affords several Propositions of Doctrine some more implied others more expressed That Christ will appear 1. Prop. Though at present he be personally absent and disappeareth to his people yet he will come again he will appear That at the day of his appearance 2. Prop. some will have boldness and confidence others will blush and be ashamed That it is the great concernment of Christians to abide in Christ 3. Prop. and that especially in evil times 4. 4. Prop. That a peoples abiding in Christ will adde to a godly Ministers boldness and confidence when Jesus Christ shall appear in Judgment The third being the main Doctrine of the Text is that which I shall only insist upon 1. Prop. It is the great concernment of the children of God the Disciples of Christ especially in evil times to abide in Christ The foundation of this Proposition in the Text is evident But now little children abide in him Now that the times are thus evil by the corruption of men on the one hand by the rage of men on the other hand Jo. 1.2.18 19 26. Now that there are many Antichrists by which we know this is the last time verse 18. Now that many are gone out from us who were not of us Now that there are many that seduce you verse 19 26. Now abide in him But for a fuller discourse upon this subject it will be necessary that I should open to you 1. The meaning of this term Abide in him that you may know the full import of it 2. That I should shew you wherein this appeareth to be the great concernment of Christians 1. In all times 2. More especially in evil times 3. Then I shall bring it home to you in a more close and particular application 1. Quest What is the meaning of this Exhortation Abide in him What is this to abide in Christ 1. Abide is a term of continuance and signifies a continuing or persevering in some place or station in which a person is being here applied to Christ it must signifie a perseverance or continuance in union with Christ or in some station or relation referring to him There are three ways by which a man may be said to have a relation to Christ 1. Sacramentally We are said in Scripture to be baptized into Christ Rom. 6.3 Gal. 3 26. Rom. 6.3 Gal. 3.26 not that the person baptized is forthwith justified or regenerated none can maintain that without asserting an intercession of the state of justification and total and final apostasie but by Baptism we are made members of that mystical body whereof Christ is the head I mean the Church thus in the strictest sense those that are baptized are baptized into Christ mystical Christ as the Head of the Church though not as the Head of the Elect. From this relation to Christ there is no starting but by renouncing or denying our Baptism Besides We are baptized into Christ as the souldier by taking his pay or taking his oath is listed into an Army that is under an engagement to profess Christ and to be his servants 2. Putatively or Visibly It is a figurative but very usual expression in Scripture for men to be said to be what they judge themselves to be or what they outwardly own and profess to be thus the seemingly righteous man is called righteous And in this sense you read of some that deny the Lord that bought them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is and we are bid not with our meat to destroy our Brother for whom Christ dyed Thirdly More spiritually and really by an union of faith Thus that man is in Christ who actually believeth faith is that grace which makes the true and perfect union betwixt Christ and the soul I mean that faith which the Apostle calls the faith of Gods elect the faith that worketh by love purifieth the heart gives the soul victory over the world c. Which faith is not an idle and inactive quality but working and powerful justifying it self 1. By a profession owning of and adhering to the truths of the Gospel 2. By a suitably holy life and conversation With reference to this I take the Exhortation 2. But Secondly This Exhortation doth not suppose that it is possible that the union once thus made betwixt Christ and the soul can be dissolved He that is the Author is also the finisher of our faith The Seed of God saith our Apostle abideth in the believing soul It is a great mistake of some to conclude from such kind of Exhortations as these the possibility of a Christians falling from a state of Grace 3. But Lastly Though a Christian once truly implanted into Christ and by faith engrafted cannot but abide in him being kept by the power of God and upheld by an everlasting arm Yet 1. This union on our part must be preserved by the use of such means as he hath appointed 2. A man may fall away gradually from his profession and may abate of his practice in holiness Now with reference to one or both these is this Exhortation and many others of like nature in Scripture which signifie these two things 1. Live in a diligent use of all those Sacred Institutions and Means which God hath appointed you in order to your preservation in that state of grace into which the Lord hath brought you and will by his power but through faith on your part preserve you to salvation 2. And take heed that you abate not in degrees of faith and love This now is the meaning of this short Exhortation abide in him which we shall the better understand by considering other Scriptures in words or in sense paralell to this It is a phrase we rarely meet with in holy Writings but only in the Gospel and Epistles of this blessed Apostle It was Christs Exhortation John 15.4 Abide in me Joh. 15.4 7 10. expounded ver 7. If any man abide in me and my words abide in him ver 10. 1 Joh. 2.6.24.17.10 1 Joh. 3.6 Abide in my love 1 John 2.24 it is a little altered if you abide in that which you have heard 1 John 2.26 He that saith he abideth in him ought so to walk as he also walked ver 10. it is called an abiding in light 1 John 3.6 Who so abideth in him sinneth not So then when we are exhorted to abide in him we are called upon To take heed of sin to do the will of God to walk in the light of truth and holiness to continue in the owning and profession of the truths of God which we have heard to take care that the words of Christ may abide in us Two things we are called to for two things we are admonished to take heed of 1. We are called to for a stedfast owning of and adhering to such propositions as we before by faith have embraced and been perswaded of from the Evidence of the word of God and admonished to take heed of
standing or falling soul How this and you will not easily be seduced in other points The Scripture tells you P. cts 4.12 There is no other name give under heaven by which men can be saveâ— Neither is there salvation in any other It is the whole business of St. Paul almoâ—â— throughout the Epistle to the Roman and that to the Galathians to proâ—â— his St. Paul desires to be found â—â— Christ alone Phil. 3.9 10. not having his own righteousness which is of the Law but the righteousness of God the righteousness of faith Hence Christ is called The Lord our righteousness And he is said to have been made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And to be made of God for us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 6. That every soul thus justified is effectually called He is not only as many are called called out of the Pagan world to believe and receive the Doctrine of the Gospel but by the Spirit of God powerfully joyning with the Word he is made to see and be sensible of his lost condition out of Christ and enabled by a true and lively faith to receive and lay hold upon and trust in Christs righteousness he is also regenerated that is made a new man by a thange wrought by Gods Spirit in his heart affections whole man And without this none is justified none can be saved Joh. â— 5 Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit he can never enter into the Kingdom of God Ro. 8.13 If you live after the flesh you shall die Ro. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit If a man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And in many other Texts Let men talk what they please of Baptismal Regeneration who so lives to years of discretion and hath no more shall never see the face of God I know the most learned assertors of it conclude it of little value ponentibus obicem as they say that is if men after Baptism wilfully sin against God who lives and doth not So as that limitation makes their novel Doctrine but a security to baptized persons dying in infancy They have a fancy to merit the name of Blandi instead of Duripatres infantum as Augustine was called All that is to be feared of the imbibing in that new Doctrine is lest people should be luâ—led asleep with that notion of being justified in Baptism and think that iâ— afterward they run to all excess of riot they need only to wash their feet by aâ— slighty repentance and never look after a true sight of sin or an actual believing in the Lord Jesus Christ 7. That Christs Righteousness is not imputed to any soul without the exercise of faith eying receiving resting upon Christ and Christ alone for salvation Nor can any true act of sanctification flow from any other principle So as one who never in the fight of his sin and lost condition fled to Christ and laid hold upon his righteousness be he under what other circumstances of birth breeding Church-membership moral righteousness formal and constant performance of religious duties is in a state of damnation and so dying perisheth for ever John 3.18 Joh. 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God Ver. 36. He that believeth on the Son bath everlasting life he that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God And again Without faith it is impossible to please God 8. That regeneration and faith and every other habit that is truly spiritual cometh from the special distinguishing grace of God and is wrought in the soul by his alone power and by him drawn out into exercise and we have no power of our selves so much as to think one good thought Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit Joh. 3.5 John 3.5 Born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of man but of God Phil. 1.29 Phil. 1.29 It is given you on the behalf of Christ to believe Faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 Eph. 2.8 Every good and perfect gift cometh from above Jam. 1.17 James 1.17 Without me you can do nothing John 15. John 15. We have no sufficiency of our selves to think one good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 2 Cor. 3.5 Abide in this Christians Christ doth not say Without me you can do no great things nor without me you can do little but without me you can do just nothing 9. That whosoever is thus justified and regenerated sinneth often but yet in some sense sinneth not Not as others do not making a trade nor taking a pleasure in sinning not with plenary acts and consent of his will He cannot be an habitual constant Drunkard Unclean person Swearer Curser Lyar Blasphemer Prophaner of Sabbaths or the hoâ—y Name of God he cannot live in a known course of cheating and defrauding but though he falls seven times a day yet it is by sins of infirmity and if he be overcome by temptations to greater sins as Noah Abraham Job Peter David c. yet he lyes â—ot in them but with Peter weeps bitterly 10. That although a child of God may â—n many things be ignorant of his duty and wherein he knows it may sometimes â—ant strength to perform it and he who â—oth most is not perfect yet no true child of God will live in the wilful and instant omission of any known duty â—or in the wilful ignorance of any part â—f his duty but striveth to grow in â—race and knowledge and for what he knoweth To will is present with him though he hath no strength to perform and as to his inward man he will delight in the Law of God and though he â—e not perfect yet he striveth after peraction Phil. 3.12 Phil. 3.12 He followeth after that he may apprehend that for which he is also apprehended of Jesus Christ counteth not himself to have appâ—â— hended But doth this one thing forgting those things which are behind reacheth forth to those things that are fore and presseth toward the mark forâ— price of the high calling of God Christ 11. That in order to this he who â—â— would see the face of God must make Word of God his rule Isa 8.20 Mat. 15.9 Joh. 4.23 Deut. 12.32 both of faith 〈◊〉 life Believing no Divine Truth but upon credit of the revelation of it in the Sâ—â—ptures indeed otherwise it can beâ—â— Divine faith taking his Rule for Wâ—â—ip from the Scriptures Col. 2.23 Psal 119.109 both for 〈◊〉 Acts and for the manner and directâ—â— all the actions of his life
in his gâ—â—tal calling in his particular relation cording to the general and particular Rules of the Holy Word of God â—â— turning aside from them 12. That as we shall all dye there shall be a resurrection from the diâ—â— and a day of Judgement When Christ shall judge the quick and the dead iâ— cording to his Gospel When the feâ—ful the unbelieving Rev. 11.8 the abominable mâ—â— dere's whoremongers sorcerers idolaters and all lyars all those that trouble the â—rvants of God that know not God that they not his Gospel all thieves 2 Thes 1.7 8. covetous persons drunkards revilers 1 Cor. 6.9 10. extortioners c. shall be adjudged to the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone to have their portion in fire and brimstone in everlasting burnings with the Devil and his Angels On the contrary Those who by believing and obeying the truth and by patient continuance in well doing Rom. 2. Evidence That they are such whom God from Eternity hath chosen to life on the behalf of whom Christ made an Eternal Covenant with his Father for whom he died To whom he hath given his Spirit in a way of a special and distinguishing grace shall have a joyful resurrection and hear that blessed sentence pronounced to them Matth. 25. Come you blessed of the Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you These are some of those Gospel Propofitions which you have been taught Abide in them Search the Scriptures see if they agree not with them if they do take heed how you change your persuasions as to them for any new systeme of Doctrines leadiâ— you to salvation This faith will leâ—â— you unto holiness and strictness of life will not give you that liberty to thâ— flesh which other doth It will maâ—â— you live in the daily view of the truth Straight is the way and nanrâ— is the gate that leadeth to eternal liâ—â— and few there be that find it Which will remain true when all the worâ—â— shall be found liars I pass to the â—â—â—ond branch of the Exhortation Abide in your faith in Christ 2. Br. I shall not her take faith in so strict and abstract a notion as it is sometimes take in Scripture but as it comprehendeth 1. Adherence to and reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ and him alone for salvation 2. Hoping in him 3. Patien waiting for him The two latter are the daughters of faith strictly taken but they have so much of their Mother that in Scripture they are often taken for it and called by here name 1. Abide in your stedfast adherence to and reliance upon the Lord Josus Christ and him alone for salvation There are some that despise salvation some that neglect it some that vainly seek it some have no hope some have no true foundation for their hope Some never think of another life so neither hope for it nor despair of it but live like Beasts in the world crying Let his eat and drink for to morrow we shall â—lye and so call out their souls to no â—ct of faith or adherence to any â—hing at all in order to it I hope I peak to such as believe they have souls and that their souls are not given them meerly pro sale to keep their â—odies from putrefaction but that they are immortal beings capable of and ordained to an Eternal existence which must be either in eternal life â—r in eternal misery and who live in the waking conviction of this and so are concerned to think what they should trust to for eternal salvation Some are thus far awakened but like Browning men lay hold on every twig and bulrush never considering whether â—t will bear their weight or no. One man thinks if he be baptized he shall be saved Another if he keeps his Church and payes every man his own he shall be saved Another if he give his goods to the poor builds Churchâ— Hospitals This is all to say we have our life in our hands You have been otherwise taught viz. To do all that you can in obedience to the commandments God and when you have done all to sâ—â— you are unprofitable servants to say the is not my Righteousness Isa 64.6 to say after the Church We are as an unclean thing and all our righteousness as a filthy ragâ— to cry out None but Christ None bâ—â— Christ Hold there Christians live in daily view of eternity in a daily exercise of faith adherence to and relianâ—â— upon the Lord Jesus Christ as he hâ— whom alone you can be brought to blessed Eternity Let the Papist if hâ— will trust to his own merits Trust you to the merits of Christ alone Their Learned Cardinal when he came to dye could cry out It is the safest do so Video melior a proboque Deteriora sequor Let them if they will trust to the superlative merits of other Saints it may be they were no Saints if they were they must be better supplied â—an the Wise Virgins if they have oil mough for themselves and you too if they had there is no way of conveyance to you ordained by God but very man hath use enough of his own righteousness and at the great say it will be found that those have â—een mistaken who have dreamed that â—ny but Christ have had any to spare or â—ny that could be imputed to another â—â— trust in Jesus Christ and in him â—one 2. Abide in your lively hope In â—our hope of a glorious resurrection In â—ur hope of a day when God shall judge be world by our Lord Jesus Christ In our hope of eternal life This very age will tell you that if such as fear God and strictly walk in his wayes Following the severer paths of Worship and â—oliness had hope in this life only they were indeed of all men most miserable These are the worlds reproach these almost are the only transgressors accounted Drinking Swearing Blaspheming Cursing Uncleanness these are but venial tolerable sins Close walking with God fearing to offend him â— matters of Worship praying meeting together to fast and pray these are the Capital Offences for which Prisons oâ— are prepared But Christians theâ— will be a Resurrection of the body theâ— will be a day of Judgement There will a revelation of eternal life The body of Gods people may be abused waste in Prisons and consumed there but they shall live again Men now judge the world it stands them in hand consider whether they make righteoâ— Laws and decree righteous judgement â—â— on them For there is another day Judgement appointed when all Law and Acts of Judgement upon them wiâ— be examined again by the Divine Law and by the Standard of Heaven tryed The issue will be then tryed whether Drunkards Swearers Cursers Vnclean Persons such as wallow in all manner â— filthiness or such as live according to the strict rule of Gods Word and defire no more than that they may quietly live so according to the just dictates
which is betwixt the soul and body is preserved by the souls communication of its self to the body in various influences Eternal life will be maintained by Gods communications of himself to the souls of his people glotified and their communications of themselves unto him His shining upon them with glory their beholding him with love and satisfaction The spiriâ—â—al union that also is maintained by Christs communication of himself to the soul and the souls reciprocal communications of it self to Christ God upholds strengthens quickens comforteth the soul the soul eyeth God adereth to him trusteth and hopeth in him and fetches down what is in Christ home to it self by these exercises of grace 3. All communion betwixt Christ and a soul is either by secret impressions acts and influences or else by Ordinances By secret impressions acts and influences and these are more ordinarily on Gods part and more especially on our parts in and by Ordinances It is true the soul hath its soliloquies and silent acts of communion with God it may and that out of an Ordinance meditate on him exercise an act of faith love hope c. All which are acts of communion with God but those are more eminently performed in duties of Worship and infinitely helped and advantaged by them It is true also that God sometimes out of a more publick and open act of Worship may communicate himself to a soul and doubtless doth it may be by night while it is upon his bed while it sits alone in the house but most eminently in Ordinances David saw the Lords power and glory in his Sanctuary It was his promise of old Wheresoever I record my name to dwell there will I meet my people and bless them God of old you know was wont to appear betwixt the Cherubims when Christs Disciples were met together once and again after his resurrection then Christ came in amongst them and said Peace be to you The Promise under the New Testament is Where two or three are gathered together in my name I will be in the midst amongst them Hence 4. The soul spiritually united 〈◊〉 Christ must as naturally thirst after â—ivine Institutions as the body after the â—â—ans of preserving the union betwixt â—â—e soul and it The decay of this thirst must needs â—â—gue a decaying soul for as Hezekiah â—â—id Isa 38. either of Promises or Afâ—â—ctions I know it is variously interâ—â—eted By these things men live By â—â—se things the union betwixt the soul 〈◊〉 Christ is maintained And as the â—â—t of appetite in the body to proper food argues the stomach filled oâ— cloyed with noxious and perniciouâ— humours so the want of this Spiritual appetite speaks a soul clog'd with some pernicious lusts and corruptions But I have insisted too long upon this brancâ— of Application I shall finish this discourse with onâ— word of Exhortation Exhort That you would keep alive this spiritual thirst after thâ— Institutions of God and that under thoâ—â— circumstances which you have heard Yoâ— have heard and I hope I need not repeat it to you how great an evidence it is of a gracious heart how much 〈◊〉 was the temper of the Saints of God who have lived before us I need noâ— speak more by way of Argument in the case I shall only prescribe some directions in order to it and I have done 1. Keep alive in your souls the true notion of them The true notion of them is this They are appointments of Christ soâ— our salvation and in the performance 〈◊〉 which he hath promised to meet the soul that seek him So long as Ordinance are apprehended as Institutions of Christ they will be pretious to all those 〈◊〉 whom Christ is precious The soul â—eareth concerning the Sacrament of the Supper Do this in remembrance of me and it is presently enflamed with a deâ—â—re to the Ordinance Should I not 〈◊〉 saith an honest soul remember him that died upon the cross for me I will remember his death untill his coming again Go preach the Gospel to every creaâ—â—re He that believeth and is baptized â—â—ll be saved And again He that hearâ—â— you heareth me The gracious soul â—adeth this Should I not hear Jesus Christ saith the soul Indeed if the â—â—eacher instead of preaching Christ â—â—eacheth himself or preacheth contraâ—â— to what is apparently the revealed â—â—th and will of Christ the case is â—herwise but it is impossible an Orâ—â—ance should be administred according to the institution of Christ but a â—acious soul retaining a true notion of â—â—se institutions must thirst after it â—ecially when he considers them as â—itutions for the good of a soul 〈◊〉 in the performance of which he 〈◊〉 promised to meet it Indeed the 〈◊〉 is otherwise if it once falls under a mistake in the due notion of Ordinances If it once fancieth that Preaching is nothing but making anâ— Oration an exercise of parts or witâ—â— and therefore the quibbling Sermons are best The soul of a gracious person doth not lye so near the air as to desire to be delighted in such pleasing sounds If once a Christian comes to apprehend religious performances but as politick constitutions for keeping people in some awe or under some such other mean notion Its thirst after them is spoiled Though it be something to an honest heart that the Politick State under which it liveth hath need of them to keep people from degenerating to Beasts yet it is more to it to consider It s immortal soul hath need of them to keep it from everlasting burnings from troubles oâ— conscience c. But 2. Secondly Keep but a watchful eyâ—â— upon your own hearts Know your selves your own wants and weaknesses and you need no more considering what I said under the former head to bring you to an appetite or to preserve in your souls a due appetite to Gospel Institutions he that observeth the proneness of his heart to wax hard will easily understand the need he hath of the word to soften it he that considers his own forgetfulness of what his Lord hath done for him will thirst after the Sacrament of the Supper that he may in it remember the Lords death untill he come Whoso observeth his own weakness to spiritual duties to resist strong corruptions will thirst for the Word and Sacraments to strengthen him he that considers his daily need of Divine influences will thirst after an hour of prayer that he may beg them from God In short there 's no soul is indifferent to Ordinances but he who never tasted how good the Lord is who either knoweth nothing of God or nothing as he ought to know it study thy self understand thy own state that 's enough 3. Keep your selves under the purest and most lively administrations I call those the purest administrations where there is nothing or least of mans mixture where Ordinances are administred most exactly according to the Divine Rule The Doctrine of the Perfection of the Scriptures is a
point we defend against the Papists All Protestants grant it as to matters of Doctrine why they should not also agree that it is so as to matters of Worship and Discipline I can not tell As to acts of Worship they all yield it too as to circumstances of humane actions in Divine Worship viz. such as no humane actions as such can want none can deliberately contend for it The Question is concerning Ceremonies or if they will call them so circumstances of Worship In very deed it will be a nice distinction and such as can abide no test to distinguish betwixt an act of Worship and a circumstance of Worship I mean such a circumstance as is not appendant to the action from its nature and necessarily but affixed to it by men without any necessity But not to digress here into that dispute The more strictly a Gospel Institution is administred according to the letter and examples of Christ and his Apostles in Holy Writ the more there is of God in it the more of Divine presence and influence is to be expected in it and from it The more plain and Scriptural a Sermon is the more authority it comes down with upon the conscience The honest heart saith to the quaint and oratorial Preacher to the quoter of Fathers and Schoolmen to justifie what he saith Paul I know and Jesus I know The Old Testament I know and the New I know but for Augustine and Hierom and Aquinas who are they Possibly worthy persons in their Ages but it is the word of God not their dictates which command the conscience For your high phrased Preachers they signifie nothing to the conscience the hearers as Luther was wont to say intelligunt â—â—bum arte super se compositum ideo nauâ—â—nt they loath the word thus canâ—â—ied up in the language of men puffed 〈◊〉 in the conceit of their own parts and desirous to seem some thing when indeed they are nothing but folly and vanity There is abundance of â—reaching is good for nothing but to â—oil good Christians stomachs to heaâ—ing and to make them loath their food by reason of the fantastick sauce if you would keep your appetite to Ordinances keep the purest and most lively administrations of them 4. Fourthly Remember the dayes of old the years of former times I doubt not but many of you have heretofore tasted how good the Lord hath been you have tasted it in a Sermon convincing you of sin working faith in you bringing a word in season to your souls that hath even ravished your souls with the joy of it You have enjoyed much of God in a Sacrament in a few hours of prayer Oh let not the memory of those good dayes to your souls go out of your hearts and if you remember them you cannot but long for more of them It is almost impossible to imagine that a soul that ever in earnest tasted of God in Ordinances should not cry out Lord evermore give us that bread those that grow weary of Divine Institutions are such as never experienced the goodness and excellency of them 5. Watch against the prevailing of lusts and corruptions It is ordinarily experienced in the natural body A soul stomach hath no appetite or very little and teachy noxious humours in the stomach blunt the edge of it to its proper food It is as true to the soul suffer pride vanity of Spirit any spiritual or sensual lust to prevail upon you you will soon lose your appetite to spiritual things Keep your soul clean from these things and your appetite will be sharp 6. If you would keep your appetite to Divine Institutions improve them when you have them Indigested meat corrupts the stomach and takes off the edge of it The reason for this is This thirst after Ordinances as it is first caused from an apprehended suitableness in them to the souls needs so it is encreased by the souls experience of the truth of that apprehension This it never hath without an improvement of the Institution I mean such a ruminating upon it such a digestion and application of it as the soul may suck out the juice and vertue of it and find that a Sermon is not to his soul as a tale that is told nor a Sacrament as a meer morsel of bread and a draught of Wine Would you keep alive your thirst after Divine institutions when you have heard a Sermon go sit alone think of what you have heard what truth you have been instructed in and call to your souls to remember and believe it what sin you have been convinced of and call again to your souls to consider it and to avoid it What duty you have been admonished of and call to your souls to arise and do it 7. Lastly Beg this great blessing of God You beg or should beg an appetite to your bodily bread much more to your spiritual food Christians I doubt not but in these times of spiritual scarcity you beg Sermons of God you beg Preachers of him who is the Lord of the Harvest In this you do your duty but let not this be all Beg stomachs for your selves as well as mouths for us I am afraid it was too great a decay of this spiritual thirst that brought on Gods dreadful voider and brought the Wells of Salvation to so low a state as you see them If you could by begging of God recover your appetite again I doubt not but he who feedeth the young Ravens when they cry would also hear and feed you and in his Fatherly Providence so order it that you should not have Scorpions instead of Fish and Stones instead of Bread Nor as the Spouse be smitten and wounded Can. 5.7 and have your vail taken from you by pretended Watchmen whiles you are sick of love and ask them in your distress Saw ye him whom my soul loveth FINIS Jer. 14.19 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah Hath thy soul loathed Zion Why hast thou smitten us and there is no healing for us We looked for peace and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble s THE words I have read are agreed by all to be the words of the Prophet Jeremiah he was one of those Prophets who prophesied last in Judah before their carrying away into the seventy years Captivity of Babylon chap. 1.2 He prophesied in the days of Josiah and in the days of Jehoiakim and so to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah which was about forty years He began to prophesie in the thirteenth year of Josiah Jer. 1.2 and prophesied eighteen years during the reign of Josiah then three months during the â—â—ign of Joachaz or Jeconias and eleven years during the reign of Jeâ—iachim a second son of Josiah and three months more during the reign of â—â—hoiachin and eleven years during the â—â—ign of Zedekiah At what time he â—ophesied what we have in this chaâ—â—er recorded is not expressed probaâ—â—y before the death of
part of it whose sufferings may be sad enough and yet the promise not fail 3. A third errour may be as to Persons and that 1. As to persons that shall receive this mercy 2. As to persons that shall be Gods instruments in bring 〈◊〉 about the desired mercy 1. As to persons that shall receive thâ— desired mercy Promises as to outward mercies are more limited to the purity and holiness of a people than those made as to spiritual and eternal good things God hath said I will heal your back-slidings and God will save his people eternally notwithstanding their back-slidings but for outward prosperity and selicity it is no where promised to a back-sliding and impure people Supposing therefore a people that radically are good and the Lords people but a revolting back-sliding people and continuing in their revoltings without dup repentance if they build up expectations for the fulfilling of divine Promises as to outward prosperity and felicity while their soum is not taken off but bolleth into them they will most probably be disappointed 2. As to persons who shall be Gods instruments in bringing about the mercy desired And here let me only observe two things to you 1. No great expectations can be builded upon profane persons I do not say no great things for the good of Gods people may be done by them I know Cyrus was Gods servant to proclaim liberty to the Jews and oft-times God hath made the wrath of men to praise him Pharaoh shall keep the seed of Jacob alive and provide for them in a time of famine But I say expectations cannot be raised on these foundations If the Assyrian doth Gods work howbeit he meaneth not so saith God As the wife Faulkener maketh use of the ravenous quality of the Hawk to serve his turn and make it get that for him which the Bird gat for it self so the wise God will make use of an Assyrian an Egyptian a Cyrus an utter enemy to his people and make his selfish politick designs to serve his everlasting purpose but here is no ground for Gods people to build expectations 2. Nay secondly Be the persons never so holy that appear to us probable to do us good no certain expectation can be raised upon them Who would have thought that Moses and Aaron should not have been Gods instruments to have carried his people over Jordan and set their feet in Canaan yet they did not they sinned at the waters of Meribah and so died on mount Nebo holy men may fail and provoke God to cut them off So that to build expectations upon any particular persons is to lay a foundation for our disappointments 4. The fourth and last errour may be as to particular means It is true God doth most of his works by means but he wonderfully varies in the nature and kind of means he useth sometimes he doth it by what we call fair means sometimes by force and what we call foul means The people of Israel shall be delivered our of Egypt by the ruine oâ— Egypt yet not by sword and battel but by plagues and the Red-sea They shall be by the sword delivered from the Canaanites they shall by a Proclamation of Cyrus without any plague or sword be delivered from Babylon Mean which appear to us probable possibly shall not do the work what appear to us improbable and likely to work quite contrary that shall do it Oh the depth of the ways and judgments of God! how unsearchable are his judgments how are his ways past finding out Thus I have as shortly as I could opened the Proposition to you I shall now come to the application of it 1. Is not this Scripture this day fulfilled in your ears May not we in our addresses to God say O Lord hast thou utterly rejected England hath thy soul â—athed thy Church there Why are we â—itten and there is no healing We looked for peace and there is no good for healing and behold trouble That God dealeth with us as a people rejected and hathed is apparent Our Fathers are â—one our Prophets where are they We see not our signs nor is any Prophet to tell us how long We have â—en the Sanctuary of the Lord polited his Ordinances defiled we have â—eard our Sabbaths mocked at The Lord hath covered the Daughter of â—â—r Zion with a cloud in his anger â—nd not remembred his foot-stool in the day of his wrath As to our Civiâ— concerns How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people how is she become aâ— a widow She that was great amongst thâ— Nations and Princess amongst the Provinces May not we say Why are wâ— smitten and there is no healing Are noâ— we smitten in our spiritual things yeaâ— and with a dreadful smiting too Have we that preaching those Sacraments that communion of Saints which wâ— formerly had Have we those convictions and conversions of souls unto God those mournings under the Word of God such affected hearts as formerly I am sure I speak to those whâ— know we have not We see not thâ— Word of God go forth with that power and life to rouze up secure souls to convince and to change the hearts oâ— sinners to strengthen confirm anâ— comfort the wearied souls of Gods people as formerly We are full of deaâ—â— sapless dry unprofitable discourses 〈◊〉 Pulpits but where 's the power of thâ— Lord in his Ordinances where are thâ— weeping eyes where are the trembling souls we have formerly known where are the cries of them we have formerly heard Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved This is a smiting brethren and a dreadful smiting too it is true it is not in the most sensible part to the generality of people the Gadarenes you know came and besought our Lord to go out of their Country they have not now so many Sermons to disquiet them in their beds of lust and make their heads to ake but to them that fear God and truly understand and judge of the interest of a Nation it is I say a dreadful smiting and that in the tenderest part and possibly the cause of other smitings too But are not we smitten in our persons 〈◊〉 men will not believe they have souls â—et they know they have bodies Hath â—ot God smitten us with a dreadful Plague not parallel'd either in our days 〈◊〉 the days of our fore-fathers Hath â—â—t God smitten us both in our persons â—â—d estates with a consuming War and â—â—ce that with a dreadful Fire hardly â—o be parallel'd in any modern story And is there yet any healing for us again May we not say We looked for peace and no good for bealing and behold trouble Did not we in the year 1660 look for good for peace upon that miraculous revolution but did any good come instead of it all these dreadful judgments of God have succeeded Did not we again the last year upon the peace with our neighbours look for good did not we look for
walk crying out with David Lord When wilt thou comfort me How hardly and heavily doth it come off with any spiritual duties How weakly doth it perform them When these locks are shaven off in which its great strength lyes it becometh as another soul And this evinceth it to be a great point of a Christians Wisdom to abide in Christ You meet with a Promise in the Old Testament to this purpose I will make an everlasting Covenant with them Jer. 32.40 that I will not turn from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from me Mark how God twists these both together the same Covenant that ensures us Gods abode with us to do us good engageth us also not to depart from him Thus far now I have evinced this as a piece of a Christians wisdom to abide in Christ by considering it as an End 2. As a Means A Means in order to our keeping Christs abode with us 2. In order to our bringing forth fruit and much fruit 3. In order to the preservation of our selves from the greatest evils of being cast forth withering and burning 3. Let us consider it as a condition to which indeed all the Promises of the Gospel are annexed You may observe all the promises annexed to a continuance in the words of Christ to overcoming to an holding on to the end which expressions and many more of like import signifie the same thing as abiding in Christ It is a question amongst Divines whether the Covenant of Grace be absolute or conditional If we understand by the Covenant of Grace that Eternal Paction which was betwixt God the Father and his Eternal Son as the head of the Elect it is no question absolute and nothing is required of the Elect in order to their Salvation but what God in some other branch of that sacred Stipulation hath engaged to do for them give unto them or work in them but because in what we are to perform our own endeavour is required and we are workers together with God to use the Apostles expression in another cause therefore in all Exhibitions and Declarations of this Everlasting Covenant unto men which were gradual according to the different periods of the world and as God was pleased more or less darklier or more clearly to reveal his mysteries it is propounded conditionally And this is the Condition annexed to all the great Promises of the Covenant that we should abide hold fast persevere continue to the end not draw back c. I shall only particularize in one and that is no mean one John 15.7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you you shall ask of me what you will and I will give it you For poor worms to have a liberty to go to God to ask of him to ask of him what we will and this under an assurance from the only Son of God that we shall have it Is it nothing to us Seemeth it to you Sirs a small thing to have this liberty of access to the Throne of Grace this is promised by him that â—annot lye and the condition annexed is your abiding in him If you abidâ— in me you shall ask what you will Certainly I shall need say no more to evince this Abiding in Christ the great concernment of Christians 4. But once more let us consider it as an Evidence An Evidence of the truth of our Vnion with him An Evidence to our selves An Evidence unto others 1. We can no other way evidence to ourselves that we ever had any true union with Christ than by our abode and continuance with him There is a real difference betwixt a seeming and a real and sincere Professor but not discernable other than to him that searcheth the heart and trieth the reins any way but by a steady and constant abode in our profession God hath said if the righteous man forsake his righteousness and commit iniquity his righteousness shall never be remembred And again If any one draws back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Whiles those and such like Texts abide this assertion must be true The Apostle speaking of some that wert gone out from the Church sayes They were not of us if they had been of us they had continued with us That day a Christian steps back he loseth all his hope all his joy peace comfort satisfaction 2. It is our only Evidence unto others Put case a Christian hath a truth of Grace and be really united to Christ by an union which sin shall not dissolve and this Christian apostatizeth from his profession though it shall not be totally and finally gradually What ever he be other Christians during his Apostacy before his return cannot judge him a Christian indeed but must look upon him as a temporary Professor till they see him renewing himself by repentance for De secretis non judicat Ecclesia The Church of God can judge only from what appeareth and interpret his heart by the Comment which his actions make of it The summ now of all is this If a Christian be concerned to keep the manifestative and influential presence of Christ with him to bring forth the fruit of holiness to the glory of God and much fruit to maintain his communion with Christ and his Church his vigor credit and glory with the Church of God to keep himself out of Hell fire to maintain his unspeakable privilege oâ— going to God asking of God what he pleaseth with assurance of receiving from Christ what he asketh if he be concerned to preserve unto himself and to have to give unto others an Evidence that he hath not mockt God deceived men in his profession acted an odious dissembler counterfeit in Religion It is then his wisdom and high concernment to abide in Christ I added further that it is his more especial concernment to look that he abide in Christ in evil times Let me evince that a little and it will appear to you if you consider with me these things 1. That in such times it is most difficult to do it It is a known saying Difficilia quae pulchra No brave thing is easie It is an easie thing when the Jews prosper to lay hold on the skirt of a Jew and say we will be called by thy name to swim with the stream alas in such a day there are bladders enough to hold us up from sinking besides the force of the stream alone will do it but an evil time is the time of trial Peter himself found it easier to abide with Christ when all the world ran after him than when all his Disciples â—rsook him and fled Evil times ordinarily afford three disadvantages which make an abode in our profession more difficult to Professors 1. The first is from the loosening the â—kin to wickedness There is this charaâ—teristical difference betwixt a good and evil time in a spiritual sense In 〈◊〉
and apprehensions of their own consciences be the troublers of Israel be the persons more or less approved and accepted of God I say the issue will be tryed again upon appeal at the tribunal of Christ Live therefore in this hope and let not the deferrings of your hope make your heart sick He that shall come will come and shall not tarry The blessed Apostles sixteen hundred years since saw him preparing his Chariot and making ready and in the view of it endured cruel mocking courgings imprisonments fiery tryals the loss of all and counted all but dung that they might in that day be found in him Your salvation is nearer now â—ea it is nearer than when you first believed Maintain this blessed lively glorious hope Maintain it and it will maintain you It is a grace will not be your debtor Without it your heart will break under it it cannot break But remember Hope which is seen is no hope You may for ought I know endure many a cold night in derisions reproaches c. in Prisons in other Lands Whiles you keep that faith and good conscience which your Master hath given you in charge before the dayes of your servitude be expired yea the long night of death may come and your flesh may rest in hope some years But still maintain your hope Rachel will come at last eternity is coming A joyful resurrection a day of Judgement is coming you have done your work and are doing of it serving God with faithfulness others must dâ— theirs too in filling up the measure of their iniquity persecuting him in his members whose person they cannot reach unless by their profane Oathes God will judge both you and them according to your works The men â— this world it may be pierce your heart as with a sword when they say When is your Christ become Where is the Promise of his coming It is not more than sixteen hundred years and all things remain as they were But you shall see him Christians you shall see and they shall see that Christ riding in triumph with all his Angels and ten thousands of his Saints whom you have desired to serve faithfully with your spirits whose Kingdom you have desired to advance and they shall see him whose Name they have profaned whose Gospel they have obstructed whose Kingdom they have opposed whose Ministers whose Members and Servants they have abused imprisoned I say they shall see him Revel 6.15 16. and endeavour to hide themselves in Dens and Rocks of Mountains and say to the Mountains and to the Rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to abide it Abide in this hope 3. Abide in your patient waitings for God Adherence to Christ secureth the soul it setteth it on the Rock that is higher than it and secureth it as to Eternity It puts the soul into a certain state of Salvation and keeps it so Hope keeps it alive and full of vigour and chearfulness and strength in that state so as it fainteth not under all the delayes of Providence Patience stayeth the soul and maketh it to stand still and wait for Gods time so that neither in its heart nor in its actions it makeeth hast but having chosen its ground and found it to be such as will bear a soul and such as a soul ought to stand upon it standeth still without weariness or murmuring or discontent and notwithstanding all the Artifices of the World Flesh and Devil all the vollies of shot that are made against it all the discouragements that it hath yet it standeth and waiteth still and will not stir from the ground which it hath chosen but sayes This way this course I have chosen in expectation of an happy issue I yet see it not but yet here I will stand here I will abide here will dye if I perish I perish The blessed Apostle tells the Hebrews Heb. 10.36 He. 10.36 You have need of patience thâ— after you have done the will of God mâ— inherit the promise There is a passâ—â— patience which lyes in a quiet submitsion to and a glorifying of God under the frowns of his Providence Christians in suffering times have need â— this Lu. 21.19 In your patience saith our Saviour possess your souls There is â—active patience which is the souls quiet waiting for the promise while it goes on doing his will It is opposed to a souls making haste Of the Believer it is said He that believeth maketh not haste Christians I know many of you have had patience Abide in your patience those that can wait on the Lord without limiting the Holy One to the uncertainties of years and moneths in the end shall not be ashamed You cannot abide in Christ if you cannot abide in patience God will be waited for Les patience therefore have its perfect work Say not to your Lord Wilt thou at this or that time restore the Kingdom to Israel It is not for you to know times or seasons It is an ill principle that hath hitherto kept thee in the wayes of God if this be all because by such a time thou expectedst sensible encouragements What hast thou to do but to perform thy duty and to wait for the mercy if thou hast hitherto thus or thus walked because God required it of thee and it was thy duty The will of God is the same still and consequently thy engagement the same still But I proceed to the third thing by which I opened this branch of Exhortation 3. Abide in thy Obedience Faith and patience and hope are all parts of obedience but I understand here by it an ordering of thy conversation still in exactest conformity to the will of God Duties of Obedience fall under a double head as our conversation more immediately respecteth God or man 1. Therefore Whatsoever acts or ways of Worship thou hast formerly performed and walked in in conscience to the command of God those abide in Men alter God changeth not What was the rule of his Worship is so still if thy foot formerly swerved from it thou hast reason to reduce it if not take heed how thou forsakest it The Lyons Den did not scare Daniel from praying to the God of Heaven as he was accustomed Acts of Worship are immediate homages to God they are the souls approaches unto him A Christian stands concerned to be very curious and diligent as to them I know nothing which formally distinguisheth true and false Worship but the immediate command of God for the one and the want of it for the other Think it not a light matter how you worship God If you any way fail as to the immediate or mediate object It is Idolatry of all sins the highest than which nothing so soon divorceth a soul from Christ and therefore in Scripture it is compared to
best of souls are growing but â—â—ver come to their full growth Now the â—â—titutions of God are the souls food and â—â—ment in order to this growth The mark which is set in a Christians eye is The fulness of the measure of stature which is in Christ Perfection Being holy as Christ is holy perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect These are high marks every good Christian levels at them none hits them St. Paul himself had not attained but this one thing he did forgetting what was behind he pressed on to what was before A good Christian never standeth still but is always moving adding to his faith vertue to vertue temperance c. Growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ Going on from strength to strength Now the institutions of God are the means of growth they are the souls food and nourishment 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born habes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby Psal 119.130 The entramâ— of thy word giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple They make wise the simple enlighten the eyes By them the servants of God are warned c. As well then can a growing child not hunger and thirst after food the propâ—â— nourishment of its body as soon mâ— a man not hunger and thirst for his mâ—â— and drink by which his soul is keptâ—â— life as a Christian not hunger and thirâ—â— after the institutions of God by which he groweth and by which he is preserved in his spiritual state 2. Though the weakest of Gods childrâ— be in a better state than the best unregâ—â— rate man yet none of their souls are in persect health Now the Ordinances of God are their spiritual physick The child of God while he lives on this side heaven is like a man or woman that hath a weak crazy constitution he is not always alike ill disposed nor always complains of the same distempers but 't is seldom that he is not complaining of one distemper or other One while of an hard heart another while of an heavy â—ull and dead spirit one while of a sad and dejected spirit another while of a diâ—racted vain spirit c. some ailment or other he always carries about with him and will do while his body of death abides in him the fountain of all spiritual diseases One while he is buffeted by â—â—atan another while he is pressed with â—s own corruptions Now the Ordiâ—â—nces of God are the leaves of the tree of life appointed for the healing of the Nations David was sadly distempered with a temptation from the prosperity of the wicked while he was in adverfity till he went into the sanctuary Psal 73.13 Hannab was of a troubled spirit till she went into the tabernacle to pray then her countenance was no more sad Psal 119.81 My soul fainteth for thee but I hope in thy word verse 50. And so in many other Texts As soon therefore may one labouring under daily pain weakness and distempers not desire deliberately what shall heal him as the child of God noâ— thirst after the institutions of God which are All-heal to his soul The greâ—â— and easie means for his spiritual cure Thirdly The gracious soul is alway looking after God but never in this liffully seeth him Gods institutions are aâ— glasses to the soul by which it hath a cleareâ— and fuller sight of God The power and glory of God are seen in the Sanctuary Psal 63.3 Next to the beholding oâ— God face to face it this beholding of him in duties of communion with him Oâ— what a communion with God doth the soul of a godly person oft-times enjoy in a Prayer in a Sacrament in the hearing of the Word and every sighted God is exceeding sweet Thus I have opened to you the second thing which is the cause of this singular spirituâ— thirst 3. A third is The Saints experiences God in Or dinances There is no gracious soul but at one time or other in Prayer in hearing the Word in receiving the Sacrament hath tasted and seen how good the Lord is Now it is of our nature having tasted that which we have found good and excellent the more to long for it But I shall adde no more to the Doctrinal part of this discourse I shall now come to the Application In the first place we may learn what to judge of those 1. Vse In truct who either despise Gods institutions or at least are very indifferent to them 1. There are too too many that despise them they mock at Preaching at Sacraments at Prayer they like a Play better or see no need of them at all some out of a principle of profaneness fordid souls that savour nothing of heaven and heavenly things nothing of that noble end for which man is created or to which he is obliged to direct his actions whether they have souls or no they scarce understand or if they have whether they differ from the sensitive souls of Dogs or Swines they consider not What the natural and animal life means they understand but what the spiritual life meaneth they understand not The drunkard thirsts after his cups of wine or other liquor the voluptuous man after his pleasures the covetous man after wealth but for those holy institutions of God which are pabulum animae those precious things by which mens souls live they understand them not they trample them under foot and it may be rend them who bring them to them Others there are that are not altogether thus bad but yet are very indifferent as to these things they can hear a Sermon and they can let it alone whether ever they be at one or no whether ever they sit at the Lords Table or no whether ever they pray or no they are very mdifferent O how unlike is the spirit of these men to the spirit of holy David What would you say to a child that should be born and never cry for food would not you sit it had nothing in it of humane nature or that it would not live longâ— You may as certainly conclude conceming such souls as these that they have nothing in them of the Divine Nature and they do not live at all the life of grace nor ever will live the life of glory There is no sadder sign either of a dead soul dead while it lives dead in trespasses and sins or of a decaying perishing soul than the want of this spiritual appetite this hungring and thirsting after the institutions of God Hence secondly observe 2. Br. How necessarily precious the true able faithful Ministers of the Gospel must be to gracious souls They are the earthen vessels which bring this heavenly treasure It was said of old Blessed is he that comes unto us in the name of the Lord. And Rom. 10.15 Rom. 10.15 How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace The Ordinance of the Ministry in this hath the preheminence of other
institutions because by it we come to the enjoyment of all other publick Ordinances How shall they hear without a preacher saith the Apostle and how shall they preach except they be sent Ordinances of publick communion with God being justly precious to gracious souls the key to them the hand which brings them must needs also be precious I say true able and faithful Ministers 1. True Ministers Every pretender is not so there were Prophets of old there are Ministers now in the world whom Christ never sent Under the Gospel there were false Apostles that brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 high fine words Those whom God hath sent are easily distinguished from others not so much from the particular Church that sendeth them which may disser in her external Rites and forms of mission but from their ability and faithfulness the two following things 2. Able Ministers 2 Cor. 3.6 Able to what To read a Prayer or a Sermon a little ability serveth for this Able to teach able to pour out his peoples souls unto God in prayer to speak a word in season to the weary to instruct the ignorant resolve the doubting confirm the staggering Through Gods assistance to open the eyes of the blind Acts 26.18 to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Able to open the whole counsel of God unto people To divide the word of God aright shewing themselves workmen that need not be ashamed 3. Faithful Ministers A man may be able that is not faithful that 's faithful Minister that doth the Lords work faithfully feeding the souls of people with food convenient for them not with notions and language they understand not A faithful Minister is one that considereth his end to convert build up and perfect souls to eternity and proportioneth due means and applieth them faithfully to that end He preacheth in season out of season rebuketh exborteth with all faithfulness meekness authority gravity c. that he may save his own soul and the souls of others He administreth holy institutions according to the rule his Master hath given him and durst not erre from it Now I say it is impossible but such as these should be exceeding precious to gracious souls and for the same reason others must be as vile and abominable to them As they are the cheats of immortal souls and that in things of highest importance and concernment such as instead of being means to convey the waters of life to them are the means to keep them from them and to deceive them with the puddle waters of mens fancies But I shall not dwell longer on this Thirdly 3. Br. Observe from hence That a good Christian is to be judged much from his affection to Ordinances As in other pieces of his duty so in this he is not so much to be determined from his actions as from his affections St. Paul did the things which be would not and could not do those things which he would but yet he delighted in the Law of God as to the inward man So it is here Presence at Gods Ordinance will not conclude a Christian indeed formalists and hypocrites may be present Isa 58.2 Yet they seek me daily saith God A godly man may be absent David is forcedly absent Or it may be as 1 Sam. 2.17 1 Sam. 2.17 The Priests were so vile and their administrations so irregular that Gods people may as they did there abhor the offering of the Lord. But here 's the difference A wicked man though he drinks yet doth not thirst his going to Ordinances is like the drunkards going to the ale-house more to satisfie his lust than to quench any thirst he hath a lust to appear to be something when he is nothing to give what credit he can to some particular person that administreth or to some particular way of worship or to run thwart to others The godly man though he cannot though he dare not always drink yet he always thirsts A temptation may awe him from drinking at the purest and most wholesome waters of the Sanctuary Or some mixture may make him afraid but nothing can keep him from a due thirsting after Gods holy and pure Institutions In the next place therefore Vse 2 let us take an hint from hence to try whether the true Spirit of Christians breatheth in us yea or no. Grande est Christianum esse non dici It is a small thing to be called Christians it is a great thing to be a Christian indeed If thou beest so thy soul will thirst after the institutions of God As a new-born babe thou wilt desire the milk of the Word that thou maist grow thereby And that thou maist not deceive thy self consider what thou hast heard 1. Thy thirst will be after God in the Ordinance For thee for the living God saith David If thy thirst be such as can be allaied without any thing of God I mean any influence of God upon thy soul through the conduit of the Ordinance it is no more than a formal hypocrite may have What sayest thou Christian Is this the temper of thy soul Thou longest for an hour of prayer to hear a good Sermon and when thou hast had thy desire art thou unsatisfied still unless thou hast found God coming into thy soul in Prayer and speaking to thee in the Sermon this speaks a Christian indeed if any thing less than this will satisfie thee thou wilt fetch nothing of evidence from it it is no more than hypocrites may do who take these attendances for their righteousness and have a kind of thirst to them that they may have something to glory in before God 2. Thy thirst secondly will be after divine institutions in their purest and most powerful administrations The end of a Christian in waiting upon God in holy institutions being partly that he might pay an homage to God i. e. do what God hath required of him as his duty and partly that in them he may meet with God and find his presence and power His thirst must necessarily be thus circumstanced for he argueth thus with himself Hath God any where prescribed me this service or mode of Worship If not how can I think to please or do homage to him by an action which he never required of me nor did it ever come into his heart to direct me any such thing Again Wherefore should I desire Ordinances but that in them I may see the presence and power of God Can I expect either the presence or power of God in humane iffventions And as his thirst is after the most pure so it is after the most quick and lively administrations after such praying where the heart is most melted and poured out like water before the Lord. Such preaching where the Preacher comes closest to the soul and does not play off in generals only as if he were afraid to touch the sores of souls or to tell people of their sins
For a judicious Christian though he knows the efficacy of the Ordinance doth not depend upon the purity or ability of the Administrator yet he also knows that in this period of time God useth not to work miracles but to concur with probable means means that have some rational tendency to the end and suitably he observeth that God in the dispensation of his grace ordinarily co-operates with such Ministers as live their Doctrine and speak the Oracles of God as the Oracles of God with plainness gravity life and power He knows the end of preaching is not scratching a peevish humour nor tickling the ear but affecting and changing the heart Psal 63.1 David desired to see the power and glory of God in his Sanctuary Thirdly If we truly thirst after Divine institutions we will not despise a plainer draught provided it be wholesome God distributeth his gifts even to his Ministers variously to some he giveth more excellent abilities as to the same acts Some are not only able to preach the wholesome Word of God but as good Cooks they are able to make the wholesome food of the Word appear more lovely by handsome language apt similitudes neat allusions Others have not this ability yet it may be open and apply the Word of God faithfully I must confess the best of Christians have cold and feoble and teachy stomachs that they have need of all due art to commend their food to them yea and this excellency of gifts in some is the special priviledge of some with which God ordinarily blesseth them in order to some more â—â—inent services for souls than others â—â—all be honoured to do And therefore â—â—cannot blame Christians knowing the dulness and deadness of their hearts â—â— desire the best advantages they can give themselves and where choice is â—o desire to sit under the ablest Miniâ—try Austin once wished to hear Paul â— the Pulpit But yet the soul that truly thirsts after Gods institutions â—â—ill not despise his spiritual food hough it be not brought him in a Lordly dish He considereth thus with himself 'T is the word that nourisheth my soul not the wit not the quaiâ—â— expressions are which it is served to me the good of these is determined in my carnal part I must love thâ— word because it is pure not because 〈◊〉 is wittily delivered and the matteâ— neatly couched A good stomach we say needeth no sauce Thereforâ— though in a time of choice and plenty a gracious heart will prefer the ableâ— Preachers who can give the word moâ—â— advantage by their parts Yet as eveâ— then he will not despise the performances of him who hath the meaneâ—â— gifts and abilities provided that hâ— doth not handle the word of God deceitfully or negligently so in a timâ— of scarcity he will much less do it Fourthly The soul that truly â—â—â—eth after Divine Institutions will emâ—â—â—â—â— what he can when he cannot enjoy whâ—â— he would When I say he will embrace what he can I mean what 〈◊〉 is satisfied in his conscience that 〈◊〉 may enjoy without sin Sin is such 〈◊〉 thing as nothing can tempt a gracioâ—â— soul to it he knows that it is impossible he should please God by an action wherein he presumptuously sinneth against him especially too in matters of worship where he is more especially jealous he knows participation of Ordinances is not absolutely necessary to salvation if therefore he cannot hear a Sermon or receive a Sacrament but he must before or in it defile his soul with sin he rather chooseth to forbear the Ordinance than run the guilt of the sin But suppose circumstances such that a good Christian cannot enjoy every institution but some he may I say he that hath a true spiritual thirst will enjoy what he can when he cannot enjoy what he desireth The Disciples would gladly have heard Paul 〈◊〉 the Synagogues as they had wont Acts 19.8 9 10 11. â—â—swading the things concerning the Kingdom of God But when men come to be hardened and to speak evil of the righteous wayes of God before the multitude so as Paul can speak no more openly those that are true Disciples will hear him though in the school of Tyrannus If Paul cannot Preach at mid-day Acts 20.7 and break bread they will hear him till midnight I do not speak here to plead for those coetus antelucani which the Heathen so much scandalized Christians in Origens time for but only to shew you by these instances that it is no new thing for Christians to make any shift to taste any thing of Christ in his Ordinances The Antients justified the Christians of those days for those meetings though in times of liberty they had not been Eligibleâ— If a Christian truly thirsts after Divine Institutions if he cannot go with the multitude to the House of God yet he will not omit the homage of two oâ— three gathered together in the Lords name Jo. 20.19 The Disciples when they could not assemble openly nor have door open for fear of the Jews yet they assembled and shut the doors and enjoyed the Institutions of God and Jesus camâ— and stood in the midst amongst then and said Peace be unto you It argueâ— not a thirsty and ingenuous but a wanton and teachy soul when it will make use of no means of Grace because hâ— cannot enjoy all under such circum stances as he desireth 5. Fifthly Who so hath the true Spirit of a Christian in this thing will be content for the enjoyment of Gods institutions to encounter some difficulties We use to say Hunger will break through 〈◊〉 stone wall We see what those natural â—assions will do in brute creatures and 〈◊〉 reasonable creatures The spiritual â—unger and thirst will do much more with a Christian and in reason must as the preservation of a spiritual life and the prospect and hope of that life which is Eternal is more valuable than the preservation and enjoyment of a natural life 6. Lastly A true Christian when he cannot enjoy Divine Institutions yet will 〈◊〉 crying after them When shall I come â—â—d appear before God saith David and again Psalm 27.4 Psal 27.4 One thing have Ideâ—â—nd of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple But by this time methinks I hear some good Christians say to me Case Is this indeed the temper of every true Christian May I then conclude my self a true child of God if I find such a thirst in my soul after God in his Ordinances though I do not meet with those enjoyments of God in his Ordinances which I desire Saith another If this be true I 'am much afraid of my self I do not find such a thirst as you have mentioned or if any yet not after all Ordinances Noâ— is it so even a temper as I desire Sometimes I am
passionately desirous of them or of some of them at other times me think I find too much of an indifferent Spirit in this point I even force my self sometimes tâ— my duty at other times I can attend them but I do not find such a desire to them as 〈◊〉 would do but could almost be content to live without themâ— What shall I judge of my self iâ— this case To this case which is complex containing the cases of different souls I shall speak in some few Conclusions following A Real Spiritual vehement thirst after God in Divine Institutions 1. Concl. will I think unquestionably speak a true Christian I say a true thirst not pretended and feigned a spiritual thirst after the pure divine substantial part of the Institution separated from the less significant circumstances of the administration after God in the Ordinance when the enjoyment of the presence of God and communion with him is made the ultimate object and Ordinances are desired for that This thirst I say will argue one to have tasted of the grace of God For 1. We find no record in Scripture of any such thirst but in truly honest and gracious souls 2. Whence can such a thirst proceed but from the new nature making choice of its spiritual food Those that walk after the flesh mind the things of the flesh Those after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit Rom. 8.5 In Ordinances the carnal man can mind nothing but the carnal part he is more pleased with the noise of the Musick than the matter of the Song with the tone and method and behaviour and phrase and wit of the Preacher than the spiritual convincing matter of the Sermon more with the tone and language of him that prayeth or ministreth in prayer than with the pouring out of the soul in prayer it argues a spiritual man in duties to mind the things of the Spirit In them 3. Again A Christian is not to be judged from his success in duty nor from his action but from his affection and temper to it The success is from God and is various as it pleaseth him to deal with a poor soul In his action he may be hindered of his will by the incumbrance of the body of death which cleaveth to the best of Gods children and bringeth the Law of his mind in captivity to the Law of his members So that were a Christian before me that could say no more than this My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Ordinances of God I cannot say that when I enjoy them I find so much in them of peace or satisfaction as I desire but yet my heart beateth for them I could be content to be a dweller in the House of the Lord alwayes hearing his word alwayes at prayer yet I cannot hear as I would nor pray as I desire I should not doubt to say Be of good chear thy soul is in a good condition Flesh and blood hath never revealed this to thee this thirst this passionate desire cometh from him that hath called thee to be partaker of his distinguishing grace There is no such thirst found in any unrenewed soul Secondly As it is with the natural body the appetite may decay 2. Concl. but the body cannot long subsist without some appetite so it is with the soul there may be some decay in the spiritual appetite but the soul that hath a truth of spiritual life cannot long subsist without some spiritual appetite to Divine Institutions I say there may in a gracious soul be some thatement of spiritual appetite to Divine Institutions which may be caused 1. From a plenty of them through our natural corruption when we are full we wax wanton when the Israelites had a fulness of Manna Nu. 21.5 Num. 21 5â— They cryed out Our soul loatheth this light bread 1 Sa. 3.1 1 Sam. 3.1 The word of God was precious in those dayes there was no open vision intimating it was less precious when it was more common We have seen sad experiences of it Have you seen persons delicately sed with plenty of choicest meats pingle at a good and wholsom dish before them scarce knowing where to pick a bit to please them or how to advantage their stomach with Sauce rare enough and turning it away when there hath been but a little error of a Cook in roasting or garnishing it oâ— in the cleaness or brightness of a dish it hath been served up in When an hungry labouring man hath presently sell greedily to it though without any Sauce and in a plain dish Such a sight you might lately have seen in the House of God amongst us how nice and squeamish were Christians how little cared they for an honest Sermon if not delivered with such a grace such an authority and gravity as was the gift of God to some particular persons with such neatness of method and â—hrase as was not the portion of every faithful Minister to serve them with This proceeded only from our corruptions in regard of our plenty of spiritual enjoyments 2. Secondly Such an abatement of spiritual appetite may proceed from the preâ—â—minancy of some particular lusts or corruptions It is no wonder if the young man that eateth coals and dirt or the man whose stomach is clogged with crudities and noxious humours abates in his appetite to his due food A child of God though he doth not seed 〈◊〉 coals and dirt lusts and corruptions â—s his daily bread as natural and unregenerate men do yet he may sometimes have a vitiated pallat a stranger â—ay come even to Davids house there may be a time when iniquities may â—â—â—ail against him when the Sons of lerviah may be too hard for him and 〈◊〉 such a day there will be an abatement of the spiritual appetite to its â—oper food 3. Sometimes this abatement may be caused from some discouragement which the soul hath received at the Ordinance It may and it often doth so happen that the soul of a Christian findeth not that satisfaction at Sermons at Sacraments in hours of prayer which he expected and hoped for but it may be he returneth from the Ordinance more sad than he went and this from day to day and this discouragement abateth his appeâ—ite he hungers he thirsteth still but not with such a degree as he formerly found under better encouragements 4. Lastly It sometimes happeneth by his listening to some powerful Temptation A melancholick fancy or an ill report of our food from others will often spoil our natural stomack and at least abate our appetite We see it often in melancholick persons either some odd fancy of their own or some idle story of another persuading them the meat is not proper for them will take them of their stomach the same unhappy humour will do it as to our spiritual food especially if advantaged by any suggestion of the Envious One who knows our advantage from the institutions of God Upon those accounts
amongst others I say it is possible that the appetite of a good Christian may abate or seem to abate as to his proper spiritual food but a soul that truly lives the spiritual life cannot long want an appetite any more than a body can long live without appetite to meat Thirdly It is very possible that a jeaâ—â—s Christian may mis-judge himself as to his spiritual thirst 3. Concl. and this 1. Either â—â—dging he hath none when he either hath not so much as he desireth or not so much as he hath formerly had or not so much to one Divine Institution as to another 1. When he hath not so much as he desireth The truly gracious soul is exceeding covetous as soon may the â—â—ave or the barren womb or any of those things Solomon mentions as insatiable be satisfied as the gracious soul â—â—y I have enough of any gracious disposition now this a great error to conclude a total want of the thing from a partial want only relating to a degree Besides a gracious soul is naturally exceeding jealous and suspicious jealous of Christs love to it suspicious of its own love to Christ and this indeed makes it take advantage to mis-judge it self from the want of a desired degree of grace 2. Secondly When it doth not find such a vehement thirst as it hath formerly had either in the beginning of its Conversion or it may be at some particular times since though a gracious soul never wants an appetite to the institutions of Christ yet there are times when its appetite is greater and thirst stronger and more vehement as First 1. In the beginning of its Conversion When the soul hath received the first powerful impressions of the word upon its conscience and is first raised to a lively hope in the promise Oh how sweet then is every opportunity of hearing prayer c. It is the observation of Divines that in this time affections are alwayes strongest passion for God alwayes highest the reason iâ— because the souls taste is then most imperfect its sense of mercy quickest The Woman loves her Husband as well afterward as upon her first marriage but not so passionately afterwards as at first 2. After some restraint from those enjoyments whether from natural or moral causes God in the Prophecy of Amos threatens a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. Then saith he they shall run from City to City to seek one who shall speak to them in the name of the Lord. 3. In the beginning of some spiritual desertion Cant. 3.2 at this time the Spouse rose and went about the City in the streets and in the broad wayes seeking him whom her soul loved I say in the beginning for many times in the process of a desertion temptations arise upon the soul from the discouragements which it meets with in performance of spiritual duties Now it is an erroneous judgement to determine that we have no spiritual hunger and thirst because we have it not in so great a degree 3. Thirdly A soul may be afraid oâ— at least not so fond of an Ordinance after discouragements met with in it and yet may have a true thirst to it A man eats and is continually sick after hâ—â— meat it will make him not to be so fond of his meat yet he may have mind enough to it he sits down with a kind of fear to his meat yet he hath an appetite to it 4. Fourthly A temptation may prevail upon a soul That he shall dishâ—â—nour God or encrease his own damnation by waiting upon God in such or such an Ordinance this makes him he dare not do it yet his appetite to it may be good enough It is very possible 4. Concl. that a Christian may have a more singular special appetite to one Ordinance than another There is no reason for this in the Ordinance All Ordinances have the same stamp of Divine Institution upon them an attendance upon them all falling under the same Authority of Divine Precept all of them being under a like Ordination for the beginnings or perfectings of grace yet there is a reason for this in our self-love which enclineth every one most to desire and delight in those institutions in which he hath â—et with more sensible manifestations 〈◊〉 the presence power and goodness of â—od hence you shall find some Chriâ—â—â—rs more delighted in prayer others â—â—re in hearing the word Though 〈◊〉 fault of this be the corruption of â—r hearts yet it is no more than is the ordinary weakness and infirmity of the 〈◊〉 precious souls and therefore a Christian finding this hath no reason â—o mis-judge himself as totally wanting â—is spiritual appetite The want of appetite to any institution 〈◊〉 Christ 5. Concl. is what no gracious soul ought â—â—llow himself in I told you before â—t they all have the Image and Superâ—â—â—ption of the Lord Jesus Christ upon 〈◊〉 They all fall under an equal â—â—â—ority of Divine Precept Then 〈◊〉 saith holy David shall I not be ashaâ—ed when I shall have respect to all thy â—â—mmandments They are all as I â—â—d before under an ordination for our 〈◊〉 advantage and are the proper â—â—d of Christians and there can be no reason assigned for a partial respect to any institution of Christs but some selfishness in us If therefore this be thy temper Christian that thou an enamoured and exceeding fond upon one Ordinance of another not so Look upon it as thy infirmity not condemning thy self for it as one not at aâ— thirsting after God in his institutions but as what thou oughtest not to allow thy self in but to groan under to search the cause of it and not to leave thy soul until thou hast brought it in to a more even temper Lastly 6. Concl. As a total want of this spiritual thirst after Divine Institutions unquestionably speaketh a dead soul one that hath nothing of the life of grace but is dead in trespasses and sins still anâ— never tasted how good the Lord iâ— so a faint decaying appetite to them argue a declining and a decaying soul Let 〈◊〉 be upon what principle it will whether of loosness not being able to beâ—â— the strict yoke of Christ and to keeâ— thy self so close to duties Or froâ— a dream of a state of perfection anâ— a life of God above Ordinances The reason is plainly here There is no such thing as absolute perfection here Ordinances are the souls food and while a soul lives on this side of Heaven it cannot better live without them than the natural body can live without water Observe I pray you 1. Spiritual life lyes in spiritual â—nion with Christ All life consists in â—nion the natural life in the union betwixt the soul and body Eternal life 〈◊〉 nothing else but an union with God in glory so spiritual life is nothing but the souls spiritual union with Christ 2. All Vnion is preserved by communion iâ— mutual communication the natural union
I am the Lord their God But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors c. Very like the Prophet eyeing that promise in the Law cries out Hath thy soul loathed Zion Zion there 's a great argument couched in that word All the dwellings of Jacob were dear to the God of Jacob but the Psalmist saith God loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Zion was the name of a Mountain at the foot of which Hierusalem and in it the Temple stood thence it is called the habitation of Gods holiness his dwelling place and it is put for the Church of God Lord saith the Prophet this is Judah against which thine anger smokes hast thou utterly rejected Judah There are but two Tribes and an half left of that people whom thou chosest to draw nigh unto thee hast thou rejected them utterly rejected them In this Judah is Zion thy Temple the place which out of all the earth thou chosest for thy habitation and in which above all thou didst delight hath thy soul abhorred Zion She was as thy Spouse and thou lovedst her doth thy soul now loath her As to the form of the words you see they are by way of Interrogation Interrogations in Scripture sometimes adde force to Affirmations and Negations Hath the Lord as great a pleasure in sacrifices as in obeying his commandments that is he hath not And so some would have it here then the sense is this Lord I know thou hast not utterly rejected Judah thy soul hath not abhorred Zion which is true as to the spiritual part of his people Hath God cast off Israel saith the Apostle God forbid he hath not cast off the people whom he fore-knew But all are not Israel that are of Israel Then the words have in them the force of an argument Lord I know thou hast not utterly cast off thy people thy soul hath not abhorâ—â—â— them therefore spare them as to this judgment So he pleads from Gods certain spiritual love to a part of the people formerly for the whole But I must confess I think this not the sense Interrogations sometimes are the language of persons inquiring for further certainty and satisfaction so I take it here as if the Prophet had said Ah Lord is the decree gone forth is there no hope art thou not to be spoken to for this people hast thou utterly reprobated them If not c. It follows Why hast thou smitten us and there is no healing These words have in them an Interrogation and an Expostulation No soundness in the Hebrew Here the Prophet begins to represent unto God the state of the people 1. They were smitten already smitten with a dearth 2. And in Gods purpose smitten with an approaching sword and captivity He owns God as the primary efficient cause Thou hast smitten he addes and there is no healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word used in the Hebrew signifies health or soundness and healing or cure And so the complaint denotes two things 1. 〈◊〉 universality of the judgment they had no part sound no foundness 2. The desperateness of their distemper they could find no cure no remedy no healing their State Physitians were of no value they had tried but they could no help no healing he Expostulates with God not enquiring the cause Jeremiah was not signorant of cause enough in this people to justifie God in the severity of this dispensation but he speaks like a troubled man who would gladly have had it otherwise with his people if God had pleased 2. He further represents the sadness of this peoples case in this that their expectations were frustrated We looked 〈◊〉 peace and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble There is nothing difficult in the words they only signifie the disappointment which God had given them in their great expectations The words may â—e understood either of the generality of the people who might have presumptuous hopes or of Gods own people who upon that great reformation which Josiah had began look't for peace â—oth were deceived no peace no good came but more trouble more disturbance still I intend not to speak to every Proposition might be drawn from these words I shall only fix upon one and that founded upon the words in the latter part of the Verse We looked for peace and no good came for the time of healing and behold trouble Prop. It pleaseth God in the wisdom of his Providence oft times to give people great disappointments in their expectations of peace and healing as to their outward concerns You may if you will take it in these two branches 1. People are very prone in evil times and disturbed times to look for good to look for healing 2. It pleaseth God oft times to give them great disappointments in their expeciations Trouble instead of peaceâ— wounds instead of healing I say 1. It is natural to us in evil and disturbed times to look for good and to looâ— for an healing It is true this Proposition is not universally verified in the Sons of men and the thing depends though not wholly yet in a great measure upon the sutural disposition There is much truth in that Maxim of Physitians and Philosophers Mores sequuntur humores Where any persons are more enclined â—o melancholly and that humour more prevails persons so enclin'd are more disposed to fears and jealousies and suspicions Where some other humour prevails in the body the person is more enclined to hope and presume so as you shall generally find men and women thus divided Some are more naturally disposed to fear the worst to be suspicious and jealous of every thing others â—â—e naturally enclined to hope the best and to promise all good to themselves and the most of people either from this Natural cause or some Moral â—ouses for they also have some inscience on us are very prone to look â—or good for peace and healing and this â—s not only ordinary to the more ignorant and sinful sort of men but even â—o Gods own people The wicked cry â—â—ace Peace when there is no peace to â—â—e wicked saith the Lord. The Mother of Sisera looks out at the window when her Son was dead with agnail struck through his temples and cryes Why is his Chariot so long incoming Have they not sped Have they not divided the prey The false Prophets daub with untempered mortar Three hundred false Prophets spake good to Ahab and bid him go up to Ramoth-Gilead and prosper Nor are the better and wiser sort Gods own dear people exempted from this infirmity Even David saith in his prosperity I shall never be moved nor are we only vain in prosperity to promise our selves a stability in that state but in a time of adversity we are as ready to promise our selves a quick deliverance and freedom from it When the children of Israel were carried captives into Babylon they would needs believe
their deliverance should be speedy So as Jeremiah on purpose writeth a letter to them to take them off this vain conceit Jer. 29.5 Build you houses and dwell in them and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them And seek the peace of the City whither I have caused you to be carried captive The matter needs no proof from Scripture we find it true in all our experiences that we are very prone to nourish up false expectations in our selves and to promise our selves good The error is common the causes not difficult to be assigned which are partly Natural partly Moral 1. For the natural cause I assigned it before The most of peoples natural temper as disposing them to wish good to themselves so enclining them rather to hope the best than to fear the worst Hence you will observe that all Christians are not thus mistaken you shall find some of more â—ad melancholick tempers as much â—rring on the other hand crying out like the Infidel in the Book of Kings if they hear any talk of good If the Lord should make windows in Heaven this could not be like Thomas they will believe nothing which they most desire without a sensible demonstration But the moral causes of this may be assigned variously and they are different according as the soul is which is thus affected In wicked men 2. The general moral causes are presumption and looking at second causes 1. I say in the first place Presumption an unjust assurance they give themselves of Gods favour toward them and consequently of his blessings upon then There is an Atheist that believes 〈◊〉 God at all but thinks that all thing fall out by chance and so he is nâ— concerned to regard a Deity and it 〈◊〉 no wonder if he promises himself well But those that will with the mouths own a Supream Being anâ— Moderator of all things yet are toâ— ready to promise themselves his favour and consequently the blessing that attend it The Lord foresaw 〈◊〉 Generation who when thy heard all thâ— Curses of his Law would bless them selves in their heart and say they shouâ— have peace Deut 29.19 though they walked according to the imaginations of their own heart adding drunkenness to thirst Now thâ—â— presumption in sinful men either ariseth from Atheism the persons nâ— believing there is a God or that he 〈◊〉 not what he is or Vnbelief not giving credit to the word of God which saith There is no peace to the wicked Or from Error eying some particular sins for which they will believe all the wrath of God is powred out upon them or Eying some particular performances which they think sufficient to reconcile God again to them though before he was displeased with them and when that sin which is all the guilt they can see is expiated or reformed 〈◊〉 those particular performances which they lay all Religion upon are done they â—ook for good and healing when it â—â—ay be in truth those things which â—â—ey so eye do rather provoke God â—â—ther than at all abate of the wrath which he hath began to pour out 〈◊〉 probability this was the cause at â—â—is time in Judah It is not exprest whether this Sermon of the Prophet â—as in Josiah's time or in the time of 〈◊〉 Sons Josiah was a good Prince he â—tored the true Worship of God dejoyed Idolatry c. His Sons restored 〈◊〉 There were unquestionably different complexions of this people Some Josiah's time expected good and healing from his reformation others 't is like in his Sons time expected the same from their restauration of former Superstitions and Idolatry Both presumed looking for peace and there was no good for healing and behold trouble 2. The cause of Gods own peoples error in this kind is partly Presumption partly mistakes concerning his mind and promises partly eying second causes too much I say partly Presumption Even the best of Gods people are ready to lay too much upon particular reformations and particular duties We are too ready to impute all punishments to some particular sins and to lay all Religion upon some particular duties and when those sins are reformed and expiated and those duties done we are ready to conclude all will be well and presently to look for peace and healing 2. Partly mistakes of Gods mind and promises Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come There are great promises even of the good things of this life made to the Church of God in the general and to believing souls in particular and God expecteth that we should give credit to them and wait in hope for them but we are troubled with the Disciples curiosity who came to our Saviour and said Master wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel We are impatient and know not how to wait and thence are very prone to inform our selves if possible of the time and too credulous to take ungrounded informations and build up our hopes upon them Hence our prying into dark Prophecies and making various conjectures upon them our listning so readily to such as will pretend to a skill in them or to extraordinary Revelations Visions and Impressions and building up too great expectations upon our own conceipts or others dreams What a late example have we had as to the year 1666. That must be the year when the Jews should be converted Rome ruined c. What expectations were raised in many of that â—ear meerly as it appears from a mitake of the mind and Promises of God The year is past no such thing is brought â—o pass We looked for peace and healing behold no good but trouble still 3. Another cause is Gods own people too much eying secundary causes The unbeliever layes all upon them the Child of God layes too much upon them Hence if he seeth such a position of them as to the eye of his reason appears probable to produce some good effects to the Church and people of God he presently concludes all will be well not attending to the power of the first cause as he ought to do nor considering as he ought the guilt of the people or the person for whom he would hope well which may provoke God to lay a bar before second causes that they shall not work according to our expectations But I have spoken enough to the first Branch I come to the second which is the Proposition as I laid down God in the Wisdom of his Providence doth often give people great disappointments in their expectations as to outward peace and healing I shall not need insist upon the proof of this it is so plain in the Text We looked saith the Prophet for peace and behold no good for healing and behold trouble and in our daily experience To say nothing of vain persons how often are the expectations of the most considerate sober sort of Christians frustrated concerning the publick concerning their own private concerns Concerning the publick They look
And to love their enemies to do good to them that hate them c. So more especially to be careful of it in these times That whereas men speak evil of them 1 Pet. 3.16 as evil doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse their good conversation in Christ 1 Pet. 2.12 yea they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation 3. That above all even to the worst men They render their dues fear to whom fear honour to whom honour owing no man any thing but to love one another and remembring that Love worketh no ill to his neighbour according to that of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 8. 4. That they do not give holy things to Dogs nor cast pearls before Swine but wisely watch all advantages where they may meekly and acceptably and seasonably apply any word to their neighbour to convince him of any sin or duty forbearing it where they see any in any madness of passion or the like 5. That if God calleth them to suffer any thing in the doing of his will they remember to do it with meekness and patience and also with Christian courage and boldness committing themselves to him that created them and who will judge righteously 6. That they Remember their Brethren who are in bonds as if they were bound with them considering that themselves also are in the body Heb. 13.3 Hebrews 10.34 Coloss 4.18 Phil. 1.7 7. That if they discern any of their Brethren overtaken in a fault they would endeavour to restore such a one in the Spirit of meekness considering themselves also lest they be tempted according to that Gal. 6.1 and if need be they further acquaint some godly Ministers with it 8. That especially at such a time as this is they cover and conceal the weaknesses of each others and avoid all manner of exceptions one against another or reproaches of each other for any particular differences of perswasion in the things of Religion as to such who are agreed in the two main things 1. The Doctrine of faith 2. A joint study to promove practical Godliness 9. That they take especial heed that no particular provocations from any of their brethren upon civil accounts be a temptation to them to turn Persecutors of them i.e. to seek a revenge upon them for matters concerning their God it being certain that none can deserve a persecution from his Neighbour These things our dearly beloved Brethren are all which at present we shall commend to you The nature and reasonableness of them is such as we are assured they have an evidence to all your consciences either as necessary or highly useful only as we are prone to make excuses in any duty and especially where the revival of it may seem to condemn our former neglect so we are afraid least as to that part which relates to the order and worship of families we should hear some excusing themselves Either 1. From want of time or 2. From want of fit matter in their families or 3. From want of parts and abilities or 4. From the want in the world of servants that will be brought under such discipline 1. As to the first we know there is a great difference of men as to leisure and therefore as we said before we believe more of this nature is required from a Daniel or a David than from a private person but 1. This cannot be pleaded as to Sabbath Dayes Service 2. It cannot be pleaded as to Morning duties there the time may and ought if need be be redeemed from sleep 3. So that all the dispute is about one half hour at night and we leave it to every Christian that is serious and conscientious to think whether this plea will not argue a greater want of a good heart Besides if this duty be necessary we hope that our brethren who let their trade and business be what it will will find a time to dine and sup because they are naturally necessary will also find a time for these duties which are spiritually necessary 2. As to those who complain that their families neither do nor can consist of fit matter for these duties It only reacheth to Catechism and that too only as to servants for surely Parents can command their children As to them we say Servants are either Apprentices or hired by the year or by the day for the latter sort they are not properly members of our families For the former doubtless Masters have a great power over them and though if they be stubborn they cannot directly force them to this yet they may keep them to such a strictness in labour that they will be glad to purchase some relaxation there by a complying in this with the desires and endeavours of Governours for the good of their souls For yearly servants it is true they are but transient members of our family but for their hired time Governours have the same power over them as over Apprentices and there is no question but better may be provided if they will not comply Besides Servants that shall thus refuse must be 1. Either such as have some particular different Perswasion in religion who it may be understand much of the Principles of Religion or 2. Such stubborn refractory persâ—ns as will be kept under no better Civil Government than Religious and so unfit to be continued in our houses But we are verily perswaded that they are very few who by fair and gentle treating with them might not be brought to this order however as to children the duties may proceed 3. For those who complain for want of parts to discharge this work The plea only holds as to prayer and set discourses on Scripture We should therefore commend to Christians 1. That no heads of families be patient till they have learned to read the want of this being a most inexcusable sin in these dayes wherein are so many means for it 2. That as many as possible would learn to write and practice writing and as many as can would learn to write Characters writing by Characters being of infinite use in this work 3. Though we cannot commend Christians tying themselves to forms of prayers made by others Yet rather than not pray at all that Christians would read a Prayer Morning and Evening to their families out of some good Book such as the Practice of Piety c. at least at first setting up such a Reformation 4. That no Christian would rest here but being assured that the gift of prayer is attainable by any Christian that will take pains that they would use all means to attain unto it and to that end we shall not only be ready our selves to give such as come to us Directions but we earnestly commend unto them the reading and study of Dr. Wilkin's Book concerning the gift of prayer 5. As to opening the Scriptures and from them speaking to people Though we could wish that as many as have time and leisure would apply themselves to get such knowledge as might enable themselves by study to find out the sense of a Text. Yet in regard that all cannot do that we have before commended to our Brethren some such English Books as may in this be helpful to them And in regard every one hath not an ability to purchase such Books we shall only offer it to our Brethren whether four or five might not joyn together in buying such an English Library as they shall be advised to each sharing in it that so the whole number may be amongst them all and ready to be mutually Aent and if they please they may so agree as when any one dyeth the others may purchase his share at a certain rate The most of these things Brethren especially which concern the Worship of God in their families and the private Sanctification of the Sabbath though we believe them to be in a great measure the practice of many of you and from your Parents you have been instructed in the practice of them yet considering the great moment the reviving of Religion in families is of at such a time as this and the great neglect in many families occasioned possibly for that some had not such good examples in the families of their education we have thought good to use the Apostle Peters expression 2 Pet. 3.1 To stir up your minds by way of remembrance Thus we conceive God may be glorified our own souls and the souls of all under our charges highly advantaged Religion would be revived preserved and propagated and much of the glory of the Professors of England recovered and the Adversaries of Religion and Godliness would gnash their teeth to see every family become a Church and the Nursery of that Religion and lively practice of Godliness which by so much profane scoffing they endeavour to discourage and by so much activity they labour wholly to extirpate FINIS