in against thee are non-suted Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect When God would comfort his people wherewith doth he comfort them he tells them their iniquities are pardoned Esa 40.22 Obj. But my Sins are many my guilts haynous how can I take comfort Answ 1 God was in Christ Reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and delivered from the curse all that believe on him John 3.36 1 Thess 1.10 2 We must look on Christs death as able to drown Mountains as Mole-hills All the fiery stingings how great soever were taken away when they lookt on the Brazen Serpent John 3.14 15. God did not onely save just Abraham Isaac and Jacob but unrighteous Thamar Reuben Simeon Levi that no man should presume of his righteousness or wisdom nor that any man should be discouraged because of his sins Luth. in Gen. 38. 3 The Fountain of Christs Bloud is set open for all bleeding and believing souls Zach. 12.10 compared with cap. 13.1 In that day they believe and repent the Fountain is open 4 All hand-writings of Ordinances of what kinde soever that might testifie a believers guilt is taken away as to the accusatory and damnatory power thereof Col. 2.14 If the Jews rejoyced at the revoking Ahazuerus sentence let us much more at this 5 All the power of Hell is led in triumph by Christ to the faith of the believer Col. 2.15 Having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly viz. to the faith of the believer triumphing over them on the Cross 6 In his Redemption Christ had in his eye all the sins that should fall out to the end of the world and he paid not onely for sins that were at present but for those which should come after though one sin be committed to day another to morrow and another the third day yet the travel of Christs soul gave the Father full satisfaction Isai 53.11 Object Could I believe or repent I could take comfort but alas I cannot saith many a poor soul Answ All the promises of remission of sins are belonging and so consequently to be tendered unto those who believe and repent not to believing without repenting nor to repenting without believing Luke 24.47 Mark 1.15 Acts 20.21 Paul preached Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ but the promises are to be tendered to both together Thus we comfort the afflicted Brother It 's impossible thou shouldest be so righteous in this life that thou shouldest feel no sin and that thy body should be clear without spots as the Sun but thou hast yet spots are in thee yet art thou holy but thou sayest How can I be holy seeing I have and feel sin That thou feelest sin and acknowledges it give thanks to God despair not It 's a step to health when the sick person acknowledges his Disease But how shall I be delivered from my sin run to Christ the Physician who heals the broken in heart thy reason being sacrificed believe in him Luth. Tom. 4.76 2 Mourning under unbelief and impenitency and hardness of heart doth usually argue there is some measure of these graces in thy soul for whence could a soul mourn for the want of these graces but because it hath some measure of these already those that mourn under wants and hunger and thirst for supplies are under the promise of blessedness John 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink 2 Every thirsting soul is invited to Christ Revel 22.17 Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely 3 Cast thy thy self upon Christ resolving if thou perishest thou wilt perish in his arms Job 13.15 2 Use Righteous persons may draw comfort from the righteousness of uprightness though not by way of satisfaction yet by way of evidence 1 Chron. 29.9 The People rejoyced because they offered willingly because with perfect heart they offered willingly 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is the testimony of our conscience Doing judgment is accompanied with joy Prov. 21.15 Men persecute for righteousness Matth. 5.10 Devils rage at it but Saints must walk in it Luke 1.75 Those Heb. 11. first wrought Righteousness then obtained promises v. 35. In the name of a righteous man Not because he is a kinsman or friend or because we hope to receive like for like or shall get some gain thereby or ingratiate our self thereby unto some men we would be in favour with but as before he had spoken because he was a Prophet so here because he is a righteous man Gal. 6.10 We should principally look to the moving cause that moveth us to do good to Gods Saints even because we see Christ in them though all other considerations were taken away as of neighbourhood meekness love to us Shall receive a righteous mans Reward That is they shall not onely receive the examples of those holy men they receive and their edifying speeches usually holy either for matter or manner of speaking and sometimes their powerfull prayers for them but they shall also receive the same reward of eternal glory which the righteous man himself shall receive for the just shall live by faith Heb. 2.4 V. 42. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his Reward Here 's a third ground against fear of not being received which the Disciples and other Christians might expect for the cause of Christ to wit that the smallest kindness done to any of Christs little ones shall not go without a reward Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water That is being able to give no more for if we can give a cup of wine and shall put the matter off with a cup of water Christ will think this but cold entertainment The meanness of the benefit shall not make the kindness less respected with Christ 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath He names cold water as Augustine supposes lest any man should excuse himself that he wanted fire or a vessel to heat it By little ones Christ means those who are base and vile in their own eys from the sense of their Infirmities and despised by the proud men of the world Against offending and despising these little ones Christ warns Matth. 18.6 1 Saying It were better a man had a Mill-stone hanged about his neck and he be cast into the Sea as the Jews were wont to punish some Malefactours than offend such little ones 2 The Angels of these little ones do always behold the face of God therefore take heed how ye despise them God dignifies them with attendance of Angels therefore do not ye despise them If not despise them then must you
must be honoured with puritie therefore they wrote upon the doors of their Temples Let none having a guilty conscience enter this place A bad conscience can never hope well Obj. But do not we finde wicked men in Scripture have had their praiers heard A. Yes when they have sought for temporal things Jehoahaz the son of Jehu was a wicked man 2 Kin. 13.2 yet when the nation of Israel was delivered into the hands of the Syrians Jehoahaz besought the Lord and the Lord hearkened unto him for he saw the oppression of Israel and the Lord gave Israel a Saviour v. 4 5. So Ahab seeking obtained the removing of the judgement until his sons daies 1 Kin. 21.27 28 29. So when men of all sorts are in danger by storms at sea they cry to the Lord in their trouble and he delivereth them out of their distress Psal 107.28 So prisoners that lie in irons v. 13. and sick men that draw near to death v. 18 19. If thou afflict a widow or fatherless person whether godly or ungodly I will surely hear their cry Exod. 22.22 23. Ishmael was a wicked person a persecutor yet God heard the voice of the Lad Gen. 21.17 Uzziah sought God in the daies of Zachariah and as long as he sought the Lord God made him to prosper 2 Chro. 26.5 yet was he wicked as we see 2 Chron. 25.2 compared with 2 Chron. 26.4 Besides God bestowes praying abilities upon unregenerate men therefore they may improve them the not calling upon God is charged upon wicked men as their sin therefore the performance of it is their dutie The Prophet proves the Jews to be under sin because there 's none seeks after God Psal 14.2 Also Psal 53.4 wicked men are branded that they call not upon God Psal 10.4 they are taxed for this both Pastours Jer. 10.21 and people Hos 7.7 Zeph. 1.6 and all flesh are said to come to God in prayer O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come Psal 65.2 An unbeliever may be underpreparing grace though he be not yet come to saving faith and in this estate he may have many good desires which God may hear To reconcile these to the former speeches know that God hears wicked men in temporal things which indeed oft is onely the cry of their cause not of their person as he is said to hear the cry of the ravens Psal 147.9 so the young Lions are said to seek their meat from God Psal 104.21 Quest But what would you have us to do with our children and servants Answ You may bid them call upon God in the general and if you speak to them to call upon God for saving grace as pardon c you must speak to them as Peter to Simon Magus Repent of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee Act. 8.21 First he bids him repent then pray God Quest But what should we do for joyning in prayer with others Answ If the person with whom you are to eat and who is to give thanks be visibly wicked either forbear his table or declare that you desire liberty of conscience without which grant you cannot partake of his meat which doubtless was practised by the believers when they went to the unbelievers table 1 Cor. 10.27 we must not wound our consciences for good chear nor to gratifie a friend but where no such wickedness doth apppear my opinion is that charity must carry us to judge the best yet must we remember that this is onely a privative signe Positive signes of a good man being either Church Communion or some thing that is equivalent if you will follow conscience herein I know you must be content to lose some fat morsells 4 We must pray in saith 〈◊〉 faith in prayer ought to be certain of hearing but we must wait for the time when the place where the manner how and the person by whom God will work Now to pray in faith there is command Matth. 21.22 1 Faith in God How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10.14 And this God to be lookt on as a father Matth. 6.9 Heb. 11.6 2 Faith in the attributes of God as his omnipresence that he is every where Esa 6.31 in his omniscience that he knows all our wants and all our hearts hear thou in heaven and give to every man according to his wayes whose heart thou knowest 1 King 8.39 in his omnipotence thus Jeremy grounds his prayer thou hast made heaven and earth and there 's nothing too hard for thee Jer. 32.17.4 in his mercy Nehem. 1.4 5. in his all-sufficiency Of the object in prayer James speaks as I suppose Jam. 1.6 7. let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord. James speaks not of a partial or particular unbelief in the subject but of an universal and total unbelief in respect of the object 3 There must be faith to set before us the worthiness of the Mediator Heb. 4.15 16. and not barely his worthiness but also our union with him Joh. 15.7 8. If ye abide in me ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you 4 Faith grounded on the promises Psal 119.49 50 147. remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to trust To pray in faith is to go as far as the promise goes to believe that God is a father and being a father he will not keep any good thing from his child A beggar never goes from an house keepers door so long as he believes he shall have an alms no more doth a believing soul go from the throne of grace so long as he believes God will hear but if he leave off the words of prayer he doth not leave off the sute of prayer Had we a particular promise as Eliah had we were bound to believe in particular as Eliah did concerning the not raining for three years and six months And as faith looks on other promises so in particular such promises as concerns the souls present condition so Jacob Gen. 32.9 10 11 12. Thou saidest return into thy country and I will deal well with thee and thou saidest I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the sea deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau There is scarce any case but the Scripture affords promises which speak to that very case had we wisdom to store them up as David did Psal 119. also Heb. 13.5 5 Faith grounded on former Experiments Thou art my trust from my youth leave me not in old age Psalm 71.5 9. When we thus pray in faith we have a bold access into the presence of God notwithstanding all our unworthiness and imperfections in prayer Ephes 3.12 5 Pray with fixedness of spirit When David's
our pains and care is nothing unless God give a blessing Psal 127.1 2. 6 To bridle our immoderate covetousness 7 That we should not take that which is anothers but that which is our own either left us or got with honest labour Psal 128.2 8 To acknowledge our own beggery and want Psal 104.27 28. Acts 14.17 and that what we have becomes ours by Gods gift Jam. 1.17 9 To put us in minde of our frailty in that every day we are a new to beg for bread Obj. But I am rich what need I ask daily bread A. The greatest heaps you have without Gods blessing will not profit Deut. 8.3 Man doth not live by bread onely but by Gods word In vain put we meat into our stomacks unless God give meat power to nourish and the stomack ability to digest 10 In that we are onely to pray for bread we are to learn contentment in any little that the Lord shall send Phil. 4.12.13 and not greedily to pray for wanton abundance Onely know that this bread is to be measured according to mens several callings and charges as if a man be a publike person a Magistrate or Preacher a beggerly maintenance makes their callings contemptible so where there is great charge of children there is need of more and the reason why abundance is not to be prayed for is because in abundance we are apt to forget God Deut. 8.12 13 14. See it in Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.26 David 2 Sam. 24.1 1 Tim. 6.17 In respect of our proneness to abuse plenty a competency is the safest estate to pass through this world 11 It denoteth to us that we must pray every day for the good things we want if God give us good things this day for to morrow let us to morrow pray for supplies for the 3d. day Give us He saith not me but us 1 To show that we must not onely regard our selves in our estates but be also mindful of others many covetous persons instead of praying for a supply of their brethrens wants cry give me all give them none 2 We are hereby taught so to use our portion that others may have part with us God makes rich men Stewards for the poor Eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions for them for whom nothing is prepared Neh. 8.10 Stewards receive sometimes the wages of the whole family not to keep them but to distribute them Job 31.17 Job did not eat his morsels himself alone but the fatherless did eat with him also v. 19. And forgive us our trespasses By trespasses Christ means sins Luk. 11.4 Because sin is the greatest debt Hence no man is without sin contrary to the Pelagians who said righteous men pray for pardon of sin for others not for themselves or if they said so for themselves it was not in truth but out of humility and modesty but to say that which is false is not humility but Hypocrisie Now we see there 's none so holy but needs pardon and pardon of sins from Christs advocation and intercession is a continued act in God This word Forgive is a metaphor taken from creditours who upon occasion forgive debts And though God in the new covenant forgive our sins Heb. 8.12 and hath promised so to do yet would he not deliver us from eternal death but upon these terms that whiles we are in this life we should humbly acknowledge before God our sins past and persevere in asking pardon for them The Lords prayer teaches us that we are daily sinners and alwayes sin and that our whole life is a repentance Luth. Tom. 1.301 Under sins Christ means original and actual sins Obj. But these are all forgiven to Gods children Rom. 8.1 There 's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Why then should they ask pardon Answ Because there is not a justified person that sins not Psal 130.3.143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant David committed Adultery and Murther after justification and Peter denyed Christ This petition is put next to the former of begging daily bread that after we have got a natural life we should seek for a life of justification when God pardons our sins we are thus alive as malefactors that have obtained pardon from the Prince are then said to be alive Besides we could not begg pardon of sin if God should not continue our natural life and this petition is joyned to the former to show that all the bread or outward things in the world are no comfort to us if together with them we obtain not pardon of sin In desiring forgivenness we see 1 There must be an acknowledgement of our sins Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin David first confessed saying I have sinned and then Nathan saith the Lord hath put away thy sin 2 Sam. 12 13. He that confesses and forsakes shall find mercy Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 1.8 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us them The sick sinner Job 33 26. confesses I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not then follows ver 58. he will deliver his soul from going into the pit And this according to Christs preaching Mar. 1.15 Repent ye and believe the Gospel To preach remission of sins to faith without repentance is a dangerous doctrine seeing both of them are together in the soul Zach. 12.10 They shall look on the Lord as crucified and mourn and in that day when there is such mourning which alwayes includes confession of sins in it there is a Fountain set open for sin and for uncleanness 1 As to obtain pardon there must be the blood of Christ Heb. 9.22 without shedding of blood there 's no remission and with the blood of Christ the whole Church is purchased Act. 20.28 Rev. 1.5 Rev. 7.14 so must this blood be applyed to every individual soul that hath the power of believing this blood washes white yet must there be washing before whiteness Pardon must be had not onely from bloodshed but from blood sprinkled See Esa 52.15 Ezek. 36.25 Heb. 9.13 14.10.22.12.24 1 Pet. 1.2 Yet as the Spirit must besprinkle thee and apply this blood to thee so must thou by faith wash and besprinkle thy self Rev. 7.14 They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. God hath fore-appointed Christ to be the propitiation for our sins yet is it not before believing but through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 Faith is the hand of the soul and the soul by faith puts her hand into Christs blood and so washes off its guilt Zach. 13.1 Christs blood is resembled to a Fountain opened for sin and uncleanness but it s not standing by the Fountain but the washing with the water thereof that will cleanse hence Luk. 7.49 50. Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace 2 To obtain pardon there must be repentance As there is a faith unto
him sins not that is lives not in a purpose of sin Prov. 19.16 He that despises his way shall dye 1 Tim. 5.6 Shee that lives in pleasure is dead Luk. 15. ult 2 Want of feeling A man may be alive and want all other sences as seeing hearing smelling tasting but if once he loose his feeling he is dead so when a man shall be past feeling of sin Eph. 4.19 or past feeling of the miseries of a Christian he is a dead man 1 Cor. 12.26 3 Separation from the living As when persons shall voluntarily separate themselves from Churches Jude 19. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit or when Churches shall separate men whom they judge to live in sin from their Communion 4 Stiffness and wilfulness in sin Jer. 44.16 The Word which thou hast commanded in the name of the Lord we will not do Joh. 8.44 The works of your father the devil ye will do as dead bodies are unbendable so are dead hearts Luk. 19.27 We will not have this man reign over us 5 Dead men move not so when thou hast not spiritual motion towards spiritual duties in the compass of thy calling as to prayer to do good to poor Saints to promoting the glory of God to gain others to the faith by thy holy example art not thou dead They which live live not unto themselves Rom. 14.7 8. 6 When men are loathsome A dead body how adorned soever is loathsome yea though our nearest friend Abraham when Sarah was dead said Bury her out of my sight Gen. 23.4 so are all dead men to God Prov. 13.5 so are they to Gods people so far as they are renewed 7 When a soul is pluckt up by the roots Jude 12. Twice dead pluckt up by the roots not onely dead in the state of Gentilisme but of Christianity so that he is severed from the root Christ Joh. 15.5 and so can do nothing no more then a tree pluckt up by the roots nor can bring forth any fruit Many men are not onely pluckt up from the power of religion but also from the very profession 2 Tryal whether thou hast spiritual life in thee 1 Love to the means which maintain it 1 Pet. 2.2 As new borne babes desire the milk of the word As young ones by natural instinct run to the teats of their dams every life loves that which maintains it the natural life loves meat and drink and Apparel the sinful life loves that which maintains it so doth the spiritual life 2 Life is seen by breathing so if thou be spiritually alive thou wilt breathe after God Psal 42.1 2.28.1.63.1.143.7 3 By contending as we contend to the utmost for saving temporal life so for preservation of spiritual life the soul will contend to the utmost It will let lusts go friends go enjoyments and country go As the body endeavours to expel poyson or hurtful things by vomit so Saints sometimes shame themselves even by confessing not onely to God but to men some lust that holds in combat 4 Groaning under deadness and complaining against it Psal 119.25 37 50 93. This very sensibleness of deadness helps to prove life 5 Where life is there will be a conveyance of a life of sanctification whereby the soul will be quickned up to all the wayes of God Rom. 6.13 together with the life of justification which is nothing else but the obtaining of a pardon Rom. 5.18 a Prince may pardon a malefactor but he cannot put a principle of love and fidelity in him but Christ conveyes a principle of love Luk. 7.47 and holiness 6 It stayes upon a promise Psal 119.49 50. Joh. 6.37 Heb. 7.25 Yet grace growing sometimes unperceivably as in young converts who have been bred religiously See Mark 4.26 27. We must not be too strict to limit young converts in their professions to a right judging of the work of grace either to the time of their conversion to declare that or to the promise that sustained them in the hour of conversion Promises in the hour of conversion made over to the solu are rather supports against temptation then absolute sole measures to judge of spiritual life as the trials sine qua non as if the soul not remembring the promise that first staid him were to be put by as an unconverted person what if from preaching in general promises the soul came to see the worth of Christ and to close with him with a disposition to part with all for him whether lust or enjoyment is not this enough Yet where there are promises made over to the soul in the hour of conversion which the soul well remembers and wherein it found the sense of Gods love in pardon it tends so much the more to manifest spiritual life which if they were truly so made over and were not delusions they were accompanied with the forenamed disposition of parting with all lusts and enjoyments for Christ 7 Condescention in indifferent things with an unmovable resolution in the things of God you will not bate any thing of the peace of your consciences for any mans pleasure If they take away goods liberty let it go but if they go about to take away our faith here we are to give way to none Means to spiritual life 1 Get union with Christ the members must needs be alive being united to a living head 1 Joh. 5.12 Christ is a head over his Church by way of provision and dominion but this is most comfortable that he is a head by way of union He that will work well let him begin not from working but from beliving What makes a person gâ—ood but faith or evil but unbelief Luth. Tom. 1. Fol. 469. The Angels are united to Christ by knowledge and love but we by faith and the Spirit that member is a dead member that draws not quickning from the head As the sea fills all vessels yet is not emptied thereby so doth Christ fill all in all Eph. 1.22 Yet hath not he less 2 Set faith on work to draw life from Christ Christ is compared to a garment but to have benefit by him we must ut him on by believing Rom. 13.14 to bread but to have nourishment by him we must feed on him by faith John 6.50 51 53 54. As we cannot have the strength of Bread unless we eat the substance of it so in this case And as the soul by virtue of sight doth joyn it self with the body of the Sun though the Sun be in Heaven and we be on Earth so the eye of faith enlightened by the Spirit doth joyn it self with Christ though he be in Heaven and the believer on earth and from him draws influence John 1.17.4.10.7.38 39. And as there are degrees of light from the Sun according to the clearness or dimness of the eye that beholds it so there are degrees of union with Christ and inhabitation according to the clearness or dimness of the eye of faith 3 Hear the
voice of the Son of God John 5.25 The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live This is not bare hearing of Christ preached but hearing the voice of the Spirit speaking to us as to Lydia Zacheus Lazarus c. Quest But how shall I know my faith draws any quickening from Christ or that the Lord speaks to my soul Answ 1 Repentance and displicense against sin goes with it Zach. 12.10 compared with chap. 13.1 when they look upon the Lord by an eye of faith they then mourn and then a fountain is set open 2 Thy faith will draw healing as well as pardon Mich. 7.18 19. Rom. 6.14 where ungodliness is turned from the soul that soul is turned from ungodliness Is 59.20 compared with Rom. 11.26 Act. 3.26 3 Thy faith will bring quiet and peace Luk. 7.50 Rom. 5.1 Rom. 15.13 from the true knowledge of escaping danger which is not like the peace of the world who are secure because they know not their danger It was not amiss said of one that this peace of believers is as if a milstone or Talent of lead were taken off from a mans neck which must be understood of the first coming of it to a soul formerly perplext with guilt and horror 4 By the present nimbleness we have in Gods ways since believing which we had not before Rom. 6.13 5 By the reflexion of love back again to Christ Gal. 5.4 Faith worketh by love Luke 7.47 To whom much is forgiven as it is to every believing soul the same loveth much Motives to live a spiritual Life 1 The perpetuity of it John 4.10 14.6.27 How precious would our natural Life be would it last for ever As it 's impossible for Leaven mingled with Paste to be severed from it because it hath changed the nature of the Paste so it 's impossible for Christians to be pluckt from Christ because the Leaven in them is Christ so imbodied that it is one Body one Lump Luth. Tom. 4.341 2 The certainty of it Some cannot be convinced there is any such Life if the soul lives another life when the body is laid aside why not in the body 3 The excellency of it it 's the life that God and Angels live which must needs be the best of lives 4 All the actions thou dost in thy profession of Christianity are meer counterfeits without it meer painted Duties There 's difference betwixt painted fire and true fire thou hast a picture of zeal of prayer of love but for want of life what are they 5 God hath no delight in any service that is done with a dead heart Prov. 15.8 Were there a dead stinking carkase in presence would we delight in it No more doth God in a dead carkase of duties See Isai 66.3 6 All the service of God will be tiresome and wearisome which is offered to God with a dead heart Mal. 1.13 The carnal worshippers snuffed and cried O! what a weariness is it Amos 8.4 5. 7 We cannot tell whether we shall stand among Sheep or Goats whether we be elect or reprobate till we have this life in us 8 No living thing can abide that which is dead The bruits startle at a dead carrion our dearest friends we put them from us when once they are dead and will God smell any savour of rest to thy dead services 9 The many calls you have thereto both motions from the Spirit Cant. 5.2 Open to me my love Revel 3.20 If any man will open to me I will come and sup with him Should a Physician tell you such a Disease were growing on your body you would thank him and make use of it do so in this case 10 All our motions in Religion are meerly artificial without this spiritual life as in Joas so long as Jehoiada lived and Jehu when Jonadab lookt upon his zeal both of them seemed to be forward and many others when buoy'd up with praise and benefits of profit pleasure c. so Sichem in receiving Circumcision so many men do many things from conviction of natural conscience fear of Hell shame among men expectation of death which are like wheels set a moving by a spring which when the spring is down the motion ceaseth 11 The satisfaction and contentment that is in this life Paul had this life and little else yet in all conditions was content Phil. 4.13 It must needs be so because God a proportionable object to the soul comes in Prov. 3.17 All her ways are peace not some but all that is they end in inward and everlasting peace V. 23. And when he was entred into a Ship his Disciples followed him V. 24. And behold there arose a great Tempest in the Sea insomuch that the Ship was covered with waves but he was asleep Here 's a third occurrence in Christs journey over the Lake of Genezareth that a storm arose this Lake is called a Sea for the greatness of it This storm came 1 To shew forth the power of Christ in asswaging it who hereby shewed himself Lord of windes and storms 2 To awaken the Disciples of Christ who though not bodily asleep yet might be too secure Secure persons are much awakened in a storm at sea Psalm 107.26 3 That thereby Christ might take occasion to reprove their unbelief 4 That the Disciples and Passengers might from his commanding the storm the more believe in him This storm may allusively point out the storms in the hearts of Believers and in the Churches which it is our wisdom by casting out any thing that hazards the Ship or helps on the storm as Jonahs Mariners did whether lust or enjoyment Storms commonly arise against Christ and his Disciples the Devil and World are the Sea that stirs up these Tempests And as the Ship here was covered with waves so it 's the end of the Devil and World to sink the Church But he was asleep 1 By reason of his labour in preaching and journey he slept 2 To shew forth the truth of his humane nature Some think the Devil stirred up this storm hoping thereby to drown Christ and his Disciples as he had destroyed Jobs children but Satan hath no power save what is given to him though his will was full enough for such a mischief Yet though he slept in his humane nature he was awake in his Deity that the Disciples being in danger might cry unto him more fervently and be helped V. 25. And his Disciples came to him and awoke him saying Lord save us we perish Here was the weakness of their faith to think that they could be drowned having Christ with them Mark hath it Carest thou not that we perish Luke hath it Master Master we perish It 's true danger stirs up fear but to have overmuch fear having a good God and a gracious Christ argues weakness of faith yet it 's commendable in them that they go to Christ in their distress Psalm 56.3 What time I am affraid I
countrey he was willing to go with Christ Luke 8.38 3 His obedience when Christ sent him back again to his own countrey and kindred he was willing to go trying whether that effect of Doctrine which could not be by Christ might by him being one of their own countrey become effectual withall in sending him thus Christ shews that an active life is to be preferred before a contemplative first the body must be exercised in labour and then be refreshed by contemplation CHAP. IX V. 1. And he entred into a Ship and passed over and came into his own City V. 2. And behold they brought unto him a man sick of the Palsey lying on a Bed Jesus seeing their faith saith to the sick of the Palsey Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee WE have in this story 1 The return of Christ from the countrey of the Gergesenes into his own City Capernaum whence lately he came v. 1. 2 His miraculous power in not onely healing a man sick of the Palsey but also forgiving his sins v. 2. 3 The cavil of the Scribes against him charging him with blasphemy for his forgiving the Palsey-man v. 3. 4 Christ his vindication of himself together with his asserting his power to forgive sins 1 By his knowing their thoughts Why think ye evil in your hearts v. 4. 2 Because he was able to do the thing which was more hard therefore he was able to do that which was more easie v. 5 6. Whether is it easier to say Thy sins be forgiven thee or to say Arise and walk q. d. You think it harder to heal a Palsey man than to forgive sins now you have seen me do that which you think harder therefore can I without blasphemy do that which is easier 5 The effect this Miracle had among the Multitude they 1 Marvelled 2 Glorified God who had given such power to men v. 8. He came into his own City That is of Capernaum called his own because usually he dwelt there and preached more Sermons and did more Miracles there than elsewhere That Capernaum is meant here appears Mark 2.1 Matthew saith cap. 4.13 Leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum They brought him a man sick of the Palsey lying on a bed A palsey is the dissolution of the sinews of the body which are the instruments of motion without which a man cannot move or walk Hence this Palsey man was born of four Mar. 2.3 For charity requires that the well and healthy succour the sick Luke sets down there was so great a multitude came to the house where Christ was that no man could come in Hence those that bore the Palsey-man uncovered the roof and let down the Palsey-man to Christ though doubtless the rubbish did fall down yet was not Christ offended Herewith learn we to take all opportunities to come to Christ and to bring others to him Jesus seeing their faith saith to the sick of the Palsey Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee Christ seeing both the faith of the Palsey-man and of those that brought him speaks thus not as if another mans faith can profit to the forgiveness of our sins but hereby Christ applies pardon to the Palsey-man and to so many as believed who helped to bring him to Christ Thy sins be forgiven thee Nothing will cheer the soul unless forgiveness of sins go along with it not to have a disease removed Christ is not onely the Physician of diseases but of sins first he forgives the sins and then heals the Palsey to show that sin is the root and fountain of diseases Whereas the conscience of former evils might perplex the Palsey-man that he should not obtain healing Christ tells him that sin the cause of sickness was pardoned and therefore he might comfortably expect healing This was not faith of miracles which is a confidence of a future miracle but faith of justification which if the Palsey-man had not before by Christ his speaking it was wrought in him but it seems he had it before in that Christ calls him Son Quest Why did Christ first forgive his sins before healing of him Answ 1 Because sin was the cause of sickness and to remove the effect there must be first a removing of the cause Palsey and other diseases arise rather from sin then from natural causes 2 That forseeing the calumny of the Pharisees against Christ his miracle Christ might prove his Godhead first by this that he knew the thoughts secondly by this that he had power on earth to forgive sins We may see Christs bounty that he heals the whole man Joh. 7.23 Learn we from our afflictions to reflect upon our sins as the cause of them V. 3. And behold certain of the Scribes said within themselves This man blasphemeth Here 's the calumny of the Scribes and Pharisees against Christ which was this he that is not God but takes upon him power to forgive sins he blasphemes but Jesus the Son of man is not God and yet takes upon him power to forgive sins therefore he blasphemes The proposition was most true 1 Because none can forgive offences against God but against whom they are committed 2 Because to forgive sins in God is not onely to forgive the guilt but the punishment and curse but the Pharisees err'd in the assumption Hence Christproved himself by two reasons that he was God Within themselves Not among themselves as if they had been murmuring one among another of Christs doings hence Matthew saith not v. 4. Jesus knowing their words but saith Jesus knowing their thoughts Now that they said within themselves was as Mark tells us cap. 2.7 Who can forgive sins but God alone Isa 43.25 I am he that blot out thine iniquities Mic. 6.18 Who is a God like unto thee forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Jer. 31.34 I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sins no more It s like the Scribes remembring these and such like places and not considering what was spoken out of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah conceived these murmurings in their hearts This man blasphemeth Omitting the acceptions of this word as else where it is taken here it signifies to arrogate that which belongs unto God unto a mans self The Lawyers or Scribes thought this power mentioned 2 Sam. 12.7 Nathan to David saith The Lord hath put away thine iniquity was incommunicable now Christ in token that he had this power 1 Works a miracle 2 Searches their hearts which is onely peculiar to God 1 King 8.39 Thou onely knows the hearts of the children of men Jer. 17.10 11. I the Lord search the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 The Lord looks upon the heart Rom. 8.27 Yet was the arguing of these Scribes of no weight to reason thus God never gave the power of forgiveness of sins to any man hitherto therefore he cannot grant it none of the Prophets could do it therefore the Messias shall not be able to do it V. 4. And
That is from the Countreys placed beyond Jordan in respect of Calilee as Gilead Trachonitis Abilene and all that Countrey that fomerly belonged to Sihon and Og and the Countreys of Arabia which were the happy Arabia abounding with Spices and the rocky Arabia and the desert Arabia which was a Wilderness And from many other remote countreys so that a while after Christ his death Justin Martyr said There is no one kinde of Mortals whether Barbarians or Greeks or by what other names they be called either of the Hamazobians or Nomades that want a house and live in tents among whom by the Name of Jesus Christ crucified prayers and thanksgivings are not made to the Father and Creator of all things Justin cont Tryph. CHAP. V. WE have in this Sermon 1 The Preface v. 1. 2 The Sermon in the rest of the Chapter V. 1. In the preface observe 1 The Author of the Sermon viz. He that is Jesus 2 The place where it was in the Mount 3 The occasion seeing multitudes follow him 4 The persons he taught his Disciples 5 The gesture he used he sate 1 The Author of the Sermon viz. Jesus Christ wherein he propoundeth a new Law far more perfect then the law of Moses wherein there are divers things added for to this Thou shalt not commit adultery is added He that looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart instead of Thou shalt not kill He that shall say to his brother Racha shall be guilty of hell fire Is not the law of committing of Adultery safe to which the law of not lusting is added Tert. de pudicitiâ All conclude that Christs intent is to clear the true meaning of Moses and the Prophets which was corrupted by the false gloss of the Jewish teachers but it seems to me that Christ added some things not onely by way of explication but by way of rule and this he did as the Prophet of his Church whom we are to hear in all things Acts 3.22 2 The place where it was in the Mount Thither he went to spend the night in prayer in order to the calling of his twelve Disciples for this Sermon and that Luk. 6. was one and the same as appears by their matter and subject This Mount is supposed by Chorographers to be 〈…〉 saida and here Christ called his Disciples unto him and chose out of them Twelve whom he called Apostles and sent them forth to preach In the top of this Mountain Christ chose his twelve Apostles in the descent of the Mountain he preached this Sermon Both Matthew and Luke gather the chief points of Christian doctrine into one place 3 The occasion which was not onely Disciples but multitudes were there present Teachers should observe opportunities when to preach We may desire to preach among multitudes not for vain-glory sake but because where there are many its like some or more will be wrought upon 4 The gesture He sate Luke 4.16 He stood up and read his Text and then sate down and preached He sate among the Doctors hearing and asking them questions Luk. 2.46 being apprehended he told the multitude I sate daily with you in the Temple teaching Matth. 26.55 Christ taught sitting because it was the manner and custome of the Teachers of that Church so to do Matth. 23.2 The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chair Luk. 5.3 He sate down and taught the people out of the ship Christ sate down either because he was weary in going up the Mount or because of the length of his Sermon which if delivered with amplifications would have wearied him standing and to shew that Preachers are not confined to one kinde of gesture but as Christ sometimes preached sitting sometimes standing so may they 5 Whom Christ taught viz. his Disciples who to prevent the multitudes that would have prest him stood near him Yet did he not onely teach them but also taught the multitude V. 2 3. And he opened his mouth and taught them saying Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of God He opened his mouth That is Christ that had formerly opened the mouths of the Prophets now opens his own mouth Heb. 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake unto the Fathers hath in these last times spoken unto us by his Son Blessed are the poor in spirit In these words two things are considerable 1 The happy and blessed condition of them that are poor in spirit 2. The reason of it For theirs is the Kingdome of heaven For the former Obs Poverty of spirit is a blessed frame of spirit But before I come to open this point let me lay down some cautions as 1 That Christ shews not by what means we may come to blessedness but onely the qualifications of them that do attain it as in Ps 15. in the whole Psalm much less doth Christ set down by what merits we obtain blessedness He shews what manner of persons he will have them to be who expect blessedness viz. poor in spirit mourners meek mercifull hungring after righteousness these are rather notes of blessed men than procuring causes of blessedness Such we are to put difference betwixt Scriptures that speak of the causes of blessedness such as these John 3.16 6.54 8.24 Psalm 32.1 and those that speak of the properties of blessedness such as Psalm 1.1 112.1 James 2.1 So that we see the meaning why Christ saith not Blessed are they that are redeemed with Bloud or blessed are they which believe in me because he would teach not wherefore we are blessed but who they are that are blessed Four things to be discust 1 What it is 2 Grounds of it 3 Trials 4 Means to it 1 What spiritual poverty is It 's whereby a poor soul having some grace sees a want of further grace and so goes for supply out of himself to find it in Christ There are two degrees of it 1 When we are convinced of our miserable estate by nature so that the soul desires to be otherwise then it is Joh. 16.10 2 After we are in Christ whence follows 1 Sight of emptiness in all things save Christ Phil. 3.8 compared with Christ the soul counts them dung 2 Self abasement Luke 18.13 the Publican cries God be merciful to me a sinner Phil. 3.8 Paul calls himself less then the least of all Saints 3 Earnest desire after the favour of God Esa 41.17 18. When the poor and needy seek water I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys Take we notice of our poverty by nature we are not able to pay our debts and apt to be cast in prison for them Grounds of spiritual poverty 1 Else we will not come to Christ the prodigal came not to his father till he saw himself poor 2 This is the end of Gods permitting us to fall God left Hezekiah to try him that he might know all that was in
shoes Matth. 3.14 Luke 3.22 4 Spiritual conviction that the spirit let us see our worthlesseness Rev. 3.17 q.d. thou art but thou knowest it not that thou art poor and blinde and naked Joh. 16.10 he shall convince of sin so that as the sun gives a light whereby we behold as the gloriousnes of the sun so the loathsomness of the dunghil so the spirit convinces of our own vileness and his own fulness 5 Present to your selves abasing considerations as What was I before I had mercy how unprofitably spent I my time what will these glorious things of the world be in time to come wherein we are apt to be conceited when heaven and earth shall be on fire since we were called how have we discredited our profession how barren and watchless are we how short are we of that we might have been 6 Believe the promises made to souls poor in spirit I will look to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit Esa 66.2 Yea dwell with him and revive him Esa 57.15 yea Christ came to preach glad tidings of the gospel to such Luk. 4.18 Matth. 11.3 Rev. 2.9 I know thy poverty but thou art rich God will feed such souls with grace and comfort Zach. 11.7 Luke 1.53 yea God will be a strength to such in their distress Esa 25.4 Psal 69.33 7 Look upon thy own wants and weakness the more thou seest them the more wilt thou trust in God Zeph. 3.12 From heaven did the Lord behold the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoner Psalm 102.19 20. I am poor and sorrowfull let thy salvation set me up on high Psalm 69.29 For theirs is the Kingdome of heaven That is both kingdome of grace Esai 61.1 For the poor have the Gospel preached to them Mat. 11.3 but especially the kingdome of glory is meant Luke 12.32 Matth. 25.34 though such persons are beggarly in their own feeling being sensible of their lack of faith love joy hope yet have they an interest in the riches of grace and glory We may apply this to comfort the poor in spirit who are full of miseries inward and outward The worlds proverb is Blessed are the rich because theirs is the kingdome of the earth but Christ pronounceth Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heaven V. 4. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted By mourning Christ means such mourning as is for offending God whether it be by sighs groans or an inward grief of heart such persons though they may seem miserable in the eys of the world yet are they blessed 1 God is wont to make comforts to abound according to their sorrows 2 Cor. 7.6 God comforts them that are cast down and this proportionable to our sorrows 2 Cor. 1.5 7. 2 God is wont to bottle all their tears and sorrows Psa 56.8 Psalm 55. Consider how I mourn in my complaint 3 There 's a time coming when God will turn the mourning of Saints into dancing and their sackcloth into gladness Psalm 30.11 John 16 20. Ye shall weep and lament but your sorrow shall be turned into joy There is not onely a fountain of justification set open for such mourners now but a state of glorification hereafter Zach. 12.10 11 12 13 compared with Chapter 13.1 Hence see 1 The mistake of the world who think happiness to be placed in delights and pleasures and shun those things which may procure any sorrow or cross as confession of persecuted truths against this Christ saith Mourners shall be comforted 2 It 's consolation for distressed consciences If thou canst truly mourn for thy transgressions thou shalt be comforted Let what ever distress come upon an afflicted heart yet if thou canst mourn for offending God thou shalt be comforted 3. It 's consolation to persons who have afflicted estates in this world there 's a day coming when comfort shall come provided that with mourning for thy miseries thou specially mourns for thy sin Luke 16.25 Now he is comforted and thou art tormented Though thy comfort come not yet yet in Gods time it shall come They are not blessed who mourn for the loss of their wealth or death of their friends but they who mourn for offending God 4 In all our confessions and professed humiliations see that you do not declare them onely historically but mourn for them Psalm 38.17 I will declare mine iniquities and will be sory for my sin When thou prayes let thy heart mourn in prayer Psalm 55.2 When thou speaks of sin speak mournfully of it Now to move us hereto consider 1 God hath the joy of the Holy Ghost in store for mourners Esa 61.1 2 3. The spirit of the Lord is upon me to give the oyl of joy for the spirit of mourning and heaviness Saints seldome finde such comfortable revivings as when they are most mournful 2 This mourning is more comfortable then the lowd laughters of the world Properties of Mourning 1 Let it be continued that length of time may not wear it out length of time eats out worldly griefs 2 Universal That King that was sory for his consent to Daniels death Dan. 6.14 was not sory for his denial of the truth in refusing to venture all in a good cause Herod was sory for Johns death but could rejoyce in Herodias 3 After conversion as well as before It 's a vain opinion to think we need not sorrow after conversion and that a Christians state is altogether a state of joy Joy and sorrow may stand together in the soul but not about one and the same object joy in God and sorrow for sin 4 Let thy mourning be not onely in regard of the damning power of sin but principally in regard of the contrariety thereof to the nature of God and to the nature of him that loves thee Luke 7.38 compared with v. 48. Mary having a sense of Gods love weeps bitterly and washes Christs feet with her tears 5 Let it be joyned with faith First Christ looks upon the soul and gives some testimony of his love to it and then the soul looks on Christ with a sad heart Matth. 26.75 Christ first lookt on Peter then he went out and wept bitterly It s the nature of faith to apply the wounds and sorrows of Christ unto it self Esa 53.5 thence follows mourning Zach. 12.10 6 This mourning for sin is the greatest hence resembled to the mourning for an onely son when dead Zach. 12.11 to the drawing of water 1 Sam. 7.6 as if it had been in buckets The ground whereof is because they apprehend sin as the greatest of evils 1 Because it is the cause of all evils Deut. 28. 2 It keeps off the greatest good 3 It cannot be purged away but with the greatest price even Christs bloud 4 There 's more evil in sin then in any thing hence followes 1 A resolution not to meddle with sin as Jehoshaphat when he had smarted by joyning with Ahab in sending out a
vices of Christians when their lives are holy they draw many to Christ when they are corrupt they turn many from Christ Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushell but on a candlestick A fourth Metaphor or similitude is taken from a candle set in a candlestick that gives light to them in the room such was Joshua and Zerubbabel Zach. 4.11 this was signified by the candlestick in the midst of the tabernacle and temple yea the seven Churches are called candlesticks Rev. 1.20 Churches ought not to meet in secret I mean for worship unless in some unusual case V. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father in heaven Let your light so shine before men n this verse 2 things 1. A duty Let your light shine before men 2 The ends of the duty 1. That men may see your good works 2 may glorifie Gods 1. The duty let your light so shine before men Obs Christians ought to shine as lights to others Ob. But we are bid to do good in secret Ans Augustine answers he doth good not that he may be praised but God glorified in him he that doth this need not fear to be seen of men 1 From the state of conversion Eph. 5.8 Ye were once darkness now ye are light in the Lord walk as children of the light 1 John 1.6 2 That men may see your good works not to ambition as the Pharisees who gave alms to be seen of men Matth. 6.1 but to conversion to draw others to the faith not that you may be seen save in the praises of God Aug. in loc Tom. 10. de verb. dom 3 That men may glorifie our heavenly father 1 By receiving and approving the heavenly doctrine that you profess Song 6.1 The daughters of Jerusalem ask the Church Whither is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee 2 By conversion to the same faith 1 Pet. 2.12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation 3 By thanksgiving for so great a favour 1 Pet. 2.9 Praise him who hath called you from darkness to his marvellous light For application let your light shine forth to others for these ends testimony of conscience before God and testimony of a holy life before men 2 Cor. 8.21 Providing things honest not onely in the sight of the Lord but of men be not content to shine onely by doctrinals for so did the Jewish teachers Rom. 2.17 18 19. they were lights to them that were in darkness and rested herein but shine forth also in practicals Moreover in all your holy walking propose this end not that you may be magnified and lifted up above the stars but that God may be glorified as the authour of that little good you do the glory and praise of Christians in heaven is Christ as they are his glory praise on earth Luth. Tom. 2.94 So did John Baptist Joh. 3.30 He must increase I must decrease 2 Cor. 4.5 We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord John 7.18 1 Cor. 10.31 Rom. 14.7 8. If any praise be cast on thee as God hath made honour to accompany virtuous actions as the shadow accompanies the body so hath God appointed estimation and praise to accompany a holy life give this glory to God Psalm 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name do we give praise There is a secret influence in holy example though we speak never a word It will afflict our souls in death not onely to think of our personal evils but of our exemplary evil 2 Exhort Where you see holy Examples to follow them Luke 10.32 Shall God kindle Lights for us as Sun Moon and Stars and shall we not walk by their light Shall God give us holy Examples and we not walk by them Rom. 11.11 The Example of the Gentiles shall at length provoke the Jews to believe As Christians wrong the souls of wicked men when they do not give them an holy Example so do wicked men wrong their own souls when they follow not that Example which is given them A mans Life shews what his minde is for by the endeavours of our daily conversation our natures not appearing are understood Justin Martyr ad Zenam Serenum p. 394. That they may see your good works 2. things 1. What a good work is 2. What properties are requisite 1 What it is Answ It 's any thing commanded by God and done by a regenerate man so that 1 it must be commanded by God Mic. 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and it must be the work of a man whose person is accepted in Christ Matth. 7.16 Make the Tree good that the Fruit may be good Rom. 8.8 They that are in the Flesh cannot please God For as the sins of believers do not redound to their persons to make their persons wicked no more do the works of wicked men materially good as almes bounty c. redound to the persons of wicked men to make their persons righteous Prov. 15.8 Esa 66.2 2 The properties of a good work besides these two laid down as 1. commanded of God 2. done by a person accepted so 3. It must be done in a right manner as God hath set down Heb. 8.5 See thou make it according to the pattern shewed thee in the Mount John 14.31 as my father gave me a command so I do not onely what he commanded but as he commanded 4 It must be done to God Zach. 7.5 To whom hav eye fasted to me even to me Alms is a thing God commands yet if therein we have vain-glorious ends we have no other reward but the praise of men Matth. 6.1 2. Yet this single circumstance is not enough to make a work good for some thinking to do God service have killed his servants John 16.2 and some meerly out of zeal to God opposed Christianity and went about to stablish their own righteousness 5 That which is a good work must be brought about by just and holy means Rom. 3.8 We must not do evil that good may come we must not lye for God Job 13.6 7. herein Rahab the Midwives Exod. 1.19 and Jacob are supposed to fail Gen. 27.24 6 It must have a good end This is first in intention though last in execution Rom. 14.7 8. None of us That is of us that are Christians though the world do otherwise that lives to himself and no man dies to himself 2 Cor. 5.15 Jehu did a good work in destroying Baal out of Israel 2 Kings 10. and Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25.2 they had some selfish ends as all carnal men have in what they did Use Learn how to judge of good works they are good when thus qualified Many things glorious in the
heart was fixed on God he was ready both for prayer and praise Psalm 57.7 The sense of the Lords greatness should keep us close in the duty yet when we have done the best distractions will be in prayer 1 From corrupt nature 2 From nature curb'd as a Bird in a Cage keeps a great flutter because it 's curb'd of its liberty 3 From Satan so he stood at Joshua's right hand at Job's right hand As Abraham drove away the Birds that hindered him in his sacrificing so must we do wandering thoughts 4 From sluggishness He that prays drowsily must needs pray distractedly Baal's Priests will rise up against such who cut themselves with Knives and Lancers to make them pray more strongly When a Malefactour is at the Bar crying for his Life will his minde be on his pleasure and companions The sense of Gods greatness should keep our hearts close to him and aw us that we rove not in duty Our attention in prayer should not onely be to God we call upon and to the business we request but also to our hearts that they cleave close thereto 6 Pray with fervency I cry with my whole heart Psalm 119.145 Ye shall finde me when ye shall seek me with all your heart Jer. 29.13 Luke-warm prayers they are like luke-warm water that boils not out the bloud We must cry mightily to God as the Ninivites Jon. 3. Mugire ad deum Tertul. de Poen Our prayers avail not unless fervent James 5.16 Neither is a natural fervency sufficient which is in every creature when it is pinched Hosea 7.14 They howled unto God for Corn and Wine yet saith God They cried not to me But spiritual fervency is that that the desires be sharpened after holiness and communion with God Opposite to this are those cold lazy prayers yawning prayers when persons pray half asleep half awake he had need be deeply awake that prays as a Beggar when he begs is all awake head hands and feet hence Deborah when she was going to praise God saith Awake awake Deborah utter a Song Judges 5.12 How can we look God should hear us when we do not hear our selves Contrary Epaphras Col. 4.12 7 Pray with melting spirits humiliation arising from the sense of our own unworthiness is a great furtherer of our prayers as we see in Manasses 2 Chron. 33.12 13. and the Prodigal Lu. 15.21 We are too apt to applaud ourselves and others in a devotion void of humiliation Christ prayed with a melting spirit Heb. 5.7 so did Hezekiah Isai 38.5 and Job cap. 16.20 his eys poured out prayers and tears David Psalm 6.8 God heard the voice of his weeping hence he prays Psalm 39.12 Hold not thy peace at my tears The servants of God have often had this frame of heart so that God not onely promises to lead his people with weeping prayers Jer. 31.9 but also promises blessedness to them that weep Luke 6.21 Ezra weeping in prayer affected the whole Congregation Ezra 10.1 so the soul over-whelmed prayed Psalm 102.9 On a day of humiliation God requires it of his people Joel 2.12 to turn to him with weeping Quest Seeing some naturally have an aptness to weep how may we know that a soul weeps from a saving Principle 1 Answ That some naturally have an aptness to weep is certain even from natural passion as some men and women so Abraham for the death of Sarah Gen. 23.2 and Joseph sought where to weep for his Brethrens afflictions Gen. 43.30 2 Afflictions are apt even to soften the hearts of those that have no grace in them as Esau though a profane person sought the blessing carefully with tears Heb. 12.17 and Hezekiah's Ambassadours of peace when they saw the wicked carriage of Sennacherib wept bitterly Isai 33.7 so the Jews at the desolation of Hieru salem wept sore in the night and their tears were on their cheeks Lam. 1.2 3 We have seen not onely gross Hypocrites thus weeping as Ishmael Jer. 41.6 who having slain Gedaliah and his company to get the Crown of Judah himself being of the Seed royal there coming eighty men with their cloaths rent to the House of the Lord bewailing the desolation made by the King of Babylon he feigns himself also to weep for the same misery and destruction that thereby he might have a better opportunity to slay them supposing them to be of Gedaliah's party which matter through his hypocritical tears he effected slaying seventy of them but even profane persons Num. 11.10 13. Isai 15.2 yea even gross Idolaters There were women weeping for Tammuz Ez. 8.14 This Tammuz Hierom thinks it to be Adonis Venus Paramour supposed to be slain by a Bore but proved after to be alive this Feast sundry Jewish women kept sorrowing when they lost their Love but rejoycing as Venus did when they found him again Calvin understands Osiris to be Tammuz which was an Idol of the Egyptians at the Festival whereof both men and women shewed their secret parts which the Jews so near the Egyptians might probably learn from them 4 It 's possible for the soul sometimes to be like Marble which weeps yet remains hard So did those women Mal. 2.13 who being oppressed by their husbands covered the Altar of the Lord with tears their husbands divorcing of them causlesly as appears v. 14. Eccles 4.1 Behold the tears of such as were oppressed 5 It may be supposed that some persons by reason of the driness of their brain cannot weep yet if thou canst weep for other things and canst not weep for sin it argues a bad temper But 2 To know when our tears come from a saving Principle we may know it 1 By the frame of spirit accompanying it which is either self-abasement as in Mary who stood behinde Christ weeping Luke 7.38 or apprehension of the loving kindness of the Lord and the souls ill requital of him 2 When these meltings come from a saving Principle the heart is affected as well as the eye there is a sutable inward working according to the outward melting as in David Psal 6.8 and Jacob Hesea 12.3 4. and Josiah 2 Kings 22.19 3 There 's an inward rejoycing and refreshment of soul wherein the soul more delights than in all the pleasures of the world this is called the Light of Gods countenance Psalm 4.6 Sow in tears reap in joy Psalm 126.5 4 When they come from a saving Principle the soul pours them out in secret as well as before men yea much more in secret Psalm 6.6 I water my couch with my tears 5 By the enlargement of heart that usually accompanies these meltings and where there 's more enlargement there 's more speeding 6 Saving meltings have a groaning under and hatred of the prevailing corruptions of the heart so the poor man cried out with tears Lord I believe help my unbelief Mark 9 24. 7 When the meltings are saving the soul is troubled in the absence of them when it prays unrelentingly and so much the more
of a sinner that feels not his sins because he doth not understand nor will the thing that he prays for Luth. Tom. 4.380 9 Fear repulse for thy careless cold and slothfull calling upon God and this will quicken up thy attention in the duty Fear is a very wakefull affection as being conversant about danger hence in our service we are bid to bring fear Psalm 2.11 Psalm 5.7 10 Get love to God this makes the soul follow hard after God Psalm 63.8 Quest Whether do distractions in Prayer nullifie the acceptation of it Answ There are two sorts of distracted Petitioners 1 Unregenerate men who voluntarily usually and contentedly admit roving thoughts in duty Prov 5.14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly Ezek. 33.31 These despise their ways and shall die Prov. 19.16 2 Regenerate men who groan under these distractions Rom. 7.15 16. these do not nullifie the fruit of Prayer to them regenerate men herein make usually resistance it matters not whence they come whether from Satan or corruption as it is a thing very difficult if possible to distinguish them provided we resist them and mourn under them they are not imputed to us Yet may even Saints sometimes pray so carelesly drowsily and distractedly that they may lose the comfort of this or that particular Prayer as when the distraction arises from sloth and carelesness But if the distraction arise from Satan bodily distemper or pain God is very pitifull in this case as a father to his childe Psalm 103.14 Quest Whether may not the Devil and corruption distract the soul in Prayer sometimes with unseasonable good motions I mean such motions as are for the matter good but not good at that time Answ Yes we see it in that Pithonesse Act. 16.16 17 when Paul and his company were going to prayer she cries out these men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation this was a good motion but injected by Satan that his lyes might be believed and the Saints disturbed in prayer Zach. 3.1 Satan by these motions intends diversion or turning away the soul from what the soul is upon but motions that tend to further intention in the duty attentness and further inlargement are of God The spirit moves not to draw us out of the way but to put us into it and being in it to move us to keep on Rom. 8.14 15. Esa 30.21 These motions of Satan are like misplaced words and letters in a Printers press which spoil the sence 10 Let thy prayer be full prayer is a powring forth of the heart before God Psal 62.8 1 Sam. 1.15 yea we are to powr them out as water before the face of the Lord Lam. 2.19 It may be thou powrest out thy prayer like tarre out of a tarre box half sticking by the sides but when thou prayes thou must powr out all before God provided there be time and no hindrance powr out all thy wants be humbled for all thy evils when thou givest thanks remember all Gods benefits Psal 10â— 2 Many men make quick dispatch because they are eager to be about their business hence they gallop over their prayers but thy prayer must have its full growth that is when convenient time affords we must powr out supplications confessing our sins petitions desiring pardon healing and new dispositions of heart intercessions to turn away judgements from others and thanksgiving for benefits on our selves and others 1 Tim. 2.1 11 Pray with frequency It s bad when the soul contents it self with seldome approaches to God If David Psal 55.17 and Daniel cap 6.10 could finde time to pray three times a day what shame for us who come so seldom before the Lord sometimes David praised God seven times a day Psal 119.164 Anna continued in prayer night and day Luk. 2.37 12 With assurance of obtaining whatsoever things ye desire when you pray believe that you receive them and ye shall have them Mark 11.24 Matth. 7.7 ask and ye shall have Matth. 21.22 Doubt not of your prayer but know when the word is gone out of your mouth your prayer is writ in the eyes of God so that that shall be done which is desired or its expedient not to be done The Lord is like a most bountiful king that signes all petitions with a fiat quod petitur Oratio sinelaude dei est thuribulum sine prunis Luth. Tom. 4.124 let that be done which is desired 13 Joyn praise with prayer Phil. 4.6 In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God Prayers are the seeds of prayses when we have sown we may look to reap what we receive as a a fruit of our prayer is more sweet then what we receive of common providence Praise is that imployment we shall have in heaven when prayer shall be no more mean time joyn we them together whiles we are here on earth and so much more in that we have but a drop of affliction and a sea of benefits 14 Break through all hindrances and use all furtherances as 1 hindrance is multitudes of business what business so great almost but should give way to this 2 Brokenness in expressions why God hears sighs 3 Dumbness and barrenness if this come from unacquaintance with God be humbled for thy coldness and by stirring thou mayest get warmth if dumbness come from overwhelming temptations it 's no otherwise with thee then it was with Asaph Psal 77.3 4. Green wood with long blowing will be made dry and take fire so motion in prayer fits for the duty 4 Our own unworthiness Who acknowledged his own unworthiness more then Daniel Dan. 9.7 8. However thou art unworthy yet must thou pray for God hears thee not for thy own worth but of his meer mercy 5 Prayer will take up much of our time to this I say remember the comfort that will redound to the conscience in time so spent We think not long of the time spent in the refreshment of our bodies why should we think long in the time spent in refreshing of our souls of four and twenty hours can we not afford God one or two who took more time in prayer then David and Daniel and who did prosper better Time spent in this brings a blessing on our affairs 6 That many do well enough that never pray as those do that use to pray to this know they onely receive temporal things as the shining of the sun and the falling of rain Matth. 5.44 45. But the Saints receive the Spirit in prayer Luk. 11.13 Neither can prayerless men be sure to have earthly things when they want them nor to hold them when they have them Job 21.15 16. What profit is there that we should pray unto him seeing we have earthly things ver 16. Lo their good is not in their hand 7 Because the soul hath lately been in passion of anger
spirit The Spirit is extended as far as the presence of God and therefore is every where Yea this one Spirit dwells in all the Saints where ever they live Eph. 2.18 as in a Temple 1 Cor. 3.17.6.19 The Spirit dwels not onely by gifts but in respect of substance he doth not so give his gifts that he should be elsewhere but he is present to the gifts of his creature by preserving governing adding strength Luth. Tom. 4. pag. 402. Yea the actions proper to God are ascribed to the Spirit as to create Job 33.4 Psal 33.6 and to inspire the Prophets and Apostles pen-men of Scripture Acts 28.15 the Holy Ghost spake by Isaiah the Prophet yea Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 Yea the Spirit is said to be one in essence with the Father hence the Spirit is to be called upon 9 This God whom we eye in praier we are not to imagine subject to composition or division as though the Father had one part of the god-head the Son another and the Holy Ghost a third but the whole entire god-head is communicated from the Father to the Son and from Father and Son to the Holy Ghost so that there is no division but only a distinction without separation Matth. 3.16 17. The Spirit like a Dove lighted upon him and a voice from heaven said This is my beloved Son 2 We must rightly apprehend Jesus Christ that as in the Creed of Athanasius we believe our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God Rom. 8.3 32. so we believe him to be God and man God of the substance of the Father begotten before the worlds and man of the substance of his mother born in the world perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soul and humane flesh subsisting equal to the Father as touching his god-head Phil. 2.6 and inferiour to the Father touching his manhood who although he be God and man yet he is not two but one Christ one not by conversion of the god-head into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God One altogether not by confusion of substance but by unity of person for as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ who died and rose again and appears at Gods right hand in our behalf Heb. 9.24 After the union of the light with the body of the Sun no man can separate one from another to call this severally the Sun and that severally the light but we call one Sun the light so after the union no man will call this the Son the word of God this the Son to wit man but will understand both to be one and the same as one light and one Sun now as one light and one Sun are two natures one of the light and another of the body of the Sun in like manner this Son and Lord and Christ and Onely begotten is one but the natures are two one which is above us the other ours Just Mart. expos fidei p. 302. Through this Lord Jesus we have access with boldness to come to God Joh. 14.6 Ephes 3.12 Heb. 10.22 The Sun shines alike to all every day but they that are quick of sight receive more of its beams but they that have weak eys by reason of their weakness cannot behold it so the Sun of righteousness communicates his substance equally to all as God near at hand but we being blinded with sins by reason of our blindness cannot endure the presence of his light Just Mar. ib. 305. 2 We must pray in a right order first for spiritual blessings and then for temporal first for pardon of sin then for removing of judgement 2 Sam. 24.10 first for the Kingdome of God and it's righteousness and then for other things Matth. 6.33 first for the light of Gods countenance Psal 4.6 then for corn and wine 3 Keep your heart always in a praying frame 1 Thes 5.17 Pray continually that is if any present occasion shall offer it self you may be fit for the duty hence have your hearts so set upon the world that whensoever there shall be need you may call them off from the world 4 Come with shame and abasedness of spirit into the presence of God Ephraim Jer. 34.19 20. the Prodigal Luke 15.17 18. the Publican Luke 18.13 Ezra 9.6 Ezra blusheth and was ashamed when he came before the Lord in prayer Nehemiah much confounded for his own sins and the sins of his fathers house Neh. 1.6 7. David often Psa 51.2 3. Psal 130.1 2 3.143.2 God is wont to fill such empty souls with comfort Luke 1.48 Job 22.29 the soul is then in the most praying frame when most abased then doth the soul most go out of it self and magnifie grace Matth. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name After this manner therefore pray ye As it 's not enough for a Gardiner to weed out evil weeds but also he plants good plants and flowers or for a workman to pull down a ruinous house but he must also set up a firm house so Christ doth not onely taxe the faults that were committed in prayer but also prescribes a right manner of prayer Q. But seeing you have laid down a manner of prayer and Christ sets forth another and there is but one manner of calling upon God aright how can this manner and the manner laid down be consistent together A. In the manner of prayer already prescribed prayer hath been handled as to the particular requisites and qualifications thereof which Christ doth not here insist upon at all or if at all it is in very generals which I have endeavoured to digest into particulars already laid down But here Christ sets forth the manner of prayer as to order and end 1 To order first to ask those things which concern the glory of God as in the three first Petitions and then the things which concern our good in the three last 2 To end there are two ends of prayer 1 That God may be honoured of us 2 That we may obtain of him the good things needfull for this life and the life to come Q. Whether did Christ use this prescription about the manner of prayer twice A. It 's likely forasmuch as Matthew and Luke set forth divers occasions that Christ delivered it twice here it 's set down to rectifie prayer from the Pharisees corruptions there it 's set down upon the request of a certain disciple who said Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples Luke 11.1 2. 2 Q. Whether did Christ prescribe this as a rule after which our prayers are to be squared or did he prescribe it as a form that must be used and no other A. Christ prescribes it as a rule according to which our petitions are to be directed not as a form to the continual use whereof we are obliged I will not take upon me to
Remission of sins which is spread over me Luth. Tom. 4.76 Now that happiness consists in forgiveness appears thus 1 Sin exposes us to all misery both in this life and hereafter Rom. 3.23 now it 's a happiness to be freed from this misery 2 The blessing cannot come upon us till the curse be removed Gal. 3 1â— 14. now we are not freed from the curse till our sins be forgiven 3 Where God forgives there 's none can condemn Rom. 8.1.33.34 now it must needs be a state of happiness to be free from condemnation 4 Without forgiveness there 's no reconciliation now we can never be happy till God and the soul be reconciled That reconciliation goes with forgiveness appears 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Use Triall whether God hath forgiven thy sins 1 There will be then a writing of Gods Law in thy heart because the branches of the new covenant are inseparable Heb. 8.10 12. where God remembers sin no more he so writeth Gods Law in the heart 2 The sealing of the Spirit manifested to Gods people in Prayer Ephes 1.13 After ye believed ye were sealed Every comfortable answer in Prayer doth help to clear up pardon to the soul 3 A thankfull frame of heart in the receipt of this privilege Psalm 103.1 2. Bless the Lord O my soul why who forgiveth all thy sins Hezekiah praises God for this mercy Isai 38.17 Behold for peace I had great bitterness but thou in love to my soul hast delivered me from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15. 4 With pardon there is a subdument of the reigning power of sin Mic. 7.18 19 Rom. 6.14 Rom. 8.1 2. Jebusites will dwell in the Land whether you will or no onely they are conquered and become tributary Josh 17.11 12. 5 Pardon of sin is accompanied with sanctifying grace as the Lord took Joshua's filthy garments off so he gave him change of raiment Josh 3.3 4. Ezek. 16.9 10 11. There 's ever a love goes to the Lord. Luke 7.47 speaking of Mary Magdalen he saith Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much Her love was not the cause of remission but a declarative sign thereof the Pharisee findes fault with Christ for suffering a sinner to be so familiar with him Christ answers She is no sinner he proves it because her sins were forgiven her but how proves he that why she loved much And as it is accompanied with the grace of love so with the grace of fear Jer. 32.40 6 Repentance and Forgiveness goes together Luke 24.47 Acts 2.38 39. Acts 3.19 Acts 5.31 Therefore whatsoever evidences Repentance evidences Forgiveness 7 Pardon of sin is accompanied with sovereign love to God 1 John 4.19 We love him because he first loved us and for the degree see Matth. 10.37 so Mary Magdalen Luke 7.38 compared with v. 47. Love is in true Faith as the Fruit in the Root 8 Peace of Conscience is an evidence Rom. 5.1 being justified by Faith we have Peace with God I mean such a Peace as arises after trouble or deliverance from danger and frees the soul from slavish fears 9 A desire of more and more assurance This is an Argument that we have tasted the sweetness of Pardon in some measure There are three things proper to Saints they think they can never be humbled enough nor thankfull enough nor assured of Gods love enough Hence David after Nathan had come to him and assured him of pardon prays Psalm 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce and not being satisfied herewith v. 12. he prays Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation Onely if the evidence of the Spirit shew not it self always in the same measure we must have recourse to those Evidences God gives sometimes knowing that these Evidences which come from the Spirit as a cause and the fruits of sanctification as effects are occasional refreshings for the soul in its way to Heaven but not daily food for the soul to feed upon Feasting is not for every day except the Feast of a good Conscience that the Conscience witnesses we live not in the omission of a known duty nor in the commission of a known iniquity 10 We know it by these three witnesses the blood of Christ pacifying the conscience 1 Joh. 5.9 the witness of water altering our natures and the testimony of the Spirit saying I am thy salvation thy sins are pardoned such testimonies ought to be carefully kept even as a malefactor carefully keeps a pardon under seal which he means to produce for his life at the next assizes between the Lord and a true believer there is as it were a mutual contract Faith sets to its feat that God is true in that he promiseth Joh. 3 3â— And God by his Spirit seals unto the believer that he shall be undoubtedly brought to the salvation he hath belâ—â—â—ed 11 When thou canst produce some promise that doth discharge 〈◊〉 which the Spirit â—â—th made over to thy soul as that Esa 43.25 Joh. 3.16 It s not bare remembring promises is so comfortable as those promises made over to thy soul wherein thy soul rests and received comfort If a man have paid his debts he is able to produce his acquittance that they are paid When we have such promises so made over to produce they are as it were acquittances under hand and seal Suppose that without the in-come of the Spirit in the promise thou shouldest believe which I doubt of yet through the in-come of the Spirit in the promise thou mayest know that thou dost believe As the pipes of a conduit convey water hither and thither so doth the Spirit in the promise believed convey grace and comfort into our hearts Yet some think that when God gives a particular promise it is not to measure our condition by but to uphold the soul in the condition of desertion or temptation Hence though Hezekiah had a particular word for deliverance the three children had not 3 Use to believe the forgiveness of sins and labour after assurance thereof Wherefore came Christ into the world Wherefore hath he carried our nature into heaven and there appears for us Why hath he given us his oath Heb. 6. Why hath he given us the signes of the Covenant Why have we so many commands to believing and so many reproofs of unbelief Why have we besides the sealing of the promise with the bloud of the testator the sealing with the spirit of promise as a pledge a pawn and an earnest but onely to urge us to believe Though we will not believe a mans word or bond yet upon sufficient pawn we will deal though the man be but weak and shall we not trust God for that for which we have so good a pawn as his Spirit And in order to this thy
inward voice he should say thy sins are pardoned Rom. 8.16 2 Cor 1.22 Eph. 4.30 It s not enough onely to have a general foundation laid that God and Christ bare good will to all believers but the Spirit comes and saith Christ hath a special good will to me and stirrs up in me a liking to him again and a willingness to take him with the parting with every lust and enjoyment And to this there follows after we have gone on in believing a while a further sense of the Spirit which is sometimes interrupted after sealing thereof through remaining unbelief and practical weakness so far as to question our condition but in some this seal of the Spirit is so clear and strong that the soul questioneth not its estate in grace ever after conscience of unkindness to such a friend should much trouble us Now we may know this voice of the Spirit from delusion because it is given to us when the soul is humbled and melts in prayer or forsakes some dear enjoyment for God and it leaves behind it a holy self abasement in respect of our unthankfulness and our ill requiting the Lord and a lifting up the head to think upon death and judgement as dayes of redemption We see then that besides the acts of faith which is to take Christ and to cast our selves upon the mercy of God there is the fruit of faith to be assured hereof in order thereto the Spirit first gives us those graces and workings which are our evidences then helps us to feel those evidences in our selves and then raises comfort in the soul upon those discoveries Obj. But doth not the doctrine of assurance breed security loosness presumption Answ The favour of God believed breedeth love of God where there is love there is a fear of every thing that may divide betwixt the soul and God Nothing more quickens a soul to chearful obedience then the assurance of Gods love 2 Cor. 5.1 compared with ver 15. He is a graceless child that will venture to offend his father because he knows he neither will nor can disinherit him So graceless should we be if knowing of Gods love to our souls we should presume to sin against him Rom. 6.1 compared with ver 15. Shall we sin because we are under Grace God forbid 2 Those that are sure of salvation though they need not fear damnation yet may they fear to bring upon themselves wrath as sickness trouble of conscience c. Obj. But we cannot be sure of perseverance without which what is assurance Answ Yes from these promises Joh. 10.28 29. None shall pluck them out of my hands Joh. 10.28 29. and from Christ his prayer Luk. 22.31 3â— God will not suffer us to be tempted above the power of grace to unsettle any habit though to the unsettlement of some act Rom. 8.38 39. 4 Use Seeing God forgives sins 1 pray for sensibleness and sight of thy sins Lam. 3.39 For daily we fall into not onely sin but sins 2 For humiliation under them 1 Cor. 11.31 4 For forgiveness of others Eph. 4.32 5 Seeing God forgives sins 1 Take notice of Gods patience that bears with our sins from day to day 2 Pet 3.9 2 Note that humane satisfactions can be of no force 3 That we should not onely have a care of our own salvation but of the salvation of our brethren in asking pardon for them if we see them sin a sin that is not unto death 1 John 5.16 4 That even righteous and justified persons stand need of being justified still Rev. 22.11 5 That our sins being called debts we may see that all sorts of punishments are owing unto us for our sins till God forgive them in Christ and the sin being forgiven the punishment also is forgiven hence that which Luke calls Sins Luke 11.4 Matthew calls Debts 6 Seeing God forgives sins and assures thereof do not you from Satans temptations misdoubt those Evidences which you have seriously examined and found to be true Suppose your Friend give you an Inheritance and good Evidences to assure you of it and a cavilling fellow shall come and tell you your Evidence is naught will you upon his prattle judg your Title nothing So the Lord hath forgiven your sins and you have good Evidences thereof will you then upon Satans cavils judg your Evidences nothing When I die I descend into Hell I am undone what shall I do no help remains besides the Word I believe in God c. We were created of the Word and it behoves us to be returned into the Word Luth. in Gen. 37. 9 If we have not this assurance we shall be in no better condition than Heathens who have no hope 1 Thess 4.13 Ephes 2.12 So Justin Martyr speaks of Socrates these words Now is the hour of going away at hand for me to death for you to a longer life but whether of us go to a better estate is unknown unto all save to God Cohort ad Graecos pag. 26. How much better spoke holy Luther The Devil in the hour of death will shew thee all thy wicked life do not despair which Satan desires but believe and say I know all my life is damnable if it should be judged but God hath commanded me to trust not in my life but in his mercy This wisdom we ought to follow in the hour of death there the flesh trembles that it must go into a new life and doubts of salvation if thou follows these thoughts thou art undone here thine eys are to be shut and say with Stephen Jesus into thine hands I commend my spirit then certainly will Jesus be present with his Angels and be the guide of the way Bernard when sometimes he was sick to death sounded no other thing than this I have lost my time because I have lived wickedly but one thing comforts me thou wilt not despise a broken and a contrite heart Also Lord Jesus thou holds the Kingdom of Heaven by a double right 1 Because thou art the Son of God 2 Because thou hast purchased it by thy Death this thou keepest for thy self by right of nativity that thou givest me not by the law of works but of grace As we forgive our Debtours This is a motive or as some call it a sign because we frankly forgive our Debtours therefore we desire God to forgive us From hence learn 1 That unless we pardon the wrongs done to us we desire Gods vengeance against our selves 2 That wrongs done by others to us make them Debtours to us which though in respect of the sin against us we are bound to forgive yet in respect of the damage we sustain in our Estates we may require satisfaction 3 It 's an evidence that God hath and will forgive us if we do freely without exercising private revenge forgive others Col. 3.13 Forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you In nothing do we more
of time thou hast lived in them Hosea 8.3 4 Upon what small temptations thou hast committed them 5 That thou hast been instrumental to carry persons to Hell by thine evils Acts 26.11 6 That thou hast caused persons to turn away from the way of truth by thine evils 2 Peter 2.1 2. and caused them to turn to evil by thy example as Jeroboam who made Israel to sin 7 The sore punishments God hath inflicted upon persons for committing such sins as thou hast been guilty of 1 Cor. 10.7 8 9 10 11. Quest But how must we cast out this beam Answ 1 Believe that there 's pardon for great sins in Christ and bathe thy soul in Christ's bloud Do as they that were stung with fiery Serpents John 3.14 1 John 1.7 2 Repent and turn to God with all thy heart Joel 2.12 Let thy repentance appear in the three parts of it 1 Confession 1 John 1.8 2 Humiliation Jerem. 13.17 18. 3 Reformation Hosea 14.2 Take away all iniquity Prov. 28.13 And then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the Mote out of thy Brothers eye See who is to be admonished even a Brother Lev. 19.18 Matth. 18.15 16 17. 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thess 3.6 whether he be of our own or of another Church if our Brothers Ox or Ass straying are to be brought home by us Deut. 22.1 2 3 4. much more himself yet may others that are not Brethren be reproved because reproof is a kinde of spiritual alms that ought to be given to all as well as bodily alms where there 's hope of amending V. 6. Give not that which is holy to Dogs neither cast ye your Pearls before Swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you Clemens Alexandrinus mentions that among the Chaldees Egyptians and Hebrews their Professours were wont to deliver their Precepts in Proverbs and so doth Christ as before so here and elsewhere it is a demonstrative kinde of teaching practised by Solomon Eccles 12.10 In the words two things 1 A Precept Give not that which is holy to Dogs 2 The Reasons 1 Lest they trample them under their feet 2 Lest they turn again and rend you 1 The Precept Give not that which is holy to Dogs Some by Dogs understand Unbelievers as if the Word Baptism and Supper should not be given to them For Baptism and the Supper it appears they ought not to be given as being not converting Ordinances but signs and declaratives of conversion already wrought Were they converting Ordinances they should actively effectively and operatively produce the grace of Regeneration and after a physical manner work upon the soul whereas they work onely in by and through the understanding and therefore must be administred on those believers that have understanding to receive them but for the Word it being Gods means to bring persons from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Gods Kingdom Acts 18.26 it ought to be offered to all Therefore by Dogs is meant the stubborn and professed Enemies of the Gospel who having formerly been convinced of the truth of it are now apostatized and cease not to rail and persecute that truth Acts 19.9 when divers spake evil of the way of God before the multitude Paul departed from them Others more pertinently restrain that which is holy to admonition whereof he had spoke this ought not to be given to Dogs and Swine of which Prov. 9.8 Reprove not a Scorner lest he hate thee reprove a wise man and he will love thee Prov. 23.9 Speak not in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of thy words onely we must not forbear the duty of admonition to them that it may do some good to upon this pretence as if they were Dogs or Hogs when we perceive no such thing by them for our hearts are but too backward to perform this duty because we see it so unwelcome to most men By dogs Christ means contradictors and blasphemers against admonition whether publickly in the ministry of the Word as the Jews of Antioch did Acts 13.46 who hereby adjudged themselves unworthy of everlasting life and the Apostles upon their contradiction turned to the Gentiles See Matth. 10.14 15. so did Paul in the like case Act. 19.9 depart into the school of Tyrannus upon the contradiction the Jews made against his doctrine Such were those circumcision teachers whom Paul calls dogs Phil. 3.2 Beware of dogs and perhaps those Rev. 22.15 without are dogs are here meant and also Christ means private admonition Prov. 23.9 When persons shall rage against it the Lord provides for the safety of his servants least for their good will they be rent in pieces by the ungodly By holy things and pearls then Christ means publick and private admonition they are called holy because the persons that give it are holy and because the subject matter even the admonition is holy and because of the end which is the sanctification of souls They are called Pearls for their preciousness and excellency Psal 141.5 Admonition is compared to an excellent Oyl By hogs Christ means they do not contradict but by the uncleanness of their lives they show their contempt of your admonitions It s one thing to tread holy admonitions under our feet as hogs do and those that wallow in their sins and another thing to bite and rend him that reaches holy admonitions to us as dogs do such an one was Crescens the Cynick Philosopher from whom Justin Martyr expected his death As Christ would not have publick and private admonition to be given for their sake so would he not have it altogether kept silent for their sake Of this sort of dogs are many who stir up not onely Magistrates but the common people against the professors of truth because the truth such hold forth is contrary to their profit and praise as we see in Christ and the Apostles The reasons of this are 1 The unprofitableness and unworthiness Your labour will be spent in vain they will trample these precious things under their feet Things that are slighted and counted nothing worth are trod in the mire as pearles c. to them that know not their worth 2 Your own safety they will turn again and rend you they will prepare fire sword prisons and banishment against you and therefore as no man will meddle with a mad Dog for fear he be bit by him so should we beware of such Dogs There are some wicked men though they be not cured yet are they curable to these admonitions may be given but some are incurable to whom they are not to be given And though we are to give a reason of the hope in us to every man yet is it onely to them that ask a reason thereof which Hogs and Dogs do not So that as in the former Verse Christ showes who and what kinde the reprovers should be such as were free from beams or gross evils so here in this
could faithfulliest retain or of their eloquence who could roundliest discourse but of their wills who would most obediently do them this being his chief honour to have his throne and command not in the head and brains but in the strong hold of their hearts and lives David did not onely delight in Gods commands but he lifted up his hands to them Psal 119.47 48. for to do them I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon the rock That is upon a rocky ground taking away all the loose mold that covered the rock A Christian when he builds digs deep and casts out the loose earth to denote that believers knowing there is much falshood and hollowness in their hearts therefore when they have heard the Word they suspect their own hypocrisie and formall receiving of the Word hence they dig up their hearts by soul-searching humiliation to finde out the prevailing iniquity of their hearts which keeps them from an even and constant walking with God How much greater weight of building any man intends to build so much deeper he digs the foundation and the fabrick when it is built rises on high but he that digs the foundation is prest down below therefore the fabrick is made low before the height and the top is rais'd up after the humiliation Aug. de verb. Dom. Ser. 11. Carnall professors on the contrary have all their building above ground and therefore he thinks he hath done enough if he do onely talk a little of good things he spends no time in digging and searching that is in grieving and lamenting for his corruptions nor in reforming what 's amiss Hence Luke adds these words which Matthew omits viz. He digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock Luke 6.47 48. By the building the house upon the rock is meant the placing our faith upon Christ as the prop of our salvation for Christ is called a rock 1 Cor. 10.4 As an house built upon the sand is an hypocritical formal profession or temporary faith so the house built upon the rock is saving justifying faith which as it pitcheth on Jesus Christ so it shews it self by all gracious fruits and universal observations of all Christs commands It pitches on Christ as the foundation See Ephes 2.20 21. Acts 4.12 1 Cor. 3.11 1 Pet. 2.5 V. 25. And the rain descended and the floods came and the windes blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock The words seem to be taken out of Prov. 10.25 As the whirlewinde passeth so is the wicked no more but the righteous is an everlasting foundation By the rain floods and windes are meant inward and outward temptations which true and sound faith will be able to endure upon this rock Christ builds his Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Matth. 16.18 much less shall any of Satans temptations of blasphemy self-murther c. which Satan darts into the soul nor any persecutions banishments or imprisonments which the instruments of Satan stir up against true believers prevail against them This Advocate on whom the faith of believers pitcheth prayed for us when he was on earth Luk. 22.31 Satan hath desired to have You that he may sift You but I have prayed for thee and consequently for other believers that your faith fail not and now he intercedes for us in heaven No other foundation save Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 can any man lay without believing on whom we must look to die in our sins John 8.24 other foundations of wealth honour and earthly greatness will not be able to make us bear up against the stream of temptations Interest in God through Jesus Christ is that which keeps up the soul in the midst of greatest storms See Psal 3.5 6.27.1 2 3.46.1 2. Dan. 3.17 18. Acts 27.23 24 25. Prov. 18.11 Psal 112.7.125.1 Christ doth not say that believers shall be without trials and temptations nay these above all other must look for storms and tempests Acts 14.22 but they do not fall by them See Heb. 11.35 Whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Trial and temptation showes what men are Every man is that in truth out of temptation which he sheweth himself to be in temptation A wise builder is wise before stormes come but how will that be known by the standing of his house in the time of a storm Professors generally seem to stick alike to Christ till a temptation come but unsound men in time of temptation fall away Luke 8.13 The carnal Professor is like Orpah to her mother Naomi the sincere Professor like Ruth Unsound Professors are usually drawn aside by earthly enjoyments on the one hand as the young man or by storms of persecution and suffering on the other hand contrarily Moses Heb. 11.25 26. We may judge of our patience what it is when we have a wrong offered us of our temperance what it is when we are at a great feast of our love to God what it is when some great thing is to be left for a good conscience of our sincerity what it is by what we do when no man sees us of our liberality what it is when God presents an object of mercy to us It was sweetly instanced by a reverend Preacher Peter was a good house Judas was an ill house When a storm came Peter lost a slate or two as the best house may yet the foundation and the side walls stood firm but Judas when Christ rebuked him he was full of wrath and when the Priests offered him money he was full of covetousness so thinking to gain more by selling Christ then by serving him he betrayed him to his adversaries and Joseph being good under his fathers government continued good under the government of Infidels where he had all means of damnation but none of salvation The same he was in his fathers house he was in Potiphars house and in the prison and after in Pharaohs Court which was the most dangerous temptation of all being a young man a ruler and a rich man in which three considerations there were many snares as appears from that young rich Ruler Luke 18.18 who left Christ rather then his enjoyments Obs It 's a great point of wisedome to joyn doing to our hearing Christ likens such to a wise man A Sermon is but half heard when it is heard from the Preachers mouth Be ye like Johns hearers desirous to know your own duty with intention to do it Luke 3.10 11 12 13 14 15. Deut. 4.6 2 Sooner or later Professors must be exposed to the storms and tempest of great and violent inward and outward temptations Use 1 In times of peace prepare for storms do as Mariners who in calm weather make all their tacklings firm Means 1 Clear up all scruples till the conscience hath nothing to say against thee so David 1 Kings 2.5 he had some scruple on his conscience for not
〈◊〉 a rower because under Christ the chief Pilot they row the ship of the Church towards heaven Now rowing is a very painful work Vide Beza They do not onely labour in the word but in prayer also Col. 4.12 Hence have they a due right to their maintenance Pharaoh reserved the Priests living Jezebel maintained four hundred false Prophets Micha maintained a Levite the Levites had not near the service we have yet was his maintenance greater then any of the Tribes They are Souldiers therefore to be maintained of them for whom they fight 1 Cor. 9.7 To say preachers must have but for bare necessity is to no purpose for how can they then be hospitable Are few Here 's the cause of the sending out the Apostles of which cap. 10.1 for onely John the Baptist and Christ laboured the Scribes and Pharisees being given to their pleasures and profits Causes why so few labourers 1 Love of ease whereas much study is a weariness to the flesh Eccles 12.12 Offer not that to God which costs thee nothing 2 Inability of hearers to difference betwixt doctrine and doctrine hence superficial raw indigested notions are as well or better liked then solid and substantial truths 3 The discouragement that Preachers in many places finde every man else is incouraged but they discouraged partly from the censures that pass upon their doctrine and partly from strait-handedness Every calling as Physician Lawyer is rewarded onely what preachers have in many places is counted as alms hence there are but few labourers and were it not for conscience towards God there would be much fewer 4 The strictness of the account that they must answer for the souls committed to them Ezek. 5.17 Heb. 13.17 Act. 20.26 27. 5 The multitude of business that lyes upon a faithful labourer What a business is it to make one soul lye level upon Christ sometimes full of fears and doubts for want of comfort sometimes falling into spiritual pride in the enjoyment of it sometimes wrastling with an angry God sometimes conflicting with a scrupulous conscience sometimes a soul thinks all he hath done is in vain and that he is cast out of Gods sight Psal 31.22 One wants knowledge another comfort another reproof one is a babe another a grown man Now the work being so weighty few that know the weight of it are forward to venture on it it being a burden too heavy for the shoulders of Angels Cyprian complained in his time that persons would not take the over sight of flocks but persons betook themselves to be Merchants History of Trent c. rather then to be thus employed After his time the ministers by reason of persecution were so few that necessity compel'd to commend two or three congregations to one pastor whence came the corrupt custome of Commendums Preaching is counted the easiest business and as many use it so it is but to preach that our words may be as goads to the dull Ox and as nails to the fastening of instructions Eccl. 12.11 to be like a good housholder that brings forth new and old Matth. 13.52 to search into the deep things of God and to follow a mans work there where he left it till a spiritual building be erected who is sufficient for these things V. 38. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth or in the Greek cast forth labourers into his harvest Christ here propounds a remedy for the want above mentioned viz. to pray to the Lord of the harvest c. Christ hereby not onely informes us of the backwardness of men herein but also pricks on the Apostles and others to accept of such a call Moreover here is signified not onely a disposing providence to send teachers to this or that place but also a bestowing of special power with peculiar commands and gifts which well agrees with the call of the Apostles in the next chapter As the Embassadors of Princes are directed to their residence and their continuance determined by the Prince how long they shall remain so are teachers disposed of God in like manner He carries them from one place to another Jonah from Israel to Nineveh Pray ye the Lord of the harvest It 's the Lords work to send forth labourers Act. 1.24 Shew whether of these two thou hast taken The holy Ghost bad separate Paul and Barnabas to the work Act. 13.2 Yet prayer hath been a means to obtain such teachers to get them out of prison Act. 12.12 13. to get them from one place to another Philem. 22. I trust that through your prayers I shall be given to you Strive we then to be fervent with God in prayer herein as a faithful teacher is one of the greatest blessings so the contrary is a great curse We are earnest with God for many other things O strive to be earnest for this But because wants set an edge upon prayer lay open before the Lord thy six or seven children and three or four servants who are yet in the state of nature nay there are thousands in their conditions and therefore for their sakes come and help Grounds of thus praying 1 Gods command every command of God is to be obeyed therefore pray God commanding persons thus to pray doth not mean to send them away empty handed when they do pray 2 The mischief that comes where such planters and waterers are absent all runs to ruine mostly in the want of such Some places famous for religion when such lights have been removed what darkness hath been 3 The multitudes of business that God hath for labourers to do Paul would have gone to the lesser Asia and Bythinia but the spirit suffered him not but when a man of Macedonia prayed Come over and help us they obtained Paul Act. 16.6 7 9. When there is plenty of work and scarcity of labourers you must besides paying be fain to pray so it is in this case 4 Prayer is a mean to get such teachers it s a mean to obtain every blessing from God Matth. 7.7 therefore this blessing also 5 It 's a singular blessing unto a people to have their eyes behold their teachers and not to have them removed into a corner Esa 30.19 20. The contrary is a curse Amos 8.11 12. To go from sea to sea to seek the word of the Lord because of the famine of the word God onely gives such teachers Jer. 3.15 I will give you pastors after my own heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding For this end Christ ascended into heaven Eph. 4.10 11 12 13. In the 68 Psalm 18. It s said Christ received gifts in this place its said he gave gifts the meaning is Christ hath received gifts from his Father and given them to men The benefits of faithfull Teachers as 1 Conversion How shall they believe without a Preacher Rom. 10.14 Acts 2.37 38. Acts 26.18 2 Edification to wit building up souls converted Paul perfected what was lacking in
the Thessalonians faith 1 Thess 3.10 3 Direction in difficult Cases together with satisfaction in scruples so that the souls of persons are kept in peace John 9.3 4 To kindle affections when souls are dead how were the affections of the Brethren at Ephesus Acts 20.36 and Tyre Acts 21.5 kindled and the three thousand pricked Acts 2.37 The hearts of the Disciples going to Emmaus were on fire whiles Christ spoke to them Luke 24.32 5 Relations kept in the way of duty fathers children husbands wives princes subjects masters servants 6 Soul watchfulness Heb. 13.17 They watch for your souls Isai 62.6 7. 7 They wrastle with the Lord in prayer and give him no rest till they obtain mercy for a people Isai 62.6 7. 8 They gather Gods harvest into barns that is souls into Churches here and into glory hereafter That he would send forth Labourers into his Harvest Seven grounds hereof 1 The need there is of such Labourers as a Field will be overgrown with Weeds if the Husbandman send not Labourers into it so will the hearts of men where there are not such Labourers to weed And as when Corn is ripe it will be apt to shatter if there be not Labourers to inn it so people of good affections are apt to decline where there are not Labourers to perfect young comers on The need of such is seen in that yearly there are so many thousands born Children of Wrath. And in that the hearts of good men are liable to so many decays and coolings 2 The great blessing there is by such Ministry and labour and needs must it bring a blessing because it roots out that which will be the ruine of any place I mean sin Prov. 28.2 Yea nothing doth more bless a place than such Labourers 2 Chron. 11.17 The godly Priests and Levites that came to Rehoboam strengthened the Kingdom of Judah 3 Because the Harvest is Gods it 's called his Harvest therefore it belongs to him to send forth Labourers into it Now they that are of Gods sending are endued with gifts and grace 4 Because they cannot preach unless he send them Rom. 10.14 How shall they preach except they be sent The least degree of sending is to have ability to divide the word This sending is 1 Inward when a man having the love of souls stamped upon his heart is made willing to offer up himself to this work Isai 6.6 7 8. 2 Outward because too many out of pride and self-conceitedness are ready to put themselves forward this way hence God hath appointed that persons that are to go out be first approved by men thereunto appointed Else Jer. 23.21 I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran 5 As the primitive work of sending is Gods so there is something in sending which is ours to wit that we shew our selves willing to be sent When God had sent one of the Seraphims to Isaiah with a coal in his hand to touch his mouth meaning a burning zeal to Gods glory and when the Lord asks the question whom shall I send and who shall go for us the Prophet then answers v. 8. Here I am send me Isai 6.6 7. Men to whom God hath given Abilities should be forward to put forth themselves Out of love to souls they may desire the Office of a Bishop 1 Tim. 3.1 yea they must out of a ready minde take the oversight of the flock of God 1 Peter 5.2 Not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde 6 All the success that is in any mans Ministry how fully soever sent or how willing of himself for to go is from God So that the force of the Reason is he hath the power of succeeding and making Ministry effectual therefore he hath the power of sending We preach to persons to turn from darkness Acts 26.18 but God turns them Isaiah preached a long time Isai 53.1 yet because the arm of the Lord or the power of the Lord was not revealed to souls there were so few converted that he cries out Who hath believed our reports yea he and the children God had given him were as signs and wonders If God go along Peter shall at one Sermon convert three thousand All our Preaching is but as the rigging of the Sails which avails not unless the Winde blow When he opens none can shut when he shuts none can open Rev. 3.7 8. yet must we in a patient manner make trial what success God will give us in our Ministry imitating Peter Luke 5.5 who had toiled all night and taken nothing yet would at Christs word further let down the net And truly persons sent by God usually have their labours blessed to the converting and building up of some souls Jer. 23.21 22. 7 It is the Lord that maintains them in their work Acts 18.9 10. Be not affraid but speak and hold not thy peace for I am with thee He holds the seven stars in his right hand Revel 1.16 20. now the right hand is the hand of strength and power Jer. 1.18 19. saith God to Jeremy I have made thee an Iron Pillar and a Brazen Wall they shall fight against thee but not prevail Seeing God maintains persons herein it 's fit he have the sending of them CHAP. X. WE have in this Chapter three things to be premised 1 The occasion and coherence which was multitudes coming to Christ with desire to hear the Gospel he was moved with compassion towards them cap. 9.7 Seeing them as Sheep without a Shepherd he consults to send out his Disciples and therefore before he sends them forth he bids them pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers which the Disciples doubtless did hence as an answer of their prayers Christ as the Lord of the Harvest sends forth Labourers even his twelve Apostles 2 That there is difference betwixt this sending and the election of the twelve mentioned Luke 6. when Christ chose them that he might instruct them that in time to come they might be sent out Christ will have those whom he sends out first to be Disciples before he will send them out he mentions not here their chusing but onely their sending because he had chosen them before 3 That this sending forth of the twelve Disciples or Apostles differs from that sending forth of the twelve mentioned Matth. 28.19 this being onely particular that they should go into the Land of Judea that being for them to go into all the World and was to continue till the end of the World Matth. 28.20 Contrarily this sending may seem to be onely temporary and that the Commissions here and there do tota specie in the whole kinde differ and that that is not an enlargement of this commission but another 1 Because at this sending Christ impowers them to preach and do Miracles but there he impowers them to make Disciples and baptize them 2 Because these are forbidden not to go into the way of the Gentiles nor
thou dye Contrary when men either think in their prosperity they shall never be moved or put off the evil day far off as they did Amos 6.3 how can they take up the cross when it comes 2 Believe that all things shall work together for thy good Rom. 8.28 and that they come from the hand of a father Joh. 18.11 yea even sore sufferings God is wont to hide his face and withdraw his hand from Saints and suffers them to mourn to be sold to be cast in prison to dye no otherwise then if they were the enemies of God Luth. in Gen. 37. 3 Get low thoughts to all earthly comforts Pro. 23.5 Wilt thou cause thine eys to flye upon that which is not As the Margin reads it that is it is not that which it seems to be riches honours preferments are not that they seem to be Think of the vanity of credit with men of great mens favours c. what will these be in the day of death 4 Look upon the crown Christ endured the cross despising the shame and is now set down on the right hand of God What was the ground he endured the cross Why it was for the joy that was set before him Heb. 12.2 Acts 14.22 Rom. 8.18 2 Tim. 2.12 5 Look upon the sweet comforts Saints finde under the cross their comforts abound most then even as their sufferings also abound 2 Cor. 1.5 Hence the Martys found Prisons more comfortable then Palaces As Princes use to recompense them who have suffered loss in their service so doth Christ make up the sufferings of his people with comfort 6 Beware of having a squint eye upon the issues and events of things before we let conscience give judgment but let us have a full eye upon the rule and upon the command so Abraham in sacrificing his son Gideon in cutting down the Idol Paul Gal. 1.15 consulted not with flesh and bloud when God called him to preach 7 Look to Christ who hath taken up the Cross before us Heb. 12.2 8 We are not esteemed by Christ as his Disciples till we have the disposition to take up the Cross whatsoever our profession of Faith may be Luke 9.23 Luke 14.26 9 Beware of indwelling corruption which still counsels us rather to balk duty than to expose our selves to the cross How oft doth the flesh put persons upon lying upon deceitfull distinctions to escape the cross That which lies in the bottom is they are loth to lose such gain to displease a good friend to procure the enmity of such a man as may hurt us to part with such an Office or Employment To remedy this hold no mans friendship but in subordination to duty and look upon all gain as cursed which is got with the wounding of the soul Matth. 16.26 10 Consider that herein we express our friendship to Christ when we will not let any cross part him and us Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ For one friend upon choice to suffer for another argues entire friendship so for us to suffer for Christ upon choice and not upon necessity argues much friendship towards Christ 11 Inure not your self to pleasures and delicacy How hardly will the cross be born of such Moses when he was a Courtier he slighted the pleasures of the Court Heb. 11.25 12 Submit to live in a low condition for want of which frame of spirit many dare not take up the Cross they know not how to be poor it was otherwise with Paul Phil. 4.13 I have learned in every estate therewith to be content 13 Rid thy heart of slavish fear as fear of Imprisonment Revel 2.10 Fear none of these things thou shalt suffer the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison Slavish fear of contempt of multitudes keeps some from duty contrariwise in Job cap. 31.34 Did I fear a great multitude or did the contempt of families terrifie me Fear of Excommunication oft keeps men from taking up the Cross John 12.42 Among the chief Rulers many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue Excommunication is much to be dreaded but when we have an absolute certainty upon the conscience in the witness of any cause of God we are not to dread it for even Excommunication hath sometimes unjustly afflicted Saints Isai 66 5. John 16.2 As it 's a folly to be affraid of a painted man drawing a Sword so it 's a folly to be terrified with the name Church when it is blasphemously used for it is onely a painted Church or vizard of a Church Luth. in Gen. 21. The Censure of the Church shall not separate me from the Church if truth joyn me to the Church Luth. Tom. 1. cap. 58. 14 Bear not the Cross because thou hast secondary refuges but meerly out of conscience of a command of Christ for example some men will bear the cross of outward losses for Christ when they have got enough to maintain them in the world but not before when as the same thing that was a truth to them now was a truth to them then O but then they were poor but now otherwise But is not duty duty and must duty give way to temporal concernments and not be obeyed till we can without inconvenience and loss obey it It 's a usual deceit in most mens hearts they will first bring about the ends they desire and then take up the cross but in taking up the cross we are not to take the delay of one day Luke 9.23 no nor one hour Gal. 2.5 15 Often cast up what Christianity and a good conscience may cost thee I have not a stronger Argument against the Popes Kingdom than that it reigns without the Cross Luth. Tom. 2.223 Luke 14.28 29. What man goes to build and considers not whether he have to finish it Who goes to sea and prepares not for a storm The benefit will be this to wit when we meet with troubles the soul will say These are the things that I lookt for Men cast up the easie part of Religion but do not cast up the hard part 16 Be earnest for God to give thee an invincible resolution that when the flesh asks you will you omit no duty though it costs you never so much you may answer no as Daniel cap. 6.10 who would no omit praying though to be known to pray was a matter capital Micaiah would not balk the telling of Ahab a Message from God though Imprisonment and the Bread and Water of Affliction was like to befall him Queen Hester would speak for the Church though she should perish therein John Baptist would not forbear to admonish Herod though Imprisonment and Death should be his Reward Prisons and Death would not keep off the Apostle from fulfilling the course of his Ministry Acts 20.24 yea he saith He rejoyced if he were offered upon the
in preaching the receiver shall have the same degree of glory the Prophet had For the measure of glory hereafter will answer to our measure of love here for as in humane Laws the Receiver of a Thief and Robber and Traitour incurs the same punishment with the Thief so the receiver of a Prophet shall receive the same reward with the Prophet The Elm that upholds the Vine is respected of us as well as the Vine without which the Vine could not bring forth fruit he that tarried with the stuff and he that went down to the battel did alike share in the spoil 1 Sam. 30.24 so he that nourishes a Prophet for to preach when by reason of poverty else he could not shall receive the same reward with the Prophet according to the proportion of assistance and love wherewith he assists that Prophet And some think in like manner they that receive comfort and nourish the Martyrs of Christ shall receive the same Crown with them that suffer Martyrdom such as were companions of those who were made gazing-stocks for Christ are taken notice of Heb. 10.33 We may hence see how much God esteems his Prophets in that he promises not onely a reward but such a reward to them that receive them as of old he valued Prophets and righteous men Psalm 105.15 Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm so doth he now not onely forbid harming them but commands to do them good with a promise of reward And he that receiveth a righteous man By this Christ means godly men Obs The Saints of God are truly and properly righteous men There is a twofold Righteousness 1 Imputative Righteousness of Justification Psalm 32.1 2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity This consists in having Christs righteousness imputed unto us and our sins imputed unto him 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Paul knew that at the day of Christ he was to be found in a righteousness or else he was undone and therefore he saith May be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but the righteousness of Christ by faith that I may know him and the power of his Death and Resurrection c. This is one of the first Articles of the Faith wherein the Jews being ignorant did endeavour to make their own righteousness to stand The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it was no otherwise than if we should set a dead man upon his legs who presently falls down Rom. 10.3 4. 2 There is a righteousness of sanctification or the righteousness of uprightness whereby there is a bent or inclination of soul to all the commandments of God without reserving any way of wickedness Deut. 6.25 It shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these commandments as he hath commanded us This because it is wrought in our own persons is called inherent Job 27.5 6. Till I dy I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go Integrity consisting in an universal bent of heart to all Gods commands is here called by the name of righteousness Luke 1.6 it 's said Zachary and Elizabeth were both righteous before God But how did it appear why they walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless Of this Job 29.14 I put on righteousness and it cloathed me my judgment was as a robe and a diadem Godly walking or the Righteousness of Sanctification did adorn him before men as brave Apparel doth those that put it on Revel 19.8 The fine Linnen are the righteousnesses in the Plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Saints he means as the righteousness of him who is the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 adorns us in the sight of God and answers divine Justice Gal. 3.10 1◠so doth the Righteousness of Sanctification adorn us in the sight of God Rom. 4.1.2 and of men Moses his mouth is full of wormwood the beginning of salvation is that that thou believe for that a new life ought to follow that belongs not to satisfaction but to obedience Luth. Tom. 4.198 As there is a two-fold righteousness so there is a two-fold acception of justification 1 For an absolution in judgement in opposition to condemnation Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are alike abomination in the sight of God Matth. 12.37 By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned so that by considering what condemnation is we may know what justification is Condemnation is the sentence of a righteous Judge adjudging a malefactor to death for some capital crime whereof he is found guilty in judgement Absolution is the sentence of a righteous Judge acquitting an innocent person his righteousness appearing in judgement Thus we are justified by Christs righteousness Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect or frame an inditement against them the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing it is God that justifieth who shall condemn It s Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God As if he should say through Christ his dying and rising we are acquitted from all guilt and punishment we believing on him 2 Justification is taken for the infusion of habitual righteousness whereby there is not onely a throwing down of the reign of sin in the soul but there is also a setting up of a new frame of grace in the purpose and intentions of the heart Dan. 12.3 They that justifie many shall shine as the stars as Junius reads it they that turn many to righteousness This is nothing else but sanctification if we take the word in a grammatical sence of justus and facio Seldom is the word thus taken and when it is so taken it doth not alwayes signifie an habitual effect in the subject of that quantity or quality the epithite denotes with the driving away of the contrary as in glorifie magnifie sanctifie c. vve glorifie and sanctifie God not by making him of vile and prophane to become glorious and holy but by declaring him to be such Mary magnifies the Lord not by making him of little to become great but by declaring him to be great The Peripatetics say that by doing just and temperate things vve are made just and temperate but it s not so for being made just and temperate vve do just and temperate things Luth. Tom. 2 lat Now the justification in the Court of heaven vvhereby vve stand righteous must be a righteousness vvhereby vve stand perfect in all parts and degrees This is two-fold 1 The Righteousness of the lavv so if vve perfectly fulfill the Lavv in every point vve are saved from hell by it Rom. 10.5 Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that the man that
2 Cor 5.10.11 Heb. 12.27 28. as the promised reward draws our regenerate part so doth the threatning awe our unregenerate part and beat down our flesh 3 Exhort Beware you be not beguil'd of this reward Col. 2.18 Men are by Satan miserably cousen'd he takes gold from them in stead of which he gives them counters he casts dust of honour and riches in the eys of most and then cousens them of the reward of heaven How carefull are we not to be cheated of our estates on earth much more take care thou be not cheated of the crown in heaven 4 Exhort Be laborious in the work of God 1 Cor. 15.58 Be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your labour will not be in vain in the Lord. Gal. 6.9 Yea to serve God willingly 1 Cor. 9.17 If I do this thing willingly I have a reward Heb. 6.10 11. Did persons believe there were such a reward how would their endeavours be stirr'd up When David believed he should have Sauls daughter how was his valour stirr'd up to kill the Philistims and to bring two hundred of the Philistims fore-skins Let men say what they will where there are not holy endeavours used they do not believe this promised reward Perswasion still stirs up the soul to endeavours Oh then So run that ye may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 5 Exhort Be content to suffer all hardships in hope of this reward So Moses Heb. 11.25 26. Moses preferr'd the reproaches of Christ before the treasures of Egypt in hope of this reward Matth. 5.11 12. So those Saints Heb. 10.34 They suffered the spoiling of their goods in hope of this reward 3 Use Terror to wicked men they have no reward Prov. 24.20 No reward of happiness but the reward of iniquity So Judas Acts 1.18 They will one day see they have rewarded evil to their own souls Isa 3.9 then shall wicked men finde the words of the Prophet to be true Isa 3.10 11. Say to the righteous It shall be well with him for he shall eat the fruit of his doings wo to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Gal. 6.8 2 Thes 1.6 7. Heb. 10.30 Lastly in that the Disciples propound the scruples and Christ answers them both in v. 34. and in these three last verses observe Obs The Saints of God should endeavour satisfaction in their scruples Two things 1 What a scruple is 2 Why Gods people should labour and endeavour for satisfaction herein 1 What a scruple is The Latin word scrupulus is derived of scrupus which signifies a little sharp stone which falling into a mans shoes troubles him in travel metaphorically it signifies a doubt or trouble which inwardly grates upon the soul putting it to pain for want of light until the conscience have satisfaction therein though therein the conscience incline to one side In which five things 1 A scruple is a doubt or trouble wherein the soul is troubled as to the lawfulness or unlawfulness of a thing as to the practising or forbearing of a thing When a man asks question for conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.27 2 The seat of this scrupling or doubting it 's in the conscience 1 Cor. 10.25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles that eat asking no question for conscience sake so that when a thing is to be done or forborn you ask a question herein to satisfie conscience which cannot witness with you concerning the rectitude of such an action but stands hesitating and doubting herein 3 This doubt or scruple inwardly grates upon the soul and puts it to pain so that the soul is heavy and lumpish under it and sometimes grieved and sometimes presses the soul down with the weight thereof that the removing of it is as if you should take off a talent of lead 4 The cause of all scruples is want of light because a soul cannot see his way hence some scrupulous souls Rom. 14.2 wanting light to see that they might feed on all creatures lawfully fed onely upon hearbs for fear they should eat some meat which God in Moses Law had forbidden 5 There is an inclination to the lawfulness of one part above another but yet not without trouble because of some difficulties it knowes not how to answer For example when a Christian was invited to go to a feast that was at an Idolaters house but was no Idol feast there could not but be some trouble in the hearts of some whether they should go yet the conscience inclined to dictate that they might go from that permission 1 Cor. 10.27 When a false Prophet Deut. 13.1 2 3 4. wrought a miracle that came to pass and sollicited them to go after other gods they could not but have some doubt in their mindes whether they should go after strange gods yet conscience inclining unto truth they were to stand to that and to abandon the scruple and to suppress and conclude against the reasons and arguments which caused them to doubt so that the difference betwixt a doubtfull and a scrupulous conscience is this A doubtfull conscience hangs in suspence with equality of reasons concerning the lawfulness and unlawfulness of something to be practised or believed but a scrupulous conscience inclines to the lawfulness of the thing to be done but not without some doubts because of the difficulty of the arguments which it well knowes not how to answer When we incline to the lawfulness of a thing we should labour to suppress all difficulties which cause us to doubt if that cannot be done yet are we to go to that side conscience most inclines to Obj. But do not all doubts in the conscience suspend a mans acting every way seeing the Apostle saith He that doubteth is damned if he eat Rom. 14.23 and Whatsoever is not of faith is sin and Every man is to be fully perswaded in his own minde v. 5. Answ All doubts in the conscience do not suspend a mans acting in practise For example a man doubts whether the first day of the week be a day appointed by command from God for worship his conscience perhaps doubts both ways yet may he keep it for where there is no harm in the practical part the doubt may without harm be in the conscience and yet he may act one way But those doubts seem to me to suspend practise where arguments are of equal force both ways as where there are two faces of authority in a nation the conscience questions which have right on their side the subject so doubting must be neutral 2 When conscience doubts on one part and is resolved on the other we must refuse the doubting part and take that wherein we are sure as in Cards and Dice if we play not we are safe 3 When conscience doubts on both sides which is the sin and which not then ought a man to do that which is most void of offence 4 We may have