yet the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him If the Lord open a wide Door Rev. 3.8 his People may look in and see what God hath done for them from Eternity in an * 1 Kings 22.25 inner Chamber Our Work here is to †1 Tim. 6.12 fight and hereafter to him that overcometh will he give to eat of the hidden Mannah Rev. 2.17 This overcoming indeed will be fully known in Heaven and yet the Saints shall obtain lesser Victories before 2 Tim. 2.3 The good Souldiers shall gain the * 2 Tim. 2.5 1 Cor. 15.57 Mastery tho' not the Crown here through our Lord Jesus Christ that giveth us the Victory For when we have so much of that Faith spoken of under the eleventh particular as to have Victory over the World 1 Joh. 5.4 and other Enemies by it this is the overcoming in this Life that so far as is consistent with the Knowledge of our Election here we are become the Brethren beloved of God and knowing also our Election 1 Thes 1.4 Indeed the Saints do rather taste than eat of this Hidden Mannah here God gives them some Job 26.14 but lo how small a Portion is it now 't is no more than just to save their longing he reserves it as it were for Glory Exod. 16.33 to bring forth the whole Pot hereafter 'T is too rich a Dish for every Saint while on Earth to spend upon in common Thou must be contented to see this Dish as it were but now only served in and must not murmur at the good Man of the House Matth. 20.11 if it be carried off as to a great part again and laid up in the Secrets of God from whence it came forth to be kept unto the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb. Rev. 19.7 It is clear from the Spirit of Revelation that there is an Election of Persons tho' some would throw in their Vote to decide it for Propositions being Enemies to the Apostle's word * Rom. 8.30 Eph. 1.5 1 Cor. 2.16 Predistinated and bring in that vain thing Post-destination but the Apostle who had the mind of Christ hath given us a clear light shining in this dark Place Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in Him before the Foundation of the World The Father pitch'd upon an Elect Company whom first he gave to Christ and afterwards bestow'd Christ on them so 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation thro' sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth Which place discovers the Election of Means as well as the End Faith and Holiness here as well as Salvation in Heaven That also is a full Text and a comfortable 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his We may look upon our selves as the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Matth. 15.24 Joh. 10.14 but the Good Shepherd knows the Sheep by a Mark the Sheep see not The Scripture also speaketh individually and in the Distribution of this hidden Mannah gives a Portion as it were to seven Eccl. 11.2 and also to eight a few particular Women with Clement also and other Fellow-Labourers with the Apostle whose Names are in the Book of Life Nomina non nisi singuloâ—um Phil. 4.3 The Doctrine of Election is so personal as well as express that the Spirit of God in the Scripture descends so low as to a Rufus chosen in the Lord Rom. 16.13 and the Elect Lady 2 Epist Joh. v. 1. Thus we have a manifestation thro' the Word of the Secrets in this Pot of Mannah being the Mystery of his Will which he hath purposed in himself Eph. 1.9 The Scripture also lays it down absolutely without any limitations of it to the foreseen Conditions of Man's Faith and Obedience It is he hath Chosen not as he foresaw we would be Holy Eph. 1.4 but positively that we should be Holy The Lord in tender as well as sovereign Mercies did not look to what we might be That had left Salvation uncertain to every one or to what we would be That might have concluded us all immediately under Wrath but he lookt to his own Pleasure what we should be Rom. 9.23 when he made us Vessels of Mercy and that makes Salvation certain unto some I say the Scripture lays it down absolutely without any conditionality Names are written so close in the Book of Life that it leaves not room to put in an If between The Children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth Rom. 9.11 I know * See Dr. Hammond upon the Place some do Interpret the Place by restraining it to point out God's Election of Jacob to a better Condition than Esau in the Temporals of this Life But 1. Esau's Temporal Portion compar'd with Jacob's was not so much behind his Brother's as to make a Parallel to the Divine Love or Hatred v. 13. Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Now tho' God did not bestow the Land of Canaan upon the Posterity of Esau yet he gave them Mount Seir Deut. 2.5 and he seems to bestow more in outward Things upon his Person than he did on Jacob sets him up as my Lord Esau with four hundred Men Gen. 32.4 v. 6. which were large Crusts and Parings of Common Bounty to throw a Dog with this Motto on his Collar Rom. 9.13 Esau have I hated 2. These Men which speak of an Election from foreseen Works in the matters of Eternity would do well to give us some fair Account why the Election then here in Temporals as they suppose it is yet an Election not at all of Works Now sure if Works take so much with God that he chooseth from the foresight of them to an everlasting State of Happiness it might seem the more congruous to Reason that God should have chose the Temporal Lot and Condition of those two Brothers from the same things foreseen If they resolve it as they must into the good Pleasure of God that he acted as a Sovereign in this Election to Temporals being said expresly Rom. 9.11 not of Works but of him that calleth then why must not God be allowed as well to be sovereign in the other but ty'd to our Works there Alas what should we gain by Limiting the Holy One of Israel Psal 78.41 for the allowing God a Sovereignty doth as was said before make Salvation sure unto some whereas the leaving it upon the Mutability and unstedfastness of our Wills had been to make Salvation equally uncertain and very doubtfull if not impossible to all The Spirit of God fixeth upon a variety of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 11.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.23
wise but desire only Patience under evil Censures and the Reproaches of Christ from Fools Heb. 11.26 There are some who have bless'd God already for this Foolishness of Preaching 1 Cor. 1.21 2 Cor. 11.1 and can bear with me I will not say a little but much in my Follies from the Press I confess it is God's Word and he may use it how he will he may accomplish his own Ends either at first or second Hand or Both If it therefore tends this way to preserve the Original in the Hearers it will Answer more for all the Failures of the Copy than a Thousand studied Apologies The Phraseology will be thought by many to be too mean and illiterate and the Style too loose and Popular But with me it is a very small Thing 1 Cor. 4.3 that I should be judged of such or of Man's judgment for I would choose rather to come in Plainness of Speech even to the Eyes as well as the Ears of Men than in the enticing words of Man's Wisdom 1 Cor. 2.4 It is often times more difficult to be Profitable than to be Eloquent in the latter our Education qualifies and makes it easie to speak as Men but in the former Joh. 3.27 a Man cannot receive it except it be given him from above It is harder to stoop below a Man 's own Proportion to go the same height with Children than to walk our full Length with Men. As on the other Hand it is easier to Preach or Write somewhat like an Academick than like an Instructer of the Foolish Rom. 2.20 or a Teacher of Babes and to play the Orator than perform the work of a Divine It is more profitable and yet a Task of greater Burden to gather up Matter from the Holy Text than to utter it in fine words It is harder to draw the true Lineaments of the Face than to mix the Paint 'T is more laborious to dig in the Mines than to gather loose stones upon the Surface and to thresh out the Grain than refine the Heap and blow away the Chaff What a sad Case were England in if all the Books in Divinity that have been written had been publisht suppose in the Profoundest Eloquence as many of the Publishers I doubt not but could have done in reference to their Intellectual Abilities and spoken in a Scholastical Phrase consistently with their Learned Education But the vulgar may bless God for the Treatises that have been written in such a Style as Dr. Preston Sibbs Mr. Bolton Rogers Greenham Perkins Fenner Sedgwick Allein and Hundreds more The plain Truth is to publish Books for the common sort in our own Tongue Nominally and stuff them all along throughout the Body of the Discourse in other Language really savours too much of a Jesuitical Equivocation while we Condemn the Papist for if they lock up the Scriptures and take away the Key of Knowledge Luk. 11.52 those would lock up other Good Books and give the People a strange Key that was never made to open them However if Men at a Feast love to see fine Glasses at a Side-board let them look over to Margents because it is Pity they should find more than is needful among the Guests upon the Table Tho' we use Metaphors yet it is no more than the same Popular known way which Christ the best Master of Language in the World used when he taught his own Disciples We are immers'd so much in Matter while in the Body that our Instructions had need be sensible to convey spiritual Things the easier These are oftentimes more Natural and do accommodate the Expression to the Thing beyond a Phrase Sublime or Philosophical As indeed it is too laborious and impertinent to fetch Metaphors remote or un-obvious so it argues too much Scorn and Disdain to trample those under our Feet which lye next us As therefore Reader thou findest the whole likened to a Supper Eccl. 5.8 Marvel not at the matter if sometimes thou findest the Parts of it to be expressed in such Vessels as a Supper or a Feast is wont to be served in withall Let not an occasional use of some Expressions peculiar to English-men offend any English Reader because they will not bear a Translation verbatim for in this Feast we did not study to recommend it by Forreign Sauces and therefore are content to use what we find at home and do recommend it to a Christian Appetite accordingly A blunt Anglicism as we call it may upon some occasions be more affecting than a borrowed Latinism A rugged unpolisht Phrase will stick more on some minds and to better purpose than smoother Eloquence that slides off from their Thoughts very inobservably and if we herein do become barbarous to gain the Barbarous we are but in the same Point of yielding with Paul 1 Cor. 9. v. 20.22 who became all Things to all Men that he might by all means gain some to the Jews he became as a Jew that he might gain the Jews to the weak became he as weak that he might gain the weak Peradventare the frequent use of the second Person in the singular Number Thou and Thee may offend some to whom I would seriously propose this viz. That these Sermons are here publisht in the same Applicatory Form they were preacht and in Discourses of this Nature we cannot be too close and particular * Bp. Wilkins Gift of Preaching pag. 37 A great Man saith that the Design of Preaching is to bring down General Truths to particular Cases I am sure it should be so and it was so in a Greater Preacher than He and before a greater Audience than we are wont to meet with even in Nathan and David when he began with a Parable but at last spoke plainly unto himself 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the Man The Arrow doth more Execution 2 Kings 22.34 when it enters between the Joints of the Harness than when it flyes at random The greatest Blemish which perhaps may appear throughout this Work in the Eye of others may be a co-incidence of the Argument which indeed sometimes unavoidably returns and must occur that every Part might be handled duely for otherwise if we had been more sparing to avoid the giving of too much we had impair'd the Table and taken too much away I need not fly to the Writings of Great Men to find a Sanctuary from the Reader 's pursuit of me herein but to the best City of Refuge Num. 35.13.15 even one that hath Foundations Heb. 11.10 whose Builder and Maker is God For the Holy Writings do abound with Parallel Instances that can never be judg'd by Pious and Sober Minds to be guilty of when they condemn vain Repetitions Matth. 6.7 I will not trouble the Reader with many Witnesses only produce Two Deut. 19.15 which is a sufficient Number for Proof to clear me if my Crime were judged to be Capital See
part Indeed Solomon's Provision for one day amounted to a large Bill of Fare 1 Kings 4.22.23 Thirty measures of fine Flower and threescore measures of meal ten fat Oxen and twenty Oxen out of the Pastures and an hundred Sheep beside Harts and Roe-bucks and fallow-deer and fatted fowl But the Supper of our God is in a Richer and more abundant store than that as will appear when serv'd up in this following Account viz. Milk for Babes Meat for strong men the true Bread from Heaven Living water Flesh to eat Blood to drink the Lamb of God the fatted Galf for Prodigals the Marrow of rich Forgiveness the food of Knowledge the nourishment of Faith the feast of Holiness or the bunch of Hyssop in Sanctification of the Spirit the hidden Manna of Election the Royal Dainties of Assurance the Evangelical honey comb dropping Free Grace the fatness of God's house in Ordinances the Supplies of the Spirit of Jesus the morsel of Hope for them that fail not to sit with the King at meat the full meal of Contentment for them that have left all and followed Christ the Refreshments of the Peace of Conscience the Oyl of Joy the Cup of Consolation with the Wine of the Kingdom running over the continual Diet of Perseverance in the sure mercies of David and the Fruit of the Tree of Life 1. Milk for Babes even the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincere Milk of the Word which the weakest of God's Little ones may lye at the Breasts and suck On this wise speaketh the Apostle Peter in his Exhortation 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby The Holy Scriptures are made ready in the Plainest Truths for a Hungry Infant that will not be quiet till it finds the Breast out Lam. 4.4 The Tongue of God's sucking Children would cleave to the Roof of their mouth if they could not get to the Word and there be as one that hath sucked the Breasts of his Mother Cantic 8.1 Heb. 5.12 The first Principles of the Oracles of God are compar'd to Milk because the first sort of Truths that young Converts Learn and are wont at the beginning of the New-Birth to be most affected with The Apostle Paul speaking of the Infancy of his Corinthian Church tells them in his Epistle which he first wrote unto them 1 Cor. 3.2 I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fed you with Milk I have given you a Liquid Food you might swallow easie Others have drank what I have given you to eat as the Milk of Babes may by strong men be eaten or drunk either Not with meat ye were not able to bear it That is ye could not digest the stronger and higher sort of Doctrines neither yet now are ye able 1 Cor. 14 20. Children in understanding must have the Food of their Souls as their lack of Age requires it Philemâ—â— 9 and such a one as Paul the aged knew it Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ had such weak Disciples with him that he forbore a while feeding them with strong meat and stays till more cubits were added to their Spiritual Stature before he weans them from the milk of Babes Joh. 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now He dealt with them proportionably to their present state and weaker Capacities in Christianity So young Converts must be fed with Food convenient Prov. 30.8 not only convenient in the Quantity and Measure as Agur meant it but convenient in the Quality and Nature of it and not too strong for them Weaker Christians must be fed with weaker Diet that their Souls may digest it and be made the better for the Truths they take in Now the Gospel hath its Milk in Doctrines easie to be understood 1 Cor. 14.9 Come ye therefore says the Evangelical Prophet Isa 55.1 and buy milk It is a sort of Victuals treasur'd up in our Fathers House that when ye rceive the Kingdom of God Mark 10.15 as a little Child I mean with a very Childish and low Capacity you may meet with Provisions therein suited to you Isa 60.16 Our Babes in Christ may suck the Milk of the Gentiles that is those plain Revelations of the Son of God who is now believed on in the World 1 Tim. 3.16 They can milk out from these Breasts of consolation Isa 66.11 till they are delighted with the Abundance of her Glory Jerusalem God's Church the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 hath Breasts given her which her Children shall never draw dry The Holy Ghost stoops in very low Expressions 2 Tim. 3.15 that from a Child a Believer may know the Holy Scriptures Its Doctrines are suited to the Understanding and Capacities of the meanest The Gospel hath a Plenty that will furnish all sorts Heb. 5.13 The Vnskilfull in the Word of Righteousness is not left destitute but may receive the Word of his Grace and use it's Milk while he is a Babe Tho' like Zaccheus Luk. 19.3 you are Little of Stature yet you may reach of the Fruit when you cannot climb the Tree of Life before you The Gospel abounds with a Treasure of Holy Learning which some have received tho' never brought up at the * Act. 22.3 Chap. 19.9 Feet of Gamaliel or the School of one Tyrannus You may be taught the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4.21 Luk. 2.46 and know the Master of the School that sat among the Doctours tho' you be not rankt among the wise and prudent I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Matth. 11.25 The Word of God indeed hath its Depths where there is no passing over without swimming beyond your reach but yet it hath its shallowes where going lower you may wade or foord thro' 1 Tim. 3.16 Tho' it be the Mystery of Godliness yet a Mystery so revealed that the ordinary Readers or Hearers may be taught to profit by it Exod. 8.19 There be plain Truths written with the Finger of God and clear Truths copied out as with a Sun-beam from Heaven God's Word is a Text-Hand and he that runs may read it In a word Isa 7.22 it hath the Abundance of Milk for Babes to nourish even the least in our Father's House 2. Meat for strong men or the strong Meat of the highest Gospel-Mysteries Sublime and spiritual Doctrines may be set forth by Meat as the Apostle doth in that forementioned place 1 Cor. 3.2 and strong meat as he calls them Heb. 5.14 which belongeth to them that are of Full Age that is above New Converts the Adult who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
when in the Discharge of our Duty we may seem to others or to our selves to be Righteous then not to trust our own Works It is an excellent * The 14th among the Nine and Thirty Article to this Purpose in the Church of England and I wish it were received as an Article of Truth as well as an Article of Peace among all the Sons that she hath brought forth That Article words it plainly in the close with the very express words of Scripture When you have done all are commanded you say you are Unprofitable Servants Tho' thou couldst not discern a Spot yet to justifie thy Self in the sight of God is not the Spot of God's Children Deut. 32.5 see 1 Cor. 4.4 For I know nothing by my self yet I am not hereby justifyed Tho' thou canst not discern a Mote in thy own Eye yet the Eye of the Lord may behold a Bâ—am in it for in his sight shall no man living be justifyed Psal 143.2 Now tho' it be the Garment of Christ's Righteousness and not thy own must cover thee yet thou must be brought to pull off thy own before thou put on His. So much for that First Term in our selves we must come off from viz. Our own Bottom 2. In coming off from our selves we must come off from our own Case This is another thing we must leave in Self before we can come and accept of Christ's Call If we choose our Ease and would wrap up this Lust warm we shall be loth to bring it with us Naked and barefoot to Christ to be turned out of Doors If Christ invites us to partake of Gospel-Grace we must leave off that slothful Note Soul take thine Ease Luk. 12.19 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rest Soul said that Sluggard I have enough cease from taking further Care so the word signifies We shall not care to gird up our Loins and walk after our Master if we had rather sit down in our Poverty and lost Estate and be contented in a Natural and Sinful state with such things as we have Heb. 13.5 We shall not be Christ's Sheep if we leave not that Practice of Foolish Shepherds off who for this are compar'd to Dogs Isa 56.10 in sleeping lying down and loving to slumber If we come to Christ he will call us out to Watchfulness and what shall we do if we cannot endure to watch with our Lord so much as one Hour Mat. 26.40 we had need to have another Spirit and other Language than that Tongue of the Sluggard yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep Prov. 6.10 A Call to put on Christ's Yoke and sit at Christ's Table tho' in never so sweet and gracious an Invitation Job 12.5 yet will surely be despised in the Thought of him that is at Ease A Man must cease to be like that wicked and slothful Servant Mat. 25.26 and not continue to be Slothful in Business Rom. 12.11 before he 's one whose Soul shall truly dwell at Ease Psa 25.13 We must come off from our own Ease and Sloth and be willing to have Peace with God any how tho' we put our Sinful Flesh to Pain 3. In coming off from our selves we must come off from our own Interest where Christ's and our own are inconsistent We must come chearfully unto Christ whatever our Journey costs us or we may go away sorrowful like that young Man who had great Possessions Mat. 19.22 We must deny our selves or we are likely afterwards to deal very ill with Christ We must be ready to lose what the Flesh might gain before Christ and the Gospel can be sound the best Gain to us When we are building this Tower we must sit down and consult the Cost or it may quickly end in Babel i. e. Confusion before we finish or have half done our Work So long as all seek their own iâ—e are swallowed up wholly with making Provision for the Flesh Rom. 13.14 they will be such as the Apostle speaks of that seek not the Things of Jesus Christ Phil. 2.21 4. In coming off from our selves we must come off from our Vnwillingness to come at Christ's Call If we come against our Wills tho' it be but hither to our Solemn Meeting to hear what God the Lord should say we go up a Double Hill Pelion upon Ossa Heaps upon Heaps Hill upon Hill all the way to Zion A Man's Legs may bring his Body into the Assembly while his Mind starts back like a Deceitful Bow never bent for God a Friend at home or Neighbour near you may by accident perswade you out to hear but so long as your Wills Sinners are hanging off from Christ your Consent is no ways Cordial your Iron Sinew yet was never toucht to come bending and melting all the way on Ah! here lyes one of the Dying Symptoms in this Plague of thine Evil Heart which the Physician speaketh of ye will not come unto me that ye might have Life Joh. 5.40 Salvation it self as (c) Dr. Sibbs viz. Bruised Reed pag. 182. one observes will not save those that spill the Potion and cast away the plaister You must be Cur'd of Obstinacy before you close with Jesus Tho' you are bidden to a Feast yet your Wills must be taken down before you can take up your Beds and walk to it Willing and Obedient go by couples when God invites you to eat the Good of the Land Isa 1.19 5. In coming off from our selves we must come off from all our Carnal Fears that discourage us from Christ and are ready to suggest an ill thing to us When Christ calls a Soul unto him if that Soul hath been much awakened it often happens as when a Stranger calls a little Child the Child is loth to draw near he looks like a Stranger and he knows not how to trust him But wilt thou serve thy best Friend so Man's corrupt Imaginations suggest Evil Things to him Our Eye is ready to be evil Mat. 20.15 because Christ is good and we are ready to think as if this Joseph tho' he invites us to nourish us in a time of Famine would yet find some occasion against us as Joseph's Brethren thought and spake of him in Egypt Now we must lay aside our Fears that terrifie us before we can come to Jesus Christ to treat us Methinks Christ's Invitation should bring our Faith and banish all our Fears Mat. 1049. Be of good comfort rise he calleth thee were words enough to make the Heart of the Poor Blind Man to leap within him Oh! how did he shake off every Impediment throw his very Cloaths by to take hold of the Hem of Christ's Garment and should not we shake off this Spirit of Heaviness that clogs our Approaches and makes us sweat with Fear when we might in Christ have Boldness or (d) James Ferguson upon the Place Liberty to