is first impressed on the mind hence flowes out pleasant obedience and full of love hence all the affections and the whol body with its members learn to give a willing obedience and submit unto God whereas before they resisted him being under the standerd of Satan This Obedience tho imperfect yet hath a certain if I may so say imperfect perfection It s universal three manner of wayes 1. in the subject 2. In the Object 3. In the duration the whole man subjected to the whole Law and that constantly and perseveringly The first universality is the cause of the other because it s not in the tongue alone or in the hand c. but has its root in the heart therefore doth not wither as the grasse or flower lying on the superfice of the earth but it flourishes because rooted and therefore it embraces the whole Law because it arises from a reverence it has for the Lawgiver himself Reverence I say but tempered with Love hence it accounts no Law nor command little or of small value which is from God because he is great and highly esteemed by the pious heart No command hard tho contrary to the flesh because all things are easie to Love there is the same authority in all as St. Iames divinely argues And this Authority is the golden chain of all the commandments which if broke in any link all falls a pieces That this three fold perfection of obedience is not a picture drawn by fancy is evident in David Psal. 119. where he subjects himself to the whole Law His feet v. 105. his mouth v. 13. his heart v. 11. the whole tenor of his life v. 24. He subjects himself to the whole law v. 6. and he professes his constancy therein in v. 16. and 33. teach me the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the end According to the foreknowledge of God the Father The exactest knowledge of things is to know them in their causes it is then an excellent thing and worthy of their endeavours that are most desirous of knowledge to know the best things in their highest Causes and the happiest way of this knowledge is to possess those things and to know them in Experience to such the Apostle here speaks and sets before them the excellency of their spiritual condition and leads them to the causes of it Their Estate is that they are sanctified and justified the nearest cause of both these is Iesus Christ he is made unto them both Righteousness and Sanctification the sprinkling of his blood purifies them from guiltines and quickens them to obedience Now followes to consider the appropriateing or applying Cause the Holy and holy making or sanctifying Spirit the Author of their selecting from the world and effectual calling unto grace The source of all the appointing or decreeing Cause is God the Father for though they all work Equally in all yet in order of working we are taught thus to distinguish and particularly to ascribe the first work of Eternal Election to the first Person of the blessed Trinity In or through Sanctification for to render it Elect to the sanctification is strained so then I conceive this Election is their Effectual Calling which is by the working of the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 26.27.28 where Vocation and Election are used in the same sense Ye see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise after the flesh c. but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to condemn the wise 't is the first act of the decree of Election the beginning of its performance in these that are Elected and 't is in it self a real seperating of men from the profane and miserable Condition of the world and an appropriating and consecrating of a man unto God and therefore both in regard of its relation to Election and in regard of its own nature it well bears that name Rom. 8.28.30 Act. 2.47 13.48 Ioh. 15.19 Sanctification in a narrower sense as distinguished fâ—om Iustification signifieth the inherent holiness of a Christian or his Inclinement and Innablement to obedience mentioned in this verse but 't is here more large and so extends with the whole work of Renovation and is the severing and seperating of men to God by his holy Spirit drawing them unto him and so it comprehends Justification as here and the first working of faith by which the soul is justified through its apprehending and applying the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Of the spirit The Word calls men externally and by that Eternal calling prevails with many to an External receiving and professing of Religion but if it be left alone it goes no further it is indeed the means of sanctification and effectual calling Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth But this is doth when the spirit that speaks in the Word works in the heart and causes it to hear and obey The Spirit or Soul of a man is the chief and first subject of this work and 't is but slight false work that begins not there but the Spirit here is rather to be taken for the Spirit of God the Efficient then the Spirit of man the Subject of this sanctification And therefore our Saviour in that place prayes to the Father that he would sanctifie his own by that truth and this he doth by the concurrence of his Spirit with that word of truth which is the life and vigour of it and makes it prove the power of God unto salvation to them that believe 't is a fit means in it self but 't is then a prevailing meanes when the Spirit of God brings it in to the heart 't is a Sword and sharper then a two edged Sword fit to divide yea even to the dividing of Soul and Spirit But this it doth not without it be in the Spirits hand and he applyes it to this cutting and dividing The word calls but the Spirit Drawes not sever'd from that word but working in it and by it 'T is a very difficult work to draw a Soul out of the hands and strong chains of Satan and out of the pleasing Entanglements of the world and out of its own natural perversness to yield up it self unto God to deny it self and live to him and in so doing to run against the main stream and the current of the ungodly world without and Corruption within The strongest Rhetorick the most moving and persuasive way of discourse is all too weak the tongue of Men and Angels cannot prevail with the soul to free it self and shake off all that deteins it although it be convinced of the truth of those things that are represented to it yet still it can and will hold out against it and say non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris The hand of Man is too weak to pluck any soul out of the croud of the world and set it in amongst the select number of Believers Only the Father of Spirits hath absolute command of Spirits viz. the Souls of Men
mock and despise is that Spirit that seals men to the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 If any pretend they have the Spirit and so turn away from the straight rule of the Holy Scriptures they have the Spirit indeed but 't is a fanatical Spirit the Spirit of Delusion and Giddiness but the Spiâ—it of God that leads his Children in the way of truth and is for that purpose sent them from Heaven to guide them thither squares their thoughtts and wayes to that Rule And that Word whereof it is Author which was inspired by it sanctifies them to Obedience He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Ioh. 2.4 Now this Spirit that sanctifieth and sanctifieth to Obedience is within us the Evidence of our Election and Earnest of our salvation and whoso are not sanctified and led by this Spirit the Apostle tells us what is their Condition Rom. 8.9 if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Let us not delude our selves this is a truth if there be any in Religion they that are not made Saints in the estate of Grace shall never be Saints in Glory The Stones that are appointed for that Glorious Temple above are hewen and polished and prepar'd for it here as the stones were wrought and prepared in the Mountains for building the Temple at Ierusalem This is the Order Psal. 84.12 He gives Grace and Glory as Moralists can tell us that the way to the Temple of Honour is through the Temple of Vertue They that think they are bound for Heaven in the wayes of sin have either found a new way untroden by all that are gone thither or will find themselves deceived in the end We need not then that poor shift for the pressing of Holiness and Obedience upon Men. to represent it to them as the meriting cause of Salvation this is not at all to the purpose seeing without it the Necessity of Holiness to Salvation is pressing enough for holiness is no less necessary to Salvation then if it were the meriting Cause of it it is as insepararably tyed to it as the purpose of God and in the Order of performance Godliness is as certainly before Salvation as if Salvation did wholly and all together depend upon it and were in point of Justice deserved by it Seeing then there is no other way to Happiness but by Holiness no Assurance of the Love of God without it Take the Apostles advice study it seek it follow earnestly after holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Grace unto you and peace be multâ—plyed It hath always been a civil custom amongst Men to season their intercourse with good wishes one for another this the Apostles use in their Epistles in a spiritual divine way suitable to their holy Writings It well becomes the Messengers of Grace and Peace to wish both and to make their salutation conform to the main scope and subject of their discourse The Hebrew word of salutation we have here Peace and that which is the spring both of this and these good things are all in the other word of Salutation used by the Greeks Grace All right Rejoycing and Prosperity and Happiness flowes from this source and from this alone and is sought elsewhere in vain In general this is the Character of a Christian spirit to have a heart fill'd with Blessing with this sweet good will and good wishing to all especially to those that are their Brethren in the same Profession of Religion And this Charity is a precious Balm diffusing it self in the wise and seasonable expressions of it upon fit occasions and those expressions must be cordial and sincere not like that you call Court Holy-water in which there is nothing else but falshood or vanity at the best This manifests Men to be the Sons of Blessing and of the ever blessed God the Father of all Blessing when in his name they bless one another yea our Saviours Rule goes higher to bless those that curse them and urges it by that Relation to God as their Father that in this they may resemble him That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven But in a more eminent way it s the duty of Pastors to bless their People not only by their publick and Solemn Benediction but by daily and instant Prayers for them in secret And the great Father who seeth in Secret will reward them openly They are to be ever both endeavouring and wishing their increase of knowledge and all Spiritual grace in which they have St. Paul a frequent Pattern They that are Messengers of this Grace if they have Experience of it 't is the Oyl of gladness that will dilate their heart and make it large in Love and spiritual desires for others Especially their own Flocks Let us 1 Consider the matter of the Apostles desire for them Grace and peace 2. The measure of it that it may be multiplyed 1 Grace We need not make a noise with the many School-distinctions of Grace and describe in what sense 't is here to be taken for no doubt 't is all saving Grace to those dispersed Brethren so that in the largest Notion that it can have that way we may safely here take it What is preventing Grace assisting Grace Working and Co-working Grace as we may admit these differences in a sound sense but divers Names of the same effectual saving Grace in relation to our different Estate as the same Sea receives different names from the different parts of the shoar it beats upon First It Prevents and Workes then it Assists and Prosecutes what it hath wrought he worketh in us to will and to do but the whole sense of saving Grace I conceive is comprehended in these two 1 Grace in the Fountain that is the peculiar Love and Favour of God 2. In the Streams the Fruits of this Love for 't is not an empty but a most rich and liberal Love viz. All the Graces and spiritual Blessings of God bestowed upon them whom he hath freely chosen The Love of God in it selfe can neither Diminish nor Increase but it is Multiplied or abounds in the Manifestation and Effects of it so then to desire Grace to be multiplied to them is to Wish to them the living Spring of it that Love that cannot be exhausted but is ever flowing forth and in stead of abateing makes each day richer then another And this is that which should be the top and summe of Christian Desires To have or want any other thing indifferently but to be resolved and resolute in this to seek a share in this Grace the free Love of God and the sure Evidences of it within you the fruit of holiness and the Graces of his Spirit but the most of us are otherwise taken up We will not be convinc'd how basely and foolishly we are busied though in the best and most respected employments
tribulation sayes St. Paul and here our Apostle insists on that to verifie the subsistance of this Joy in the midst of the greatest afflictions 4. Spiritual Grief that seems most opposite to this Spiritual Joy prejudgeth it not for there is a secret delight and sweetness in the tears of Repentance a Balm in them that refreshes the Soul and even their saddest kind of mourning viz. The dark times of Desertion hath this in it that is some way sweet that those mournings after their Beloved who absents himselfe is a mark of their Love to him and a true Evidence of it and then all these spiritual sorrowes of what nature soever are turn'd into Spiritual Joy that 's the proper End of them they have a natural tendency that way 5. But the Natural Man still doubts of this Joy we speak of because he sees and hears so little of it from them that profess to have it and seem to have best right to it If we consider the wretchedness of this Life and especially the abundance of Sin that 's in the World what wonder though this their Joy retire much inward and appear litle abroad where all things are so contrary to it and so few that are capable of it to whom 't were pertinent to vent it Again we see here 't is Vnspeakable it were a poor thing if he that hath it could tell it all out And when the Soul hath most of it then it remains most within it self and is so inwardly taken up with it that possibly it can then least of all express it 'T is with Joyes as they say of Cares and Griefs Leves Loquuntur ingentes stupent The deepest waters run stillest true Joy is a sollid grave thing dwells more in the heart then the Countenance whereas on the Contrary base and false Joyes are but superficial skin-deep as we say they are all in the face Think not that it is with the godly as the Prophet sayes of the wicked that there is no peace to them and the LXX Reads it no Ioy. Certainly 't is true There is no true Joy to the wicked they may revel and make a noise but they Rejoyce not the Laughter of the fool is as the crackling of thornes under the pot a great noise but little heat and soon at an End There is no continuing Feast but that of a good Conscience Wickedness and real Joy cannot dwell together as the very Moralist Seneca hath it often and at large but he that can say the Righteousness of Jesus Christ is Mine and in him the favour of God and the hope of Eternal Happiness hath such a light as can shine in the darkest Dungeon yea in the dark valley of the shadow of death it selfe Say not thou if I betake my self to the way of Godliness I must bid farewel to gladness never a merry day more no on the contrary never a truly Joyful day till then yea no dayes at all but night to the soul till it entertain Jesus Christ and his kingdom which consists in those Righteousness Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Thou dost not sacrifice Isaac which signifies Laughter as St. Bern. but a Ram. Not thy Joy but filthy sinful delights that end in Sorrow Oh seek to know in your Experience what those Joyes mean for all describing and commending it to you will not make you understand it but taste and see that the Lord is good you cannot see and know it but by tasting it and having tasted that goodness all those poor Joyes you thought sweet before will then be bitter and distasteful to you And you that have Christ yours by Believing know your happiness and Rejoyce and Glory in it Whatsoever is your outward Condition Rejoyce alwayes and again I say Rejoyce for Light is sowâ— to the Righteous and Ioy for the upright in heart Verses 10 11 12. 10. Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched dilligently who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you 11. Searching what or what maner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when he testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow 12. Vnto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did Minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have Preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things the Angels desire to look into IT is the Ignorance or at least the Inconsiderance of Divine things that makes Earthly things whether good or evil appear great in our Eyes Therefore the Apostles great aime is by representing the Certainty and Excellency of the Belief and Hope of Christians to his afflicted Brethren to strenthen their minds against all discouragements and oppositions That they may account nothing too hard to doe or suffer for so high a Cause and so happy an End 'T is the low and mean thoughts and the shallow perswassion we have of things that are spiritual that is the Cause of all our Remisseness and Coldness in them The doctrine of Salvation he mention'd in the former verse at the End of our Christian Faith is illustrated in these words from its Antiquity Dignity and infallible truth 'T is no more Invention for the Prophets enquir'd after it and foretold it in former ages from the beginning Thus the prejudice of novelty is removed that usually meets the most ancient truth in its new discoveries Again 't is no mean thing that such Men as were of unquestion'd Eminency in Wisdom and Holiness did so much study and search after and having found out were careful not only to publish it in their own times but to record it to posterity and this not by the private motion of their own spirits but by the Acting and Guidance of the Spirit of God which sets likewise the truth of their Testimony above all doubtfulness and uncertainty But taking those three Verses entirely together we have in them those three things testifying how Excellent the Doctrine of the Gospel is 1. We have the Principal Author of it 2. The matter of it 3. The worth of those that are exercis'd about it viz. The best of Men the Prophets and Apostles in administring it and the best of all the Creatures the Angels in admiring it The first Author is the absolutely first the Spirit of God in the prophets Ver. 11. in the Apostles Ver. 12. but Ver. 11. The spirit of Christ there is the same spirit that He sent down on his Disciples after his Ascending to Glory and which spoke in his Prophets before his Descending to the Earth It is the spirit of Christ proceeding joyntly from him with the Father as he is the son of God and dwelling most richly and fully in him as the son of Man The Holy Ghost is in himself Holiness and the Source and worker of Holiness and Author of this holy doctrine that breaths
make Christ once the Medium our pure Redeemer and through him as clear transparent Glass the beams of Gods favourable Countenance shine in upon the soul the Father cannot look upon his wellbeloved son but graciously and pleasingly God lookes on us out of Christ sees us rebels and fit to be condemn'd we look on God as being just and powerfull to punish us but when Christ is betwixt God looks on us in him as justified and we look on God in him as pacified and see the smiles of his favourable countenance Take Christ out all is terrible interpose him all is full of peace Therefore set him always betwixt and by him we shall believe in God The warrant and ground of believing in God by him is this that God rais'd him from the dead and gave him glory which evidences the full satisfaction of his death and in all that work both in his humiliation and exaltation standing in our room we may repute it his as ours if all is payed that could be exacted of him and therefore he set free from death then are wee acquitted and have nothing to pay If he was rais'd from the dead and exalted to glory then so shall we he hath taken possession of that glory for us and we may judge our selves possessed in it already because he our head possesseth it And this the last words of the Verse confirm to us in meaning this to be the very purpose and end for which God having given him to death raised him up and gave him glory it s for this end expressly that our faith and hope might be in God The last end is that we may have life and glory through him the nearer end that in the mean while till we attain them we may have firme belief and hope of them and rest on God as the giver of them and so in part enjoy them before hand and be upheld in our joy and conflicts by the comfort of them and as St. Steven in his vision faith doth in a spirituall way look through all the visible heavens and see Christ at the Fathers right hand and is comforted by that in the greatest troubles though it were amidst a showre of stones as he The comfort is no less than this that being by faith made one with Christ his present glory wherein he â—its at the Fathers right hand is assurance to us that where he is we shall be also Verse 22. Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned Love of the brethren see that ye Love one another with a pure heart fervently JEsus Christ is made unto us of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 'T is a known truth and yet very needful to be often represented to us that Redemption and holiness are undivided Companions yea that we are redeem'd on purpose for this End that we should be Holy The pressing of this we see is here the Apostles scope and having by that reason enforc'd it in the general he now takes that as concluded and confess'd and so makes use of it particularly to exhort that main Christian Grace of brotherly love The Obedience and holiness mention'd in the foregoing Verses comprehends the whole duties and and frame of a Christian life towards God and Men and having urg'd that in the general he specifies this Grace of mutual Christian Love as the great Evidence of their sincerity and the truth of their Love to God for Men are subject to much hypocrisie this way and deceive themselves if they find themselves diligent in religious Exercises they scarce once ask their hearts how they stand affected this way Namely in love to their Brethren They can come constantly to the Church and pray it may be at home too and yet cannot find in their hearts to forgive an Injury As forgiving Injuries argues the truth of Piety so 't is that which makes all converse both sweet and profitable and besides it Graces and commends Men and their holy profession to such as are without and strangers to it yea even to their Enemies Therefore is it that our Saviour doth so much recommend this to his Disciples and they to others as we see in all their Epistles He gives it them as the very badge and Livery by which they should be known for his followers by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye Love one another And St. Paul is frequent in exhorting and extolling this Grace Rom. 12.10 13.8 1 Cor. 1.13 Gal. 5.13 Eph. 4.2 and in many other places Colloss 3.14 he calls it the bond of perfectness that Grace which unites and binds all together Our Apostle here and often in this and the other Epistle and that beloved Disciple St. Iohn who leaned on our Saviours brest drunk deep of that spring of Love that was here and therefore it streams forth so abundantly in his writings they contain nothing so much as this divine Doctrine of Love We have here 1. The due Qualifications of it· 2. A Christians Obligation to it The Qualifications are three Namely sincerity purity and fervency The sincerity express'd in the former clause of the Verse unfeigned Love and repeated again in the latter part that it be with a pure heart as the purity is in fervency It appears that this dissimulation is a disease that is very incident in this particular The Apostle St. Paul hath the same word Rom. 12.9 And the the Apostle St. Iohn to the same sense 1 Ioh. 3.18 That it have that double reality which is opposed to double dissembled love that it be Cordial and Effectual that the professing of it arise from truth of affection and as much as may be be seconded with action that both the heart and the hand may be more the seal of it than the tongue Not Court-holy water an empty noise of Service and affection that fears nothing more than to be put upon tryal Although thy Brother with whom thou conversest cannot it may be see through thy false appearances he that commands this Love looks most within seeks it there and if he find it not there hates them most that most pretend it so that art of dissembling never so well studied cannot pass in this Kings Court to whom all hearts are open and all desires known When after Variances Men are brought to an agreement they are much subject to this rather to cover their remaining malices with superficial verbal forgiveness than to dislodge them and free the heart of them this is a poor self deceit as the Philosopher said to him that being ashamed that he was espyed by him in a Tavern in the outer Room withdrew himself to the inner he called after him that 's not the way out the more you go that way you will be the further within it When hatreds upon admonition are not thrown out but retire inward to hide themselves they grow deeper and stronger than before and those
as to be scorn'd out of it being so honourable and happy and the day is at hand wherein those that scoffe you would give much more than all that the best of them ever possess'd in the world to be admitted into your number Seeing you have purifi'd your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit Here is 1. The chief seat or subject of the work of sanctification the Soul 2. The subordinate means Truth 3. The Nature of it obeying of truth 4. The chief worker of it The Holy Spirit For the first 'T is no doubt a work that goes through the whole man renews and purifies all Heb. 10.22 2 Cor. 7.1 But because it purifies the soul therefore 't is that does purifie all There begins impurity Mat. 15. not onely evil thoughts but all evill actions come forth from the heart which is there all one with the soul and therefore this purifying begins there makes the tree good that the fruit may be good 't is not so much externall performances that are the difference of Men as their inward temper we meet here in the same place and all partake of the same word and prayer But how wide a difference is there in Gods eye betwixt an unwash'd profane heart in the same exercise and a soul purified in some measure in obeying the truth and desirous to be further purified by further obeying it 2. That which is the subordinate means of this purity is the Truth or the word of God it is truth and pure in it self and begets truth and purity in the heart by teaching it concerning the holy and pure nature of God shewing it and his holy will which is to us the rule of purity And by representing Jesus Christ unto us as the fountain of our purity and Renovation from whose fulness we may receive grace for grace 3. The nature of this work that wherein the very being of this purifying consists is the Receiving or Obeying of this Truth So Gal. 3.1 Where 't is put for right believing The chief point of obedience is believing the proper obedience to Truth is to give credit to it and this divine belief doth necessarily bring the whole soul into obedience and conformity to that pure Truth which is in the word and so the very purifying and renewing of the soul is this obedience of faith as unbelief is its cheif impurity and disobedience therefore Act. 15.9 faith is said to purifie the heart 4. The chief worker of this sanctification is the Holy spirit of God they are said here to purifie themselves For 't is certain and undeniable that the soul it self doth act in believing or obeying the truth but not of it self it is not the first principle of motion They purifie their souls but 't is by the spirit They doe it by his enlivening power and a purifying vertue recevied from him Faith or obeying the truth works this purity But the Holy Ghost works that faith as in the forecited place God is said to purifie their hearts by faith Verse 8. He doth that by giving them the Holy Ghost The truth is pure and purifying yet can it not of it self purifie the soul but by the obeying or believing it and the soul cannot obey or believe but by the spirit which works in it that faith and by that faith purifies it and works Love in it ' it s the Impurity and Earthliness of Mens minds that is the great cause of disuâ—ion and disaffection amongst them and of all their striâ—es Iam. 4.1 This spirit is that fire that refines and purifies the soul from the dross of earthly desires that possess it and sublimates it to the love of God and of his Saints because they are his and are purified by the same spirit T is the property of fire to draw together things of the same kind the outward fire of Enmities and persecution that are kindled against the godly by the world doth some-what and if it were more considered by them would do more in this knitting their hearts closer one to another but it is this inward pure and purifying fire of the Holy Ghost that doth most powerfully unite them The true reason why there is so little truth of this Christian mutuall Love amongst those that are called Christians is because there is so little of this purifying Obedience to the truth whence it flowes Faith unfeigned would beget this Love unfeigned men may exhort to them both but they require the hand of God to work them in the heart Verse 23. Being borne again not of Corruptible seed But of Incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever THE two things that make up the Apostles Exhortation are the very summe of a Christians duty to walk as obedient children towards God and loving brethen one towards another And that it may yet have the deeper impression he here represents to them anew that new birth he mentioned before by which they are the children of God and so brethren We shall first speak of this Regeneration And then of the Seed This is the great dignity of believers that they are the sons of God Io. 1.12 and the great Evidence of the love of God that he hath bestow'd this dignity on them 1 Io. 3.1 For they are no way needfull to him he had from Eternity a Son perfâ—ctly like himself the character of his person and one Spirit proceeding from both and there is no Creation neither the first nor the second can add any thing to those and their happiness 't is most true of that blessed Trinity Satis amplum alter alterj Theatrum sumus But the gracious purpose of God to impart his goodness appears in this that he hath made himself such a multitude of sons not onely Angels that are so called but man a little lower than they in nature yet dignified with this name in his Creation St. Luke 3.38 Which was the Son of Adam which was the son of God He had not onely the Impression of Gods footsteps as they speak which all the Creatures have but of his Image and most of all in this is his rich Grace magnified that sin having defac'd that Image and so degraded Man from his honour and devested him of that title of sonship and stampt our polluted nature with the marks of vileness and bondage yea with the very Image of Satan Rebellion and Enmity against God that out of Mankind thus ruin'd and degenerated God should raise to himself a new Race and Generation of sons For this designe was the word made flesh Io. 1. The son made Man to make men the sons of God and 't is by him alone we are restor'd to this they that receive him receive with him and in him this priviledge Verse 12. And therefore 't is a sonship by Adoption and is so called in scripture in difference from his Eternall and Ineffable Generation who is and that was the onely begotten son of God yet that we may
without it 't is true that the substantial Eternal word is to us as we said the spring of this New birth and life the head from whom the spirits of this supernatural life flow but that by the Word here is meant the Gospel the Apostle puts ouâ— of doubt Verse last and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you Therefore it is indeed that this Word is thus the seed of this New birth because it contains and declares that other word the Son of God as our life The word is spoken in common and so is the same to all hearers but then all being naturally shut against it God doth by his own hand open some hearts to receive it and mixes it with faith and those it renews and restoreth in them the Image of God drawes the traits of it anew and makes them the Sons of God My Doctrine shall drop as the dew sayes Moses the word as a heavenly dew not falling beside but dropt in to the heart by the hand of Gods own spirit makes it all become spiriâ—ual and heavenly and turns it into one of those drops of dew that the Children of God are compared to Psal. 110. Thou hast the dew of thy youth The natural estate of the soul is darkness and the word as a divine light shining into it transforms the soul into its own nature that as the word is called Light so is the soul renew'd by it ye were darkness but now are ye not only enlightn'd but light in the Lord. All the evils of the natural mind are often compriz'd under the name of darkness and Errour and therefore the whole work of conversion likewise signified by light and truth he begat us by the word of truth So 2 Cor. 4 6. alluding to the first fiat Lux or Let there â—e Light in the Creation The word brought within the soul by the spirit lets it see its own necessity and Christs sufficiency convinceth it throughly and causeth it to cast over it self upon him for life and this is the very begetting of it again to Eternal life So that this Efficacy of the word to prove successful seed doth not hang upon the different abilities of Preachers their more or less Rhetorick or Learning 'T is true Eloquence hath a great advantage in civil and moral things to perswade and and to draw the hearers by the Ears almost which way it will but in this spiritual work to revive a soul to beget it anew the Influence of heaven is the main there is no way so common and plain being warranted by God in the delivery of saving truth but the spirit of God can revive the soul by it and all the skilful and most autoritative way yea being withal very spiritual yet may effect nothing because left alone to it self One word of holy Scripture or of truth conform to it may be the principle of Regeneration to him that hath heard multitudes of excellent Sermons and hath often read the whole Bible and still unchang'd if the spirit of God preach that one or any such word to the Soul God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life It will be cast down with the fear of perishing and driven out of it self by that and rais'd up and drawn to Jesus Christ by the hope of everlasting life it will believe on him that it may have life and be inflamed with the Love of God and give it self to him that so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son to purchase us that everlasting life Thus may that word prove this Immortal Seed which tho very often read and heard before was but a dead letter A drop of those liquors that are called Spirits operates more than large draughts of other waters one word spoke by the Lord to the heart is all Spirit and doth that which whole streams of Mans eloquence could never effect In hearing of the Word Men look usually too much upon Men and forget from what spring the Word hath its power they observe too narrowly the different hand of the Sowers and too little depend on his hand that is great Lord both of Seed-time and Harvest Be it sowen by a weak hand or a stronger the Immortal seed is still the same yea suppose the worst that it be a foul hand that sowes it that the Preacher himself be not so sanctified and of so edifying a life as you would wish yet the seed it self being good contracts no defilement and may be effectual to Regeneration in some and strengthening of others Although he that is not renew'd by it himself cannot have much hope of such success nor reap much comfort by it and usually doth not seek nor regard it much but all Instruments are alike in an Almighty hand Hence learn 1. That true conversion is not so slight a work as we commonly account it 'T is not an outward change of some bad customes which gains the name of a reform'd Man in the ordinary dialect 't is a New birth and Being and elsewhere called a new Creation though it be but a change in qualities as 't is such a one and the qualities so far distant that it bears the name of the most substantial productions from Children of disobedience and that which is link't with it heirs of wrath to be sons of God and heirs of glory They have a new spirit given a free princely noble spirit as the word is Psal. 51. and this spirit acts in their life and action 2. Consider this dignity and be kindled with the ambition of it how doth a Christian pity that poor vanity that men make so much noise about of of their kindred and extraction this is worth glorying in indeed to be of the highest blood royal and in the nearest Relation Sons of the King of Kings by this new birth and addes Matchless honour to that birth which is honourable But we all pretend to be of this number Would we not study to cozen our selves the discovery would not be so hard to know whither we are or not In many their false confidence is too evident No appearance of the spirit of God not a foot-step like his leading and that character Rom. 8.14 not a lineament of God's visage as their father if ye know that he is righteous sayes St. Iohn 2.29 ye know then that every one that doth righteousness is born of him And so on the contrary how contrary to the most holy God the lover and fountain of holiness are they that Swinishly love to wallow in the mire of unholiness Is Swearing and Cursing the accent of the Regenerate the Children of God No 't is the language of Hell Do children delight to indignifie and dishonour their Fathers Name No Earthly mindedness is a countersign Shall the King's Children they that were brought up in scarlet as Ieremy laments embrace the dunghil
equally from every Minister alike yet it must be acknowledged that there is something we know not what to call it more acceptable reception of those who at first were the means of bringing men to God then others like the opinion some have of Physitians whom they love The Apostle comforts these strangers of this dispersion by the spiritual union which they obtained by Effectual calling and so calls off their eyes from their outward dispersed and dispised condition to look above that as high as the spring of their happiness the free love and Election of God Scattered in the Countries and yet gathered in Gods Election chosen or pickt out Stangers to men amongst whom they dwelt but known and foreknown to God removed from their own Country to which men have naturally an unalterable affection but made heirs of a better as followes verse 3.4 And having within them the evidence both of Eternal Election and that expected salvaâ—ion the Spirit of holiness verse 2. At the best a Christian is bâ—t a Stranger here set him where you will as our Apostle teacheth after and 't is his priviledge that he is so and when he thinks not so he forgets and disparages himself and descends far below his quallity when he is much taken with any thing in this place of his Exile But this is the wisdom of a Christian when he can solace himself against the meaness and any kind of discomfort of his outward condition with the comfortable assurance of the love of God that he hath called him to holiness given him some measure of it and an endeavour after more and by this may he conclude that he hath ordained him unto salvation if either he is a Stranger where he lives or as a stranger deserted of his friends and very near stript of all outward comforts yet may he rejoyce in this that the Eternal unchangable Love of God that is from Everlasting to Everlasting is sealed to his soul O what will it avail a man to be compassed about with the favour of the world to sit unmolested in his own home and possessions and to have them very great and pleasant well moneyed and landed and befriended and yet estranged and sever'd from God not having any token of his special Love To the Elect The Apostle here denominates all the Christians to whom he writes by the condition of true Believers calling them Elect and sanctified c. And the Apostle St. Paul writes in the same stile in his Epistles to the Churches not that all in these Churches were such indeed but because they professed to be such and by that their profession and Calling as Christians they were obliged to be such and as many of them as were in any measure true to that their Calling and profession were really such Besides it would seem not unworthy of Consideration that in all probability there would be fewer false Christians and the number of true believers usually greater in the Churches in those Primitive times then now in the best reformed Churches because there could not then be many of them that were from their Infancy bred in the Christian Faith but for the greatest part were such as being of years of discretion were by the hearing of the Gospel converted from Paganisme and Iuduisme to the Christian Religion first and made a deliberate choise of it to which there were at that time no great outward Encouragements and therefore the lesse danger of multitudes of hypocrites which as Vermine in Summer breed most in the time of the Churches Prosperity Tho no Nation or Kingdom had then universally received the faith but rather hated and persecuted it yet were there even then amongst them as the writings of the Apostles testifie false Brethren and inordinate walkers and men of corrupt minds earthly minded and led with a spirit of envy and contention and vainglory Howsoever the question that is moved concerning the necessary qualifications of all the members of a true visible Church can no way as I conceive be decided from the Inscriptions of the Epistle but eertainly they are useful to teach Christians and Christian Churches what they ought to be and what their holy profession requires of them and sharply to reprove the gross unlikeness and inconformity that is in the most part of man to the description of Christians As there be some that are too strait in their Judgement concerning the being and nature of the visible Church so certainly the greatest part of Churches are too loose in their practice From the dissimilitude betwixt our Churches and those we may make this use of reproof That if aâ— Apostolical Epistle were to be directed to us it behoved to be Inscribed to the Ignorant prophane maliâ—ious c. As he who at the hearing of the Gospel read said Either this is not the Gospel or we are not Christians So either these Charâ—cters given in the Inscription of these Epistles are not true Characters or we are not true Christians Verse 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinckling of the blood of Iesus Christ. IN this verse we have their Condition and Causes of it Their Condition Sanctified and Iustified the former expressed by Obedience the latter by sprinkling of the blood of Christ. The Causes 1 Eternal Election 2. The Execution of that Decree Their Effectual Calling which I conceive is meant by Election here the selecting them out of the World and joyning them to the fellowship of the Children of God so Ioh. 15.19 The former Election particularly ascribed to God the Father the latter to the Holy Spirit And the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God is here the cause of their Justification and so the whole Trinity concurring dignifie them with this their Spiritual and happy estate First I shall discourse of these seperately and then of their Connection 1. Of the state it selfe and first of Iustification tho named last This sprinkling has respect to the Rite of the Legal Purification by the sprinkling of Blood and that appositely for these Rites of sprinkling and Blood did all point out this Blood and this Sprinkling and exhibited this true ransome of souls which was only shadowed by them As the use and end of Sprinkling was Purification and Expiation because sin merited death and that the pollutions and staines of human nature was by sin Such is the pollution that it can be no manner of way washt off but by Blood Heb. 9. â—2 Neither is there any Blood able to purge from sin except the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 That the stain of sin can only be washt off by Blood inâ—imates that it merits Death And that no Blood but that of the Son of God can do it intimates that this stain merits Eternal Death and it had been our portion except the death of the Eternal Lord of life had freed
to work on them as he pleaseth and where he will This powerful this sanctifying Spirit knowes no Resistance works sweetly and yet strongly it can come in to the heart whereas all other speakers are forc'd to stand without That still voice within perswades more then all the lowd crying without as he that is within the house though he speak low is better heard and understood then he that shouts without doors When the Lord himself speaks by this his spirit to a Man selecting and calling him out of the lost world he can no more disobey then Abraham did when the Lord spoke to him after an extraordinary manner to depart from his own Country and Kindred Gen. 12.4 Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken to him There is a secret but very powerful vertue in a word or look or touch of this spirit upon the soul by which 't is forced not with a harsh but a pleasing violence and cannot chuse but follow it not unlike that of Elija's Mantle upon Elisha 1 Kin. 19.19 How easily did the Disciples forsake their callings and dwellings to follow Christ. The spirit of God drawes a Man out of the world by a sanctfied Light sent into his mind discovering to him 1. How base and false the sweetness of sin is that withholds men and amuses them that they return not and how true and sad the bitterness is that will follow upon it 2. Setting before his eyes the free and happy condition the glorious liberty of the Sons of God the riches of their present enjoyment and their far larger and assured hopes for afterwards 3. Making the beauty of Jesus Christ visible to the soul which straight way takes it so that it cannot be stayed from coming to him though its most beloved friends most beloved sins lye in the way and hang about it and cry will you leave us so It will tread upon all to come within the embracements of Jesus Christ and say with St. Paul I was not disobedient to or unperswaded by the heavenly Vision 'T is no wonder that the Godly are by some called singular and precise they are so Singular a few selected ones pickt out by Gods own hand for himself Psal. 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Therefore saith our Saviour the world hates you because I have chosen you out of the world For the world lyes in unholiness and wickedness is buried in it And as living men can have no pleasure amongst the dead neither can these Elected ones amongst the ungodly they walk in the World as warily as a Man or Woman neatly apparel'd would doe amongst a multitude that are all sullied and bemired Endeavour to have this sanctifying spirit in your selves pray much for it for his promise is past to us that he will give this holy spirit to them that ask it and shall we be such fools as to want it for want of asking when we find heavy setters on our souls and much weakness yea aversness to follow the voice of God calling us to his obedience then pray with the Spouse Draw me She cannot go nor stirre without that drawing and yet with it not only goes but runs We will run after thee Think it not enough you hear the word and use the outward Ordinances of God and profess his Name for many are thus called and yet but a few of them are chosen There is but a small part of the world outwardly called in comparison of the rest that is not so and yet the number of true Elect is so small that it gains the number of these that are called the name of many They that are in the visible Church and partake of external vocation are but like a large list of names as in civil elections is usual out of which a small number is chosen to the dignity of true Christians and invested into their priviledge some men in nomination to Offices or employments think it a worse disapointment and disgrace to have been in the list and yet not chosen them if their names had not been mention'd at all certainly 't is a greater unhappines to have been not far from the Kingdom of God as our Saviour speaks and miss of it then still to have remained in the furthest distance to have been at the mouth of the Haven the fair Havens indeed and yet driven back and Shipwrackt your labour is most preposterous you seek to ascertain and make sure things that cannot be made sure and that which is both more worth and may be made surer then them all you will not endeavour to make sure Hearken to the Apostles advice and at length set to this in earnest to make your calling and Election sure make sure this Election as 't is here for that 's the Order your effectual calling sure and that will bring with it assurance of the other the eternal Election and love of God towards you which follows to be considered According to the foreknowledge of God the Father Known unto God are all his works from the beginning saith the Apostle Iames Act 15.18 He sees all things from the beginning of time to the end of it and beyond to all Eternity and from all Eternity he did foresee them but this foreknowledge here is peculiar to the Elect Verâ—a sansus in sacra scriptura connotant affectus as the Rabbins remark so in man Psal. 66. if I see Iniquity and in God Psal. 1. ult Amos 3.2 and in that speech of our Saviour relating it as the terrible doom of Reprobates at the last day Depart c. I know you not I never knew you so St. Paul Rom. 7.15 and Bezâ— observes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the Greeks sometimes taken for deceâ—â—ere judicare thus some speak to cogâ—osce upon a business so then this foreknowledge is no other but that Eternal love of God or decree of Election by which some are appointed unto life and being foreknown or elected to that end they are predestinate to the way to it Rom. 8.29 'T is most vain to Imagine a foresight of faith in men and in the vieu of that as the Condition of Election it self to have chosen them for 1. Nothing at all is futurum or can have that imagined futurition so to speak but as it is and because 't is decreed by God to be and therefore as before the Apostle St. Iames sayes known to God are all his own works therefore because his works in time and his purpose from Eternity 2. 'T is most absurd to give any reason of Divine will without himselfe 3. This easily solves all that difficulty that the Apostle speaks of and yet he never thought of such a solution but runs high for an answer not to satisfie cavilling reason but to silence it and stop its mouth For thus the Apostle Argues Rom. 9.19 20. Thou wilt say then unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will
Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God Who can conceive whence this should be that any man should believe unless it be given him of God and if given him then it was his purpose to give it him and if so then is it evident that he had a purpose to save him and for that end he gives faith not therefore purposes to Save because Man shall believe 4. This seems cross to these Scriptures where they speak of the subordination or rather Coordination of those two as here Foreknown and Elect not because of Obedience or sprinkling or any such thing but to Obedience and sprinkling which is by faith So he predestinated not because he foresaw Men would be conform to Christ but that they might be so as Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and the same order Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church dayly such as should be saved and 13.48 And as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed This Foreknowledge then is his Eternal and Unchangable Love and that thus he Chuseth some and rejecteth others is for that great End to manifest and magnifie his Mercy and Justice but why he appointed this Man for the one and the other for the other made Peter a vessel of this mercy and Iudas of wrath this is even so because it seemed good to him This if it be harsh yet is Apostolick Doctrine Hath not the Potter saith St. Paul power over the same Lump to make one Vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour This deep we must admire and alwayes in considering it close with this O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Now the Connexion of these we are for our profit to take notice of that effectual Calling is inseparably tyed to this Eternal Foreknowledge or Election on the one side and Salvation on the other These two links of the chain are up in Heaven in Gods own hand but this middle one is let down to earth into the hearts of his Children and they laying hold on it hath sure hold on the other two for no power can sever them and therefore the reading the characters of Gods Image in their own souls those are the counterpain of the golden characters of his Love in which their names are written in the Book of Life Their believing writes their names under the promises of the revealed Book of Life the Scriptures and so ascertains them that the same names are in the secret Book of Life that God hath by himself from Eternity So finding the stream of grace in their hearts tho they see not the Fountain whence it flowes nor the Ocean into which it returns yet they know that it hath its source and shall return to that Ocean which ariseth from their Eternal Election and Salvation and shall empty it selfe into Eternity of happiness Hence much joy ariseth to the Believer this tye indissolvable as the Agents are the Father the Son and the Spirit So Election and Vocation and Sanctification and Iustification and Glory and therefore in all conditions they may from the sence of the working of the Spirit in them look back to that Election and forward to that Salvation but they that remain unholy and dissobedient have as yet no evidence of this Love and therefore cannot without vain presumptions and self delusion Judge thus of themselves that they are within the peculiaâ— Love of God but in this Let the Righteous be glad and let them shout for joy all that are upright in heart 'T is one main point of happiness that he that is happy doth know and judge himselfe to be so this being the peculiar good of a reasonable creature 't is to be enjoyed in a Reasonable way 't is not as the dull resting of a Stone or any other natural body in its natural place but the knowledge and consideration of it is the fruition of it the very relishing and tasting its sweetness The perfect blessedness of the Saints is abiding them above but even their present condition is truly happy tho incompleatly and but a small beginning of that which they expect and this their present happiness is so much the more the more clear knowledge and firm perswasion they have of it 't is one of the pleasant fruits of the Godly to know the things that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Therefore the Apostle to comfort his dispersed Brethren sets before them a description of that excellent Spiritual Condition to which they are called If they be inseparably linkt together then by any one of them a man may lay hold upon all the rest and may know that his hold is sure and this is that way wherein we may attain and ought to seek that comfortable assurance of the Love of God Therefore Make your Calling sure and by that your Election for that being done this follows of it self We are not to pry immediately into the Decree but to read it in the performance though the Mariner sees not the Pole-star yet the Needle of the Compass that points to it tells him which way he sails thus the heart that is touched with the Loadstone of Divine Love trembling with godly fear and yet still looking towards God by fixed believing it points at the Love of Election and tells the soul that its courss is heavenward towards the Haven of Eternal rest He that Loves may be sure he was loved first and he that chuses God for his delight and Portion may conclude confidently that God hath chosen him to be one of those that shall enjoy him and be happy in him for ever for that our Love and Electing of him is but the return and repercussion of the beams of his Love shining upon us Find thou but within thee Sanctification by the Spirit and this argues necessarily both Justification by the Son and the Election of God the Father 1 Ioh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit 'T is a most strange demonstration ab Effectu reciproco He Called those he hath Elected he Elected those he Called where this sanctifying Spirit is not there can be no perswasion of this Eternal Love of God they that are Children of disobedience can conclude no otherwise of themselves but that they are the Children of wrath Although from present unsanctification a Man cannot inferre that he is not Elected for the Decree may for part of a Mans life run as it were under-ground Yet this is sure that that estate leads to death and unless it be broken will prove the black line of reprobation A man hath no Portion amongst the Children of God nor can read one word of Comfort in all the Promises that belongs to them while he remains unholy Men may please themselves in prophane Scoffing at the Holy Spirit of Grace but let them withal know this that that Holy Spirit they
through Iesus Christ our Lord. and St. Paul expresses it in his Salutations that are the same with this Grace and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ. As the free Love and Grace of God appointed this means and way of our Peace and Offered it So the same Grace applies it and makes it Ours and gives us faith to apprehend it And from our sense of this Peace or Reconcilement with God arises that which is our inward Peace a calm and quiet temper of Mind This Peace that we have with God in Christ Is Inviolable but because the sense and perswasion of it may be interrupted the soul that is truly at Peace with God may for a time be disquieted in it self through weakness of Faith or the strength of Temptation or the Darkness of desertion losing sight of that Grace that Love and Light of Gods Countenance on which its Tranquillity and Joy depends Thou hid'st thy face saith David and I was troubled but when these Eclipses are over the Soul is revived with new Consolation as the face of the Earth is renewed and made to smile with the return of the Sun in the Spring and this ought alwayes to uphold Christians in the saddest times viz that the Grace and Love of God towards them depends not on their sense nor upon any thing in them but is still in it selfe incapable of the smallest alteration 'T is Natural to Men to desire their own Peace the Quietness and Contentment of their Minds but most Men miss the way to it and therefore find it not for there is no way to 't indeed but this One wherein few seek it viz. Reconcilement and Peace with God The perswasion of that alone makes the Mind clear and serene like your fairest Summer Dayes My peace I give you saith Christ not as the world Let not your hearts be troubled All the Peace and Favour of the World cannot calm a troubled heart but where this Peace is that Christ gives all the trouble and disquiet of the world cannot disturb it When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only See also for this Psal. 46.123 All outward distress to a mind thus at Peace is but as the ratling of the Hail upon the Tiles to him that sits within the House at a sumptuous Feast A good Conscience is called so and with an advantage that no other Feast can have nor could men endure it A few hours of feasting will weary the most profest Epicure but a Conscience thus at Peace is a continual Feast with continual unwearied delight What makes the World take up such a prejudice against Religion as a sour unpleasant thing they see the Afflictions and griefs of Christians but they do not see their Joyes the inward pleasure of mind that they can possess in a very hard Estate Have you not tryed other wayes enough hath not He tried them that had more ablility and skill for 't then you and found them not only vanity but vexation of Spirit If you have any belief of holy Truth pâ—t but this once upon the tryal seek Peace in the way of Grace This inward Peace is too precious a Liquor to be poured into a filthy Vessel a holy Heart that gladly entertains grace shall find that it and Peace cannot dwell assunder An ungodly Man may sleep to Death in the Lethargy of Carnal Presumption and Impenitency but a true lively solid Peace he cannot have There is no Peace to the wicked saith my God Isa 57.21 And if He say there is none speak Peace who will if all the World with one voice would speak it it shall prove none 2 ly Consider the Measure of the Apostles desire for his Scattered Brethren that this Grace and Peace may be Multiplyed This the Apostle wisheâ— for them knowing the Imperfection of the Graces and Peace of the Saints while they are here below and this they themselves in sense of that Imperfection daily do desire They that have tasted the sweetness of this Grace and Peace call uncessantly for more This is a disease in Earthly Desires and a disease incurable by all these things desired there is no satisfaction attainable by them but this Avarice of Spiritual things is a Vertue and by our Saviour is called Blessedness because it tends to Fullness and Satisfaction Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 5.6 Verse 3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead To an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away 'T Is a cold lifeless thing to speak of spiritual things upon meer Report but they that speak of them as their own as having share and interest in them and some experience of their sweetness their discourse of them is enlivened with firm belief and ardent affection They cannot mention them but their hearts are straight taken with such gladness as they are forc'd to vent in praises Thus our Apostle here and St. Paul Eph. 1. and often elsewhere when they consider'd these things wherewith they were about to comfort the Godly to whom they wrote They were suddenly Elevated with the Joy of them and broke forth into Thanksgiving So teaching us by their Example what real Joy there is in the Consolations of the Gospel and what praise is due from all the Saints to the God of those Consolations This is such an Inheritance as the very thoughts and hopes of it are able to sweeten the greatest Griefs and Afflictions What then shall the Possession of it be wherein there shall be no Rupture nor the least drop of any grief at all The main Subject of these veâ—ses is that which is the main Comfort that supports the Spirits of the Godly in all Conditions I. Their after Inheritance in the 4 verse 2. Their present Title to it and assured hope of it v. 3. 3dly The immediate cause of both assigned viz. Iesus Christ. 4ly All this derived from the free Mercy of God as the first and highest Cause and return'd to his Praise and Glory as the last and highest End of it For the First The Inheritance But because the 4th verse which describes it is link't with the subsequent we will not go so far off to return back again but first speak to this 3 verse and in it Consider 1. Their Title to this Inheritance Begotten again 2. Their assurance of it viz. A holy or lively Hope The Title that the Saints have to their rich Inheritance is of the validest and most unquestionable kind viz. by Birth Not by their first natural birth By it we are all born to an Inheritance indeed but we find what it is Eph. 2.3 Children of Wrath Heirs
foot and take this kingdome by a hand of violence that God is so well pleased with he is willingly overcome by that force and gives the kingdome most willingly where it is so taken 't is not attain'd by slothfullness and sitting still with folded hands It must be invaded with strength of faith with armies of Prayers and Tears and they that set upon it thus are sure to take it Consider what we are doing how we misplace our diligence on things that abide not or we abide not to enjoy them We have no abiding City here saith the Apostle but he adds that which comforts the Citizens of the new Ierusalem Wee look for one to come whose builder and maker is God Hear not those things idley as if they concerned you not but let them move you to Resolution and Actions say as they said of Canaan 't is a good land Let 's go up and possesâ— it Learn to use what you have here as Travellers and let your home your Inheritance your Treasure be on high which is by far the richest and the safest and if it be so with you then Where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also Verse 6. Wherein ye greatly Rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations THe same Motives cannot beget contrary passions in the soul therefore the Apostle reduces the mixture of sorrowing and Rejoycing that is usuall in the heart of a Christian to the different causes of them and shews which of the two hath the stronger cause and therefore is alwayes predominant Entertains it and Considers it aright His Scope is to stir up and strengthen spirituall joy in his afflicted Brethen and therefore haveing set the matter of it before them in the preceeding verses he now applies it and expresly opposes it to their distresses Some read those words exhortatively In which râ—joyce ye 't is so intended but I conceive it serves that end better indicatively as we now read it in which ye rejoyce It exhorts more insinuatively and perswasively that it may be so to urge it on them that it is so Thus St. Paul Acts. 26.27 King Agrippa believest thou the prophets I know that thou believest And straight he answered Thou almost perswadest me to be a Christian. This implies how just and how reasonable it is that the things spoken of should make them glad they will Rejoyce in those Yea do Rejoyce certainly if you know and consider what the causes of your joy are ye cannot chuse but find it within you and in such a measure as it swallowes up all your temporary Sorrowes how great and how many soever their causes be We are then to consider severally those bitter waters and sweet this Sorrow and this Joy 1. in their Springs 2. in their Streams And first they are called Temptations and manifold Temptations The habits of divine supernaturall Grace are not acquirable by humane study or Industry or by Excercise they are of immediate Infusion from Heaven yet are they infus'd to that end that they may act and exercise themselves in the severall conditions and occurrences of a Christians life and by that they grow stronger Whatsoever oppositions or difficulties Grace meets with in its acting go under this generall name of Temptations It is not necessary to reckon up the variety of senses of this word in its full latitude how God is said to tempt man and how 't is said that he tempts him not how man tempts God and how 't is said that God is not tempted how Satan tempts men and men one another and a man himselfe All those are severall acceptations of this word But Temptations here meant are they by which men are tempted and particularly the Saints of God and though there is nothing in the words that may not agree to all sorts of Temptations the godly are subject to yet I conceive it is particularly meant of their Afflictions and Distresses as the Apostle Iames likewise uses it Chap. 1. ver 2. And they are so called because they give particular and notable proof of the temper of a Christians spirit and draw forth Evidence both of the Truth and the measure of the Grace that is in them if they fail and are foyled as sometimes they are this convinces them of that humane frailty and weakness that is in them and so humbles them and drives them out of themselves to depend upon another for more strength and better success in after Encounters If they acquit themselves like Christians indeed the Lord managing and assisting that Grace which he hath given them then all their Valour and Strength and Victories return to his praise from whom they have received all A Man is not onely unknown to others but to himself that hath never met with such difficulties as require Faith and Christian Fortitude and Patience to surmount them how shall a man know whether his meekness and calmness of spirit be reall or not while he meets with no provocation nothing that contradicts or crosses him but when somewhat sets upon him that is in it self very unpleasant and grievous to him and yet if in that case he retains his Moderation of spirit and flyes not out into Impatience neither against God nor Men this gives experiment of the truth and soundness of that Grace in him whereas standing water that 's clear at top while 't is untouch'd yet if it have mudd at the bottome stirre it a little and it rises presently 'T is not altogether unprofitable yea 't is much wisdom in Christians to be arming themselves against such Temptations as may befall them hereafter though they have not as yet met with them to labour to overcome them before hand to suppose the hardest things that may be incident to them and to put on the strongest Resolutions they can attain unto yet all that is but an imaginary effect and therefore there is no assurance that the victory is any more then imaginary too till it come to Action and then they that have spoken and thought very confidently may prove but as he said of the Athenians sortes in tabula Patient and Couragious in Picture or fancy and notwithstanding all their armes and dexterity in handling them by way of exercise may be foully defeated when they are to fight in earnest The Children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bowes says the Psalmist Psa. 78.9 yet turned back in the day of battell 'T is the battell tries the Souldier and the storm the pilot how would it appear that Christians can be themselves not onely patient but cheerfull in Poverty in Disgrace and atempts and Persecutions if it were not often their Lot to meet with those He that framed the heart knows it to be but deceitfull and he that gives Grace knows the weakness and strength of it exactly yet He is pleased to speak thus that by afflictions and hard tasks he tries what is in the hearts of his Children
not then be our wisdom to make the worthiest choyce seeing it is offered us and is extream folly to reject it Grace doth not pluck up by the roots and wholly destroy the natural passions of the mind because they are distempered by sin that were an extreme remedy to Cure by killing and heal by cutting off no but it corrects the distemper in them it dries not up this main stream of Love but purifies it from the Mud it is full of in its wrong Course or calls it to its Right Channel by which it may run into Happiness and empty it selfe into the Ocean of goodness The Holy Spirit turns the love of the soul towards God in Christ for in that way only can it apprehend his Love so then Jesus Christ is the first Object of this divine Love he is Medium unionis through whom God conveys the sense of his Love to the soul and receives back its Love to him And if we will consider his incomparable Beauty we may look on it in the holy Scriptures particularly in that divine song of Loves Wherein Solomon borrowes all the beauties of the Creatures dips his pencill in all their severall Excellencies to set him forth unto us who is the chief of ten Thousands There is an inseparable intermixture of Love with Belief and a pious Affection receiving divine Truth so that in effect as we distinguish them they are mutually strengthened the one by the other and so though it seem a Circle 't is a divine one and falls not under censure of the School's Pedantry If you ask how shall I do to Love I Answer Believe If you ask how shall I believe I Answer Love Although the Expressions to a carnall mind are altogether unsavoury by gross mistaking them yet to a Soul taught to Read and Hear them by any measure of that same Spirit of love wherewith they were penn'd they are full of heavenly and unutterable sweetness Many Directions and means of begetting and increasing this Love of Christ may be here offered but they that delight in number may multiply them but sure this One will Comprehend the greatest and best part if not all of them Believe and you shall Love Believe much and you shall Love much labour for strong and deep persuasions of the glorious things that are spoken of Christ and this will command Love Certainly did Men indeed believe his worth they would accordingly Love him for the Reasonable Creature cannot but affect that most which it firmly believes to be worthy of affection O this mischief of Unbelief is that which makes the heart cold and dead towards God Seek then to believe Christs Excellency in himselfe and his Love to us and our interest in him and this will kindle such a fire in the heart as will make it ascend in a Sacrifice of Love to him Many Signes likewise of this Love may be multiplied according to the many fruits and workings of it but in them all it self is its own most infallible Evidence When the soul finds that all its Obedience and endeavour to keep the Commands of Jesus Christ which himself makes its Character do flow from Love then it is true and sincere For do or suffer what you will withour Love all passes for nothing All are Cyphers without it they signifie nothing 1. Cor. 13. This is the Message of the Gospell and that which the Ministry aimes at and therefore the Ministers ought to be Suitors not for themselves but for Christ to Espouse souls to him and to bring in many hearts to Love him And certainly this is the most compendious way to perswade to all other Christian duties this is to converse with Jesus Christ and therefore where his Love is no other incentive will be needfull For Love delights in the presence and converse of the party Loved If we are to perswade to duties of the second Table the summe of those is Love to our Brethren resulting from the Love of Christ which diffuseth such a sweetness into the soul that its all Love and meekness and Gentleness and long suffering If times be for suffering Love will make the soul not onely bear but welcome the bitterest afflections of life and the hardest kinds of death for his sake In a word there is in Love a sweet constraint or tying of the heart to all Obedience and Duty The Love of God is requisite in Ministers for their preaching of the word so our Saviour to St. Peter Iohn 21.15 Peter lovest thou me then feed my lambs It is requisite for the people that they receive the Truth in the Love of it and that Christ preach'd be Entertain'd in the soul and Embrac'd by Faith and Love You that have made choyce of Christ for your Love let not your hearts slip out to renew your wonted base familiarity with Sin For that will bring new bitterness to your souls and at least for some time will deprive you of the sensible favour of your beloved Jesus delight alwayes in God and give him your whole heart for he deserves it all and is a satisfying good to it the largest heart is all of it too strait for the riches of consolation that he brings with him seek to Increase in this Love for tho its at first weak yet Labour to find it daily rise higher and burn hotter and clearer and consume the dross of Earthly desires Receiving the end of your Faith Although the soul that Believes and Loves is put in present possession of God as far as it is Capable in its sojourning here yet it desires a full Enjoyment which it cannot attain to without Removing hence While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord saith the Apostle And because they are assur'd of that happy Exchange that being united and freed of this body they shall be present with the Lord and that having his own word for 't that Where he is they shall be also this begets such an assured Hope as bears the name of possession Therefore its said here Receiveing the end of your faith This Receiveing likewise flows from Faith Faith apprehends the present Truth of the divine Promises and so makes the things to come present and Hope looks out to their after Accomplishment which if the promises be true as Faith averrs then Hope hath good reason firmly to expect it This desire and Hope are the very wheels of the Soul that carry it on and Faith the common Axis on which they rest In the words there are two things 1. The good hoped for in Christ so Believed on and Loved 2. The assuredness of the Hope it selfe yea as sure as if it were already accomplished As for the good hoped for it consists 1. In the nature of it Viz. The Salvation of their Soul 2. in a Relative Property of it the End of their Faith The nature of it is Salvation and Salvation of the soul it imports full deliverance from all kind of misery and
his promise because I live ye shall live also Ioh. 14.19 Christ and the Believer are One this is that Great Mystery the Apostle speaks of Eph. 5. though ' it s a common known truth the words and outside of it obvious to all yet none can understand it but they that indeed partake of it by vertue of that Unction their sins were accounted His and Christs sufferings are accounted theirs and by consequence His Glory the consequent of his sufferings is likewise theirs there is an indissoluble connection betwixt the life of Christ and of a Believer Our life is hid with Christ in God and therefore while we remaine there our life is there though hid and when he who is our life shall appear we likewise shall appear with him in glory Colos. 3.14 Seeing the sufferings and Glory of our Redeemer are the maine subject of the Gospel and the Causes of our salvation and our comfortable persuasion of it ' it s a wonder that they are not more the matter of our thoughts should we not daily consider the bitterness of that cup of Wrath he drunk for us and be wrought to Repentance and Hatred of sin to have sin imbitter'd to us by that Consideration and find the sweetness of his Love in that he did drink it and by that be deeply possessed with Love to him these things we now and then speak of but they sink not As our Saviour exhorts where he is speaking of those same sufferings O that they were engraven on our hearts and that sin were Crucified in us and the world Crucified to us and we unto the world by the crosse of Christ. And then considering the Glory wherein he is And to have our eye often upon that and our hearts solaceing and refreshing themselves frequently with the thoughts of that Place and condition wherein Christ is and where our hopes are ere long to behold lin Both to see his Glory and to be Glorified with him is it not reason Yea ' its necessary it cannot be otherwise if our Treasure and Head be there that our hearts be there likewise The Third Expression here of the Gospell is that 't is the Doctrine of Grace The work of Redemption it self and severall parts of it and the Doctrine revealing it have all the name of Grace because they all flow from free Grace that is their spring and first Cause And 't is this wherein the Doctrine of Salvation is mainly comfortable that it is free ye are saved by Grace Eph. 2.8 't is true God requires faith it is through faith but he that requires that gives it too that 's not of your selves 't is the gift of God 't is wonderfull Grace to save upon believing believe in Jesus for Salvation and live accordingly and 't is done there is no more requir'd to thy pardon but that thou receive it by faith But truely Nature cannot do this 't is as impossible for us of our selves to Believe as to doe this then is that which makes it all Grace from Beginning to End that God not onely saves upon believeing but gives believeing it self Christ is called not onely the Author and finisher of our Salvation but even of our Faith Free Grace being rightly apprehended is that which stayes the heart in all Estates and keeps it from fainting even in its saddest times what though there is nothing in my self but matter of sorrow and discomfort it cannot be otherwise ' its not from my self that I look for Comfort at any time but from my God and his free Grace Here is Comfort enough for all times when I 'm at the best I ought not I dare not rely upon my self when Im at the worst I may and should rely upon Christ and his sufficient Grace Though I be the vilest sinner that ever came to him yet I know he is more Gracious then I am sinfull yea the more my sin is the more Glory will it be to his Grace to pardon it it will appear the richer doth not David argue thus Psa. 25.11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great But 'T is an empty fruitless notion of Grace to Consider it onely in the Generall and in a wandring way we are to look upon it particularly as address'd to us and 't is not enough that it comes to us in the message of him that brings it onely to our ear but that we may know what it is it must come into us then 't is ours indeed but if it come to us in the message only and we send it away again if iâ— shall so depart we had better never have heard of it it will leave a Guiltiness behind it that shall make all our sins weigh much heavier then before Enquire whether you have entertain'd this grace or not whether it be come to you and into you or not whether the kingdom of God is within you As our Saviour speaks 't is the woefullest condition that can be not to be far from the kingdom of God and yet to fall short and miss of it The Grace of God revealed in the Gospell is intreating you daily to receive it is willing to become yours if you Reject it not were your eyes open to behold the Beauty and Excellency of this Grace there would need no deliberation yea you would endure none desire your eyes to be opened and light from above that you may know it and your hearts open'd that you may be happy by receiving it The Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ as the foundation of our Faith calls him the same yesterday and to day and for ever Yesterday under the Law to day in those primitive times neerest his Incarnation and for ever in all succeeding ages And the Resemblance holds good between the two Cherubims over the Mercy-seat and the two Testaments those had their faces towards one another and both toward the Mercy-seat and these look to one another in their Doctrine agreeing perfectly and both look to Christ the true Mercy-seat and the great Subject of the scriptures This we see here the things that the Prophets foretold to come and the Apostles reported were accomplished were the same and from the same spirit they were the sufferings of Christ and his after Glory and in them our Salvation by free Grace The Prophesies look forward to the times of the Gospel and the things then fulfilled look back to the Prophesies and each confirms the other meeting all in Christ who is their truth and Center We have spoken already of the Author and subject of this salvation Now we come to say something of those who are Employed about it as well in Administring to it as in Admiring it And those are the Prophets and Apostles the first foretold what was to come the second Preached them when they came to pass In the Prophets there are three things here remarked 1. Their Dilligence 2. The Success of it 3. The Extent of its usefulness This
disparages not their extraordinary Visions and Revelations and that which is added that the Spirit of Christ was in them and did foretel the things to come It was their constant Duty and they being sensible of their duty made it their constant Exercise to search into Divine Misteries by Meditation and Prayer yea and by Reading such holy writers as were already extant in their times as Dan. 9. and 10. For which Cause some taking the word actively Conceive Daniel to be call'd there a Man of desires because of his great desire and dilligent search after the knowledge of those High things And in this dilligent way they constantly waited for these Revelations which sometimes when it seem'd good unto the Spirit of God were imparted unto them Prophesie resideth not say the Hebrew Doctors but in a Man that is great in Wisdom and Vertue whose affections overcome him not in any worldly things but by his knowledge he overcometh his Affections continually on such a Man the Holy Spirit cometh down And his Soul is associated to the Angels and he is changed to another Man thuâ— Maimonides 'T was the way of the Prince of darkness amongst the Idolatrous Gentiles to speak either through senseless Statues or where they uttered his Oracles it was by such profane Prophets as he had to cause them in a fury tumble forth words they understood not and knew not what they said but the Spirit of God being Light and the Holy Prophets Inspired with it they being dilligent attendants on its Motions and Searchers of the Misteries of Salvation understood well what their business was and to what purpose tended those things of the Kingdom of Christ which they by Inspiration did foretel and therefore bended their thoughts this way praying and searching and waiting for Answers studying to keep the passage as it were open for the beams of those Divine Revelations to come in at not to have their Spirits clogg'd and stopt with earthly and sinful Affections endeavouring for that calm and quiet Composure of Spirit in which the voyce of Gods Spirit might be the better heard Thus Psal. 85.8 and Hab. 2.1 In both which places followes an excellent Prophesie Concerning Christ and that Salvation which he wrought for his People Were the Prophets not exempted from the pains of Search and Inquiry that had the Spirit of God not only in a high measure but after a singular manner how unbeseeming then is slothfulness and Idleness in us whether is it that we judge our selves advantag'd with more of the spirit then those holy men or that we Esteem the Doctrine and Misteries of Salvation on which they bestow'd so much of their labour unworthy of ours these are both so gross that we will be loath to own either of them and yet our laziness and negligence in searching after those things seems to charge us with some such thought as one of those You will say this concerns those that succeed to the work of the Prophets and Apostles in ordinary the Ministers of the Gospel And it doth indeed fall first upon them It is their task indeed to be dilligent and as the Apostle exhorts his Timothy to attend on reading but above all to study to have much Experimental knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ and for this end to disentangle and free themselves as much as is possible from lower things to the search of heavenly Misteries Prov. 18.1 As they are called Angels so ought they to be as much as they can attain to it in a constant nearness unto God and attendance on him like unto the Angels and look much into these things as the Angels here are said to do to endeavour to have their souls purified from the affections of sin that the light of Divine truth may shine clear in them and not be fogg'd and misted with filthy vapours to have the Impressions of God clearly written in their breasts not mix'd and blurr'd with earthly characters seasoning all their readings and common way of studies with much Prayer and divine Meditation They that Converse most with the King and are inward with him know most of the affairs of state and even the secrets of them that are hid from others and certainly those of Gods Messengers that are oftenest with himself cannot but underdand their business best and know most of his meaning and the affairs of his Kingdom And to that End 't is confess'd that singular dilligence is requir'd in them but seeing the Lord hath said without exception that his secret is with them that fear him and that he will reveal himself and his saving truths to those that humbly seek them Do not any of you your selves so much injury as to barr your selves from sharing in your measure of the search of these same things that were the study of the Prophets and which by their study and publishing them are made the more accessible and easie to us Consider that they doe concern us universally if we would be saved for 't is Salvation here that they studied Search the Scriptures sayes our Saviour Ioh. 5. And that is the motive if there can be any that may be thought in reason pressing enough or if we doe indeed think so For in them ye think to have Eternal life And it is there to be found Christ is this Salvation and that Eternal life and he adds further it is they those Scriptures that testifie of me These are the Golden mines in which alone the abiding treasures of Eternity are to be found and therefore worthy all the digging and paines we can bestow on them Besides their Industry in this enquiry and search there is here expressed their ardent affection to the thing they Prophesied of and their Longings and Wishes for its Accomplishment viz. The coming of Jesus Christ the promised Messiah the top of all their desires the great Hope and the Light of Israel No wonder they desired his day that had so much joy in the seeing it So far off as over the head almost of two thousand years Faith overlooking them and foreseeing it so in Abraham his heart danc'd for joy Ioh. 8.36 Abraham saw my day and Rejoyced And this is conceived to be the meaning of those Expressions in that mistical Song as they suit those times of the Jewish Church breathing out her longings for the coming of her Beloved his speaking by the Prophets were his voice as afar off but his incarnation was his coming near and kissing his Church with the kisses of his mouth as Cant. Chap. 1. Verse 1. and to omit other expressions throughout the Song the last Chapter Verse 1. is tender and pathetical Oh that thou wert as my Brother c. and the last words of it Make hast my Beloved and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountain of Spices And when this salvation came in the fulness of time we see how joyfully good old Simeon embraces it and thought he had seen
among ten thousands yea the fairest of the Children of men for that he is withall the onely begotten Son of God the brightness of his fathers glory and the express image of his Person Heb. 1.3 The soul once acquainted with him can with disdain turn off all the base sollicitations and importunities of sin and command them away that formerly had command over it though they plead former familiarities and the interest they once had in the heart of a Christian before it was enlightned and renewed He can well tell them after his sight of Christ that it is true while he knew no better then they were he thought them lovely and pleasing but that one glance of the face of Jesus Christ hath turn'd them all into extream blackness and deformity that so soon as ever Christ appear'd to him they straightway lost all their credit and esteem in his heart and have lost it for ever they need never look to recover it any more And ' its from this that the Apostle enforceth this dehortation ' its true the lusts and vanities that are in request in the world were so with you but 't was when you were blind they were the lusts of your Ignorance but now you know how ill they will suite with the light of that Gospel which you profess and that inward light of faith which is in the souls of such as be really believers Therefore seeing you have renounc'd them keep them still at that distance do not ever admitt them more to lodge within you that sure you cannot do but do not so much as for custom sake and compliance with the world about you outwardly conform your selves to any of them or make semblance to partake of them as S. Paul sayes have no more fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them reprove them by your carriage and let the light of your holy lives discover their soulness 2. Positive Be yea holy This includes the former the renouncing of the lusts and pollutions of the world both in heart and life and addes farther filling of their room being cast out with the beautiâ—ying graces of the spirit of God and the acting of those in their whole conversation in private and abroad â—n conversing with themselves and conversing with others whether good or bad in a constant even courâ—e still like themselves and like him who hath called them for 't is a most unseemly and unpleasant thing to see a Man's life full of ups and downs one step like a Christian and another like a wordling it cannot chuse but both pain himself disedifie others But as he that calleth you is holy Consider whose you are and you cannot deny that it becomes you to be holy your near Relation to the holy God this is express'd two wayes namely As children and as he which hath called you Which is all one as if he had said hath begotten you again the vâ—ry outward vocation of those that profess Christ presseth holiness upon them but the inward far more you were running to destruction in the way of sin and there was a voyce together with the Gospel preached to your ear that spake into your heart and call'd you back from that path of death to the way of holiness which is the onely way of life He hath sever'd you from the mass of the perfane world and pickt you out to be jewels for himself he hath set you apart for this end that you may be holy to him as the Hebrew Word that signifies holiness is from seting â—part or fitting for a peculiar use be not then uâ—true to his designe he hath not called you to uncleanness but unto holiness Thes. 4. Therefore be ye holy 't is sacriledge for you to dispose of your selves after the impure manner of the world and to apply your selves to any profane use whom God hath consecrated to himself As children This is no doubt relative to that which he spoke Verse 3. by way of thanksgiving and that wherefore of the 13. Verse drawes it down hither by way of Exhortation Seeing you are by a spiritual and new birth the Children of so great and good a Father he commands you holiâ—â—ss be obedient Children in being holy and seeing he himself is most holy be like him as his Children be ye holy as he is holy As obedient Children Opposit to that Eph. 2â— Sons of disobedience or unbelief as the word may be rendered and that is alwayes the spring of dissobedience Sons of misperswasibleness that will not be drawn and perswaded by the tenderest mercies of God Now though this Hebrew manner of speech Sons of obedience and disobedience signifie no more but obedient or disobedient Persons yet it doth signifie it most emphatically and means a high degree of obedience or disobedience these Sons of disobedience Verse 2. are likewise Sons of wrath Verse 3. Of all Children the Children of God are most obliged to Obedience for he is both the wisest and the lovingest of fathers And the summe of all his Commands is that which is their glory and happiness that they endeavour to be like him to resemble their heavenly father be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect sayes our Saviour And here the Apostle citing out of the Law be ye holy for I am holy Levit. 11.44 Law and Gospel agree in this And as Children that resemble their Fathers as they grow up in years they grow the likâ—r to them thus the Children of God do increase in their resemblance and are daiâ—y more and more renew'd after his Image There is in them an innate likeness by his Image impress'd on them in their first renovation and his spirit dwelling within them and there is a continuing increase of it by their pious imitation and study of conformity which is here exhorted to The imitation of vitious Men and the corrupt world is here forbid the imitation of Mens indifferent customes is base and servile the imitation of the vertues of good Men is commendable but the imitation of this highest pattern this Primitive goodness the most holy God is the top of Excellency And 't is well said Summa Religionis est imitari quem colis All of us offer him some kind of worship but few seriously study and endeavour this blessed conformity There is no question among those that profess themselves the People of God a select number that are indeed his children and bear his Image both in their hearts and in their lives this Impression of holiness is on themselves and their conversation but with the most a name and a form of godliness is all they have for Religion Alas We speak of holiness and we hear of it and it may be we commend it but we act it not or if we do 't is but acting of it in that sense the word is taken for a personated acting as on a stage in the sight of Men not as in the sight of our lovely God
know that this divine adoption is not a mere outward Relative Name as that of men The sonship of the Saints is here and often elsewhere in scripture express'd by new Generation and new birth They are begotten of God Io. 1.13 1. Io. 2.29 There is a new being a spirituall life communicated to them they have in them of their Fathers spirit and this is derived to them through Christ and therefore called his spirit Gal. 4.6 They are not onely accounted of the family of God by Adoption but by this new birth they are indeed his Children partakers of the divine nature as our Apostle expresseth it Now though it be easie to speak and hear the words of this Doctrine yet the truth it self that is in it is so high and mysterious that it is altogether impossible without a portion of this new nature to conceive of it Corrupt nature cannot understand it what wonder that there is nothing of it in the subtilest Schooles of Philosophers when a very doctor in Israel mistook it grossely Io. 3. It is indeed a great mystery and he that was the sublimest of all the Evangelist and therefore call'd the Divine the soaring Eagle as they compare him he is more abundant in this subject than the rest And the most profitable way of considering this Regeneration and Sonship is certainly to follow the light of those holy writings and not to jangle in disputes about the order and manner of it of which though somewhat may be profitably said and safely Namely so much as the scripture speaks yet much that is spoke of it and debated by many is but an useless expence of time and paines What those previous dispositions are and how far they go and where is the march or point of difference betwixt them and the infusion of spirituall life I conceive not so easily determinable If Naturalists and Physicians cannot agree upon the order of â—ormation of the body's parts in the womb how much less can we be peremptory in the other If there be so many wonders as indeed there be in the naturall structure and frame of Man how much richer in wonders must this divine and supernaturall Generation be see how David speaks of the former Psal. 14.15 Things spirituall being more refin'd than Materiall things their workmanship must be far more wonderfull and curious But then it must be with a spirituall eye There is an unspeakable lustre and beauty of the new Creature by the mixture of all divine Graces each setting off another as so many rich severall colours in embroidery but who can trace that invisible hand that works it so as to determine of the order and to say which was first which second and so on whether Faith or Repentance and all Graces c. This is certain that these and all graces doe inseparably make up the same work and are all in the new formation of every soul that is born again If the wayes of Gods universall providence be untraceable then most of all the workings of his Grace in a secret unperceivable way in this new birth He gives this spirituall being as the dew which is silently and insensibly formed and this Generation of the sons of God compar'd to it by the Psalmist they have this originall from heaven as the dew Io. 3.3 Except a man be born from above he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And 't is the peculiar work of the spirit of God as he himself speaks of the dew to Iob. Iob. 38.28 hath the Rain a Father or who hath begotten the drops of the dew The sharpest witts are to seek in the knowledge and discovery of it as Iob speaketh of a way that no fowl knoweth and which the vultures eye hath not seen Iob. 28.7 To contest it much how in this Regeneration he works upon the will and renews it is to little purpose providing this be granted that it is in his power to Regenerate and Renew a Man at his pleasure And how is it possible not to grant this unless we will run into that Error to think that God hath made a Creature too hard for himself to Rule or hath willingly exempted it and shall the works of the Almighty and of all others especially this work wherein he glories most fail in his hand and remain Imperfect shall there be any abortive births whereof God is the father shall I bring to the birth sayes he and not cause to bring forth No no sinner so dead but there is vertue in his hand to revive out of the very stones Tho the most impenitent hearts are as stones within them yet he can make of them children to Abraham He can digg out the heart of stone and put a heart of flesh in its place otherwayes he would not have made such a promise Io. 1.13 Not of flesh nor of the will of Man but of God If his soveraigne will is not a sufficient principle of this Regeneration why then sayes the Apostle St. Iames Of his own will begat he us and he addes the subordinate Cause by the word of truth which is here called the Immortall seed of this new birth Therefore 't is that the Lord hath appointed the continuance of the Ministry of this word to the end that his Church may be still fruitfull bringing forth sons unto him That the Assemblies of his people may be like flocks of sheep coming up from the washing none harren amongst them Though the Ministers of this word by reason of their employment in dispensing it have by the Scriptures the Relation of Parents imparted to them which is an exceeding great dignity for them as they are called co-workers with God And the same Apostle that writes so calls the Galatians his little Children of whom he travell'd in birth again till Christ were formed in them and the Ministers of God have often very much pain in this travel yet the priviledge of the Father of spirits remains untouched which is effectually to beget again these same Spirits which he creates and to make that seed of the word fruitful that way where and when he will The Preacher of the Word be he never so powerful can cast this seed only into the Ear his hand reaches no further and the hearer by his attention may convey it into his head but 't is the Supream Father and Teacher above that carries it in to the heart the only soyl wherein it proves lively and fruitful One Man cannot reach the heart of another how should he then renew its fruitfulness If natural births hath been alwayes acknowledged to belong to Gods prerogative Psal. 127.3 Lo Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward And so Iacob answered wisely to his Wife 's foolish passion am I in Gods stead how much more is this new birth wholly dependant on his hand But though this word cannot beget without him yet 't is by this Word that he begets and ordinarily not
when we shall know as we are known and of these praises we shall then offer him when that new song shall be taught us A Child hath in it a reasonable soul and yet by the indisposedness of the body and abundance of moysture it is so bound up that its difference from the beasts and partaking of a rational life is not so apparent as afterwards and thus the spiritual life that is from above infus'd into a Christian though it doth act and work in some degree yet is so clogg'd with natural corruption still remaining in them that the excellency of it is that way much clouded and obscur'd but in the life to come it shall have nothing at all incumbring and indisposing it and this is the Apostle St. Pauls Doctrine 1 Cor. 13.9 10 11 12. And this is the wonder of Divine grace that brings so small beginnings to that height of perfection that we are not able to conceive of that a little sparkle of true grace that is not only indiscernable to others but often to a Christian himself Yet should be the beginning of that condition wherein they shall shine brighter then the Sun in the Firmament The difference is great in our natural life in some persons especially that they that in Infancy were so feeble and wrapt up as others in swadling cloaths yet afterwards come to excel in wisdom and in the knowledge of sciences or to be Commanders of great Armies or to be Kings But the distance is far greater and more admirable betwixt the weakness of these New born babes the small beginnings of grace and our after perfection that fulness of knowledge that we look for and that crown of Immortality that all they are born to that are born of God But as in some Childrens faces or actions have appear'd some characters and presages of their after greatness as a singular beauty in Moses's face as they write of him and Cyrus made King among the Shepherds Children with whom he was brought up c. so also certainly in these children of God there be some Characters and evidences that they are born for Heaven by their new birth That Holiness and Meekness that Patience and Faith that shine in the actions and sufferings of the Saints are Characters of their Fathers Image and shew their high Original and foretel their glory to come such a glory as doth not only surpass the Worlds thoughts but the thoughts of the Children of God themselves 1 Ioh. 3.2 Now that the Children of God may grow by the word of God the Apostle requires these two things of them 1. The Innocency of Children 2. The appetite of Children For this As I conceive is relative not only to the desiring the milk of the word but to the former Verse the putting off malice as the Aposte Paul 1 Cor. 14.20 as concerning malice be ye children Wherefore laying aside This imports that we are nâ—turally prepossess'd with these evils therefore exhorted to put them off our hearts are by nature no other but cages of those unclean birds malice envy hypocrisie c. The Apostles sometimes name some of these evils and sometimes other of them But they are inseparable all one garment and all comprehended under that one word Eph. 4. the old Man which the Apostle there exhorts to put off And here 't is press'd as a necessary evidence of their New birth and furtherance of their Spiritual growth that these base habits be thrown away ragged filthy habits unbeseeming the Children of God they are the proper marks of an unrenewed mind the very Characters of the Children of Satan for they are his Image He hath his names from enmity and envy and slandering and he is that grand hypocrite and deceiver that can transform himself into an Angel of Light So on the contrary the Spirit of God that dwells in his Children is the spirit of meekness and Love and Truth That dove-like spirit that descended on our Saviour is from him communicated to Believers 'T is the grossest impudency to pretend to be a Christian and yet to entertain hatred and envyings upon whatsoever occasion for there is nothing more recommended to them by our Saviour's own doctrine and more imprest upon their hearts by his spirit than love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken generally but I conceive t is that which we particularly call malice Malice and envy are but two branches growing out of the same bitter root self-love and evill speakings are the fruit they bear Malice is properly the procuring or wishing anothers evil Envy the repining at their good and these vent themselves by evil speaking This infernall fire within smoaks and flashes out by the tongue which S. Iames sayes is set on fire of hell and fires all about it miscensuring the actions of those they hate or envy aggravating their failings and detracting from their vertues taking all things by the left Ear for as Epictetus sayes Every thing hath two handles The art of taking things by the better side which charity alwayes doth would save much of those janglings and heart burnings that so abound in the world But folly and perverseness possess the hearts of the most and therefore their discourses are usually the vent of those For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth must speak The unsavory breaths of Men argues their inward corruption Where shall a Man come almost in societies but his ears shall be beaten with the unpleasant noise sure 't is so to a Christian mind of one detracting and disparaging another And yet this is extreme baseness and the practice only of false counterfeit goodness to make up his own esteem out of the ruines of the good name of others real vertue cannot endure nor needs not that dishonest shift It can subsist of it self and therefore ingenuously commends and acknowledges what good is in others and loves to hear it acknowledged and neither readily speaks nor hears evil of any but rather where duty and conscience require not discovery casts a vail upon Mens failings to hide them this is the true temper of the Children of God These evils of Malice and envy and evil-speakings and such like are not to be dissembled by us in our selves and conveyed under better appearances But to be cast away not to be covered but put off and therefore that which is the upper garment and cloak of all other evills the Apostle here commands to cast that off too namely hypocrisie What availes it to wear this mask a Man may indeed in the fight of Men act his part handsomely under it and pass so for a time but know we not There is an eye that sees through it and a hand that if we will not put of this mask will pull it off to our shame either here in the sight of men or if we should scape all our life and go fair off the stage under it yet there is a day appointed wherein all hypocrites shall be
life is and wherein the nature of it consists we may easily know what is the growth of it when holiness increases the sanctifying graces of the Spirit grow stronger in the soul and consequently act more strongly in the life of a Christian then he growes Spiritually And as the word is the means of begetting this Spiritual life so likewise of its increase 1. If we consider the nature of the Word in general that it is Spiritual and Divine treats of the highest things and therefore hath in it a fitness to elevate Mens minds from the Earth being often conversant with it to assimilate them to it self as all kind of Doctrine readily doth to these that are much in it and apply their minds to study it Doubtless such kind of things as are frequent with Men have an influence into the disposition of their souls The Gospel is called Light and the Children of God are likewise called Light as being transform'd into its nature and thus they are still the more by more hearing of it and so they grow If we look more particularly unto the strain and tenour of the Word it is most fit for increasing the graces of the Spirit in a Christian for there be in it particular truths relative to them that are apt to excite them and set them on work and so to make them grow as all habits do by acting it doth as the Apostles word may be translated stir up the sparks and blow them into a greater flame makes them burn clearer and hotter That it doth both by particular Exhortation to the study and Exercise of those graces sometimes pressing one and sometimes another and by right representing to them their objects The Word feeds faith by setting before it the free grace of God his Rich Promises and his Power and truth to perform them all shews it the strength of the New Covenants not depending upon it but holding in Christ in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen and drawing faith still to rest more intirely upon his Righteousness It feeds Repentance by making the vileness and deformity of sin daily more clear and visible still as more of the Word hath admission into the Soul the more it hates sin being the more discovered and the better known in its own native colour As the more light is in a House the more any thing in it that is uncleanly or deformed is seen and dislik'd Likewise it increaseth love to God by opening up still more and more of his infinite Excellency and lovelyness and as it borrowes the resemblance of the vilest things in nature to express the foulness and hatefulness of sin so all the beauties and dignities that are in all the creatures are call'd together in the Word to give us some small scantling of that uncreated beauty that alone deserves to be loved Thus might it be instanc'd in all other graces But above all other Considerations this is in the Word observable as the increaser of grace in that it holds forth Jesus Christ to our vieu to look upon not only as the perfect pattern but as the full fountain of all grace from whose fulness we all receive the contemplating of him as the perfect Image of God and then drawing from him as having in himself a treasure for us these give the soul more of that Image which is truly Spiritual growth This the Apostle expresseth excellently 2 Cor. 3. ult speaking of the Ministry of the Gospel revealing Christ that beholding in him as 't is Chap. 4. Vers. 6. In his face the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. Not only that we may take the Copy of his Graces but have a share of them There be many things might be said of this spirituall growth but I will add only a few 1. In the judging of this growth some conluding too rigidly against themselves that they grow not by the word because it is not sensible to them as they desire But 1. this is known in all things that grow that 't is not discerned in motu sed in termino not in the growing but when they are grown 2. Besides other things are to be considered in this although other graces seem not to advance yet if thou growest more self-denying and humble in the sense of thy slowness all is not lost although the branches shut not up so fast as thou wishest yet if the root grow deeper and fasten more it s an usefull growth he that is still learning to be more in Jesus Christ and less in himself to have all his dependance and comfort in him is doubtless a growing believer On the other side a far greater number conclude wrong in their own favour imagining that they do grow if they gain in some of those things we mention'd above namely if more knowledge and more faculty of discoursing if they find often some present stirrings of joy or sorrow in hearing of the word if they reform their life grow more civil and blameless c. Yet all these and many such things may be in a naturall Man who notwithstanding grows not for that 's impossible he is not in that estate a subject capable of this growth for he is dead he hath none of this new life to which this growth relates Herod heard gladly and obey'd many things Consider then what true delight we might have in this You find a pleasure when you see your Children grow when they begin to stand and walk c. You love well to perceive your estate or your honour grow but the soul to be growing liker God and nearer heaven if we know it is a pleasure far beyond them all to find pride and Earthliness and vanity abating and faith and love and spirituall mindedness increasing especially if we think whither this growth be not as our naturall life that is often cutt off before it attain full age as we call it and if it attain that falls again to move downwards and decays as the Sun being at its Meridian begins to decline again But this life shall grow on-in whomsoever it is and come certainly to its fullness after which there is no more need of this word either for growth or nourishment no death no decay no old age but perpetuall youth and a perpetuall spring ver aeternum fulness of joy in the presence of God and everlasting pleasures at his right hand Verse 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is Gracious OUR Naturall desire of food arises principally from its necessity for that end which nature seeks the growth or at least the nourishment of our bodies but besides there is a present sweetness and pleasingness in the use of it that serves to sharpen our desire and is plac'd in nature for that purpose thus the Children of God in their spiritual life are naturally carried to desire the means of their nourishment and of their growth
house of God with the voice of Ioy. This is that happy circle wherein the soul moves the more they love it the more they shall tast of this goodness and the more they taste the more they shall still love and desire it But observe if ye have tasted that the Lord is gratious then desire the milk of the Word This is the sweetness of the word that it hath in it the Lords graciousness gives us the knowledge of his love this they find in it that have Spiritual life and senses and those senses exercis'd to discern good and evil and this engages a Christian to further desire of the Word These are fantastical deluding tastes that draw Men from the writen Word and make them expect other Revelations This graciousness is first conveyed to us by the Word there we tast it and therefore there still we are to seek it to hang upon those breasts that cannot be drawn dry there the love of God in Christ streames forth in the several promises the heart that cleaves to the word of God and delights in it cannot but find in it daily new tastes of his goodness there it reads his love and by that stirs up his own to him and so growes loves every day more than the former and thus is tending from tastes to fulness 'T is but little we can receive some drops of joy that enter into us but there we shall enter into joy as vessels put into a Sea of happiness Verse 4 5. 4. To whom coming unto a living Stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and pretious 5. Ye also as lively Stones are built up a Spitual House an holy Priesthood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. THe spring of all the dignities of a Christian and therefore the great motives of all his duties is his near relation to Jesus Christ. Thence it is that the Apostle makes that the great subject of his Doctrine both to represent to his distress'd Brethren their Dignity in that and to press by it the necessary duties he exhorts unto Having spoke of their Spiritual life and growth in him under the resemblance of natural life he prosecutes it here by another comparison very frequent in the Scriptures and therefore makes use in it of some passages of those Scriptures that were Prophetical of Christ and his Church Though there be here two different similitudes yet they have so near Relation one to another and meet so well in the same subject that he joynes them together and then illustrates them severaly in the following Verses a Temple and a Priesthood comparing the Saints to both The former in these words of this Verse We have in it 1. The nature of the building 2. The materials of it 3. The structure or way of building it 1. The nature is a spiritual building Time and place we know receiv'd their being from God and he was Eternaly before both therefore stiled by the Prophet the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity but having made the World he fills it though not as contain'd in it and so the whole frame of it is his Palace or Temple but after a more special manner the higher and statelier part of it the highest Heaven Therefore call'd his holy place and the habitation of his holiness and glory and on earth the houses of his Publick Worship are called his houses especially the Jewish Temple in its time having in it such a relative typical holiness which others have not but besides all these and beyond them all in excellency he hath a house wherein he dwells more peculiarly than in any of the rest even more than in Heaven taken for the place only and that is this spiritual building And this is most suitable to the nature of God as our Saviour sayes of the necessary conformity of his Worship to himself God is a spirit and therefore will be worshipped in spirit and in truth So it holds of his house he must have a Spiritual one because he is a spirit So Gods Temple is his People And for this purpose chiefly did he make the world the heaven and the earth That in it he might raise this spiritual building for himself to dwell in for ever to have a number of his reasonable creatures to enjoy him and glorifie him in eternity and from eternity he knew what the demensions and frame and materials of it should be The continuance of this present world as now it is is but for the service of this work like the scaffolding about it and therefore when this Spiritual building shall be fully compleated all the present frame of things in the world and in the Church it self shall be taken away and appear no more This building is as the particular designing of its materials will teach us the whole invisible Church of God and each good man is a stone of this building but as the nature of it is spiritual it hath this priviledge as they speak of the soul that ' it s tota in toto tota in quâlibet parte as the whole Church is the spouse of Christ and each believing soul hath the same title and dignity to be called so thus each of these stones is called a whole Temple Temples of the holy Ghost though taking the temple or building in a compleater sense they are but each one a part or a stone of it as here it is express'd The whole excellency of this building is compris'd in this that 't is called spiritual differencing it from all other buildings and preserving it to them and because he speaks immediately after of a Priesthood and sacrifices it seems to be call'd a spiritual building particularly in opposition to that material Temple wherein the Iews gloried which was now Null in regard of its former use and was wholly after destroyed But when it stood and the legal use of it stood in fullest vigour yet in this still it was inferiour that it was not a spiritual house made up of living stones as this but of a like matter with other earthly buildings The spiritual house is the palace of the great King of his temple The Hebrew word for palace and temple is one Gods temple is a palace and therefore must be full of the richest beauty and magnificence But such as agrees with the nature of it a spiritual beauty In that Psalm that wishes so many prosperities one is that their daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace thus is the Church that is called the Kings daughter Psa. 45. but her comliness is invisible to the World She is all glorious within through sorrowes and Persecutions she may be smoaky and black to the World's eye as the tents of Kedar but in regard of Spiritual beauty she is comely as the Curtains of Salomon and in this the Jewes Temple resemble it right which had most of its riches and beauty in the inside Holiness
is the gold of this Spiritual house and 't is inwardly enrich'd with that The glory of the Church of God is not in stately buildings of Temples and rich furniture and Pompous ceremonies these agree not with its Spiritual nature It s true and genuine beauty is to grow in spiritualness and so to be liker it self and have more of the presence of God and his Glory filling it as a cloud and it hath been observed that the more the Church grew in outward riches and state the less she grew but abated sensibly in Spiritual excellencies But the Spiritualness of this building will better appear in considering particularly the materials of it as here express'd Now 2. The whole building is Christ mysticall Christ together with the entire body of the Elect he as the foundation and they as the stones built upon him He the living stone and they likewise by union with him livings stones He having life in himself as he speaks Iohn 6. And they deriving it from him he primitively living and they by participation For therefore is he called here a living stone not only because of his immortality and glorious resurrection being a lamb that was slain and is alive again for ever But because he is the principle of spiritual and eternal life unto us a living foundation that transfuses this life into the whole building and every stone of it in whom sayes the Apostle Eph. 2. all the building is fitly framed together 'T is the spirit that flows from him which enliven's it and knitts it together as a living body for the same word is us'd chap. 4. For the Church under the similitude of a body Now that ' it s there said Chap. 2 Ver. 20. to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles is no other but their doctrine concerning Christ and therefore it is added that he as being the subject of their doctrine is the chief corner stone The foundation then of the Church lyes not in Rome but in Heaven and therefore is out of the reach of all Enemies and above the power of the gates of hell Fear not then when you see the stormes arise and the winds blow against this spiritual building for it shall stand it is built upon an invisible immovable Rock and it great Babylon Rome it self that under the false title and pretence of supporting this building is working to overthrow it shall be utterly overthrown and laid equal with the ground and never be rebuilt again But this foundation stone as 't is commended by its quality that 't is a living and enlivening stone having life and giving life to those that are built on it 'T is further described by Gods chusing it and its own worth both oppos'd to Mens disesteem and therefore said here To be chosen of God God did indeed from Eternity contrive this building and chuse this same foundation and accordingly in the fulness of time did perform his purpose so the thing being one we may take it either for his purpose or performance or both yet it seems most sutable to the strain of the words and the place after alledged for laying him in Sion and opposing the rejection of Men that we take it for Gods actuall employing of Jesus Christ in the work of our Redemption he only fit for that work impossible utterly that any other should bear the weight of that service and so of this building but he who was Almighty Therefore the spouse calls him the select or choyce of ten thousand yet rejected of Men. There is that antipathy so to speak betwixt the mind of God and corrupt nature the things that are highly esteem'd with men are abomination to God and thus we see here that which is highly esteem'd with God is cast and disallowed by Men. But sure there is no comparison the chusing and esteem of God stands and by that judge Men of Christ as they will he is the foundation of this building And he is in true value answerable to this esteem pretious which seems to signifie a kind of inward worth hidden from the eyes of Men blind unbelieving Men but well known to God and to those to whom he reveals him And this is the very cause of his rejection by the most the ignorance of his worth and excellency As a precious stone that the skilful Lapidary esteems much worth an ignorant beholder makes litle or no account of These things hold likewise in the other stones of this building chosen before time all that should be of this building foreordain'd in Gods purpose all written in that book before hand and then in due time they are chosen by actual calling according to that purpose hewed out and sever'd by Gods own hand out of the quarry of corrupt nature Dead stones in themselves as the rest but made living by his bringing them to Christ and so made truely precious and accounted precious by him that hath made them so All the stones in this building are called Gods jewels Mal. 3. Though they be vilified and scoffed and despised by Men. Though they pass for fools and the refuse of the world yet they may easily digest all that in the comfort of this if chosen of God and precious in his eyes this is the very Lot of Christ and therefore by that the more wellcome that it conformes them to him suites these stones to their foundation And if we look right on 't what a poor despiseable thing is the esteem of Men how soon is it past it is a small thing for me sayes the Apostle to be judg'd of men Now that God often chuses for this building such stones as men cast away as good for nothing see 1. Cor. 1. And where he sayes Isa. 51. That he dwells in the high and holy place What is his other dwelling his habitation in earth is it in great palaces and Courts No. But with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit Now these are the basest in Mens account yet he chuses them and preferr's them to all other palaces and temples Isa. 66.1.2 you cannot gratifie me with any dwelling for I my self have made all and a surer house than any you can make me the heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool but I that am so high am pleasâ—d to regard the lowly 3. To whom comeing First Coming then built up They that come unto Christ come not only from the world that lyeth in wickedness but out of themselves Of a great many that seem to come to Christ it may be said that they are not come to him because they have not left themselves This is believing on him which is the very resigning the soul to Christ and living by him Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life sayes Christ. Io. 5.40 He complains of it as a wrong done to him But the loss is ours it is his glory to give us life that were dead But it is our happiness
to receive that life from him Now these stones come unto their foundation which imports the moving of the soul to Christ being moved by his spirit and that the will acts and willingly for it cannot act otherwise But as being acted and drawn by the father Ioh. 6. No man can come to me Except the father draw him And the outward means of drawing is by the word 't is the sound of that harp that brings the stones of this spiritual building together and then being united to Christ they are built up That is as S. Paul expresses it Eph. 2.21 They grow up unto a holy temple in the Lord. In times of peace the Church may dilate more and build as it were into bredth But in trouble it arises more in hight is built upwards as in cities where men are straitned they build usually higher than in the country Notwithstanding of the Churches afflictions yet still the building is going forward 't is built as Daniel speaks of Ierusalem in troubleous times And 't is this which the Apostle intends as suiting with his forgoing Exhortation this may be read exhortatively too but taking it rather as asserting their condition 't is for this end that they may remember to be like it and grow up For this end he expresly calls them living stones an adjunct not usual for stones but here inseperable And therefore though the Apostle changes the similitude from Infants to stones yet he will not let go this quality of living as making chiefly for his purpose To teach us the necessity of growth in Believers they are therefore much compar'd to things that grow to Trees planted in fruitful growing places as by the River of waters to Cedars in Lebanon where they are tallest To the morning light to Infants on the brest and here where the word seems to refuse it to stones yet it must and well doth admit this unwonted Epithete they are called living and growing stones If then you would have the comfortable perswasion of that union with Christ see whether you find your souls establish'd upon Jesus Christ finding him as your strong foundation not resting on your selves nor on any other thing either within you or without you but supported by him alone drawing life from him by vertue of that union as from a living foundation so as to say with the Apostle I live by faith in the son of God who both loved me and given himself for me As these stones are built on Christ by faith so they are cemented one to another by love and therefore where that is not 't is but a delusion to think themselves parts of this building As it is knit to him 't is knit together in it self through him and if dead stones in a building support and strengthen mutually one another how much more ought living stones in an acttive lively way to do so the stones of this building keep their place the lower rise not up to be in the place of the higher as the Apostle speaks of the parts of the body so the stones of this building in humility and love keep their station and grow up in it edifying in love Eph. 4.16 The Apostle importing that the want of this much prejudges edification These stones because living therefore they grow in the life of grace and spiritualness being a Spirittual building so that if we find not this but our hearts are still carnal and glued to the earth minding earthly things wiser in those than in Spirituals this evidences strongly against us that we are not of this building How few of us have that spiritualness that becomes the Temples of the holy Ghost or the stones of it base lusts and those still lodging and ruling within us and so hearts as Cages of unclean Birds and filthy spirits Consider this as our happiness and the unsolidness of other comforts and priviledges if some have called those stones happy that were taken for the building of Temples or altars beyond those in common houses how true is it here happy indeed the stones that God chuses to be living stones in this Spiritual Temple though they be hammer'd and hewed to be polish'd for it by afflictions and the inward work of mortification and repentance 't is worth the enduring all to be fitted for this building happy they beyond all the rest of men though they be set in never so great honours as prime parts of politick buildings states and Kingdomes in the Courts of Kings yea or Kings themselves For all other buildings and all the parts of them shall be demolish'd and come to nothing from the foundation to the cope stone all your houses both cottages and palaces the elements shall melt away and the earth with all the works in it shall be consum'd as our Apostle hath it but this Spiritual building shall grow up to Heaven and being come to perfection shall abide for ever in perfection of beauty and glory in it shall be found no unclean thing nor unclean person But only they that are written in the Lambs book of Life An holy priesthood As the worship and Ceremonies of the Jewish Church were all shadowes of Jesus Christ and have their accomplishment in him not only after a singular manner in his owne Person but in a deriv'd way in his mystical body his Church The Priesthood of the Law represented him as the great high priest that offered up himself for our sins and that is altogether incommunicable neither is there any peculiar Office of Priesthood for offering Sacrifice in the Christian Church but his alone who is head of it but this Dignity that is here mention'd of a Spiritual Priesthood offering Spiritual Sacrifice is common to all those that are in Christ as they are living stones built on him into a Spiritual Temple so they are Priests of that same Temple made by him Reve. 1.6 As he was after a transcendent manner Temple and Priest and Sacrifice so in their kind are Christians all these three through him and by his Spirit that is in them their Offerings through him are made acceptable We have here 1. The Office 2. The service of that Office 3. The success of that Service The death of Jesus Christ as being every way powerful for reconcilement and union did not only break the partition wall of guiltiness that stood betwixt God and Man but the wall of ceremonies that stood betwixt the Jews and Gentiles made all that believe one with God and made of both one as the Apostle speaks united them one to another the way of salvation made known not to one Nation only but to all people that whereas the knowledge of God was confin'd to one little corner ' it s now diffus'd through the Nations and whereas the dignity of their Priesthood stayed in a few Persons all they that believe are now thus dignified to be Priests unto God the father and this was signified by the rending the vail of the Temple at his
awak'd to seek diligently after Jesus and not to rest till they find him they 're well enough without him it suffices them they hear there is such a one but they ask not themselves is he mine or no But sure if that be all not to doubt the Bruites believe as well It were better out of all question to be labouring under doubtings if it be a more hopeful condition to find a Man groaning and complaining than speechless and breathless and not stirring at all There be in Spiritual doubtings two things their is a sollicitous care of the Soul concerning its own estate and diligent inquiry into 't and that is laudable being a true work of the spirit of God but the other thing in them perplexity and distrust that arises from darkness and weakness in the soul as where there is a great deal of smoak and no clear flame it argues much moysture in the matter yet it witnesseth certainly that there is fire there and therefore dubious questioning of a Man concerning himself is a much better evidence than that senseless deadness that most take for believing Men that that know nothing in sciences have no doubts he never truly believ'd that was not made first sensible and convinc'd of unbelief This is the Spirits first errand in the World to convince it of sin and the Sin is this that they believe not If the Faith that thou hast grew out of thy natural heart of it self 't is but a Weed be sure the right plant of Faith is alwayes set by Gods own hand and 't is watered and preserv'd by him because expos'd to many hazzards he watches it Night and Day Isa. 27.3 I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Again how impudent is it in the most to pretend believing while they wallow in Profaness if Faith unite the soul unto Christ certainly it puts it into participation of his Spirit for if any Man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his sayes St. Paul This faith in Christ bring us into Communion with God Now God is light says St. Iohn and therefore inferrs if we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth The lie appears in our practise an unsuitableness in our carriage as he said of him that sign'd his Verse wrong fecit solaecismum manu But there be imaginary Believers that are a little more refin'd that live after a blameless yea and a Religious manner for there outward and yet are but appearances of Christians have not the living work of Faith within and all these exercises are dead works in their hands Amongst these some may have such motions within themselves as may deceive themselves as well as their outward deportment deceives other some transient touches of desire to Christ upon the unfolding of his excellencies in the Preaching of the word and upon some conviction of their own necessity and conceive some joy upon thoughts of apprehending him and yet all this proves but an evanishing fancy an embracing of a shaddow And because Men that are thus deluded meet not with Christ indeed do not really find his sweetness therefore within a while they return to the pleasure of sin and their latter end proves worse than their beginning their hearts could not possibly be stedfast because there was nothing to fix them on in all that work wherein Christ himself was wanting But the truly believing Soul that is brought unto Jesus Christ and fastened upon him by Gods own hand abides stay'd on him and departs not And in these the very belief of the things that are spoken concerning Christ in the Gospel the perswasion of Divine truth is of a higher nature than the common consent that they call Historical another knowledge and evidence of the mysteries of the Kingdom than natural Men can have this is indeed the ground of all the very thing that causes a Man rest upon Christ when he hath a perswasion wrought in his heart by the Spirit of God that Christ is an able Redeemer a sufficient Saviour able to save all that come to him Then upon this the heart resolves upon that course seeing I am perswaded of this that whoso believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life as here it is shall not be confounded I am to deliberate no longer this is the the thing I must doe to lay my soul upon him upon one that is an Almighty Redeemer And it does so Now these first actings of Faith have in themselves an evidence that distinguishes them from all that 's counterfeit a light of their own by which the soul wherein they are may discern them and say this is the right work of Faith especially when God shines upon the Soul and clears it in the discovery of his own work within it And further they may find the influence of Faith upon the affections purifying them as our Apostle sayes of it Act. 15.9 Faith knits the heart to a holy Head a pure Lord the spring of purity and therefore cannot chuse but make it pure it is a beam from heaven that raises the mind to a Heavenly temper Although there remaines of sin in a believing soul yet 't is a hated wearysome guest there 't is not there as its delight but as its greatest grief and malady that it is still lamenting and complaining of and had rather be rid of than gain a World Thus 't is purified from affecting sin So then where these are a Spiritual apprehension of the Promises and a cleaving of the Soul unto Christ and such a delight in him as makes sin vile and distastful that the heart is set against it and as the Needle touch'd with the Loadstone is still turn'd towards Christ and lookes at him in all estates The Soul that is thus dispos'd hath certainly Interest in him and therefore ought not to affect an humour of doubting but to conclude that how unworthy soever in it self yet being in him it shall not be ashamed not only it shall never have cause to think shame of him but all its just cause of shame in it self shall be taken away it shall be cover'd with his Righteousness and appear so before the Father Who must not think if my sins were to be set in order and appear against me how would my face be fill'd with shame Though there were no more if some thoughts that I am guilty of were laid to my charge I were utterly sham'd and undone Oh! Nothing in my self but matter of shame but yet in Christ more matter of glorying who endured shame that we might not be ashamed We cannot distrust our selves enough nor trust enough in him Let it be right Faith and there is no excess in believing Though I have sinn'd against him and abus'd his goodness yet I will not leave him for whether should I go he and none but he hath
life from Christ First there 's his own dignity express'd then his dignifying us who is himself the first begotten among the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth Revel 1.5 and then as followes Verse 6 hath made us Kings and Priests unto God the Father A Royal Priesthood That the Dignity of Believers is express'd by these two together by Priesthood and Royalty teaches us the Worth and Excellency of that Holy Function taken properly and so by analogy the dignity of the Ministry of the Gospel which God hath plac'd in his Church in stead of the Priesthood of the Law for therefore doth this Title of Spiritual Priesthood fitly signify a great Priviledge and Honour that Christians are promoted to and is joyn'd with that of Kings because the proper Office of Priesthood was so Honourable Before it was establish'd in one Family the chief the first born of each Family had right to this as a special Honour and amongst the Heathens in some places their Princes and greatest Men yea their Kings were their Priests and universally the performing of their Holy things was an imployment of great Honour and esteem amongst them Though humane ambition hath strain'd this consideration too high to the favouring and founding of a Monarchical Prelacy in the Christian World yet that abuse of it ought not to prejudge us of this due and just consequence from it that the holy Functions of Gods House have very much Honour and Dignity in them And the Apostle we see 2 Cor. 3. preferr's the Ministry of the Gospel to the Priesthood of the Law so then they mistake much that think it a disparagement to Men that have some advantage of Birth or Wit more than ordinary to bestow them thus and judge the meanest Persons and things good enough for this high calling sure this conceit cannot have place but in an unholy Irreligious mind that hath either none or very mean thoughts of God If they that are called to this Holy Service would themselves consider this aright it would not puff them up but humble them comparing their own worthlesness with this great work and wonder at Gods dispensation that should have honour'd them so Eph. 3.8 So the more a Man rightly extols this his Calling the more he humbles himself under the weight of it and would make them very careful to walk more like it in eminency of holiness for in that consists the true dignity of it There is no doubt that this Kingly Priesthood is the common Dignity of all Believers this honour have all the Saints they are Kings have victory and Dominion given them over the powers of darkness and the lusts of their own hearts that held them captive and domineer'd over them before Base slavish lusts not born to command yet are the hard taskmasters of unrenewed minds and there is no true subduing them but by the power and spirit of Christ thay may be quiet for a while in a Natural Man but they are but then asleep as soon as they awake again they return to hurry and drive him with their wonted violence Now this is the benefit of receiving the Kingdom of Christ into a Mans heart that it makes him a King himself all the Subjects of Christ are Kings not only in regard of that pure Crown of Glory they hope for and shall certainly attain but in the present they have a Kingdom that is the pledge of that other overcoming the World and Satan and themselves by the power of Faith Mens bona regnum possidet 't is true but there is no mind truly good but that wherein Christ dwells There is not any kind of Spirit in the World Noble like that Spirit that is in a Christian the very Spirit of Jesus Christ that great King the spirit of glory as our Apostle calls it infr c. 4. This is a sure way to enoble the basest and poorest amongst us this Royalty takes away all attendors nothing of all that is past to be laid to our charge or to dishonour us They are not shut out from God as before But being in Christ are brought neer unto him and have free access to the Throne of his grace Heb. 10. They resemble in their Spiritual estate the legal Priesthood very clearly 1. In their Consecration 2. In their service and 3. In their Laws of living 1. They were wash'd therefore this express'd Revel 1.5 He hath washt us in his Blood and then followes made us Kings and Priests There were no coming near unto God in his holy Services as his Priests unless we were cleans'd from the guiltiness and pollution of our sins This that pure and purging Blood doth and it alone no other Laver can do it no water but that fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness No blood none of all that blood of Legal Sacrifices Heb. 9. but only the Blood of that spotless Lamb that takes away the sins of the World So with this we have that other Ceremoany of the Priests Consecration which was by Sacrifice as well as by washing for he at once offer'd up himself as our Sacrifice and let out his blood for our washing and with good reason is that prefix'd there Revel 1.5 He hath loved us and then it followes washed us in his blood that precious stream of his heart blood for our washing told clearly that it was a heart full of unspeakable Love that was the source of it 3. There is anointing Namely The graces of the Spirit confer'd upon Believers flowing unto them from Christ For 't is of his fulness that we all receive grace for grace and the Apostle St. Paul sayes 2 Cor. 1.21 that we are establish'd and anointed in Christ it was poured on him as our head and runs down from him unto us He Christ and we Christians as partakers of his anointing The consecrating Oyl of the Priests was made of the richest Oyntments and Spices to shew the preciousness of the graces of Gods Spirit that are bestow'd on those Spiritual Priests and as that holy Oyl was not for common use nor for any other Persons to be anointed withal save the Priests only so is the Spirit of grace a peculiar gift of Believers others might have costly oyntments amongst the Jewes but none of that same sort with the Consecration-Oyl Natural Men may have very great gifts of Judgment and Learning and eloquence and Moral Vertues but they have none of this precious Oyl Namely the spirit of Christ communicated to them No all their endowments are but common and profane that Holy Oyl signified particularly Eminency of light and knowledge in the Priests therefore in Christians there must be light they that are grosly ignorant of Spiritual things are sure not of this order this anointing is said to teach us all things 1. Iohn 2.27 That holy Oyl was of a most fragrant sweet smell by reason of its precious composition but much more sweet is the smell of that Spirit wherewith believers
a Natural Man so little understands that is the cause of all that Spiritual Light of Grace that a Believer does enjoy No right knowledge of God to Man once fallen from it but in his Son no comfort in beholding God but through him Nothing but just anger and wrath to be seen in Gods lookes but through him in whom he is well pleased The Gospel shews us the Light of the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 4.6 but 't is in the face of Iesus Christ therefore the Kingdom of light oppos'd to that of Darkness Col. 1. is called the Kingdom of his dear Son or the Son of his Love There is a Spirit of Light and Knowledge flowes from Jesus Christ into the Souls of Believers that acquaints them with the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God which cannot otherwise be known And this Spirit of Knowledge is withal a Spirit of Holiness for Purity and Holiness is likewise signified by this Light he remov'd that huge dark body of sin that was betwixt us and the Father and eclips'd him from us the light of his countenance sanctifieth by truth 't is a light that hath heat with it and hath influence upon the affections warmes them towards God and divine things this darkness here is indeed the shadow of death and so they that are without Christ till he visit them are said to sit in darkness and in the shadow of death So this Light is Life Ioh. 1.4 Doth enlighten and enliven begâ—ts new actions and motions in the Soul the right notion that he hath of things as they are work upon him and stir him accordingly discovers a man to himself and lets him see his own Natural filthiness and makes him loath himself and fly from himself run out of himself And the excellency he sees in God and his Son Jesus Christ by this new Light enflames his heart with their Love takes him up with estimation of the Lord Jesus and makes the World and all things in it that he esteemed before base and mean in his eyes Then from this Light arises Spiritual Joy and Comfort so Light signifies frequently as in that of the Psalmist the latter clause expounds the former Light is sowen for the Righteous and joy for the upright in heart As this Kingdom of Gods dear Son that is this Kingdom of Light hath righteousness in it so it hath Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 'T is a false prejudice the World hath taken up against Religion that 't is a sowr Melancholly thing There is no truly Lightsome and Comfortable life but it All others have what they will they live in darkness and is not that truly sad and comforâ—less Would you think it a pleasant life though you had fine Cloathes and good Dieâ— but never see the Sun and were still kept in a Dungeon with them thus are they that live in Worldly Honour and Plenty but still without God they are in continual darkness with all their injoyments It is true the light of Believers is not here perfect and therefore their joy is not perfect neither sometimes over clouded but the comfort is this that it is an everlasting light it shall never go out in darkness as is said in Iob of the light of the Wicked â—nd it shall within a while be perfected There is a bright morning without a Cloud that shall arise The Saints have not only Light to lead them in their journey but much purer Light at home an Inheritance in Light Colos. 1. The Land where their Inheritance lyeth is full of Light and their Inheritance it self is light For the Vision of God for ever is that Inheritance that City hath no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof As we said that increated Light is the happiness of the Soul the beginnings of it are our begun happiness they are beams of it sent from above to lead us to the Fountain and fulness of it With thee sayes David is the Fountain of Life and in thy Light shall we see light There are two things spoken of this Light to commend it His Marvellous Light that it is after a peculiar manner Gods and then that is is Marvellous All light is from him the light of sense and that of reason therefore he is called the Father of Lights but this Light of Grace is after a peculiar manner his being a light above the reach of Nature infus'd into the Soul in a supernatural way The light of the Elect World where God specially and graciously recides Natural Men may know very much in natural things and it may be in supernatural things after a natural manner They may be full of School-Divinity and able to discourse of God and his Son Christ and the Mystery of Redemption c. and yet want this peculiar light by which Christ is known to Believers they may speak of him but 't is in the dark they see him not and therefore they love him not the light they have is as the light of some things that shine only in the night a cold Glow-worm-light that hath no heat with it at all Whereas a Soul that hath some of His Light Gods peculiar Light communicated to it sees Jesus Christ and loves and delights in Him and walks with Him A little of this light is worth a great deal yea more worth than all that other common speculative and discoursing knowledge that the greatest Doctors can attain unto 't is of a more excellent kind and original 't is from Heaven and ye know that one beam of the Sun is more worth than the light of ten thousand Torches together 't is a pure undecaying Heavenly light whereas the other is gross and earthly be it never so great and lasts but a while Let us not therefore think it Incredible that a poor unletter'd Christian may know more of God in the best kind of knowledge than any the wisest and Learnedest natural Man can do for the one knowes God only by Mans Light the other knowes him by his own light and that 's the only right knowledge as the Sun cannot be seen but by its own light so neither can God be savingly known but by his own revealing Now this Light being so peculiarly Gods no marvel if it be Marvellous the common light of the world is so though because of its commoness we think not so The Lord is Marvellous is Wisdom in Power in all his works of Creation and Providence But above all in the workings of his Grace This Light is unknown to the World and so Marvellous in the rareness of beholding it that there be but a few that partake of it And to them that see it is Marvellous because in it they see so many excellent things that they knew not before As if a Man were born and brought up till he came to years of understanding in a Dungeon where
the exactest obedience they can reach and this is an imperfect kind of perfection 't is Evangelical but not Angelical 2. To impute the scandalous falls of some particular Persons to the whole number 'T is a very short incompetent rule to make judgement of any one Man himself by one action much more to measure all the rest of the same Profession by it and they yet proceed further in this way of misjudging 3. That they impute the personal failings of Men to their Religion and disadvantage it by the faults of those that profess it which as the Ancients plead well is the greatest injustice and such as they would not be guilty of against their own Philosophers They could well distinguish betwixt their Doctrine and the manners of some of their followers and thus ought they to have dealt with Christians too Consider their Religion in it self and the Doctrine that it teaches and if it were vitious the blame were just but if it taught nothing but Holiness and righteousness then the blame of any unholiness or unrighteousness found amongst Christians was to rest upon the Persons themselves that were guilty of it and not to be stretch'd to the whole number of Professors much less to the Relion that they profess And yet this is still the custom of the World upon the least failing they can espy in the Godly or such as seem to be so much more with open mouth upon any gross sin in any of them But seeing this is the very Character of a profane mind and the badge of the Enemies of Religion beware of sharing at all with them in it give not easy entertainment to the reports of profane or of mere civil Men against the professors of Religion they are undoubtedly partial and their testimony justly suspected Lend them not a ready ear to receive their evil speakings much less your tongue to divulge them and set them further going Yea take heed that you take not pleasure in any the least kind of scoffs against the sincerity and power of Religion And all of you that desire your selves to walk as Christians be very wary that ye wrong not one another and help not the wicked against you by your mutual misconstructions and miscensures one of another far be it from you to take pleasure in hearing others evil spoken of whether unjustly or though it be some way deservedly yet let it be alway grievous to you and no way pleasing to hear such things much less to speak of them It is the Devils delight to be pleas'd with evil speakings The Syrian calls him an Akal Kartza eater of slaunders or Calumnies They are a dish that please his pallate and Men are naturally of his Diet. In the 35. Psal. V. 6 There is a word that is rendered mockers at Feasts or feasting-mockers that feasted Mens ears at their meetings with speaking of the faults of others scoffingly and therefore shared with them of their cakes or feasts as the word is but to a renewed Christian mind that hath a new taste and all new senses there is nothing more unsavoury than to hear the defaming of others especially of such as profess Religion did the Law of Love possess our hearts it would regulate our Ear and Tongue and make them most tender of the name of our Brethren it would teach us the faculty of covering their infirmities and judging favourably taking alwayes the best side and most charitable sense of their actions and to blunt the fire-edge of our censures upon our selves our own hard hearts and rebellious wills within that they might remain no more sharp against others then is needful for their good And this would cut short those that are without from a great deal of Provisions of evil speaking against Christians that they many times are furnish'd withal by themselves through their uncharitable carriage one towards another However this being the hard measure that they alwayes find in the World it is their wisdom to consider it aright and to study that good which according to the Apostles advice may be extracted out of it and that is the second thing to be spoken to 2. Your Conversation As the Soveraign power of drawing good out of evil resides in God and argues his primitive goodness so he teacheth his own Children some faculty this way that they may resemble Him in it he teacheth them to draw sweetness out of their bitterest afflictions and increase of inward peace from their outward troubles And as these buffetings of the tongue are no small part of their sufferings so they reap no small benefit by them many wayes particularly in this one that they order their Coversation the better and walk the more exactly for it And this no doubt in Divine Providence is intended and ordered for their good and all their other trials The sharp censures and evil speakings that a Christian is incompassed withal in the World is no other but a hedge of thornes set on every side that he go not out of his way but keep straight on in it betwixt them not declining to the right hand nor to the left whereas if they found nothing but the favour and good opinion of the world they might as in a way unhedged be subject to expatiate and wander out into the Meadowes of Carnal Pleasures that are about them that would call and allure them and often amuse them from their journey And thus it might fall out that Christians would deserve censure and evil speakings the more if they did not usually suffer them undeserved This then turnes into a great advantage to them making them more answerable to those two things that our Saviour joynes to Watch and Pray to be the more vigilent over themselves and the more earnest with God for his watching over them and conducting of them Make my wayes straight sayes David because of mine enemies the word is My Observers or those that scand my wayes every foot of them that examine them as a Verse or as a Song of Musick if there be but a wrong measure in them they will not let it slip but will be sure to mark it And if they that are the Godly's enemies wait for their halting shall not they themselves scand them that they may not halt and examin them to order them as the wicked do to censure them and withal depend wholly upon the Spirit of God as their guide to lead them into all truth and to teach them how to order their Coversation aright that it may be all of one piece holy and blameless and still like it selfe Honest Fair or Beautiful the same word doth fitly signifie goodness and beauty For that that is the truest and lastingest beauty growes fresher in Old age as the Psalmist speaks of the Righteous Psal. 92. as trees planted in the house of God Could the Beauty of Vertue be seen said he it would draw all to love it A Christian holy Conversation hath such a beauty as when
they that are Strangers to it begin to discern it any thing right they cannot chuse but love it and where it begets not love yet it silences Calumny or at least convinces its falshood The goodness or beauty of a Christian's Conversation consisting in that Symmetry and Conformity to the word of God as its rule he ought diligently to study that rule and to square his wayes by it not to walk at random but to apply that rule to every step at home and abroad and to be as careful of the beauty of his wayes to keep that unspotted as those Women are of their faces and attire that are most Studious of comliness But so far are we that call our selves Christians from this exact regard of our Conversation the most part not only have many four spots but they themselves and all their wayes nothing but defilement all one spot as our Apostle calls them blots are they and spots 2 Pet. 2.13 and even they that are Christians indeed yet not so watchful and accurate in all their wayes as becomes 〈◊〉 staining their holy Profession either with Pride or Coveteousness or contentions or some other such like uncomeliness Let us therefore resolve all more to study this good and comely conversation the Apostle â—ere exhorts to that it may be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ as St. Paul desires his Philippians And if you live amongst profane Persons that will be to you as the unbelieving Gentiles were to these believing Jewes that lived amongst them traducers of you and given to speak evil of you and of Religion in you trouble not your selves with many apologies and clearings when you are evil spoke of but let the â—â—act of your life answer for you your honest and blameless conversation that will be the shortest and realest way of confuting all obloquies as when one in the Schools was proving by a sophistical Argument that there could be no 〈◊〉 the Philosopher answered it fully and shortly by rising up and walking If thou would'st pay them home this is a kind of revenge not only allowed thee but recommended to thee be aveng'd on evil speakings by well doing shame them from it It was a King that said it was Kingly to do well and be ill spoke of Well may Christians acknowledge it to be true when they consider that it was the lot of their King Iesus Christ And well may they be content seeing he hath made them likewise Kings as we heard V. 9. to be conform to him in this too this Kingly way of suffering to be unjustly evil spoken of and still to go on in doing the more good alwayes aiming in so doing as our Lord did at the glory of our Heavenly Father that is the 3 d. thing That they may glorifie God He sayes not they shall praise or commend you but shall glorifie God What way soever this time this day of Visitation be taken the effect it selfe is this they shall glorifie God 't is this the Apostle stills holds before their eye and that upon which a Christian doth willingly set his eye and keep it fixed on it in all his wayes he doth not teach them to be sensible of their own esteem as it concerns themselves but only as the glory of their God is interess'd in it were it not this a generous minded Christian could set a very light rate upon all the thoughts and speeches of Men concerning him whether good or bad and could easily drown all their mistakes in the Conscience of the favour and approbation of his God 't is a small thing for me to be judged of Man or the day of Man he that judgeth me is the Lord. Man hath a day of judging but it and his judgment with it soon passes away but God hath his day and stand his sentence abideth for ever as the Apostle there adds as if he should say I appeal to God But considering that the Religion he professes and the God whom he worships in that Religion are wrong'd by those reproaches and that the calumnies cast upon Christians reflect upon their Lord this is the thing that makes him sensible he feels on that side only the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen upon me sayes the Psalmist And this makes a Christian desirous even to Men to vindicate his Religion and his God without regard to himself because he may say the reproaches of them that reproach only me have fallen upon thee This is his intent in the holiness and integrity of his life that God may be glorified this is the Axis about which all this good conversation moves and turnes câ—nâ—inually And he that forgets this let his conversation be never so plausible and spotless knows not what it is to be a Christian. As they say of the Eagles who try their young ones whether they be of the right kind or no by holding them before the Sun and if they can look stedfastly upon it they own them if not they throw them away this is the true evidence of an upright and real Christian to have a stedfast eye on the glory of God the father of Lights In all Let God be glorified sayes the Christian and that suffices that 's the summe of his desires far from glorying in himself or seeking to raise himself for he knows that of himself he is nothing but by the free grace of God he is what he is whence any glorying to thee rottenesse and dust sayes St. Bern. whence is it to thee if thou art holy Is it not the holy spirit that hath sanctified thee If thou couldest work miracles though they were done by thy hand yet it were not by thy power but by the power of God To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee sayes David Psa. 30. Whether his tongue or his soul or both What he calls his glory he shews us and what use he hath for it namely to give the Lord glory to sing his praises and that then it was truely Davids glory when 't was so employ'd in giving glory to him whose peculiar due glory is What have we to do in the world as his creatures Once and again his creatures his new creatures created unto good works but to exerise our selves in those and by those to advance his glory That all may return to him from whom all is as the rivers run back to the Sea from whence they came Of him and through him and therefore for him are all things says the Apostle They that serve base Gods seek how to advance and agrandize them The covetous Man studies to make his Mammon as great as he can all his thoughts and pains run upon that service and so the voluptuous and ambitious for theirs And shall not they that profess themselves the servants of the only great and the only true God have their hearts much more at least as much possess'd with desires of honouring and exalting him should not this be their predominant
wrong'd us who ever it is but especially being one of our Brethren in this Spiritual sense Many are the Duties of this peculiar fraternal love that mutual Converse and admonition and reproof and comforting and other Duties which are in neglect not only amongst formal but even amongst real Christians Let us intreat more of his Spirit who is Love and that will mend this Fear God All the Rules of equity and Charity amongst Men flow from a higher Principle and depend upon it and there is no right observing of them without due regard to that therefore this word that expresses that Principle of Obedience is fitly inserted amongst these The first obligemenâ— of Man being to the Soveraign Majesty of God that made him and all their mutual Duties one to another deriv'd from that A Man may indeed from Moral Principles be of a mild inoffensive Carriage and do Civil right to all Men But this answers not the Divine Rule even in these same things after the way that it requires them The Spiritual and Religious observance of these Duties towards Men springs from a respect to God and terminates there too begins and ends in him and generally all obedience to his Commands both such as regulate our behaviour towards himselfe immediately and such as relate to Men doth arise from a holy fear of his Name Therefore this fear of God upon which followes necessarily the keeping of his Commandements is given us by Solomon as the total Sum of Mans business and Duty and so this way to solid happiness 't is totum hominis after he had made his discoveries of all things besides under the Sun gone the whole circuit and made an exact valuation and found all to amount to nothing but vanity and vexation of Spirit The account he gives of it it was all for this purpose to illustrate and establish this truth the more and to make it the more acceptable to be a repose after so much weariness and such a tedious Journey and so as he speaks there Verse 10. A word of delight as well as a word of truth that the mind might sit down and quiet it self in this from the turmoyl and pursuit of vanity that keeps it busy to no purpose in all other things but whereas there was emptiness and vanity that 's just nothing in all other things there was not only something to be found but all in this one this fear of God and that 's keeping of his Commandments which is the proper fruit of that fear All the repeated declaring of Vanity in other things both severally and altogether in that Book are but so many stroakes to drive and fasten this nail as 't is there Verse 11. This word of Wisdom which is the Summe of all and contains all the rest So Iob after a large inquest for Wisdom searching for its Vein as Men do for Mines of Silver and Gold hath the return of a Non inventium est from all the Creatures The Sea sayes it is not in me c. But in the close finds it in this The fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding Under this fear is comprehended all Religion the inward and outward of it all his worship and Service and all the observance of His Commandements which is there Eccles. 12. and elsewhere expresly joyned with it and therefore is included in it when 't is not express'd so Iob. 28. to depart from evil that is understanding repeating the former words by that So Psal. 111. Verse 10. It hath in it all holiness and Obedience they grow all out of it It is the beginning and it is the top or consummation of wisdom for the word signifies both Think it not then a trivial common matter to speak or hear of this Subject but take it as our great lesson and business here on earth that the best proficients in it have yet need to learn it better and that it requires our uncessant dilligence and study all our dayes This fear hath chiefly these things 1. A reverent esteem of the Majesty of God which is a main fundamental thing in Religion and that moulds the heart most powerfully to the obedience of his will 2. A firm belief of the Purity of God and of his power and justice that he loves holiness and hates all sin and can and will punish it 3. A right apprehension of the bitterness of his wrath and the sweet of his Love that His incensed Anger is the most terrible and intollerable thing in the World absolutely the fearfullest of all evils and on the other side His Love of all good things the best the most blessed and delightful yea only blessedness Life is the Name of the sweetest good we know and yet this loving kindness is better then life sayes David 4. It supposes likewise Soveraign love to God for his own infinite Excellency and goodness 5. From all these things springs a most earnest desire to please him and in all things and unwillingness to offend Him in the least and because of our danger through the multitude and strength of tentations and our own weakness a continual selfe-suspition a holy fear least we should sin and a care and watchfulness that we sin not and deep sorrow and speedy returning and humbling before him when we have sinned There is indeed a base kind of fear that in the usual distinction they call servile fear But to account all fear of the Judgements and Wrath of God a Servile fear or not to stand upon words to account such a fear improper to the Children of God I conceive is a wide mistake Indeed to fear the punishment of sin without regard ro God and his Justice as the inflicter of them or to forbear to sin only because of those punishments so as if a Man can be secur'd from those he hath no other respect to God that would make him fear to offend this is the character of a slavish and base mind Again for a Man so to apprehend wrath in relation to himself as to be still under the horrour of it in that notion and not to apprehend Redemption and deliverance by Jesus Christ is to be under that Spirit of bondage which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 8. And such fear though a Child of God may for a time be under it yet the lively actings of faith and persuasion of Gods love and the feeling of reflexe love to him in the Soul doth cast it out according to that of the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.18 true love casteth out fear But to apprehend the punishments the Lord threatens against sin as certain and true and to consider the greatness and fearfulness of them but especially the terrour of the Lords anger and hot displeasure above all punishments and though not only no nor chiefly for these yet in contemplation of those as very great and weighty to be affraid to offend that God who hath threatned such things as the just
before and the hope of that reward he hath promis'd as it is Col. 3.24 No less than the inheritance so then such Servants as these are Sons and Heirs of God Co-heirs with Christ thus he that is a Servant may be in a far more excellent estate than his Master The Servant may hope for and aim at a Kingdome while the Master is embracing a dunghill and he that is thus thinks highly of Gods free grace And the looking ever to that inheritance make them go cheerfully through all paines and troubles here as light and momentany and not worth the naming in comparison of that glory that shall be revealed In the mean time the best and most easy condiâ—ion of the Sons of God cannot satisfy them nor stay their sighs and groanes waiting and longing for that day of their full redemption Now this is the great rule not only for Servants But for all the Servants of God in what estate soever to set the Lord alwayes before them and to study with St. Paul to have a conscience void of offence towards God and Man to eye and apply constantly to their actions and their inward thoughts the command of God to walk by that rule abroad and at home in their houses and in the several ways of their calling As an exact workman is ever and anon laying to his rule to his work and squaring it and for the Conscience they have towards God to do and suffer his will cheerfully in every thing being content that he chuse their condition and their trialls for them Only desirous to be assur'd that he hath chosen them for his own and given them right to the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God still endeavouring to walk in that way that leads to it overlooking this moment and all things in it accounring it a very indifferent matter what is their outward estate here in this moment providing they may be happy in Eternity high or low here bond or free it imports little seeing all these differences will be so quickly at an end and thene shall not be so much as any tract or footstep of them left with particular Men 'T is so in their graves you may distinguish the greater from the less by their Tombs but by their dust you cannot and with the whole world it shall be so in end All Monuments and Palaces with cottages made fire as our Apostle tells us the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth and all the works therein shall be burnt up Verse 21.22 23. For even hereunto were ye called Because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps 22. Who did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth 23. Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not But committed himself to him that judgeth righteously THe rules that God hath set Men to live by are universally just and there is an universall obligation upon all Men to obey them but as they are particulary address'd to his own people in his word they are out of question particularly bound to yeild obedience and have many peculiar perswasives to it that extend not to others which are therefore usually represented to them and press'd upon them in the Holy Scriptures Thus the preface of the Law runs to Israel besides that I am Iehovah and have Supreme power to give Men Laws is added I am thy God especially thy deliverer from slavery and bondage and so have a peculiar right to thy obedience so Deut. 7.6 Thus the Apostle here urgeth this point in hand of inoffensiveness and patience particularly in Christian Servants But so as it fits every Christian in his station for hereunto sayes he ye are called Whatsoever others do though they think this too strait a rule yet you are tyed to it by your own calling and profession as you are Christians and this is evidently the highest and clearest reason that can be and of greatest power with a Christian Namely the example of Jesus Christ himself For Christ also suffered for us c. So 't is all but one entire Argument that they ought thus to behave themselves because 't is the very thing they are called to as their conformity to Jesus Christ whose they profess to be yea with whom as Christians they profess themselves to be one Hereunto were ye called This in the general is a thing that ought to be ever before our eye to consider the nature and end of our calling and to endeavour in all things to suit it to think in every occurrence what doth the calling of a Christian require of me in this but the truth is the most do not mind this we profess our selves to be Christians and never think what kind of behaviour this obliges us to and what manner of persons it becomes us to be in all holy Conversation but walk disorderly out of our rank inordinately you that are Prophane were you called by the Gospel to serve the World and your Lusts to Swearing and Rioting and Voluptuousness Heare you not the Apostle testifying the contrary in express termes That God hath not called us to uncleanness but unto holiness You that are of proud contentious Spirits are you suitable to this holy Calling No for we are called to Peace sayes the same Apostle but we study not this Holy Calling and therefore we walk so incongruously so unlike the Gospel we lie and do not the truth as St. Iohn speaks our Actions belie us The particular that here Christians are said to be called to is to suffering as their Lot and Patience as their Duty even under the most unjust and undeserved sufferings· And both these are as large as the Sphere of this Calling not only Servants and others of a mean condition that lying low are the more subject to rigours and Injuries but generally all that are called to Godliness are likewise called to Sufferings 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will follow Christ must do it in his Livery they must take up their Cross. This is a very harsh and unpleasing Article of the Gospel to a carnal mind but it conceales it not Men are not led blindfold upon sufferings and drawn into a hidden snare by the Gospels invitations they are told very often that they pretend not a surprisal nor have any just plea for starting back again as our Saviour tells his Disciples why he was so express and plain with them in this These things sayes he have I told you that you be not offended I have shew'd you the ruggedness of your way that you stumble not at it takeing it to be a smooth plain one but withal where this is spoke of 't is usually allay'd with the mention of those comforts that accompany these sufferings or that glory that followes them The Doctrine of the Apostles which was so verified in their own Persons Acts 14. That through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God
that all the Torments of the cross and revilings of the multitude that as it were rack't him for some answer yet could draw no other from him but this father forgive them for they know not what they do But for those to whom this mercy belong'd not the Apostle tells us what he did in stead of Revilings and Threatnings he committed all to him that judgeth righteously And this is the true method of Christian patience that which quiets the mind and keeps it from the boyling Tumultuous thoughts of revenge to turne the whole matter into Gods hand to resign it over to him to prosecute when and as he thinks good Not as the most that had rather if they had power do for themselves and be their own avengers and because they have not power do offer up such bitter curses and prayers for revenge unto God as are most hateful to him and are far from this calm and holy way of committing matters to his judgment The common way of referring things to God is indeed impious and dishonourable to him being really no other but a calling of him to be a Servant and executioner to our passion We ordinarily mistake his justice and judge of it according to our own precipitant distemper'd minds If wicked Men be not cross'd in their designes and their wickedness evidently crush'd just when we would have it we are ready to give up the matter as desperate or at least abate of those confident and reverent thoughts of divine justice that we owe him Howsoever things go this ought to be fixed in our hearts that he that sits in Heaven judgeth righteously and executes that his righteous judgement in the fittest season We poor wormes whose whole life is but an hand-breadth in it self and is as nothing unto God we think a few months or years a great matter but to him that inhabites Eternity a thousand years are but as one day as our Apostle teaches us Our Saviour in that time of his Humiliation and Suffering committed himself and his cause for that is best express'd in that nothing is express'd but he committed and the issue shall be that all his enemies shall become his footstool and he himself shall judge them But that which is given us here to learn from his carriage toward them in his Suffering is that quietness and moderation of mind even under unjust Sufferings make us like him Not to reply reproach with reproach as our custom is to give an ill word for another or two for one to be sure not to be behind Men take a pride in this and think it ridiculous simplicity to suffer and this make strifes and contention so abound but 't is a great mistake you think it greatness of spirit to bear nothing to put up no wrong Whereas it is indeed great weakness and baseness 't is true greatness of Spirit to despise the most of those things that set you usually on fire one against another especially being done after a Christian manner 't were a part of the Spirit of Christ in you and is there any Spirit greater than that think you Oh! that there were less of the Spirit of the Dragon and more of that Spirit of the Dove amongst us Our obligement to the example of Christ besides its own excellency is in these two things in the words 1. The intendment of his behaviour for this use to be as an example to us 2. Our Interest in him and those his Sufferings wherein he so carried himself Leaving us an Example c. He left his footsteps as a Copy as the word is to follow every step of his a letter of this Copy and particularly in this point of Suffering he writ us a pure and perfect Copy of obedience in clear and great letters in his own blood His whole life is our Rule not his Miraculous works his footsteps walking on the Sea and such like are not for our following But his obedience and Holiness and Meekenss and Humility are our Copy which we should continualy study The shorter and more effectual way they say of teaching is by example but above all this matchless example is the happiest way of teaching He that followes me sayes he shall not walk in darkness He that aimes high shoot's the higher for 't though he shoot not so high as he aimes This is that which ennobles the Spirit of a Christian the propounding of this our high Patterne the example of Jesus Christ. The Imitation of Men in worthless things is low and servile the Imitation of their vertues is commendable but if we seek no higher 't is both imperfect and unsafe The Apostle St. Paul will have no Imitation but with regard to this Supreme Patterne be ye follewers of me as I am of Christ One Christian may take the example of Christ in many things in another but still examining all by the Original primitive Copy the footsteps of Christ himself following nothing but as it conformes with that and looking most on him as both the perfectest and most effectual example Heb. 12.2 there is a cloud of wittnesses and examples but look above them all to him that is as high above them as the Sun is above the clouds As the way is better a lively one indeed so there is this advantage in the Covenant of grace that we are not left to our own skill for following of it but taught by the Spirit In the delivery of the Law God shewed his glory and greatness by the manner of it but the Law was written only in dead Tables but Christ the living Law teaches by obeying it how to obey it and this is the advantage of the Gospel that the Law is Twice written over unto believers first in the example of Christ and then inwardly in their hearts by his Spirit There is together with that Copy of all grace in him a Spirit deriv'd from him enabling believers to follow him in their measure they may not only see him as the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth as it is Io. 6. But as there it followes they receive of his fulness grace for grace The love of Christ makes the Soul delight to converse with him and converse and Love together makes it learn his behaviour as Men that live much together especially if they do much affect one another will insensibly contract anothers habitudes and customes The other thing obliging us is our interest in him and his Sufferings he suffer'd for us and this the Apostle returnes to Ver. 24. Observe only from the Tye of these two that if we neglect his example set before us we cannot enjoy any right assurance of his suffâ—ring for us but if we do seriously endeavour to follow him then we may be perswaded of life through his death and those steps of his wherein we walk will bring us ere long to be where he is Verse 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own Body on the Tree
nothing but holiness and urges it most pressingly upon all that receive it This is the very life of divine Faith touching the Mysteries of Salvation firmly to believe their Revelation by the Spirit of God this the Word it selfe testifies as we see and it is really manifest in it it carries the lively stamp of divine Inspiration but there must be a spirituall Eye to discern it he that is blind knows not that the Sun shines at noon but by the report of others but they that see are assur'd they see it and assur'd by no other thing but by its own Light To ask one that is a true Believer how know you the Scriptures to be divine is the same as to ask him how know you Light to be Light The Soul is nothing but Darkness and blindness within till that same spirit that shines without in the Word shine likewise within it and Effectually make it Light but that once done then is the word Read with some measure of the same spirit by which it was written and the Soul is ascertain'd that it is divine as in bodily fight there must be a meeting of inward Light Viz. the visuall spirits with the outward Object The spirit of God within brings Evidence with it and makes it self discernable in the word this all arguments all Books and study cannot attain unto it is given to believe No Man knows the things of a Man but the spirit of Man 1. Cor. 2.11 But how holds that here for if a Man speak out the things that are in his spirit then others may know them But the Apostle's aime is there to conclude that the things of God even such as were Revealed in his Word could not be known but by his own spirit ' it s so though Revealed yet they remain still unreveal'd till the spirit teach within as well as without Because intelligeable by none but by those that are the private Scholers and Hearers of the holy Ghost the author of them and because there are so few of these therefore there is so little reall Believeing amongst all the noise and profession that we make of it who is there if you will believe them that Believes not and yet truely there is too much Cause to continue the Prophets regret who hath believed our Report Learn then to suspect your selves and to finde out your own Unbelief that you may desire this Spirit to teach you inwardly those great Mysteries that he outwardly Reveals and Teaches by his Word Make use of that promise and press the Lord with it They shall be all taught of God But 2. There is here the Matter of this Doctrine which we have in three severall Expressions 1. That which is Repeated from the foregoing Verse 't is the Doctrine of Salvation that 's the end of it and 2. The Doctrine of sufferings and glory of Christ as the means 3. The Doctrine of Grace the spring of both And 1. Salvation the onely true Doctrine of true happiness which the wisest of naturall Men have grop't and sought after with much earnestness but with no success they had no other then the dark Moon light of Nature and that is not sufficient to find it out onely the Sun of Righteousness shining in the Sphere of the Gospel brings Life and Immortality to Light 2. Tim. 1.10 No wonder that naturall Wisdom the deepest of it is far from finding out the true method and way of cure seeing it cannot discover the disease of miserable Mankind Viz. the sinfull and wretched Condition of nature by the first Disobedience Salvation expresses not only that which is Negative but Implies likewise positive and perfect Happiness thus forgiveness of sins is put for the whole nature of Iustification frequently in scripture 't is more easy to say of this unspeakable Happiness what it is not then what it is there is in it a full and final freedom from all Annoyance all tears are wip'd away and their fountain dryed up all feeling and fear or danger of any the least evil either of sin or punishment banish'd for ever no Invasions of Enemies no robbing nor destroying in all this holy Mountain no voice of complaining in the streets of the new Jerusalem here 't is at the best but interchanges of Mornings of joy with weeping of sad evenings but there there shall be no Light no need of Sun nor Moon For the glory of the Lord shall lighten it and the Lamb shall be the Light thereof Well may the Apostle as he doth here throughout this Chap. lay this Salvation to Counter ballance all sorrows and Persecutions and whatsoever hardships can be in the way to it The soul that is perswaded of this in the midst of Storms and Tempests enjoys a Calme Triumphs in Disgraces grows Richer by all its Losses and by Death it self attaines this Immortall life Happy are they that have their eye fixed upon this Salvation and are longing and waiting for it that see so much of that brightness and Glory as darknâ— all the lusture of Earthly things to them and makes them trample upon those things which formerly they admir'd and doted on with the rest of the foolish world Those things we account so much of are but as rotten wood or Glow-wormes that shine onely in the night of our Ignorance and Vanity so soon as the Light beam of this Salvation enters into the soul it cannot much esteem or affect any thing below it and if those glances of it that shine in the Word and in the Soul of a Christian be so bright and powerfull what then shall the full sight and real possession of it be The worker of this Salvation whom the Prophets and Apostles make the summe of all their doctrine is Jesus Christ and the summe of that work of Redemption as we have it here is his Humiliation and Exaltation His Sufferings and the Glory that followed thereupon now though this serve as an Encouragement to Christians in their Sufferings that this is the way by which their Lord went into his Glory and is true also of Christ mysticall the Head with the Members as the scriptures often teach us Yet I conceive 't is here mainâ—ly intended as a summary of the work of our Redemption by Jesus Christ relateing to the salvation mention'd Verse 10. And as the Cause for the Effect so 't is put for it here The Prophets enquired and prophecied of that Salvation How By searching out and foretelling the Sufferings and Glory of Christ His sufferings then and his after Glories are our Salvation His sufferings is the purchace of our Salvation and His Glory is our assurance of it He as our head having Triumph'd and being Crown'd makes us likewise sure of Victory and Triumph Having entered possession to glory makes our Hope certain this is his prayer that where he is there we may be also and this his own assertion the glory which thou gavest Me I have given them Ioh. 17.22 24. this is