dishonor upon him yet this Saul had mighty power over his Spirit he was very meek and a quiet man in the first of Samuel 10. 27. the text saith He held his peace when the Children of Belial said What have we to do with him 4. Though he were quiet in his own cause yet he shewed himself to have an excellent spirit of Government in him in a publick cause he was full of anger when it was for the good of the people that he was a Governor over though quiet in his own in the first of Samuel 11. 6. When he heard of a dishonor done to the people of Israel the Text saith that his anger did rise within him an excellent pattern for all Governors for all in publique places to be very silent and quiet self denying putting up wrongs in their own cause but to be full of zeal for the publick cause to reserve their spirits for a publick good Many there are in publick places that when they are anger'd in their private cause how full of Spirit they are and they spend their Spirit there so much that they have no spirit at all when it comes to a publick cause Saul went beyond them in this 5. Saul was one who was much troubled at the sin of the people against God not only had a spirit to vindicate a publick wrong but when he saw the people sin against God his heart was much troubled at their very sin and seemed to be grieved for it and mighty solicitous and careful about it to prevent sin in the people this you shall have in 1 Sam. 14. 33. they told Saul there That the people had sinned in eating with blood upon that Saul shews himself displeased Come saith he and do not sin against the Lord roul a stone to me hither and so he would see with his own eyes that they did slay the Cattel and they did powr forth the blood that they might not sin against God in eating blood this was his care 6. Saul he was very careful to enquire of God what he should do in businesses of great consequence in the 37. ver of that 14. chap. of the 1 of Samuel there he would not go out till he had first enquired of God Yea more than all this 7. He was a man that had a very reverend esteem of the Prophets of God when Samuel came to him in the 1 of Samuel 15. 13. O thou blessed of the Lord saith Saul to Samuel Yea yet further than this 8. When Samuel shewed unto him what his sin was in the 30. ver of that 15. chap. he comes and confesses it before the people and saith I have sinned I have sinned against the Lord meerly at the conviction of one Prophet Yea yet more than this 9. God seemed to be with Saul very much and to shew great respect unto him to make him an Instrument of much good to Israel He granted unto him as glorious a victory as ever man had in this world for so we may cal it and if there be any outward thing in the world might be gathered as an argument of Gods love then such a remarkable victory as he had over his enemies the victory you shall find in the 1 of Samuel 13. 5. and so reade on afterwards in that Chapter and the next you shall find there that the Philistims were risen up against him and Israel and there were thirty thousand Chariots of his Adversaries of the Philistims and six thousand horsmen and people as the sand of the Sea for multitude besides all this Wel here was a mighty Enemy What had Saul to oppose these You shall find in the 2. verse of that 14. chapter that there were but six hundred men with Saul here was of one side thirty thousand Chariots here was six thousand horsmen here was people as the sand of the Sea without number and Saul had but six hundred with him at this time yea and of those six hundred there was not any one of them that had a sword but only Saul and Jonathan for the Philistims were wise enough to disarm all the Malignants that they accounted so and would not let so much as a Smith be amongst them they would not only take away their Arms but they would look to them to see that they had no arms supplied unto them that was the wisdom of the Philistims yet we find if you reade afterwards in the Scripture that God was so far with Saul that he blessed him and gave him victory over all these Besides all this 10. God blessed Saul with a very gracious Child a godly son of a sweet nature Jonathan which indeed if any outward argument in the world might be an argument of Gods love that might be But now put all these things together and yet here is the man that hath his Portion in this world I now challenge the man especially one I challenge him that hath certain evidence of a mighty work of God upon him in Christ let him shew me greater arguments of Gods love to him than Saul might have done and yet it proved to be Sauls Portion that he should have only his portion in this world God herein shews that His mercy is His own and that He will let out His mercy as He pleaseth It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom The Father doles out the Portion as He pleaseth unto His Children God will let the Line of His mercy to go thus far to one and there stop and so far to another and there stop and then come in a cross line again unto them God so disposes of his mercy that there are some that shall have Heaven and Earth to be their portion and their portion is blessed indeed There are some that shall have Earth but not Heaven and their portion is poor and mean and sad there are others that shall have Heaven but not earth and their portion is good And there are others that shall neither have Heaven nor Earth and their portion you 'l say is miserable indeed Gods mercy is His own to dispose of as He will We reade that Abraham in Gen. 21. 14. He cals for Ishmael and Hagar and he gives them a piece of bread a bottle of water and sends them away there 's an end of them So Jehoshaphat in the 2 of Chron. 21. 3. He gave his other son saith the text gifts but the Kingdom he gave to Jehoram So God hath people to whom he gives pieces of bread bottles of water yea some to whom he gives great gifts in this world but he keeps his inheritance for his Isaac He keeps the Kingdom for Jehoram Esau he had his portion in this world and such a portion as he thought to be a very good portion in Gen. 33. 9. Brother saith he I have enough Most rich men are complaining they go not so far as Esau they have their portion and yet complain of it Esau hath his portion and
great dishonor He hatb from the world ibid 2. In respect of wicked men 10 1 That you may convince them ibid 2 To stop their mouthes 11 3 To convert them ibid 4 To condemn them 12 3 In respect of the Saints ibid 1 They rejoyce in it ibid 2 They bless God for it ibid 3 They have boldness before men ibid 4. They are established by it 13 5 They are edified by it ib. 4 In respect of your selves ibid 1 It evidenceth the truth to your souls ibid 2 It continueth and encreaseth what is in you 14 3 It gets honor in the consciences of men ibid 4 It is an instrument of publick good ibid 5 it furthers a joyful account at the great day ibid 6 It keeps up the honor of Religion from one generation to another ibid Application 1 To reprove careless professors 16 2 To exhort to be careful of your Conversations 19 Arg. 1 It is a mercy you have conversation among men 20 2 Wicked men are able to passe judgment on your lives but not on your principles 21 3 Sometimes you must displease wicked men ibid 4 Your lives are but short 22 5 The eyes of all are upon you 23 6 God promiseth salvation to them that order their Conversation aright 24 SERMON II. Rule 1 Have a special regard to the duties of your relation 25 2 Take heed of the sins you are most inclined to 26 3 Take heed of the temptations of your callings 27 4 Take heed of the sins of the times 28 5 Take heed of secret sins ibid 6 Look not upon those that are below but upon those that are above you in profession 29 7 Be constant to the end 30 Doct. 2 The Conversation of Profesfessors must be sutable to the Gospel of Christ 1. It must be higher than the light of Nature will raise it 32 Viz. 1 That we are to knew God 33 2. That we must do as we would be done to ibid 3 We must make conscience of secret sins ibid What Conversation becomes the Gospel that is above the light of Nature 1 To worship God as a father 35 2 To love our enemies 36 3 To do to others as God hath don to us 37 4 To labor for the mortification of the body of sin within us 39 5 To love the Commandement you obey 40 Secondly It must go beyond such as lived under the Law SERMON III Consider first as a Covenant of works for life as it was at first made to Adam 42 1 Obedience to God meerly as Creator 43 2 Had only promise of natural things ibid 3 He must work by his own strength ibid 4 He was in hazard of miscarrying in his eternal estate ib. 1 The Saints are in a better condition 1 They serve God as a father 44 2 Vpon better promises ibid 3 Our strength is not put into own hands to keep 54 4 Are delivered from the hazzard of eternal miscarrying ibid 2. As the Law was in the ministration of it by Moses 47 1 Given under low promises ibid 2 Their Ordinances mean 48 3 Their burden great ibid 4 The administration terrible ibid 5 Their spirits servile ibid But under the Gospel 1 Our Covenant is better 48 2 Our Worship more spiritual 49 3 Our yoke more easie 50 4 We have access with boldnes to the throne of grace ibid 5 We have the spirit of Adoption ibid 3. It must be sutable to what the Gospel holds forth 53 Herein consider 1 What the Gospel holds forth 2 How to sute our Conversations according 1 The Gospel holds forth 1. The infinite love of God to mankind 53 2 Love in us becomes this love of God 54 SERMON IV. 2. The willingness of God to to be at peace with man 63 1 When we were enemies to Him 64 2 We were under his power ibid 3 He had no need of us ibid 4 He begins the work of reconciliation ibid 5 It costs Him very dear ibid 6 He will never be at enmity with us again 65 This cals us to love peace ib. 3 The infinite mercy of God to miserable creatures 69 It should work mercy in us 70 4 He is merciful in such a way that justice is not wronged 74 It should warn us first not to turn the grace of God into wantonness 75 To be just in our Conversations 77 5 What a high price he sets upon the Law 78 SERMON V 6 Gods infinit hatred of sin 80 It should move us to hate it 82 7 The great price of souls 85 It should teach us 1 To set a high price upon our souls 86 2 Not to pollute them with sin 88 8 The great honor God hath put upon human Nature above Angels 89 1. In the personal union of mans Nature with the God-head ibid 2 The body is the temple of the holy Ghost 90 3 The Personal Vnion of our Natures with the second Person in Trinity 91 4 The great example of Self-denial 93 SERMON VI. 9 Our Conversations should be sutable to spiritual worship 96 10 Our spiritual union with God 100 1 God is a Father Beleevers are Children ibid 2 We are one Spirit with God and Christ 102 3 The union of the Saints one with another 104 4 Their hapines in heaven 110 SERMON VII What Conversation becomes the Gospel 114 1 Denying ungodliness ibid 2 Sequestred from this world 118 3 A change of estate 120 1 From what there was before the Gospel came ibid 2 Between one man and another 122 4 Becoming the Ordinances of the Gospel 123 5 Sutable to the power of the Gospel ibid 6 Seeing the glory of the Gospel have a glory in our Conversations 125 Application 1 To reprove those whose Conversations becomes not the Gospel 126 2 Exhortation to walk worthy of the Gospel 129 Five Motives to it JOHN 18. 36 SERMON I. TEXT Opened 139 Doct. 1. Christ hath a Kingdom ibid 1 Providential 136 2 Mediatory ibid Doct. 2 Christs Kingdom is not of this world 137 Difference between worldly Kingdoms Christs Kingdom ib. 1 In regard of pomp and glory ibid 2 In regard of his subjects 138 3 In regard of his rule 139 4 His Laws are spiritual ibid 5 His homage spiritual 141 6 The Officers by Divine institution 143 7 His weapons spiritual 144 8 In regard of priviledges 147 9 In regard of penalties 147 SERMON II. Priviledges of the Saints 1 All their businesses are in the Court if Christ 152 2 They are all free men 153 3 They have free trade to heaven ib. 4 They have right to all the Ordinances of Christ ib. 5 They have his protection 154 6 They shall have certain victory over their enemies ib. 7 They are all Kings ib. 8 They have peace and joy in the holy Ghost 155 9 They have right to the gifts and graces of all the Saints 156 10 They are coheirs with Christ 157 Why Christs Kingdom is not of this world 1 Because he would confound the wisdom of
miscarrying there it is over I blesse God that is over for that now my obedience it is not that I might work out and earn salvation but my obedience to God now is being set safe upon the shore that I might live to the praise of the grace of God that hath delivered me from al danger of miscarrying and hath set me with Jesus Christ in heavenly places I am now already set in heavenly places with Jesus Christ and as sure of Heaven for so a Believer may come to be as if so be that I were there already and so I am now to begin the life of Heaven to be blessing and magnifying God not in word only but in my life therefore am I to hold forth the glory of God in my life and Conversation that I might blesse and magnifie the Name of God that hath delivered me from darkness and hath translated me into the Kingdom of his dear Son and upon these terms do I serve God now I do not serve God as one that is in hazard for ever to miscarry and out of a base and slavish fear lest I should miscarry I do endeavor to work out my salvation but it is as one that is redeemed and delivered from eternal misery yea I now begin to joyn with the Saints and Angels that are in Heaven that are there magnifying God and shal be to al eternity praising of Him for His free grace towards them surely this Conversation should be in a higher degree of holiness than the Conversation of Adam could be even in Paradise Yet still remembring this we cannot in this life attain to such a Conversation as to be without mixture of evil but we should be more spiritual and heavenly in our waies we have more cause to be so than Adam had in his innocency and we do not walk answerable to the Gospel except our hearts do rise in a more spiritual and heavenly way than his heart could rise when it came new out of the hand of his Creator That 's the first consideration of the Law as it was a Covenant of life to him and al man-kind in him Oh that as we go along we would but consider what cause we have of humiliation then Oh how far are our Conversations short of that that becomes the Gospel if it should rise to so high a pitch as this is that hath been mentioned Secondly Consider we the Law as in the administration of it to Moses and so to the people of the Jews The administration of the Law to them it was under another notion it was to bring them to Christ and that they might come to see their inability of keeping of that Covenant and come to understand Christ so much the more and to be driven unto Christ by having the Law presented to them God did never intend by giving of the Law to the people of the Jews that it should be a Covenant of eternal life to them indeed there was this in the administraon of it somewhat different from us some special Covenant about their living in Canaan and about mercies in that promised Land beyond that that we have in the Law as we find in the new Testament they I say had this annexed to it The Law that was first given unto Adam and written in his heart afterwards even obliterated then it was transcribed by the same hand in tables of stone and given unto them chiefly to shew them their misery and their need of Christ to be a preparation for Christs coming into the world and with this one addition beyond what we have in the new Testament that there was a temporal Covenant annexed unto it that concern'd their living prosperously in the Land of Canaan so far we are delivered even from the Law as it was given by Moses that is from the connexion of the Covenant that was added unto the delivering of the Law concerning their happy and comfortable condition in the Land of Canaan upon the keeping of their Law but now how ever it was certainly that Conversation that becomes the Gospel should be beyond what could be even from godly men in the time of the Law As first The Law to them it was given under low Promises their promises were but very low that were under the Law It 's true they had somewhat of the Gospel that we have but extream darkly and very little that they knew of it but the chief Ministration of God towards them was then in a legal way and that had but low promises as their living in Canaan you shall find generally al the promises that are annexed to the Law even by Moses it is but that they shall prolong their daies in the Land the Lord their God shall give them That they should be blest in their basket and store their Promises were under Heaven-Promises Promises of this life only and therefore it could raise them but to a very low degree of holiness Secondly Their Ordinances were but poor and mean and beggerly in comparison of our for so the Gospel cals them Col. 2. They were but beggerly rudiments which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal Ordinances imposed on them untill the time of reformation Heb. 9. 10. They had an earthly Tabernacle a worldly Sanctuary Heb. 9. 1. c. Thirdly The burden of them under the Law was very great they were under a heavy yoke burden that did bow them down A man that is under a heavy burden it makes him stoop bend in the back he cannot stand so upright nor fast as others that have no such weight upon them Fourthly The administration of the Law was with Thunder and Lightning very terrible It made even Moses quake and tremble as the Author to the Hebrews speaks Fiftly Their spirits were very servile under the Law they were subject to bondage even all their daies God so ordered things as to carry on his people even in a very servile way they were but mean servants then hewers of wood and drawers of water But now under the Gospel First our Promises are far better and our Covenant better in Heb. 8. 6. there the Apostle compares their Condition and ours Who serve saith he unto the example and shadow of heavenly things There was but the shadow of heavenly things the Gospel hath the Heavenly things themselves and they are but the shadow for so you have it in Heb. 10. 1. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things They had but a shadow of good things to come and not the very image it self As Moses was admonish'd of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the Mount And then in Heb. 8. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry that 's Christ By how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant
the laying down of his life could procure peace he should be willing to do it that if we may make up breaches by standing in the gap and offering up our selves a sacrifice of atonement and pacification let us thus prove our selves to be the true followers of Christ our Lord and Master who hath left us his own example herein for our imitation this were an excellent thing beseeming the Gospel of Christ that we do profess yea we should not only be willing to admit of peace but seek for it seek for it to our inferiours do not say that such a man hath wronged me and therefore let him seek to me Oh no it doth become you that make profession of the Gospel of Christ not to stay till he come to you that hath wronged you but for you that are wronged by another even to seek to those that have wronged you that they would be at peace with you you might perhaps consulting with flesh and blood think it unreasonable that you that are wronged should seek peace I but it becomes the Gospel of Christ that you should do so God sought to you you never sought to him If God had not begun the work of peace with you God and your souls would have been eternally enemies and therefore remember that you are not to live according to reason you think there 's all the reason in the world that those that have wronged you should crouch to your feet rather than you seek to them well grant it that there is all the reason in the world for it I but what is there in the Gospel to the contrary and you are not to live only in your Conversations as beseems reason but you are to have your Conversations as beseems the Gospel of Christ If you stand upon these tearms let him come to me rather than I will go to him Is this as becomes the Gospel What do you hold forth of the great Work of the Gospel if you do not hold forth this Your willingness to be at peace and to seek for peace even from your inferiors and do not you say that the offence is great Oh! 't is a great offence that such a one hath committed he hath dealt very proudly with me and shall I seek to him his offence to you is not so great as your offence was to God and yet God seeks to be at peace with you through Christ But he is my inferior it may be he is a poor mean fellow that hath so wronged me Do not you think there is such a distance between you and other men it may be thou hast a little power in thy hand and a few pence in thy purse more than thy neighbor hath but what infinite distance was there between God and you then Oh remember your Conversation must be as beseems the Gospel of Christ I but it will put me to a great deal of trouble I can with more ease have him punished than I can bring things to make peace between us With more ease Could not God with more ease have sent thee down to the nethermost Hell how quickly could God have brought thee down and undone thee for ever but God was content to be at peace upon hard tearms as I may so speak indeed they were hard tearms by which God came to reconcile the world unto himself the hardest tearms that possibly could be conceived for Jesus Christ his eternal Son did take upon Him our Nature and was made a curse for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnes of God in Him and therefore stand not upon any hard tearms if peace may be purchased any way but by sin stand not upon it for this is as becomes the Gospel of Christ Yea And when you are reconciled to your brother be so reconcil'd as to be firm in your reconciliation Not as some there is peace made between them but how so as they are ready to take advantage against one another upon any miscarriage afterwards God doth not do so with you the Gospel holds not forth such a peace as this is that God shall be at peace with you for the present but look to your selves afterwards God will take all advantages against you that he can if there had been such a peace made between God and you you had been in Hell long before this time and therefore let your peace be a firm a setled and a constant peace Oh! that this were but thought on in these contentions daies wherein there is such breaches between Brother and Brother in every town in every family and none almost but are broken off one from another with an irreconcilable spirit Oh! how unbeseeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ is an irreconciliable spirit Certainly God hath not made thee to know what the mysterie of the Gospel of peace is who hast war in thy heart and tongue against thy brother And that 's the second thing that the Gospel holds forth unto us Only take this one note in this second thing That whereas there are many arguments to move us to such a conversation as now I am urging upon you yet let Christians above all arguments make the Gospel to be the argument of arguments to move them to it As now for the matter of peace there are many arguments to move us to be at peace with our brother from the inconveniences that will follow upon our breaches the like now shew your selves Christians in this Above all arguments make the consideration of what you understand in the Gospel to be the great motive of motive to prevail with you for peace and this argument will do it when nothing else will do it It may be a friend comes and perswades you to be at peace you will find a great deal of trouble in Lawing and suing and enmity one against another there will come a great deal of anxiety and therefore be reconcil'd and live like neighbors one with another well but when you find that your hearts do not stoop to any other argument then get alone into your closets search the Scriptures and there lay to your hearts all the arguments that you can from the Gospel of Jesus Christ there see how God reconcil'd the world to Himself and how God was set upon the work of peace lay them to your hearts and when no other arguments wil move the consideration of that through the blessing of God will do it And that 's for the second Point In the third place The Gospel holds forth the infinit mercy of God to miserable creatures When man was plunged into such a depth of misery nothing but bowels of mercy did move God to help men out of that depth of misery that they were plunged into and though man was unworthy of mercy Gods mercy was free yea and it was a transcendent mercy of God The mercy of God is over all his works The Heathens could understand that God was a merciful God the light
God 1 Cor. 1. 24. it brings a great deal of power with it to help men against strong corruptions to overcome violent temptations to carry them through in any difficulties Powerful corruptions powerful temptations powerful difficulties are overcome by the power of the Gospel and therefore it is said by faith that is by faith in the Gospel we overcome the world the Gospel certainly doth not only stir in some men and women some wishings and wouldings and faint desires but it brings a power to transforme their hearts to make a metamorphosis there when there comes the light of the Gospel there comes the light of life together with it as that Scripture in Heb. 10. 32. After ye were illuminated that is by the Gospel then he speaks of their great sufferings they were willing to endure any thing for Christ therefore a Conversation that becomes the Gospel is such an one as exemplarily demonstrates the very power of godliness that men and women should not be alwaies learning and never come to the knowledg of the truth not alwaies wishing and desiring and never come to any powerful resolutions and determinations for certainly where the Gospel hath the upper hand in a soul it doth bring power but I do not say it brings power so as to overcome all our lusts so as there should be no sin remaining for so long as we live we must be hungering after a further degree of righteousness and sanctification but certainly when the Gospel prevails there comes a great strength there 's the strength of Christ put forth the Spirit of power as the Apostle saith We have not received the spirit of fear but the Spirit of power of love and of a sound mind be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. As if Paul had said to Timothy it 's true you meet with many difficulties but hath not the Gospel given you a Spirit of power There 's spirit of power and resolution when the Gospel comes in Timothy was a poor weakly sickly man in his body and Paul himself had no bodily presence with him a poor contemptible man in regard of his bodily presence but he had a Spirit of power given him by the Gospel so we should manifest a Spirit of power that is as becomes the Gospel of Christ Lastly The Gospel of Christ is a glorious Gospel 1 Tim. 1. 11. it is call'd there by the title of a glorious Gospel According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God Mark what a title is here the Gospel is the glorious Gospel of the blessed God that is the glory of all the Attributes of God doth appear in the Gospel more brightly than they do appear in all the works that God hath made There doth appear indeed a great deal of the glory of God in the Heavens Earth and Seas and you have seen much of the glory of God there but I appeal to you in this Have you seen more of the glory of God in the Gospel than ever you did in all the works that God hath made that were a good argument that you have had a true understanding of the Gospel and that the Spirit of God hath shined into your hearts if you can say Lord I have seen much of thy glory in thy Works when I have been abroad in the mighty waters where Gods paths and foot-steps are Oh the Seas they are thy glorious creatures but thy Gospel that 's glorious beyond all there do I see thine infinite wisdom and infinite power and infinite justice and infinite mercy and infinite faithfulness and the Lord knows that all the glory of the creatures hath been darkned in my eyes since the Lord hath shewed me the glory of His Gospel Can you say so This is a good evidence that the Gospel is a saving Gospel to your souls if you stand and admire at the glory of God in the Gospel Certainly there 's none though never so weak in parts yet if so be that God hath revealed Himself in the Gospel to them they see that which makes them stand and admire at God and darkens all the world in their eyes have you seen the Gospel thus then it is to you the glorious Gospel of the blessed God and in the 2 Cor. 4. 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them Oh reade over this Scripture again and again The God of this world hath blinded their minds Mark compare this Scriptrue with that I said before of Christ that His Kingdom is not of this world but the Devil is called the God of this world note this he hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not if any which live under the Gospel beleeve not it is because the Devil as he prevails in the world and by worldly things by the pomp and vanity of the world he hoodwinks the eyes of those which beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the express Image of God should shine into them Oh the Devil is loth that the gloriou Gospel should shine into the hearts of men he is content that they should come and hear the Gospel but he labors to keep off the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ that it shine not into them for he know when once it hath shined into mens hearts then all the glory of the world will be darkned in their eyes and they will admire then at nothing but Christ Oh none but Christ none but Christ Whom have I in Heaven but Christ and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of my dearest Saviour who is the fairest of ten thousand I never knew God before I saw him in the face of Jesus Christ and now I see God in the face of His Son I see him in another way than ever I did O the Gospel is a glorious Gospel there is more of the glory of God in one sentence of the Gospel than in all the Heavens and Earth beside this we may boldly aver Now our Conversations must be as becomes the Gospel then there must be a glory in our Conversations we must hold forth the Gospel in our Conversations therefor Professors of the Gospel they should shine as lights in the world I beseech you mark this one Note I remember in the close of all the last day I shewed you that the Saints and godly people are call'd the glory of Jesus Christ Himself surely you that are Professors of the Gospel should live so as to be the glory of the glorious Gospel and what manner of persons ought we to be then it's not enough that our Conversations be not defiled with the most filthy and abominable pollutions of the world but our Conversations should be such as should be a glory to the glorious Gospel Look in the Gospel there shine the Attributes of God in glory so in our
of Gods mercy and the mercy of God we acknowledge to be very great and glorious well God doth shew himself glorious in mercy that thou being so wicked hast so much as thou hast in this world and therefore though thou shouldst be denied of eternal mercy hereafter yet thou hast cause to tel Devils and damned creatures that shall be thy companions that God was very merciful to thee while thou didst live in this world Somewhat thou hadst then but here 's all Secondly Here is all that ever thou art like to have 1. Because there are some men whose names are written in the Earth and not in the Book of Life In Jer. 17. 13. there it 's spoken of men that are written in the earth wheras the Saints are described to be men that are redeemed from the earth In Revel 14. 3. It is their happiness to be redeemed from the earth and it is all the happiness thou hast that thou art written in the earth 2. Here is their portion because they are vile in the eyes of God If you should ask the Question why you give bones to the Dog and swill to the Swine and nothing else The Answer would be Because it is a Dog that hath it and because it is a Swine it is Dogs meat Certainly God doth speak exceeding contemptibly of all ungodly ones in the world let them be never so great in regard of outwards In the 11. of Daniel 21. A vile person shall arise What is this vile person Interpreters generally consent in this that it is meant of Antiochus Epiphanius that was a mighty great Prince such a Prince as when the Samaritans did write to him they writ Antiocho magno deo to Antiochus the great god and his very name shews him to be a great one Antiochus Epiphanius is as much as Antiochus the Illustrious and the Famous and yet when the Holy Ghost speaks of him it is Antiochus a vile person they are vile in the eyes of God If there be any in a family that you care not much for you make no great provision for them Doth God take care for Oxen Somwhat they have but little Doth God take care for wicked and ungodly ones 3. Here is their portion it is confin'd to this life Why so Because they chuse it themselves and in that they have no wrong make choice of this Portion themselves Moses speaking to the people saith he I set before you life and death So do the Ministers of God in preaching to you they set before you Life and Death What do you chuse Now you chuse the way that goes out of life and into death you have but your choice you chuse Vanity to be your portion God doth you no wrong to give you Vanity Now you that will indent with God for your peny you cannot take it ill if when the end of the day comes God puts you off with your peny you know those in the Vineyard that agreed for their peny they began to murmur indeed when they came to receive their wages but saith the Master of the Vinyard Did you not agree with me so So you agree with God all you intend in Gods service is that you may have some present comfort in this world you dare not trust God for the future and here is that that God will shew His infinit displeasure against the sin of distrust by that when the Lord propounds now in this day of Grace such glorious and blessed things to the children of men and for ought you know any of you may have your portion in them as well as others and yet you dare not trust God for those gracious things you think rather with your selves let me have somewhat now somewhat for the present some present pay the reward that you talk of which is to come I know not whether they be imaginations yea or no therefore you mean it seems to serve God for your present pay and present pay you shall have and no more There are some servants that are your day-servants they serve you so as they expect their pay at night and perhaps you give them their two shillings at night and there is an end but there are other servants now that will serve you in expectation of some reversions and expectations of honor especially when they serve Noblemen and Princes though they have no present pay given them at night yet they go on cheerfully in their service they expect some great Reversions as Leases and preferments they may have afterwards and now though they have not their two shillings a day as the others have yet when the other befals them they are made rich men they and their posterities So now the poor man that hath his pay every day when a Lease and preferment fals if he should come in for his part No he may be answer'd you had your pay every day here was one was content to relie and trust upon me and had no pay and he did trust upon me and now he comes to be preferd This is the direct difference between the men of the world and Gods Saints the men of the world will do nothing without present pay that which is just before them they must needs have their hearts are upon it but the Saints they hear what a blessed thing God hath revealed in his Word what a blessed Covenant of Grace there is what rich Promises of glorious things to come now they beleeve God and trust in God for these and they say Lord let me have my Portion in the life to come and whatever thou doest with me here I care not As it was the speech of Austin Lord here burn here cut but spare hereafter I am content Lord to be burnt to be cut to endure any thing in the world any sufferings in the world for thee only hereafter I look for somewhat else and I 'le wait for hereafter You will not wait for hereafter but you must have it for the present and that is the reason you are put off here Oh it is a serious thing I speak of to you many a soul will wring its hands and curse it self eternally that it was not content to trust God for hereafter but would have present pay You that are great Merchants if you buy a thing that is but a trifle you pull out your purse and give the mony down presently but suppose you go to the Exchange and bargain for 10000l there you may give a little down now but the great pay must come upon pay daies afterwards it is not expected it should be presently done So there are some men in the world will trade with God but they trade with God for pedling things for their Credit and applause and for their preferments and estates God gives down the pay presently you shall have it there is your 12 d presently it is done but now there are other of Gods Saints that trade with God for great things for immortality and
of Nature will tel us something of the mercy of God but there 's nothing that sets out the bowels of Gods mercy so as the Gospel of Jesus Christ doth there you have the very bowels of Gods mercy indeed made legible to all the world in Luke 1. 78. Through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us The tender mercies of our God the bowels of mercy so the words are here 's the depth of the bowels of mercy held forth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ it 's imposible that we could have understood the depth of those bowels of mercy but by the Gospel Adam in innocency knew little of the mercy of God for he not being in misery had no need of that mercy to help out of misery but though he by his understanding must needs know that mercy was a good thing and therefore in God the First being of all but yet he did not understand that mercy that the Gospel holds forth yea the Angels in Heaven know it not but by the Gospel and so they desire to pry into those deep mercies of God unto man kind Oh here are the mercies of God that shall be the subject of the praises of Angels and of the Saints to all eternity held forth in the Gospel You think 't is a great mercy when a child is sick that God recovers it you think it is a great mercy when you are at Sea that God turns the wind when if it had stood but one half hour more that way it did you had lost Vessel lives and all when you have been in any danger abroad in forraign parts that the Lord was a present help in time of trouble when there hath been any affliction upon your family that God hath sent deliverance to you these are mercies that God is to be praised for Oh! but what are all these to the mercies of God in Jesus Christ His right-hand mercies and indeed this would be a good argument of a gracious heart when any particular mercie is granted unto them either family mercies or personal mercies Thus to meditate Lord I am less I am less than the least of all thy mercies yet here is seasonable comfortable mercies to me and mine c. but O Lord what is all this to that infinite fountain of mercy in Christ thy mercies in the Gospel thy mercies in thy Son there 's depths infinite depths of mercy indeed this is but a drop and indeed that 's sweet but the infinite Ocean of mercy it is in Jesus Christ Christ is the mercy of God to mankind in the bowels of which all other mercies are conceived and brought forth in the world All my fresh springs both upper and neather springs are in him who is All in All. Oh it were a good argument that the Gospel is revealed to you if you admire at Jesus Christ as the great mercy of all mercies though thankful for every mercy yet when you come to consider of the mercy of Christ look upon that as mercy of wonder stand amazed at the thought of that mercy well it 's the Gospel that holds forth the glory of the riches of the mercy of God God is said in the word to be rich in mercy He is not said so much to be rich in power as rich in mercy Now what Conversation is sutable to this What 's that but as Christ himself saith Be ye merciful as your heavenly father is merciful Oh have you a merciful heart one towards another look with a merciful eye upon those who are in great misery this is it that becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ Oh a harsh rugged and cruel disposition it is infinitely unbeseeming the Gospel of Christ To see a Christian one that professes the Gospel that makes more profession of the knowledge of God and of the free grace of God in Christ than others and yet when it comes to it that he hath to deal with such as are in misery to have a hard heart Oh a hard hearted Christian is a monster I say a hard hearted Christian is a monster in the world not to be ready to forgive others and to do any thing for others that are in misery is devilish but to rejoyce that they may have any object to shew pity and compassion unto Oh this is that which becomes the Gospel of Christ though they be strangers to you that are in misery yet be merciful to them for you were strangers to God Yea Be merciful to your enemies not only be willing to be at peace but be merciful Do you see any that have wronged you to be in misery do not let them perish but let bowels of compassion even work towards them Oh that our hearts did yern towards all Christ when He came neer unto Jerusalem He wept over it Oh that the like spirit were in us as was in Jesus Christ There 's no such argument for mercy to others as the consideration of the mercies of God in Jesus Christ Oh bowels of mercy beseems the Gospel of Christ and it should be manifested really Let not people that are in misery have verbal mercies from you that is you seem to pity them in words Oh but let there be real mercies to them open your hearts and let something drop from you for releef of them that are in misery it is a notable Scripture in Ephes 4. 31 32. and sutable to that in Col. 3. 13. in the 4. of the Ephes there the Apostle speaking of the mercies of Christ saith he Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Be tender hearted Oh God manifests the tenderness of His heart in the Gospel and this is beseeming the Gospel to set forth this as a pattern the tenderness of Gods heart to poor sinners in the depth of misery do you see any to be in misery and do not you find your heart begin to break towards them if you do not find your heart breaking Oh set before you the infinite tenderness of Gods mercies in Jesus Christ and 't is that will break your hearts if any thing in the world will And so in Col. 3. 13. a place somewhat paralel to this Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye and above all these things put on charity You see the Apostle accounts this the great argument of all and therefore know that the Lord takes it very much to heart when the bowels of Professors are turned into gravel Search into that remarkable Parable Matthew 18 from vers 28. to vers 35. where Jesus Christ Preacheth down all cruel and unchristian like dispositions in those that are fellow servants belonging to one and the same Master and
venture them Indeed when God comes unto His choice Mercies in Christ there he looks to have glory from them and he doth never give them to any but first he prepares them that they may give him the glory of those mercies but it is otherwise with others As suppose you see a man gathering of Crabs although Swine be under the Tree he cares not much to drive them away they are but Crabs let them have them but if he were gathering any choice and precious fruit if any Swine should come under he drives them away As for outward things Crabs the Lord suffers the Swine of the world to come grunting and take them up but when he comes to his choice Mercies in his Christ there he makes a distinction Oh! that is precious fruit A Black-smith that is working upon Iron though a great many Cinders and little bits of Iron fly up and down he regards them not but a Goldsmith that is working upon Gold he preserves every ray and every dust of Gold and a Lapidarie that is working upon precious Stones every little bit he will be sure to preserve a Carpenter that is only hewing of Timber he regards it not much if Chips fly up and down but it is not so with a Lapidary So these outward things are but as the Chips and Cinders and such kind of thing as those are and therefore God even gives a Portion to wicked men out of them Sixthly God knows that He hath time enough to manifest His Justice upon them hereafter He hath an Eternity hereafter for the Declaration of His Justice and therefore saith God Let them have somewhat for a while As you know it is natural in all when they see a man going to execution that is not like to live above an hour or two every one is ready to pity him and to be any way officious to him Oh! saith every one the man shall not have comfort long we cannot do much for him he shall have pain enough ere long and misery enough ere long and so every one pities him It is observable let a man go to execution for wickedness and then he is pitied by all but if a man should suffer for godliiness then perhaps they will not be so full of pity towards him As I remember in the Book of Martyrs there is a story of Mr. In o Frith a learned godly Minister and Andrew Hewit that were Martyrs and were to suffer for their conscience and the Story tells us that one Dr. Cook a Parson in London he openly admonishes the people that they should pray for them no more than they would do for a Dog that Charity of theirs that they talked so much of is such towards them that suffer out of conscience and as amongst Papists so amongst ungodly men let a man suffer out of conscience they will rather rail at him and when he is in his sufferings they will rather give him gall and vinegar to drink as they once did Christ upon the Cross though in other sufferings they pity men Seventhly By this that God gives to the wicked the Lord shews what great things he hath reserved for his own Children what a portion there is for them Surely if the dogs have so much the Father keeps a good house if the hang-byes may have such doles certainly there is good provision for the Children within As by the afflictions of the Saints God doth declare to wicked men and would have them draw such an argument from it that there are fearful things that are like to befal them If judgment begin at the House of God where shall the wicked and ungodly appear So by the prosperity that wicked men have in this world God doth declare to his Children and he would have them argue from thence what then hath he reserved for his beloved Ones for his Saints for his Children that are so dear unto him Eighthly God fetches a great deal of Glory from hence He fetches about His own ends very much from the portion that wicked men have as sometimes He doth it that they might stumble and harden their hearts and break their necks at it and to ripen their sins hence He lets them go on a long time and have their wills in Isa 33. 1. Wo to thee who spoilest and wert not spoiled and dealest treacherously and wert not dealt treacherously withal when thou shalt cease to spoil thou shalt be spoiled I 'le let thee go on thou shalt spoil as much as thou wilt and when thou hast done spoiling thou shalt be spoiled And sometimes God doth it to fetch about this end Namely to chastise His own people with the prosperity of the wicked And as an Ancient writer hath this Story of one that he saith by an extraordinary way from being a Monk was advanced into an Episcopal Seat and being a lewd wicked man he began to be proud of this his Advancement and being proud he heard these words in the story Ab angelo audivit Cur superbus ô infaelix non es creatus Episcopus quia tu dignus sed quia Civitas haec digna fuit tali Episcopi it was a wicked place and this was the answer Why art thou so proud Oh unhappy man for thou art not advanced because thou art worthy of this advancement but because this City is so ill it is worthy of such a Prelate to be over it In way of judgment to that place God advanced such a man And so many are advanced that they may be heavy judgments unto others God gives them such a portion not out of His love to them though they are ready to gather the Argument but out of His displeasure unto others And then He gives a plentiful portion to many to teach us all to do good unto our enemies not only humanitati as they say but homini not only to human nature but to men to men that are wicked some good must be done unto them Ninthly The Lord would shew hereby that He would have no argument of love or hatred to be drawn from these outward things and also because He would not have them to expect any more It may be many men that are ungodly prospering in this world they gather this argument That therefore God loves them and intends mercy to them Cujus contrarium verum nay you may rather gather an argument quite th' other way because God intends no further good unto you hereafter therfore it is you have so much now We use to answer men that come for their dole who have had out a dole and they will come again Why do you come again you have had your dole already So God will answer to many men when they shall cry to him for mercy at that day Why come you to me for more you have had your dole already Have you not had already more than your work comes to more than you have done you have had your part and portion already indeed men speak much