is not the time of the Dragon but the red Dragon that is the Heathen Roman Emperor did persecute the Woman Rev. 12. standing before her to devour the man Child the Seed of the Church as soon as she was delivered verse 2 3. Yet this good and holy man thought that that must needs be the meaning of the forty two Months because the Interpretation came to him with such an impression Possibly therefore a good man may be much deceived by Impressions especially when they come with a particular word But where do we find in al the Scripture That we are to judg of Doctrines by Impressions No but by the written Word of God that is the only Rule whereby we must judg comparing Spiritual things Foxus in Apoc. 13. p 216. with Spiritual things and one Scripture with another Though there may be much comfort found in the way of Impressions especially coming with a word yet if the word be not set upon the heart according to the true sense and scope of it we have cause to fear that the Impression is not of God but an illusion of Satan For where do we find in Scripture That ever God did set a Word upon the Soul but in the true sense and scope of it The Devil brought a word to Christ and applied it not according to the true Scope thereof Cast thy self down saies he he shall give his Angels charge over thee this was not according to the Scope of the Scripture But if God set on a Scripture with a deep Impression it was alwaies according to the true sense and scope of the Scripture For example Nehemiah being at Prayer as ye read Chap. 1. God gave him a word with a sweet Impression and it was according to the true sense thereof So Acts 4. the Apostles were at Prayer and God gave a word to them out of Psal 2. and it was according to the true scope thereof Where do we find that ever God did set on a particular Word but according to the true meaning of it Have I therefore an Impression with a Word yet if the Word be not set on my Soul according to the true meaning and scope of it then have I cause to fear that it is rather a delusion of Satan than the Impression of God Though the Impression be of God yet if the Application be beyond the Impression I am stil in an Error There is an Impression of a Word and there is the Application of it the Impression may be Gods and the Application may be mine own The Lord gave Abraham a Word that his Seed should be as the Stars but he made a false Application thereof when he went unto Hagar for the fulfilling of that Word So the Lord gave a Word to Eliphaz Job 4.12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me and mine ear received a little thereof fear came upon me and trembling verse 14. Then a Spirit passed before my face it stood still but I could not discern it then I heard a Voyce saying Shall mortal man be more just than God verse 15. Here was an Impression with a Word and this was from God but he applies this to and against Job Chap. 5.1 the Impression was of God but the Application was his own Possibly then a man may have an Impression from God with a Word yet the Application may be his own but though the Impression be never so â—ul and deep yet if the Application be beyond the Impression he is stil in an Error And therefore seeing that it is an easie thing and usual even for the Children of Abraham to make Application beyond the Impression the safest sure I way is to keep cloâ—e to the written Word of God which is both the Judg of al our Doctrinâ—s and the only Rule of al our Practices and therefore above and beyond al Impressions whether with or without a Word And thus I have done with the Third Instance Instance 4 As for that Light and Law of Grace which is in the Saints the Light of the Scripture is beyond and more excellent than that For The Light and Law within us here is imperfect for we see but in part and know in part 1 Cor. 13.9 Now we see through a Glass darkly And lest any man should think that Paul spake this only of some Babes in Christ he speaketh out yet more expresly putting himself into the number ver 12. Now I know in part and this in part is set in opposition to what is perfect for saies he verse 9. We know in part and prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come c. verse 10. So that whatever Law or Light or Knowledg is within us now is imperfect but the Word of God written the Scripture and the Light thereof is perfect for saies the Psalmist The Law of the Lord is perfect Psal 19. The Law of Grace within and the Light within is not able to convince others If I feel a Light and Law within me and say this must needs be so for I find it thus within me I have a Light within me for it this wil not convince another But the Scripture by the breathing of the Spirit of God with it wil convince another and is able to convince another Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful Word that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince gain-sayers How are gain-sayers to be convinced then what by the Light or Law within No but by sound Doctrine fetched from the faithful Word Quest Is there then no use of the Law and Light and Spirit within us doth not God speak and direct thereby Answ 1 Yea The Spirit of a man saith Solomon is the Candle of the Lord searching al the inward rooms of the Belly When God doth set up a Light or Candle in the Soul he may thereby go into al the inward Chambers of the Soul discovering those heaps of sin that are in the Soul Answ 2 Yea This inward Law and Light doth not only discover evil but it doth incline to good and strongly incline the Soul thereunto therefore it is called a Law not because it is a Rule to us for the body of death and sin is called the Law in your Members but because of its power and force to incline the Soul unto what is good Answ 3 Yea It doth not only incline a man unto what is good but it enables him thereunto It is that Principle upon which al his good actions grow and from whence they spring All true good must proceed from a good Principle and this Law and Light and Spirit within is that Principle whereby a man is enabled unto what is good But Secondly Though the Law and Light and Spirit within us be a Principle of good yet it is not the Rule of our Goodness or Lives For If the Law and Light and Spirit within be our Rule then what need the Scripture or the Word without any longer
one thing to cite Scripture and another thing to take heed thereunto The Devil cited Scripture to our Savior Christ but he did not take heed unto it as to his Rule of life If we take heed thereto then we shal be kept and preserved by it even from the power of that darkness which we may labor under And thus now I have done with the Fourth General Thing propounded and have cleered the Doctrine Applic. 1 If this Doctrine be true then what cause have we to bless God and not to despise Humane Learning Mistake not I shal not go about to preach up Humane Learning in the Church of God but though I do not preach up the Excellency of Meat Drink and Cloathing or outward Blessings yet I may cal upon you and my self not to despise the same but to bless God for them So though I do not preach up the excellency of Humane Learning yet I may cal upon you and my self not to despise the same but to bless God for it For if Scripture-Light be so excellent a Light and the Word of God written that whereunto we are all to take heed then what a Mercy and Blessing is it that this Word and Scripture is translated into the English Tongue it was not first written in English but in Hebrew and Greek it could not have been brought forth into English but by the help of Humane Learning and wil ye then deâ—pise Humane Learning and not bless God for it O! ye wanton hearts remember how the poor Martyrs in Queen Maries time did bless God for the English Translation and how could that be without Humane Learning Then let us bless God for it and not despise it Applic. 2 If this Doctrine be true viz. That Scripture-Light is so great a Light which al are to take heed unto then what a sad condition are those in who do deny and forsake the Scripture they are in the dark indeed I confess a good man may be tempted as to other sins so to this To doubt of the Truth of the Scripture But do I hear a man that hath been a Professor one that hath known God and his Waies one that is under no Temptation Do I hear such an one denying the Scripture as any Rule to him Write that man Childless write him Faithless without Christ and without God in this World Ah! poor soul here is one whose Foundations are plucked up twice dead plucked up by the roots O! the sad condition of this poor Creature he hath forsaken the Light and now is under the power of darkness Whither should he go for he hath left the words of Eternal life yet Lord how many have these times brought forth that are come to this height of wickedness But beloved I do not only hope but am assured better things of you only hear the word of Exhortation and that is Applic. 3 Take heed and attend to the Scriptures for they are our great and most sure Light whereunto ye do wel if ye take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark place O! then take heed thereunto Quest What must we do that we may take heed and attend unto Scripture Answ Ye must do three things 1. Ye must attend to know and understand it 2. Ye must attend to keep it 3. And ye must attend to walk by the same And First For your knowledg in and understanding of the Scripture and the written Word of God ye must Observe keep and hold fast the Letter of it for though the Letter of the Scripture be not the Word alone yet the Letter with the true sense and meaning of it is the Word The Body of a Man is not the Man but the Body and Soul together make up the whol man the Soul alone or the Body alone is not the Man So here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in lego sine Scripturis non est litera a qua non pendent magni montes Doctrinarum Rabbim though the Letter of the Scripture alone do not make up the Word yet the Letter and sense together do and if ye destroy the Body ye destroy the Man so if ye destroy the Letter of the Scripture you do destroy the Scripture and if you deny the Letter how is it possible that you should attain to the true sense thereof when the Sense lies wrapped up in the Letters and the words thereof Object But if I attend to the Letter in my Practice then I shall be a Professor of the Letter and if a Preacher do attend to the Letter then he shall be a Minister of the Letter Answ Not so For when the Apostle saith We are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit his meaning plainly there is not of the Law but of the Gospel for in that 2 Cor. 3. he cals the Ministration of the Law the Letter and the whol Ministration of the Gospel the Spirit Those therefore that preach or walk according to the Ministration of the Law are Ministers and Professors of the Letter those that preach or walk according to the Ministration of the Gospel are Ministers and Professors of the Spirit And therefore those that depart from and despise the Ministration of the Gospel do depart from and do despight to the Spirit It 's one thing for a man to keep the Letter of the Scripture so as not to deny the same another thing to keep to the Letter only for the meaning of it It 's one thing to preach from the Letter another thing to preach the Letter Our Lord and Savior Christ when he expounded that Esai 61. as ye read Luke 4. did not preach the Letter yet he preached from the Letter So now we may preach from the Letter of the Scripture yet not preach the Letter or be Ministers of the Letter and you may practice the Word from the Letter of the Scripture and yet not be Professors of the Letter that is of the Law and the Ministration of it Quest How can we hold and keep fast the Letter of the Scripture when there are so many Greek Copies of the New Testament and those diverse one from another Answ 1 Yes well For though there are many received Copies of the New Testament yet there is no material difference between them The four Evangelists do vary in the Relation of the same thing yet because there is no contradiction or material variation we do adhere to al of them and deny none In the times of the Jews before Christ they had but one Original of the Old Testament yet that hath several readings there is a Marginal reading and a Line reading and they differ no less than eight hundred times the one from the other yet the Jews did adhere to both and denied neither Why Because there was no material difference And so now though there be many Copies of the New Testament yet seeing there is no material difference between them we may adhere to all
now from home and travelling 〈…〉 a strange Countrey and do you think it is possible 〈◊〉 â—ould it not be a wonder that meeting with so many cross waiâ—s you should never be at a stand about your Condition or question your way whether you be right or no Give me leave to propound you a Parable Suppose two men one goes very brave fares deliciously is very merry and full of money yet hath no Lands no Calling nothing left him no friends to maintain him nor no honest way known to bring him in money and yet he is full of it The other works hard fares meanly goes plainly and he is oft complaining I fear I shal want and miscarry yet he hath a Calling some Land good Friends and some Money Which of these two think you doth come most honestly by his Money Will you not all say the latter For though he hath but little yet he works hath a Lawful Calling waies known for to bring it in But as for the other though fine brave and looks high yet he hath nothing to bring it in I sear he comes not well by it So Spiritually there are two sorts of People in the world One that is very confident of his Salvation and full of Comfort yet he prayeth not in private reads not meditates not examineth not his own heart takes no pains about his soul but is often spending keeping ill company will be somtimes drunk swear and be unclean yet he is very confident he shall go to Heaven The other praies hears reads meditates walketh with all strictness in his life and conversation yet he is alwaies doubting and fearing but through Grace he hath some Comfort Which of these two think you is in the best condition and comes most honestly by his Comfort Will you not say surely the latter for though he fears yet he is alwaies doing working Heaven-ward The other though confident and ful of Comforts hath no good way for to bring them in and therefore surely his Evidence for Heaven is stolen his Comforts are all stolen But as for the other though he hath but little Comfort yet he comes truly by it Thus it may be with you whilst others swaggering it and braving it out with their Comfort and false Confidence go to Hell and perish everlastingly It is a sure Rule That Gods Promise of Mercy doth suppose our Misery if he promise health he supposeth our sickness if he promise Grace it supposeth our sin Now though in the times of the old Testament God promised much outward Blessing yet in the times of the new Testament the Mercy promised is To send the Comforter the Spirit who shall bear witness unto our Spirits that we are the Children of God often our Savior saith I wil send the Comforâ—â— Why but to show that in the times of the Gospel the People of God shall labor under doubtings and be full of fears about their Spiritual estate and therefore though you do doubt of your Child-ship which is your evil yet your state herein is no other than what may be the state and condition of Gods own People in these Gospel times why therefore should you be discouraged in this respect Object 3 But I do not only doubt of my Child-ship I am not only tempted to doubt whether I be the Child of God or no but I labor under sad and searful temptations I am tempted to strange and horrid things such as I fear to name I am even tempted to make away my self tempted with blasphemous thoughts to doubt whether there be a God or no whether the Scripture be true and to say that I have sinned against the holy Ghost such and such things I am tempted to as my very soul and flesh doth tremble at and have I not just cause and reason now to be discouraged and cast down Answ I confess this is sad indeed I do not read in Scripture though I read of many sins of the Godly that ever any Godly man did make away himself It is a good Speech of Austin Sibi auferendo presentem vâ—tam abnegant futuram Men by taking away their present life deâ—â— themselves their future life But because saith Mr. Perkins 〈…〉 â—one this whose lives have been counted honest 〈…〉 â—ly therefore my Sentence is thus I dare not 〈…〉 damned because of their former life and I dare not say they are saved because of their sinful death yet for the Temptation it self I say if it do not come to act as there is no Duty which a Godly man doth perform but a wicked man may do the same yet remain wicked so there is no Temptation which a wicked man may yield unto but a godly man may be tempted unto yet remain godly was not Christ himself tempted by Satan to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple yet he did it not Only my Counsel and Advice from the Lord is If any be troubled with such a Temptation be sure you reveal it and discover it presently and as for those horrid blasphemous suggestions which lie so heavy upon your souls which make your heart and flesh to tremble at the rising of them Ye have read how it was with the King of Moab when he could not break through the Hoast of Israel nor make them cease from following the Victory he presented unto their view a horrible Spectacle sacrificing on the walls his own dear Son and Heir to the Crown that so the Israelites being not able to endure the view of that inhumane sight might give over the Victory Thus doth Satan do when he cannot drive a gracious soul out of the field any other way then he presenteth such horrid inhumane suggestions to him that he may scare him from the good waies of God it is not in our power to hinder Satan from presenting these things to our thoughts When you come into wicked ungodly and prophane Company if they wil swear and curse and blaspheme you cannot hinder them from speaking nor your self from hearing you may sit down and mourn saying O! what Blasphemy is here what Cursing is here but do what you can they will fill your Ears with these things Now Satan being a Spirit he is able to present these Blasphemies to your Spirits and you cannot hinder it you may cry out and say O! what Blasphemy is here O! what a burden is this to my soul But he can present them to you whether you wil or not and did he not present these things unto Christ himself All these things will I give thee saith he if thou wilt fall down and worship me what greater Blasphemy can be imagined than that the God of Heaven and Earth as Christ was should worship Satan yet hereunto he did tempt our Lord and Savior And if our God doth so order the Temptations of his Children as that thereby they are kept from sin have they any reason to be discouraged now by these horrid Temptations Many a man is kept from
from the whol Verse is this Doct. Scripture-Light is our great and most sure Light whereunto we shall do well that we take heed and that especially in our dark Times and Places For the opening and prosecuting whereof Four things wil fal under your Consideration 1. That a good man may be in the dark in a dark place state and condition 2. Though he be in the dark yet God hath not left him without Scripture-Light to walk by 3. This Scripture-Light is the most excellent safe and sure Light 4. It 's the Duty of all the Saints to take heed thereunto and to walk thereby and that especially in their dark times and places First It is possible that a good man may be in the dark on a dark ground and in a dark condition yea possibly a man may truly fear the Lord yet he may walk in the dark and see no light of Comfort Esai 50.10 doth not the Church complain in the Lamentat saying He hath set me in dark places Chap. 3.6 Was not David in the dark when he said The Lord will lighten my darkness 2 Sam. 22.29 Was not Job in the dark when he said The Lord hath set darkness in my paths Job 19.8 and when he said I waited for light and there came darkness Chap. 30.26 And was not Heman in the dark when he said Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness Psal 88.6 Yea was not Christ himself in the dark when the hour and power of darkness came upon him Luk. 22.53 Surely therefore it is possible that a good man may be in the dark upon dark ground and in a dark Condition and it must needs be so For A good man may live and dwel in a Place or Town where no means of Grace are in a poor dark and ignorant corner of the World Did not Job dwel in the Land of Vz And when David thirsted after Ordinances saying My soul thirsteth after thee O God to see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Psal 63.1 2. was he not then in such a dark corner as I now speak of The Title of the Psalm tels us that he was in the Wilderness of Judah and if ye look into 1 Sam. 26. ye shal find him complaining thus They have driven me out this day from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord saying Go serve other gods verse 10. Such a dark place was Capernaum and Galilee by the way of the Sea Galilee of the Gentiles where Matth. 4.16 it 's said The People sate in darkness and in the shadow of death yet here did Peter and Andrew dwel when our Savior called them to follow him there did James and John dwel likewise And as a wicked man may live under the means and the light shine on him though he comprehends it not so it may be the lot and portion of a good man to live and dwel and be in a Town or Place or Parish where there is no Means and no Light shining As he may live and dwel in such a place as this so he may be in some great Affliction and Persecution for the dark places of the Earth are ful of the habitations of Couelty Persecuting Times are dark Times When do Beasts go forth to their Prey but in the night And when are Theeves bold but in the night In times of Persecution the Enemies of Gods People are very bold and those Beasts do go forth to their Prey Surely therefore this Time is a dark time with the Saints If a good man may be in such streights as for the present he doth not see his way before him then he may be in the dark Thus it was with Joseph when Mary was first with Child he did not know what to do in the case til the Angel of the Lord appeared to him Thus it was with David often especially at Keilah when he went down to Achâ—sh feigned himself mad changing his behavior and at Ziklag when his Wives and Goods were taken from him and his men thought of stoning him John 12.35 He that waâ—keth in darkness knows not whither he goes saith our Savior And when a man is in such streights as that he doth not see his way then he is in the dark indeed A good man may be much offended Times of Offences are dark Times He that walketh in darkness stumbleth and so much as I do take offence and am stumbled so much I am in the dark Now possibly a good man may be much offended and stumbled though he be not offended at the good Way of God and Power of Godliness nor at al the Saints yet he may be under much offence All you shall be offended saith our Savior to his Disciples because of me And if a good man may be offended then he may be in the dark on a dark ground and in a dark Condition As a good man may be offended and stumbled so he may stumble into some mistakes and errors Erroneous times are dark times every Error is Darkness as Truth is Light Now a good man may err for though he doth see much when his eyes are opened in his first Conversion yet every man doth not see all things two or three or four may see and have their Eyes open yet one may see further than another God hath several Truths for several Ages and Generations As in a great House there are Hangings for every Room and the Hangings of this Room are not fit for that and the Hangings of that are not fit for another So God hath several Hangings of Truth to furnish several Generations and those that are fit for this are not fit for that Nonnulla video non visa beato Augustino saies Luther et rursum multa visuros scio quae ipse ego non video I see many things said he that were not seen to Austin and those that come after me shal see those things that I see not O! saith Austin There is such a depth in Scripture that I do multo plura nescire quam scire that I am ignorant of more things than I know Ye see how it is in a Room where there are many Pictures though ye see some of them presently yet others have a silken Curtain drawn before them which ye see not immediately So here though God do reveal much unto you yet there is a silken Curtain that is stil drawn before some Truths and therefore even a good man may be much mistaken The Lord hath hid this thing from me 2 Kings 4.27 said Elisha And when David told Nathan that it was in his heart to build an House unto God Go said Nathan to him and do all that is in thine heart for the Lord is with thee yet Nathan though a Prophet was mistaken and in an Error for the same night the Lord appeared to him and told that this Work was reserved for another not for David Possibly therefore a good man may mistake even
Lord give you a cleer understanding in al things CHRIST IN TRAVEL Wherein is shewed I. The Travel of Christ or Christ in Travel II. His Assurance of Issue III. The Contentment that he doth and shall find therein By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. CHRIST IN TRAVEL Sermon I. ISAIAH 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied IN this Chapter we have a ful Treatise of the Sufferings of Christ wherein the Prophet Isaiah speaks with such cleerness as if he rather were an Apostle after Christ than a Prophet before him Bernard tels us that there are three things which we are especially to mind and behold in the Sufferings of Christ the Work the Manner and the Cause thereof In the Cause he was Innocent in the Manner Patient and in the Work excellent saith he But the Prophet Isaiah doth insist on four things 1. The greatness of Christs Sufferings which he expresseth in many Words That he was despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs that we hid our Faces from him despised and esteemed him not ver 3. that he was stâ—icken smitten and afflicted of God ver 4. Wounded and bruised ver 5. Oppressed afflicted and brought as a Sheep to the slaughter ver 7. Imprisoned and cut off from the Land of the Living ver 8. bruised by his Father and put to grief ver 10. In travel of Soul and numbred amongst Transgressors ver 11 12 2. The Cause of his Sufferings which aâ— the Prophet 〈◊〉 â—aâ— for our sins he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities verse â— 3. The Manner of his Sufferings He is brought aâ— a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb so opened he not his mouth verse 7. 4. The Fruit Issue and Success of his Sufferings For he shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand verse 10. And he shall see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied verse 11. So that these words do plainly hold forth the fruit and issue of our Lords Sufferings and the certainty thereof The Sufferings were great for they are here called a Travel and the Travel of his Soul the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a toylsom painful and wearisom Labor such a Labor say some as is used by those that grind in a Mil Mercerus such a Labor say others as Adam was to use in the sweat of his Brows after the Fal Avenarius as a Curse of sin unto which the Holy Ghost doth here relate because our Savior in these Sufferings was made a Curse for us Forerius Es 53. such a Labor say others so great so painful as women do endure in their sore Travel English Annotations and indeed the word signifies as much and so it 's used in Psal 7.14 Behold he travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief alluding to the pains of a Woman in Travel and so it may be wel translated in this place for the word Soul is a Feminine term as if the Holy Ghost would decipher the Sufferings of Christ by the pangs of a Woman in Travel Now this Travel is also said to be the Travel of his Soul not only because it was a great and sore Travel but because it did extend to his Soul The word Soul is indeed somtimes used for ones Life and somtimes for the Person of a Man But then it doth not exclude the Soul but include it rather So here he shal see the travel of his Soul that is that travel which is not only in his Body but his Soul too This he is promised to see He shall see the Travel that is the Fruit thereof So Psal 128.2 Thou shalt eat the Labor of thine hands that is the Fruit of thy Labor what thine hand hath labored for seeing doth note enjoyment and the enjoyment of the thing desired So Psal 54.7 Mine Eye hath seen its desire upon mine Enemy the word Desire is not in the Hebrew but the Original runs thus Mine Eye hath seen upon mine Enemies We ad Desires because that is the Sense thereof for Seeing notes enjoyment of ones desires and therefore in that the Prophet saith he shal see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied the meaning is That Christ shal so enjoy the issue and fruit of his Sufferings as he shal have ful content and delight therein And so the Doctrine from the whol is this Doct. That Christ shall certainly see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied He did not lay down his Life at a venture nor suffer so many things at uncertainties but he had assurance of success He shall see saith the Lord by way of Promise both to him and us the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied For the opening and cleering hereof three great Arguments wil fal under our Consideration 1. The Travel of Christ or Christ in Travel 2. His Assurance of Issue 3. The Contentment that he doth and shal find therein As for the Travel of Christ His Sufferings were very painful a Travel and an hard Labor Acts 2.24 it 's said that he was somtimes in the pains of Death some Books read it in the pains of Hell but the word rendred Pains signifies the Pains and Pangs of a Woman in Travel Haec vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et partum significat et dolorem parturientem Vict. Strigil Perk. Gal. 4. It is the same word that is used by Paul Gal. 4. My little Children with whom I travel in Birth and it signifies not only the Travel of the Woman at the Birth of the Child but the painful bearing thereof before the Birth these Pains and Pangs did as it were fal on Christ in his Sufferings So that in al the Sufferings of Christ ye may see Christ in Travel He was in Travel for us and this Travel was an hard Labor For It was A sore Travel A long and a tedious Travel And An helpless Travel First It was a Sore Travel both in regard of his Soul and Body First As for his Body His Sufferings were very painful For they were Universal Extream and Lingering They were Vniversal for he suffered from al hands Somthing he suffered from the Jews and somthing from the Gentiles somtimes from Men and somtimes from Women from and by the hand of Magistrates Kings and Princes from and by the hand of Priests from and by the hand of the Common People and the Soldiers Why do the Heathen rage and People imagine a vain thing the Kings of the Earth stood up and the Rulers took Counsel against the Lord and against his Christ Acts 4.25 26. He did not only suffer by the hand of strangers but from his own Friends and
Familiars according to that of the Psalmist Thou hast put mine Acquaintance far from me He that eateth Bread with me hath lift up his Heel against me Psal 41.9 John 13.18 Amongst his own Disciples one beâ—â—aid him another denied him and they al forsook him Thus were his Sufferings great and universal in regard of the Persons by whom and from whom he suffered Universal also they were as Aquinas observes in regard of the things which he suffered Wil ye instance in his Goods he is bereaved of his Cloathes and they cast lots for his Garment Wil ye instance in his Name and Honor he is crucified the Death of the Cross was a shameful Death therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 12. He endured the Cross and despised the shame Yea he was not only crucified but as matter of further shame he was crucified between two Theeves and as if al this were not enough they reproached and jeered him yea and he was reproached by al by Jews Soldiers and the Thief on the Cross the Jews spit in his Face before he came to the Cross as if Christs Face were the fowlest place for their Spit and when he was on the Cross they jeeringly put a Reed into his hand and said Hail Master King of the Jews with an Inscription on the Cross This is the King of the Jews Or wil ye instance in his Comforts He was troubled saith the Gospel began to be afraid and his Soul was heavy unto death Thus were his Sufferings great and Universal in regard of the thing suffered Universal also they were in regard of the Parts and Members of his Body wherein he suffered For what Part was there or Member of his precious Body which suffered not his Hands pierced with Nails and his Feet also his Back whipped and scourged his Side run through with a Spear and on his Head was a Crown of Thorns Al his Sences suffered also and that at the same time for in regard of his Feeling he was whipped pierced and wounded in regard of his Tast they gave him Vinegar and Gal to drink in regard of his Smel they crucified him in a filthy place the place of dead mens Skuls Golgotha in regard of his Hearing he was wearied with the Blasphemies and Derisions of the wicked Aquin. sum par 3. Q. 46. Art 5. and in regard of his Sight he saw his Mother and his Disciple whom he loved weeping Thus were his Sufferings Universal both in regard of the things that he suffered in regard of Persons from whom he suffered and in regard of his own Parts and Members wherein he suffered Surely therefore his Suffering was very great it was Vniversal As it was Universal so it was most extream the Schoolmen tel us That his grief was greater than al other griefs and indeed Dolor passionis Chrrsti fuit major omnibus doloribus Aquin. part 3. art 6. how could it be otherwise for the more excellent and worthy the Person is that doth suffer vile things from those that are vile the more afflictive is his Affliction to him Now Christ suffered vile things from the vile and he was the most excellent Person in the World the Lord of Life and of Glory who thought it no robbery to be equal with God And the more healthful that any man is the more afflictive is his death to him Sickness doth somtimes benumb a man and takes away the sence of his sickness but Christ suffered a painful cruel death in his ful strength and health being more free from Sicknesses and Diseases than any man yea the more sensitive the parts are wherein a man suffers Optime complexionatus erat cum corpus ejus fuit formatum miracuiose operatione spiritus sancti Aquin. ibid. the more extream is his pain Now those that were crucified were nailed to the Cross by their Hands and Feet which parts and places are the quickest and fullest of sence because there is a meeting of al the Ligaments and Sinews and to be racked in those parts where our sence dwels what extream torment is it Those that were crucified though they had somthing to stay their Feet did hang by their hands now to have the whol weight of ones Body hanging thus on our pierced hands and so to die by degrees what extream torment must it needs be Dum pais inferior in nobis patitur superior compatitur et dolorem quantum potest lenit et tolerabilius sit in Christo autem qui dominus Naturae erat ex voluntate sua fuit ista discontinuatio scil ut vires inferiores perfectissime et amarissime paterentur et partes superiores intellectus scil et voluntas toâ—a liter finirentur et nulla consolatio a deitate vel ab intellectu saltem naturaliter redundabat illo tempore in partem sensitivam et tunc potentiae sensitivae soli dolori vacantes acerâ—imum dolorem patiebantur ideo nullus homo tantum dolorem sensit in pâ—â—nalitatibus sicut Christus Abulens in Epist D. Hieron ad Paulinum Cap. 7. pag 41. Tom. 1. in Gen. The less succor the inferior part of Man hath from the Superior part of his Wil and Understanding the more doleful is the pain in the Sences Now when Christ suffered he did willingly suspend those Comforts from his Sence which by way of Sympathy might Naturally have flown in from his Understanding or supernaturally from the Love of God and therefore his Sence being left alone as it were to conflict with those pains they must be exceeding great and very dreadful exceeding doleful and extreamly painful 3. As the Sufferings of his Body were extream so they were long and lingering crucified Persons died a lingering Death they were two or three daies a dying indeed our Savior gave up the Ghost sooner But he suffered from the Cradle and though he sweat drops of blood in the Garden only yet he never was fully out of that Agony til he gave up the Ghost for a little before his Death he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now if his Sufferings were Universal Extream and Lingering then surely his Travel was a sore Travel in regard of his Body Secondly As for his Soul His Travel was a sore Travel in regard of that his Travel was a Soul-Travel It is here in special manner called the Travel of his Soul the Soul and Life and Spirit of his Sufferings was in the Sufferings of his Soul there was the viol of the Wrath of God powred out and there especially The Papists would perswade us that Christ did not suffer in his Soul Bellarmin de Christi anima Cap. 8. Socinus de Christo servatore pars 2. pars 3. Crellius contra Grotium Cap. 1. p. 25. of the same mind also are the Socinians and others not a little their Friends fighting though it may be ignorantly with their Weapons and Arguments who are risen amongst us For the cleering therefore of this profitable Truth
Christ suffering in his Soul I shal deliver my self in these Four Propositions 1. That Christ did truly suffer in his Soul 2. That he did suffer in his Soul immediately 3. That he did suffer and encounter with the Wrath of God 4. That he did suffer and endure the very torments of Hel in this Life Prop. 1 Our Lord and Savior Christ did truly suffer in his Soul for it pleased the Father to bruise him and hath put him to grief Perspicuum est sicut Corpus flagellatum ita animam vere doluisse ne ex parte veritas et ex parte mendacium credatur in Christo Hierom. in Esa 53. Isa 53.10 And saith Christ himself My Soul is heavy unto Death he was in a great Agony Luk 22. insomuch as he sweat drops of Blood verse 42. Now an Agony signifies the sorrows of Combaterâ— entring the Lifâ—s with the sence of their utmost dangers of Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matthew tels us that he began to be very sorrowful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be berounded or besieged with Sorrow Chap. 26.36 37. My Soul saith Christ is exceeding sorrowful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timorem significat sive metum impendentis mali et vixaliter inveniri apud bonos authores vereque Graecos Chamier Cap. 16. Lib. 5. Tom. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesychius Nam scopus loci est explicare infirmitates à Christo susceptas et quamvis aliquando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cauâ—â—m genitivo notat internam causam motus vel actionis quae significatur verbo regente nunquam tamen significat causam externe impellentem ad actionem Ames Bellar. enervat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even unto death Mark tels us that he was sore amazed amazement notes an universal Cessation of the Faculties of the Soul from their several Functions he was afraid and he was sore afraid the Apostle saies that he was heard Heb. 5. in the thing that he feared ver 7. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used doth somtimes signifie Reverence or Piety but so it cannot be taken in this place for it 's said he was delivered or heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his Fear But Amazement is more than Fear And Mark tels us that he began to be sore amazed Chap. 14.33 Yea he was not only amazed but he was very heavy and he began to be very heavy so we read it but the English word is too short 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he began to be so affected with evil as that he was as it were disabled for the minding of any thing else the word is compounded of a privative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 People as if he began to be out of the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat maximam consternationem adeo ut nulla admittatur consolatio Nicol. Arnold Relig. Socinia pag. 501. it 's the same word that is used in Phil. 2.26 And was full of heaviness Now if our Lord and Savior Christ was thus sorrowful and exceeding sorrowful amazed and sore amazed heavy and his Soul heavy even unto death then surely he did truly suffer in his Soul But it may be that Crellius and the Socinians with their Friends wil tel us that his Soul suffered only by way of Sympathy and fellow-feeling with his Body Therefore Prop. 2 I ad in the Second place That as he did truly suffer in his Soul so he did suffer in his Soul immediately for look where the Disobedience of the First Adam began there the Obedience of the Second Adam did begin also Now the Disobedience of the First Adam was not only in his Body in eating with his mouth the forbidden Fruit but in his Soul likewise and he did eat with his Body because he did affect with his Soul to be like God there did his sin begin viz. in the Pride and Unbelief of his heart and therefore the Obedience of the Second Adam was not only to be performed with his Body but with his Soul and to begin there the Soul is not properly said to suffer when the Body suffers and by way of sympathy but when a grief is taken or an affliction Et sane nisi paenae fuisset particeps anima corporibus tamen fuisset Redemptor Calvin Institut Lib. 2. Cap. 16. which doth first arrest the mind and heart of men Now Christ did truly suffer in his Soul for as his active Obedience was Spiritual in his Soul as wel as Corporal in his Body so was and ought to be his passive also and if Christs Sorrow did not begin in his Soul why is it said that he troubled himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 11.33 When he saw her weeping and the Jews weeping he groaned in the Spirit and was troubled Quam pudenda fuisset haec mollities eousque torqueri ob communis mortis formidinem ut sanguineo sudore diffluerit neque posset recreari nisi Angelorum conspectu quod illa precatio ter repetita transeat caelix c. annon ex incredibili amaritudine animi profecta ostendit asperius et majus arduum fuisse Christi certamen quam cum morte communi Calvin ibid. but according to the Original and your Margent he troubled himself Why so but because this trouble of his did begin from within and upon this account he did sweat drops of Blood when his Body was in good health and free from every sickness the Body wil not sweat but when Nature is oppressed when it 's under some outward burden then it sweats Christ was under no outward burden of Disease only death was now approaching the fear of which alone simply considered could not make him sweat drops of Blood for saies he I have a Baptism to be baptized with and how am I streightened till it be accomplished Luk. 12.50 Surely there was some other evil the apprehension whereof did immediately fal upon his Soul which did run and flow over into his Body Christ did suffer in his Soul immediately That 's the Second Proposition Prop. 3 As Christ did suffer in his Soul immediately so he did suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God I do not say Neque tantum innuimus Deum fuisse unquam illi adversarium vel iratum quando enim dilecto filio in quo animus ejus acquievit irasceretur sed hoc nos dicimus Divinae severitatis gravitatem eum sustinuisse quoniam manu Dei percussus et afflictus omnia irati et punientis Dei signa expertus est Calvin ibid. that the Father was wroth or angry with his Person some do here distinguish of the wrath of God somtimes it is taken for the hatred of Persons so the Reprobates are called Vessels of Wrath Rom. 9.22 Somtimes it is taken for the execution of Corrective Justice so God is said to be wroth with his own People Deut. 4.21 Somtimes it 's taken for the execution of Vindicative Justice and
Either Christ hath suffered the Wrath and Justice of God for the Elect denounced against sin Gen. 2.17 Or God doth dispense with the execution thereof Or the Elect are stil to suffer it But the Elect are not stil to suffer it and God doth not wil not cannot by his ordinate Power dispense with the execution of it and therefore Christ hath suffered it for them but the execution of that Law did extend to the Wrath of God and Torments of Hel upon Soul and Body Certainly therefore our Lord and Savior Christ hath not only suffered in his Body but in his Soul too and that immediately Neither can the strength of these Arguments and Reasons be waved by saying That Christ did or might satisfie the Law by enduring somwhat equivolent to the punishment due according to the Letter of it For The Law is not satisfied unless the thing be paid or endured in the kind which the Law doth require although somthing be paid or endured which is equivalent to the dammage made by the trespass As in case the Law requiring an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth that a Jew did strike out his Brothers Tooth and the Judg did order that his Eye should be put out for it though the Eye be equivalent to a Tooth yet the Law should not be satisfied with that Judgment and in case that a man stole an Ox from another five Oxen being to be restored by the Law if the Judg had given the wronged person one Ox every way as good as his own yet the Law should not have been satisfied So that an equivalent may be paid or endured yet the Law not satisfied The punishment which the Law The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death doth threaten is death and the Wrath of God paena sensus et paena damni Now those that oppose the Truth in hand say that Christ did not bear the Wrath of God nor was forsaken by God as to his Soul And is an outward forsaking being left to the malice of men equivalent to the Wrath of God Either Christ did bear the Wrath of God or not either he did endure the punishment of loss and sence upon his Soul and Body or not if he did then he did endure the same punishment in kind that we should have done if he did not but somwhat equivalent then there is some evil that is equivalent to the Wrath of God But there is no evil equivalent to the Wrath of God surely therfore he did endure our punishment in kind even the Wrath of God and the torments of Hel for us so far as they were due to us by the Threatning in it self considered And if Christ have thus suffered for us both in his Soul and body then his Travel was a sore Travel But Secondly As the Travel of Christ was a sore Travel so it was a long and tedious Travel he was in the pains of this Travel from his Cradle to the last breath of his Cross not only in his Death Locus Esaiae dicitur adimpleri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim docet quid speres uâ—i Lyranus litera gesta docet quid credas allegoria moralis quid agas quid speres anagogia cum enim multâ— miracula edere incipiebat Christus fieri potuisset ut vulgus exâ—stimasset Christum tamen excellentem et mirisicum esse chyrurgum ad hoc precavendum Matthaeus hominum mentes elevare per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Christo altius quid sperare voluit but in his Life al along Upon which account Matthew doth apply those words of the Prophet Isaiah Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sins unto what Christ did and suffered in his Life for saith the Gospel of Matthew Chap. 8.16 When evening was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with Devils and he cast out the spirits with his Word and healed all that were sick Mark tels us that all the City was gathered together at the door Chap. 1.32.33 So that he did cure and heal them with his own Trouble according to that of John 11.33 when Lazarus was dead Chemnit harmon sic Rupertus Ferus Flaccius in glos super 8. c. Matth. 17. Per sanationes corporis animae sanationem representavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem absolute significat onerose portare Apoc. 2.3 cum molestia portare Matth. 20.12 Konick Disp 25. loc 83. and he saw them weeping he groaned and he wept and so he raised Lazarus wel therefore might the Evangelist apply that of Esai to this occasion for he took away the Diseases of the People by his own suffering with them and cast out the Devils by his conflicting with them and so though he did not come into the extremity of this Travel til the last yet he had many pains and pangs al along whilst he lived He wept and he wept and he wept again three times we read of his weeping once at the raising of Lazarus those were his Regal Tears once at his coming into Jerusalem when he said Thy House is left to thee desolate those were his Prophetical Tears once at the last in his Agony when he prayed with cries and tears Heb. 5. those were his Priestly tears his whol time was a weeping time a sorrowful time and therefore the Apostle counts of his Sufferings from the time of his coming into the World Heb. 10. 5. Wherefore when he cometh into the World he saith Sacrifice and Offering thou would'st not but a Body hast thou prepared me This Travel then was a long and tedious Travel Thirdly As it was a long and tedious Travel so it was an helpless Travel helpless in regard of men and they all forsook him saith the Text. When a Woman is in Travel Friends come and Midwife comes and Helpers come But when Christ was in Travel even his very Friends forsook him yea God himself did forsake him no Friend nor Midwife nor Helper but in this matter he trode the Wine-press of his Fathers Wrath alone O! what an hard Labor was here yet thus thus in regard of his body thus in regard of his Soul Christ was in Travel for us Quest But suppose that Christ was in Travel and thus in Travel for us what then Answ Then it is our Duty to come in and behold this hard and sore Labor When Moses saw the Bush burning that was not consumed he said I wil stand stil and behold this wonder But behold a greater wonder is here Christ bearing our sins in the fire of the Wrath of God and yet not consumed shal we not then stand stil and behold this wonder of Love Hereby you see al the Attributes and Divine Perfections of God in Conjunction and meeting as in their dwelling place ye may see much of the Wisdom Power Justice and Goodness of God scattered up and down in the Creatures There is an Honey in every Flower which the Bee can find
and discern but in the Hive doth the several Honeys of the Creatures meet and dwel that is the House thereof So there is a sweet tast of the several Attributes of God in al the Creatures but in Christ doth his fulness dwel bodily and in his suffering you may see the Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy of God in Conjunction and so know God indeed which knowledg was more worth to Paul than al other Knowledges for saith he I desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Hereby also I mean by the consideration of this great and sore Travel you wil prize and value Christ more and have your hearts drawn out with Love to him for shal I not prize him that suffered the Wrath of God and the torments of Hel for me The more you see his Love to you the more wil your hearts be inflamed with Love to him Now the greater his sufferings for you do appear to you the more you see his Love to you When I am lift up saith he I will draw all men after me that is when I am lift up on the Cross he doth not say when I am transfigured at Mount Tabor I wil draw al to me yet there was a drawing glory which made Peter say It is good for us to be here But his Love is the most drawing Object and that was glorious in suffering Thereby you wil learn to prize al your enjoyments for thus you wil see what they cost what rate they are at in the Kings Book there is no blessing or mercy which ye do enjoy but was bought in by Christ he laid down his Life for you and in him are you blessed with al Spiritual Blessings But did Christ suffer such hard things for my enjoyments O! what infinite cause have I then to prize them al Hereby also you wil be made willing to suffer any thing for Christ to become low and mean for him to endure the reproach anger and wrath of men for him For shal Christ suffer so hard a Labor for me in his Body in his Soul and shal not I suffer in my Estate and Name for him Shal he suffer the Wrath of God for me and shal not I be willing to suffer the wrath of man for him Shal he endure the very torments of Hel for me and shal not I be willing to suffer a little on Earth for him Thereby you wil be made unwilling to put him to a new Suffering for you those that fal away and decline do crucifie the Lord afresh saith the Apostle and put him to an open shame when Professors walk scandalously they put Christ to an open shame to a new Suffering But is this true That Christ hath suffered so great things for me and shal he now suffer by me what hath he not suffered enough already He hath suffered in his Body in his Soul the Wrath of God the very Torments of Hel and is not this enough God forbid that ever I should so walk that Christ should yet suffer by me who hath suffered such things for me Hereby also you shal be able to overcome your Temptations Corruptions and to be more fruitful and profitable and gracious in your lives here is the Shop of Vertues Officina virtutum whatever Grace or Vertue you want you may have in this Shop if you wil come for it Dost thou want hatred of sin here you may see it in its own colors and the reward thereof for if God spared not his own Son but he endured the Wrath of God and the very Torments of Hel when sin was but imputed to him O! what an Hel and flaming Fire shal those endure who have sin of their own and must bear it themselves And saies Gerard would you see the Torments of Hel the true punishment of sin Ito ad Montem Calvariae Go to Mount Calvary Or dost thou want Patience in thine Afflictions behold the Travel of Christ as a Lamb he opened not his mouth before the Shearer Or dost thou want a tender broken heart truly his heart is hard indeed which the sight of these breakings of Christ wil not break Hereby also you wil be engaged unto his Commandements and Ordinances For what are the Ordinances which now we enjoy but the Representation of a Suffering Christ whereby we hold forth the Lords Death til he come What is al our Preaching and your Hearing but of Christ crucified What is Baptism Lords Supper or any other Ordinances but that Bed wherein we have communion with a suffering Christ and shal Christ suffer such bitter things for us in his Soul and Body and shal we throw up those Ordinances whereby we are to have Communion with him in these Sufferings God forbid And hereby also you that are of a fearful heart may fully conclude the willingness of God to save Sinners For if God the Father had not been very willing he would never have put his own only Son to so great a Suffering for their Salvation What can be more abhorrent from the heart of a tender Father than to put his own only and obedient Son unto Death it goes to the heart of a tender Father to see his Child die I will not see the death of the Child said Hagar and she sate down over against him and lift up her voyce Gen. 21.16 and wept but to lay his own hands upon him in reference to his Death this is a grief beyond al expression yet this did God the Father do for he bruised his Son he put him to grief he smote him and he laid on him the iniquities of us al. Surely if God the Father had not been infinitely willing to save Sinners he would never have done a thing so contrary to him and if Christ himself were not willing he would never have suffered such hard things for their Salvation What is not a Woman willing to do for that Child whom she hath had a sore Travel for Now Christs Travel was a sore Travel surely therefore he is infinitely willing to save sinners and if God the Father be willing and Christ be willing then why should not every poor doubting drooping Soul say Lord I beleeve help thou mine unbelief I once doubted of thy Love because I doubted of thy willingness to save such as I am yea often have I put an If upon thy willingness saying with the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean But now I see thou art willing to save sinners why should I then doubt again And upon this account al poor sinners may be encouraged to come to Christ for if Christ did come down from Heaven for you wil he refuse you when you come to him If he have suffered such hard and bitter things for sinners do ye think he wil cast them away that do come to him surely he wil not O! what great encouragement doth this Doctrine proclaim unto al poor and great sinners for to come to Christ And hereby also your
his heart is at rest and he is fully satisfied And thereby also he obtains the ends of his Sufferings as it is a dis-satisfaction to a man to miss his ends so it is satisfaction to a man to obtain the end of his Labor Now the effects of Christs Travel are the ends which he aimed at in his Travel and therefore when he sees the Travel of his Soul in the Effects thereof he must needs be at rest in his heart and be fully satisfied Quest But how may it appear that Christ shall certainly obtain all those Ends which he travelled for and aimed at Answ 1 This hath been cleered already yet further thus The Will of Christ and the Wil of the Father are one I and my Father saith he are one they are one in Nature and therefore there is but one wil between them Finis à Deo destinatus semper attingitur Now God the Father cannot be frustrated of his Ends for he is a simple being and a pure Act nothing can come between his Executive Power and his Wil. The Soul of Man is a compounded Being Dr. Preston on the Attrib the simplicity of God his Faculties differing from his Essence and his Acts differing from his Faculties and therefore somth ng can come between his Wil and the Execution of it but the Executive Power and the Wil of God being one and his Wil and Act being one nothing can come between his Wil and his Act and therefore look whatever he wils he shal certainly obtain and cannot be frustrated of his Ends. Answ 2 If you look inâ—o the Scripture you shal find that the same things which are the Effects of Christs Death were the Ends of his dying and the same things which were the eâ—ds â—hat he aiâ— ed at in his Death are the effects of his Death For example Did he aim at the Remission of our sins by his Death Matth. 26.28 Remission of sin is the effect of his Dâ—ath Ephes 1.7 Did he aim at the washiâ—g and sanctifying of the Church by his Death Ephes 5.25 26. This clensing washing and sanctifying as the Effect of his Death 1 Cor. 6.11 The Ends and Effects of his Death are the same why so but to shew that he shal certainly obtain al those gracious ends which he travelled for Answ 3 If there be nothing thaâ— can keep our Lord and Savior Christ from the obtainment of his Ends then he must needs see the same Now the Ends of his Death and Sufferings are many he did not only die and suffer to deliver us from the Wrath to come and to reconcile us to God but he diâ—d and suffered to bring us to God and to deliver us from this present evil World 1 Gal. 4 he died to sanctifie wash and clense those that he died for Ephes 5.25 to destroy him that had the power of death the Dâ—vil Heb. 2. and to redeem us from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 Now what can hâ—nder him from the obtainment of theâ—e his Ends Can the Devil he came to destroy him Can the World He came to deliver us from this present evil World Can our Sin or Unbelief hinder him he came to clense us and wash us and to redeem us from al Iniquity why then are not those redeemed from al Iniquity that he died for Wil ye say because they wil not or because they do not beleeve he came to redeem us from those unbeleeving won'ts for that Unbeleef and that won't is a Sin and Iniquity and he came to redeem us from al not from some but from all Iniquity Surely therefore if he did die for al particular men he should redeem them al from al Iniquity and so from their Unbelief Object But when the Apostle saith that Christ came to redeem us from all Iniquity by that US we are to understand Beleevers only and not all the particular men in the World Answ Very true But if he came to redeem Beleevers only from all Iniquity and not others then he did not die equally for al men for he died to redeem some from all Iniquity and not others But those that say Christ died for al say also that he died equally with equal Intentions of Love and Mercy for al and if he did die to redeem al particular men from al Iniquity why are not al particular men redeemed from al Iniquity Wil it yet be said because they wil not why that wil not is an Iniquity Wil it be said Because of their Unbelief why that Unbelief is an Iniquity and a Soul-disease Now if a Physitian come to cure al Diseases and he doth not cure the most because they have Diseases is this a good reason why he doth not cure them You send a Servant to wash and clense a pot from its filthiness and he returns with it unwashed unclensed and he tels you that he did not wash it because there was filth in it wil you take this for a good reason from him Surely no. Now Christ came to wash us and clense us from al Iniquities and wil he not do it because of our Iniquity Surely this can be no reason and seeing these are the Ends of his Death and Sufferings there is nothing that can hinder him from the obtainment of them Therefore he shal certainly see the Travel of his Soul in the obtainment of al those Ends which he suffered for Delectatio oritur ex adeptione boni convenientis et cognitione hujusmodi adeptionis Aquin. Now two things there are which do give ful contentment and satisfaction to the Soul The obtainment of ones End and The knowledg of that obtainment for though I have obtained my End yet if I do not know that I have obtained it I have not satisfaction but where fruition and knowledg of that fruition do meet there is ful contentment and satisfaction Now Christ shal not only obtain his Ends but he shal know and set the Travel of his Soul and therefore he shal have ful delight contentment and satisfaction therein And so the main Doctrine is now cleered in al the three Parts thereof Vse 1 If Christ shal thus see the Travel of his Soul Applicat and be satisfied then here you may see the Reason why we cannot be satisfied with that Doctrine of Universal Redemption Quare cum talis fuerit satisfactio Christi ut ea posita liberum fuerit Deo obtinendae salutis eam conditionem ponere quam vellet ipse vero Deus posuerit conditionem fidei sequitur quandoquidem salva justitia per eam Dei voluntatem fidei ad salutem necessitus ponitur eorum respectum pro quibus Christus satisfecit eandem justitiam non lâ—di cum damnantur increduli licet pro ipsorum peccatis sit satisfactum Corvin contra Molin cap. 23. pag. 442. How can we be satisfied with that which is dis-satisfying to the heart of Christ Now according to that Doctrine Christ shal see men damned for
work Thus I say the Father is ingaged by vertue of his Commandement He is ingaged also by vertue of his promise And therefore if ye look into Psal 29. ye shal see what the Lord hath promised vers 11. The Lord wil give strength unto his people the Lord wil bless his people with peace Here is the promise the Lord wil bless his people with peace Yea if ye look into Isa 26. ye shal find there that the Lord hath promised to keep the peace of his people for them vers 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee So ye read the words but according to the Hebrew â—hey ought to be read thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou wilt keep peace peace twice peace Thou wilt keep peace peace for him whose mind is stayed on thee So that the Lord is not onely ingâ—ged to gâ—ve peace unto his people but he is by promise also ingaged to keep their peace for them Yea the Lord is ingaged by Purchase Christ hath purchased peace for his people and what Christ hath purchased for them God the Father is ingaged to give unto them Read the purchase in Eph. 2.13.14 But now in Christ Jesus ye who were somtimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wal of partition between us Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandements for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace vers 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross having slain the enmity thereby and came and preached peace unto you that were a far off and to them that were nigh So that thus ye see its the purchase of Jesus Christ this inward peace and quietness of soul it is Christs purchase and what Christ the Son hath purchased God the Father is engaged to give Yea the Father is engaged to give peace unto his people by al those Chastisements that they do meet withal And therefore in Isa 40. which I named before The Lord commands us to comfort and speak comfortably unto his people upon this account For she hath received of the Lords hand double for al her sins Even because a fullness of Chastisement had been upon them Thus I say God the Father by vertue of his Prerogative by vertue of his Commandement by vertue of his Promise by vertue of Christs Purchase by vertue of Chastisements that are laid upon his people is engaged to give peace unto his children II. But now proceed a little and ye shal see That as the Father is engaged So the Son also is engaged to give peace inward peace and quietude of soul unto his Servants He is engaged by those Qualifications and endowments that he received from God his Father for this end and purpose The spirit of the Lord is upon me saies he and he hath anointed me Isa 61. Why that I might comfort those that mourn That is one end But I pray look into Isa 50. and consider the 4. vers The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned They are plainly the words of Christ as wil appear to you if you read but the following words The Lord God hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned I away the back I gave my back to the smiters and my cheekes to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitâ—â—ng So that these are the words of Christ Wel what doâ—h Christ say hear He tells us that he hath received the tongue of the learned to comfort those that are distressed and troubled in conscience for to help poor wearied souls Why doth he say the tongue of the learned The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned All men desire to hear the Learned and it is the greatest piece of learning in the world to speak a word in due season by way of comfort to those that are weary this is the greatest piece of Ministerial learning and sayth Christ he hath given me the tongue of the learned Wel but al learned men have not Wisdom to speak in season Mark what follows He hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary But hath Jesus Christ such skil at this work in comforting those that are troubled Yes He wakeneth morning by morning As a Master is early up in the morning to teach his Schollers So hath God the Father been teaching of Christ from al eternity this great skil morning by morning He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learn'd This is the piece of learning saies Christ which I have been learning morning by morning of my Father from eternity and this is that great learning which he had attained unto So that in regard of this endowment which he hath received from the Father he is engaged to give peace unto his people for he hath received the tongue of the learned for this end and purpose that he might speak a word in season to them that are weary He is engaged also by his own Disposition his sweet loving and tender disposition He is a Lyon indeed of the Tribe of Judah but not that roaring Lyon seeking to devour He is a King indeed but he comes meekly riding upon an Asses Colt He doth not lift up his voyce in the streets When our Lord and Savior Christ left the world he saies unto his Disciples My Peace I give unto you my Peace I leave with you Joh. 14.27 not as the world gives Peace but my Peace I give unto you And assoon as ever Christ rose from the dead again and met with his Disciples what doth he say unto them When they were all met together Peace be unto you Joh. 20.19 As it was his last words when he left them so it is the first word that now he useth when he seeth â—hem again But O Lord we have sinned greatly since we saw thee Be it so yet Peace be unto you But O Lord here is Peter among us that hath denied thee since thou sawest us Be it so I know it very wel yet Peace be unto you Peace when he went away and Peace when he came again this is his Language and this is his disposition still Thus he is engaged Yea He is engaged by Office to give Peace unto his People Ye know the Apostle calls him our great High-Priest It was the work of the High Priest in the Old Testament to bless the People and when he did bless the People What did he say But The Lord bless ye and give ye Peace Now then If Jesus
that came at the latter end he did not murmur nor say surely my penny is naught because I have a penny given me as wel as he that hath born the heat of the day If any should complain those that have born the heat of the day that have been so much troubled should in reason be the persons but hath the Lord taken you and given you a penny the same peace with him who bare the heat of the day and wil you complain and say surely my penny is falâ—e coyn and my peace naught because I have not born and indured so much trouble as another hath you know some children are born into the world with more pain than others some with less pain should the Child that is born with less pain say I am a Bastard because I was not born with so much pain as the other was When Christ is formed in the souls of men women some are regenerate and born again with more pain some are regenerate and born again with less pain should he that is born with less pain say I am a Bastard and not a true Son because there was not so much pain at my first regeneration as such a one had you know how it was with Zacheus Christ comes unto his house and the same day that he came he said to Zacheus This day it Salvation come to thy house He had assurance the first day But Paul is converted and he lyes troubled and is three dayes blind Should Zacheus now say Surely I am not Converted for I never lay three dayes blind nor was so much troubled as Paul was No surely no more may you say that your Peace is false because you have not such abundance of trouble as others have you are not to make anothers Measure your Rule God goes several waies with his People as well in regard of Peace as in regard of Grace This therefore I say unto you Look unto your Peace it self Have you peace and quietness of soul Then bless and praise the Lord for that peace of yours Yea do not only praise the Lord for your peace and quiet but praise the Lord that ye came so sweetly by it in a way of Free-grace and if for any thing you are to be troubled it is for this That you should nick-name the Grace of God and call it little or false Christ calls it free and you call it false O be humbled for this and praise the Lord for any measure of quiet and peace that he hath given unto thee Object But wil another say All this doth not come up to my case for I have no Peace nor Quiet in my soul to be thankful for Some there are that have Peace and Quiet indeed and they no question ought to be very thankful for it but my poor soul hath been long afflicted troublâ—d and I never yet had assurance of Gods Love in Christ I have not this Peace and Quiet within What shall I dâ— that I may attain unto it or what should a poor soul do to get and attain this Peace and Quiet within Answ Ye know what the Psalmist saies I will hear what the Lord will say for he will speak Peace unto his People Psal 85.8 It is not in my power or in the power of any poor Creature to speak Peace unto you but it is the Lord only that must speak Peace unto thy soul and the Lord speaks Peace in the way of an Ordinance Quest But what does the Lord say what does the Lord speak from his Word in the way of an Ordinance that I who was never yet setled may attain unto this inward Peace and Quietude of soul Answ 1 First He wills you to study and consider much the Death Sufferings and Fulness of the Satisfaction made by Jesus Christ Go down into the Grave of Christ Christs Blood is the Object of Faith and Faith brings Peace Unbelief is a painful sin and Faith is an easing and quieting Grace Being justified by Faith we have Peace c. Rom. 5.1 The more you see the free and infinite Love of God the more will your heart be at rest and quiet within you And where shall you see the Love of God but in the Death of Christ By seeing Christ on the Cross you see Divine Love in triumph All true Peace within arises from sight of Peace made without Where shall you read of that but in Christ's Death And therefore saies the Prophet The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him In Psal 41. ye have a Promise made of great Blessing unto him that considereth the Poor Blessed is he that considereth the poor Who is this poor Tarnovius tels us from the 10. verse That it is Christ in his Sufferings for as he observes this Psalm is a Psalm of Christ verse 9. Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me They are the words of Christ and Christ speaks this Psalm and this poor to be considered is Christ in his Sufferings Saies he I will not here debate the truth of this Interpretation but if true the Lord promised here a blessing to him that doth wisely consider the Death and Sufferings of Christ And wherein doth that blessing he and consist Pauper hic Christus est et beatos istos predicat qui dolores et cruciatus ipsius quos pro nobis sustinuit grato et fideli animo recte considerant Tarnovius in Psalmum 41. The Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the evil day or in the day of evil saith the Chaldee Paraphrase In the day of vexation saith Symmachus Now the day of Temptation Doubts and great Fears is an evil day and a day of vexation This Day will God deliver him from who doth wisely ponder on the death of Christ Could we see the heart of Christ we should doubt no more and in his death you may see his heart in his Blood you may see his heart Ye know what the Prophet Isaiah saies Lord wilt thou not ordain Peace who hast wrought all our works for us And where shall ye find that God hath wrought all our works for us but in Christs Grave and Death Secondly Ye must not only go unto the Grave of Christ and study his Death but you must go unto Christ Himself for Peace He is the great Peace-maker hath a Commission to take up all Differences without us and within us Ye know his words The Lord God hath given me the Tongue of the Learned saies he that I may speak a word in due season to him that is weary Go then to Christ and press this engagement and say Lord thou hast therefore received the Tongue of the Learned that thou mayest speak a word in due season to him that is weary And O Lord I am one of those wearied souls wearied with my Temptations wearied with inward trouble now Lord speak a word
way of beleeving and then Christ wil give you more Ye know how it was with Nathaniel When Nathaniel beleeved upon what Christ had spoken saies Christ unto him Beleevest thou because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Fig-tree I wil shew thee greater things thou shalt see the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man So wil the Lord Christ say to a poor soul I have spoken a word unto thee and I gave thee a little peace and doest thou beleeve because of the word I have spoken unto thee thou shalt see greater things and I wil give thee abundance of peace Look into Isa 48. vers 18. and there you shal find the Lord speaking thus O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandements then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea When the Lord speaks and cals upon people to beleeve if then they do hearken to him then shal their peace be like a river And when does the Lord cal in a special manner upon people to beleeve When he gives out a word and when he gives them a little peace then he is calling upon them to beleeve now return and now beleeve saies the Lord. Ye know how it was with Eliah when they wanted rain and had wanted rain for a long time Eliah sends his servant towards the Sea to see if he could perceive any rain coming and Eliah fals down upon his face in prayer his servant goes but no sign of rain he goes again and no sign of rain and the seventh time Eliah's servant perceives a cloud of the bigness of an hand and he comes down unto his Master and tells him he had seen a cloud the bigness of a mans hand Whereupon Eliah concludes and saies Come let us up I hear the noise of many waters So say I you have been upon your face and have been much discouraged yet if you have been at prayer and a little refreshment comes though it be but the bigness of an hand yet conclude and say surely there is more rain a coming Come O my soul Why art thou cast down and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God and wait on him I hear abundance of rain a coming When our Savior Christ sometimes speaks peace he doth at the first speak by a smal word and if that be improved then he speaks more Ye know how it was with Mary she was at the Sepulcher and had been enquiring after her Lord and saies she to the Angells they have taken away my Lord and the Angells talked â—o her and could not comfort her But at last comes our savior Christ and he speaks to her and then she was comforted But what does he say to her onely one word Mary so when a man is in trouble the Lord comes sometimes and speaks but a word he takes a promise it may be and sets on a word thereof upon the soul and the heart answers Rabboni my Lord. Doth the Lord therefore speak but one word unto thee yet stir up thy self in beleeving and hearken to him for he wil speak yet more fully and playnly onely when he speaks listen hearken diligently unto him and improve what he sayth so shal your peace be as a River and your righteousnes as the Ocean And thus I have done with the first Argument TRUE PEACE MAY BE INTERRUPTED Sermon II. PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney April 23. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. Doct. 2 IT is possible that the Saints and People of God may be much discouraged and cast down Though there be an inward Peace and quietness of Soul which they are ordinarily indued with yet possibly this Peace may be interrupted and themselves much discouraged and cast down Here are two words in the Text speak as much Cast-down Disquieted And three times in this Psalm the Psalmist saith His Soul was cast down within him yet this David was a man of great Peace and Comfort ordinarily And as with David so it was is and will be with other Saints This is so ordinary a case that â—he Holy Ghost hath provided a standing Psalm or Prayer on purpose for such as are in this condiâ—â—on Psalm 102. the Title A Prayer or Psalm of the afflicted when he is over-whelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. In Psal 119.25 he saith My belly cleaves to the dust and that is low indeed And vers 28. My soul melteth for heaviness I am not only sad and heavy but my soul melteth for heaviness Canticles 5. The Spouse saith Her heart was gone or my soul failed within me And if we look into Psalm 143. we find at the 4. vers that the Psalmist saith My Spirit is over-whelmed and my heart within me is desolate What do all these expressions high great and many speak but this Truth that is now before us For the more full cleering and opening of it I shall labor to shew First How far it is possible for a good man to be discouraged or cast down Secondly How it doth come to pass that he is so discouraged Thirdly How those Discouragements can stand with his Grace and goodness Fourthly How they may be healed and cured Quest 1 And First If you ask How far the Discouragements of the Saints may reach For will some say I know it is possible that the most gracious holy man may be much discouraged but not with such discouragments as mine are Answ 1 I Answer What are yours Are you so far disquieted discouraged cast down as to refuse the word promise or consolation that is brought unto you So far may the discouragments of the Saints extend Psal 77. vers 3. I remembred God and was troubled He doth not say I remembred my sin and was troubled but God Yea I was not onely troubled but I did complain and my spirit was overwhelmed within me But when the promise came and mercy came and comfort came did he refuse that too yes vers 2. my soul refuseth to be comforted Answ 2 Secondly Are you so far discouraged disquieted cast down that your very body feeleth the smart of your discouragements that you do not onely refuse the promise and al comfort for your soul but even for your body Then look into Psal 102. and see if your case may not be paralleld vers 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass so that I forget to eate my bread vers 5. By reason of the voice â—f my groaning my bones cleave to my skin vers 6. I am like a Pelican of the wilderness and I am like an Owl of the desâ—rt vers 9. I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping vers 10. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down vers 11. My dayes are like a shadow that declineth and I am withered like grass O! but I am not
onely so far discouraged as to refuse comfort for soul and body but my soul refuseth Duty and casts off Duty too for the present Answ 3 Thirdly therefore It is possible that a good and gracious mans discouragments may extend thus far too You wil think it strange that I find an instance for this in that holy man Jeremiah yet if you look into Jer. 20.7.8 and 9. verses you find it made good Indeed saith he The word was as fire in my bones and I could not forbear But for the time he did resolve to forbear preaching in the name of God which was his duty which he had commission to do for saies he I wil not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name This Holy Gracious man was under temptation he was much discouraged and thereupon he said so Yet verse 13. he saith Sing to the Lord praise the Lord for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evil doers But then mark the next words Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my Father saying A man child is born to thee What a sudden change was here even in the best of the Saints from incouragments to discouragements O! but I have not only cursed the day of my birth as Jeremie and wished that I had never been born But I am weary of my life and have sought after mine own death and was there ever any Godly Gracious man that was thus discouraged and cast down Answ 4 Yes What think you of Job I was weary of my life Job 10.1 And in the 3. Job pouring out his complaint in regard of himself he saith vers 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soul vers 21. Which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures Now ye know that those which dig for Gold and Silver dig industriously and earnestly Thus it is with me saies Job I am so afflicted and distressed and in such bitterness of soul that I long for death and dig for it as for hid treasures O! what a mighty deep of discouragments may the Saints and people of God fal into and yet be Godly Gracious Quest 2 But why doth God suffer his own people and dearest children to be thus discouraged and their peace to be interrupted I know wil some say that al our present joy and comfort is but a creature and so may be ecclipsed and that Satan is near unto the best of Gods children thrusting and pushing them forward into these discouragments that they may be like unto himself who is a discouraged Spirit Answ Sic verus justitiae Sol nonnunquam oritur ad nos accedit a liquando rursus a nostro climaâ—e aberrat utrumque tamen benesicium nostrum est Frumentum in Terram jactum eget aliquo tempore ut congelatur induretur aliquo etiam ut molliatur neutrum illi obest utrumque nâ—cessarium est unum ut crescat alterum ut Radices agat Granat but why will God suffer it to be so In General It is for their good for their good they have and for their good they do want their Peace and Comfort The Star which led the wise men to Christ did not alwaies go before them but somtimes it appeared somtimes it was hidden from them but both appearance and hiding was for their benefit its first appearance invited them to Christ and its withdrawance made them more diligent in seeking after him So when Christ hid himself from his Mother Mary she sought him the more and when she found him she rejoyced the more but both his absence and his presence her fear and her comfort was for her good for his absence did encrease and draw out her desires and his presence did encrease and draw out her joyes When God is absent from us then we have testimonies of our Love to God by our desires after him and when he is present then we have testimonies of his Love to us by the shines of his Countenance so that whether God shines or not whether we have comfort or not both is for our good Thus in the General but yet more Particularly First Ye know it is Gods way and manner to deal with the Children of men according to their own dispositions to stoop and condescend unto their infirmities Therefore saies the Prophet Hosea Hos 11.4 He draws us with the Cords of a man Now it is mans disposition to come to God at the second hand So long as man can find a fulness in any Creature he comes not to God but first he sees an emptiness in the Creature Duty and Ordinance and then he saies O what a fulness is in God himself in Christ himself 1 Tim. 5.5 The Widdow that is desolate trusteth in God though a Widdow yet if not desolate somtimes she would not trust and therefore God suffers a desolation to come upon her Widdowhood When Davids men took up stones to have stoned him then the Text saies He encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 So long as man hath encouragement els-where he doth not encourage himself in the Lord his God This being mans Nature and God having a design of Love upon his own Children he suffers a damp and discouragement to pass upon all their Comforts their Peace to be interrupted their hearts disquieted and their souls discouraged that so they may encourage themselves in God alone Secondly This inward Peace and quietness of soul is so great a Commodity that God would have the price to be inhanced and raised Common and ordinary blessings once lost and found again are extraordinary It is a common and ordinary mercy that a man sits in his Shop and walks up and down in his Trade but if he be sick a while lose his health and not able for five or six weeks to look into his Shop if then he can get down but one day O saies he what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is it that I should go down again Thus the interruption of an ordinary blessing does raise it to an extraordinary So long as a man hath his health and strength though he be able to travel forty fifty three-score miles a day he is not much affected therewith but if he be sick a little and at deaths door and then begins to recover though he can but put forth his Hand or stir his Leg he blesses God and saies O Friends I can stir my self in my bed I can move my Hand or my Leg what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is this So in this caie So long as a man hath inward Peace and quietness of soul without interruption he looks upon it as a common mercy and blessing but if his Peace be a little interrupted and his soul buffeted by Satan
your own condition and pitch upon sin as a breach of Gods Law a transgression of the Law of God a dishonor done to God and as a breach of the Law of Love between Christ and you Thus I say if you would be humbled and not discouraged rather mourn over your Condition in order to your Sin than for your Sin in order to your Condition Answ 4 Fourthly In your Humiliation take heed that you do not meddle too much with Gods Prerogative and with Gods Peculiar In Humiliation a man is to meddle with that which belongs to man Some things there are that are peculiar to God and are his Prerogative You see how it is with the Birds of the Air so long as the Birds fly up and down here in the Air they do live comfortably but if the Birds do fly up to the Element of Fire it wil burn their Wings and they will fall down head-long So here so long as a man in his Humiliation keeps within his own Compass and Element he may walk comfortably there but if a man in Humiliation will soar up unto Gods Prerogative certainly his Soul wil fal down upon the Earth and be much discouraged Now I pray what is more the Prerogative and Peculiar of God than this To know who is a Reprobate and who is not When a man is humbled and grieved about his Sin and he finds that he hath sinned much against God and thereupon he concludes himself to be a Reprobate is not this â—o come upon Gods Prerogative The Scripture tels a man indeed what he is for the present That a man for the present is a Drunkard or a Swearer or a Sabbath-breaker or an Adulterer and therefore the Scripture tels him for the present that he is in the state of Nature and under the wrath of God but doth the Scripture tel him that he is a Reprobate that he can never be converted and turned to God Surely this is Gods great Prerogative to know his Secret which he reserves to himself and therefore when a man goes to be humbled before God and concludes O! I am a Reprobate and there is no hope for me and I shal never be converted this is to soar too high into Gods Prerogative and he wil burn his wings and he wil fal down into great Discouragement Therefore in al your Humiliation take heed that you do not fal upon any thing that is the Peculiar and Prerogative of God for then you wil not be humbled but discouraged Answ 5 Fifthly The more you are humbled and grieved by the Sight of Gods free Love and Grace the more you wil be humbled and the less discouraged When you come to Humiliation you are humbled because you have sinned against God but how do you present this God to your own soul Do you present him as a Judg only or as a Father also Do you present the Lord unto your soul only under the Notion or Attribute of his Greatness or under the Notion and Attribute of his Goodness also Luther said thus When my heart is brisk and jolly I present God unto my self under the notion of his Greatness but when my heart is low and fearing then I present God to me under the notion of his Goodness One while I consider Christ as my Example another while as my Gift when my heart is too high then I consider Christ as my Example when my spirit is too low I consider Christ as my Gift So do you also I know you wil say I cannot somtimes present the Lord unto my soul under the notion of a Father because I have no assurance of his Love Yet you may consider the Lord as gracious in himself as good in himself and loving in himself and say I have thus and thus Sinned against a gracious God and although thou hast not assurance of Gods Love to thee in Particular yet if you can present God to your soul under the Notion of his general Goodness as good in himself you will never be discouraged but be humbled Answ 6 Sixtly and lastly If you would be truly humbled and not be discouraged not discouraged and yet humbled then beat and drive up all your sins to your unbeleef and lay the stress and weight of all your sorrow upon that Sin As in matter of thankfulness if a man do run up every Mercy unto the Fountain Mercy the Blood of Jesus Christ he wil be most thankful So in the matter of Humiliation If a man do run up every Sin unto the Fountain the Head Sin he wil be most humbled Now what is the great Sin the Fountain Sin the Head Sin of al your Sins but Unbelief and beleeve it he is never far from Faith that is humbled for his Unbeleef and he wil never be discouraged that is not far from Faith Now therefore if at any time you find your soul in any Sin then say This hath my Unbeleef done I did not think that I had had such an unbeleeving heart O! what an unbeleeving heart have I This even all this Sin hath my Unbeleef brought forth Now the Lord heal my unbeleeving heart A soul grieved for unbeleef wil never be discouraged too much nor be humbled too little he wil be humbled in truth for sin because he is humbled for his unbeleef which is the mother Sin yet he wil not be discouraged because he is humbled for that which doth cause al discouragements Lay therefore the weight of your sorrow upon this Sin and you shal be truly humbled without unjust discouragement And thus I have dispatched the first particular by al which you see That a Gracious Godly man though he hath just cause for humiliation yet he hath no just and scripture reason to be discouraged for his Sin though he have Sinned and Sinned greatly yet no discouragement is to grow upon this condition And thus I have done with the First Instance A LIFTING UP In case of WEAK GRACE Serm. V PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 2 SOmtimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise from the weakness of their Graces O! saies one I am a poor feeble and a weak Creature some are strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might who do a great deal of Service for God in their day but as for me I am a poor Babe in Christ if a Babe and so am able to do little or nothing for God Therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down have I not just cause and reason for it Answ No For God is able to make all Grace to abound towards you that ye alwaies having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good Work 2 Cor. 9.8 And if God have recompenced your weakness with Wisdom then surely you have no cause to complain of your weakness Admonemur nullam creaturam propter parvitatem contemnendam esse quando qui dem quod illis in
periclitari causam cujus patrocinium suscepit ibid. because it is mixt with his Thirdly If our acceptance of duty do not come in by the door of performance but by another door and that door is Christ then a Godly man hath no reason to be discouraged though there be many failings in his performance Now al our acceptance of duty comes in by Christ because our Sacrifices are mingled with Christs perfumes Revel 8. vers 4. And the smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Our prayers go unto God the Father through the hand of Christ did our prayers go immediatly out of our own hands into the Fathers hand we might have causâ— to fear but it goes by the hand of Christ Christ takes it and hath it into the preâ—ence of God the Father As it is with your soul or your body when you die through your body be crooked or deformed and your soul defiled yet when you die Christ meets your soul and invests it with Glory and so brings it into the presence of God the Father so it is with your duty your duty it may be deformâ—d defiled or a crooked duty but Christ meetes your duty and he clothes it with his Glory and so hath it into the presence of God the Father and thus it is with al the Saints and people of God surely then though they have cause to be afflicted by reason of their failing in duty yet they have no reason at al why they should be discouraged Object But I have no Parts or Gifts in duties therâ—fore I am thus discouraged some there are that have great abilities in duty they pray and can pray with great abilities they go to a sermon and can bring away every word and have a great Gift in conference but as for me I am a poor creature who want al these Gifts I have no utterance in conference I have no abilities in prayer I have no memory for a Sermon my memory is even as a sieve good things run out presently I have no Gifts at al a poor Sea-man or Trades-man I am that have no Parts no Gifts in duty and have not I just cause and reason now to be discouraged Answ 1 No For whosoever you are that make this objection Do ye not know That the Glory of the second Temple was greater than the first Solomon you know built a great House and it was a Glorious building much Gold and Silver in it the second Temple was not so ful of Gold and Silver and yet it is said of the second Temple That the Glory of it was beyond the Glory of the first why this reason is given because The desire of al Nations should come into it That is Christ who is indeed The desire of al Nations De facto Gold and Silver is the desire of al Nations but De jure and by right the Lord Jesus Christ is the desire of al Nations and because that Christ the desire of al Nations should come into the Second Temple therfore the Glory of it was beyond the Glory of the first Now thy soul is the Temple of the Holy-Ghost it may be thou hast not so much Gold and Silver not such Golden Parts and Golden Gifts as another hath but if the desirâ— of al Nations the Lord Jesus Christ be come into thy soul hast thou any reason to complain Thus it is with every child of God though he hath not those Parts and Gifts that another hath yet the Lord Jesus the desire of al Nations is come into his Temple into his soul and therefore he hath no reason to be discouraged Answ 2 If the want of Parts and Gifts be better for you then you have no reason to be discouraged for the want of them Now you know that it is better for a man that hath but a little stock to have a little farm than to have a great farm and a little stock a man that hath but a little stock and a great farm may for the present brave it out and converse with company that are in estate beyond him but at last he wil decay and break better that a man who hath but a little stock should have a little farm sutable to his stock Now God our Father sees that thou hast a little good there are some good things found in thee but these good things this little stock is not big enough for a great farm of Parts and Gifts and because the Lord sees that thy stock of Grace is not great enough for such a great farm of Parts therefore in design of mercy he hath thus ordered it that thou shouldest have a less farm of Gifts Answ 3 If our Parts and Gifts do not commend our services and duties unto God then have you no reason to be discouraged for the want of them Now so it is that they do not commend us nor our services unto God When you have good meat in a dish possibly you wil lay flowers upon it cut Oranges and Lemons and lay upon the side of the dish but a wise man knowes that the meat is never the better for tho e flowers or for the sugar that lies on the side of the platter a wise man knowes that if those were wanting the meate were never the worse Beloved God our Father is of infinite wiâ—dom these Parts and Gifts are flowers indeed and they help to cook ouâ— a duty and to make it more acceptable to men but the Lord who is wisdom knowes that the duty is never the beâ—ter and he knows that when these flowers are wanting the duty is never the worse All flesh is grass and the flower thâ—reof and it fades away Parts and Gifts are but flesh and our wise God knows the â—eat is never the worser when these flowers are wanting Yea if I had al Parts and al Gifts that I were able to preach and speak like an Angel and that I were able to cast out Devills yet notwithstanding if I have not Christ and Grace within my Parts and Gifts will but sink me deeper into Hell Two men suppose do fall into the River one man hath bagâ— of Gold about him and the other none he that hath none makes a shift to swim and get away but he that hath the bags of Gold about him sinks by his Gold and he cries out as he sinks O! take away these bags of Gold this Gold undoeth me this Gold sinks me So these Golden Parts and Golden Gifts if a man hath not Grace withal hath not Christ within shall but sink him the deeper into Hell These commend us not I say nor our Service unto God nor doth the want thereof discommend us unto him Answ 4 You say and complain That you have no Parts or Gifts but I pray hath not the Lord recompenced the want of them some other way unto you Phylosophy saith of Nature Vbi deficit in uno abundat
in altero Where Nature is deficient in one thing it is abundant in another thing If a man wants his Eyes he hears the better and the less he sees the more he remembers where Nature is wanting in one thing it is exceeding in another And as Nature so the God of Nature and the God of Grace too It may be you do want a Head-memory but hath not the Lord given you a Heart-memory to remember thâ— Sermon as you have occasion to use it Some have Parts and Gifts and they want plainness and openness of heart for God some again have a plain heart and they want Gifts and Parts It is said Jacob That he prevailed with God in Prayer and he was a plain man Mark how the Holy Ghost doth put these two together That that man should be the prevailing man with God in Prayer who was the plain man and that man that was the plain man should be the prevailing man in Prayer a plain man but prâ—vailing with God Well then though thou beest but a plain person and hast no Parts or Gifts as others have yet thou maiest prevail with God and thy Name may be called Israel prevailing with the Lord When God denies one he gives another Mercy Thus it is with all the Saints and People of God and a godly gracious man may say thus Well though I have not great Parts and Gifts yet blessed be the Lord I have a plain and an open heart for God and if the Lord hath done thus much for you and recompenced you in another way have you any reason then to be discouraged for want of Parts and Gifts in Duties Certainly you have not Object O! but yet this is not the matter of my Discouragement I am not discouraged for want of Parts or Gifts in Duty but I want the Grace and the Holiness of Duty I want the Grace and the Holiness of Prayer I go to Prayer and Duty but the Lord knows wiâ—h a dull dead and a straightened heart I think verily that there is not a more rockie stony flinty heart in the world than mine I offer my self to God somtimes in Prayer but when I come at it I am not able to speak a word my heart is so shut up and straightened and have I not cause and reason now to be discouraged is not this matter of just discouragement Answ No. For Pearls somâ—imes grow upon Rocks and possibly there may be some Pearl of Grace growing upon that rocky heart of thine Yet further First You say That you are straightened in Duty but are you satisfied and contented with that condition or if you had enlargeâ—ent in Duty would you be satisfied therein No I am not satisfied with my straightened condition and the truth is though I had never so much enlargement enlargement alone would never satisfie my soul but if I had more affection I would give it up to God yea if I had a Sea of Affection I would powr it out before the Lord and if I had Prayers and Tears and Enlargements like the Sands upon the Seâ—shore I would offer them all up to God Well and is not this to be enlarged towards God A poor man that hath never a penny in his Purse sees another or many others in want but he hath nothing to relieve them with yet saith he if I had wherewithal I would relieve all these men I would cloath them all or I would feed them all is not this mans heart enlarged now towards the poor though he hath not a penny to help them with So in your case for the present thy Affection is poor and thou aâ—â— straightened but thou sayest if I had a Sea of Affection I would give it all to God and if I had Prayers like the Sand upon the Sea-shore I would give them all to God is not this to be enlarged towards God God doth give by denying somtimes and thus he hath dealt by you Secoâ—dly If your Condition herein be no other than the condition of the Saints and People of God then you have no just cause and reason to be discouraged in this respect Now Psalm 77.3 4. saith the Plalmist there I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was over-whelmed Lord saith he at verse 4. Thou holdest mine Eyes watching I am so troubled that I cannot speak I cannot pray I am so troubled I cannot speak A Mother hears her child cry and saith she now doth this Child cry for the Breast yet the Child speaks not a word but the Mother knows the meaning of the childs crying and the language of it And doth a Mother know the language of her Childs crying and doth not God our Father know the Language of his Childs cry that cannot speak unto him The Beggar that follows you for an Alms is a Beggar though he be dumb and cannot speak and you say send him away with some gift for he follows us So here though your heart be shut up in Duty yet if you can follow God he looks upon you as a Beggar at the Throne of Grace and in due time he will serve you and send you away with Comfort Thirdly You would fain have enlargements and workings of the heart in Prayer but what would you do with those enlargements Would you shew your Enlargements your Excellencies your Graces to God when you come to Duty A Beggar you know if he have any excellent thing as Gold or Silver he hides that and he shews his wounds he shews his sores if you mean to give him a penny and ask him if he have any money I have two-pence or threepence Sir saith he or a penny but he hides his excellency and he laies open his wounds and if he can but open his sores before you he thinks he doth beg effectually Beloved we all go to God in Prayer in forma Pauperis every man sues in this Court in the form of a Beggar If thy heart then be straightened if thy heart be hard and if thy Spirit be dull in duty you may go to God and open your sores and wounds before him you may go and say Lord what an hard heart have I and what a dull and straighâ—ened Spirit have I This father becomes a Begger and you must come as a Begger when you come before him yet you must know Etsi non sit possib le per ea moveri immobilem et per omniaque immutabilem Deum potentia enim mihi videatur esse ad movendum ipsum recitantem vel meditantem ipsa ad moveadum inquam et preparandum ad gratiam devotionis etâ— gratitudinis et largitatis et beneficentiae incogitabibis Dei Parisiens Cap. 22. de Rhetor Div. That neither your Poverty nor your Riches neither your straightenings in Duty nor your enlargements do make any alteration in the Mind and Will of God Indeed God seems to deal by us somtimes as a Father doth by his little Child he holds a piece
of Gold or Silver in his hand and saith the Father if you can get this out of my hand you shall have it so the Child strives and pulls and works and then the Father opens his hand by degrees first one finger then another and then another and at last his whol hand and the child thinks he hath got the money by his own strength and labor whereas the Father intended to give it him but in that way So here God intends to give us a mercy in the way of Prayer and he sets us a praying for it and we think we obtain it by the strength of our own prayer as if we did move and change the will of God by our Duty but all the enlargements in the world make no alteration in the will of God he is immovable unchangable and the same for ever But he will give out his blessings in a way of prayer therefore it is our Duty to pray yet we must not be discouraged though we cannot pray as we would Fourthly It is usual with the Lord to restrain Prayer before he doth give enlargement and to make a man speechless before he openeth his Mouâ—h Luke 1. we read so of Zacharias a gracious and holy man at the 67. verse it is said of him that He was filled with the Holy Ghost and he prophesied Yet if you look into the former part of the Chapter you shall find that before he was thus filled with the Holy Ghost and Prophesied he was dumb and stricken with dumbness verse 20. saith the Angel to him And behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak So he continued dumb before he was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied It may be here is a further Mystery in this quando oramus non ideo oramus ut per hoc Divinam dispositionem immutemus sed ut impetremus id quod deus disposuit sanctorum oratio nobis impetrandum Tostat Mat. 6. for Zachary was a Levitical and a Legal Priest and our Lord and Savior Christ being to come into the world immediately who knows but that Zachary was thus stricken with dumbness to shew that the Lord will silence all our Legal Performances before he wil enlarge us with the enlargements of Christ and of the Gospel This is Gods usual way with his People it may be thou hast gone on in Duty in a Legal manner and now thou art stricken with dumbness yet if God have a design to discover more of Christ to thy soul and to enlarge thee with the Enlargements of the Holy Ghost have you any cause to complain Fifthly As for the dulness of your Heart in Duty and Prayer though dulness be an ill-sin yet the sence thereof is a good sign As the Tâ—â—stle is a good sign of a fat ground though it be an ill Weed so the sence of your dulness is a good sign though it be an ill sin for it argues that you are used to private Duties for dulness in private and pride in publick Duties is the Temptation Only here remember Three things 1. That you do not measure or judg of your everlasting Condition by your present Affection 2. That you do not forbear Duty because of your dulness in it because Duty is a great remedy against it and whither should a dead soul go but to the living God 3. That one great cause of your dulness is your doubting and discouragement and therefore no reason that you should be discouraged because of it lest you augment the same Sixtly What is Prayer and the Nature of it Prayer is the powring out of the soul to God not the powring out of words not the powring out of expressions but the powring out of the soul to God Words many times and expressions are a great way off from the soul but sighs and groans are next the soul and have more of the soul in them than words and expressions many times have now thou complainest that thy heart is straightened and dead and dull but when you are so straightened in Prayer do ye not at that time powr out sighs and groans after Prayer saying O! what freedom once I had O! Lord that I might have the like freedom again And whereas you say now that your heart is hardened in Duty consider whether there be not a great mistake about hardness and softness of heart Durum est quod tactui non cedit molle cedit A hard thing doth not yield to the touch but a soft thing doth Wax yields when it is touched because it is soft and Wool yields when it is touched because it is soft but an hard thing yields not And upon this account it is said of Pharaoh That his heart was hard why Because he did not yield to God he had not a yielding disposition Now there is many a poor soul complains that his heart is hard and yet notwithstanding he hath a yielding disposition to every Truth a yielding disposition to every Affliction and Dispensation of God Wherefore doest thou complain and say O! my heare is very hard yet if at this time thou hast a yielding disposition to yield to every Truth of God and to yield to every touch of the Lords hand know from the Lord that here is a soft heart be not mistaken but many are mistaken and because they are mistaken herein and it is bâ—t a mistake therefore they have no reason for to be discouraged Object But I do not only want enlargement and softenings of heart in Duty but I am oppressed and filled with distractions my heart is not only dull and dead and straightened but I feel many positive evils As the Leaves of a Tree are eaten up with Catterpillars so I may say my Duties are eaten up â—â—th distractions I never go to Duty but the Lord knows a world of distractions come in upon me and have I not just cause and reason to be discouraged now Answ Surely this is a great evil for as one saith well Tantum temporis oras quantum attendis so much time you pray as you do attend in prayer and upon this account if the Lord should abstract all the out-goings of our souls in Duty and all our distractions from our prayers O! how little of prayer would be left many times It were an incivility you wil say when a Petitioner hath gotten the Kings Ear for the poor Petitioner then to turn his back upon the King and what an evil must it needs be when a poor soul hath gotten the Ear of God then to turn the back by way of distractions upon the Lord who comes down to hear his Prayer We use to say When the Candle burns the Mouse bites not or the Mouse nibbles not when the Candle doth not burn then the Mouse eats the Candle but when the Candle burns the Mâ—use doth not bite the same And so long as a mans heart is warm and inflamed in prayer he is freed from distractions but when a mans heart is
never have a Promise take heed you do not say I shall never be Comforted take heed you do not say I shal never have the Testimony of the Spirit bearing witness with my Spirit that I am the Child of God do not say thus I shal never be helped I am in a sad condition and I shal never be better I am in an uncomfortable condition and I shal never be comforted I want Assurance and I shall never have Assurance Beloved this ye cannot say for who knows what God will do whose waies are in the deep and whose foot-steps are not known You know how it is with a sick person If the Physitian come and tels him there is hope of life then his heart dies not but if the Physitian saith to him Sir you are in a great and dangerous Feaver and I would wish you to settle your Estate and look out for comfort for your soul for the truth is you will never be recovered then his heart dies So here take a poor soul that wants Assurance If he saith there is hope that I may be assured he is not discouraged but if he saith I have no Assurance and I shall never have it then he is quite discouraged it is this word Never that doth discourage O! I shal never be encouraged and I shall never have Assurance and I shall never have the Testimony of Gods Spirit Take heed that you do not say I shall never be Assured that is a Temptation take heed of the word Never in this case Answ 5 Fiftly and lastly Carry this for a Rule with you and remember it much That the less Assurance you have the more precious your obedience may be and the more kindly God may take it at your hands It is no great matter for a man to write and to work by the Day light or Candle light but for a man to write or to work in the dark is hard So here it is no great matter comparatively for a man to pray and to work spiritually while he is in the light but for a poor soul to pray and to work towards God and to be obedient when he is in the dark and hath no Assurance of the Love of God is somthing I confess indeed that the more Assurance you have the more full your Obedience will be but the less Assurance you have the more ingenuous may be your Obedience I say The more full your Assurance is the more full and large your Obedience will be but the less Assurance you have the more ingenuous your Obedience may be Every Child will serve his Father for his Portion and for his Inheritance but when a Child shall doubt of his Fathers Love yea when a Child shall conclude and say I know that my Father will dis-inherit me I know that my Father will bestow nothing upon me yet I will serve him because he is my Father will not all men say Here is ingenuity indeed in this Child So between God and you It is good for a Christian to be obedient at all times and the more Assurance you have the more you are bound to obey but doth thy soul fear that God will dis-inherit thee and yet doest thou say However it be I will obey God for he is my Father though I cannot see him yet wil I serve him and though I have no Comfort from God yet will I be obedient to him for it is my Duty he is my Father The Lord will take this kindly at thine hands and what thou wantest in the largeness shal be made up in the ingenuity of thine Obedience Wherefore then doest thou want Assurance of the Love of God Comfort thy self with this and say within thine own soul well though I do want Assurance I hope through Grace I am in some measure Obedient and the less Assurance I haâ—e the more kindly God takes my Obedience at my hand and therefore why should I be discouraged or cast down Think and think often of this Rule and it will help you to be obedient and bear up your hearts also in the want of Assurance And thus I have done with the Fourth Instance A LIFTING UP In case of TEMPTATION Sermon VIII PSALM 42.11 Stepney May 28. 1648. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 5. SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints are drawn From their Temptations And thus they Argue with themselves I am a poor Creature that hath labored under many Temptations never any so tempted as I have been These two three four five six or many yeers that I have lyen under these Temptations and no relief comes no help comes have I not reason then to be discouraged and cast down Answ No No reason yet I grant That the least Temptations are great Afflictions for the more a man is unfitted by Affliction for Gods Service either in doing good or receiving good the worser and more heavy is that Affliction to a gracious Spirit Now though God doth so over-rule the Temptations of his People that they receive good thereby as appeareth afterward yet the Temptation in it self doth indispose a man unto what is good The more a man is tempted unto what is evil the more a man is hindred from what is good It is an Affliction to a gracious heart to be conflicting fighting and combating with a man but in Temptations we do combate and conflict immediately with Satan who is the Prince of the Air with Principalities and Powers with that evil One who for his devouring Nature is called a Lyon for his Cruelty is called a Dragon and for his subtilty an old Serpent and in every Temptation a poor soul goes into the field with Satan and fights a Duel with him Satan hath saith Christ to Peter desired you in which Duel and Combat a man doth not miscarry for this present Life barely but if he miscarry he miscarries to all Eternity he dies is killed and slain to all Eternity O! what a mighty hazard doth a poor soul â—un in every Temptation The Chast and good Woman counts it an Affliction to her so long as she lives if she be but once violenced if a filthy person meet her in the field and violence her though she do not consent unto him she wrings her hands and saith I am undone for ever Now these Temptations are the Solicitations of an unclean Spirit and what though a man do not consent unto them yet thereby his soul suffers violence O! saith a gracious soul what though I do not consent yet what an infinite misery is it to be thus abused defiled and violenced by these Temptations The more any affliction doth seize on soul and body the greater it is it is Comfort in a Family that the Wife is well when the Husband is sick or that the Husband is well when the Wife is down where both are down at once it is a sad Family indeed So though the Soul be
afflicted yet if the Body be well although the Body be afflicted yet if the Spirit be well it is some comfort but where both are down the Condition is sad and seldom doth any great Temptation befall a man but Soul and Body are both down at once though at first it falls upon the Spirit yet it descends into and fires the Body And therefore saith Paul I received a Messenger of Satan a thorn in my flesh buffeting of me As in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost though the Comforts be powred out upon the Soul and Spirit yet they run down upon the Body So in the troubles of Temptation though they seize first upon the inward man yet they â—un upon the skirts of the outward man also And thus you find it with Job Chap. 7.1 God had put Job into Satans hand only with this reserve See that thou spare his life The Devil having the power first he loads him with outward Afflictions and then with inward Temptations while he was under his outward Afflictions how sweetly did he carry it Blessing the Lord saying The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name but when the Volly of Temptations came then see what a sad Condition the good man was in how he was all on fire as if Job could not be found in Job while he was under these Afflictions he rebuked his Wife for saying Curse God and die but now being under Temptations himself he wisheth to die and curseth the day of his Birth In Job 7.15 My Soul chuseth strangling and death rather than my life but had this Temptation any influence upon his Body too It seems his heart and soul and spirit was much disquieted for he saith Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee ver 20. But was his Body fired with it too yes verse 13 14. When I said my Bed shall comsort me my Couch shall ease my complaint then thou skarest me with Dreams and terrifiest me with visions As now we find by Experience many poor souls cannot sleep while they are under their Temptations and if you will see the Sum and up-shot of all read what he saies at verse 20. I am a burden to my self and so many now Why should I live any longer I am a burden to my Family I am a burden to mine Acquaintance a burden to all my Friends I am a burden to my self who knows the burden of a poor tempted soul but he that bears it Heb. 11.37 Temptations are ranked among the greatest Afflictions They were stoned sawn asunder were tempted and in Heb. 2. it is said of our Savior That himself suffered being tempted yet he sinned not under his Temptation So that there is somwhat of a suffering in every Temptation although one be free from Sin And in Revel 12.12 it is said Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath And wherein is his wrath more seen than in his Temptations O! what a sad and woful condition is it then to lie under Temptations Yet let me tel you though there be some suffering in every Temptation and the least temptation is a great Affliction yet the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged or cast down whatever their Temptations be Quest How may that appear Answ 1 Four Demonstrations of it First If Satan do therefore tempt the People of God that he may discourage them then have they no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted by Satan I say if Satans great design end and aim in all the Temptations of the Saints be to discourage them then they have no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted for then they should gratifie Satan and give him his end Now Satan doth tempt that he may tempt he tempts unto one sin that he may tempt unto another he tempteth a man to sin against the Law that he may make him sin against the Gospel and what greater sin against the Gospel than unbeleeving discouragements He knows or thinks such and such a person is gone from his Kingdom and he saith though I cannot hinder his Salvation but he will be saved do what I can yet I will hinder his Comfort and make him draw heavily and if I can but discourage him in his Duty I shall in time make him to cast it off His great design is to discourage and therefore whenever any Godly man is tempted he should say well through the Grace of Christ seeing Satans design is to discourage my design shall be to bear up my heart and spirit against all discouragements Answ 2 Secondly If God our Father doth pity his Children under their Temptations and the more they are tempted by Satan the more they are pitied by God then have they no reason to be discouraged whatever their Temptatioâ—â—â—e How is it with your own Bowels If you had two Childreâ— one that is in your house with you at home and another that is iâ— Spain or Italy abroad Quo gravior incumbit tentatio eo solet indulgentius agere cum suis Deus Brightm Apoc. 2.49 exposed to grâ—at Tempâ—â—tions is not your pity most towards that Child that is abâ—oâ—d and exposed to most Temptations Your Love may be expressed to him that is at home as much anothâ—◠〈◊〉 but your pitying love is most to him that is abroad As in the time of a Storm great Rain or Hail if you have one Child lie in youâ— boâ—om or sitting upon your knee and another that is abroad in the opâ—n fields though your love in one kind may run out to him thâ—t is upon your knee yet doth not your pitying Love run ouâ— more to him that is abroad in the open fields Thus it is with God he hath two sorts of Children Some that are exposed to more temptations and some that are exposâ—d to less though his Grace and Love may run out more in one kind to them that are less tempted yet his pitying Love runs out most unto those that are most tempted And upon this account you will find in Scripture that when God saw any of his Children were to go into any Sad Temptation he did either immediately before in or after more than ordinarily reveal himselâ— unto them the more you are tempted by Satan the more you are pitied by God it matters not whether your Temptation be great or smal if less you have the less pity if more you have the more pity why then should you be discouraged although your temptations be never so great Answ 3 Thirdly If all the Temptations of Gods People be overcome and broken before they do fall on them then have they no reason to be discouraged or cast down because they are tempted Now so it is Christ was a common Person not only in his death but in his life he did act and work and bear as a common person as our Second Adam all
himself it is the darkening of the Sun which brings an universal darkness upon the soul and it imbitters al other Afflictions for as the presence of Christ sweetens all other Comforts so the absence or forsakings of Christ do imbitter al other Sufferings and cut off al our relief and remedy against them So long as the face of God shines upon a poor soul he may run to Christ and relieve and help himself against his Affliction true my Friends forsake me my Relations forsake me but Christ hath not forsaken me but if God and Christ forsake where shal a man relieve or refresh himself in this stormy day And as those sins are greatest that cut off our relief against other sins so those Afflictions are greatest that cut off our relief against other Afflictions Such is this of al Afflictions it looks the most like a Judgment to a Gracious Soul O Lord Psal 6.1 saith David Correct me not in thine Anger nor chasten me in thy hot Displeasure When God hides his face and forsakes the soul he seems to correct in Anger and in hot displeasure herein a Christian doth as it were combat with God himself he fights with men somtimes and then he is more than a Conquerer because Christ fighteth with him and in him he fights with Satan Principalities and Powers and then he doth overcome because Christ is with him but O! saith the soul in this Desertion God is mine Enemy here I must fight it out hand to hand with Divine Anger and what shal I do now how is it possible that I should now escape The truth is this Affliction above al others seems to draw a Curtain over al our Comforts and to put an end unto al our Spiritual joy What Birds sing in the Winter time some may but ordinarily they do not If you walk abroad in the Winter time and hear no Birds sing and one say to you What is the reason of this deep silence two or three months ago when we walked in the Fields every Wood had its several Musick how sweetly did the Birds sing then but now they are al silent what is the reason You wil easily answer I then indeed it was Summer time then the Sun shone upon them and â—o they sang â—ut now the warming and enlivening beams of the Sun are gone â—hey sing no more Beloved the Light of Gods Countenance is oâ—r Spring Desertion is our Winter show me that Sainâ— that is able to sing in this Winter time I confess it is possible for a man to â—o it and some there are Habakkuk was one that learned â—his song of Faith but â—ow few are able to sing and rejoyce when God hides himself No saith the soul two or three months ago the Lord shined upon me and then I could sing indeed but now God and Christ is gone and so al my songs are gone and joyes are gone and I fear I shal never see them again or rejoyce in Christ again It is said of Mary That when she went to Christs Sepulchre she wept and though the Angel came to her and said Why weepest thou yet she continued weeping the presence of an Angel could not comfort her Why O! saith she They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Would it not grieve a Prince to be dispossest of and to lose his Crown to be made like an ordinary man This Presence of Christ is the Crown of a Christian and therefore when God had forsaken the Church as we read in Lam. 5. she complained verse 16. The Crown is falâ—en from my Head Why ver 20. Wherefore doest thou forget us for evâ—r and forsake us so long a time Ver. 22. Thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us Take away the presence of Christ and ye set a Christian among the ordinary rank of men and must he not needs be troubled when his Crown is thus taken from his Head I have read of a Religious Woman that having born Nine Children professed That she had rather endure all the pains of those Nine Travels at once than endure the Misery of the loss of Gods Presence And indeed this Affliction of Gods forsaking a man is so great that if a man feel it not I even fear it is because he is forsaken indeed But now though there be never so much Gal and Wormwood in this Cup yet the Children of God have no reason to faint at the drinking of it no just cause or reason yet to faint or be discouraged or cast down Quest How may that appear Answ 1 First For the cleering of this Truth to you ye must know That God or Christ is said to forsake a man either in regard of his Power Grace or Strength or in regard of the comfortable feelings of his Love either in reâ—â—rd of Union or in regard of Vision 1. In regard of Union He never forsakes his own People 2. In regard of his Power Grace and Strength he never forsakes them totally 3. And in regard of Vision or comfortable feelings though he do forsake for a time yet he wil return again and if al these be true have they any reason to be much discouraged For the first ye know what is said Those whom he loves John 13.1 he loves unto the end As for the Second ye know what he saith also I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the Power of God unto Salvation And as for the Third hath not the Lord promised Isay 54. that he wil return again with advantage ver 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness wil I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer ver 8. Now ye know that Friends are not much troubled at such a parting which is but for a time It is said of the Church of Ephesus That when Paul â—ook leave of them they wept Because he said they should see his face no more The Saints cannot say so in regard of Christ though they see not his face for the present yet they cannot say I shal see his face no more for he wil return again yea and return with advantage for though he forsakes for a moment yet with great mercy and with everlasting kindness wil the Lord have mercy on them What then though you be forsaken for a moment have you any just cause and reason for your Discouragement Answ 2 Secondly If Christ do therefore forsake his People that he may not forsake them and hath a design of Love and nothing but of Love upon them in his forsaking then have they no just cause for their Discouragements Now I pray What is the reason why God doth forsake his People for a time or a moment hath he any deâ—â—gn but Love upon them Doth he
not therefore withdraw himself from them that he might draw them to himself Doth he not therefore hide his face for a moment that he may not turn his back upon them for ever Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that they might die unto all the world and long after Heaven where there is no forsaking Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that they might die unto the way of sence and learn to live by Faith which is the proper work of this Life Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that in this Winter of their Desertion the Weeds and Vermin of their sins may be killed and mortified Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that he may see their Love to him In time of his Presence we have the sence of his Love to us but in the time of his absence then he seeth and we our selves have the sence of our Love to him Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that their very Joyes and Comforts may be more fervent exalted and enlarged It is our Nature to rejoyce most in a Comfort when it is redeemed from the hand of Death and recovered from loss The wise men when they saw the lost Star again then they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Did they not rejoyce i◠the Star before Surely they did But they rejoyced more even with exceeding great joy when they had found the lost Star And this is our Nature we rejoyce most in the finding of lost mercies Now the Lord Christ knows our Nature and therefore that he may raise our joy our praise our thankfulness for his Presence Face and Manifestation of his Love he doth somtimes withdraw them So that in al his withdrawings he hath a Design of Love upon our souls have we any reason then to be much discouraged though deserted Answ 3 Thirdly Though it pleaseth God to hide his Face from his People somtimes insomuch as they are in the dark and in a very dark Condition yet they are never so much in the dark but that they have light enough to work by For what day is there in all the yeer that is so short dark and gloomy but a man may see to work by Indeed somtimes the Sun is in the Eclipse somtimes behind a Cloud somtimes it breaks not forth with his Golden beams as at other times but if the Sun be up and it be day a man hath alwaies light enough to work by Now the Sun is alwaies up with the Saints it is alwaies day with them though the Beams of the Sun of Righteousness do not shine yet it is alwaies day they are not Children of darkness they may have a dark day of it but though it be never so dark they may find light enough to do the great Work which they came into the World for which is to beleeve and trust and stay themselves on God this ◠man may do in the darkest time when he hath no light and therefore saith the Prophet Let him that walks in darkness and seeth no light stay himself upon the Name of the Lord. What then though you have not so much light as you would have to refresh your selves by yet if you have light enough to do your Fathers Work by and the greatest work of this Life is to trust in God and beleeve have you then any reason for your discouragements Thus it is with al the Saints though they may be in the dark and the Sun shines not out upon them yet it is alwaies day with them and they have light enough when it is darkest to do their Father◠work and business by and therefore certainly the Saints have no reason to be cast down and discouraged although they be much forsaken deserted and in the dark Object 1 But Jesus Christ hath not only deserted forsaken and withdrawn himself from me in regard of Vision but I fear also in regard of Vnion not in regard of comfortable feelings only but in regard of strength and power and therefore I am afraid and discouraged and have I not cause for it Answ No. For a man that is in the dark is not able to judg of his own Grace or Christs Strength in him Now you are in Desertion therefore in the dark therefore not able to judg of your own Grace and Christs Strength in you yet if you can judg in this Condition and wil deal faithfully with your own souls is there not as much of Christs Strength and Grace in your Lives and Conversations as when ye had that presence which ye mourn after excepting your enlargements in Duties I confess indeed that ◠Gracious man in time of Desertion hath not those enlargements as he had when Gods Face shined upon him but setting aside your enlargements what is there in your Conversations wanting now which you had then and is the very want of enlargement a sufficient reason to say that Christ is gone and hath forsaken me not only in regard of Vision but in regard of Union Strength and Grace We read in Cant. 5.5 That when Christ withdraws from the Spouse there is some Mirrh left upon the ringles of the door the Spouse ariseth follows after him and enquireth for him saying Did you see my beloved She met with the Watchmen they smote her and she was willing to bear their smiting that she might hear of Christ she stands and admireth at the beauty and excellency of her Beloved White and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand Now in this Desertion of yours is there not some Mirrh upon the ringles of your heart Do you not still stand admiring Christ and his Excellencies Do you not enquire after your Beloved going to one and to another saying Did you see him whom my soul loveth Are you not willing that the Watchmen should smite you so ye may but meet with Christ again And wil ye say then he is not only gone in regard of Vision but in regard of Union Power Strength and Grace too Surely you have no reason for it Object 2 But I am not only forsaken and deserted and want the Comfortable feelings and manifestations of Love which I once had and do now desire to have but I do find the contrary tokens of Gods Displeasure manifestations of his Anger were it only the withdrawings of Love I might bear it but Christ is angry God is angry appears to be mine Enemy and have I not reason now to be much discouraged Answ No For if this hath been the condition of the Saints before you why should you fear your state in this respect Now look into Isay 57. and you shal 〈◊〉 that God saith I was wroth and smote him he did not only hide his face but he was wroth yea he is not only wroth but he smote his People too and yet the Promise is I will restore comfort to him and to his mourners Did not Job think and say that God was angry with him
a fault and a man takes the one and correct him and let the other go it argues rather that he is his Father than not So though Chastisements do not alwaies argue God to be our Father yet it doth rather argue his Fatherly Love than not Answ 2 And is there any thing in God that is not a friend to all the Saints When a man is a friend to another not only his Purse is his Friend his Estate is his Friend his Staff is his Friend but his Sword is his Friend So if God be a Friend to a man then not only his Love is his Friend and his Mercy his Friend but his Sword is his Friend his Anger is his Friend Now God is a Friend to all the Saints and therefore his very Anger and Justice is a Friend too But Answ 3 In the third place What are those visible Characters of Love which are engraven upon an Affliction First If Affliction be a blessing to one then it doth come from Love and if a man can bless God under Affliction then it is a blessing to him Jobs Affliction was a blessing to him Why Because he blessed God under it The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name c. Secondly If an Affliction do end in our Love to God then it comes from Gods Love to us for our Love is but a reflection of Gods Love and it doth flow from his and if I can say I love God never the worser for this Affliction then I may say God loves me never the lesser notwithstanding this Affliction Thirdly If an Affliction teacheth the mind of God then it doth come from Love As many as he loveth he chastiseth And blessed is the man whom thou chastiseth and teachest out of thy Law So that if Affliction be a teaching Affliction then it doth come from Love Fourthly If it be laid on in measure and imposed in due and seasonable time so as a man may grow thereby then it doth come from Love When a man intendeth to kill and destroy a Tree or to bring it unto the fire he cuts it at any time so as it shal grow no more but if he cut it in a due time it argueth that he intendeth it for growth So when God pruneth and cuts by Afflictions in such a time as men may grow in Grace it argues his Love Fifthly When God is especially present in Affliction and more present in an Affliction than at another time it argues that the Affliction doth come from Love Now whoever you are that make this Objection and fear the Affliction doth not come from Love are you not able to say Thus I find it indeed though I have been much afflicted yet through Grace I have bâ—en able to bless the Lord under my Affliction and to say The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away c. I love the Lord never the lesser for mine Affliction and the Lord hath taught me much in this mine Affliction I have gained more by my sickness than by many a Sermon yea and he hath cut me in due time for if I had not met with such an Affliction at such a time I did not know what evil I should have fallen into and this I must needs say I have had more of Gods Presence in my Affliction than ever I had before Well then be of good Comfort though your Affliction be very grievous yet it doth come from Love And thus it is with all the Saints and People of God and therefore why should they be discouraged whatever their Affliction be Object 8 But though a Christian have no reason to be discouraged in regard of his own private Affliction yet hath he not reason to be discouraged when it goes ill with the Publick And thus it is now with us we see how it is with this poor Nation Troubles and Calamities from every Part therefore I am thus discouraged and have I not cause to be cast down and to be much disquieted now Answ Indeed this is a sad thing and O! that we could weep day and night and pray too for this poor bleeding Nation If ever Gods People here in England had cause to be afflicted troubled and humbled under the hand of the Lord and to run together in Prayer surely they have reason now yet saith the Scripture Say to the Righteous in evil times it shall go well with him Did ever any Calamity come down like a storm upon a Kingdom but God did provide some hiding for his own Children Did he not provide an Ark for Noah in the time of the Flood and a Mountain for Lot in the time of the fire of Sodom The worst that man can do is but to kill his neighbor Death is the worst that can fall and what is death but an in-let to Eternal Life unto the People of God When the Saints in the Primitive Times came to bear witness by their deaths unto the Truth of Christ then they said Now we begin to be Christians indeed now we begin to be like to Christ There is a Three-fold Death Spiritual Death in sin Eternal Death for sin And Temporal Death which came in by sin If God spare me from the two former Deaths the Spirituâ—l Death and Eternal Death and only inflict the Temporal Death have I any cause to complain Thus it is with the Saints though they die Temporally yet they are free from the Spiritual and Eternal Death and what Godly man may not say I could not live long in Nature and shall I now bear witness unto the Truth with this little spot of time that remains Christ died for us the Just for the Unjust and shal not I that am unjust be willing to die for the just The worst of all is Death the worst of Death is gain When my Body is broken may I not say if Godly now a poor Pitcher is broken and shall go no more to the Well now a poor Prisoner my soul is delivered and I go home unto my Father But if you look into Rev. 7. you shal â—ind what a glorious issue God doth give unto al his People in the times of publick troubles ver 9. After this I beheld and so a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations Kindreds and People stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands A Robe is a Garment of Majesty Palms are an Ensign of Victory and saith he I saw them with Robes and Palmâ— The world looks upon my Servants as poor and of low spirits but saith Christ I look upon them as under a royal Princely Garment in Robes and of a Princely spirit And though the world look upon them as discomforted yet saith Christ here they shal overcome for they have Palms in their hands but who are these This Scripture tels ver 14. These are they which come out of great Tribulations and have washed their Robes and made them
it I. For understanding the Scripture ibid. Hold fast the Letter of it for if you deny the Letter how can you understand the true sense ibid. An Objection answered ibid. Quest How can we keep fast the Letter when there are so many Greek Copies of the new Teâ—â—amâ—â— Page 47 Answ 1 There is no material difference between them ibid. 2 You must diligently enquire out the true meaning of the Scripture ibid. Object One Scripture hath many Senses c. Page 48 Answ Negatively Nay one Scripture hath but one intire sense though it hath divers parts and applications ibid. 2 The Scripture is to be understood somtimes literally somtimes figuratively yet alwaies spiritually ibid. 3 For Direction Page 49 1 Al fundamental Doctrins of our salvation are laid down literally ibid. 2 When the literal sense must be lest ibid. 3 Mystery doth not destroy the History ibid. 4 Nothing in Scripture set down mystically but is literally expressed in another place of Scripture Page 49 50 Object When a Scripture lieth under con rovâ—â—sie what must be done ibid. Answ Somthing by way of Observatiâ—n somthing by Practice ibid. 1 Observation if you be able câ—nsult the Original if not able consult those that are able ibid. 2 Coherence and Scope and Context good means to open the true sense Page 51 3 Compare one Scripture with another ibid. 4 Sâ—veâ—ve not from the proportion of Faith ibid. II. More Practically Page 52 1 Go to God for the spirit ib. 2 Take heed of a fleshly mind ibid. 3 Study your Condition by Scripture and the Scripture by your Condition ibid. 4 Be not too indulgent to your own Condition Disposition or Opinion ibid. 5 Joyn nothing in Commission with the Scripture for your Rule Page 53 2 You must keep the Scripture if you will attend to understand it ibid. Directions how to keep the Word Page 54 1 Observe the things whereby men have been drawn from it and those are chiefly three ibid. 1 The corruption of mans Nature ibid. 2 Corrupt Principles ibid. 3 Playing with the Scripture Page 55 2 Rules to keep particular Truths of Scripture in your heart are ibid. 1 Many Saints have suffered willingly the loss of all to maintain them ibid. 2 Consider that the Saints have generally maâ—ntained these Doctrines in opposition to the world ib III. To take heed to the Scripture is to walk thereby Page 56 1 Therefore prize it much ib. 2 Love the truth you know ib. 3 Let it be your continual Companion ibid. Christ in Travel ON Isaiah 53.11 Sermon I. THe Text Opened Page 61 62 DOCT. Christ shall see the Travel of his soul and be satisfied Page 63 The opening of this by three Arâ—uments ibid. 1 The Travel of Christ or Christ in travel 2 His assurance of Issue 3 The Contentment that he doth and shall find therein His travel was very painful For ibid. 1 It was a sore Travel 2 A long Travel 3 A helpless Travel ibid. I. It was a sore travel in regard of Soul and Body ib. 1 For his Body ibid. 1 It was universal in regard of the parts in which he suffered and persons he suffered from ibid. 2 It was most extream Page 65 3 They were long and lingering Page 65 2 For his Soul His was a sore Travel Page 66 Proved in four Propositions 1 Christ did truly suffer in his soul 2 That he suffered in his soul immediately 3 That he did encounter with the wrath of God 4 That he did suffer the very torments of Hell in this life ibid. The first Proposition proved ibid. The second Proposition proved Page 67 The third Proposition proved Page 68 The fourth Proposition proved Page 69 Quest Whether one can endure the very torments of Hell in this Life Page 70 Answ Affirmatively Christ did not endure al the misery we should have done ib. Arg. 1. He suffered al the threatening produced but not what proceed from the disposition of our persons Page 71 Arg. 2. What Christ delivered us from that he endured for us Page 72 Arg. 3. Christ established the Law by his death ibid. Arg. 4. Christ hath suffered Gods Wrath and Justice for the Elect ibid. Reasons 1 The Law is not satisfied unless the debt be paid ibid. 2 Christ satisfied the Law in his sufferings Page 93 3 No evil is equivalent to the wrath of God ibid. II. Christs Travel was long and tedious not only in his death but in his life all along ibid. III. It was a helpless Travel for he trode the Wine-press of his Fathers wrath alone Page 94 Quest Suppose Christ was thus in travel for us what then ibid. Answ Our duty is to come in and behold this hard labor he suffered ibid. Observations 1 All the Attributes and Perfectionâ— of God are here in Commission in Christ crucified ibid. 2 We shall hence value and love Christ more Page 95 3 We shall hence prize all our enjoyments more ibid. 4 Men are hereby made more willing to suffer any thing for Christ his sake ibid. 5 We shall hereby be made more unwilling to put Christ to a new suffering ibid. 6 Hereby we are more enabled to overcome all our temptations and corruptions and to become more profitable and gracious in our lives ibid. 7 Hereby we are more enagaged to his Commandements and Ordinances ibid. 8 Hence conclude the willingness of God to save sinners Page 96 9 It is an encouragement for poor sinnerâ— to come to Christ Page 97 10 Hereby our hearts are confuâ—ed and our faith confirmed ibid. Sermon II. Christs Assurance of Issue Page 99 The Introduction ibid. Oâ—ening of the words ibid. 1 What this Issue is Page 100 2 What assurance he had ib. I. It is all the effects of his sufferings whereof some are immediate some remote ib. Quest What are the immediate effects ibid. Answ Negatively 1 Not to make God reconcilable to man-kind ibid. 2 That actual reconciliation and justification is not the next effect of Christs death is proved by five Reasons ibid. Object But we were discharged from our sins when they were charged on Christ Page 101 Answ Negatively 3 Christ died not to reconcile man to God proved by seven Reâ—sons ibid. 4 The next â—ffect of Christs death is not the forgiveness of original sin to all the woâ—â—d proved by five Reasons Page 102 5 The obtainment of this Decree that whoâ—oever beleeveth shall be saved not the nâ—xâ—â—ffect of Christs death proved by four Arguments ibid. 6 It was not to bring all the world unto the Covenant of Grace proved by three Reasons Page 104 7 Christ hath not by his death obâ—ained sufficiency of Grace for all men proved by five Reasons Page 105 8 Christ died not to obtain a Dominion over all things proved by six Reasons Page 107 Quest What was the next effect of his deaâ—h Page 108 Answ affirmatively 1 He satisfied the Law and Justice of God for us learnedly proved by six Arguments ibid. 2 He sanctified