of the nature and efficacy of Christs Intercession and that with thought upon thought He appears in Heaven for us Heb 9.24 And who those are ye find Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them For what To give forth unto us and to apply what he hath purchased 1 Joh. 2.1 2. And we may be sure of it that his Intercession is as effectual and can no more be rejected then his satisfaction because both are acts of his Priestly Office SERMON XII I Now proceed to the third and last branch of the Use that hath been so long insisted upon To exhort those if there be any such and I have reason to hope there are some such whose Souls do prosper with whom it begins to be better with respect to the frame and temper of the hidden Man of the heart then it hath been To exhort them to give all diligence that it may continue so with them That they may not lose the things they have wrought but receive a full reward 2 Epist of John vers 8. But keep them in that holy frame whereinto the exercise of godliness hath brought them But before I shew what in order thereunto is our duty I shall premise five things to be considered 1. That an absolute settlement of the Soul in the same highth and degree of this spiritual prosperity that is by some attained s rarely if ever preserved for any long time together There is a tincture of that madness which Solomon speaks of Eccl. 9.3 yea also the heart of the Sons of Men is full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live that remains and always will remain in the hearts of the best when they are at best Paul found it so Rom 7.21 I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me And Mad-men seldom continue in any one temper any long time together Therefore as it is with Men in respect of their outward condition though all things may prosper with them and that for some considerable time together as it was with Job He had his months wherein the Candle of God did shine upon him and the secret of God was upon his Tabernacle when the Almighty was with him when his Children were about him Job 29.2 3 4. But in all these we know he underwent a great and sad change the clouds gathered upon him and darkned all his Sun-shine David found it so his fair weather as we use to say did not last always Psal 30.6 7. He thought himself setled in his Kingdom above danger of opposition but he found it otherwise God was offended with him hid away his face and then such troubles came upon him as he never dream'd of Even so it hath been with most thriving and growing Souls when they thought they could have said as David Psal 108.1 O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Yet they have found that even then it was with them but as with a Ship at Anchor which though it be not driven into the Maine nor split against the Rocks yet it is often tossed up and down and reels to and fro Many sad instances we have of this in the Scripture that the most gracious persons have not always kept their principles of godliness in exercise at the same height no not those wherein they have been most eminent Neither Abraham his Faith nor Moses his Meekness nor Job his Patience Even Abraham's Faith and Moses his Meekness and Job's Patience had their ebbings and flowings And at this day the more any Man studies his own heart the more he will tell you that in his own experience he finds it so for many such changes are wrought by the hand of the most high As in respect of our natural state Job 14.2 He cometh up as a flower and continueth not So very often in respect of his spiritual frame 2. As many have experienced strange and unexpected turns of Providence in respect of their outward condition So no less suddenly or unexpectedly have they experienced as great changes in their spiritual condition There are those no doubt can tell you That having been brought under the influences of divine grace and love so as they have found much inward longing after more and more enjoyment of God even then when they found much sweet delight in what they did enjoy and this joined with serious resolutions of keeping more close to God and have thereupon hoped that the worst had been past that it would never any more be with them as it had been Never should they live so they hoped at such a distance from God as they had done nor should their hearts wander from him as in times past Yet after all this very unexpectedly like an instrument in change of weather have they found themselves as we say out of tune again As those that dwell by the Sea-side do see that though the tide be now out and it be low water yet upon a sudden all is overflown again Besides experience we have sad instances of this in Scripture Jer. 20.13 Having in the words before professed his assurance of God's presence with him and protection of him he now rowseth up his Soul from his former damp't and dumpish condition to a high degree of lightsomeness of spirit praising God for his deliverance from the hands of Pashur and the rest of his Persecutors before he was delivered out of an hopeful expectation of it as if he had already received it But how long doth this last See ver 14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born A strange alteration and sudden down-fall from such an height of confidence in vers 12. and such a degree of comfort vers 13. to such a low dejection of spirit and strange distemper of mind as inconsiderately to curse the day of his birth those that brought his Father the report thereof A lively pattern this is of the truth of that which we are speaking of An instance not much unlike to this we find in Elijah Compare 1 King 18.18 where he told Ahab with so much resolution I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy Father's house with 1 King 19.3 when being threat'ned by Jezebel He arose and fled for his life What a sudden change was this He that durst say to Ahab's face Thou and thy Father's house have troubled Israel that could fetch down both Fire and Water from Heaven by his prayers that durst command the slaying of 450 Priests of Baal yet he shrinks at the threats of a Woman and wisheth to be rid of his life because he was afraid to lose it This was a strange turn in that holy Man's spirit But so it hath been and so it is that the pulse of a sick Man doth not more vary then the temper of the Soul of a sound and upright Man This day perhaps
as ever we desire that our Souls should prosper and thrive as a watered Garden according to that promise Jer. 31.12 See that these waters have a free passage Let faith be exercised upon those truths which hold forth the freeness and riches of the grace of Christ For those are the truths the Prophet saw in his Vision represented by those waters And let this be in conjunction with the exercise of Repentance This is the way by the Spirit of grace working with these truths whereby Souls are healed and purged 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit These were the truths by obedience whereunto their Souls were purified This is the way whereby the Lord first begins to heal and purge the Soul For this I shall give you but one place of Scripture but it is a place to be taken notice of It is 2 Corinth 5.19 Wherein note three things 1. God intending according to his Eternal purpose to heal some sick quicken some dead save some lost Souls declares his purpose to do it by way of Reconciling them to himself This he will do before they shall be possessed of that Salvation he hath chosen them unto His method is first to purge their Souls mortifying that enmity that is in their hearts both against his ways and their own good and so to reduce them to terms of Reconciliation with himself and make them willing to be Reconciled unto him 2. How God will do this God was in Christ The Divine Nature assumed the Human Nature and so in and through Christ God-Man in one Person offers terms of Love and Peace to them as the most effectual way to prevail upon them and to bring their Souls about to him 3. But in what peculiar way will he more transcendently manifest this grace and mercy The Text tells us he will do it in not imputing their iniquities proposing and promising a full and everlasting pardon of all sin never to be called in if his terms be accepted of And the sinner being made willing to be Reconciled unto God Thus he subdues the heart conquering it by Love And thus the work of purging and cleansing the Soul is begun Luk. 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much And as thus it is begun so upon a failure it is renewed and continued When a Soul that is Diseased and polluted is awakened to apply himself to Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness in the exercise of Faith and Repentance making way that the waters of the Sanctuary the Spirit of grace and the Gospel of grace may not be stopt in their course but have a free passage into the Soul the hope of Reconciliation with God is raised greatly and that stirs up the Soul to purifie himself 1 Joh. 3.3 Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself Observe that He purifies himself This is necessary For as Physick is most effectual to purge out corrupt humours when Nature works with it for it is to no purpose to give it to a dead Man and when Nature is quite spent in a sick Person it comes too late So it is here The Soul that thus applies it self to Christ will find his blood to be a healing purging sin-mortifying blood But in applying our selves thereunto our own thoughts and affections our own endeavours and resolutions against all occasions of sin against the first risings of sin and we must apply our selves to what mortifying means we find prescribed and have been found to be of use to others All these we must set on work and then the Spirit of God will work with us Rom. 8.13 if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live And doing thus we may be said To purge our selves as 2 Cor. 7.1 2 Tim. 1.21 If we do thus We shall be Vessels of honour fit for the Master's use That is our Souls shall prosper This is the first thing that I have to commend unto you as ye mind the well-fare and prosperity of your Souls to mind this There is another kind of Physick to be made use of as the matter requires and that is Cordials for the healing of a fainting Soul This may be spoken unto hereafter when I have first spoken unto what is most times to be made use of betwixt this of Purging and that of Cordials SERMON VIII 2. THe next thing that I shall take notice of as necessary for the health and well-fare of the Body which as the Lord shall enable me I shall apply to the point in hand is the observing of a good Diet with respect to the choice of meats such as by experience have been found best agreeable to the Nature and Constitution of the Body and in proportion suitable to the natural heat of our stomachs for Concoction and Digestion This is a great means of health especially for such as are naturally weak and infirm For usually as is our Food so is our Blood as is our Blood so are our Spirits and as are our Spirits so are our Bodies for health or sickness for strength or weakness Now as I told you what in a natural way is for the health and well-fare of the Body is in a spiritual way applicable to the health and well-fare of the Soul I shewed you that it was so in that which I spake last unto I am now to shew it is so in this In order hereunto we must take notice that as God hath provided and that with great variety Food and nourishment for the preservation of the Natural life of our Bodies So he hath for the preservation of the Spiritual life of our Soul and that suitable to the degree that our Souls have attained unto Heb 5.13 14 Milk for Babes Meat for strong Men. Food that endures to Eternal life Joh. 6.27 Such Food as is a Feast whereupon the Soul may feed and fare deliciously every day Isa 25.6 a Feast of fat things a Feast of Wine on the Lees c. This is a matter we are much concerned in That we know both our Priviledge and our Duty herein something must be said to each of these four Particulars 1. What that Food is which God hath provided for the health and prosperity of our Souls 2. What those Means are whereby that Food is conveyed unto us 3. Something by way of argument to quicken our Spiritual Appetite after it 4. Something by way of Direction how to feed upon it so as to receive that nourishment from it which our Souls stand in need of 1. For the first of these That Food which God hath provided for us is Jesus Christ himself but Jesus Christ especially as Crucified 1. This Food is Jesus Christ himself For the proof of this consider that Jesus Christ is said to be The tree of life Revel 2.7 And the Hidden Manna vers 17. Both which were Types of Christ 1. He is said to be The tree of life in
allusion to that tree Gen. 2. which was called the Tree of Life not for any Natural or Physical excellency in it to preserve life more then other Trees but only as it was a Seal of the Covenant of works a conditional Seal of that Eternity of Life which Adam might with all fullness of confidence have expected if he had persevered in faithfulness to what was required of him But it is upon another account that Jesus Christ is called The Tree of life because he hath life in himself and quickeneth whom he will Joh. 5.26 And with the Food that he affords nourisheth and preserveth that life where he hath quickened it unto Eternal life so that it never runs into death Revel 22. He is said to be a Tree of Life on both sides of the River of the Water of Life But one Tree yet reacheth to both sides of the River so that all from what quarter soever they come may receive Food and nourishment from him And though but one Tree yet it bare twelve kinds of Fruit which setteth forth the variety of Spiritual priviledges and graces which Jesus Christ hath to give forth for the prosperity of the Soul according to all its concernments Thus as he is the Tree of Life he is for the Food of our Souls 2. He is so as he is said to be The hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 Manna ye know was their Bread in the Wilderness fourty years together It is said Psal 78.25 to be Angels Food whether for the excellency of it that it was for them to have fed upon if they had stood in any need of it Or whether it was prepared for them by the ministry of Angels This need not be disputed This is certain it was a Type of Christ who saith of himself That he was the living Bread that came down from Heaven And he is said to be The hidden Manna possibly alluding to that Pot of Manna which was hidden in the Ark of the Testimony pointing at Christ as hidden Food altogether unknown to the unbelieving World who never had so much as a real taste of the unsearchable riches of his grace of the efficacy of his Death or the power of his Resurrection But as it was in reference to Manna All those that in the exercise of Faith did eat of it under that consideration as a Type of Christ it was spiritual meat to them So the water out of the Rock to all those that in the same manner under the same consideration did drink of it was spiritual drink 1 Cor. 10.3 4. Even so is Jesus Christ at this day and will be to the end of the World his flesh will be meat indeed and his blood will be drink indeed to all those that feed upon him by faith And this leads me to the second Particular 2. That Jesus Christ is this Food which is appointed for the nourishment of the Soul as he is a Crucified Saviour Even as we read of the Manna Numb 11.8 that it was prepared to be eaten by being first ground in the Mill or beaten in a Mortar and so baked in a Pan. And as the Rock was smitten with the Rod of Moses before the water gushed out so it was at first by God's appointment Exod. 17.6 And the Paschal Lamb was roasted at the fire before it was eaten Even so Jesus Christ was wounded for our transgressions smitten of God unto death that so he might be spiritual Food for Souls according to the Father's appointment This was the ground of Paul's resolution He determined to know nothing i. e. to make known unto them nothing comparatively but Jesus Christ and him Crucified And indeed the first comfortable sight that a humbled sinner hath of Christ when his heart works after him for the life and Food of his Soul is as he was clothed with his Garments of Blood made a Curse for sinners as obedient unto death This was always the scope of Paul's preaching first to set forth Christ as Crucified Gal. 3.1 So he preached him and so he desired that those who were his hearers might receive him So the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper wherein spiritual Food is administered to a believing Soul the scope thereof is to shew forth the Lord's death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 And this upon the highest ground of reason for as Jesus Christ by his blood redeemed our Souls from a state of spiritual death to a state of spiritual life breaking down the partition-wall not only between Jews and Gentiles but also between God and Sinners Eph. 2.13 So he purchased thereby not only a full discharge from the guilt of sin by the imputation of his own righteousness but power to communicate from his own fullness continual supplies of spiritual life for the daily progress of Soul-prosperity For whatever we receive for our All is to be received from Christ as rising again from the dead as ascending into Heaven as making intercession for those that come to God by him and whatever influence Christ in his Offices as King Priest and Prophet hath into the life and nourishment of our Souls the foundation of all was laid in this that Christ was a Crucified Saviour His intercession is effectual because his blood speaketh Heb. 12.23 As the great Prophet of his Church he reveals the counsel of his Father in all that is necessary to be known to make us wise unto salvation for that he merited this by his blood Rev. 5.5 6. Because the Lion of the Tribe of Judah was the Lamb slain therefore he prevailed to open the book of God's secret Council which no man else was found worthy to open or to read or so much as to look upon so Rom. 4.24 His resurrection is for the declaring of our justification but that is because he first dyed for our sins Thus you have the second particular under the first head proved unto you That as Jesus Christ himself is appointed for the food of our Souls so Jesus Christ specially as crucified Even as at this day those living creatures which by God's allowance we feed upon must first lose their own lives before they can be for support to ours Even so it is here No life from Christ but by the death of Christ Therefore saith Christ Joh. 6.53 Verily verily I say unto you that except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you I now proceed to what in the second place was proposed which was to shew 2. What are the ways and means by which Jesus Christ conveys this spiritual life unto the soul that it may live and prosper Ans It is by the powerful working of his Holy Spirit sprinkling all Ordinances all Providences and the Soul it self that receives nourishment from Christ with the merits and efficacy of the blood of Christ 1. All Ordinances in the use of them he is said to set meat before us Hos 11.4 Meat which is compared to those
Seed and Heirs according to the promise We read that Naboth would not part with his inheritance neither for the good will nor ill will of King Ahab Let Souls ready to faint do so in this case with the Promises which in Christ are their undoubted inheritance 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen 2. Let Souls subject to fainting know their duty upon this account and set upon the performance of it 1. They ought to acquaint themselves with the promises They are so great and precious as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1.4 that there is not one of those that really close with Christ though they be of the lowest form but may find that which is most suitable to their condition in some promise or other that is within their reach though some may seem to be above him Though a little Man upon low ground cannot reach the top of the Tree yet he may get hold on some of the lower branches and there may find some fruit which may somewhat relieve him As suppose he cannot find comfort in that promise Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life No he is afraid of being overcome that promise is too high for him it is above his reach yet he may reach that Rev. 22.17 And let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let him take of the Water of Life freely If not that Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Yet they may reach that ver 6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled And that Joh. 6.37 All that the Father hath given unto me shall come unto me and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out And let every fainting Soul know this that so far as he hath an interest in any one promise so far he hath an interest in every promise as to that blessing in it which is absolutely necessary to salvation For as there is a chain of duties Matth. 22.37 38 39 40 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God This is the first and great Commandment and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets Not this or that but this and that too So there is a chain of Priviledges Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified And a chain of Providences Rom. 8.28 All things work together for good to them that love God So there is a chain of Promises they are all bound together in one bundle in the Covenant That great and precious promise I will be thy God comprehends them all Therefore it is said Rev. 21.7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son 2. Let them plead the Promises Psal 119.49 Remember thy word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Especially that particular promise which contains that particular blessing which if it were as sure in their hand as it is in the promise the fainting Soul thinks it would satisfie Thus did Jacob Gen. 32.9 10 11 O God which saidst unto me return into thy Country Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother Thus every fainting Soul ought to do The promise is that Bond wherein God hath made himself a Debtor if not to his Covenant-people yet to his own truth and faithfulness which requires it of him that what he hath promised be fulfilled and therefore they ought to plead them This is God's method he expects to hear from them before they can expect to hear from him Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee 3. Let them patiently wait for the fulfilling of what is promised If the thing be of absolute necessity it shall be given in kind And so it shall be though in it self it be not yet if God in his infinite wisdom sees it will be subservient thereunto and will better promote it then the want of it will it shall also certainly be made good The Scripture speaks as if God had promised us nothing but Eternal Life 1 Joh. 2.25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us even Eternal Life But it is because all things absolutely necessary unto Eternal Life are comprehended therein Therefore wait for it because it will surely come Hab. 2.3 It 's true there may be silence in Heaven and that for a great while to the prayer of faith as there may be a silence very often to the provocations of the generation that is abhorred by God But as he will arise in due time to execute his vindictive justice upon the one Psal 50.21 22. So he will arise to make good his promises of grace and mercy to the other For God never said to the Seed of Jacob that they should seek him in vain Isa 45.19 I shall conclude this with that of the Apostle 2 Thes 3.5 The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ He had laid down great grounds of comfort for them in the former Chapter vers 13 14. And assures them vers 3. of this Chapter that God was faithful and would stablish them They should not miscarry nor fail of that which God had chosen them unto but knowing the difficulty of waiting when expected supplies were delayed especially when Providences seem contrary to Promises he prays that the Lord would direct them into the love of God and patient waiting for Christ This is the third particular which it concerns fainting Souls to take special notice of 4. Fainting Souls or Souls often subject to fainting should endeavour after a distinct knowledge of the great and fundamental Doctrine of Justification 1. In the Meritorious cause of it which is the obedience of Christ as Mediatour in doing and suffering what God the Father appointed and which he accepted in the behalf of all those to whom it is imputed so as to discharge them from the curse of the Law which they had deserved to be executed upon them to the uttermost and to accept them as righteous unto Eternal Life of which they were utterly unworthy 2. That it is God which justifieth Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth 3. That the moving cause is Gods free love Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus 4. That the means of receiving it is Faith Rom. 3.22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference These things being well digested are great Cordials For whom he justifieth he glorifieth Rom. 8.30 5. Let such also think