaching sorrows and call in aid of faithful praying Ministers and pious Friends to make requests known unto God for them And if God hears prayers 3. To be heartily thankful to God upon his giving safe deliverance to their gracious Wives from the pains and perils of child-bearing When the kind Husband hath been really apprehensive of the sicknesses pains throws and groans of his dear Wife in her breeding and bearing a child to him by aids from above nothing can be more necessarily incumbent on him than to adore and be thankful to God who hath made a comfortable separation betwixt her and the Fruit of her Womb and that as a return to prayer and hearkning unto her groanings If he who was a Samaritan found himself healed of his Leprosie upon crying unto Christ for mercy tho the other nine likely Jews remained unthankful for the same benefit came and fell down on his face at Jesus his feet giving him thanks and returning to glorifie God with a loud voice x Luke 17.15 16 17 18. as expressive of his heartiest sense of the Divine Favour in the mercy received then certainly the Christian Husband having seen his loving Wife in the exercise of the Graces I have been discoursing of to pass through the peril of child-bearing and admirably preserved therein by Gods power and goodness is greatly oblig'd to return his hearty thanks to God who hath made good his word wherein he caused them to hope in granting so signal a mercy This giving thanks is acceptable unto God and a Duty indispensably incumbent on us * Nullum officium magis quam referenda gratia necessarium Seneca who are charged y Eph. 5.4 20. to give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Much more for a singular Favour earnestly sought for and granted through difficulty and peril Thus briefly I have touch'd upon the care of married men with reference to their child-bearing Wives in the fore-mentioned Particulars Again this Doctrine teacheth 2. A Lesson of care to Women Consider them as the Men either in a single or a married state 1. If yet in a single or unmarried state and by the fair Providence of God called to the change of their condition They are concern'd to take care they may be furnished with the above-mentioned qualifications to covet earnestly not only the best Gifts but to be found in the more excellent way z 1 Cor. 12.31 This sacred ambition or holy covetousness is lawful to Virgins and may commend them to good Husbands i. e. to covet earnestly those excellent Graces of Faith Holiness Charity and Sobriety that
himself no more about us Oh take heed how you carry your selves towards him Not only upon Ingenuity Jer. 2.17 its base to be unkind to our Guid Hast thou not procured this to thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way But also upon the account of self-Love for as we behave our selves to him so he will behave himself to us Ita nos tractat ut a nobis tractatur 3. Labour after the having of the Leading of the Spirit in an higher Degree and Measure than what as yet you have attained unto 'T is not enough meerly to keep it but there must be a Getting more of it As there should be a Rise in our following so we should press after a Rise in the Spirits Leading of us And that in a threefold respect that he lead us 1. More Extensively as to the Object 2. With greater Light and Clearness Power and Efficacy as to the Manner 3. With more Eavenness and Constancy as to the Duration and Continuance of it He guides you to Truth but does he guide you to all Truth He guides you unto Truth but does he guide you into Truth and is this his Constant and Continued working in you Oh this high Measure of it we should aspire at and pant after taking up with nothing short of it And so as to Holiness and Practical Godliness the same is to be endeavoured after There is indeed much Mercy in the lowest Degree of this Act and they that have the lest should be thankful but yet a fuller Proportion may and ought to be desired by every Child of God And surely they who experience what this Leading of the Spirit is never think they have Enough of it 4. So live as that it may appear to others that you are led by this Spirit Christians your Actions and Conversations should be such as may suit with the Spirit that leads you Such as may evidence to the world that you are not in pretence only but in truth and reality under a Divine and Supernatural Conduct Do we lay claim to this Oh then what Good do we do more what Evil less than Others do VVhat live in sin do Evil things be Proud Worldly Covetous Passionate Unclean Malicious Fraudulent and yet pretend you are led by the Holy Spirit Lord what an Indignity and Affront do you put upon Him what a Cheat and Fallacy upon your own Souls Pray never talk of This unless your Lives be Holy and Good For ye who are real Saints oh that you would oft think of this and look upon it as one of the highest Engagements to Circumspect Walking You that are Guided by such a Word without and such a Spirit within What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 5. Be very thankful for this glorious Mercy Led by the Spirit admirable Love VVhat Thankfulness is due to Father Son and Spirit for it for all These have an hand though the last be more Immediately concerned in it VVhen you know not your way this Spirit shews it to you when you are weak and feeble not able to go this Spirit strengthens you I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their arms Hos 11.3 VVhen Others are left to the Conduct of their Own Light Vnderstanding Inclinations which lead them to Sin and Death you are under the Conduct of this Gracious Spirit which leads you to Grace and Glory what cause have you to admire this Distinguishing Grace How great is the Fathers Love in this who as Fathers here when they send their Sons into Foreign Countreys and they themselves cannot be with them they send a Tutor or Governour with them in all their Travels to instruct and govern and take care of them Just so does your Heavenly Father do for you in and by his Spirit in this state of your Pilgrimage and absence from him How great is the Love of the Son in this for he has Purchased and now does Actually send this Spirit to be your Teacher Monitor and Guid. And how great is the Love of the Spirit too in this All his Operations carry infinite Goodness and Condescension in them but none more than this his tender and patient Guiding of us Should not all the Persons therefore be heartily sincerely and with the greatest enlargedness of Heart blessed and adored for it Especially considering how they design and aim at the exalting of Themselves by this very Act. As in the Miraculous Leading of the People of Israel out of Egypt through the Red Sea and so on set forth Isa 43. V. 12. that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm dividing the Water before them V. 13 14. that led them through the deep as an Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble As a Beast goeth down into the Valley the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest so didst thou lead thy people for what end to make thy self a Glorious Name Surely so in that Spiritual and Gracious Leading that I am treating of the great God whether Essentially or Personally considered designs much Glory and Adoration to Himself And let him have it for he well deserves it from all that have any Experience of this Grace A Fifth Enquiry May such who are led by the Spirit fetch comfort from it 5. Enquiry Is this a solid Bottom for any to build Holy Joy upon Undoubtedly it is You who have it may rejoyce and that greatly For 1. It 's a clear Evidence a deciding Argument of your being the Sons of God And what a Soul-rejoycing Priviledge is that Sons of God this assures of dear Affection tender Care strong Protection constant Provision free Access to God ready Audience of Prayer a gracious Presence in every Condition a favourable Acceptance of all Duties a good Inheritance and Portion and what not All These Blessings are yours if ye be the Sons of God and so you are if led by the Spirit Oh then what a Ground of Comfort is this 2. As 't is a certain Evidence of Sonship here so 't is a certain Pledge of Heaven and Salvation hereafter And that both upon the account of the Relation which it instates in For if Sons then Heirs Heirs of God and Coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 And also upon the account of the Leading it self For whereever that is as 't is in Order to Salvation so this Salvation by it shall certainly be obtained Never did any perish that liv'd under the Spirits Guidance and Conduct God ever saves where the Spirit leads All that he guids come safe to the End of their Journey to their Eternal Rest 3. Besides the Things which are wrap'd up in this Leading besides the Matter and Manner of it all of which carry in them Ground of the highest Joy consider but two things Further about it 1. That it is Abiding Permanent Continuing The Spirit does not lead and