twenty third verse The time is come that the Sonne of man should be glorified Well but how Verely verely I say unto you except a corne of wheat fall to the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit Thus he comes to his glory he must die first and so he must come to glory If any man serve me sayes he at the twenty sixth verse Let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be This is the way that Christ went and this way God took with Christ Love loves to be like unto Jesus Christ and Faith loves to go in the garment of Jesus Christ as with him so with the Saints And then againe fourthly Reas 4 God is pleased thus to order things in the dispensations of his grace and mercy That the comforts of his people may be the more sure and stedfast If our comforts hang at the girdle of the creature they are most uncertaine but if they be laid up in God in his promise upon his power then they are certaine He that is engag'd in the crowd must be carried too and fro in the crowd And he that is in a ship must be carryed as the ship is If a man stand upon a banke of Ice he is apt to slide but if he stand upon dry ground he stands more sure All the second causes they make but a banke of Ice and when a man stnads on them and his comforts on them he is apt to slide the only dry ground is Gods power and Gods faithfulnesse and his promise That a mans comforts therefore may not slide but may be more sure and stedfast God takes this course with his people putting a sentence of death upon the mercy and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it before he gives it out unto the soule I but you will say Object This shakes the very foundation of all my comfort for it this be true That when God intends any speciall mercy to the children of Abraham he does first put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it then surely I am none of the children of Abraham I never had any skpeciall mercy yet given unto me I do not find that it hath been so with me No what then Because your experience don't speake it Answ is it not therefore true Some would have the Sunne set by their watch and not their watch set by the Sunne some measure the truth of all the doctrines that they heare by their owne experience and if their owne experience speake them true then they are true otherwise not But I say what then It may be thou art a man or woman that the Lord never gave out a promise to thee not a promise to thy soule some there are in prayer that by the strength of their memory can reach in a promise and when Art and memory reaches in a promise into prayer the sentence of death does not then passe indeed but when the Lord gives out a promise to the soule then the sentence of death passes upon the businesse upon the mercy and upon the meanes that do lead unto it I appeal unto all the Saints here Whether ever had ye any great mercy in all your life but first of all there was a sentence of death past upon it and upon all the meanes that did lead unto it And therefore thought thou saiest this shakes the foundation of thy comfort truely better a rotten foundation should be shaken then stand But you will say Quest Is it so with the Saints in regard of all their Spirirtuall blessings too Yes Answ When ever did the Lord give an Ordiance to his people in the way of a speciall mercy but first of all the sentence of death came upon the businesse and upon all the means that did lead unto it When did the Lord ever give any grace to his people but first of all the sentence of death past when ever did the Lord give any incouragement in duty to any of his children but first a sentence of death past When ever did the Lord give any great injoyment of himselfe to any of his children but first a sentence of death past When ever was a poore soule made fruitfull but first a sentence of death past Oh! never any more barren then I never any more dead then I Our Lord and Saviour Christ he promises his Disciples that he would send them the Holy-Ghost the Comforter but before the Comforter came he goes away himselfe from them and they were left and never in such a sad condition as immediately before the Comforter came And if you mind it here though Abraham had many acts of Faith yet this act of faith is singled out from all the rest of the actings of Abrahams faith wherein Abraham is held forth as a patterne for all beleevers The grace of a godly man is his soules Resurrection We are risen being risen with Christ by grace we rise Now sayes the Apostle 't is in regard of the Resurrection is with seed that is sown it first dies and then it rises The Saints and people of God they have all their graces and all their comforts in a way of Resurrection This is the way therefore God takes with his people Onely take along with you these three or foure cautionall considerations First this is to be understood concerning the great and the speciall belssings and mercies which beleevers have There are some blessings and mercies that are more common and ordinary some that are more speciall and greater I do not say that this is true concerning every common and ordinary blessing that a beleever hath that he hath no blessing no mercy but first of all a sentence of death is put upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it but I say its true concerning the great and the speciall blessings and mercies We reade of Abraham that he had other children it was not so in regard of them but Isaac was the great blessing it was so in regard of Isaac The children of Israel they had their daily bread and their water their daily provisions we do not find it in regard of them but they had Manna from heaven and they had water out of the Rock they had speciall water speciall bread so in regard of these And therefore if you look into Exod. 15. you shall find there at the last verse They came to Elim where were twelve Wels of water according to the twelve Tribes every Tribe had twelve and threescore and ten palm trees according to the number of those that went down to Egypt But now before they had these twelve Wels of water yea reade at the 22. verse that they went three dayes in the wildernesse and found no water at the 25. verse you reade of waters they had that were very sweet but before that the water was bitter it was called Marah And when they came
sins But I pray what works the heart over to this acknowledgment When David had Saul at a great advantage and spar'd him Saul breaks forth into this expression O my son David thou art more righteous than I O David thou art a righteous man but I am an unrighteous man So when the soul sees what infinite advantage the Lord hath it at and how the Lord spareth then the soul breaks forth and saies The Lord is righteous I am unrighteous I am unrighteous this works an acknowledgment Sixtly A Repenting person does not only acknowledge his sin as occasion serves but he labours to un-sin his sin and truely else it is no Repentance He does walk contrary unto himself and his former self he does labour to undo what he had done before sinfully he does labour to unsay what he had said before wickedly Before the Jaylor was converted he clap't up the Apostle into close prison and either he whipt him there or else being whipt he did not relieve him and wash his wounds But the Jaylor Repenting mark how he walks contrary to himself Repenting he opens the prison door he washes the Apostles wounds brings him into his own house sets meat before him Those Sorcerers Acts 19. repenting burnt their books which before they prized and studies much How did Manasses walk contrary to himself when he once Repented Well But what is that that will bring the soul to this disposition to walk contrary to ones former self If you look into the 116. Psalm ye shall find there how the Psalmist eats up his former words I said in my hast all men are lyers It was amiss in me I eat my words I am sorry for it what made him do it Saies he at the 3. verse The sorrows of death compassed me about and the pains of hell gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow Then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver me at the 5. verse Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercisul Now having had a tast of Gods grace and God mercy now he eats his former words And so the good man Hezekiab I said saies he I am cut off from the land of the living Isa 38.11 He did eat his words I repent it was suddenly done How was he wrought off to this He had tasted of the love and grace and goodness of God and this made him do it So that now look into the bowels of Repentance and the several workings thereof and ye shall find there is no such way or means or motive to bring a soul unto Repentance as the approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven the word and work of Gods grace and love of God in Jesus Christ Would you know the Reason Briefly thus Repentance is a fruit of faith Ye have a notable expression of godly sorrow to the height in the 12. of Zachary the latter end of the 10 11 and 12. verses speaking of the Call and Conversion of the Jews They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him the latter end of the 10. verse as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Bitterness upon bitterness and mourning And in that day at the 11. verse there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon And the land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart Here is great mourning and sorrow What caused this saies he at the 10. verse They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn They shall look upon me whom they have piercit This is the eye of faith and all true mourning and sorrow does come from thence All tears of Repentance flow from the eye of faith the more a man by faith is able to see a pierced Christ the more his heart is pierced for sin committed the more by faith a man is able to see a wounded Christ the more will his heart be wounded for sin committed Faith works Repentance but what worketh faith Surely the Gospel the preaching of the Gospel Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the preaching of faith He does not say by the preaching of the Gospel but by the preaching of faith The Gospel is called faith not only because 't is the Cbject of faith but that by which faith is wrought Again As Repentance is a fruit of faith So also it does flow from love Amor doloris causa Love is the cause of grief The more a man loves another or apprehends that he is loved of him the more he grieves if he hath any way injured him If you at un-awares do strike another and one tell you that he is your enemy ye grieve not ye are not troubled unless it be in regard of some mischief that may come to your self But if one tell you that he is a friend a specialfriend that grieves you So now if by my sins I have striken at God if I look upon God as an enemy I am not grieved much I am not troubled much But when I consider him as my father the best friend I have in the world and consider how by my sins I have stricken at him this makes me grieve Oh! that ever I should wound the name of him whom my soul loves She loved much saies our Saviour concerning the weeping woman she loved much for much was forgiven her He does not say she wept much for much was forgiven her there was no mention before of her love but only of her weeping and yet saies our Saviour she loved much because he would shew what it was that drew up the sluce of these tears it was her love And what causeth love Love causeth love The more a man sees and apprehends the love of Christ towards him the more his heart is drawn out in love towards Christ again And what greater act of love than this That the Kingdom of Heaven approaches that the Kingdom of Heaven should come and make it's approach to such a poor sinner as I am Surely therefore the approaching or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and greatest motive in the world unto true Repentance You will say Experience seems for to speak the contrary for arguments drawn from Hell and the wrath of God seem to be more powerful and efficacious in the working of Repentance I have will some say sometimes considered the wrath of God and let out my heart upon arguments drawn from thence and then I have bin much humbled broken been much affected yea the truth is I have been more humbled and more broken and more affected and more troubled for sin than when the Gospel the word of the Kingdom hath been preach'd and opened unto me How therefore is this true Experience seems to speak the contrary I answer Quicquid recipitur c.
THE WORKS OF WILLIAM BRIDGE Sometime Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in CAMBRIDGE NOW Preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth The second Volumn VIZ. I. Grace for Grace or The overflowings of Christs fulness received by all Saints II. The Spiritual actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities III. Evangelical Repentance London Printed by Peter Cole at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1649. To the Reader THat we may at least stay the longings of many thirsty Souls with a sweet Rellish of a promising Vintage of new Wine this year we have slipt off this Second ripe Cluster of Grapes from its fellows which if it be squeezed in the hand of Faith will prove it self to be so rich fragrant and sparkling with the the Blood Juyce and Spirit of the Gospel that it needs not the Purple of our Epistle Recommendatory to welcom it to any that are in truth the living Branches of the true Vine Yet to the end we may happily invite some that are without to come in that they also may both see and taste how good the Lord is to the Children of the Bride chamber READER Stand a while at the Well head with the poor woman of Samaria admiring the infinite dimensions of those waters of Life that are fountain'd up in Jesus Christ of whose fulness we All receive even gracef or grace The Saints may be brim full of the holy Spirit as Stephen was but its according to measure a Vessel-fulness but Christ above or without measure a Spring-fulness which is not onely repletive but diffusive unsearchable unmeasurable The great Ocean is too little to shadow out the over flowings of this fulness for take away a drop or two from thence it presently suffers a diminution But though this Fountain of Salvation should shed abroad his love upon all the world of the Elect as the waters cover the Sea yet it is ever full running over There is not the less light or heat in this Sun of Righteousness though he daily ariseth with healing in his wings unto them that fear his Name from East to West He is resterday to day and for ever the same This is no Hyperbolie Nec Christus nec Coelum patitur Hyperbolum Sic Lutheras but the language of Canaan Oh that this unspeakable Fulness of Heaven and Earth or Saints and Angels that fills All in All did now constrain thee to cast thy empty Pitcher into these Depths of his Grace so shouldst thou with this beloved Evangelist and the rest that are included in this WE ALL receive even grace for grace To act Faith is the principal use which directly flows out from every Doctrine about Jesus Christ We shall Appeal unto thee whose eye is fixed on this full Book of Grace Is not fulness in other things a Conquering golden Argument Did not Josephs treasure of Corn prevail with good old Jacob and his Sons to go down into Egypt And shall not this one Gospel Joseph who alone is the Bread of Life that once came down from Heaven to feed hungry souls engage thee almost famished to come unto him for this Staff of Life that thou mayest live Were they not the Floods of milk and honey that did run down the Promised Land that did set the Israelites teeth on edge to be there And shall not the overflowings of Christs heart in heaven towards sinners on earth make thee to hunger and thirst after his Righteousness who is the Lord our Righteousness Was it not the Abundance of Solomons natural wisdom which was as a constellation of Stars in his Crown that invited the Queen of Sheba to travel from the utmost parts of Arabia to kneel before his Throne And is there not a greater then Solomon here who is the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his person full of grace and truth Oh where where then are the Spiritual actings of thy Soul upon him Abrahams Faith was a very lively vigorous and a more then conquering Faith when the Sentence of Death was apparant on the head of the Mercy and the womb leading to it and is thy faith like a tree twice dead plucked up by the roots God forbid Oh remember the fulness of the Infiniteness of all Perfections that are originally in the Lord being able to fill up all the empty chinks void places the unsatisfied gaspings and yawnings of the vast Spirit of-man We shall seal up all with the Evangelical words of that voyce of Christ eccho'd in a wilderness as the great Motive of all Motives The Kingdom of Heaven of Grace of Christ and all his Benefits is at hand hath approached Therefore Believe Repent Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing Thine in and for Jesus Christ and his fulness that thou mayest receive even grace for grace William Greenhil William Adderley Iohn Yates The Titles of the first Volumn I. The great Gospel-Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office II. Satans power to Tempt and Christs love to and care of his people under Temptation III. Thankfulness required in every condition THE CONTENTS Of the Second VOLVMNE JOHN 1.16 SERMON I Doctrine 1. THERE is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Page 3 Opened Ibid Grace taken 3. waies 1 For the love and favour of God ibid 2 For holiness Page 6 Proved by Demonstrations Page 7 Objections answered Page 9 3 For gifts and abilities ibid Proved Application Duty 1 Let all men come to Christ Page 12 Objections answered Duty 2 Let all trust unto him and build upon him Page 14 Duty 3 It is our duty to draw forth this fulness 1 By a frequent eying of it Page 15 2 By resting up on it in the time of tempt at on Page 16 3 By giving it foirth to others ibid Duty 4 Let us labour to be like to him ibid Duty 5 Take heed how we do any thing that may rob Christ of glory of his fulness SERMON II John 1.16 Proposition cleered Page 20 Doct. 2 All the Saints and people of God do pertake of the fulness of Christ in a way of receiving Page 20 Divided into two parts Page 21 1 There is a communication of the fulnesse of Jesus Christ unto all beleevers ibid 2 Whatsoever Grace or holinesse the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving ibid The former proved Reason 1. Because there is a union between Christ and a beleever ibid 2 By 4. propositions 1 There is an infinite treasury of grace in Jesus Christ Page 22 2 What grace soever and holinesse he received as mediator he received not for himself but for others ibid 3 There is an infinite willingnesse in Jesus Christ to communicate his grace to the sons of men Page 25 4 There is nothing in heaven or earth can hinder him from doing all Page 28 Objection Why are beleevers so empty of grace Answered 1 The
but for others So in the third place there is an infinite propension and willingness in Jesus Christ to communicate this grace unto the children of men Pray mark it There is an infinit propension and willingnesse in Jesus Christ to communicate and give out his grace unto the children of men Heb. 3.2 He is faithful saies the Apostle in all His house as Moses was Now if Jesus Christ should receive gifts for men for others and then run away with all and not be willing to give them out He could not be faithful but faithful He is Look I pray for this in the 16. Psal 2 v. Thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodness not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth and for the excellent in whom are all my delight You reade the words thus Thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodnesse extendeth not to thee But in the Hebrew the word extendeth is not Thou art my Lord my goodnesse not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth That these words are spoken of Christ Pray reade the Four last verses I have set the Lord alwayes before me at the 8. ver because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption Now compare these words with what the Apostle saies in Acts 2.25 David speaketh concerning him mark For I foresaw the Lord alwayes before my face he is on my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope Because thou will not leave my soul in hell the same viorde neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see corruption Mark what is said then at the 29. ver the Apostle proves That these words of the Psalm must needs be understood of Christ and not of David Men and brethren saies he let me freily speak unto you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his Sepulcher is with us unto this day Therefore saies he these words cannot be understood of David but must be understood of Christ Now then this Psalm being thus to be understood of Christ saies Christ Lord Thomiâ—t my Lord my goodness is not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth and for the excellent in whom is all my delight They are my delight and therefore what goodnesse I have from thee I am willing to give it out again unto them because al my delight is in them Do you not think that a man is willing to eat his meat when he is a hungry I ray look into the 4. chaptes of John and you shall see what was Christs meat verse the 34. Jesus faith unto them My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His Work My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me What is that Finish His Work What is that You reade before in the 61 Esay That the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and God the Father had anointed Him to open the prison door Now therefore saith He look how willing a man is to eat his meat when he is a hungry So willing am I to releeve poor sinners to open the prison dore to poor captive souls Tender hearted Mothers are you willing to give your Children suck to have your breasts drawn Yes Why so Truly not only because of my child but the truth is unless my breasts be drawn 't is a pain to me not only for my child therefore but for my own ease also you will say Why brethren the Humanity of Jesus Christ is as I may so speak the breasts of the Deity by which we suck out all the holiness and grace which we have and if Jesus Christs breasts be not drawn He counts it a pain to Him And therefore He complains so in the Gospel Joh. 1.11 I came unto mine own and mine own received me not They will not draw My breasts He counts it a pain to Him Tell me are you willing to receive grace Yes If you be willing to receive grace Jesus Christ is willing to give it for you cannot be willing if He were not willing first your willingness does come from His. But I pray what grace are you willing to have Oh! saies one I am a poor ignorant creature I would fain I would fain have more knowledge Oh! saies one I am one of great Passions and of a disordered life and Oh! that I had my life better ordered Oh! saies another I am a poor guilty soul and I would have pardon I would have pardoning grace Now I 'le appeal to you Whether do you not think that an honest man is willing to do the work of his office Can a man be an honest man and not be willing to do the work of his office This is the Office of Jesus Christ He is a Prophet and therefore He must be willing to teach you you that complain that you are ignorant This is the Office of Jesus Christ to be a King and therefore He is willing to direct you and to order you You that complain of distemper and disorder This is the Office of Christ to be a Priest and therfore He is willing to satisfie for you and indeed if Jesus Christ were not willing to give out His grace unto the children of men He would never lay it upon such conditions as He does When a man is unwilling to do a thing for another He will put it upon hard conditions As Saul being unwilling to give his Daughter to David He put it upon hard conditions But now what does Jesus Christ require What does the Lord Jesus Christ require for the Communication of His grace But only this that you do receive it Mark only this that we do receive it a condition indeed that is no condition I say a condition that is no condition because he promises strength to receive also Oh! my beloved Why should we cumber the way to Heaven with Preparations and Qualifications and Precedaneous conditions There are no In-coms no In-coms to be paid at our coming in to Jesus Christ there are no Precedaneous conditions Grace is free and Mercy is free and Christ is free and His Love is free there is an infinite Propension in Jesus Christ to communicate this His Grace to the children of men This is the third Proposition Fourthly As Christ is infinitly willing So in the Fourth place there is nothing either in Heaven or in earth that can hinder Him from doing al. For now grant all the former Three That there is an infinite treasury of Grace in Christ That He hath not received it for Himself but others That He is infinitly willing to give it out unto the
In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed Then He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction That He may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man When man least thinks of it then God comes in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon a man and in slumbrings upon the bed Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction What does all this argue then But that grace grace is infused grace is supernatural Oh! there is a supernaturallity in saving grace Surely therefore all is in a way of Receiving all is Received That is a Second Argument Thirdly This truth is also argued from the Shortness of the means of grace Much means of grace appointed but take the means as it is in it self without Gods appointment or institution upon it you wil find that all means are too short to reach the end For example In the old Testament when the Lord would take in Jericho and break down the walls of Jericho He Commands Josh 6.4 The Rams horns should be blown Take the blowing of the Rams-horns as lying under Gods appointment and so this action was sufficient for to break down the walls but take the action of blowing the Rams-horns by it self and so it was too short So the Lord commands Naaman 2 Kings 5.10 To go and wash himself in the water of Jordan take this action of Naaman washing himself in the water take it I say without Gods Commandement take it with Gods Commandement Gods Appointment so it was sufficient to reach his Cure and heale him of his Leprosy but now take the action as it was in it self without the Appointment and institution of God and so it was too short to reach his Cure So in the new Testament Joh. 9.6 our Savior Christ He takes spittle and clay for to cure a mans eyes Take this under Christs appointment and so it 's sufficient to reach the cure but take it without and so short So God did appoint in Baptisme a man should be washed in water and in the Sacrament we should eat bread and drink wine for the begetting and increasing of Faith Take these actions as they lie under Gods Appointment and Institution they are able to reach this end but take these actions as they are in themselves washing in water and eating bread and drinking wine they are all too short all too short either to beget or increase Grace Well now why does the Lord stil appoint such means as in themselves are too short for the end whereto appointed Surely not only for this reason that he might teach us that the thing done is rather by the appointment then by the use of means but also to show thus much That though we do use the means yet notwithstāding in the use of the means we do not attain the thing by the use thereof but that in the using of means and waiting there we shall receive strength from God to do it to attain the end Whensoever therefore you consider the shortness of the means appointed conclude thus That all is in a way of Receiving therefore God hath appointed the means that are in themselves short Fourthly This Doctrine is further argued From the work and nature of Faith There is no Grace that the Scripture puts more upon than Faith Mark I pray In the old Testament all the Victories are put on Faith In the new Testament all the Cures if thou canst but Beleeve saies Christ According to thy Faith be it unto thee Yea Beloved if you look into the new Testament you shal find that the same works that are given to Christ are given to Faith Jesus Christ He is said for to Sanctifie the soul So doth Faith Faith purifies the heart saies the Apostle Jesus Christ He is said for to justifie a sinner So does Faith too Being justified by Faith Romans the 5th Jesus Christ He is said for to save the soul He is called our Savior So doth Faith too By Faith ye are saved What 's the Reason now that the Lord does especially set the Crown upon the head of Faith Some think it is for this Reason Because that Faith doth unite the soul unto Jesus Christ But so does Love Love is an affection of Union and all Grace unites to Christ as every sin seperates so every Grace unites Others think 't is for this Reason Because that as Faith sets the Crown upon the head of Christ So God sets the Crown upon the head of Faith and this is true For as the Lord does honor those persons most that honor Him most So He wil honor those Graces most that honor Him most But besides this I conceive the great Reason is this why the Lord does thus set all over upon Faith I say because that Faith in the nature of it is a Receiving Grace And therefore John having said in this 1. Chap. of Joh. and the 12. verse To as many as received Him He gave power to be called the Sons of God Explains himself by this afterward in the same verse Even to them that Beleeve on His Name So that Beleeving is nothing else but Receiving the Grace of God the nature of Faith being to Receive the Truth or the Receiving of Jesus Christ the proper work and nature of Faith being to Receive Now therefore when the Lord does put al upon Faith and Faith in it's nature is a Receiving plainly it holds forth this Truth unto us That all is in a way a Receiving all Grace in a way of Receiving Fifthly and lastly This Truth is argued also From the posture and true behavior of Prayer Mark Prayer is nothing else but the souls begging or petitioning for something from Heaven A begger you know when he begs he holds forth or he stretches forth his hand noting a willingness to receive So you reade in Scripture that when the soul is put into a posture of Prayer it is put into this posture Reade therefore what is said in Job 11.13 If thou prepare thine heart or est ablish thine heart for so the word signifies if thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards Him That is if thou doest Pray unto Him thou stretchest out thine hands unto Him Now as one observes well As it were a derision or a mocking of God to praise God or to give God thanks for that which He doth not give but I have in my own power So it were also a mocking of God to pray to God for that which is not in His hands to give but in mine to do Now my Beloved What ever Grace or Holinesse a man hath he is to pray for pray for healing strength pray for quickning strength pray for confirming strength pray for strength to pray and seeing the posture of prayer is this to stretch forth the hands which notes receiving in that we are for to
that are given to worldlinesse So the sight and beholding of the deadnesse of the meanes is a great snare and temptation to those that are given to doubting and those that are given to unbeliefe Does the meanes therefore lie dead before thee at any time Soule man or woman go to the Lord and say thus Ah! Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding this same dead meanes away away to the promise when all meanes faile now beare thy selfe at length upon the promise go unto Jesus Christ throw thy self now at his feete and say Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee if I perish I will perish here Do this and live And thus I have done with the Second Proposition And so much for this time Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak or weakned in faith he confidered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe THe words are spoken of Abraham and they hold forth Three great Truths as yee have heard First That when God intends any great mercy or blessing to the children of Abraham he does first put the Sentence of death upon the blessing or mercy and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it Secondly That then and then especially 't is the duty of all the children of Abraham of all beleevers then for to trust in God Thirdly That no difficulties can stand before Faith true saving justifying faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ I have done with the two former and am now to speake unto the third No difficulties can stand before Faith Doct. 3 True saving justifying Faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ Abraham had a promise given him that his seed should be as the starres of Heaven and that in his seed all the Nations of the world should be blest Upon this promise Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs body is dead Now Abraham beleeves Being not weake in Faith he considered not the deadnesse of his own body And in this he had an eye unto Jesus Christ for this was imputed to him for righteousnesse and herein he is held forth as an example to us that beleeve with a justifying faith in this chapter So that where ever there is true saving justifying faith it carries a man through all difficulties through all naturall discouragements For the clearing whereof I shall deliver my selfe in these foure things First I will shew you That the way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties and naturall discouragements this as a rice unto all the rest Secondly That true saving faith will carry one through all these Thirdly That nothing else can do it And Fourthly What it is in true saving justifying Faith that does is How this Faith comes to do it First The way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties or naturall discouragements No sooner does a man begin to looke after Christ but difficulties and naturall discouragements do arise and they are prest by Satan with much violence When the children of Israel began to make out of Egypt Pharoah doubles their taske and labours to make their way grievous and troublous And so soone as a soule begins to look after Christ Satan and the world labours to make his way troublous The Devill is the great hunter of Soules So long as the Game goes well with the hunter and he is going into his snare he makes no noise but if once the Hare or the Game begin to decline the snare and go another way then he hoopes and he hollowes and he makes a noise that he may scare it into the snare againe And so as long as men are going into the Devils snare he makes no noise but if once they begin to turne aside from his snare then he raises Town Country and a great noise is made to scare the soule in againe He knowes that a candle may be easily blown into light when 't is new put out Paul met with no buffetings of Satan till he had been taken up into the third heavens and seene the glory there So long as Paul went on in his Pharasaicall way he met with no opposition and so long as a man goes on in the way of the world or in some Pharasaicall Devotionall-way that is not the way of the Gospell he meetes with no opposition but when once the Lord takes him as it were into the third heavens and shews him the glory of Christ then Satan begins to buffer him Nature within us that stands and saies Will you go to Christ 't is impossible that ever you should get him And the world without Will you go to Christ you will lose all your friends Will you become a foole too What with the world and what with the flesh and what with the Devill the way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties And this will appeare yet further if you consider the Nature of Faith and the worth of it 'T is a grace a Gospel grace a precious grace whereby we do come to Christ I say 'T is a grace Nulla Virtus sine lapide When our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified they rould a stone over his sepulcher and when the Disciples came they said Who shall roule away the stone Mark 16 3 And as our Lord himselfe had a stone roul'd upon him so the more of Christ is in any vertue the greater stone and the greater difficulty is rould upon it every vertue and every grace hath one stone or other that is roul'd upon it but the more of Christ in any thing the more the greater is the stone that is roul'd upon it Faith is an excellent grace 1 Pet. 1.7 The triall of your Faith is more precious then gold sayes the Apostle what is Faith it selfe then It is the Intelligencer of the Soule the directrix or Queene-regent of all the graces it sits at the sterne and guides the whole Vessel 'T is that grace that gives a Being unto a Christian other graces the Well-being It is that grace that brings Christ and the Soule together It is that grace that covers the defects of all other graces Ephes 6.16 'T is called the shield a shield does not only cover the body but the rest of the armour Faith does not onely cover the Soule but the defects of all other graces There is an excellency in grace excellent things and jewels they are hard to come by Therefore by it we come unto Christ He that comes over the River must come from that side of the water if he will come to this And he that comes to Christ he must come from his old Customes and his own Engagements and his own Righteousnesse this is a hard thing I may say in some respects 't is harder to beleeve then to keepe the ten Commandements because there is something in nature towards
stones and the gravell the Leather weares thin and weares out But if a man goes barefoot though the skin of his foot be tinner the skin does not weare out but growes thicker as Indians they go barefoot and their skin of their feet weares thicker by going upon the gravell and upon the stones What is the Reason The Leather of a mans shooe is a dead thing but the foot is a living thing And so Faith is a living thing and will carry a man over gravell and stones and difficulties but morrall vertues they are but dead things and though they be never so thick they will grow thin and weare out and come to nothing Bare morrall vertues won't do it And then againe Gifts and Parts and Gospel inlargements cannot do it they leave black ashes upon the Soule they are a blaze they make a great blaze Straw that is burnt makes a great blaze but it leaves black ashes upon the harth So where these are without saving Faith they may make a great blaze but the end of them is black ashes upon the Soule Jedas ye know he had great Gifts and Gospel-parts but that would not doe it would not carry him through all his Temptations and difficulties to Jesus Christ Pray do but compare Nicodemus and Judas Nicodemus was but in his Catechisme of Christianity when Judas was a preacher Nicodemus comes to Christ by night when Judas preaches Christ openly but in the end Nicodemus ownes Christ when he is dead and Judas betrayes him when he is living Nicodemus had a true saving-faith Judas had onely gifts Gosper gifts and Gospel-enlargements that will not do it neither And then againe The experience of Gods former dealings providentiall dealings and preservation that won't do it You know how it was with those Spies that was sent into the Land of Canaan there were two sorts of Spies There were good Spies and there were bad spies The good Spies brought up a good report of the Land and the evill Spies brought up an evill report How Why Consider but a little The good Spies they met with many troubles when they were sent out to spy out the Land faine to be hidden in Rahahs house and then they fled to the mountaines and there they lay They come home and they say The Lord hath delivered this people into our hands The other Spies now that brought up the evill report they met with no such hard fare that we reade of and yet they come home and they say The men of the Countrey are the children of Anak and the Cities are wall'd up to Heaven they had experience of Gods preservation in a speciall manner and yet notwithstanding that would not do it Bare experience of Gods preserving mercy that will not do it 1 Iohn 5.4 2 Coâ— 1.2.4 't is only faith will do it saving justifying faith will do it This is the Victory whereby you overcome the world your faith By faith yea stand Looke upon your dangers under a Sea-notion and Faith it is called your Anchor Looke upon your dangers under a land-notion and faith it is called your Shield nothing but faith can doe it You will say to me in the Fourth place What is it in this saving justifying faith that is able thus to carry the soule through all Difficulties and discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Iesus Christ How does faith do it Give me leave to stay here First Faith shewes the soule the glorious invisible things of God and of his grace and brings them neare unto the soule It was a hard thing for Moses to leave all the pleasures and profits and preferrements of Egypt he did it though choosing rather the afflictions of Pharoah with Gods people Why saies the. 11. of the Hebrews He saw him that is invisibel But how did he see him By faith saies the text by faith he saw him that is invisible Faith opens the eyes for to see that a man hath more with him then against him and the workes of God in Christ are not seene by the world Gods pardoning mercy not seene by the world The Vnion with Iesus Christ and the priviledge thereof not seene by the world The satisfaction of Iesus Christ for a poor Sinner not seen by the world The great Power of God not seen or if so yet at a distance it don't much affect Faith is the substance of things not seene Heb. 11.1 it does not only shew a man things that are otherwise unseene but brings them neare Salvation near pardoning mercy near the Priviledges of Union with Christ neare Christs satisfaction neare and so when Difficulties and Discouragements do arise saies the soule through faith Why should not I be satisfied with any condition seeing Christ hath satisfied for me I am one with Christ Christ is a common person When Christ died I died when Christ rose I rose when Christ ascended I ascended Christ sitting in Heaven I sit there Thus faith it elevates and raises up the soule into heaven it carries it over all difficulties and discouragements that it can meet withall Againe true saving faith 2. 1 Cor. 3.22 it tels the soule that all things are its owne All things are yours saies the Apostle things present and things to come life and death all things are yours Faith speakes the same language All things are yours Soule all things are yours Difficulties are yours and naturall impossibilities are yours things present are yours and things to come are yours Will you be afraid of that which is your owne Will the owner be afraid of his owne dog a mastiffe he fals upon a stranger and worries him and a stranger is a afraid of him but the owner is not afraid he leapes and fawnes upon him but does not worry him Sayes faith all these Difficulties and all these Temptations they are your owne they won't worry you they may leape upon you they may fawne upon you but they won't worry you they are all your owne part of the purchase that Jesus Christ hath made for you all these are your owne Faith holds this steadily upon the soule and so a man breaks through Difficulties Againe thirdly True saving justifying faith it shewes a man greater excellencies in Christ then all difficulties and natur all Discour agements can amount unto on the other side You know how 't is with a dog the Grey-hound if hee sees the game a great way off he gives it over but when he comes neare he will rush through the very bushes for to take the Hare throw himselfe upon his back that he may take it a naturall hope makes him do it Faith it raises a mighty hope in the soule presents the soule with many Excellencies and raises a mighty hope in the soule for the obtainment of them it does spread more Excellencies before the soule then can be lost by the hand of Difficulties for example If a man hath beene a Prodigall and now is returning to Christ the world sayes friends
say if you take this course you will lose all you will lose all your acquaintance lose your liberty lose your estate may be lose your life Be it so saies faith though thou losest thy friends thou shalt gaine better and though thou losest thy liberty thou shalt gaine better and though thou losest thy life it selfe thou shalt gaine a better 't is but a while neither sayes faith that thou shalt lose these things and thou shalt have them better in a better Edition When a mans eyes are open to behold the Excellencies of Christ then they are shut to outward Discouragements When a man hath beheld the Sunne in its glory his eyes dazle to the things that are below Now Faith opens a mans eyes to see the Excellencies of Jesus Christ and so the soule is carried through Difficulties and Discouragements though they be never so many Againe fourthly True saving faith it inables the soule to leave the successe and the event of all unto God himselfe Nothing strengthens the hands of Difficulties and Discouragements so much as solicitude about successe and event of things True saving faith helps a man to leave the successe to Christ it does commit the soule unto God unto Christ there is a mutuall committing between Christ and a beleever Christ commits himselfe unto a beleever and a beleever commits himselfe againe unto Christ Christ commits himselfe unto a beleever you know what is said in the Gospel John 2.24 Psal 37.5 He did not commit himselfe unto them because they did not beleeve him arguing that he did commit himselfe unto others that did beleeve him And beleever commit themselves unto Jesus Christ Commit thy way unto the Lord there is a mutuall way of committing Christ he does commit his Grace he does commit his Spirit he does commit his Truth unto a beleever a beleever commits his Estate and his Name and Himselfe againe unto Christ Christ commits his work unto a beleever and a beleever commits the successe of the work againe unto Jesus Christ Faith now leaves the event and the successe unto Jesus Christ and therefore when Difficulties and naturall Discouragements arife and say What wilt thou do now What wilt thou do now to be preserved What wilt thou do to continue now What wilt thou do to be delivered now What will become of you now Oh! Satan sayes a beleever thou hast mistaken the question My question is not What shall become of me I have left the successe of things to God but my question is What shall I do for God My question is How shall I love Jesus Christ My question is How shall I be like unto Jesus Christ My question is How shall I serve my generation and owne Jesus Christ in these times This is my question Faith true saving faith it leaves the successe and the event of things unto Christ and so thereby the soule is carried through all Difficulties and naturall Discouragements unto Jesus Christ In the fifth place True saving faith is that grace whereby the soule takes up the yoke of Christ and the burden of Christ upon his soule Christs burden does unburden all other burdens the very taking Christs burden upon a man does ease him of all other burdens This may seem strange to you that the taking of a new burden should ease one of the former if a man be carrying coales or wood the taking of a new burden would not ease him of the former but the burden of Christ Belove is of another nature Austin distinguishes them there is a burden burdening and a burden supporting he expresses it thus The feathers that a bird or a foule is cloathed with they have a weight in them the wings and feathers have a weight a pound of feathers is as heavy as a pound of lead there is a weight in those feathers yet notwithstanding they beare up the burden of the body though there be a weight in them one weight beares up another Or as 't is with your coaches the wheeles are heavy yet notwithstanding being fastened unto the coach unto the body of the coach makes the body to go away the lighter though they be heavy in themselves So now 't is here the burden of Jesus Christ it makes all other burdens to go away the lighter Faith true saving Faith it is the grace that takes up the burden of Christ upon the soule and so thereby all other burdens are made the lighter and difficulties and discouragements overcome In the sixt place True saving faith it does teach a man for to picke out the love of God from under the anger of God God never makes his Pils so bitter but he mighles some Sugar withall and true faith can find it out When as our Lord and Saviour Christ said Ioh. 2.4.5 woman what have I to do with thee mine houre is not yet come The next words that she saies is to the servants Whatsoever he bids you do that do They wanted wine she came to him for wine and he answered her so it may seem an hard answer yet saies she to the servants whatsoever he bid you do that do For our Saviour had said my houre is not yet come implying therfore that he would do it Implycation is enough for Faith for Mary's Faith Faith it acquaints a man with the wayes of God and acquaints a Soule what Gods wayes are it tels the soule that when Christ seemes to be the greatest Enemy he intends the greatest friendship He sayes faith does then intend for to raise us up when he seemes most for to cast us downe whereupon when difficulties and discouragements do arise Is this his way indeed sayes a beleeving soule why then shall I be borne down with so many discouragements though they be never so many In the seventh and last place true saving justifying faith fils the soule with Gods infinity or infinitenesse Gods way is not as your way sayes Faith nor his thoughts as your thoughts but as the Heavens are above the earth so are his thoughts beyond yours and his wayes beyond your Faith lodges this principle into the Soule that God is infinite and having laid that principle there when difficulties and discouragements do arise saying you see now into what distresse you are brought now you see there is no hope at all for you deliverance true indeed sayes the Beleever through the strength of Faith I see there is no way in any one reason but God is infinite I see many difficulties but God is infinite the soule by Faith being fild with the apprehension of Gods infinitenesse hereby is carried through all difficulties and discouragements to Jesus Christ I have not time I see to tell you how Faith workes by love which much watter cannot quench stronger then death And how Faith is strengthened with the strength of the power of God that it layes hold upon As the Ivie is strong by the strength of the oake that it graspes upon so Faith is strong
of water that is contrary a weak faith is borne down instantly Art thou therefore weak and hast newly begun to look towards Jesus Christ Oh labour to get stronger faith and that you shall do by growing in the knowledge of Iesus Christ Study Christ more his life more his death more his fulnesse more the merciful dispositon of Iesus Christ more Thus shal you be able to grow strong and shal work through all difficulties and discouragements unto the Lord Christ Yet you will say to mee Quest But suppose now that a man hath beleeved some time a great while been in Christ a great while difficulties and discouragements doe arise to beat a man out of the good wayes of Christ that he hath taken up How should a man so raise and use his faith as he may be able to work through all these unto Jesus Christ I 'le speak but to this and so I 'le wind up all Answ First of all consider your call often consider your call your first call to a worke and put your selves often unto this disjunction Either God hath called me to this worke or else he hath not If God hath not called me what meanes this Scripture And what meanes that Scripture And what meanes the other Scripture And if God hath called me why should I lay down the work for any difficulty Will not he carry me through And know this that difficulties do sometimes arise in our way to make a stoppage in our proceedings and sometimes they arise onely to draw out our faith When as thou seest thy call cleare unto any work then say these difficulties arise onely to draw out my faith and not to make a stoppage in my proceedings In the second place consider this That the more you beleeve in the face of difficulty the more you please God Nothing so pleasing to God as beleeving in the face of difficulty God will trust him with much that trusts much to God God will break through many difficulties to save thy soule if thou canst break through many difficulties to come to him There 's no grace does more honour God then Faith of all graces it honours God most and of all the pieces of faith none doe more honour God then beleeving in the face of difficulties When therefore any difficulty or naturall discouragement does arise say the Lord pardon mee Oh! I have dishonoured God enough already is this the way for to honour God to beleeve in the face of difficulties and naturall discouragements Here now I have more opportunity to do it the Lord help mee now will I set my selfe to beleeve In the third place Sometimes when you meete together speak unto one another of the great things that God hath done the great things that God hath promised the great things that Faith hath done As words of anger do draw out anger so experiences do draw out Faith Onely I pray take heed when ye speake of your experiences and what God hath done that ye don't lay or ground your Faith upon your experience but upon the promise 'T is a good speech that Parisiensis hath Experience sayes he 'T is like the crutch the lame mans crutch it does uphold the lame man but it don't cure him And so an experience it stayes up thy soule for the present but experience cannot cure you of your unbeliefe 't is onely the promise cures you of your unbeliefe 'T is said in the 106. Psalme concerning the children of Israel When they saw the Egyptians lie in the sea before them then they beleeved in God and sang his praise And the next words that follow are They soone forgate his works I when as we beleeve the word onely because of experience no wonder that we soone forget our experiences and all Therefore take heed tell of your experiences draw out your experiences for to strengthen your Faith yet lay not your Faith upon your experience but upon the Word And againe in the fourth place Above all things consider what great difficulties Jesus Christ hath broke through to come to you Ye reade of him so described in the Canticles He comes leaping over the mountaines many are the mountaines that Jesus Christ came leaping over to come to you Passion-worke is greater and harder then Creation-worke he came leaping over the mountaines of worke Oh! shall Jesus Christ come leaping over mountaines and difficulties to come to my Soule and shall I go over no mountaines and breake through no difficulties to get to Jesus Christ thinke what difficulties he broke through to come to you And lastly Never speak with your difficulties or discouragements apart from the promise If a man be travailing in the rode and a thiefe can sunder him from his company draw him alone into the woods a hundred to one but he takes his purse if he save his life And if the Devill can part you from the promise take you into the woods where you shall see nothing but darknesse difficulties and discouragements a hundred to one but he spoiles you of all your comforts man or woman does difficulty arise therefore naturall discouragement arise Away to the promise and say unto them when they come I will never speak with you unlesse it be in the presence of a promise Oh but Gods providence seemes for to crosse his promise Obj. Be it so yet thou mayest beleeve Answ though Gods providence seemes for to crosse his promise yet thou mayest rest on the promise Oh but I have a threatning set on upon my heart Object Be it so yet thou mayest beleeve the promise Answ although the threatning have taken hold upon thee and fild thee with trouble for God does therefore threaten that he may make way to a Promise Gods promises don't make way to his threatnings but his threatnings make way to his Promises God does therefore threaten that he may not fulfill but God does therefore promise that he may fulfill and therefore though the threatning have taken hold upon thine heart and thou liest under the apprehension of Gods displeasure get away to the promise rest upon the promise I but Jesus Christ hath withdrawn from me Object and hid himselfe from me Be it so yet thou mayest go to the Promise Christ doth therefore withdraw from thee that he may draw thee to him Answ Jesus Christ does therefore hide himselfe that he may show thee his face more and more Our brother Joseph he cannot conceale himselfe long his bowels and compassions won't let him Wherefore then whensoever any difficulties or naturall discouragements do arise upon you come to this conclusion now therefore will I trust in God now therefore will I venture upon Iesus Christ O my soule now venture now venture and say Lord such and such difficulties are risen thou hast called me to this work difficulties arise upon me surely thou hast called me to this work they are not therefore to make a stoppage in my proceedings but to draw out my faith now therefore I
fulnesse of grace which is in a beleever is many times hid from the world Page 31 2 He communicates grace to them as an universal cause and an universal cause seldom or never produceth particular effects without the concurrence of a particular cause ibid 3 He doth it in proportion Page 32 4 He doth it according to their necessities and wants ibid Application 1 Difference between the fulnesse of the world and the fulnesse of Christ Page 33 1 The fulnesse of the world is made up of many things The fulnesse of Christ of but one thing viz the Deity ibid 2 The fulnesse of the world is made up of worser things But the fulnesse of Christ of the best of bests Page 34 3 The fulnesse of the world runs into emptinesse but the fulnesse of Christ is a dwelling fulnesse ibid 4 The fulnesse of the world can never satisfie the better part of man The fulness of Christ ever doth Page 35 5 The fulness of the earth cannot commend a man to God the fulnesse of Christ makes a man lovely in the eyes of God Page 36 6 The fulnesse of the earth is mixt with poison sin and the curse of God The fulnesse of Christ with contentment ibid 7 The fulnesse of the earth is a defiling fulnesse The fulnesse of Christ a pure fulnesse Page 37 8 The fulnesse of the world is lesse than is expected the fulnesse of Christ is more than can be expected ibid 9 The fulnesse of the world is sometimes better wanted than enjoyed The fulnesse of Christ alwaies makes men happy ibid 10 The fulnesse of the earth costs many times more than it is worth but Christ gives much and takes nothing Page 38 11 All the fulness of the earth is not able to returne you love for love The fulnesse of Christ returns you more love than you brought ibid Application 2 An encouragement to all men to come in to Jesus Christ Page 39 To Beleevers It will make them firm against al Temptations Page 40 Discouragments Page 40 Afflictions Page 40 To Unbeleevers Page 41 Application 3 To beleevers to labour to own their own and strengthen their assurance of their union with Jesus Christ Page 42 SERMON III John 1.16 Doct. What grace or holinesse the Saints have from Christ They have it all in a way of receiving Page 46 Proved by instances In Justification ibid In Adoption ibid In Sanctification ibid In The gifts of the ibid In holy Ghost ibid Prayer Page 47 All in general ibid The rain that fals Page 48 As also 1 By the insufficiency of Nature 1 To overcome sin though never so small Page 49 2 To rise again if he be fallen Page 50 3 To continue if he should rise again Page 51 4 To do any one good work Page 52 5 To prepare himself unto what is good ibid 2 By the supernaturallity of grace Page 54 3 By the shortnesse of the means of grace Page 55 4 By the work and nature of faith Page 56 5 By the posture and true behaviour of prayer Page 57 Object This cuts off all endeavours Answered Page 58 1 It moves to endeavours because it causeth love and fear Page 59 2 Whatsoever service we tender to God on this side heaven is all a waiting vpon him Page 60 Reasons of the point 1 That all boasting rejoycing and confidence in ones self may be taken away Page 61 2 That Jesus Christ may be fully honoured and exalted ibid 3 That the Saints may live by faith Page 62 Application 1 Behold what infinite care God hath of beleevers Page 62 Application 2 Behold what pleasant lives the Saints live Page 65 Application 3 What abundance live under the Gospel that have no saving interest in Jesus Christ ibid Application 4 All is from grace from first to last Page 66 SERMON IIII John 1.16 Doct Abundance of grace the Saints in the new Testament have from Jesus Christ Page 69 Cleered 1 If we consider the several advances grace hath made from the beginning of the world to this day Page 71 1 We have it not by the candle but by the Sun Page 76 2 The vail is now rent we have it not in shadow but in substance Page 79 3 It is not tempered with the Law but with the Gospel Page 77 4 We have it not in bondage but with the spirit of adoption ibid 5 We have it from the Son of God Page 78 2 As there is abundance of grace discovered so there is abundance exhibited and communicated to the Saints Page 78 1 It is a great matter for an ungodly man to be justified Page 79 2 It 's a great matter for a man to be the Son of God ibid 3 It is a great matter to have the Image of Jesus Christ drawn upon a filthy soul ibid 4 It is a great matter for a man to be in heaven before he comes there Page 80 Object We do not see such abundance of Grace in the lives of those that are accounted godly Answered 1. Do you consider the opposition of Grace when grace is much opposed though it be little in bulk it will be great in operation Page 80 2 Consider the Retinue of it though grace be mean it hath a rich retinue Page 81 3 Consider the mystery of grace 1 It is a great matter to tremble at the word and yet to love it and prize it Page 82 2 To love the Ordinances and yet at the same time to think he doth not profit thereby Page 83 3 To comfort himself in that the Lord knows his heart and yet to see there is much hypocrisy there ibid 4 To be sensible of his sin and yet not willing to chang his condition with another for all the world ibid 5 To work out his salvation with fear and trembling and yet to rely upon Jesus Christ alone for it Page 84 6 For a man to walk closely with God and yet be in the dark ibid 7 To be diligent in his particular calling and yet take no thought what he shall eat drink or put on ibid 8 To know that God will work good and gain to him out of his sin and yet to strive against it as against the greatest evil of the world ibid 9 To be the more afflicted because his affliction comes from God Page 85 10 To pray earnestly for a better condition and yet be contented with his present though never so mean ibid Application 1 Do not vilifie the gift of God wherewith thou art enriched through Jesus Christ Page 86 Application 2 Behold what great sinners professors are Page 86 Application 3 What a mighty encouragement here is both to good and bad To bad to come in to Christ Page 88 To good to abound in grace Page 88 SERMON V John 1.16 Doct. Whatsoever grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Page 91 Proved By the insufficiency of nature Page 92 By the alsufficiency of Christ Page 93 Objections answered Page
99. 101 What good a Christian receives hence 1 Jesus Christ is made our strength Page 104 2 We are moved to love him ibid 3 To live in dependance upon him ibid 4 To walk humbly before him ibid 5 To be fruitful Page 105 Application What infinite cause have we to advance the Name of Jesus Christ Page 106 How may this be done 1 By offering up our own christ to him Page 107 2 Account it a great honour to belong unto him ibid 3 Give not the worst but alwaies the best to him Page 108 4 Despise not the choice work of Christ ibid 5 Trust alwaies in him ibid 6 So to walk that the men of the world may speak well of the waies of God Page 109 7 Own Christ Page 110 8 Be willing to stoop to any work for Jesus Christ though it lie below your condition SERMON VI John 1.16 Doct. Whatsoever grace or holiness there is in Jesus Christ there is somewhat in the Saints that is answerable thereunto Page 113 Proved Reason 1 Because there is a blessed union between Christ and every Christian Page 115 Reason 2 Jesus Christ is our second Adam a common person between God and us Page 117 Reason 3 There is an incomparable love between Christ and a Christian ibid Reason 4 There is the same spirit in a Christian that is in Christ Page 119 Object How can this be Answered Page 120 Application 1 How many persons there are that live under the Gospel and have no interest in Jesus Christ Page 122 Instanced 1 In prophane people ibid 2 In meerly Civil and morral people ibid 3 In Hypocrites Page 123 Application 2 What a blessed thing it is for people to be in Christ Page 123 Quest What is our duty that flows from hence Answ 1. Be not proud of it Page 124 2. Improve it Page 125 1 By beholding it ibid 2 By imitating it ibid 1 By bearing witness to the truth ibid 2 By stooping to any work though below us ibid 3 By being much in prayer ibid 4 By not knowing our natural relations ibid 5 Having an high esteem of the Saints though never so low Page 126 6 So exercising one grace as that we may exercise another ibid 7 Being a lambe in our cause a lyon in Gods ibid 8 In sufferings 1 Not till we are called ibid 2 When we are called not to be put out of the way ibid 3 To have regard to other mens goods ibid 4 To be more sensible of Gods withdrawings than of al other pains ibid Application 3 How infinitely we are bound to God the Father for our Lord Jesus Christ Page 128 Gods two great gifts were 1 He gave the world to man 2 He gave Jesus Christ to the world ibid Application 4 Be contented to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in all his sufferings SERMON I Romans 4.19 Text opened Page 152 Doct. 1. When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any special blessing to beleevers he doth first put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the means that lead unto it Page 154 Proved Reason 1 That he may be most seen therein Page 156 Reason 2 That the Saints may learn to trust to God alone Page 157 Reason 3 That they may be conformable to Jesus Christ Page 158 Reason 4 That their comforts may be the more sure and stedfast ibid Objections answered Page 159 Cautions 1Vnderstand this concerning great and spiritual blessings Page 160 2 The sentence of death may be put upon the blessing in another mans hand Page 161 3 It is much according to the life of the mercy that come afterward Page 162 Quest Why doth God first give the promise Answ 1 To shew us where the mercy lies Page 163 2 Because he doth not intend we shall have it presently ibid 3 That our hearts may be born up against all discouragements Page 164 Application Rest upon God in the darkest times Page 164 Quest How shall I know the mercy will revive again Answ There are two acts of faith 1 Reliance 2 Assurance Accordingly there are two objects of faith 1 A may be of mercy 2 A shall be of mercy A may be of mercy causeth Reliance A shall be of mercy causeth Assurance Reliance causeth quietness Assurance causeth joy ibid Waies to know whether mercies shall rise again or not 1 By the frequent visitings of the promise Page 167 2 By the first fruits of the promise Page 168 Encouragements to wait 1 If ever it rise it will be the choicest mercy we had in all our lives Page 170 2 It will be the surest mercy ibid 3 It will be the sweetest mercy Page 171 SERMON II Rom. 4.19 Doct. When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the means that leads to it it is the duty of the sons of Abraham to trust in God and not stand poring upon the means and deadness thereof Page 174 Divided into three propofitions and cleered 1 A meer rational considering of the means and the deadness thereof is a great enemy to beleeving cleered Page 174 2 When all means fail and seem to lie dead then it is the duty of all the sons of Abraham to beleeve cleered Page 177 3 Thus to beleeve when all means fail is exceeding well pleasing and acceptable to God cleared Page 180 Application What an encouragement is here to to live above hope and under hope Page 183 Object We are afraid to beleeve when means fail because God hath commanded us to use the means Answered Page 184 1 It may be God takes away the means to try thy faith Page 185 2 God doth never give to supply our lusts but to supply our wants ibid 3 If all the means fail faith is a means to a means Page 186 4 Look what way God is used to walk in towards you in that way you may boldly expect him ibid Object I should prosume if I should trust in God when means fail Answered Page 188 SERMON III Rom. 4.19 Doct. True saving faith carries the soul through all difficulties Page 192 Cleered 1 In that the wy to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties Page 193 2 True saving faith will carry a man through them all Page 195 3 Nothing but faith can do it For 1. Conviction of the good waies of God cannot Page 200 2 Resolution will not ibid 3 Morral vertues will not Page 201 4 Gifts and parts Gospel enlargments cannot ibid 4 What it is in faith that doth it 1 Faith shews the soul the invisible things of God Page 202 2 It tels the soul all things are it 's own Page 203 3 It shews a man greater excellencies in Christ than all difficulties Page 204 4 It enables the soul to leave the success and event of all to God ibid 5 It is that grace whereby a soul takes up the yoke of Christ Page 205 6 It teacheth man to pick out the love of God from under the anger
Come and let us take our fill of love Come friends come company let us go unto such a Tavern or such a place where we may be fully merry Come O my soul take thy contentment in creature fulness there is enough there This robs Christ of the glory of all His fulness To carry away the custom of my thoughts unto another Shop from Christ argues that there is not enough in Christ alone Then beloved to conclude all Are there any here as I fear there may be too many that have thus robbed Jesus Christ of the glory of His fulness I beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ whose fulness I have bin now preaching to you I beseech you in the fear of God go into your Chamber and be alone awhile and fall down before the Lord and say thus unto Him or to this purpose Oh! Lord I confess it hath bin so w th me I have thought that there hath not bin a sufficient rule for the Government of the Churches and herein I have wronged Christ in His Prophetical fulness and the Lord pardon this unto me Lord I confess also I haue said many times that my fins are so great that there is no hope for mercy that there is no hope for pardon herein I have wronged the Priestly fulness of Jesus Christ now the Lord pardon this unto me I confess Lord I have stinted thee and I have limitted thee and I have said many times in my hast if this means fail then England is undone the Church undone thus I have limitted thee Lord Oh! herein I have wrong'd thee and robbed Christ in His Kingly fulness Yea Lord I do acknowledge and I do confess I have gone to creature-comforts and my heart hath taken a content and complacency as if there were enough there but now I see there is a fulness in Jesus Christ the Lord pardon me that ever I let out my heart upon any creature-comfort upon any thing but Jesus Christ You that have bin guilty fall down and humble your selves before the Lord and consider that there is a fulness in Jesus Christ and labor to draw out this fulness from Him Which that you may so do think on all these things and the Lord blesse them to you SERMON II. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Wapping Aug. 17. 1646. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance into these Words in a neighbouring Congregation and shal now desire to go on where I left there The Words hold forth Three Great Grand Propositions First That there is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Secondly That of His Fulness all we do receive Thirdly That we do receive of His Fulness even Grace for Grace The former Proposition I have dispatched and desire at this time to speak unto the second All we do receive of His Fulness Of His Fulness have all we received The difficulty that lies upon the Proposition is this Who are meant here by this All Wee Some there are that conceive that by those words we are to understand all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth because 't is said before in the beginning of the Chapter That He is the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world But though the thing be true that there is no Creature either in Heaven or Earth but more or lesse is beholding to Jesus Christ for if Christ had not stept in upon the fall Gods displeasure was so great against man that he would presently have broke up house and the sin of the fall was so heavie that it would have broken the very Axel-tree of the World if Jesus Christ had not put to His shoulder according to that of the Apostle Heb. 1.3 He bears up all with the Word of His Power yet notwithstanding all the Creatures in Heaven or Earth cannot be meant here by this All Wee for all the creatures in Heaven and Earth do not receive Grace they may be said to receive of the Fulnesse of Christ but not Grace for Grace But at the 12. verse 't is said as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the Sons of God euen to them that beleeve in his Name Now in Scripture phrase those are said to receive Christ Himself that do receive His Grace and those that receive His Grace receive Christ Himself Understand therefore by this All Wee those that receive Him as ye have it in the 12. verse which is explained to be Them that beleeve in His Name And then the Observation or Doctrine lies plain before us which is this That all the Saints and People of God Doct. do pertake of the Fulness of Christ in a way of receiving It falls a sunder into Two parts Thus First That there is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Secondly That whatsoever Grace or Holiness the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving I shall only speak unto the former at this time There is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Of His Fulness all we receive mark There is a communication of the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers He is the second Adam which the Apostle Paul speaks of in the 1 Cor. 15. Chapter and the 45. verse The first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit The whole world is divided into Two great Houses As once in this Kingdom There was the House of York And the House of Lancaster So now the whole world is divided into Two great Houses The House of the First Adam And the House of the Second Adam The first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit that is look as the first Adam did communicate life unto all his seed So the second Adam does communicate Spiritual life and grace unto all his people As by the first Adam sin and sorrow and death came into the world and so upon all man-kind So by the second Adam grace and life and eternal life unto all Beleevers There is a dealing out a giving out of the fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers This will appear First of all by the Union that there is between Christ 1 Reason and a Beleever there is a glorious a blessed an incomparable union between Christ and every Beleever though he be never so weak though he be never so poor There is a union between the Root and the Branches and by vertue of that union the Root sends forth life and strength into all the Branches but yet notwithstanding the Root is not in the Branches nor the Branches in the Root mutually There is a union between the Head and the Members and by vertue of that union the Head hath an influence upon all the Members but yet the Head is not in the Members nor the Members in the Head But
children of men Yet if He can be hindred al the former is nothing Mark therefore the Fourth and then we come to the Use There is nothing either in Heaven or Earth that can hinder Jesus Christ from communicating His Grace I work Esay 43.13 saies God and who shall let And I communicat My grace saies Christ and who shall hinder If any thing can hinder it must be either Satan without us or our sins within us Satan without cannot hinder he could not go into the herd of swine he could not destroy a hog a sow a pig till he had leave from Christ and can Satan hinder then when Christ intends to communicate His grace He is called the strong man but Christ is called the stronger than he Luke 22.31 32. Peter Peter saies our Saviour Satan hath desired to winnow thee but I have prayed that thy faith fail not I one prayer one prayer by Jesus Christ is stronger than all the temptations of Satan Satan cannot hinder Nor can our sins within hinder For if you look into the 2. Chapter of Titus 't is said there at the 14. verse He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from al iniquity If from All iniquity then from unbeleef Then unbeleef cannot hinder If a King come on purpose to pardon All Rebellion if he be able and willing and come on purpose to pardon All Rebellion then no one Rebellion can hinder can be a reason why he should not pardon The Covenant that God makes with His is like the Covenant that He made with Noah as you reade in the 54. Chapter of Esay the 8. and 9. verses In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer for this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee Mark The Covenant God would make with His people is like the Covenant that He made with Noah The Covenant that He made with Noah what is that Pray now look into the 8. Chapter of Genesis the 21. verse Noah being come out of the Ark and offering unto the Lord The Lord smel'd a sweet savour and the Lord said in His heart I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth I think it should rather be read thus according to the Hebrew I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake although the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth although ye read it for I wil not again curse the ground any more for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth One would think He should rather say thus I wil curse the ground again and I will bring a new floud for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth No but the Covenant that God made with Noah was thus I do now make a Covenant with man-kind that the world shall never be drowned again yea Though man do sin yet the world shall not be drown'd again This is the Covenant that the Lord made with Noah The Lord did not make such a Covenant as this I do promise that the world shall not be drown'd again if man do not fin No but the Covenant that the Lord made with Noah was thus But I promise the world shall not be drown'd again Though men do sin again this is the Covenant the Lord made with Noah it was so far from running upon a condition that it runs crosse to all conditions So now the Lord saies concerning a poor Beleever I do take this soul into Covenant with Me Yea and Though he do sin yet notwithstanding I will pardon him and this soul shall never lye under water again shall never lye under water again his sin shall not hinder My grace he shall never lye under water again for as the Covenant I made with Noah such is the Covenant I make with every beleever And beloved if indeed that we could hinder Christ when He comes to communicate His grace if our sins could hinder then we might resist grace with an Overcoming resistance 'T is true a man may resist the grace of God with A gain-saying resistance but he cannot resist the grace of God with an overcoming resistance Whatsoever is overcome is overcome by a stronger Man I say cannot resist with an overcoming resistance Pray do but consider well the Covenant of Grace Ezek. 36 26 27. saies the Lord in that I will take away the heart of stone and I will give an heart of flesh and I will cause ye to walk in my waies and I will put My Spirit into you I will take away the heart of stone What is that a stone is hard a hard thing does not yeeld to the touch a soft thing yeelds Pharaoh had a hard heart and therefore he yeelded not When therefore the Lord makes such a promise as this I will take away the heart of stone What is His meaning His meaning is plainly I will take away the un-yeelding the resisting disposition that is in man Now therefore when the Lord makes such a promise as this That He will put His Spirit into them and cause them to walk in His waies Our resisting can be no hindrance Why because the Lord hath made a promise to take away our resisting If the Covenant had run thus I will put My Spirit into you and cause you to walk in My waies upon this condition that you do not resist then we could hinder but the Lord in the same promise that He does say I will put My Spirit into them and cause them to walk in My waies He doth also promise to take away the resisting heart to take away the spirit of resisting I will take away the heart of stone there 's the resisting And I will cause them to walk in My waies So that our sins cannot hinder Now then put al these together There 's an infinit treasury of grace and holiness in Jesus Christ This He hath not received for Himselfe but for others There is an infinite propension and willingness in Him to give out this grace unto the children of men And nothing either in Heaven or earth can hinder Him Surely therefor there is the Communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers You will say unto me then Object Why are Beleevers then so empty of Grace 'T is the ordinary complaint Oh! I am full of evil Oh my heart is empty of all that is good Beleevers they complain thus How can this Doctrine be true if this experience be good I answer First Answ The Fulnesse of Grace which is in a Beleever is many times hid from the world and from himself When you go to
the Sea side you see the water you see abundance of water ye hear the water roaring and raging and making a noise but you do not see the Gold and the Silver that lies at the bottom of the Sea you see the water of the Sea but you do not see the wealth that is in the Sea So now when you go and look upon a Beleever you behold his troubles you see his waves and al the troubles that beat upon him Oh! but the wealth of a Beleever the Fulness of a Beleever the Fulnes of Christ that is in him that you see not 't is hid from the world and 't is hid from himself many times And therefore saies the Apostle Our life is hid with God in Christ Coll. 3.3 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with Him in glory Secondly Though there be a communication of the Fulnesse of Christ unto all Beleevers yet He does communicate as a universal Cause The universall Cause doth seldom or never produce particular effects but with a concurrence of particular Causes The Sun is the universal Cause of all the fruitfulnesse that is upon the earth Yet notwithstanding it does produce the Fruit your Corne Barly and Rye and Wheat with the help of man The ground is plowen and sowen The River or the Fountain is the universal Cause of the Water that yee have in your houses but yet notwithstanding you have not this Water but by pipes and conveyance and when ye want water in your house you do not say There is no water in the Thames there 's no water in the Fountain No but surely the pipe is broken the pipe is stopt or we want some pipe or other So now when you want Grace and when you are empty of Grace you are not to say Oh! it is because there is not enough in Christ or Christ is not willing but rather surely the pipe is broken or we want this or that Ordinance the pipe is not clean the pipe is stopt and therefore we are so empty of Grace as we are Thirdly Though there be a communication of the Fulnesse of Christ unto all Beleevers yet notwith standing he does it in proportion Mark Christ does give unto every man according to the place that he bears in his body As the soul the soul sends forth life and motion to all the members but the soul does not give a hearing faculty unto the eye nor the soul does not give a seeing faculty unto the eare neither can the foot say I have nothing from the soul because I cannot speak like the tongue neither can the tongue say I have nothing from the soul because I cannot walk like the foot So the Lord Jesus Christ He doth observe what place every man doth bear in His Body accordingly He doth give forth Grace unto men You cannot say thus Surely I have none of Christ because I cannot pray and do so as others do But mark what is the place the you do bear in the Body of Christ and you may go to Christ for strength for that you may say thus Lord through thy Grace thou hast given me such a place in Thy Body and I want strength for that O! let me have it from Thee Fourthly Though there be a communication of the Fulnesse of Christ unto all Beleevers yet 't is according to their necessities and wants The lace you know 't is laid upon the seam upon the seam there lyes the lace lace indeed may be laid upon the whol cloath but ordinarily your silken-lace your silver-lace your golden-lace 't is laid upon the seam Now the Lord Jesus Christ He knows all the seams of your life all the seams of your life there He laies His Golden-Lace on Mark therefore what are the seams of thy life and see if Christ hath not laid on something there pa Take but these Four Considerations together and there is a sufficient Answer to that Objection I come to the Application Applic. And whilst I stand upon this point Me thinks here I see the transcendant excellency of the Saints of Beleevers and the betterness of their condition above the men of the world though they be never so Rich or Great Beloved Every man is according to the fulnesse that he doth live upon There is the Fulnesse of the Earth 1 Cor. 10 26. The Earth is the Lords and the Fulness thereof And wicked men they are said to be filled with this Whose bellies Thou fillest with hid Treasures Psalme the 17. And there is the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ And of this Fulnesse the Saints and Beleevers do all receive and partake Look therefore what a difference there is between these fulnesse's The fulnesie of the Earth And the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ such a mighty difference in point of excellency there is between a Beleever though he be never so poor and a wicked man-though he be never so rich Give me leave a little to open the difference of these Fulnesses to you that so you may see the difference betwwen men and men and be incouraged unto a godly course First The fulness of the world it is fulness made up of many things Martha Martha Luke 10.41 saies Christ thou art busied about many thing 'T is a fulness made up of many things and therefore not a Homogenial fulness The fulnes of Christ is a fulnes made up of one thing the Deitie in whom the God-head dwells and therefore 't is a Homogenial fulness every part of it is fulness every part of a Homogenial body hath the name of the whole Wvery part of water is called water though it be but a drop Every part of fire is fire though it be but a spark And Every part of Heaven it is called Heaven though it be but a corner of Heaven And so every part of the Fulness of Jesus Christ is fulness As the Philosophers say of the soul Animatota in toto that the soul is wholly in the whol and wholly in every part So the Fulness of Christ 't is wholly in the Church and 't is wholly in every Beleever Every Beleever may come and say I have all Christ But as for the fulness of the world every one that hath the worlds fulness cannot say so I have all the worlds fulness Secondly The fulness of the earth is a fulness made up of the worser things The world it is a great Body and it hath in it some things that are of a grosser more drossy nature and some things that are of a finer nature The fulness of the earth it is of the drossy and the grosser part of the world Oh! but the Fulness of Christ it is of the finer part and the fulness that does come from Him unto Beleevers the best of the bests wine of the lees and marrow out of the bones and wine well refined 't is of the finer part of the world The other is but
First Proposition The Second afforded this Observation That all the Saints and People of God do partake of the Fulness of Jesus Christ in a way of receiving This fals asunder into Two Parts or Two Branches First That there is a Communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Secondly That what ever Grace or Holiness the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving I have done also with the First of these And am now God willing to speak to the Second Whatsoever Grace or Holiness the Saints and People of God have from Christ they have it all in a way of receiving Of His Fulness all we have received The former Branch told us That Christ Communicates This tels us That we Receive There the Emphasis lay upon Christs Communicating And here the Accent is set upon our Receiving The Grace of Jesus Christ is not borne with us We do not go to Jesus Christ in the strength of our Nature to take of His Fulnesse to our selves But Jesus Christ gives out and we receive All in a way of Receiving The Grace and Mercy of our Justification and remission of Sins is by way of Receiving Rom. 5.11 Not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Atonement is to be had it is to be had by Christ and this in a way of Receiving Again The Grace and Mercy of our Adoption is to be had in a way of Receiving Gal. 4.5 He came to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Adoption is a Blessing that is most desirable This Christ gives and this we receive Again The Grace of our Sanctification is to be had in a way of Receiving What is the Cause and Original of all our Grace or Holinesse but the Spirit of God And that is received Gal. 3.2 This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith The Schools say that the word Grace is either taken for The Gifts of the holy-Ghost or for Saving and Sanctifying Grace Take Grace for The gifts of the holy-Ghost as sometimes the Word is used in Scripture and that is in a way of Receiving Acts 10.47 They heard them speak with Tongues at the 46. ver Then answered Peter Can any man forbid water that these should not be Baptized which have received the holy-Ghost That is The Gift of the holy Ghost Take Grace for Holiness and Sanctification and that is also in a way of Receiving to be had in a way of Receiving Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father There are Gifts of Prayer And there is the Spirit of Prayer of Adoption crying Abba Father The First may be without Grace but the Second not where ever the Second is there is Grace And this is Received saith the Apostle here In general all is by way of Receiving Col. 2.6 As ye have Received the Lord Christ saies the Apostle see that ye walk in Him And in another place 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not Received What hast thou that thou hast not Received All in a way of Receiving He shall come down saies the Psalmist in the 72. Psalm speaking concerning our Lord and Savior Christ and His Grace at the 6. verse He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass Or as some write it for so the Original will bear it He shall come down like rain upon the Fleece having relation to Gideons Fleece He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass as showers that water the earth A Psalm for Solomon saies the Title But there are many things in this Psalm that cannot properly be understood of Solomon but in a type properly belonging to Jesus Christ For as Strigelius does well observe at the 7. verse the verse next following this text it is said In his daies shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth Solomon did not live so long as the moon endures This therefore is to be understood of Christ And at the 5. verse it is said They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and moon endure throughout all generations They did not fear Solomon men did not fear Solomon as long as the Sun and moon endures through all generations This therefore must be understood of Christ Now see therefore what is said of Christ and concerning His Grace saies the Text in the 6. verse He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass Like rain rain you know is that that does make the earth fruitful Non ager sed annus facit fructum 'T is not the sowing but 't is the Year that causes fruit 't is the rain that causeth fruit And so 't is the Grace of Jesus Christ that does make us fruitful His Grace the cause of our Grace I will be as a dew saies the Lord in the 14. of Hosea unto Israel and then follows fruitfulness Again The rain cometh by special appointment from God Amos. 4.7 Judg. 6.38 39 40. with a kind of dis-crimination He maketh the rain to fall upon one City saith the Prophet and not upon another As wee reade concerning Gideons Fleece the dew fell upon the Fleece when all the earth was dry round about it And then the dew fell upon the ground when the Fleece was dry And this was a Type of the Grace of Christ when the Jewes were bedewed with the Grace of Christ then all the Nations round about they were dry And then when God bedewed the Gentiles the Nations round about with His Grace then the Jews were dry and they are dry to this day Again The rain falleth 't is the Scripture phrase the rain falleth and falleth upon the earth and the earth is a recipient to receive it it is meer recipient at the first and then brings forth it 's fruit the Rain falleth And so doth the Grace of Christ the Grace of Christ falls upon the souls of men and women saith the Text here He shall come down like the rain upon the mowne grass So doth the Grace of Jesus Christ it comes down upon a poor soul All in a way of receiving al in a way of receiving whatever grace or holiness a man hath on this side Heaven it is all in a way of Receiving And this will appear further to you if you consider The insufficiency of Nature The Supernaturallity of Grace The Shortness of all means that are appointed thereunto The work and nature of Faith And the posture and true behaviour of Prayer First of all There is a Natural inability in a man unto what is good truly Spiritually good First A man is unable by Nature to overcome any sin though it be never so small A man by Nature
over now ye say how will the Child do now Why surely the Child will do as well and better now if the father takes the child up in his arms the dirty lane wil be the pleasantest place to the child when 't is taken up into the fathers armes Thus 't is with the Saints great works they do and hard things they go thorow Oh! but they are taken up into Christs Armes and they have all in a way of Receiving When you look upon a man that does keep a great Table hath many servants attending on him his Purse alwaies full of money you will say surely this man leads a fine and a sweet life if it do not cost him much for to receive it or get this money but if you hear that he hath all his Estate only for telling his money his great pains is all in receiving his money Oh! here 's a blessed man indeed and here 's a happy man you think presently Thus 't is the great pains of a Christian is to Receive from Christ and to spend for Christ Oh! what a sweet life does the Saints live that live by Faith in Jesus Christ Thirdly Appli 3. Is this Doctrine true Then what abundance are there in the world many that live under the Gospel that from hence are argued to have no saving interest in Jesus Christ Good people mark it that I say are not savingly united to Jesus Christ There is a Two-fold Vnion with Christ as Christ is considered Two waies He is either considered with His Church the Church and He making one body and so all together are called Christ In 1 Cor. 12. Or else He is considered as the great Mediator and Savior of Beleevers by Himself Accordingly men may be said to be Vnited to Him Either Outwardly in the Church tied and related to Him by outward Ordinances Or else Inwardly united to Him by saving faith When a man is Inwardly united to Jesus Christ by saving faith he hath all from Christ Strength unto every duty from Jesus Christ Praying strength and Hearing strength and Repenting strength and Confirming strength he hath from Christ in a way of Receiving But the other hath little or nothing from Christ Pray mark it I will express it thus A man takes a peice of bread or a loaf of bread he tyes it to his arm his arm hath no strength from that 't is but an outward tye to his arm it hath no strength from that and it argues that 't is but an outward tye it causes no strength by it But if a man take bread and eat it that there be an inward union then there is strength there is bread goes to all the parts you know my meaning Or thus I will expresse it thus Take a graft and tye it unto a Tree tye it unto a stock and it brings forth no fruit at all why Because 't is but outwardly tyed unto the root unto the stock of the Tree But take the branch and graft it into the Tree into the stock then it brings forth all that it brings forth by vertue of the stock that 't is grafted into So my beloved there are a company there are a generation of people that live here under the Gospel that are Outwardly tyed unto Christ they are Baptized they have the Name of Christ by profession and by the tye of the Ordinances they are outwardly tyed unto Christ but Oh! they receive nothing from Him nothing from Him pray what do they receive Suppose Christ had not come into the world suppose they had never heard Christ preacht they might have lived Civilly they might have lived Justly amongst their neighbors they might have abstained from Lying and Drunkenness why they do not thus much poor creatures nothing from Christ they receive nothing from Christ Oh! these are but outwardly tyed as a loaf of bread is tyed unto a mans arm so is the Lord Jesus in the Ordinances tyed unto them I but then There are another people that are Savingly united to Jesus Christ and these they have strength from Him they cannot Pray but as they have strength from Christ they cannot Confer and speak of good things but as they have strength from Christ they cannot go and hear a Sermon with any affection but as they have strength from Christ All all in a way of Receiving Oh! they stand in a way of dependance upon God in Him and they have all from Christ these are Savingly united to Christ But Oh! many that live among us that have not all from Christ Certainly therefore there are many that are not savingly united to Jesus Christ This is a Third I 'le adde but one more and so I have done Is this Doctrine true Appli 4. All in a way of Receiving Then surely Beloved All is from Grace from first to last Heaven Heaven is a Donative Salvation is a Donative every step in the Iadder to Heaven is Grace every link of the chain is Grace Oh! every beam of our day is Grace every stone of our building Grace Is all in a way of Receiving What Praying strength What Hearing strength What Suffering strength What is all al in a way of Receiving Oh then what glorious Grace is here Oh! rich Grace Oh! free Grace Oh! incomparable Riches of the freeness of Gods Grace in Christ Is the Lord Jesus the Alpha and the Omega Is He the Beginning the Middle the End of all our actions Oh! what Grace is here If there be ever a drooping soul If there be ever a poor hard heart a cold heart a frozen heart in all this Congregation Come O poor soul come and warm thine heart at this fire of Love Were our Heaven and our Salvation put to sale upon our Doing I say were Mercy set to sale at our doing then we were in a sad condition we were in a lamentable condition Well now Is al in a way of Receiving What then though I cannot Pray for the present What then though my heart be dead for the present yet notwithstanding I will wait upon the Lord in the way of His Ordinances it may be this day and this time I shall receive something that may put life into my poor dead soul Oh! you that never waited upon the Lord and upon free Grace wait now upon the Lord you that have waited waite still you that never waited wait now Beloved the more Dependant our condition is the more Depending should our spirits be What more Dependant condition can you think of All all in way of Receiving Oh! therefore now let us all labor to live by faith Go away with this in your bosomes I see a necessity of living in a continual Dependance on God in Christ Which that you may do think of all these things and the Lord bless them to you SERMON IV. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Margrets new fish-street Decem. 8 1645. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance
from servants ordinarily But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son that we might receive the adoption of Sons And the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father They had the spirit of Bondage unto fear and we have the Spirit of Adoption unto Love to cry Abba Father They could not go to God but with many fears but there is none of all the Saints now but go with a Spirit of Love go to God as a Father Every Saint now may go to God and say Father Father I labor under such a temptation Oh! Father help me I want such a blessing or mercy Oh! Father give it me Again further Although they had many sprinklings of the Doctrins of Grace yet they fell but droppingly upon them now a drop and then a drop As you have it in the 1. Chap. of the Hebrews 1. verse God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by His Son God who by piece-meals drop by drop now a drop and then a drop spake unto our fore-fathers by the Prophets hath in these last times spoke unto us by His Son This being the opposition shews that God spake perfectly and spake al by His Son When this King came then all the Cocks run with wine Some observe that Jesus Christ preached the Gospel more plainly unto one poor ignorant sinful wicked woman that ye reade of in the 4. of John then He did unto al our fore-fathers under the Old Testament for unto which of all our fore-fathers did He say I am the Messiah Ask of Me the water of life and I will give it thee You know the great Doctrins of the Gospel Justification by Grace Free remission of sins and the like Now though these Doctrins be in the Old Testament yet take your Book and howmany leaves shal you reade over before you be able to reade this Doctrine cleerly But open your Book where you wil open in the New Testament and you shall meet with one everie where with this Doctrine this great Doctrine of Free-Grace every where Oh! much much of Jesus Christ and of His Grace that is now Discovered surely Abundance of Grace Abundance of Grace Discovered to the Saints now and to all the Saints But in the Second place As there is Abundance of Grace Discovered So there is Abundance of Grace Exhibited and Communicated to all the Saints Those that have the least measure of Grace now have Abundance of Grace That is the Thing that I would cleer up to you That those that have the least measure of Gospel-Grace they receive Grace for Grace they have abundance of Grace Is it not a great matter for an ungodly man to be Justified What man so godly but he was ungodly before Justified Is it not a great matter for a man to be the Son of God to be the Child of God All Gods Children shall be Portioned answerable to their Fathers Estate David counted it a great matter to be son-in-law to a King though but a wicked King and the Kingdom but small What is it then to be Adopted to be the Son of God the Daughter of God To as many as receive Him Joh 1.12 He gives power to be called the Sons of God And there is this difference between Gods Adoption and mans When man does Adopt one to be his son he may put his Name upon him he may give his Estate to him but he cannot make the person to be like himself he cannot communicate his nature to him But now when God does Adopt one to be His Child He does not only put His Name upon the Soul and give him a great Estate but He makes him to be like Himself and communicates His Nature to him So saies the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.4 We are made partakers of the Divine Nature Is it not a great matter To have the Image of Jesus Christ drawn upon a filthy soul To have ones heart inclin'd naturally inclin'd as it were unto all the Commandements of the Gospel I will write My Law in your heart Jer. 31.33 saies God in the Covenant of Grace That look as the Heathen having the law of nature written in their hearts are naturally inclin'd unto the works of Nature So will I write my Law of Grace in your hearts and you shall be naturally inclin'd unto the works of Grace and unto the works of the Gospel He that hath least of Christ he hath all Christ all Christ imputed unto all the Saints Beloved we have not so much of Christ in our lives as Peter and Paul and John had but wee have as much of Christs Righteousness imputed to us for our Justification as any of all the Apostles had and if our Faith be right 't is like precious with theirs Is it not a great matter for a man to be in Heaven before he comes there Joh 17.3 To have eternal life in this world This is eternal life to know thee and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ And that day that any soul begins to know Jesus Christ that day is the day-break of his eternity the Saints that are in Heaven they count from that day there began our eternity This is eternal life here it begins All the Saints and People of God they do know God in Jesus Christ And therefore surely There is an Abundance of Grace Grace for Grace an Abundance of Grace Communicated and given our unto all the Saints under the new Testament But you will say unto me Object We do not find this in experience do not see such an Abundance of Grace in the lives of those ye count godly those that are in Christ indeed we do not find that they have such an Abundance of Grace I but Ans Do you consider The Opposition of Grace The Retinue of Grace And the Mysiery of Grace First For the Opposition of Grace A little Grace may be much opposed and when the Opposition is great though Grace be small in the Bulk it may be great in the Work though little in the Quantity yet it may be much in Quality There 's no true Gospel-Grace but it is much opposed When Jesus Christ came into the world you know Herod raised all the County upon him And so when Christ comes into the heart the whol soul it is raised against Him because He comes as an enemy unto the soul As when an enemy Lands the Beacons are all fired and the Country all rises what do you say An enemy is landed an enemy is landed and all the Country rises So when Christ Lands upon a soule at the first He Lands as an enemy unto the â—â—n and soul and all the soul the Region the Continent it rises up against Him Then also as the Dragon â—ood before the woman which you reade of in that of the Revelations to out off the child as soon as it was born
So the Devil stands before the soul to cut off the souls birth Then also comes in the power of all Relations And the power of all Engagements And the power of all former Customs And the power of an Evil Nature Nay if you will go this way to work then farewel all Friends and farewell all your former Pleasures and farewel all Preferment Was it not a great matter for Job to be upright in the Land of Vz why Because there was much opposition in it Is it not a great matter for a little poor Barque or Vessel to live at Sea in the time of a storm for a little spark of fire to live in much water for a little light to live in a great wind You look upon such a poor gracious soul and you do not consider the wind that blows upon it the storms that beat upon it and you say 'T is not much Grace he hath or much good he does Oh! but consider if you would consider the great Opposition that the soul meets withal then you will say Oh! 't is much indeed there is Abundance of Grace there Secondly Consider the Retinue of Grace Grace hath a great Retinue Though it be very mean it hath rich Retinue If a man hath but a poor Cottage an Acre of Land an half-Acre of Land a Rood Yet if it be an Earnest of a great Inheritance 't is much Look upon the little Cottage in it self or the Rood of Land in it self 't is not much but consider it as an Earnest of a great Inheritance so 't is much Beloved whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it but as an Earnest Ye reade of the Testimony of the Spirit of the Earnest of the Spirit all the Grace that the Saints have on this side Heaven 't is all but the Earnest of what they shall have And the Apostle he blesses God for this as ye reade in the 1. of the Colossians 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which bath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Mark Here are Three things especially considerable in these words All the Children of God have an Inheritance You have but one Heir to your Estate all are not Heirs but all Gods Children have an Inheritance And the Inheritance called an Inheritance of Light It does not lie in a dark foggy and fenny and moorish place 't is a comfortable Inheritance 't is an Inheritance of light And the Apostle He does here give thanks unto God that had made them Meet to be the partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light He does not here give thanks unto God for the Inheritance but that they were meet to be partakers of the Inheritance that they had an Earnest till the Inheritance came I say all the Grace which a godly man hath on this side Heaven it is but an Earnest you look upon it as it is in it self and you say 'T is not much I but look upon it as an Earnest but as an Earnest and then you will say 'T is much indeed Oh! 't is much indeed But then Thirdly and specially Consider the Mystery of Grace Grace is a mystery Ye reade in Scripture of the mystery of iniquity and the mystery of godliness godliness is not only a mystery in the general but all the parts of godliness are mysterious there is a mystery in every part and if you would but a little consider the mystery of Grace I dare say you would lift up your hands and say then Oh! what Abundance of grace is here even in the weakest Saint For example to Instance Ye say 't is no great matter for a man or woman to tremble at the Word 'T is more then many a one does many come and fit out Sermons never tremble before the Word Well but you say 't is no great matter to tremble before the Word to tremble at the Word I but for a man to tremble at the Word and yet to count it as hony and the hony-comb to tremble at the Word yet to love it prize it then look upon it as the hony and the hony-comb this is much Now ye shall have a poor soul a poor Christian come and tremble before the Word and yet look upon the Word as the hony even as hony and the hony-combe for sweetnesse This is much Again You count it no great matter for one to love the Ordinances so to love the Ordinances above all the world as to be willing to part with all the world rather than to part with them This is a great matter But may be you will say this is no great matter Well but for a man or a woman to think so so to love the Ordinances yet notwithstanding at the same time to think that he don't Profit that he is barren and gets little or no good thereby this is much Now thus you shall have it with a poor Christian love and prize the Ordinances and would not part with the Ordinances for all the world and yet at the same time complain and say Oh! I get little good thereby Here 's a Mystery Put all together you take things asunder and therefore you think it is not much Again You think it is no great matter for a man to comfort himself in this That the Lord knows his heart I but for a man to comfort himself in that and yet say There is much hypocrisy there the same day it may be say Oh! I am an hypocrite Thus you shall have it with many a poor poor gracious drooping soul All is naught Oh! my heart it is full of hypocrisy and I am but an hypocrite and yet now let him be charg'd or accused by men of the world for such and such designes he comforts himself in this Oh! but blessed be the Lord the Lord knows my heart Put these things together Again You wil say 't is no great matter for a man To look into his own heart so to look into his own heart and so to be sencible of his sin as to think he shall perish for ever I but for the same person To professe he would not change his condition with another for all the world this is much Take many a poor drooping soul and thus it is I am afraid I shall go to Hell and perish to all eternity But now come lay his condition to a Drunkard to an Adulterer saies he I professe I would not change my condition with that man for all the world at the same time Here 's a mystery 't is strange but there 's a mystery in every piece of godliness and if you would but consider it would appear that there is much Grace in those that have the least Again You say 't is no great matter for a man To work out his salvation with fear and trembling I but for the same person To rely upon Jesus Christ only for salvation This is much Now thus it
is you shall have a godly man work work with fear and trembling as if he would earn Heaven with his fingers-ends and yet he relies upon Jesus Christ only for his salvation Further. You say 't is no great matter for a man To walk closely with God But 't is a great matter It may be you wil say 't is not I but for a man to walk closely with God and yet to be in the dark to walk exactly and yet to be in a crowd and throng of business who can walk exactly in the dark and who can walk exactly in a crowd when he is carried to and fro in a crowd Thus now you shall have a godly gracious man walk exactly with God closely with God and yet may be in the dark a Child of light and yet in the dark and in a crowd of occasions and businesse and yet walk exactly this is much Again You will say 't is no great matter for a man to be diligent in his particular Calling I but for the same person for to take no thought no dividing thought what be shall eate or drink or put on and yet be diligent in his particular Calling this is much Now so it is you shall have a godly gracious soul taking no care no dividing care what he shall eate or drink or what he shall put on and yet diligent in his particular Calling Again You will say It is no great matter for a man To grieve for sin past and to strive against sin for the time to come I but for the same person to know that his sin past is pardoned and to know that if he fall into a sin for the time to come God will work good out of it it shal be for his gain God wil over-rule it so and yet strive against it as the greatest evil in the world this is much Now thus it is A gracious soul knows his sin is pardoned yet he grieves for it and he knows that if he shall fall into a sin the Lord will over-rule things so as he shall be the better for it and yet he strives against his sin as the greatest evil in the world Here is a Mastery this is much Again You will say 't is no great matter for a man to be quiet under his Affliction because it does come from God for that reason I but for the same person To be the more sencible and to be the more afflicted because it does come from God this is much Beloved you shal have these Two meet together A godly gracious soul he is therefore quiet under Affliction because it does come from God and he is therfore the more sencible of his affliction because it does come from God Here 's a mystery put these together and you will say things rese high I 'le Instance but in one more and that is a Tenth You will say 't is no great matter For a man to be contented with his condition to be contented with his condition when 't is mean and when 't is poor I but for the same person To desire a better and pray for a better and to pray earnestly for a better and yet be contented with his condition though it be never so mean this is much Thus 't is with the Saints a Child of God being in a mean condition he desires a better he prayes to God for a better and he prayes earnestly to God for a better and yet he is contented with his condition though it be never so mean pray and pray earnestly and yet contented with his condition though it be never so mean Thus my Beloved Oh! there is a Mystery there is a mystery in every piece of godliness and you look not upon things under the mysterious Notion and you say 'T is no great matter that is in the life of such a one Oh! but if you would look upon things under this Notion and consider the mystery of godliness and every piece thereof you would lift up your hands and say Oh! surely he that hath but the least measure of Gospel-Grace hath Abundance of Grace he that hath but the least degree of Grace hath Abundance of Grace of Christs Fulness Now under the new Testament we have received not Sparingly not Scantly but Grace for Grace and Abundance of Grace he that hath but the least measure hath received much hath received Abundance Some few things by way of Application and so I have done If it be so Applic. 1 Then why should any of Gods People vilifie and degrade and lowen the gift of God wherewithal they are enriched through Jesus Christ Would you take it as fair dealing from a child that is estated in great lands by his father if he should say my father indeed was pleased to bestow a great Estate upon my Brother but he hath given little or nothing to me He hath bestowed great means upon such a Sister but he hath given little or nothing to me This were not fair dealing And is this fair dealing with your God and with your father When you shall say I there is such a godly man the Lord hath given him a great Estate of the Gospel but little or nothing to me And there is such a woman such a Sister the Lord hath done much for her soul but Oh! little or nothing for me Beloved There is no sin small because committed against the great God There 's no blessing small because received from the great God but of all blessings Gospel-blessing is the greatest blessing Hath the Lord therefore man or woman given thee any gospel-Gospel-Grace the Grace of Jesus Christ He hath given thee much that which thou look'st upon as little 't is much in the eye of Heaven Wherefore now let not the Eunuch say Oh! let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree any longer Take heed how you degrade and vilifie and lowen the Grace of God wherewithal you are inrich't through Jesus Christ Secondly Appli 2. If there be such Abundance of Grace even Grace for Grace Abundance of Grace given unto the Saints and People of God under the new Testament Behold then what great finners Professors are yea the fins of Gods own people The more light and knowledge a man hath if he sin the greater is his sin The more beams of Grace fall upon a mans heart the more he is able to discern the motes that are there and so may avoid them and sinning he sins the more The more grace and the more mercy a man sins against the greater is his sin because free Grace and mercy is the remedy The more strength a man hath to stand the greater is his sin if he fall As it was with Adam He had strength to stand and yet he fell I say the more strength a man hath to stand the greater is his sin if he fall Now Beloved ye have heard what Abundance of Grace is Discovered Exhibited Communicated unto all the Saints under the new Testament unto
all the People of God Oh! how great are their sins when they fall The Lord was quick with many that sinned in the old Testament and will He not be quick with Professors now that know more that have more Grace more Grace Discovered now Many when they sin they excuse themselves and they say True indeed I have thus and thus sinned but David did so I have sinned I have done thus and thus but Sampson did so I have committed this or that sin but Noah did so I but we have more light we have more Grace discovered ordinarily among us now than ordinarily among them in the Old Testament We have more Grace Discovered more Abundance of Grace Communicated now And therefore as the Apostle concludes from it we ought the more Abundantly to take heed For if they escaped not without a recompence of reward that sinned against the Law of Moses What shall become of those that sin against the Word of Christ the Son of God Professors all you that are the People of God take heed how you sin take heed how you tamper with your sins Grace hath Abounded you have received much and therefore if you sin this is that that will make your sins out of measure sinful Take heed what you do But in the Third place Appli 3. If there be such an Abundance of Grace Communicated now unto all the People of God under the new Testament What a mighty Incouragement is here to all good and bad I say a mighty Incouragement to all to all those that hear me this day good and bad Bad An incouragement unto those that are Bad to those that are wicked Therefore they should come in unto Jesus Christ He will not send your souls away empty there 's a Fulnesse in Jesus Christ and those that come unto Him shall be fil'd by Him He does not only give Grace but He gives Abundance of Grace Who would not come unto Jesus Christ that he may be fil'd by Christ Mark Is there an Abundance of Grace to be had from Christ and wilt thou have none Drunkard Is there such Abundance of Grace to be had in Christ and wilt thou have none wanton Unclean heart wilt thou have none Swearer Sab-bath-breaker wilt thou have none The Lord perswade your hearts to come in unto Jesus Christ I tell you you will have more from Him then you expect The Prodigal look't but for bread at his fathers house and he met with a fatted Calfe and with a Ring and with the best Garment you shall have more than you look't for 'T is a mighty Incouragement Oh! you that never thought of returning unto Jesus Christ Come in now unto Jesus Christ that you may have Abundance of Grace from Him I have done only this Here is also incouragement unto all that are godly and therefore they should labor to be rich in Grace shall Jesus Christ do much for you and will you do little for Him shall you receive Abundance from Him and will you not do Abundance for Him Labor Oh! labor all you Servants of God to Abound in the Work of the Lord That you may be fil'd with all the Fulness of God in Christ That you may be fil'd with all the fruits of righteousness That you may be strengthened with all might in the inner-man you have received much you have had Abundance he that hath the least Grace hath Abundance if thou hast but the least Gospel-Grace thou hast Abundance Brethren Grace hath Abounded Oh! let us Aboundin Grace Aboundin Faith and Abound in Patience and Abound in Meekness Sweetness and Love towards one another and towards all the Saints You have received much can you go to Heaven with doing little God expects much from you I conclude therefore with the exhortation of the Apostle Col. 2.6 As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ walk in Him Alwaies Abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. And thus much for the First thing that is here intended SERMON V. JOHN 1.16 And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace Preached at Margrets new fishstreet Dec. 15.1645 YE heard the last day that three things were contained in this last Clause Even Grace for Grace as it stands in relation to the former part of the verse First of all It notes an Abundance of Grace Even Grace for Grace that is Abundance of Grace The Saints and People of God under the new Testament do receive Abundance of Grace from Jesus Christ Secondly It notes also thus much That all Grace is from Jesus Christ That whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Grace for Grace saies Austin that is Grace in order to Grace God gives the former Grace saies he to prepare for the after Grace Whether the former or the latter rain whether the former or the latter Grace 't is all from Christ whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Christ This sutes with the phrase of Job still Skin for skin that is all a mans skins So 't is explain'd by the following words Skin for skin Job 2.4 even all that a man hath will he give for his life So here Of His Fulness have all we received Even Grace for Grace that is all Grace Whatsoever Grace we have we have it from Jesus Christ And this also sutes with the Scope of the place the scope of the place is to exalt Jesus Christ above them that came before Him above Moses Therefore saies he at the next verse Joh 1.17 For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Though the Law were given by Moses yet notwithstanding Grace the chief that is from Christ Now Grace The word Grace here in the 17. verse must be understood of All Crace The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth that is All Grace And this verse being brought in as a reason of the former surely therefore this must needs be the meaning also of the former That all grace is from Jesus Christ whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ This is the Argument that I intend God willing to speak unto at this time Grace Sometimes is taken for the Favour of God Somtimes it is taken for Gods Assistance Sometimes it is taken for Holiness either in the habit or in the act Sometimes it is taken for gifts Sometimes the word Grace is used for an Office in the Church Whatsoever it be which way soever you take it All Grace is from Christ whatsoever grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ This now will appear if you consider The Insufficiency of Nature And the All-sufficiency of Christ As for the Insufficiency of Nature You know what the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 3.5 Wee are not able as of our selves to think a good thought but all our sufficiency is of God
And if you look into this first Chapter of John you find That those that are regenerate and borne again 't is said concerning them at the 13. verse that they are not borne of Bloods in the plural number your English hath it Blood in the singular You are not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Some there are and were that thought themselves to be the children of God because they came of godly parents because of their bloods because of their education Ioh. 8.33 So the Jews Wee are the Children of Abraham Some there are and were that think themselves the Children of God because of some Legal workings and monkish devotion all those legalities under the Gospel are called flesh Some there are that think themselves the children of God because of some more refined and raised and heroical actions That he might obviate all these saies he We are not born of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God You are for Free-will and you think Free-will hath a great stroke in mans Conversion but how can ye look this Scripture in the face No way of will not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man If it be any will it must be either the will of the flesh or the wil of man but I tel you saies he We are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man no way of will but of God To the like purpose you have in James 1.17 Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above In some of your books you reade thus Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above But it is rather to be read Every good giving Every good gift and every good giving is from above Not only the Thing given is from above but the very Donation the very Exhibition the very Giving out of the thing that is good it is from above Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above So that plainly then there is an utter Insufficiency in Nature unto what is good As for the Al-sufficiency of Jesu Christ Rom. 8.29 Rev. 1.17 He is the first born among many Brethren He is the first fruit that sanctifieth all the rest I am the first and the last saies he The first is the cause of the rest The Sun is the first and the great light so the cause of all other light Jesus Christ He is called the first in this same Chapter 15. verse This was He saies John of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for He was before me So ye reade it but it is He was my first preferred before me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for He was my first and therefore the first giving a Being unto all that follows Jesus Christ He does give a Being unto all our graces I am the way the truth and the life saies He. Joh. 14.6 I am the Way Would you go to Heaven You cannot go thither but you must go in some Way A man cannot go unto a City but he must go some way or other if he go by water go by land this way or that way still he goes some Way or other Saies Christ if you would go to Heaven I am the Way This same word Way it notes the means unto a thing and when He saies I am the way 't is as if He should say That look what ever means you do use in order to Heaven all those means they have their vertue and their power and their efficacy from me I but a man may be in a way and in a right way and yet notwithstanding if he have not some guide he may lose his way True saies He therefore I am the Truth and 't is observable how Truth lies between Way Life as if the way to Life were thorough Truth as if Truth were the great road or the thorough-fare to life saies Jesus Christ I am that too I am the Way and the Truth too I but though a man be in the right Way and have a guide he may fall sick and die and never come to his journeyes end Therefore saies Christ I am the way and the Truth and the Life too I even I am He that gives life unto all your motions and actions for Heaven all Grace from Christ He it is even He alone that hath every mans heart and soul under lock and key There are Three great doors that must ordinarily be opened before converting-converting-Grace can get into the soul of man 1 Cor. 16.9 Job 33.16 Acts. 16.14 Rev. 3.7 The door of a Powerful Ministry A large and an effectual door is opened The door of the Eare He openeth the eare and sealeth instruction The door of the Vnderstanding and of the heart Lydias heart was opened Now if you look into the Scripture you will find that Jesus Christ hath the opening of all these doors He hath the key of David He openeth and no man shuts and shutteth and no man openeth in the 1. of the Revelation and the 18. He saies That He hath the keyes of Hell and of death No man goes into the grave but He opens a door to let him in and no man goes to Hell but Jesus Christ He locks him up there He locks him up there unto all eternity if He did not lock him in he would not be there unto all eternity So that whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in any mans heart He opens the door He lets it in 't is by His ordering and His sending thither And Beloved if Jesus Christ were not the great Lord-Keeper of His Fathers wardrobe why should those Names and Titles be given to Him which you find so frequently in Scripture Cast your eyes where you wil you shal hardly look upon any thing but Jesus Christ hath taken the Name of that upon Himself If you cast your eyes up to Heaven in the day and behold the Sun He is called Mal. 4.2 Rev. 22.16 Col. 1.18 Rom. 13.14 Ioh. 6.35 Ioh. 10.9 Ioh. 10.11 Ioh. 1.29 Luk. 15.23 Zac. 13.1 Isa 28.16 Pro. 3.18 The Sun of righteousness If you cast your eyes in the night upon the Stars or in the morning upon the morning star He is called The bright morning star If you behold your own Body He is called the Head and the Church the Body If you look upon your own Clothes He is called your Rayment Put ye on the Lord Jesus If you behold your Meat He is called Bread The Bread of life If you look upon your Houses He is called a Door If you look abroad into the fields and behold the Cattel of the fields He is called The good Shepherd He is called The Lamb He is called The fatted Calf If you look upon the Waters He is called A Fountain The Blood of Christ a Fountain If you look upon the
Now though the Lord does give a Christian less grace in his hand for the present yet He hath laid it up in so safe a hand that though Satan a stronger than he does come down upon him he is not able to wrest it from him or beguile him of it because 't is in the hand of Christ that is a stronger than he And Jesus Christ by a Compact with the Father from all Eternity hath engaged Himselfe to do it to give forth Grace and Assistance to all the Elect according to all their needs So that I say now all Grace is from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance Therfore the Psalmist prayes thus Lord open thou my lips Psal 51.15 and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Lord though thou hast given me habitual Grace yet if I have not fresh assistance from thee for to open my lips my mouth will not shew forth thy praise Psa 119.18 And so again Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law And to this purpose 't is in the 17. Psalm and the 5. verse saies David Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Mark I pray David ye know was a godly man hee had a habit of grace Now Lord saies David as for the business that is between Saul and me thou knowest I am in thy way yet Lord saies he though I be in thy way and have a habit of Grace yet if thou dost not hold up my steps if thou dost not give me fresh assistance I shall fall I shall slip Hold up my going in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Does not the Apostle say Phil. 2 13 The Will and the Deed is from God You may observe that the Graces of Gods People they are called in the new Testament Gal. 5.22 The fruits of the Spirit They are not called the fruits of a former habit but they are called The fruits of the Spirit And indeed if all grace were not from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance truly then might a man have wherein to boast as Bradwardin reasons the case For saies he though a child have his being from his father his Education from his father Learning Military skill yet notwithstanding the valour of an action being his own he hath in opposition to his father wherin to boast True I confess indeed I had my being from my father I had my Nature from my father I had my Education from my father I had this Skill from my father But the prowess and the valour and the spirit of the action is all mine own and he hath wherein to boast So if he hath the Habit only from Christ he hath wherewith to boast True I had the Habit the Grace from God I but the spirit of the action that is mine own he had wherein to boast But there is no room for boasting and therefore all Grace is from Christ in regard of fresh assistance It will be yet said Obj. But if all Grace be from Christ in regard of fresh assistance too Why is it said that we Repent and we Beleeve and we Obey for if all Grace in regard of the very work be from Christ if Jesus Christ do work al our works Why is it not rather said That Christ does Repent and Christ does Beleeve and Christ does Obey I answer No. You know the Persons that are Responsal Ans If I owe a man a Thousand pounds and have never a penny to pay it and another man he comes and lends me the money and goes along with me to the Creditor the bond is taken up and acquittance made discharge made He is not said to have paid the money but I am said to pay the money that am Responsal So now you are Responsal and therefore though ye have all strength from Christ to do it yet you are said to Repent and Beleeve and Obey The Devil is not said to commit Adultery and commit Murder yet by his instigation 't is done The Sun does work with the Tree when the Tree does bring forth fruit and yet 't is not said that the Sun brings forth an apple or brings forth fruit because the Sun does work as a universal Cause and the Tree as a particular Cause So now though Jesus Christ does work in all your workings yet He is not said to Repent or Beleeve or to Obey because He works as a universal Cause and you work as a particular Cause Only behold here the mirrour of Grace All is of Christ and yet all is Ours all is ours in Denomination and al is Christs in Operation all is ours in regard of Incouragement and all is Christs in regard of Glory al is ours in regard of Reward and all is Christs in regard of Honor. Here 's Grace here 's the mystery of Grace but still all whatsoever Grace a man hath he hath it from Jesus Christ I but Quest will you say To what end is this Doctrine opened thus largely opened and prest What good is there that does come thereby What good Answ What good would you have What good would you do Would you have the Lord Jesus Christ to become your strength The way to have Him to become your strength is to count Him so Look I pray upon the 31. Psalm the 2. and 3. verse Be thou my strong Rock for an house of defence to save me for thou art my Rock and my Fortress Be thou my Rock for thou art my Rock What kinde of Argument is this Yes 't is a good argument The way to have Christ our Rock is to account Him our Rock My very resting upon the Promise does make it mine and your very resting upon Jesus Christ doth make Him yours and what will make you rest more upon Him then to see that all is from Him Again Would you have your hearts warmed with love unto Jesus Christ indeed our whol life should be nothing else but an expression of love to Christ as Christs life and death was nothing else but an expression of love to us Now saies a gracious soul Is this true indeed that all Grace is from Christ that whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ that there is not a good thought in my heart but runs through the heart of Jesus Christ before it does come at mine what infinit cause then have I to love Jesus Christ Again Would you live in Dependance upon Christ for Grace for Truth the serious consideration of this truth will help you to it I confesse indeed will some say when I look upon my self I am a man or woman of such poor gifts or parts that I have no hope I am afraid I shall never attain to the Truth of the time but is it so that all is from Jesus Christ whatever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Why may not I know the Truth of the time as well as another I will
honored God If I be a father Mal. 1.6 8. Pro. 3.9 where is mine honor saies the Lord. Why bring ye the leane and the maimed and the feeble Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase saies Solomon Observe therefore what is your best and what is your substance and what are your first fruits and give them up to Christ Young men young men women the best of your yeers the best of your strength the best of your time is to be given to Christ ye cannot honor Jesus Christ and give Him the worst Oh! that the old people would be much humbled and the young people would be much incouraged you cannot honor Jesus Christ and give the worst to Him Fourthly Ye cannot honor Jesus Christ And despise the choice work of Christ What is the choice work of Christ Grace Grace is the choice work of Christ that comes out of His hand and the worst name that you can give it is to call it Hypocrisy Some there are that looking upon the lives of godly men they say I but he is all Hypocrisy and they are Hypocritical Yea and some poor souls there are that when they look upon their own souls they conclude and say I but 't is all Hypocrisy I prayed at such a time but it was all in Hypocrisy I but what if it be the Grace of Christ what if it prove so Surely surely ye cannot honor Jesus Christ and despise the choicest works that come out of His hands Again A man is siad then for to honor Christ When He does trust unto Him rest upon Him for help at a dead lift as we speak commonly and the more a man does relie upon Jesus Christ in straights and in the time of Temptation the more he does honor Jesus Christ Abraham gave glory to God he beleeved above hope and under hope and because he beleeved above hope and under hope therefore he gave glory to God when he considered his own body Man or woman wouldst thou therefore now honor Jesus Christ Say True I confess indeed I Have finned much and when I look upon my self I know no reason why such a wretch so great a finner as I should be saved but because the way to honor Christ is for to rest upon Him and I have dishonored Jesus Christ enough already therefore now through the Grace of God I will cast the waight of my poor guilty soul upon Jesus Christ yea for that very reason will I leave the waight of my guilty soul upon Him because thereby I may honor Him Agtain The way to honor Iesus Christ is So to walk and so to live as the men of the world may speak well of the waies of Christ by your Conversation Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may glorifie God c. The men of the world will then speak well of the waies of Christ when a Christian that hath the Name of Christ in a special manner put upon him when he does that through the strength of Christ which the men of the world cannot do pray for those that persecute you do good to those that do ill to you when a man is Abundant in the Work of the Lord Constant therein and Humble For Abundant you know what our Savior saies In this is my Father glorified Joh. 15.8 that ye bring forth much fruit One Sun in the firmament honors God the Creator more then a hundred little stars One strong Christian that does much for God honors Him more then Twenty then a hundred weak ones I but though a man have Abundance of Grace and be Abundant in the work of the Lord yet notwithstanding if he be not Constant therein he does not cause the way of Christ to be well spoken of what will men say I he is wound up to a great height for the present but stay a little and you will find Him down by and by Yea though a man be Abundant and Constant yet if he be not Humble he does not honor the way of Christ when a man is Abundant in good Constant therein and walks Humbly what saies the world then I there 's the man if al Professors were such I there 's an Humble man there 's a self-denying man I if you were all such if you were all such then I should like the waies of God the better Take heed therefore unto your lives that you so walk as that the waies of Iesus Christ may be well spoken of by you In the Seventh place Would you honor Jesus Christas you should Then own Him own Him in evil times and stand for Him in the times of general decliningt Honor est Testimonium de alicujus Excellentia Honor is the Testimony of a mans Excellency when I testifie of an Excellency in aman then I honor him and the more I testifie of an Excellency in a man the more I honor him Now the less the Truth of Christ is and the more despised the Ordinance of Christ is and the more I suffer for it the more do I testifie of an Excellency in Jesus Christ What! suffer the loss of all for that which the world counts little worth ô if there be such an excellency in a Truth a smal Truth a despised Ordinance What an Excellency is there in Christ Himself Observe therefore what those despised Ordinances are and labor to bear them up those Truths that the world counts smal Truths be willing to lose much for them stand for them in times of general declining own Iesus Christ in evil times otherwaies you cannot honor Him I have done Only thus Be willing to stoop unto any work though it lies much below your condition for Jesus Christ and say that you are not sufficient unto such a work when you have done the work set the Crown upon the head of the means that is most properly Christs Some means are Natural and some Institutional Some means that are neer unto Christ Some means that ye use in a work that are more properly Christs Chuse to set the Crown upon the head of the means that is neerest to Iesus Christ Thus doing ye shall honor Iesus Christ And Oh! my Beloved Why should not we all now set our selves for to honor Him not in word but in deed to honor Iesus Christ He hath done all for our profit why should we not do all for His honor God the Father honors Iesus Christ why should not we honor Iesus Christ you that have had the experience of this Truth as I make no question but there are many here that have had the experience of it that whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Iesus Christ you I say that have had the experience of this Truth Oh! labor now to advance to lift up the Name of Iesus Christ Oh! that our whole life might be nothing else but a Christ-advancing life you that have the experience of
the fire it self So when the Lord Jesus Christ is united to a soul look what Excellencies there are in Christ what Graces in Christ the same are Communicated to it the soul shines with Christs shining and warms with His warming there is Grace Answerable for His Grace You know there was a blessed union between the second Person and our Nature our flesh the second Person takes our Nature upon him and being united to our flesh by vertue of the hypostatical union the idioms and properties of the one are given to the other God hath no flesh God hath no blood and yet we reade in the Acts of the Apostles of the blood of God because of the union the properties of the flesh and of mans nature are given to God Eph. 4.10 So saies the Apostle He that descended is the same also that ascended God does not descend for He is every where but by reason of the union what is proper to the flesh is given to God And so now in this mistical Vnion there being such a glorious and blessed union between Christ and a Christian whatsoever Grace or Excellency or property is in Christ Himself there is an Answerableness of Grace an excellency wrought in the heart of every Christian he hath Grace for Grace he hath stamp for stamp And again Secondly Rea. 2 The Lord Jesus Christ is our second Adam a Common person between God and us Now look as it was concerning our fore-father Adam being a Common person look what nature he had we have He was made up of soul and body and so are we His body had legs and arms and other members and we have member for member we have head for head and arms for arms and legs for legs And so he sinning we have sin for his sin pride for his pride and unbelief for his unbelief because he was a Common person So I say Jesus Christ being our Second Adam look what Grace he had the Saints have they have Grace for His Grace they have Holiness for His Holiness The Apostle saies in the 5. of the Romans That as by one mans offence death came So through the gift of Grace Grace hath abounded But not as the offence saies he at the 15. verse So also is the Free-gift For if through the offence of one man many be dead much more the Grace of God and the gift by Grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many Now if we should not have Grace for Grace from Christ as we had sin for sin from the first Adam how should Grace superabound Our Lord and Savior Christ saies himself I have life in my Self The Son hath life in Himself Joh. 5.26 which laid to that expression which you have in the 1. of Genesis speaks to our purpose the 11. and 12. verses God said Let the Earth bring forth grass the herb yeelding seed and the fruit-tree yeelding fruit after his kind whose seed is in it self And so again at the 12. verse Whose seed was in it self That is these Creatures had a power in themselves to bring forth their like And so saies Jesus Christ as other Creatures had seed in themselves to bring forth their like So have I life in my Self and am able to bring forth my like and so He does for He is our Second Adam and therefore as we had sin for sin from the First Adam we must have Grace for Grace from the Second Adam also Thirdly There is an incomparable and glorious Rea. 3 blessed love between Christ and a Christian Love loves to make a thing loved to be like it self Love in an Inferiour is of an Imitating Nature and love in a Superiour is of a Similitating Nature Now therefore if there be love between Christ and a Christian they must needs be very like and love there is Christ loves the Saints above all the world and the Saints love Christ above all the world Only Christs love exceeds for when the Spouse speaks of Christ in the Canticles she cals Him My beloved in the Concrete but when He speaks of her He cals her my love my dove in the Abstract Jesus Christ had loving thoughts towards the Saints before the world was as ye reade in the 8. of the Proverbs and the 29. verse Saies wisdom and so Christ there When He gave to the Sea His Decree that the waters should not pass His Commandement when He appointed the foundations of the earth Then I was by Him as one brought up with Him I was daily His delight verse the 31. Rejoycing in the habitable part of His earth and my delights were with the sons of men Jesus Christ was then in the bosom of His Father He had enough to take up His heart with full delight and yet notwithstanding before the Saints were His love was towards them and His delight was in them Surely if He loved them so much before they had a being when they have a being He will exercise and put forth that old and ancient love of His in more abundance towards them When a man loves a Maid or a Virgin while she is in her fathers house she is set a part for him but now afterward when she leaves her fathers house and all her kindred that she may only cleave unto him then his heart is drawn out more How am I ingaged saies he to love this woman that hath left all the world to come unto me So there was love in Christ towards the Saints while they were but set a part for Him in Gods Decree but now when they shall leave their fathers house for Him will He not then delight in them See what is said in the 45. Psalm Hearken O daughter at the 10. verse and consider and incline thine ear forget also thine own people and thy fathers house So shall the King greatly desire or delight in thy beauty But delight in them and love them he cannot unless they be like unto him for the lover loves to make a thing loved to be like himself or himself to be like to it The lover would if he could melt himself into a One-ness with the thing loved Indeed our love is scant and we cannot do it Moses of whom the Law is signified might chip and pare his wives nailes but he could not change her countenance A man may love his wife and bestow much upon her but he is not able to change her countenance to make her to be like himself But Jesus Christ hath this happiness above all the world His love hath this happiness above all other love that He is able to melt the person loved the soul loved into His own likeness and therefore wherever Jesus Christ sets His heart upon any soul to delight in any He draws His Image upon them makes the soul to be like unto Him what Grace He hath Himself He does communicate it unto that soul that there is an Answerableness of Grace Even Grace for
Hypocrites stand by as having no share and interest in Jesus Christ As for Profane men they will be Drunk and Swear and commit Adultery and Lye and break the Sabbath But would Jesus Christ do so They count it the life of their life and the soul of their soul to be at a merry meeting a jovial meeting but would Jesus Christ do so When Jesus Christ was upon the earth He went up and down doing good and scattering good communicating good and they go up and down scattering their sins and is this Grace for Grace is this Answerable I appeal to you As for those that are meerly Civil Moral Though they will not swear great and gross Oathes yet swear by their faith and by their Troth but would Jesus Christ do so They carry a secret spleen and envy at the power of godliness and those that have it but would Jesus Christ do so They frame up their Religion and their Worship according to the Times if Authority comand it they will they will do it whatever it be but would Iesus Christ do so When Iesus Christ was upon the earth He was Zealous The Zeal of thine house hath eaten me up Ioh. 2.17 but they are formal and they are Luke-warm Oh! is this Grace for Grace is this your Answer ableness and are these in Iesus Christ As for those that are Hypocrites They have alwaies some secret sin or other some back-door or other that they may go out at but had lesus Christ so They lie contemplating and chewing of the Devils Cud and are indulgent to their base thoughts their sinful thoughts but was Iesus Christ so They savour gifts and expressions more then Graces but did jesus Christ do so They though they seem to be mortified and dead unto the grosser part of the world meat drink and clothes yet they are no way mortified and dead unto the finer part of the world their Names and their Credits Was it thus with Jesus Christ Indeed an Hypocrite through the strength of Education living under the Gospel may set himself to imitate Christ but there is an Artificial imitation and a Natural resemblance A father may have two sons The one that is unlike him but imitates him the other that does naturally resemble the father and imitate him too Such are the Saints being made partakers of the Divine Nature they naturally care for the things of Christ hypocrites do not so Behold here 's the Character of a Christian indeed he hath Grace for Grace whatever Grace there is in Christ he hath somewhat Answerable thereunto Oh! how few men and women are there in the world that have a saving share and interest in Jesus Christ Secondly If this Doctrine be true What a happy Appli 2. and blessed thing is it for a man to be in Christ Behold the Dignity of the Saints Beloved here 's glory on this side glory 't is the glory and the honor of a man to be like to God 't is the glory and honor of a Disciple to be like his Master 't is the glory and honor of a Child to be like his father 't is the glory and honor of a Christian to be like unto Jesus Christ Every Christian hath the Image of Christ drawn upon him Had our Lord Iesus the Great Mighty Potentate only come by a poor soul and cast His Skirt over him and said unto the soul wear thou my Livery it had bin a great honor to belong to Christ to wear His Livery But behold here 's more than so the Saints do not only wear His Livery but they have His Grace and their Grace is of the same nature with the very Grace of Christ as our Grace should a bin of the same nature with Adams if Adam had stood Yea not only their Grace is of the same nature but look what Grace Christ had they have Answerable to it Had this great and royal Loadstone that draws all mens hearts after him only touch't our hearts that we might have followed him what a Mercy had it bin But behold here is more than so the Saints they have Grace for Grace whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in Christ somewhat in a Christian Answerable thereunto Oh! Dignity Oh! Dignity how can a Christian but be welcome to God the Father that does not come only in the Name of Christ to Him but brings the Image of Christ too with him Grace for Grace Oh! who would not be Incouraged to get into Jesus Christ Oh! you that are in Christ do you know what priviledges you walk under every day You sometimes are ready to envy at the men of the world but I pray Would you now change your condition with them Such a one he hath passion for passion and pride for pride and sin for sin with the world and you have Grace for Grace with Jesus Christ Here 's Dignity here 's Priviledge indeed But you will say Quest All Dignity cals for Duty Suppose it be so That whatsoever Grace and holiness there is in Christ there is somewhat Answerable in my soul Oh! what is my Duty now that does flow from hence Surely Ans you cannot be proud of it for then you shal not be like to Christ Who though He thought it no robbery to be equal with God the Father He humbled Himself became of no reputation Beloved you know that all Talents lents are to be improved and the greater the Talent the more improvement is to be made and improvement is to be made of the same kind 'T is our wisedom to observe what work God is a doing upon our souls and to help forward that work If God be working Faith in our hearts it is our duty to help forward the work of Beleeving If God be working Patience in our hearts 't is our duty to help forward the work of Patience Look now what work that is that God is doing in our hearts and lives for us that work we are bound to help forward Now hath therfore God drawn the Image of Jesus Christ upon your hearts so that there is an habitual likeness in your souls unto Jesus Christ Then it is your duty to labor for an actual likeness to be like unto Him in all your working to live as He lived and to do as He did and to speak as He spake labor more and more to be like unto Him in your lives And if you say How should that be The Apostle tells you Whom beholding as in a glass 2 Cor. 3.18 we are changed from glory to glory according to His own Image The serious frequent beholding of Jesus Christ is the only way to be like unto Him Beloved your lives they are divided into two parts There is a Doing part and a Suffering part As Christs Obedience was divided into Active and Passive Obedience Would you in the Doing part of your life be like unto Christ Behold Him in His Doing Omnis Christi Actio est instructio Every
He hath Attribute for Attribute He hath Excellency for Excellency with God the Father And every gracious godly soul he hath Grace for Grace from Jesus Christ Of his Fulness have we received Grace for Grace As the Fulness of God the Father dwels in Him bodily so the Fulness of Christ dwels in every Christian Spiritually And this fellwoship hath God the Father called you unto By whom we have fellowship 1 Cor. 1.9 this hath God the Father called you unto Oh! how infinitly are you bound unto God the Father to honor and bless the Father When ye look upon the Son me thinks you should bless the Father and when ye look upon the Pather you should love the Son As a mother does when she looks upon her Child she loves the father and when she looks upon the fatehr she loves the Child again So a Christian when he looks upon Jesus Christ he should bless the Father and when he looks upon the Father he should bless Jesus Christ and love Jesus Christ Dear Father thou hast not only given us thy Son but given us thy Son in such a way that we should have Grace for Grace Answerable to His Grace is this after the manner of men Oh! therefore why should we not all say Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Oh! you you that love Jesus Christ bless the Father and you that bless the Father love Jesus Christ take your selves to be infinitly bound unto god the Father who hath given you such a Christ as this of whom you should have Grace for Grace I have done Only I would leave one Exhortation whith the Saints that have received of Christs fulness thus Grace for Grace It 's thus mark it I pray Is this true That of His Fulness ye have all received Appli 4. Grace for Grace Answerableness of Grace that ye have fellowship with Jesus Christ in all His Graces Then be for ever contented to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in al his Sufferings And truly well may ye be contented if you have fellowship with Christ in His Sufferings if you have Suffering for Suffering ye shall have Grace for Grace and Glory for Glory if ye partake with Him in His Sufferings ye shall partake with Him in His Graces and partake with Him in His Glory I say well may ye be contented to have fellowship with Him in His Sufferings for if you have suffering for suffering you shall have Comfort for Comfort if you have fellowship with Him in His sufferings you shal have fellowship with Him in His Comforts too Mark ye When Jesus Christ Suffered Had He a Deity to support Him So shall you have When Jesus Christ Suffered Had He Angels to minister to Him So shal you have When Jesus Christ suffered Did He see the travaile of His Soul So shall you see it When Jesus Christ was lift up He drew al men after Him So shal you do when you are lift up for the Truth upon the cross you are apt to think now wil the Truth suffer now wil the Cause of God fall to the ground But remember if you have fellowship in His Graces if you have fellowship with Christ in His Sufferings you shal have fellowship with Christ in His Comforts This was one of His Comforts when He was lift up upon the Cross then He drew all men after Him So when you come to be lift up upon the Cross then shall men be drawn after the Truths that you suffer for and never shal men be more drawn after the Truths that you suffer for then when you come to be lift up upon the Cross to suffer for them Oh! who would not be willing to partake with the Lord Jesus Christ in His sufferings to have fellowship with Him in his sufferings to have suffering for suffering 'T is observed that our Savior never met with any great dobasement but at that time in the midst of that debasement there was some breakings forth of Golory He was born in a Stable He was laid in a Manger here was His first debasement Here glory breaks forth the Wise men come and fal down before Him and offer gifts frankincense and mirrhe Again He was Baptized He needed not to have been Baptized He was clean enough in his Nature He put our cloathes upon him stood in our nature Now He hears a Voice from Heaven Matt. 3.17 saying This is My Beloved Son Again You reade of Him riding upon an Ass Not riding in a Coach drawn with Lyons and drawn with Elephants Savior riding upon an Ass in a mean way a debased way now breaks forth some glory now they cry Hosanna Hosanna to him Again upon the Cross there he was most debased then breaks forth some glory The Sun that stands still and vails his face as one astonished at the worlds Savior Now does the vail of the Temple rend in sunder now Glory breaks forth in the midst of his debasement Thus it was with Christ Have you suffering with him for sufferings Have you fellowship with Christ in his sufferings you shall have fellowship with Christ in his Comforts Oh! therefore I beseech you be contented now to have suffering for suffering with Jesus Christ and whensoever any suffering comes especially for the Truth boggle not at it be content and say within your selves Oh! blessed be the Lord that hath called me out to this work I shall have this fellowship with Christ in his sufferings I shall now have suffering for suffering therefore I shall have Comfort for Comfort I shall have Grace for Grace I shall have Glory for Glory Oh! who would not be encouraged I leave this Exhortation with you comfort your selves in these words and never startle at suffering as herefore but make account of this That if you have Grace for Grace ye may meet with Suffering for Suffering but then you shall have Comfort for Comfort and ye shall have Glory for Glory Think on these things and the Lord give us to practise them THE SPIRITUALL-ACTINGS OF FAITH Through NATURALL-IMPOSSIBILITIES Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak or weakned in Faith c. IN this latter Part of the Chapter ye have the commendation of Abrahams faith Preached at Margarets New-fishstreet Fev 23. 1645. described from the Subject or Matter of that he beleeved in the 18. and 19. verses From the Manner of his beleeving He staggered not at the 20. verse at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith c. From the Cause of his faith the sight of Gods Al-sufficiency and faithfulnesse being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to performe From the Effect of his Faith He gave glory to God First of all for the Subject or the Matter
by the strength of that God that it graspes upon But the thing is sufficiently proved No difficultie can stand before saving Faith True saving justifying Faith carries the Soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall Impossibilities to Jesus Christ I come to the Application If these things be so Applic. Then if difficulties and naturall discouragements do arise who is there among you but meete with some or other in your severall places see here the way how for to grapple with them strengthen your Faith exercise your Faith Resolution you are mistaken resolution won't do it Christian here is thy strength Conviction won't do it Morall Vertues won't do it Evangelicall Gifts and Parts and Inlargements won't do it Experiences of Gods preservation of you won't do it Christian here 's thy strength But Oh! let not your strength be cutt off in the lap of any Dalilah True justifying Faith is your strength that is your shield The Heathen could say when he was sore wounded Is my shield whole if that be well all is well So say I if your shield be well if your faith be well if your true justifying saving faith be well then all is well Thus you shall be able to look difficulties and discouragements in the face though they be never so great You will say unto me Quest suppose a man hath newly begun to look unto Jesus Christ and now difficulties and naturall discouragements do arise how shall he be able so to raise and to use his faith as he may be able to breake through all unto Jesus Christ Take heed that you do not stand poring too much upon them Answ Abraham considered not the deadnes of his own body Sarahs body But if you will behold them First Exercise your faith in the promise before you do speak with those difficulties Some there are that stand poring so much upon difficulties and naturall discouragements that they have spent the strength of their spirits So that when the promise comes they have no strength at all in their spirits to entertaine the promise with If the Rope or Cable be never so strong that is thrown out into the water if a man be drowned before the Rope or Cable come at him what matter is it though the Cable be never so great Some there are that stand poring so much upon naturall discouragements that their hearts are even sunke and drown'd before the promise comes and how can the promise help you then therefore say Come first promise Come first promise And then againe if you will behold these Look upon them as they are your Tryall and many times the devils Engines to worke your hearts off againe I say your Tryals and the devils Engines to worke your hearts back againe When you were in your naturall condition then your heart was quiet your conscience quiet and the divell quiet and your friends quiet and did not speak evill of you Now you begin to look towards Christ now conscience condemnes now the Divell accuses now your friends your former friends they speak evill of you I appeale to thee man or woman in thine own soule doest thou not thinke that thy former condition was an ungodly condition yes and then quiet then conscience quiet then friends quiet then Satan quiet and now conscience accuses and now Satan accuses and now friends speak evill Oh! therefore say surely this is nothing but a Temptation and beleeve it beloved it is halfe a victory over a Temptation to know that a Temptation is but a Temptation In the third place Now now especially set thy selfe with all thy might to venture upon Jesus Christ Labour much in venturing upon Jesus Christ now Mark Faith is nothing else but the Soules venture it ventures to Christ it ventures on Christ it ventures for Christ It ventures to Christ in opposition to all legall torrours It ventures on Christ in opposition to all our own guiltinesse It ventures for Christ in opposition to all Difficulties and discouragements The proper nature of faith is to venture and what need we venture if there were no difficulties Difficulties properly call for venturing Marke it Do difficulties arise Now set thy selfe to venture upon Jesus Christ If a man be to go home over some water or River and the water rises he sayes with himself how shall I get over this water The longer I stay the more it rises he begins to go into it and he comes back againe but sayes he there is no other way as good first as at the last I must venture I must over there is no other way and so he ventures So say I now unto thee This thou must come unto at last poor soule Difficulties and discouragements arise to stave thee off from Christ at the last thou must venture upon Jesus Christ at the last you must venture notwithstanding all your guilt you begin to do it and you are ready to go back but know this first or last you must venture upon Christ hadst thou not better do it at the first Oh! therefore when ever any difficulties do arise put thy selfe upon faith say come O my soule here is a difficulty now venture on Jesus Christ In the fourth place for your incouragement know this That the more and greater difficulties your duties or your graces are recovered out of the hand of the more comfortable they will be to you I pray mark it I say duty or grace recovered out of the hand of difficulty is the most comfortable You know how it was with David at Ziklag the enemy had come upon him taken away his wife and all his comforts a sentence of death was upon all his comforts David he followes after overtakes the enemy recovers his wife and all his comforts and there he had the greatest spoile of all spoiles he sent unto all his friends of his spoile he never had a greater spoile So I say does difficulty or discouragement break in upon your duty Morning duty Evening duty Or any grace Follow after it if thou strikest this difficulty in the hinder part and recoverest thy duty or thy grace out of the hand of the difficulty thy duty and thy grace will be more comfortable then ever it was And then in the Fift place Study Jesus Christ more and labour for a cleare a distinct knowledge of Jesus Christ Faith in Scripture phrase it is called knowledge the knowledge of Christ By his knowledge he shall justify many Isa 53 11. to know and beleeve they are put together the more you know the more cleere and distinct knowledge you have of Christ the stronger your faith the lesse knowledge you have of Christ the weaker your faith a weak faith is apt to be blown down with every wind Abraham being not weake he considered not his own body so he staggered not The weake fire it may be put out with fuell casting of much wood upon it the strong fire it increases and growes even by throwing on
this than with the other And I pray what then Do but observe Paul who gracious he is how humble he is how thankful he is how ready to serve Christ how ready to serve the Churches for Christ how ready to suffer for Christ upon all occasions Oh! how gracious did this make him Thus 't is with a poor soul that hath tasted of the free-grace of God in Christ the heart is more taken herewithal than with the thoughts of Heaven Ah saies a poor soul I was going on in such a sinful way or I lay sleeping and snorting in my sins and I know not how before ever I was aware the Kingdom of Heaven did approach unto me and the Lord in his free-grace showed mercy to my family and to my poor soul Oh! therefore any thing for Jesus Christ Oh! I will spend and be spent Oh! any thing for Jesus Christ The sight of Gods grace does make one gracious and therefore Christ does take this way Causing the Kingdom of Heaven grace and free remission to approach first unto us before we do draw neer to it There is one Reason more I will but name it Christ does so order things in the dispensations of his grace that no flesh might glory in it selfe or in any thing that it hath or doth that no flesh might rest in any duty in any service in any suffering but only upon grace upon Christ alone Beloved we are very unwilling to come unto any duty and when we have done we are then as apt to rest upon it as ever we were unwilling to come unto it But what 's the reason that men are so apt to rest upon their duties but because there are these secret thoughts that they come to Christ before he does come to them Let the heart be possest with this truth That Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and of free-grace does approach unto us and come neer to us before we draw neer to it And then he will not rest so much upon what he is doth or suffereth A man in this case is like unto a Silk-worme you know how 't is with that worme it makes a fine web a fine work and when it hath done it dies in it afterward it eats a hole through the work and it comes out with wings a quite other creature than it went into it So it is with a poor Christian he makes a fine work of duty and then he dies in it but through the manifestations of Gods free grace he does as it were eat a hole through all and he comes out with wings flying away from his duties not so as to neglect the performance of them but so as not to rest upon them flyes away from in regard of resting upon any duty and only upon this ground because saies he God did draw neer to me grace did draw neer to me mercy did draw neer to me before ever I drew neer to it and therefore why should I rest upon any duty performe it I will but through grace I will not rest upon it By way of Application Applic. 1 Let us I pray consider with our selves whether God hath dealt thus by our souls or no Hath the Kingdom of Heaven approch't and drawn neer unto us before we drew neer to it if not truly for ought that I know we are yet under the Law and all our mournings and walkings Heaven-ward they are but Legal If God love you indeed He shews kindness and mercy to you before you do come to him 'T is with Gods darlings as 't is with the worlds-darlings You have some men take a great deal of pains rise early and go to bed late and yet the world does not smile upon them these are the world's enemies Some take pains and grow rich thereby these are the worlds friends Others there are again that before ever they take any pains the Lord is upon them with the worlds blessings these are the worlds darlings So I say God hath his darlings and if thou art one of Gods darlings He does cause the Kingdom of Heaven Grace and Free-remission to appear and draw neer unto thy soul even before thou dost draw neer to it Hath God dealt thus by any of you Oh! contemplate consider seriously the sweetness of this grace Beloved preventing grace is sweet grace The Lord gave a Grown a Kingdom to David but the best Pearle in all the Crown that his eye was most upon was Gods preventing mercy Psa 21.3 Lord saies he thou hast prevented me with the goodness of thy blessing As if he had said thus Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom made me a King over thy people but when I was a poor Shepheard keeping my fathers sheep thou diddest prevent me with thy love So may a poor soul say Ah Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom but thou hast prevented me with thy love 'T is a great matter that the great God of Heaven and Earth should answer our prayers give us any mercy upon our request I but that the Lord should give us the greatest mercie before we come for it Pray good people mark it a little Ye shall observe that the greatest mercies that ye have ye have them and they are given unto you before you come for them There are some great mercies that a Christian hath as Conversion of his soul Justification Remission of sin Some lesser mercies as comfort and peace and outward plenty As for these lesser mercies God gives them when we do come for them but as for the great Mercies Remission of sin Justification of our persons Conversion of our souls God is upon us with these mercies before we come for them Oh! what grace is here Oh! what glorious rich grace is here What! shall be not stand and admire at the glory of this free grace of God in Jesus Christ You will say unto me Quest But suppose this that the Lord hath brought the Kingdom of Heaven neer to me and my family before I did come to it for I must confess that I have tasted and drunk deeply of Gods preventing love Oh! how graciously hath God dealt by our poor family wee were a poor ignorant family and the Lord shewed mercy to our family when we little thought of it to such a Child to such a Servant to such a Friend to mine own soul Indeed this is true That the Kingdom of Heaven hath approch't unto me drawn neer unto me before I drew neer to it Oh! what is my duty now that does flow from hence Let me tell you Ans 1 Duty First of all Be sooner at Heaven gate with your duties hereafter than ever you were before When as a Master comes into his servants Chamber in the morning and takes him abed if the servant have any ingenuity the servant saies this my Masters coming thus early is plainly a rebuke to my sloth and therfore God willing I will be up sooner another day So now
when as the Lord does thus prevent us with his grace and is at our bed-side with his grace when we lie sleeping and never think of mercy and grace an ingenious soul should say thus What is all this but a plain rebuke to the slothfulness of my duty Come up prayer up duty oh my soul be up sooner Yea through the Lords grace I will be up sooner at Heaven gate in duty than ever I was before His preventing grace teaches me thus much that I am not soon enough at Heaven gate with my duty Again 2. Duty Hath the Lord prevented any of you with grace and caused the Kingdom of Heaven to draw neer to you before you drew neer to it Do you do the like labour in your love to be like to Christ to be like to God We stand upon our terms when we have to deal with men upon our terms of State had Jesus Christ stood upon terms of State when he came to save sinners what had become of us We say we will forgive such a man for wrong done to us upon his acknowledgement Oh! but did Christ do so Did not Christ prevent us Beloved ye see how 't is with the water it moves downward but if the fire get into it if there be water in a pot upon the fire and fire get into the water the fire makes it move upward it moves according to the nature of the fire then So now if the love of Jesus Christ get into our hearts it will make us move like unto Christ How does the love of Jesus Christ move Oh saies Christ Father forgive them they know not what they do Luke 23.34 Christ did not stay for acknowledgement a poor and a low thing for a Christian Enough for a Heathen to say so I will forgive such a man for wrong done to me upon his acknowledgment Let our love be like unto Christs and labour to prevent others with our love as Jesus Christ hath prevented us Thirdly Then let all men waith upon others 3 Duty with all longsufforing and patience for their Conversion and the revelation of truth unto them Thou art a Parent and desirest thy Child may be Converted and hast taken a great deal of pains with him for his Conversion and yet it will not be Thou art a governour of a family and would'st fain have such a servant converted to Christ and hast taken a great deal of pains and yet it won't be A friend you have and you would fain that he knew such a Truth and much pains you have taken to beat such a Truth into him and he don't take it and you are ready to be angry but remember this The Kingdom of Heaven draws neer to us before we draw neer to it Grace must come to thy Childs soul first before it does come to Christ Mercy must come to the soul and the Lord must come and bring truths unto the soul What is then to be done Then be not angry with him wait with all long suffering and all patience and go to God go to God for thy Child go to God for thy friend go to God for thy servant upon this ground Because the Kingdom of Heaven must come to us first before we can come to it But Especially 4. Duty and Fourthly Trust in the Lord for ever Oh! all you that are the servants of the Lord upon this ground Trust in the Lord for ever Does the kingdom of Heaven approach and draw neer to us before we draw neer unto it Then say within your souls Doubting shall be no more Some there are that doubt of their salvation because of the lgnorance that is in them darkness causes fear they don't know the mercifull disposition of Jesus Christ and so they doubt of his love The Devil as he labours to change himself into an angel of light so he labours to change Christ into an angel of darkness But beloved ye have heard of the merciful sweet disposition of Jesus Christ he is willing to save sinners and the greatest sinners brings neer the Kingdom of Heaven to us before we draw neer to it Oh! wilt thou doubt again poor Christian wilt thou doubt again Some there are that doubt of their salvation because they are afraid their duties shall not be accepted prayers shall not be accepted Oh! if I could but be perswaded saies one that the Lord would hear my prayer and accept of my duty then I should know indeed I should be saved but I am afraid the Lord doth not hear my prayers and accept of my duties and therefore I fear I shall not be saved Man or woman where ever thou standst or art hear the Word of the Lord. Does the Lord cause the Kingdom of Heaven to approach and draw neer to us before we draw neer to it will the Lord be found of those that seek him not and will he not be found of you that do seek him Will the Lord come with his grace and make an offer of grace and mercy to a sinner and a great sinner and will not the Lord receive you when you do come unto him Think of this and surely then you will say Doubting shall be no more Some there are that doubt of their salveation because they cannot pray their hearts are dead pray I cannot and hear I cannot and reade I cannot performe duty I cannot and therefore I have cause to fear I shall never come to Heaven Well but though you cannot Man or Woman Christian pray as thou art able and hear as thou art able and reade as thou art able the Lord Christ is of this sweet disposition That he does canse the Kingdom of Heaven to draw neer to us before we draw neer to it Oh! therefore you that are the servants of the Lord Trust in the Lord for ever for ever trust in the Lord and let doubting be no more I conclude all with one word of Exhortation Applic. 2 and it is unto those that have not yet submitted unto this Kingdom of Heaven this Kingdom of Grace Is there a truth in this Doctrine That the Kingdom of Heaven grace mercy and free remission does approach unto us before we draw neer unto it and that because indeed we are not able to draw neer to it before it draws neer unto us Then all you that have not yet submitted unto this Kingdom of grace and the offer of grace and mercy in the Gospel when ever any offer shall be made unto ye take heed that ye neglect not so great salvation You see how 't is with the sea-man because the sea-man is not able to raise a wind or turn the wind when 't is raised he lies upon the sea-coast ready waiting upon the wind and when the wind turns then he hoists up his sailes for saies he now the wind is come about and if I lose this gale I am likely to lose my voyage I cannot turn the wind I cannot make the wind So