be Masters of new opinions than to be disciples of old Truths these men may be said to be weary of the Gospel Secondly Are there not some that are weary of the Profession of the Gospel such as are Atheists and prophane Libertines Swearers Drunkards and others of that Gang that could be contented that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should be extinguished that the Candle might be put out so they may but sin more freely but our Saviour hath read their doom John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Thirdly Are there not some weary of the Power and Practice of the Gospel such are Hypocrites Apostates luke-warm Professors and carnal Gospellers that have it is true a form of godliness but are as far from the power and practice of it as Pagans are from the profession of it Are not these worthy think you to be reproved yea God reproves them and his Word reproves them and their own consciences will one day reprove them nay that Gospel which now they despise and undervalue will then arraign indict and condemn them at that great day for if the Lord Jesus Christ will come in flames of fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not his Gospel as it is 2 Thes 1.8 What will become of them that are weary of it that despise it that do undervalue it The fourth and last Use to shut up this point is this If the knowledg of salvation be discovered by the preaching of the Gospel then let me press upon you three very necessary and seasonable Duties First Learn to prize the Gospel while you have it labour to know the worth of it now you have it lest God let you see the worth of it in the want of it when it is too late God will never hang a Jewel upon a swines snout God will never long continue the Gospel in mercy to a People that do not value it True indeed some there are that are ready to say of the Gospel as Naaman the Assyrian in like case Are not Abana and Pharphar rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel may I not wash in them to be clean So some will say Are not the doctrines of Popery and other corrupt doctrines better than all the doctrines of the Gospel But I hope you have not so learnt Christ Oh learn to prize the Gospel as the doctrine of your salvation as the evidence of your inheritance Do you learn to prize it as the tree of life which is for the healing of the Nations as the pledg of the hope you have of eternal life Labour for such an esteem of the Gospel as David had Psal 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Oh do you now learn to prize the Gospel as the greatest priviledg that ever God did bestow upon you next to Jesus Christ and his Spirit A second Duty I would press upon you is this not only to prize the Gospel but to make use of it and improve it for your own spiritual advantage Yet a little while saith our Saviour is the light with you walk while you have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth John 12.35 Oh that you and I could learn to make hay while the Sun shines Oh that we could improve these opportunities while we do enjoy them If so be the Gospel should be taken away from you before your peace is made with God before you have gotten Jesus Christ into your hearts before the Covenant between God and your Souls be sealed Oh how sad and doleful would your conditions be sure I am we were never in so much danger of losing the Gospel as at this day for our barrenness and unfruitfulness and wearness of the Gospel We are ready to say Mal. 1.13 What a weariness is it to serve the Lord and for our contempt of the means of grace Now if such a day should come as God threatens Micah 3.6 Therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them If such a day should come as God threatens Amos 8.11 Behold the days come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it Oh what a black doleful dismal day would this be Thirdly It should teach us to walk worthy of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Oh let us learn to lead Gospel-lives under Gospel-light let it never be said to us that the Gospel is a grace to us but we are a disgrace to the Gospel I beseech you my brethren study to live up to your light seeing God hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light walk as children of the light follow that golden Rule of the Apostle Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things speak of these things Oh could we but once learn to cast off the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light could we once be brought to this to repent of our Gospel-sins may be the Lord may lengthen our tranquility may be God may revive his work in the midst of our days may be glory may yet dwell in our Land and make us a name and praise throughout the whole earth But if we go on in a course of Rebellion if we rebel against the light if we despise the means of grace if we undervalue those precious seasons of Salvation that are tendred to us if we grieve the holy Spirit of God from day to day and cause him to withdraw from us what a black and doleful day may seize upon us The Lord work these things upon every one or our hearts that still the Gospel in its power and purity may be continued to us CHRIST'S PROVISION FOR MANS DIRECTION Isaiah XL. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young THE first verse of this Chapter will tell you what the scope of the Chapter is namely to speak comfort to the poor captive Jews in their return
bread thou mayst as well turn stones into bread as water into wine but then afterwards he comes to more gross and grievous temptations to cast himself down headlong to murther himself and commit the horridest Idolatry that can be named So Satan is modest at the first he will perswade thee to tell a merry jocond lye to tell a lye in jest that is no great matter from a jesting lye he perswades thee to tell an officious lye for an advantage to thy self or neighbour from an officious lye he will tempt thee to a pernicious lye to tell a lye for thy neighbours ruine for the ruine of thy neighbours Name or Goods or Life Oh observe the wiles of Satan his temptations are at fist more modest The sixth Rule is this Do not think when one temptation is conquered or resisted that therefore thy corruption is mortified or that the Devil is quite vanquisned or quite hath left thee no for Satan lest our Saviour but for a season Luke 4.13 after he was shamefully vanquished and foiled he left him for a season he came to him again as he did in John 4.30 The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me The Devil like a Ram sometimes retires that he may come forwards with the greater violence Seventhly Would you be strengthned against temptations then above all take the Shield of Faith that is the Apostles Rule Eph. 6.16 Above all take the shield of faith whereby you may quench all the fiery darts of the devil Faith is the eye of the soul Now as a cunning Fencer when he is striving with his Adversary the first thing that he aims at is to strike out the eye of him with whom he is contesting if he can but strike out the eye then he knows he hath a great advantage so the Devil this cunning Fencer he strikes at the eye of Faith if he can but conquer thy Fath he knows he shall conquer thy soul therefore says he I fight neither against small nor great but against this King-Grace I fight against Faith therefore our Savour prays that Peters Faith should not fail so long as his faith did not fail though his other Graces be routed and broken yet Faith will recover all That was an admirable Captain who when the Battel was lost recovered it again himself when all his Soldiers fled and left him namely Shammah 2 Sam. 23.12 He alone stood to the battel and conquered a whole Troop and slew many of the Philistines Faith may be compared to Shammah when other Graces are foyled and routed our Faith will recover all again Now how should we strengthen Faith Faith is compared to a Shield now this Shield is composed of four or five plates First The gracious Promises that God hath made this is one plate that makes the shield of Faith you cannot be cast into such a condition wherein you may not meet with some Promise therefore study the Promises such as these When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Isa 43.2 So that is an excellent Scripture Isa 42.19 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not I will lead them in paths that they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight these things will I do unto them and not forsake them What a precious Promise is that though God leads his people through a dark Wilderness as I may say and they see not one beam of light yet notwithstanding if they lean upon the Lord he will cause darkness to be light before them A second Plate that the shield of Faith is composed of and made up of is the glorious Attributes of God Gods Wisdom Power Mercy Goodness Truth all these put together do spell All-sufficiency the wisdom of God to guide us the power of God to protect us the mercy of God to pity us and the like Thirdly Another Plate is this the triumphant victory of Jesus Christ he hath conquered our Enemy blessed be his Name our Saviour he hath crusht the head of the Serpent as Luther said excellently Why should we fear a conquered world when the Conqueror himself is on our side so why should we fear a conquered Enemy a cursed Enemy when the Conqueror himself is on our side The fourth Plate is this The former Experiments we have had of Gods goodness 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us And when the Prophet David was in those straits when he cryed out Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercy Oh says he This is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high Psal 77.7 8 9 10 I will remember thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites from the hill Nizar there I had a deliverance and there I had a deliverance and when my soul is cast down within me I will remember thee at such a place and at such a place where thou didst work a great deliverance for me Psal 42. Fifthly The last Plate the shield of Faith is made up of is Gods infinite love in giving of Jesus Christ He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things If God hath given us Jesus Christ he will give us supportation under trouble and he will give us deliverance out of trouble The last Direction is this Give not over praying Although for the present thou seest not the fruit of thy prayers give not over praying but remember he that was tempted for thee on earth is now interceding for thee in heaven Satan cannot be more ready to assault thee than Jesus Christ to assist thee Satan cannot be so busie on earth to hurt thee as Jesus Christ is busie in heaven to help thee and prayer through the intercession of Jesus Christ can cast out Devils Mr. Fox in his book of Martyrs in the second Volume speaking of Luther in the life of King Henry the eighth mentions a story of a man that was possessed with the Devil that had sold his soul to the Devil at Wittenburg But Luther got a company of praying Christians together to seek God on his behalf and would not give over seeking till they had received an Answer So at last the Devil in a great wind threw the Indenture in at the window Sometimes Prayer casts out the Devil God sometimes gives such signal testimonies of hearing Prayer for the enocuragement of his Servants therefore do not give over resisting Satans temptations nor praying against him Do as that blessed Saint Katharine Bretter when
from vers 27 to ver 59. Thirdly You have the issue or consequence of the Sermon some believed and some revolted some murmured and some marvelled The Text that I have now read unto you is part of the Sermon it self wherein our Lord and Saviour because of the stupidity and incredulity of his Auditors doth again and again both press and prove this Heavenly Doctrine that he himself was the Bread of Life I am says he the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall not hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst In which Text you may take notice of these two parts First An undeniable Proposition I am the Bread of Life Secondly A comfortable Inference upon that Proposition He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall nevtr thirst I shall begin with the first the evident and undeniable Proposition I am the Bread of Life which words must not be understood literally as if our Saviour was such Corporal Bread as could be chewed in the mouth and digested in the stomach as the Capernaites did fondly conceive when they said How can this man give us his flesh to eat this was as gross a conceit as Nicodemus's who askt If he should go into his Mothers womb again and be born But the words must be understood in a Metaphorical sense That as Bread strengthens the body and revives the spirit and supports the nature of a man and enables him to perform natural actions with more vigour and vivacity so likewise the Lord Jesus Christ strengthens the Soul and revives the spirit and supports us in our spiritual life and helps us to perform spiritual duties in a spiritual manner therefore he saith I am the Bread of Life He is not only bread but the bread of life because it is he that gives us spiritual life here and preserves that life and will hereafter give to us Eternal lise in Glory and therefore he is called The Bread of Life So then the Doctrine I would commend to you from hence is this Doct. The Lord Jesus Christ is that living bread that gives Spiritual and Eternal life to all those that have a part and interest in him This is a Truth so unquestionable that it is no less than six times repeated in this one Chapter And for the better Confirmation of it it may be demanded First Wherein doth our Saviour resemble bread Secondly And how doth it appear that our Saviour is better than bread I shall speak briefly to them both First Wherein doth our Saviour resemble bread I will name but three particulars though I know more might be reckoned up First Bread you know it is prepared food the Corn must be threshed and winnowed and ground in a Mill and baked in an Oven before it can be bread for us to eat So the Lord Jesus Christ he was threshed as I may say by afflictions and tribulations He was a man of sorrows and he was winnowed by temptations he was baked and scorch'd as it were in the Oven of his Fathers wrath for it was he that trod the Winepress of his Fathers wrath alone for us and all this was done before he could be made fit Bread that is a fit Saviour for our Souls Secondly Bread you hnow it is common food it is common to the poor as well as to the rich for the foolish as well as the wise the poor have bread if they have any thing so the Lord Jesus Christ he is a common Saviour common for all ranks and conditions of men for high and low and rich and poor noble and ignoble all are beholding to Jesus Christ here There is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Col. 3.11 Thirdly Bread you know it is the principal food it is the stay and support of a mans life therefore it is called The staff of bread Isa 3.1 So the Lord Jesus Christ he is the principal portion of the Souls of all Believers He is the choicest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 We may better want any thing than bread The Lord Jesus Christ is as I may say not only the food of our Souls but the Soul of our Souls and the Life of our Lives Secondly It may be demanded But wherein doth Jesus Christ excel this corporal bread I answer in these four respects First Corporal bread though it doth help to preserve life yet it cannot give life but now the Lord Jesus Christ is he that gives spiritual Life he begins it and begets it in his People Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins And hence it is that the Lord Jesus Christ is called the second Adam The first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 And in John 5.21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom be will Secondly Bread doth satisfie but one appetite namely hunger never was it known that bread could satisfie thirst but now the Lord Jesus Christ he can satisfie all the desires of the Soul and supply all the wants of the Soul he is both the bread of life and the water of life nay not only bread and water but he is cloathing to the Soul as it is in Rom. 13. ult Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ So that he is both Food and Spiritual Cloathing Thirdly Bread though it satisfie your hunger for the present yet it cannot so take away your hunger that you shall hunger no more if it satisfie hunger to day you will be hungry again to morrow But now the Lord Jesus Christ doth so satisfie the hunger of our Souls that we shall never hunger nor thirst more for so the Text tells you He that comes to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst Fourthly Corporal bread you know is perishing and doth but nourish a perishing life John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth But now the Lord Jesus Christ is not perishing bread but that bread that endures for ever and that life that he gives is not a perishing life neither John 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world So you see the Point opened Let me briefly apply it because I principally aim at the second part of the Text the comfortable-Inference But for the improvement of this Point First By way of Information and then by way of Exhortation First By way of Information there are three Doctrinal Inferences from the Point thus opened that may be thence deduced First If the Lord Jesus Christ be that living bread that gives Spiritual and Eternal life to them that believe in him then you may learn this
part and interest in him Then let my counsel be accepted with you give no rest to your Eyes no satisfaction to your Souls in any condition with any portion or priviledg whatsoever until you have gotten this bread until you have gotten Jesus Christ to be your portion to be the food of your Souls That which Solomon speaks of Wisdom Prov. 4.7 Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy gettings get understanding So say I this is the principal Bread therefore get Christ and above all thy gettings get Christ I but may be you will say How shall we get him I answer First You must highly prize him esteeming all things but dross in comparison of him you must esteem all outward things but as Dogs meat in comparison of that bread which is in your Fathers House Secondly You must earnestly beg him you must pray as the Capernaites did Lord evermore give us this bread ver 34 of this Chapter Thirdly You must labour for him Labour not for that meat that perisheth but for that bread hat endures to eternal life John 6.27 But how must we labour for him You must labour for him in the use of his Ordinances as Praying Reading Hearing Communicating at the Lords Table and the like Fourthly When you have found him or know where this bread is to be had you must hunger and thirst for him for the Lord Christ will never bestow himself upon that Soul that doth not breathe and break with longing desires for him Fifthly You must be sure by Faith to apply him to your own Souls Bread when it stands upon the Table is common bread but when I have eaten it then it is my bread then it turns to my nourishment to my substance so you must make Application of Christ to your Souls Sixthly If you would have Christ you must learn to live upon him As a man lives upon bread so you must live upon Christ live upon him in point of Justification in point of Sanctification and Salvation As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me ver 57 of this Chapter If you live in him and live upon him you shall hereafter for ever live with him And so much of the first Branch of the Text the evident Proposition I come now to the comfortable Inference that is thence deduced He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst By coming to Christ is meant believing in Christ for the latter Phrase doth expound the former He that cometh to me that is he that believes in me Coming you know is a motion and in a motion there are two terms there is the terminus a quo and terminus ad quem something a man comes from and something a man comes to so believing is a motion of the Soul a man comes from himself from his own righteousness from his own ends he comes from the World and then he comes to Christ he comes to him as one that is able to give him fit and full satisfaction to his Soul He that comes to me shall never hunger and he that believes in me shall never thirst Christ speaks here of a spiritual hunger and of a spiritual thirst the meaning is this He that believes in me saith our Saviour he shall have all his wants supplied all his desires allayed and he shall have his Soul fully satisfied So then the Doctrine I shall give you from this second Branch of the Text is this Doct. Whosoever believes in Jesus Christ shall by Christ have all his spiritual wants supplyed and all his desires allayed and his soul fully satisfied Why is Jesus Christ not only compared to Bread but also to Water Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteh come to the waters of life By water is meant Jesus Christ Why is he compared not to Water but to Wine and Milk Come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price but only to shew that he is able to give the Soul fit and full satisfaction Here are two Queries I shall speak to by way of Explication First How or in what sense this Doctrine is true He that believes in Christ shall have all his desires satisfied Secondly How it comes to pass or what is the reason that such a soul as believes in Christ shall have the spiritual desires of his soul satisfied First How or in what sense this Doctrine holds true That he that believes in Christ shall by Christ have all his desires answered In answer to this You must know the desires of the Soul are of three sorts there are sinful desires and sensual desires and spiritual desires First There are sinful desires of the Soul there is no man but naturally he doth as eagerly desire to sin as he desires to eat when he is hungry Prov. 4.17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the Wine of violence Naturally a man hath a Dog-like thirst after sin some after one lust some after another Do you think the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that is in us lusteth to envy James 4.5 That which is here spoken of Envy may be spoken of any other sin Some lust after covetousness some lust after pride some after envy some after one thing some after another But mark now as soon as the Soul comes to Jesus Christ and believes in him these desires and sinful lusts shall be quenched because the Lord Jesus Christ will make such a Soul to be dead to sin A dead man desireth nothing I know my Brethren that this is to be understood in part because our mortification is imperfect therefore all the sinful desires of the Soul will not be quenched in this life But thus far it holds true He that is born of God sinneth not 1 John 3.9 that is so far forth as a man is born of God he sinneth not there is a nature in him that sinneth not a Divine Nature for he is made partaker of the Divine Nature there is something in him that doth not sin that doth not lust after sin but lusteth against sin he hath something in him that doth not sin As the flesh lusteth against the Spirit so the Spirit lusteth against the Flesh Gal. 5.17 These sensual desires shall be quenched Secondly There are sensual desires that is a lusting after the lawful contentments of this life Some lust after one dish of the World and some after another Zacheus a pining Publican he lusted after the gain of the World I but when he comes to Christ this lustful desire of his is allayed for said he Lord now half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have done wrong I will make recompence fourfold Here is an admirable example for some to follow that make haste to be rich as Solomon hath it He that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent Prov. 28.20 Such a one
and this turns all it toucheth into Gold Blessed is the man that by Faith can touch Jesus Christ no man ever toucht him by Faith but was healed by Grace Secondly You shall have this benefit it will yield you abundance of joy and satisfaction in the expectation of your desires before you come to the fruition of your desires You read of the joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 And the Apostle prays for the Romans that their hearts may be filled with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 When Hannah had once poured out her Soul before God now her heart was quieted by Faith as if she had enjoyed her desires for the present She went away and did eat and her Countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. Thirdly Faith will reallize all the Promises Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for it makes things that are absent present that are afar off to be near at hand it will bring you to Heaven before you come to Heaven O what a precious grace is Faith And this is the grace you will most stand in need of in your approaches to the Lords Table Now the Lord strengthen this hand of Faith that by it we may make vigorous applications of the blood of Jesus Christ to our poor Souls who is the living bread that is able to give fit and full satisfaction to our Souls who is that living water whereof whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more CHRIST'S True Disciples ARE Doers of Gods VVill. JOHN VII 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self THese words are the words of our Saviour uttered at that great feast the feast of Tabernacles the occasion of these words was this The Jews marvelled at our Saviour as you may read Verse 15 How knoweth this man Letters having never learned That is how comes he to be so skilful in the Scriptures seeing he was never taught by man Our blessed Saviour to this Query answers two things First He tells them in the foregoing Verse the 16th verse that his Doctrine was not his own but was taught him of the Father Secondly He shews them an excellent way or means whereby they may discern truth from falshood true Doctrine from corrupt Doctrine namely by obedience to the will of God for If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self So then in the Text you may take notice of two particulars First An Invitation to a Duty Secondly An Encouragement to that Duty First An Invitation to a Duty in these words If any man will do his will that is that will do the will of God my Father Secondly The Encouragement to it in these words He shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self that is he shall know which is true Doctrine and which is false which is the Doctoctrine according to God and Godliness or what is spoken for popular applause and spoke of a mans own head and according to these two parts of the Text there are these two Doctrines that may be raised from the words Doct. 1. That the true Disciples of Christ are Doers of the will of God Doct. 2. That they that do the will of God shall know more of it and shall be more confirmed in their knowledg I begin with the first That the true Disciples of Christ or true Christians are such as are Doers of the will of God For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three places of Scripture Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven A true Child of God a true Professor of the Gospel is described by this he is a Doer of the will of God Rom 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified that is shall be owned and accepted of God the Father So James 1.22 But be ye Doers of the Word and not Hearers only deceiving your own souls cozening your selves with false Syllogisms as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies If a man be a Hearer of the Word only and not a Doer of it he cozens himself with false arguments and the like you have in the 25 verse of the same Chapter But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Word this man shall be blessed in his deed the man is a blessed Disciple of Jesus Christ But for the better Explication of this Point there are three things I shall open to you First What is meant by the Will of God Seconly How the Will of God must be done by those that are the Disciples of Christ Thirdly Why the Disciples of Christ must be Doers of the Will of God First What the will of God is Not to trouble you with the various distinctions of the Schoolmen briefly there is a twofold will of God mentioned in Scripture the one is called a Secret will the other is called a Revealed will you have them both mentioned in one Verse Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do all the words of the Law Now our Saviour speaks here in the Text of the Revealed will of God and it is called a Revealed will because it is made known to us in three Books In the Book of Nature In the Book of the Creature In the Book of the Scripture First The will of God is made known unto us partly in the Book of Nature Thus many of the better sort of Heathens that had nothing but the light of Nature by the dictates of their own Conscience knew what the will of God was as appears by that Rom. 2.14 15 For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law to themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Mark the Gentiles which had not the Law that is they had not the Law of Scripture yet did by Nature the things contained in the Law The Gentiles which had not the Law of the Scripture yet by the Law of Nature did those things that were agreeable to the will of God and by the dictates of their own Consciences did some things that were agreeable to the will of God and although this light of Nature was not sufficient to bring them to Heaven yet it was sufficient to leave them without excuse Secondly This will of God is revealed in the Book of the
the Gospel may be said to increase a mans curse and condemnation Whereas now the Law in its own nature is said to be a killing Letter because it leaves a man in a state of death and leaves him under a curse and does not shew him the way at all â—ow to avoid that curse as the Gospel does therefore the Apostle says The Law is a killing Letter of it self but the Spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 because in the preaching of the Gospel the Spirit of God is conveyed into our souls which enables us in some acceptable manner to perform what the Gospel enjoyns and thus you have the Point opened to you That the knowledg of Life and Immortality that Eternal Salvation that is laid up for the Saints in light is discovered and revealed by the Preaching of the Gospel For the Use of the Point now And the first is by way of Information and there are four Doctrinal Inferences or Lessons that we may learn fron this point thus opened 1. See how infinitely we stand indebted and ingaged to our gracious God that hath lookt upon us here in this Nation and in this City who hath brought us into the fellowship of th Gospel and hath kept us in that fellowship for so many years together Oh that we should live under the showres and Sun-shine of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ for almost a hundred years together without interruption What a singular mercy is this if we did but know how to prize it He hath scarce dealt so with any Nation under Heaven as he hath dealt with us What did God see more in us than in Turks Indians and Pagans that never heard of God nor Gospel He foresaw how we would despise this precious Pearl and how we would be ready to trample it under foot God foresaw how weary we would be of those glorious Gospel-mysteries that are discovered to us from day to day yet it did not hinder him from bestowing this precious Jewel upon us therefore not to us not to us but to his own Name be the Glory 2. A second Lesson we may learn by way of inference is this If the knowledg of eternal life be discovered in the Gospel then it follows Where-ever God hath a Church planted or a Church to be planted there will still be need of a powerful quickning soul-searching Ministry for the discovery and making known the Mysteries of Salvation The publick preaching Ministry of the Gospel is that standing Ordinance that must continue in the Church of Jesus Christ so long as he hath a Church here upon earth and this appears by that of the Apostle Ephes 4.11 12 13 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the prefecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ How long till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ That is to the end of the World God will have a standing Ministry where-ever he hath a Church planted or to be planted God will have a Gospel standing Ministry till all the Saints be gathered If this be so then how justly are they to be reproved that think that a Gospel-ministry of all other things may be best spared if there be any such here mark what I say You could ill want any of the four Elements Earth Air Fire or Water You could ill want Salt Bread Drink Cloathing let me tell you a Gospel-ministry is as needful as any of these I have named as Earth Air Fire Water as Salt Bread Drink Cloathing for does not Solomon say Prov. 29.18 Where there is no vision the people perish and would you have your souls perish everlastingly Is not our soul worth a whole World It was a noble speech of Luther It were better that the whole World were in a Combustion and Confusion than that the Gospel should not be preached or that any one soul that belongs to Jesus Christ should be neglected And it was spoken concerning Chrysostom who was a famous Light in the Church It was better that the Sun should not shine than that Chrysostom should not preach and it was a witty observation of a Father speaking concerning the beheading of John Baptist Herod took off John Baptists head because of the promise he made to the Damosel Whatever she ask'd him to the half of his Kingdom should be granted says that Father speaking of this passage Herod might have kept his promise though he had not taken off John Baptists head for he promised the Damosel to give her to the half of his Kingdom But now says he John Baptists head was worth a whole Kingdom Pray tell me you that have slight thoughts of the Gospel or of a Gospel-ministry Does not the Scripture compare Ministers to Planters to Builders to Fathers to Remembrancers to Stars to spiritual Guides and to a City upon a Hill and the like If ever you be trees of Righteousness in Gods Garden it is a Ministry that hath planted you and if ever you be spiritual stones in Gods everlasting Building it must be the Ministry must build you if ever you be Sons and Daughters begotten to eternal Life it is the Ministry must beget you For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 says the Apostle and if ever your seet be guided into the way that leads into everlasting life it is a Gospel-ministry must guide you and if ever you be led to Jesus Christ as the Wise-men were by the Star in the East when Christ was born in Betlehem it must be these spiritual Stars that are in the firmament of Gods Church that must lead you Now judg in your selves therefore whether a Gospel-ministry can be spared 3. The third Doctrinal inference is this If the knowledg of eternal Salvation comes by the Gospel then it teacheth us this Lesson also How infinitely it does concern us to prize and fruitfully to improve our Gospel-seasons those opportunities God puts into our hands for the enriching of our souls but especially we should improve our Sabbath-day opportunities because Sabbaths are the Market-days of Eternity the Markets wherein we must make provision for Eternity Oh how careful should we be to improve these Gospel-seasons Let me tell you Gospel-seasons are very precious seasons because marvellous precious things are tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel more precious than all the Gold of Ophir more precious than all the Kingdoms of the World if they were in your own power for in the preaching of the Gospel a precious Christ who is the Pearl of price worth ten thousand thousand Worlds and more worth this precious Christ this Pearl of Price may now be obtained and a precious Covenant a Covenant made between God and the soul this precious Covenant may
little and little be quenched though God do leave some corruptions in thee to conflict with and to teach thee to prize the Righteousness of Jesus Christ at a high rate yet all these sinful desires shall by little and little be mortified and all thy spiritual desires fully satisfied though not perfectly in this World yet when thou comest to enjoy him in Glory but yet here in this life thou shalt have so much satisfaction that thou mayst say with the Prophet David My Soul is satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness And all thy sensual desires shall be allayed though it may be thou hast but a poor pittance of these outward things for God sees it fit many times that his best and soundest Sheep should be kept on the shortest Commons although this be true that thou hast but a small pittance of these outward things thou wantest riches and honours and outward accommodations which are so much admired yet thou mayst say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.10 As having nothing and yet possessing all things Though I have nothing yet I possess all things How Really I possess all things I have all things in Capite in Christ my Head and really by Faith Oh what comfort is this Secondly I might in the second place make this a Touch-stone of tryal to discover to you whether you be true Believers or no. Are thy desires after the World allayed that now thou canst say with St. Paul I have learned in every state therewith to be content Hast thou not a painful thirst arising from the guilt of a self-accusing Conscience as thou hadst heretofore then it is a token that thy Faith is a true Faith and by this thou mayst know whether thou art a weak Believer or a strong Believer for according to the measure of your satisfaction in these things so you may know the measure of your Faith If thy Soul hath large satisfaction then thou art a strong Believer but if thy Soul hath but little satisfaction then thou art but a weak Believer But to close all with a word of Exhortation and the Exhortation is to two sorts briefly First To those that are not Believers Secondly To those that are true Believers First To those that are not Believers and my Exhortation to them is this O you that have not yet closed with Jesus Christ you that have not yet seen so much beauty in him as to prize him and insatiably to desire him O that now you would begin to close with him you that have not been perswaded by all former Exhortations and Invitations of Ministers heretofore be perswaded now O come come to Jesus Christ come to the water of life Come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price come to this bread of life thou mayst come as freely to Jesus Christ O Sinner whoever thou art as the wounded Israelites might come to the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness O consider what satisfaction is to be found in him Run through all the courses of the World run through all conditions in the World run through all the delights of the sons of men and see whether they can give you satisfaction yea or no. Can sin give you satisfaction Truly the satisfaction which sin gives I will tell you what it is like it is just like the sprinkling of water upon the Smiths Forge that makes the fire to burn so much the hotter or like the pouring of Oyl upon a flame that makes it flame so much the fiercer this is the satisfaction that you have by sin Or can the World give you satisfaction Alas the World deals with you just as Absolom's Mule did with him leaving his Master hanging in the Oak when he had most need of her so when you have most need of comfort and relief Worldly riches and profits they leave you In a day of wrath can any of these give you satisfaction Prov. 11.4 They profit not in a day of wrath Can any of these outward things give you satisfaction alas the Soul of man hath a kind of infiniteness of desires in it therefore nothing can give the Soul satisfaction but the infinite mercy of a Gracious God and the infinite merits of a blessed Redeemer and the infinite Comforts of the Holy Ghost As long as you live without Christ never look for satisfaction look for no satisfaction from the things of this life Isa 65.13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold my Servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty behold my Servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed Look for no satisfaction from temporal things and I am sure in Hell there will be no satisfaction for you for there you will be always thirsting thirsting with a painful and tormenting thirst Dives although he had never so much wealth to tumble himself up and down in here while he lived yet when he came to Hell though perhaps he might by some flattering Preacher in a Funeral Sermon be lodged in Abrahams bosom yet when he came to Hell he had not a drop of water to cool his tongue There is no satisfaction to be had in any Enjoyment nor in any condition or place until we come to Jesus Christ and then we shall hunger no more nor thirst no more then all tears shall be wiped from our eyes and sorrow and grief from our hearts My second Exhortation is to true Believers Oh labour for further degrees of Faith according to your measure of Faith such will your fulness and satisfaction be Psalm 81.10 O could you open your mouths wide that is could the desires of your Souls this day be widened and enlarged they should all of them be filled open thy mouth never so wide and God will fill it Oh do not content your selves with a small measure of Faith but labour for a strong and great Faith according to your Buckets so shall your waters be drawn Draw water out of the Wells of Salvation Isa 12.3 What are the Wells of Salvation but God and Jesus Christ and his Spirit and the Graces of the Spirit and the Ordinances of God these are the Wells of Salvation If you bring but little Buckets you will get but little water if you bring large Buckets you will get a large deal of water If you bring but little Faith you will receive but little from Christ but if you bring a strong Faith a large and strong Bucket O how much refreshing and Soul-satisfaction might you receive There are three benefits which you shall have by a strong Faith First Faith hath this Property it makes whatever it toucheth its own According to thy Faith be it unto thee Matth. 18.13 So if thy Faith do but touch Jesus Christ it will make him yours if it do but touch the Promises it makes them yours The truth is there hath been a great deal of talk of the Philosophers stone but I know no other Philosophers stone but Faith