ways of God's keeping his People Page 172 217 The necessity of God's keeping Page 217 Why God alone must keep us Page 218 Keeping of God should teach us Dependance and Confidence Page 218 Knowledg there is an unsatiable desire in Man after Knowledg Page 239 The beginning increase and progress of Eternal Life lies in Knowledg Page 25 Form of Knowledg what it is Page 91 The difference between the Knowledg of carnal Men and of Believers Page 91 The necessity of Knowledg Page 378 The excellency of it Page 378 That we are to grow in Knowledg Page 382 Directions to get Knowledg Page 27 Directions for our increase and progress in it Page 29 In using means to get Knowledg we must look up to Christ. Page 377 How Christ gives us Knowledg Page 377 How we should seek to Christ for Knowledg Page 378 Knowledg of God what it implys Page 31 Only way to Blessedness Page 370 No Knowledg of God without Christ. Page 30 371 No Knowledg sufficient for eternal Life but the Knowledg of God Page 30 This is sufficient Page 30 The Reprobate World have no true Knowledg of God Page 375 No believing or enjoying God but by Knowledg Page 371 Knowledg of Christ what it is Page 31 General Knowledg of Christ not sufficient Page 31 Knowledg of Christ Christ knows all the Elect. Page 79 And their Conditions and Necessities Page 79 Christ's Knowledg the patern and cause of ours Page 377 Kingdom Mediatory of Christ the extent of it Page 17 The Properties of it Page 73 156 Vniversal Page 73 156 Eternal Page 73 157 The manner of Administration of Christ's Kingdom Page 74 Believers are the Subjects of it Page 156 Kingly Office of Christ was little exercised in the World Page 268 L. LIbertines when in Power grow cruel Page 195 Life a Christians Life what it is Page 115 Life eternal Christ's Gift Page 19 Lies in Knowledg Page 25 The Estate of Heaven expressed by Life Eternal Page 19 Begun here and carried on by degrees Page 20 Lifting up the Eyes to Heaven in Prayer what it signifies Page 13 Heart to be lift up in Prayer Page 3 Light God's way of working in converting Souls is by Light Page 231 It must be a true and not a false Light Page 232 Light Divine the necessity of it to understand the things of God Page 69 70 Light of Nature not a sufficient Rule to fallen Man Page 239 Likeness to Christ what it is vid. Resemblance Conformity Why Christ is so earnest to make us like himself Page 324 Those are Christ's that are like him Page 324 What we should do to be like Christ. Page 324 Love of Christ to Believers Page 134 The excellency of it Page 106 Evidenced in his coming from the Father for our sakes Page 98 Love of God in giving Christ. Page 75 98 God loves his People in Afflictions Page 341 The Love of God is the ground of all other Favours and Blessings Page 382 Yet not to be measured by temporal things Page 265 385 But by spiritual Blessings Page 344 God's Love towards us and in us Page 345 383 God's Love in us in effect and in sense and feeling Page 384 We are to labour after the sense of it Page 345 The benefit of the sense of God's Love Page 345 Means to get it and increase it Page 345 Comfort to them that have the Effects but not the Sense of it Page 346 What may evidence God's Love to thee when thou wantest the sense of it Page 346 How to discern our Interest in God's Love Page 365 How we may know whether God's Love be in us Page 385 Love of God to Christ the grounds of it Page 340 The Properties of it Page 341 362 363 364 The Fruits and Effects of it Page 342 363 God loved Christ as the Son of God and as Mediator Page 337 362 In God's loving Christ he loved us Page 363 How we should love Christ as God loved him Page 338 Wherein God's Love to Christ and to Saints differ Page 340 Love of God to the Saints God loves the Saints as he loved Christ. Page 339 340 c. The grounds of it Page 340 The Properties of it Page 340 364 The Fruits and Effects of it Page 342 God would would have the World convinced of his Love to his People vid. Conviction Page 347 Love to God a shame to defer it Page 364 Love to Brethren how it is a new Commandment Page 162 Love of the World natural to us Page 222 The heinousness and danger of the Sin Page 223 Lust within gives advantage to Temptations without us Page 129 216 M. MAgistrates whether under Christ as Mediator Aff. Page l7 To own the Mediator Page 18 Magistrates Duty towards Ministers Page 274 Manifestation how Christ manifested God's Name to his People Page 66 Masters of Families to pray for their Families Page 105 Mediator the Office of a Mediator wherein it consists Page 2 Why God appointed a Mediator Page 77 Designation of Christ to this Office Page 265 The fitness of Christ for it Page 265 Why he must be God Page 40 265 Why he must be Man Page 266 What Christ received from God as Mediator Page 82 How we should make use of Christ as a Mediator Page 329 Meditation feeds Ioy. Page 190 Members Believers Members of Christ's Body Page 75 158 Memory of former Mercies an Encouragement to ask anew Page 15 The weakness of Memory in spiritual things Page 221 Men why Christ will teach us by Men vid. Ministers Page 65 Merit to be disclaimed Page 364 Ministers to be called with the necessity of a Call Page 41 274 To be elected by the People Page 273 Ordained by the Elders Page 273 Confirmed by the Magistrates Page 273 How to make out their Calling to the People Page 276 Holiness a good preparative to the Ministry and why Page 230 Ministers have more especial need of Holiness Page 263 Their Duty in their Conversation in their Ministry Page 281 Their Dignity Page 278 280 To be faithful in their Charge Page 171 181 To pray for their People Page 104 They need the Prayers of their People Page 105 Success to be desired of Ministers Page 277 People to own their Ministers Page 277 Ministers to be respected both their Message Calling and Persons Page 282 283 Hated of the World and why Page 193 The Madness of the World in opposing them Page 282 Opposition against them whence it proceeds Page 282 Those that wrong and affront them reproved Page 284 Affronts to Ministers redound to Christ. Page 283 Mission of Ministers vid. Mission Ministry an Office and a standing Office Page 275 The Mercy of God in the Institution of the Ministry Page 65 282 Those that invade the Office of the Ministry reproved Page 276 Miracles of Christ generally Actions of Relief Page 249 Sufficient Argument to prove the divine Authority of the Scriptures Page 249 Not necessary now to confirm the Scriptures
the Ways and see Jer. 6.16 Stand in the Ways and see and ask for the old Paths Where is the good Way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls We should be able to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 3.15 A Reason of the Hope that is in you with meekness and fear And we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stedfastness of our own 2 Pet. 2.16 We must not only regard the Consent of others but our Judgments must be ballanced with sound and weighty Grounds otherwise we shall be carried about with every Wind of Doctrine when the Posture of Interest is changed or a new Opinion is started Non exploratis traditionum rationibus probabilem fidem portant Such Men have no Principles But must we not hold fast what we have received must we always be searching and keeping our selves in a wary reservation and be never setled I answer 1. For Principles and Fundamental Doctrines we are not to doubt of them Deut. 12.30 Thou shalt not enquire after their Gods saying How did these Nations serve their Gods even so will I do likewise It is dangerous to loosen Foundation-Stones tho with an intent to settle them better Here we should be at a certainty 2. For lesser Truths when they are already cleared and God hath taught them it is good to hold fast what we have already received and not to loosen the Assent or keep the Soul suspensive out of a jealousy or supposal that something may be said against what we now hold ever learning and never coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the knowledg of the Truth But in case of actual Doubt it is good to search Doubts smothered make way for Atheism or hardness of Heart Therefore in Cases of Anxiety it is good to bring things to an issue Smoke maketh way for flame 3. In your choice be not swayed with Interests nor vulgar Prejudices nor vile Affections 1. Not with Interests God puts us to trial to see if we can love an hated Truth The World is a blinding thing 2 Cor. 4.4 The God of the World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not Why is Satan called the God of the World he throweth the Dust of the World in our Eyes and then we cannot see We easily believe what we readily desire and are loth to search when we have a mind to hate Let the Weights be never so equal yet if the Ballances be not equal you can never judg of the weight of any thing When the Mind is prepossessed and infected with Interests we are not capable of making a right Judgment as the Water when it is muddied doth not render and represent the Face 2. Not with vulgar Prejudices as prepossessions of Custom and long Tradition the Opinions of Holy and Learned Men general Consent Pretences of a stricter Way Men would fain judg upon slight Grounds without entring into the Merits of the Cause to save the pains of Study and Prayer This is but to put a Fallacy upon your selves Some are against Novelty and when the Ways of God are revived they are hardned they will not change as if there were no Obstinacy as well as Constancy Obstinacy in the bad Angles as well as Constancy in the good Others are swayed by the Opinions of godly learned Men whose Persons they have in admiration there is no ipse dixit in the Church but the Lord's It is observed that the Corruptions of the Roman Synagogue were occasioned by admiration of some venerable Pastors of that Church Paul withstood Peter to the Face Gal. 2.12 when his Credit and Example was like to do hurt Others are swayed by general Consent but it is dangerous following the Multitude the World hath been against Christ when a few only have owned him Others by Pretences of a stricter way Col. 2.23 Which things have indeed a shew of Wisdom in Will-worship and Humility and neglecting of the Body This is to be wiser than God and to judg the Law 3. Not by vile Affections Pride Passion Envy Pride or an over-weening Opinion of our own Wit and Learning John 9.40 The Pharisees said Are we blind also Proud Persons as the great Rabbies will not seem to be in an Error Men chuse rather to be Wicked than to be accounted Weak So Envy at others when Men cannot be admitted into such Places as they affect and that puts them upon Error and Opposition 1 Cor. 3.3 For whereas there is among you Envying and Strife and Divisions are ye not Carnal and walk as Men So Passion Revenge and Discontent The Devil worketh much upon Spleen and Anger when Offence is taken whether justly or upon supposed Occasion it mattereth not Many in spight and stomach have turned Atheists or Hereticks Carnal Cham when cursed of his Father began the way of Atheism 2. Observe That the Reprobate World can never have any true Knowledg of God The World hath not known thee 1. The Reprobate World can go as far as Nature can go 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are two Reasons urged by the Apostle a Natural Incapacity and a Positive Enmity 1. A Natural Incapacity He supposeth a sufficient Revelation they are spiritually discerned There must be a cognation between the Object and the Faculty Spiritual Things must be seen by a Spiritual Light Sense which is the Light of Beasts cannot trace the workings and flights of Reason we cannot see a Soul or an Angel by the Light of a Candle So that the Object must not only be revealed but there must be an answerable Light in the Faculty There is Light enough but we have not Eyes There needeth not a plainer Revelation David prays not that God would make a plainer Rule but open his Eyes Psal. 119.18 Open thou mine Eyes that I may behold wondrous Things out of thy Law The Understanding must be opened as well as the Scriptures Luke 24.45 Then opened he their Vnderstanding that they might understand the Scriptures 2. Positive Enmity They are foolishness to him He looketh upon the Things of God and solid Piety as frivolous and vain When Paul came to Athens they called him Babler Acts 17.18 What will this Babler say The same Disposition still remaineth in Natural Men. Tho the Truths of Religion by long tract of Time and by the consent of many Ages have obtained Credit yet Men nauseate Spiritual Truths and the Power of Godliness A Stomach ill-affected by Choler casts up wholesome Meats so do they scorn Strictness and the Holy Ways of God 2. Experience shows it Take mere Nature it self and like Plants neglected it soon runneth wild as the Nations that are barbarous and not polished with Arts and Civility have more of the Beast than of the Man in them Jude 10.
this Evidence Page 84 Ground of hope Page 231 232 Evil in sin evil after sin Page 128 No good man dares sin Page 362 Evils in the World consistent with a Deity and Providence Page 273 F FAinting what Page 245 The degrees of it Page 245 Faint not why Page 247 Faith is consent of subjection Page 14 To be in the Faith what Page 68 It propounds greater motives than the flesh can Page 77 Full grown prove our hope Page 232 Previous to our Christian hope Page 238 Faith gives eye to see our hope Page 238 Favour of God seen in internal Government Page 85 Fear may begin love perfects Conversion Page 157 Fear twofold and what each is Page 153 Fear and Hope motives to obedience Page 105 Fears of wicked men grow till they are Condemned Page 157 Flesh what Page 41 42 106 6 Its tendency Page 6 Contrary to the spirit and in what Page 7 Who walk after the Flesh Page 7 Things of it Page 41 When minded how diverted Page 44 45 46 Wholly and without controul rules some Page 46 47 117 Continueth to the last in the best Page 47 Would be pleased Page 49 Gets ground by our yielding Page 49 Not to be indulged and why Page 49 Our greatest enemy Page 113 49 50 The worse enemy by being indulged Page 50 Indulged undoes Body and Soul Page ib. Such indulging contrary to our hopes is unthankfulness to Christ Page 51 We must watch and weaken it Page 51 52 'T will act Religion in a design Page 57 Its wholly emnity to God Page 62 63 64 65 And to us Page 114 To be in the Flesh what Page 68 75 To live after the Flesh what Page 106 107 The more indulged the more dangerous enemy Page 113 Flesh in the mind how Page 115 116 Signs of its prevailing Page 117 Is ever active Page 125 First Fruits of spirit what Page 215 218 219 〈◊〉 in this World and in the next differ 〈…〉 Page 190 〈…〉 venture on Death by chusing sinful 〈◊〉 Page 112 Forâ—â—kâ—ng of sin needful to our reconciliation Page 36 Foreknowledge and Predistination Page 298 What each to what we are Predestinated How these two differ Page 298 The Predestinated in time called c. Page 304 Force nor Fraud cannot untwist the cords of our love to Christ Page 378 Foyls of Believers possible too often but not final Page 370 Fulfilling the Law what and how Believers do fulfil it Page 34 When they begin this Page 38 Not finisht in sudden Page 38 Must be increased Page 39 Future state of perfection to which all tend Page 188 To Saints what Page 206 207 G GAin of sinners by their sins now woful and what 't is Page 112 Gifts common and Grace special Page 81 Greater to common Christians than to the Heathen World Page 81 164 And what of God peculiar to his children Page 170 All are free Page 326 May be comprehended but this Gift Christ given for us is incomprehensible Page 327 Grieve not the spirit a Comforter Page 153 Glory future incomparably above present things and in what Page 183 'T is revealed at last Page 188 189 When revealed shall better the whole Creation Page 201 Goodness and holiness the very nature of God Page 38 280 281 He hath done Good to us Page 281 And how What hath most of God is most lovely Page 282 What our love to God is Page 282 Its properties Page ib. 283 Gospel offers an exemption from condemnation Page 3 To this we must appeal Page ib. Is Rule and Law Page 11 Threatneth forest penalties Page 12 What kind of Doctrine it is Page 18 Is Gods act of Oblivion Sanctuary c. Page 159 Gospel-spirit most sociable Page 16 Its fruits Page ib. Full of love to God and free in conversing with God Page 160 Gospel presents God most lovely to us Page 165 Gods love to us Page 379 Twofold and what each they blessed on whom 't is pitcht Page 379 380 And why how we perswaded of this unchangeable love Page 381 Who these are Page 381 God is Page 313 He will review and Iudge all Page 314 Over-rule all Page 316 How with his Page 314 How to be Gotten on our side Page 321 Gods Soveraignty Page 10 11 His Government internal and external Page 12 And what Page 12 Tho not bound by promise yet in his Goodness he doth reward the Good which natural men do Page 71 His right may repel all temptations and how Page 103 104 He and Flesh irreconcilable Page 112 God worketh with new Creature suitably to its nature Page 136 First loved for his benefits to us next for his own Goodness and excellency Page 142 Is with his Page 314 And how God a Father and in what respects Page 161 Great priviledge Page 168 Assisteth his children Page 246 247 Grace all planted in us by the spirit Page 17 Purchased for us Page 36 37 Increased how Page 44 Common acted sometime rewarded with more Page 71 Great which preserveth a Good man admist the temptations and sufferings in the flesh Page 76 It maintains the Combat and Conquers Page 76 Weak yet hath strength in it Page 77 Increaseth by decrease of sin Page 126 Special Grace what and its difference from Gifts Page 82 Coworks with God and must the reason why Page 136 In Grace as in nature Life Motion and Conduct from the very same principle Page 146 Groaning of the Creature Page 208 What how Page 209 We concerned in them Page 210 And how Groans of children of God Page 215 And what Page ib. 250 H HAtred to God not onely in Heathens but in nominal Christians Page 62 Lyeth in three things Page ib. All sin Hatred of God Page 63 Twofold Hatred Page 63 And what each is both in Carnal man against God Page 65 First Hatred of sin is from its Hurtfulness then from its sinfulness and contrariety to God Page 143 Happiness but one whatever men chuse to be it Page 112 True is knowledge and enjoyment of God Page 142 250 272 318 319 In Heaven inconceiveable and unspeakable Page 184 191 Future and certain Page 220 Consummate after the Resurrection Page 220 Happiest of men are Gods children Page 273 Hasty ones weary of Religion Page 242 Misjudge God Page 269 Lower Heavens shall be purified by fire Page 202 And why Page 201 Heaven and Hell divided between flesh and spirit Page 41 Begun in this World and how Page 184 Heavenliness whence and what Page 16 Heart is withdrawn from God if set on any thing else Page 62 290 278 322 Prepared by and then fill'd with the spirit Page 76 Heart makes that it 's God which lyeth next to it Page 107 Hath flesh in it and what 't is Page 116 Grows weak as lust grows strong Page 117 Carnal cannot make it self Spiritual Page 135 Heart searcher God Page 156 Heirs of God are all Believers Page 176 Title by Grace right is present possession future supply sure Page ib.
come they might be ready to go in with him others contented themselves with an outward Profession or loose waiting for his coming but did not with that serious diligence prepare themselves for it and so came short of the blessedness expected by them There wanted a deep radication and a constant perseverance without which the blaze of Profession which lasted for a while will soon be extinguisht Doctrine That in the visible Church among those that give up their Names to Christ some will be found foolish when others are wise and come short of the blessedness expected by them Or In the visible Church all are not wise Christians but some are wise and really such as they profess themselves to be others negligent foolish and improvident The State of the visible Church is here represented And Observe 1. This Parable is not spoken of the Corrupted Members of degenerate Churches but speaketh what shall fall out in the Churches not defiled with the Whoredomes of the World There are some Churches that have turned the Government of Christ into a temporal Domination and their Worship into a mass of Paganish or Heathenish Rites and Superstitions and place all their Glory not in excellency of Gifts and Graces but pomp of Living and external splendor and make Christianity look like a Temporal worldly thing calculated only for this Life of those Christ speaketh not here something may be intimated of them in the former Parable but here he speaks of a reformed Chruch not the Church in her pollution and defection but a Church in her right Constitution Papists will be counted Christians who may be rejected by Christ at his coming they have so corrupted his Worship Discipline and Doctrine Nay but Christ speaketh here of those that live under the dispensations of purer Christianity some will be found true Believers others common Professors even among the Members of a reformed Church that make Profession of the Purity of the Gospel all will not be found such as may abide the day of Christs appearing in Judgment In Abrahams Family there was an Ishmael as well as an Isaac in Christ's a Judas and in the Apostles time some were Enemies to the Cross of Christ that yet took the Profession of Christ upon them Phil. 3.18 2. Mark again 'T is not meant the scandalous and faulty Members of a pure Church there are many Christians in name only but indeed deny it Titus 1.16 but 't is not meant of the scandalous that live as if their hopes were altogether in this World that ingulph themselves in all manner of sensuality as if there were no Heaven or Hell nor no future account to be given of their Actions but it is meant of such as profess themselves to be devoted unto Jesus Christ the Bridegroom such as are desirous to be admitted into the Nuptial Feast to have Communion with him in Heaven and possibly may attain to a blameless Conversation and appear Virgin-like all waiting for the coming of the Lord in their own and others estimation Some that Prophesied in Christs name and eat and drank in his presence are yet rejected by Christ as workers of Iniquity 3. 'T is not meant only of those that have a shew or a false and counterfeit Profession that are taught to act over their part in Religion as a Play as in the best and purest Churches there will be Hypocrites No these had some real work though not a saving but a common work as a man may have a light tincture of religion whose heart is not yet sound with God Psa. 119.80 therefore David Prayeth Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes There was not an universal renouncing of all corruptions not that thorough care to please God nor a rooted affection to Christ though they have some good motions hopeful inclinations that way as these Virgins seemed to be well affected to Christ for the present they had their Lamps made some slender preparation they went forth to meet the Bridegroom as others did Therefore it will be necessary to shew that a common work may go far and yet come short of blessedness I shall prove it by three reasons 1. Because a common work may go far 2. Though a common work may go far yet 't is not likely to hold out 3. If it should hold out a constant Profession yet it will not be enough to qualifie us for the Kingdom of Glory or heavenly bliss and happiness 1. A common work will go far I take it for granted that there is a real common work of Grace as well as a real special work if you doubt it I will inform you from Scripture Heb. 6.4 compared with the 9 th verse we read of some that were enlightned some that tasted of the good Word and of the heavenly gift and elsewhere of some That had escaped the pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 All this is real the tasting the good word real the enlightening real the partaking of the heavenly gift real the escaping the pollutions of the World real but the Apostle saith in the 9 th verse We expect better things of you and things that do accompany Salvation or things that have necessarily salvation in them things that whosoever hath them shall certainly be saved The graces of Temporaries are for substance true but slightly rooted there are the purlues of Grace or the borders of the Kingdom of Heaven some flashes of light or dawnings of Grace but the Day-star doth not arise in their hearts many are enlightened taste the good word have some delight in the Promises tasted of the heavenly Gift apprehend it sweet to have Communion with God in Christ and tast the powers of the World to come feel some transports of Soul when they hear of the hopes of eternal Life and may be brought to some partial Reformation but that which is wanting is a deep radication or a more firm inherency of these Graces in the Soul and an habitual predominancy of these motions and affections over all other inclinations for 'till it be so we cannot do any great service for God or endure any tryal for his sake Sometimes true grace is described by its deep radication Jam. 1.21 't is called an ingrafted word 't is not something tyed on but ingrafted the root of the mattter is within and sometimes 't is described by its efficacy Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the Heart the form of Doctrine delivered to you But more especially I shall shew you that a common work may goe far with respect to the three Theological Graces Faith Hope and Charity mentioned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.13 Now abideth Faith Hope and Love And again 1 Thes. 5 8. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the hope of Salvation Now a common work may go very far in all these Graces of Faith Hope and Love as here the Virgins
though it be a right Hand and a right Eye Mat. 5.29 If we consent to take Christ and retain our old Loves still we shall be little the better for being Christians 2. You must give your selves up to him to live in his Love and Obedience There are two Grand Duties we must resolve upon if we enter into this Relation Conjugal Love and Conjugal Obedience 1. Conjugal Love There is no want of love on Christs part Isa. 62.5 As a Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee Now this Love must be mutual as he in us so we in him Now Conjugal Love is such a Love as is greater to the Yoke-fellow than to any other So our Love to Christ is a Superlative Love We must not only love him not less than other things nor equal with other things but above them cleaving to him alone Some love Christ less than other things they love him a little but love the World better Honour and Greatness better Joh. 12.42 How can you believe that seek honour one of another Pleasure 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God Profit 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us and embraced the present World Some love Christ but love other things equal with him They are divided 't is a nice case hard to say which hath the Mastery they make a pother with Religion but never feel the true force of it But the true Conjugal Affection is superlative Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee Phil. 3.8 9 10. I count all things but dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. They preferre Jesus Christ before all things in the World Besides as an Husband he must have this Love 2. This is a Lord that must have Conjugal Obedience Eph. 3.23 24. The Husband is the head of the Wife as Christ is the Head of the Church and the Saviour of the Body Therefore as the Church is subject to Christ so let Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing I urge it as Wives are subject to their Husbands in every thing so let the Church and each believing Soul be to Christ. Surely if you consent to marry to Christ you must reckon upon it that you are no longer your own to dispose of and therefore henceforth you must no more live to your selves Christ is accepted and received for Lord Col. 2.6 and as such you must consent to serve and obey him Psal. 45.12 He is thy Lord worship thou him You must take him so as never to be ashamed to own him take him for better for worse take him and his Cross Mat. 16.24 take him and his yoke Mat. 11.29 take him and his Spiritual Laws Joh. 14.21 You are to be obedient to Christ in all things You are no more to do what you will but what will please the Lord 1 Cor. 7.30 In short you must obey him if you will have benefit by him Heb. 5.9 Thirdly 'T is spoken of with respect to its Present State in this World The Relation is begun but 't is not publickly Solemnized 2 Cor. 11.2 I have Espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ The Church is Sponsa not Vxoâ— here by the offers of the Gospel we are Espoused and by Faith engaged to him 'T is called a betrothing to him Hosea 2.19 20. I will betroth thee to me for ever Yea I will betroth thee to me in Righteousness and in Judgment and in Loving-kindness and Mercy I will betroth thee to me in Faithfulness The word is not taken generally for Marriage but strictly and hath a special Emphasis in that place and so noteth either the goodness of God he would not receive Israel as an unchast Prostitute that had broken Covenant with him but as a Virgin as if never any breach of Contract before or rather noteth the present state of the Church she is betrothed to Christ but the Marriage is not consummate The day of Espousals and publick Solemnities are deferred till the Resurrection when Christ will come as a Bridegroom to conduct his Spouse into his Fathers House for ever to remain with him Fourthly With respect to its Consummation 't is perfected at his second coming and 't is properly called a Marriage 't was but a wooing or betrothing before then when the Queen is brought to the King and abides with him for ever Psal. 45.15 With Joy and Gladness shall she be brought they shall enter into the Kings Palace Now there are many Reasons why this second coming of Christ is called a Consummation of the Marriage and Christ may then be said to come as a Bridegroom 1. Because there is a Personal Meeting and interview between his Spouse and himself Now he employeth Spokes-men 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Now we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us We pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God As Eliezer Abraham's Servant went to get a match for his Masters Son so the Ministers of the Gospel 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you a chaste Virgin to Christ. He sends Tokens and Spiritual Refreshings John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him Then he cometh himself we meet him in Person here we meet him in Ordinances Isa. 64.5 Present in Spirit 2 Cor. 5. At Death our Souls meet him Eccles. 12.7 But then our whole man shall meet him Job 14.26 with these Arms embrace him We are indeed brought near to him by Faith and have some fellowship and Communion with him but we do not see him as he is nor see him face to face as afterwards 2. For the Publick Solemnization of the Marriage the Bridegroom and the Bride do both deck and adorn themselves The Bridegroom cometh in the glory of his Father with great abundance of the Holy Angels Revel 19.7 Let us be glad and give Honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready Common Garments are not for that Wedding we must be active in the Purifying our selves but the Grace is given by God Verse 8. And to her was granted that she might be cloathed in white linnen the fine linnen is the Righteousness of the Saints As Esther was supplyed out of the Kings Wardrobe these Ornaments and Garments of Salvation are purchased and bestowed freely upon us by Jesus Christ all is given we are here but renewed in part and cleansed in part all our filthy Garments are not yet put off but then we shall not have the least Remainder of Sin and Misery if we should meet Christ with our Deformities we should meet him with shame and Discomfort it would be a Dishonour to
the good and honest Heart that receiveth the good Seed so as to keep it so as to be a Principle of Life to them to these shall be given And then here is the other occasion when Christ speaks this The taking away of the Talents is after the Lord had been reckoning with his Servants after he had been a long time absent and in a far Country Therefore this taking away the Talent is not meant of the Gift its self as of the Comfort Benefit and Reward of it For all trading then is at an end that 's the time of Recompense and the Talent is lost it will do us no good to have had Estates and to have lived in Pomp and Splendour in the World if we have not made use of it for God Our Fall will be the greater because of our heighth 'T will do us no good to have born Office in the Church if we have not been faithful Matth. 7.22 Many shall say unto me in that day Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy Name Such as have taken up Office and Imployment in the Church and made no Conscience of doing the Duty that belongeth thereto these will not have but lose their Reward These are idle Shepherds Zech. 11.17 Their Unfaithfulness and Idleness in their Trust will cost them dear So for the Orninances and Means of Grace Luk. 13.26 Then shall they begin to say We have eat and drank in thy Presence 'T will be no Plea That you have been at God's Board nay you will have the greater Judgment Matth. 11.23 And thou Capernaum which are exalted to Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell A Place that enjoyeth the Gospel is near Heaven 't is the Suburbs of Heaven but where not improved these Priviledges plunge a Man deeper in the State of Condemnation Sins against the Law do not weigh so deep in his Ballance as sleighting and neglecting the Gospel that brings on heavy Wrath So for common Gifts good Affections partial Reformation 't is all lost as to any Reward Ezek. 33.13 Yea 't is worse 2 Pet. 2.20 21. For if after they have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the latter End is worse with them than the Beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment The Wrath against them that return back to their Sins is much greater than if they had never been so enlightned and reformed Those that have had more Light and some taste of the Sweetness of Heavens way If they fall away 't is hard to renew them to Repentance This is the principal Sense intended in this Place yet because the Words are so contrived that they comprehend also the Loss we may sustain in this World while we are trading for God I shall shew you how God punisheth naughty and sloathful Servants in this World with the Loss of their Talents 1. Sometimes God taketh from them Opportunities and Liberty of doing Good Nothing is so soon lost as this Gal. 6.10 As we have therefore Opportunity let us do Good to all Men. There are some fit Opportunities offered us by the Providence of God for doing our Duty in this kind as are soon gone and being past and gone 't is hard to say whether ever we may enjoy the like As when we are specially fitted and there is a concurring Harmony of all Circumstances Therefore we should take hold of them without Delay or Foreslowing Opportunities are not alwayes as long as Life Eccles. 11.1 2. Cast thy Bread upon the Waters and give a Portion to seven and to eight for thou knowest not what Evil there may be upon Earth Embrace the present Opportunity thou canst not foresee how soon thou may'st be deprived of it Thou may'st die and leave thy Wealth to those that will shut up their Bowels Thou may'st be in want God may disable thee therefore make use of the Season for Liberality for doing Good while you have it So Office Authority Respect in the Church is an Opportunity God may cast us out of the Vineyard by the Malice of Men or as unsavoury Salt Matth. 13. Mal. 2.9 Therefore I have made you contemptible and base before the People Though all that are cast out are not so Matth. 21.35 the Husbandman took his Servants and beat one and killed another However it will be a discomfort if we have been negligent 2. Ordinances Means of Improvement may be lost Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with Man that is by the Ministry of Noah And God threatneth to take away the Hedge of his Vineyard when all his Cost is lost Isa. 5.5 6. What could I have done more for my Vineyard So Luk. 13.7 And he said to the Dresser of the Vineyard Lo these three Years came I seeking Fruit on his Fig-tree and I find none Cut it down why cumbreth it the Ground 3. Common Gifts God justly taketh them away from those that abuse or make no good use of them Many that excelled in Gifts that seemed to have great Parts are pitifully blasted afterwards 'T is no hard matter to discern a Maim and Decay of Gifts in them that use them not as if the Spirit were departed from them Zech. 11.17 The Idol-shepherd's Arm shall be dryed up and his Eye darkned That is his Gifts shall be taken away at least the Power and Life of them Many lose the Freshness of their Gifts of Prayer the Liveliness of their Knowledge 4. Initial Grace Heb. 6. Saving Gifts and Graces are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Repentance Rom. 11.29 Where there is Life begun 't is not quenched But where there are some hopeful Inclinations they begin to draw off their Hearts from the World to God though they had escaped the Pollutions of the World their latter End may be worse than their Beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 5. Dona Sanctificantia ought still to be improved that the Grace of God be not received in vain 1 Cor. 15.10 Grace in some measure may suffer Loss by our Negligence 1 Thess. 5.19 Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophesying Fire is quenched by pouring on Water or with-drawing Fuel So the Spirit is quenched by living in Sin which is like pouring on Water or not improving our Gifts and Grace which is like with-drawing the Fuel Gradus remitritur actus intermittitur habitus non amittitur Though the Habit be secured by God's Covenant yet such Portions and Degrees of Grace may be lost as may not easily be recovered again VSE Is to commend to us Diligence and Industry especially in the Work of our Heavenly Calling A Man's Life is divided between Waking and Sleeping so is his Waking time divided between Labour and Rest For Humane Nature cannot endure continual Exercise without Intermission Therefore a spiritual wise Man should so govern his Life
Vers. 31. we have 1. The Person who shall be the Judge The Son of Man 2. The Manner of his Coming It shall be August and Glorious Where note 1. His Personal Glory He shall come in his Glory 2. His Royal Attendance And all the Holy Angels with him 3. His Seat and Throne Then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory First the Person is designed by this Character and Appellation The Son of Man He is called so to shew that he is True Man and descended of the present Race of Men He might have been True Man if God had framed his Substance out of nothing as he did Adam out of the Dust of the Ground And this Title is given him here as in many other Places when the last Judgment is spoken of as I shall shew you by and by 1. Partly to Recompense his foregoing Humiliation or despicable Appearance at his First Coming 2. Partly because of his Second Coming He shall appear visibly in that Nature as he went from us Act. 1.11 In like manner c. Christ shall come in the Form of a Man but not in the same humble and mean Appearance as now when he spake these things to them For 't is added for the manner 1. For his Personal Glory He shall come in his Glory Not in the Form of a Servant but becoming his present State All Infirmities shall be removed from his Soul and Body 'T is not a borrowed Glory but he shall come in his own Glory 'T is said Matth. 16.27 The Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father Here in his own Glory The Son of Man and the Son of God is only one Person and his Glory as God and his Father's Glory is the same So that He shall come in his Glory noteth either 1. His Divine Power and Majesty which shall then conspicuously shine forth Or 2. The Glory put upon the Humane Nature and so it will note his plenary Absolution as our Surety The Father sendeth him from Heaven in Power and great Glory He appeareth without Sin Heb. 9.28 He doth not say They that look for him shall be without Sin but He shall appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation That is fully discharged of our Debt First He came in carnem He shewed himself in the Nature of Man to be judged Then in carne He shall shew himself in the Nature of Man to judge the World At his First Coming he was holy yet in the Garb of a Sinner we judged him as one forsaken of God His Second Coming shall make it evident that he is discharged of the Debt he took upon himself 2. His Royal Attendance The Angels shall attend him both to honour him and to be employed by him 3. His Royal Posture He shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory A glorious Throne beseeming the Son of God and the Judge of the Quick and the Dead shall be erected for him in the Clouds Such as none can imagine how glorious it shall be till they see it Secondly The next thing that is offered in these words is The presenting the Parties to be judged And there you may take notice 1. Of their Congregation And before him shall be gathered all Nations 2. Their Segregation And he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats In the Segregation we have 1. The ordering them into two several Ranks and Companies Sheep and Goats Vers. 32. 2. As to Posture and Place Vers. 33. And he shall set his Sheep on the Right Hand and the Goats on his Left Not only a Separation as to Crhist's Knowledge and discerning them but a Separation in Place I begin with the first Branch The Appearance and sitting down of the Judge Two Points I shall observe 1. Doct. That the Iudge of this World is Iesus Christ. 2. Doct. That Christ's Appearance for the Iudgment of the World shall be Glorious and full of Majesty For the first Point That Iesus Christ is the Worlds Iudge 1. Here I shall enquire why he is Judge 2. In what nature he doct act or exercise this Judgement whether as God or Man or both First Let us enquire how Christ cometh to be the Worlds Judge and with what Conveniency and Agreeableness to Reason this Honour is put upon him To a Judge there belongeth these four things 1. Wisdom 2. Justice 3. Power and 4. Authority 1. Wisdom and Vnderstanding by which he is able to judge all Persons and Causes that come before him according to the Rules and Laws by which that Judgment is to proceed For no Man can give Sentence in a Cause wherein he hath not Skill both as to matter of Right and Wrong and sufficient Evidence and Knowledge as to matter of Fact Therefore in ordinary Judicatures a prudent and discerning Person is chosen 2. Justice is required or a constant and unbiassed Will to determine and pass Sentence ex aequo bono as Right and Truth shall require He that giveth wrong Judgment because he doth not accurately understand a thing is imprudent which in this business is a great Fault But he that doth rightly understand a Matter and yet is byass'd by perverse Affections and Aims and giveth wrong Judgment in the Cause brought before him that is highly impious and flagitious Therefore the Judge must be Just and incorrupt 3. Power is necessary that he may compell the Parties judged to stand to his Judgment and the Offenders may receive their due Punishment For otherwise all is but precarious and arbitrary and the Judgment given will be but a vain and solemn Pageantry 4. There is required Authority For otherwise if a Man should obtrude himself of his own accord they may say to him Who made thee a Judge over us Or if he by meer force should assume this Power to himself the Parties impleaded have a pretence of Right to decline his Tribunal and appeal from him Certainly he that rewards must be Superiour and much more he that punisheth For he that punisheth another bringeth some notable Evil and Dammage upon him but for one to bring Evil upon another unless he hath right to do it is unjust Therefore good Authority is required in him that acts the Part of a Judge These things as they stand upon evident Reason and are necessary in all Judicial Proceedings between Man and Man so much more in this great and solemn Transaction of the Last Judgment For this will be the greatest Court that ever was kept both in respect of the Persons to be judged which shall be all Men and evil Angels high and low small and great rich and poor Princes and Subjects and in respect of the Causes that shall be produced the whole Business of the World for six thousand Years or thereabouts or the Retributions made which shall be Punishments and Rewards of the highest Nature and Degree because Everlasting And therefore there must be a Judge sought
there Salvation in any other for there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved it only excludeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are called Gods 1 Cor. 8.5 There is no God but one Many are called Gods but to us there is but one God the Father As also it is the scope of Christ he would lay down the Summary of Christian Doctrine the one Member being opposed to the vanity of the Gentiles the other to the blindness of the Jews 2. To note the Order and Oeconomy of Salvation in which the Father is represented as Supream in whom the Sovereign Majesty of the Deity resideth and the Son sustaineth the Office of Mediator and Servant Joh. 14.28 My Father is greater then I not in respect of Nature or essential Glory for therein they are both equal Phil. 2.6 Who being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but in order of Redemption in which the Father is the principal Party representing the whole Deity because he is the Original and Fountain of it So 1 Cor. 8.6 But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him God the Father is to be conceived as the Supream Person or ultimate Object of Worship and the Son as Lord and Mediator And Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent That is Jesus Christ not as the Second Person in the Trinity but as Mediator Sent implieth 1. Christ's Divine Original he came forth from God he is Legatus à latere John 16.30 By this we know that thou camest forth from God He was a Person truly existing before he was sent into the World and a distinct Person from the Father for he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinguished 2. His Incarnation Gal. 4.4 When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman 3. It implieth his whole Office of Mediator and Redeemer wherefore he is called the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Heb. 3.1 Apostle implieth one that was sent Christ was the chief Apostle and Messenger of Heaven the High Priest and Apostle The High Priesthood was the highest Calling in the Jewish Church and the Apostleship the highest Calling in the Christian Church to note that the whole Office of saving all the Church the Elect of all Ages is originally in Christ. He is the great Ambassador to treat with us from God and the High Priest to treat with God and appease his Wrath for us The Names of Christ also are of some use Such Scriptures are like Gold that may be beaten into thin Leaves In Summaries and Breviats every Mark and Letter is of use Jesus signifieth a Saviour at it is explained Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins This is a part of our Belief to acknowledg Christ a Saviour Then Christ signifieth anointed We shall draw out the sum of all in a few Points 1. Observe The Beginning Increase and Perfection of Eternal Life lieth in Knowledge 1. The Beginning of it is in Knowledg Knowledg is the first step to Eternal Life In Paradise Adam's two Symbols were the Tree of Knowledg and the Tree of Life As Light was the first Creature that God made so it is in the New Creation Col. 3.10 Put on the New Man who is renewed in Knowledg after the Image of him that created him By the inlightning of the Holy Ghost the Work of Grace is begun and the Seed of Glory is laid in the Heart The Holy Ghost representeth the Patern and then conformeth us to 〈◊〉 Regeneration is nothing but a transforming Light or such an Illumination as châ—â—ges the Heart 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of our God Ephes. 4.23 Be renewed in the Spirit of your Minds It maketh our Notions of God and Christ to be active and effectual The Force of the new Nature is first upon the Mind it taketh Sin out of the Throne God in the order of Grace followeth the Order which he hath established in Nature Reason and Judgment is to go before the Will 2. The Increase of it is by Knowledg 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in Grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The more thou growest in Knowledg the more thou growest in Life All the gradual Progress and Increase of the Spiritual Life is by the increase of Light 2 Pet. 1.2 Grace be multiplied unto you by the knowledg of God and Jesus Christ our Lord. Heat doth increase by Light as a Room is warmer at high Noon than in a chill Morning I confess through corruption and literal airy Knowledg Men grow more carnal and careless as new Light quencheth old Heat but by the Light of the Spirit the Heart is more quickned and enlivened and as the Judgment is made solid so the Heart is more gracious 3. The Perfection of it is by Knowledg Psal. 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness The Heaven of Heavens is to satisfy the Understanding with the knowledg of God One great end of our going to Heaven is to better our Notions and Apprehensions While the Soul is Prisoner in the Body we have but low and dark Thoughts but there we are illuminated on a sudden One glympse of God in Glory will inform us more than the study of a thousand Years Vse 1. Is to shew us the sad estate 1. Of Men without knowledge Prov. 19.2 Also that the Soul be without Knowledg it is not good Fruit that hath but little Sun can never be ripe Men will say we are ignorant but we hope we have a good Heart You can as well be without the Sun in the World as without Knowledg and Light in the Heart In all the Communications of Grace God beginneth with the Understanding as strength to bear Afflictions Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote on my Thigh and was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my Youth James 1.5 If any of you lack Wisdom let him ask it of God It is the Perfection of the present Life and the Foundation of the next It is the Perfection of the present Life the excellency of a Man above the Beasts The more Knowledg the more a Man and the more Ignorant the more Brutish Psal. 49.20 Man that is in Honour and understandeth not is like the Beasts that perish Job 35.11 Who teacheth us more than the Beasts of the Earth and maketh us wiser than the Fowls of Heaven If a Man would glory in any thing it should be in the Knowledg of God Jer. 9.24 Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me 2. Of
those that have only a washy weak Knowledg not a living Light and Knowledg that is rooted in their own Hearts they talk like Parrots like the Moon they are dark themselves though from others they shine to others like Vintners that keep Wine not for use but for sale The Cellar may be better stored but it is for others 2 Pet. 1.8 For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a disparagement to know Christ and never be the better for him These are like the Noble-man of Samaria that saw the plenty of Samaria but could not taste of it Surely there are not greater Atheists in the World than Carnal Scholars that have a great deal of Light but no Grace It is sad to hear of such a Christ and feel nothing John 17.17 Sanctify them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth They who are able to understand the Word but to no purpose must needs doubt of the Truth of it Vse 2. To press Christians to grow in Knowledg that they may enter upon Eternal Life by degrees Hos. 6.3 Follow on to know the Lord. There is a growth in Knowledg as well as Grace it is not so sensible in the very increase and progress as that of Grace is because growth in Grace is always cum luctû with some strife but the Work upon the Understanding is more still and silent Draw away the Curtain and the Light cometh in and our Ignorance vanisheth silently and without such strife as goeth to the taming of Lusts and vile Affections yet afterwards it is sensible that we have grown Ye were Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord Ephes. 5.8 as a Plant increaseth in length and stature though we do not see the Progress We read of Jesus Christ that he grew in Knowledg we do not read that he grew in Grace he received the Spirit without measure and nothing could be added to the perfection of his Innocence yet it is said Luke 2.40 The Child grew and Vers. 52. Jesus increased in Wisdom and in Stature and in favour with God and Man The Godhead made out it self to him by degrees Oh let us increase It is notable that Moses his first Request to God was Tell me thy Name and afterward shew me thy Glory a more full manifestation of God We should not always keep to our Milk our Infant-Notions and Apprehensions but go on to a greater Increase it much advanceth your Spiritual Life and will be an advantage to your Eternal Life They have the highest Visions of God hereafter that know most of him here upon Earth they are Vessels of a larger capacity and though all be perfect yet with a difference Now for Means and Directions take these 1. Wait upon the preaching of the Word God appointed it and hath given Gifts to the Church for this end and purpose We should quicken one another Isa. 2.3 Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord and he will teach us his Ways God's Grace is given in his own way When Men neglect and despise God's solemn Institutions they either grow brutish or fanatical as we see by daily experience Light as well as Flame is kept in by the breath of Preaching By long attention you grow skilful in the Word of Righteousness Men that despise the Word may be more full of Crotchets and Curiosities but that Light is Darkness It is disputed which is the sense of Learning Hearing or Seeing By the Eye we see things but must by reason of innate Ignorance be taught how to judg of them 2. You must read the Word with diligence That is every Man's Work that hath a Soul to be saved They that busy themselves in other Books will not have such lively Impressions Psal. 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night that must be our Exercise not Play-Books Stories and idle Sonnets How many Sacrilegious Hours do many spend this way Castae deliciae meae sunt scripturae tuae Aug. Nay good Books should not keep from the Scriptures Luther in Gen. cap. 19. saith Ego odi libros meos saepe opto eos interire ne morentur lectores abducant a lectione ipsius scripturae We should go to the Fountain 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation We put a disparagement upon the Word when we savour and relish Humane Writings though never so good and excellent better than the Word of God it self This is the standing Rule by which all Doctrines must be confirmed and you do not know what sweet fresh and savory Thoughts the Spirit of God may stir up in your own Minds for Word-representations are not so taking as our own inward Thoughts and Discourses these like a draught of Wine from the Tap are more fresh and lively It is necessary as I said before to wait upon Preaching to hear what others can say out of the Scriptures but it is good to read too that we may preach to our selves Every Man is fittest to commune with his own Heart and that Conviction which doth immediately arise out of the Word is more prevalent A Man can be angry with any Preacher but Conscience In another when a Matter is expressed to our Case we are apt to suspect the mixture of Passion and private Aims but read thy self and what thoughts are stirred up upon thy reading will be most advantagious to thee Besides those that are studious of the Word have this sensible advantage that they have the Promises the Doctrines the Examples of the Word more familiar and ready with them upon all Cases It is said of one that he was a living Bible and a walking Library 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a Christian is a walking Concordance And whereas other Christians are weak unsetled in Comfort or Opinion these have always Scriptures ready And let me tell you in the whole Work of Grace you will find no Weapon so effectual as the Sword of the Spirit as Scriptures readily and seasonably urged Therefore no diligence here is too much if you would not be barren and sapless in Discourse with others if you would not be weak and comfortless in your self read the Scriptures that you may bring sic scriptum est upon every Temptation and urge the solid grounds of our Comfort I speak the more in so plain a Point because I would make Men more conscionable both in their Closets and Families in this Point that they may not only have recourse to learned Helps and Books of an humane Original but to the Word it self 3. The Scriptures must be read with Prayer We must plow with God's Heifer if we would understand his Riddle we must beg the Spirit 's help The Spirit is the best Interpreter bene
10.38 That ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him 1 John 4.16 We have known and have believed the Love that God hath to us John 6.69 We know and believe that thou art Christ. We must first know before we can believe In Faith there is a Knowledg an Apprehension as well as Discourse a pregnant Apprehension Faith is a clear Light it freeth the Soul from the Mists of Prejudice by representing God in the Allsufficiency of Grace and Power Heb. 11.3 Through Faith we understand that the World was framed by the Word of God It puzzeled the Philosophers but Faith maketh all clear After Faith 2 Pet. 1.5 Add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledg Faith is the Fruit of Knowledg Knowledg is the Fruit of Faith So Psal. 119.66 Teach me good Judgment and Knowledg for I have believed thy Commandments that is a fuller manifestation First we receive the Word by Faith then we know more Oportet discentem credere First we know That it is then How it is The ground of Faith is that they are revealed How or what they are we learn by more acquaintance and experience Light is always increasing most necessary to the Christian Life Faith is as Knowledg is more or less explicite yet not so explicite but that there is some impliciteness in it as long as we live here 1 John 2.3 It doth not yet appear what we shall be but this we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him We have not a particular Account not a Reason of the Thing but we have a Reason why we believe it 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a proper Act of Faith God is always on the giving and we on the receiving Hand we receive the Word we receive Christ and we receive Remission of Sins and Glory the main of our Duty is but a Receiving Let me press you to receive the Word to receive Christ. 1. Receive the Word give it a kind entertainment There is an Act of Consideration meditate upon it seriously that Truth may not float in the Understanding but sink into the Heart Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink down into your Hearts Believe it the Truth is a Soveraign Remedy but there wanteth one Ingredient to make it work and that is Faith Heb. 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it There is an Act of the Will and Affections which is called a receiving the Truth in Love 2 Thess. 2.10 Make room for it that Carnal Affections may not vomit and throw it up again Christ complaineth that his Word had no place in them John 8.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a queasy Stomach possessed with Choler that casts up all that is taken into it 1 Cor. 2.14 A natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God Let it lodg and quietly exercise a soveraign command over the Soul 2. Receive Christ in the Word In a Contract there is not only a receiving a Bond but by virtue of the Bond an Inheritance conveyed to us So you must not only receive the Word we are not saved by giving credit to any Maxim of Religion Fides non est assensus axiomati Not they that saw the Ark many saw it and scoffed but they that were in it were saved from drowning When a Man is ready to perish in the Floods it is not enough to see Land but we must reach it stand upon it if we would be safe It is not a naked Contemplation but a real Implantation into Christ. Now if you will know it whatever was in Christ in the History must be in you in the Mystery You are Adopted Sons 1 John 3.1 Christ must be formed and conceived in you Gal. 4.19 You must suffer and be crucified to the World and Sin Rom. 6.6 You must be buried and raised up again Col. 2.12 All is to be done in a spiritual manner I speak not this to turn all Scripture into an Allegory but every Act of Christ hath some Spiritual Accomodation So much for these two acts or parts of Faith They have known surely and have received thy Word Before I go off from this Clause there are two or three Observations to be raised especially if we compare this Verse with John 16.27 28 29 30 31. For the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and believed that I came forth from God I came forth from the Father and am come into the World again I leave the World and go to the Father His Disciples said unto him Lo now speakest thou plainly and speakest no Proverb Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and needest not that any Man should ask thee by this we believe that thou camest forth from God Jesus answered them Do ye now believe From whence I observe That this was but a late Acknowledgment Vers. 30. Now we are sure and by this we believe that thou camest forth from God And presently within an hour Christ commendeth it to his Father They have known surely and have believed 1. Observe How ready Christ is to take notice of the Good that is wrought in us He watcheth for an occasion to commend us to God Satan and his Instruments they watch for our halting Jer. 20.10 All my Familiars watched for my halting peradventure he will be inticed Let us watch say they we may have Matter against him The Devil is a Spy that lieth upon the catch that he may frame an Accusation against you before God A Dog doth not wait for a Bit from his Master's Trencher more than he doth for a passionate Word some evil Gesture and Practice whereof to accuse us so his Instruments watch to defame you in the World But now Jesus Christ looketh after Matter of Praise and Commendation Now we know verily and believe and Christ presently telleth his Father of it Oh what an encouragement should this be to press us to grow in Knowledg and to abound in every good Work you furnish your Intercessor with matter of Praise and give your Advocate an Advantage against your Accuser Christ watcheth for a good Action as the Devil doth for a Bad He is a swift Witness not only against his Adversaries but for his People Mal. 3.5 I will come near to you in Judgment and I will be a swift Witness against the Sorcerers c. He cometh to convince them sooner than they are aware none of their Sins are unknown to him and they are brought in Court before they dream of it And the Godly have a Witness in Heaven too So Job 16.20 Behold my Witness is in Heaven and my Record is on High And he is a swift Witness we reap the Fruit of many Actions as soon as they are performed A continual Experience we have of this disposition of Christ in the speedy answer of Prayers Isa. 64.24 And it shall come to pass that before they call
that thou hast sent me There is a Mission on God's part as well as Obedience on Christ's Observe The Love of God in sending Christ and giving him a Charge concerning us This sending implieth Distinction but not Inferiority Persons equal by mutual consent may send one another The Father sent him because in the Business of Salvation the Original Authority is said to reside in God the Father God would not trust an Angel with your Salvation but send his own Son 1 John 4.9 10. In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins He thought nothing too dear nor too near for us His Son was not sent to treat with us but to take our Nature to be substituted into our room and place But this Point of God's sending Christ hath fallen under our consideration in handling other Verses of this Chapter SERMON XII JOHN XVII 9 I pray for them I pray not for the World but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine CHRIST having urged several Arguments on the behalf of the Disciples cometh now to limit his Prayers to them which is a new Argument I pray for none but those which thou hast given me not for obstinate Persecutors and perverse Rebels but for thine own thy Charge put into my Hands If I had prayed for any which belong not to the purpose of thy Grace thou mightest deny me but I pray not for the World but for thine therefore hear me In the words you have I. The Object of Christ's Prayer II. The Object limited I pray for them which is amplified Negatively by a refusal to pray for others I pray not for the World III. The Reasons Thou hast given them me and they are thine mine by Oppignoration not Alienation thy Charge put into mine Hands I have a Charge over them and thou hast a Right in them Christ was tender of his Charge and the Father still loved and owned them Thy Right and Propriety is not lost by thy Donation but confirmed for they are thine It is not only a Reason of the Donation but an Argument that Christ useth in Prayer 1. The great Matter that needeth not so much to be cleared as to be vindicated is Christ's refusal to pray for the World It needeth not to be cleared because Christ doth expresly limit the Persons I pray for them he doth not only explain it whom he meaneth by them those which thou hast given me Which Explication if nothing else had been added would have been exclusive and would have amounted to them and only them But he doth himself exclude the World from having any share in his Prayers By the World he meaneth the Reprobate World not only the Unregenerate Elect who are sometimes called the World but reprobos amatores soeculi as the Carthusean the reprobate perverse World But some object and it is fit they should be heard 1. That the Apostles only are here intended and that there is not a distinction between the Elect and Reprobate but between the Apostles and others for afterwards Christ prayeth for others that shall believe through their Word Vers. 20. I Answer 1. The Apostles are chiefly intended but not only elsewhere doth he pray for the Disciples and Believers of that Age there were more than the eleven Apostles and if they be excluded they have no Name in Christ's Prayer 2. All others besides the Apostles could not be reckoned to be in the World Now here is a perfect distribution of Men into two Ranks those that were given him and the World 2. Others say that the words are not to be taken as utterly exclusive but only that he prayed not for the World in this place The Requests of fatherly Protection the Gift of the Spirit Love and Concord being only proper to them that did actually believe elsewhere they say they find Christ praying for the World They bring that place for one Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do where he prayed for his Persecutors some of which never were converted I Answer 1. We must distinguish the Prayers of Christ as an Holy Man and the Prayers of Christ as Mediator So Camero Owen p. 44 c. Gomarus in locum Rainoldus de Intercessione c. As he was a Holy Man he was to lay aside all shew of Revenge This was not a Prayer by virtue of his Office as Mediator but in answer to his Duty as he was subject to the Law and a private Person Those things which he did in obedience to the Law as a private Person were not Acts of Mediation they were Acts of the Mediator but not as Mediator He taught us to pray for Enemies Mat. 5.44 Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you Revenge is forbidden and Pardon and Prayer injoined 2. Christ did not pray for all his Persecutors and every one of them but only for those that sinned out of Ignorance as the words imply chiefly for the standers-by rather than the Priests and Pharisees many of which came rather out of Curiosity than Despight Yea this Supplication was effectual and succesful to all the Elect intended This Prayer brought in three thousand Acts 2.41 who are charged with Christ's Death Ver. 23. and 36. and again five thousand Act. 4.4 who are charged with Ignorance in this Matter Acts 3.15 And killed the Prince of Life Vers. 17. I wot that through Ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers 3. Again they urge Vers. 21. That the World may believe that thou hast sent me Some say that by the World is meant the Unregenerate Elect. This tho it blunteth the force of the Objection yet I think it not so full an Answer 1. Because it is not directly made for them Mark it is not a Prayer but a Reason of Prayer Christ would have prayed more directly for the unregenerate Elect. 2. He would have Prayer for a more effectual Means of Conversion than the beholding the Unity and Concord of his Church That they may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the World may know that thou hast sent me 3. The word World in this whole Chapter is taken for the Reprobate World or those which are opposed to them which are committed to him by his Father 4. The substance of that Prayer is for the Elect not yet converted for Christ prayeth for all that shall believe through their Word Ver. 20. And then that they may be all one c. that the World may believe that thou has sent me so that the Unregenerate Elect are not intended Well but then doth Christ pray
Ordinances Heb. 6.18 We have strong Consolation Mat. 26.30 When they had sung an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives tho it were a sad time The Eunuch went away rejoicing as soon as he was baptized because he was made sure of the Grace of God Acts 8.39 It is as when a Man hath a good Lease confirmed to him It is not the Bread and Wine rejoiceth the Heart but the renewing of the Covenant 4. Meditation It refresheth the Soul and feeds Joy It is the proper and natural use of Reason The Speculation even of terrible Things is grateful It was the Comfort God himself took in his Works he made them he saw them It is a refreshing to the Soul to think of Creation and Providence as a Son taketh pleasure in a History wherein are recorded his Father's valiant Acts. It is a pure Recreation But oh the sweetness of Redemption the excellency of Glory The Thoughts are sent as Spies into the Land of Promise hereby we have a Pisgah-sight it giveth us a foretaste of Heaven and filleth our Souls with Joy and Blessedness SERMON XXII JOHN XVII 14 I have given them thy Word and the World hath hated them because they are not of the World even as I am not of the World CHRIST had urged several Arguments on the behalf the Apostles their Interest his own Departure their Danger in the World this is the Argument he now presseth Their Danger because of the World's hatred is set forth by the occasion of it their Office I have given them thy Word the Cause of it They are not of the World which is amplified by their conformity to the Patern and Example of Christ Even as I am not of the World So that we have here the Condition of the Saints in the World and then their Constitution and Temper I have given them thy Word Partly by external Revelation in his Ministry during Life Partly by inward Illumination he had given them the Knowledg of it John 16.27 Ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God John 17.6 I have manifested thy Name to the Men which thou gavest me out of the World Partly by Tradition or Commission he had left the Word with them not only that they might profess it but preach it to others There is an Emphasis in Thy Word Christ grounded his Plea with the Father upon it Men are wont to respect those that suffer for their Sake and Cause And the World hath hated them By the World is meant that Party which is contrary to Christ's Kingdom they are sometimes called the Kingdom of Darkness because the Devil is their Head and Chief sometimes the World because that is their Aim they are guided by the malicious Spirit of Satan and acted by their own Ends and Interests Briefly they are called the World either because the greatest the most flourishing part of Mankind are obstinate against the Gospel or because their whole Bent their Way their Savour is of the World they relish nothing but the World the wicked unbelieving obstinate part of the World And it is said hath hated them hitherto in their Profession they have had but sad experience of the World and in the Course of their future Ministry they can expect no better Because they are not of the World Of the World that is of that strain and sort of Men as of the Devil is to be swayed by him John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do They are different from the World in Spirit in Worship in Conversation In Spirit or in the frame of their Hearts 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit that is of God There is a particular Genius that runneth out that way they have other manner of Affections and Dispositions In Worship they are to root out inveterate Superstitions both among Jews and Gentiles Now Men are tender of their old Customs and Traditions Unconformity doth exasperate them much more zealous opposition against Traditions received from their Fathers In Conversation they are come out from among them they are Heteroclites 1 Pet. 4.4 They think it strange that you run not with them to all excess of Riâ—i speaking evil of you Their Course is a countermotion to the Fashions of the World they have renounced worldly Desires and Practices Even as I am not of the World most estranged from the Customs and Fashions of it John 8.23 Ye are from beneath I am from above ye are of this World I am not of this World He tasted of the World's hatred John 15.18 19. If the World hateth you you know it hated me before it hated you If ye were of the World the World would love its own but because ye are not of the World but I have called you out of the World therefore the World hateth you This is added for the Consolation of the Disciples that it may not be grievous to them to suffer what their Master suffered before them When the King is wounded in Battel should the Souldier shrink They have my Spirit and are to inherit my Office and they that have Christ's Spirit must look for Christ's Entertainment Only when it is said Even as I am not of this World it noteth not an exact Equality but some Conformity Christ never was of the World Heb. 7.26 He was Holy Harmless Vndefiled separate from Sinners that is he never was of their number After the Fall all Men are of the World but by Regeneration they are so no more therefore it is said John 15.19 Ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World Ye are separated by God's Fan the Wheat from the Chaff and cut off from your old Root by the Sword of the Word 1. Observe That Christians especially Ministers to whom Christ hath given his Word must expect the World's hatred I apply it to both because Christ hath given the Word to both to ordinary Christians by Regeneration to Ministers by special Commission Ordinary Christians are cut off from the World by the Sword of the Word and Conformity is the ground of Love as Difformity and Dissonancy of Practice is of Hatred and Aversation And Ministers have a special Commission to preach it And then both hold forth the Word Ministers clearly they manage the Fan and of private Christians it is said Phil. 2.15 16. That ye be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the World Holding forth the Word of Life They copy out the Word in their Lives they are a living Sermon a walking Rule they preach by their Lives the Truth is held forth in a Minister's Mouth but in a Believer's Conversation 1. Christians that do not let fall the Strictness and Majesty of their Conversations if they keep the Word that Christ hath given
needs be true for God is so infinitely Wise that he cannot be deceived and so infinitely Just and True that he will not deceive us and so Omnipotent that he cannot be jealous of our Knowledg and so Gracious that he is not envious of our Knowledg as the Devil would insinuate Gen. 3.5 For God doth know that in the Day ye eat thereof then your Eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil. It will be no infringement to his Interest if we should know his Nature and his Will But the great Question is What we should take for the Word of God Now that we may have a sure ground in this Kind let us consider how he hath revealed himself to Man The Dispensations of God are several 1. To Adam 2. To the World 3. To the Church 1. To Adam His Bible was his Heart the Law was written there and God preached to him immediatly and by Oracle gave him all extraordinary Commands and the Book of the Creatures for his Contemplation not so much to better his Knowledg as to increase his Reverence 2. To the World to Heathens God gave the Book of Nature which was more than they made use of and therefore he stopt there Psal. 19.1 2 3. The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his Handy-Work Day unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledg There is no Speech nor Language where their Voice is not heard c. This Revelation God hath made of himself even to all Nations they have Sun and Moon to look upon and the Structure of the Heavens to behold which are as so many Pledges of the Excellency and Infiniteness of God Rom. 1.19 20. Because that which may be known of God is manifest to them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible Things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the Things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Acts 14.17 Nevertheless he left not himself without Witness in that he did good and gave us Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness In the Book of Nature there is the rough Draught of God's Will Trismegistus said it was Liber unus Divinitate plenus Creation was nothing else but one Book that was full of the Glory of God and his Excellency God Spake to them by Things not by Words This with some Instincts of Conscience the Relicts of the Fall was all the Heathens had Conscience was God's Deputy to put them in mind of a Judg and the Heavens put them in mind of a God Look as Job's Messengers said I alone am escaped to tell thee so there are some few Reliques and Principles alone escaped out of the Ruins of the Fall to tell us somewhat of God and somewhat of a Judg. That Light proclaims every where and speaks to every Nation and proclaims it aloud to all People Kindred and Tongues of the Earth Take notice there is one infinite eternal God that made us and you and all things else God's refreshing the parched Earth with Showers of Rain shews how willing he is to be gracious to poor hungry Creatures Fruitful Seasons shew us the abundance of his Mercy The decking the Heavens with Stars and the Earth with Plants shew us what Glory he can put upon the Creatures This Language may be gathered out of the Creation and thus did God speak to all Creatures by the Voice of his Creatures 3. To the Church And the Dispensations of God to the Church have been various and diverse Heb. 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spake in Times past unto our Fathers by the Prophets c. He spake his Mind by pieces that is signified by the Word now he gave a piece of his Mind and then a piece And he hath spoken also in sundry manners by several ways of Revelation The Church never wanted sufficient Revelation nor Means of Knowledg to guide them to the Enjoyment of God and true Happiness God's Dispensations to the Church may be reduced to three Heads There was 1. His Word without Writing 2. Then Word and Writing 3. Then Writing only 1. There was the Word without Writing by Visions Oracles and Dreams by which he manifested himself to Persons of the greatest Sanctity and Holiness that they might instruct others and impart the Mind of God to others Now mark this Dispensation was sure enough to guide them to Communion with God why Because the People of the World were then but few Families and the Persons intrusted with God's Message were of great Authority and Credit therefore sufficient enough to inform that present Age of God's Counsel and which was another Advantage they lived long to continue the Tradition with certainty to others for hundreds of Years Vision and Tradition was sure enough for as 't is observed by some three Men might continue the Tradition of the Counsel of God from Adam till Israel went down into Egypt There was Adam first God taught him by Oracle and he taught others he lived a long time Methuselah lived with Adam two hundred forty three Years and continued until the Flood then Seâ— lived with Methusalah ninety eight Years and flourished about five hundred Years after the Flood and Isaac lived fifty Years with Sem and died about ten Years before Israel's descent into Egypt So that Methuselah Sem and Isaac might continue the Knowledg of God and preserve the Purity of Religion from Adam's Death till Israel's going down into Egypt for so many hundred Years This was God's Dispensation to that Church 2. Afterwards there was both Word and Writing God's Word was necessary for the further revealing and clearing up of the Doctrine of Salvation which was revealed by pieces And Writing was necessary partly because in process of time Precepts were multiplied and it was needful for Mens Memories that they should be registred in some publick Record and partly because the long Life of God's Witnesses was much lessened and the Corruption of the World was increased and Satan began to imitate God by Oracles Visions and Answers and Idolatry and Superstition crept into the best Families Into â—erah's Josh. 24.2 Your Fathers dwelt on the other side the Flood in old Time even Terah the Father of Abraham and the Father of Nachor and they served other Gods And Jacob's Family was corrupt Gen. 35.2 Then Jacob said to his Houshold and to all that were with him Put away the strange Gods that are among you and be clean and change your Garments The People were grown numerous enough to make a Commonwealth and a Politick Body and it was fit they should have a publick Record and common Rule and therefore to avoid Man's Corruptions and to give a stop to Satan's Deceits the Lord thought fit there should be a written Rule at hand for
Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel 4. Another Quality to be discerned in the Manner and Form of the Scriptures is the Harmony and Agreement that is to be found in them all along notwithstanding the diversity of Times Places and Persons still there is an increase of Knowledg and Dispensations rise higher and higher as the Light increaseth till Noon-day but there is no difference Luke 1.70 As he spake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets which have been since the World began One Mouth many Prophets They lived in such distant Ages handled such diversity of Arguments yet all conspired in promoting the same Truth which is now revealed to us in the New Testament There is a great difference of Style some speak with more loftiness and majesty others with greater familiarity and humility of Expression yet all promoting the same thing There is a difference in the manner of Prosecution yet an exact harmony in the Substance and essential Quality of their Writings not only in their general drift and scope to set out the Glory of God and the Good of Mankind but in the matter handled without any spice of secular Vanity as is to be seen in other Writings So that one and the same Spirit appeareth throughout the whole 1 Cor. 12.4 Now there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit Yea there is not only a diversity of Style but a different degree of Light according to the increase of God's Dispensations yet there is an Harmony God's Name and Style and the Mystery of Christ was made known to the Church by degrees the solemn Title and Style of God was not one and the same from the beginning of the World but tho they were divers yet they were not one contrary to another but one perfecting the other He is called by Melchisedeck The most High God Possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14.19 Afterwards by reason of his Covenant with Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Alsufficient Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God or the Alsufficient God walk before me and be thou perfect Then when he was put to it he made known himself by the Name of Jehovah Exod. 6.2 3. And God spake unto Moses and said unto him I am the Lord. And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my Name IEHOVAH was I not known unto them And after the appropriation of the Covenant to the Family of the Patriarchs he is called the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob Exod. 3.15 The Lord God of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you This is my Name for ever and this is my Memorial unto all Generations Then upon experience of God's care of them he is called Exod. 20.2 The Lord thy God which hath brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage Then the Lord that brought his People out of the North Country Jer. 23.7 8. Therefore behold the days come saith the Lord that they shall no more say The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt But the Lord liveth which brought up and which led the Seed of the House of Israel out of the North Country and from all Countries whither I had driven them and they shall dwell in their own Land Then when the Sun of Righteousness was risen the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope c. 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort Ephes. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ. So for the Mystery of Redemption First it was revealed to Adam to be by the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed It shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Then to Abraham by thy Seed Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed which was repeated to Isaac to cut off Ishmael then to Jacob to cut off Esau. Then it was revealed out of what Tribe he should come viz. out of Judah Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the Law-giver from between his Feet until Shiloh come Then that he should come of David's Line Isa. 11.1 There shall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse and a Branch shall grow out of his Roots And that he should be born of a Virgin Isa. 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and shall bear a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel There is a difference of manifestation yet still an Harmony as there is a difference between a small Print and a great Print but the Matter is the same The Mystery of God manifested in the Flesh is set forth in a fairer Edition 5. There is one Character more in the Form and Manner of these Writings and that is Impartiality Kings and Subjects are bound by the same Laws liable to the same Punishments encouraged by the same Promises If the Scriptures were only a Politick Device to keep Subjects in awe there would be some exemption for Potentates but they are alike obnoxious to God's Judgment and the same Tophet that is provided for the Peasant is provided for the Prince Isa. 30.33 For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large c. Tophet was a Valley where the Idolatrous Jews were wont to burn their Children therefore as a fit Type of Everlasting Punishment it is put for Hell it is capacious enough to receive all King and Subject Now the Scriptures that threaten Potentates as well as others must needs be a Law that cometh from an higher than the Highest Who would presume else to threaten those in Power Rev. 20.12 And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which was the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works On this side the Grave there is a distinction between Man and Man but all are alike obnoxious to Christ's Judgment and all stand in dread of it There is enough in the Scriptures to astonish the Heart of the mightiest Potentate and make it tremble II. Now from the Matter of the Scriptures I am much prevented from what is published on James 1.18 But let me speak something now All that is spoken in the Scripture may be reduced to these five Heads Precepts Promises Doctrines Histories Prophecies Now all these
this sense he is the Apostle of our Profession an Ambassador sent from Heaven God's Representative in this sense he is called the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 The solemnest Messenger that ever God sent into the World Isa. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good Tidings unto the Meek c. Christ was anointed principally for this Work to preach the Gospel he came from Heaven to shew us the Way of Life Heb. 1.1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in Time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son He hath spoken to us by Apostles Pastors and Teachers Why doth he make mention only of Christ Because in the Roll of Gospel-Preachers Christ is the First Christ's Name is first enrolled he was first in Commission and he sent forth Apostles and the Apostles others The Mystery of Redemption was never clearly known till Christ came to preach it then all the deep Counsel of God for Man's Salvation came out which was hidden before Christ brought out of God's Bosom the Doctrine of the Gospel APPLICATION We learn hence many Things As 1. The distinction of the Persons in the Trinity Christ is a distinct subsistence from the Father for he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinct Mark it implies a Distinction but not an Inferiority against the Arrians Persons equal by mutual consent may send one another as the Elders of Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas but it doth not follow that they were inferior to the Elders of Antioch So here it implies Distinction but not Inferiority 2. The Knowledg of Christ's Person he was sent into the World therefore is God-Man He was one that was sent therefore had a being before he was Incarnate and was sent into the World therefore there was an Assumption of the Humane Nature 3. It sheweth us the Love of God he would not intrust an Angel nor Arch-Angel with our Salvation but sent his Son 1 John 4.10 Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins There is nothing too near nor too dear for us It will take the more wih us if we consider the infinite complacency and contentment God had in Christ yet he sent his Son Man's Love is defensive he loves his Children out of design of Immortality because he lives in them God had no reason to do so he had many reasons to the contrary yet he sent his Son to die for us when we were Enemies And his Son is sent What to do Not only to treat with us not only to borrow a Tongue to speak to us but to take a Body to die for us to be substituted in our room and stead 4. It informs us of the great condescention of Christ that he submitted to be sent Psal. 40.7 8. Then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my Heart He was ready when God would send him like a Servant ready to be dispatched upon his Errand That Christ would be sent that he would take our Nature not while it was innocent but when it was guilty liable to the Wrath of God when all Mankind were proclaimed Traytors and Out-Laws and whoever partaked of our Nature was to partake of our Sorrow yet then was Christ sent he came in the similitude of sinful Flesh Rom. 8.3 Christ did not partake of the infection of our Nature he was not a Sinner by being born of our Stock the Infection was stopped by the Holy Ghost but he took our Nature when it was sinful tainted with Sin and in this Message and Errand he laid aside his Majesty and by an unspeakable dispensation he abstains from the full use and exercise of the Godhead not from Godhead it self Therefore he prays John 17.5 And now O Father glorify thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was He begs for his Glory again which he had laid aside for a while It cannot be meant of the Divine Nature for to that nothing can be given it cannot be meant of Humane Nature because that is not capable of the Glory which Christ had before the World was the meaning is he desires to be restored to the full use of the Godhead from which he had abstained by an unspeakable Dispensation a long time and by the interposition of his Humane Nature the Glory of the Godhead was as it were eclipsed as a Candle in a Dark Lanthorn and therefore he desires that the Vail might be taken away and he might return again to the full use of the Godhead having done his Work It is irksome to us to go back a few degrees in Pomp and Pleasure even upon just and convenient Reasons but how did Christ condescend and stoop when he was thus sent into the World by God for our sakes 5. Here is some ground of Comfort to them that believe you may offer to God a Mediator of his own chusing one that was authorized by himself When you plead with God you may say Lord thou hast sent thy Son Or when you plead with your own Hearts you may urge thâ—m with this God sent him to be helpful to my Soul These things may be observed from the first thing the Mission of Christ. SERMON XXXI JOHN XVII 18 As thou hast sent me into the World even so have I also sent them into the World Secondly I Come to the Mission of the Apostles So have I sent them into the World as thou hast sent me The words intimate a comparison between God's sending of Christ into the World and Christ's sending the Apostles into the World But how doth the Comparison hold good Christ was sent to Redeem they to Preach the Apostles were no Redeemers Christ was sent not only as a Prophet but as a Priest as we have seen before And again for the manner Christ was sent by being Incarnate God-Man in one Person he must be Man if sent but they were Men and therefore there is a difference Christ was sent as the Supream Officer of the Church as God with Original Authority they as Ministers and Servants Christ could teach immediatly outwardly by his Word inwardly by his Spirit they only outwardly How then could it be said As thou hast sent me into the World so have I sent them into the World I Answer There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some Likeness but not an Equality As the Union of the Apostles is compared with the Unity of the Trinity so the Mission of the Apostles with the Mission of Christ. The Similitude holdeth in several Things they were Authorized Ministers and Officers of the Church as Christ was Christ was authorized by
And is this the manner of Men O Lord God Was it ever heard that he that is offended should be so sollicitous and careful to send about Agreement and Reconciliation But this God doth not out of any need that he hath of our Friendship as Men sometimes in Policy seek to those who have injured them for God is stronger than we but out of pure Love The first Ambassador God sent was his own Son 1 John 4.10 Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins And Vers. 19. We love him because he first loved us Christ cometh out from the Bosom of God The Law was delivered by an Angel but the Gospel by Christ himself And then God sendeth Apostles with extraordinary Gifts and Power of working Miracles to lay a Foundation 1 Cor. 3.10 According to the Grace that is given unto me as a wise Master-builder I have laid the Foundation And then Pastors and Teachers Men of like Passions with our selves weak Men but furnished with Gifts proper to their Calling There is a Mercy in this Institution We cannot endure God's Presence Deut. 5.25 If we hear the Voice of the Lord our God any more then we shall die Moses trembled and quaked when a Voice was heard out of the Clouds and Darkness Therefore God sends Men of like Infirmities with our selves that our Defects might be born with patience because they have experience of the hardness and obstinacy of their own Hearts and that our Ignorance might be familiarly instructed and Knowledg dropped in by degrees we are to learn by little and little here a Line and there a Line God in condescention to our weakness hath appointed this help 4. It informeth us of the Madness of the World that use Christ's Ambassadors ill when they come about such a Message It is against Jus Gentium the Law of Nations to offer violence to Ambassadors let their Message be never so displeasing their Persons are secured by the Civility of all Nations Yet Christ's Ambassadors are often ill intreated Matth. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee It is England's Sin to malign and hate God's Messengers tho they come with Terms of Peace Never was the Ministry more Evangelical yet never more hated than now What should be the Reason of this Madness No Calling is more profitable to Humane Society to civilize a People to take them off from their brutishness and fierceness and yet none more opposed Partly out of a Gadarene Temper they grow weary of Christ's Ministers but chiefly out of a natural Enmity against them Since the Fall Man is an Enemy to his own Happiness In bodily Miseries it is otherwise a blind Man loves his Guide and as Elymas when stricken blind they seek about for some to lead them a sick Man loveth his Physician but Spiritual Blindness and Sickness is of another Nature Men hate those that offer to lead them and cure them The guilty World would fain take a Nap and rest and because God's Messengers will not let them alone therefore they hate them Errors and Lusts are touchy Mundus senescens patitur phantasias The World as it grows old is given to Dreams and Dotage and is loth to be disturbed A Thief would have the Candle put out that discovereth him Christ's Messengers tho Instruments of common Good yet often meet with publick Hatred Ephes. 6.20 For whom I am an Ambassador in Bonds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Chains A Man would think he meant Golden Chains because he speaks of his Ambassadorship no he means hard Iron Chains which he suffered for Christ's sake and usually this is the Lot of Christ's Ambassadors Vse 2. Advice both to People and Ministers First To People If Ministers be sent by Christ then it adviseth you to respect their Message their Calling their Persons 1. Accept their Message When we speak for the Honour and Dignity of the Ministry we plead for a Spiritual Respect to them not for a Temporal Domination and Precedency in all Meetings and Companies Our King whom we serve is a Spiritual King his Kingdom is not of this World he came not with external Pomp and Splendor therefore these are not things we should look after Tho some respect is due to their Persons yet chiefly we plead for a respect to their Doctrine Do not despise the Message which they bring tho their Persons be obscure and despicable Doctrines delivered from the Scripture have a Divine Authority it is God's Message as if it had been spoken from Heaven And therefore if we must speak at the Oracles of God you must hear it as God's Word 1 Thess. 2.13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the Word of Men but as it is in Truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Never can you expect the Word should work with you till you have this respect and reverence for it But you will say Is all Gospel that is delivered by one in Office I Answer No but you must humbly consider what is brought to you in Christ's Name When Ehud said to Eglon Judges 3.20 I have a Message from God unto thee he arose out of his Seat See what it is and let it move you more to look to your ways 2. Respect the Calling more Many seek to undermine it as if it were grown the Burden of the Christian World others think disgracefully and meanly of it as if it were below their Parts or Rank and Place Let me tell you it is the highest Honour that can be put upon a Creature to be Christ's Messenger No Nobility of Birth Antiquity of House Plenty of Estate is to be compared with it all worldly Honours and Titles are beneath it and so shall we judg when once we come to see a Prophet's Reward Do not think scornfully of the Calling It is a great Mercy if God should chuse any of thine to this Work the best and chiefest of thy Family The First-born were separated to God before the Priesthood was setled upon the Tribe of Levi. Usually Men consecrate the worst to God if any be lame blind unfit for Work like the Deceiver Mal. 1.14 Which hath a Male in his Flock and â—oweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing I speak the more in this Matter because if God suffer the Wickedness of the Age to go on if Maintenance go away Nobles must put their Necks to the Yoke to serve Christ in this Employment as some have done in other Churches 3. Respect their Persons Something is due to them for the Work 's sake 1 Thess. 5.12 13. And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them
Benefits of Redemption but the Sanctified who have Grace and Holiness infused in them and do devote and consecrate themselves to serve God in Holiness and Righteousness all their dayes 2. The Means Manner or End 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be rendered through the Truth in Truth or for the Truth all which Readings admit of a commodious Explication 1. As the Means through the Truth as the Rule and Instrument the Word accompanied with the virtue of Christ's Death is that which sanctifieth 2. The Manner in Truth or truly in opposition to legal Purifications by the use of the Ceremonies of the Law which were but a Shadow of true Holiness Heb. 9.13 14. For if the Blood of Bulls and Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the Vnclean sanctifyeth to the purifying of the Flesh How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God purge your Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God And in opposition to counterfeit Sanctification Ephes. 4.24 And that ye put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness such as is sincere true and real 3. The End for the Truth that they may be consecrated set apart and fitted for that Function of Preaching the Truth The Context seemeth to justify this From the whole Observe Doct. That Christ did set himself apart to be a Sacrifice for us that we might be sanctified by the Means appointed thereunto I shall explain this Point by opening the Text. I. I begin with the Meritorious Cause and for their sakes I sanctify my self Where First The Agent I. Secondly The Act Sanctify Thirdly The Object my Self Fourthly The Persons concerned for their Sakes First The Agent I sanctify my self In other Places it is ascribed to the Father and the Spirit To the Father John 10.36 Him hath the Father sanctified and sent into the World To the Spirit Acts 10.38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power He did not only frame the humane Nature of Christ out of the Substance of the Virgin but adorned it with Gifts and Graces fit for his Office and Work And here Christ saith I sanctify my self All the Persons in the Divine Nature concur to this Work The Father sanctifieth and sets him apart by his Decree and Designation The Son sanctifieth himself to shew his willingness and condescension The Spirit sanctifieth him by his Operation furnishing him with meet Graces and Endowments that were necessary for that singular Person who should redeem the World Christ's sanctifying himself falleth under our consideration and doth shew partly his Original Authority as a Person of the Godhead coequal with the Father and the Spirit Whatsoever the Father doth the Son doth also John 5.19 Partly his voluntary submission as the Father did consecrate the Son to the Office of Mediator and the Spirit qualified him with all fulness of Grace so did Christ consecrate himself as being a most willing Agent in this Work and did really offer himself to become Man and to suffer all that Misery Pain and shame that was necessary for our Expiation The Scripture often sets it forth to us Ephes. 5.2 Walk in Love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour He did not do this Work by constraint but of a ready mind When it was first propounded to him in God's Decree Heb. 10.9 Then he said Lo I come to do thy Will O God! And before the Time was come about when he should assume the Humane Nature into the Unity of his Person he feasted himself with the thoughts of that Salvation which he should set afoot in the habitable Parts of the Earth Prov. 8.31 Rejoicing in the habitable parts of the Earth and my Delights were with the Sons of Men. When the Incarnation was passed then he longed for the time of his Passion Luke 12.50 I have a Baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished So willing was he to do and suffer that whereunto he was sent Luke 22.15 With desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I die that Passover because it was the last the Forerunner of his Agonies his Heart was set upon that Work His behaviour in his Death shewed how willingly he did undergo it John 13.1 Having loved his own that were in the World he loved them unto the End then was his bitter Work but that did not abate his Love The Heathens counted it a lucky Sacrifice that went to the Altar without strugling and roaring certainly Christ did meekly suffer what was imposed on him for the expiation of our Sins Isa. 53.7 He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb so he opened not his Mouth A Swine whineth and maketh a noise but a Sheep is dumb this was the Emblem chosen to represent Christ's Meekness and Patience Salt cast into the Fire danceth and leapeth with a kind of impatience but Oil riseth up in a gentle Flame So Christ suffered not only with patience but delight He did not lay down his Life by constraint but died by consent John 10.18 No Man taketh my Life from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again Now this endeareth our Obligation to him that he would consecrate himself to the Work of the Mediatory Office and to that end assume the Humane Nature into the Unity of his Person and so willingly condescend to all that sorrow and pain that he was to endure for our sakes and offer himself up as a Sacrifice for our Sins being for a while without the actual sense of his Father's Love My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 But more distinctly let us consider the greatness of his Sufferings his willingness to endure them 1. The greatness of his Sufferings His Passions take them in the very Letter were sore but they were heightned by the delicacy of his Temper never any Man suffered as he did because never such a Man A blow on the Head is soon felt because it is a principal Member and so more sensible than other parts of the Body A Slave is not so sensible of Blows and Stripes as a Nobleman of a tender and delicate Constitution Our Saviour Christ was of a more delicate Constitution than any other his Body was immediately framed by the Spirit in the Virgin 's Womb Laurence on the Gridiron Stephen when stoned could not be so sensible as Christ on the Cross. None of the Martyrs suffered what he did Christ had a particular knowledg of all Sins committed in the World past present and to come and a particular sorrow for them which was the greater by how much the more he prized the Honour of God His
Love towards him was infinite his hatred to Sin infinite his apprehension of his Father's Displeasure clear all which made his Soul heavy to the Death Our Sins were more burdensome to him than his own Wounds No Man's Understanding is so great as to apprehend what Christ felt Christ himself can only give us an account of the greatness of his Sufferings David confessed that his Sins were more than the Hairs upon his Head yet he saith cleanse me from secret Sins implying many had escaped his notice and knowledg How great was the Burden of Christ that was the Lamb bearing the Sins of the whole World Neither did Christ suffer Pains only for Sins but to make a purchase of Spiritual Blessings and yet the price exceeded the value of that which was bought 2. His willingness to suffer for us Christ was so set upon his Passion that he called Peter Satan for contradicting it Mat. 16.23 Get thee behind me Satan for thou art an offence to me When Jonah saw the Storm he said Cast me into the Sea this Storm was raised for his own sake but when Christ saw the misery of Mankind he said Let it come on me We raised the Storm Christ was cast in to allay it As if a Prince passing by an Execution should take the Malefactor's Chains and suffer in his stead Christ bore our Sorrows he would have this Work in no other Hands but his own His earnestness to partake of the last Passover sheweth his willingness he had such a desire to see his Body on the Cross that Judas seemed too slow not diligent enough Christ saith John 13.27 That thou dost do quickly It is not an Approbation of his Sin but a Testimony of his Love every day seems long If Christ had been to suffer so much for every Man as he did for all Mankind he would have done it there wanted but a Precept there wanted not Love his Heart was much beyond his Sufferings as the Windows of the Temple were greater and more open within than without 1 Kings 6.4 If Paul that had but a drop of Grace could wish himself accursed from Christ for his Brethren his Kindred according to the Flesh Rom. 9.3 How much more willing was Christ Surely then we should as readily consecrate our selves to his Service Christ saith Lo I come to do thy Will O God Heb. 10.9 and it becometh every Christian to make an unbounded resignation of himself to God Acts 9.6 Lord what wouldst thou have me to do Secondly The Act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I sanctify Things are said in Scripture to be sanctified when they are set apart and fitted and prepared for some holy Use. 1. As it signifies to separate or set apart from a common to a holy Use as the Sacrifices under the Law were separated and chosen out of the Flock or Herd the best and the fairest such as were without spot and blemish and then designed for this holy Use of being an Offering to God So was Christ separated for this use to be the great Sin-offering or Sacrifice of Atonement for the whole Congregation 1 Pet. 1.19 20. Ye were redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot When was Christ so sanctified He did sanctify himself when he accepted the Conditions of the Covenant of Redemption Isa. 53.10 11 12. And visibly at his Baptism he did present himself among Sinners as our Surety and offer himself to the Father to pay our Ransom which God accepted for he declared himself well-pleased with Christ as standing in our room Mat. 3.17 Lo a Voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Ordinary Baptism is a Dedication to God So Christ's Baptism was a Dedication of himself to the recovering of the lost World to God And then a little before his Death in this Prayer I sanctify my self Afterwards in his Agonies Not my Will but thine be done At his Death he offered up himself Heb. 9.14 Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God 2. It signifieth his Qualification and Fitness he did fit the Humane Nature with all habitual and actual Holiness in this sense Christ did sanctify himself as God he fitted himself for this Work 1. There was the Innocency and Purity of his Humane Nature without any stain of Corruption and therefore he is called that holy Thing Luke 1.35 This Holiness was necessary in regard of himself otherwise his Humane Nature could not be assumed into the Unity of his Person for God can have no Communion with Sin no more than Light and Darkness can agree together It was necessary in regard of his Office that he might satisfy for our Sins Heb. 7.26 Such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from Sinners The Priest of the Gospel must be sinless because of the excellency of the Sacrifice that the Priest may not be worse than the Sacrifice While things were carried in Type and Figure and a Beast was offered in Sacrifice a sinful Man sufficed But now the Satisfaction was really to be made for us and Sin done away and we were to be made really Holy our Priest was to be holy harmless undefiled It is for our Comfort that Christ was Sanctified his Original Sanctity is a Remedy against our Original Sin and Impurity When we are troubled with our Natural Deformity it is comfortable to think that God looketh upon us in Christ who was Holy by Nature it is a comfortable Hope that the Corruption of our Nature is covered in God's Eyes and shall be diminished more and more 2. His Actual Holiness in his Conversation The Business of the Mediator was to commend Obedience and he hath done it by his own Example and the way that he took to recover us to God Rom. 5.19 As by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous Phil. 2.5 Let the same Mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus Some dislike such a particular Application we have need of all Christ's Properties and we should make use of all Why doth the Scripture set it down but to shew that he is fit to remove Sin Original and Actual As a covetous Man looks on a piece of Gold or we on a thing that we delight in we turn it on every side The first Adam was by God's Institution a common Person in him sinning the World sinned the second Adam was a publick Fountain of Holiness who is an infinite Person as well as a publick Person Thirdly The Object I sanctify my self not an Angel to do this Work for us but Himself Under the Law the Priests offered Bulls and Goats while they themselves remained untouched but Christ offered himself As God he was Priest as Man the Sacrifice As there was Love in the Priest so there is worth in the Sacrifice Christ was both Priest and Sacrifice it was
of Arms. I remember in Ecclesiastical History when Valens the Emperor railed against all the Defenders of the Godhead of Christ they did not meddle with Polinus out of Reverence to him for he was a very holy strict Man none durst lay Hands upon him 3. Many times they profess and join to the Church and so we have benefit by their Gifts and Abilities Authority and Power for God doth his Church a great deal of good by carnal Men. Conviction may bring them as far as Profession and the temporary Faith of a Magistrate tho carnal may be a Protection to Christianity as an Hedg of Thorns may be a good Fence about a Garden of Roses If they are Men of Parts they may help to defend the Christian Doctrine as a living Tree may be supported by a dead Post and the Gifts of carnal Men are for the use of the Body as the Gibeonites joined to Israel and were made hewers of Wood and drawers of Water or as the Carpenters who helped to build Noah's Ark perished in the Flood or as Negroes that dig in the Mines of Knowledg God may imploy them to bring up that which may be of great use and profit to the World they may help to build an Ark for others tho they themselves perish in the Water We would not refuse Gold from a dirty Hand neither are we to slight the benefit of carnal Men's parts for the common Profession of Christianity that they are under tho they are Slaves to their Lusts yet it is a real benefit and help to the Saints 4. They serve for a Warning to the Saints When this Conviction is strong upon them and grows to an height by the Stings of Conscience and Horrors of them that die in despair God warneth his People tho we would bear off the Stroke yet God knows how soon this Fire may be kindled in our own Breasts when Men see what Convictions will do being stifled and not complied with and Men live not according to their Light it is a warning to others As a Slave is many times beaten to warn a Son of his Father's Displeasure and Naturalists tell us a Lion will tremble to see a Dog beaten before him so do the Children of God tremble at the Convictions of wicked Men. Oh the Horrors of their Conscience declare what God hath wrought upon them tho few take little notice of it Thirdly In respect to the World it self this Conviction serveth both to lessen and encrease their Judgment The Terms seem to be opposite 1. Sometimes to lessen their Judgment Certainly the degrees of eternal Punishment are not equal there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 23.14 a greater Judgment there is a hotter and a cooler Hell there are few Stripes and many Stripes In the World to come it is more tolerable for some than for others Mat. 12.41 The Condition of the Ninevites was made more tolerable by the Conviction wrought by Jonah's Preaching because there was a temporal Repentance they humbled themselves for a while tho they were frighted to this Religiousness Aristides Cato and other moral Heathens their Condition will be more tolerable than those Men that live in a way of brutish and filthy Excess So there are many convinced that have helped the Church and been friendly to Religion when others have oppressed and opposed the Ways of God they have been a Hiding-Place a Shelter a Countenance a Protection to the People of God these shall not lose their Reward they have many Blessings in this World tho they continue Carnal and live and die in their Sins I suppose the more they comply with these Convictions their Condemnation shall be lessened tho not taken away This Advantage they have ut mitiùs ardeant they shall have a cooler Hell 2. Sometimes to increase their Judgment Those that maliciously oppose this Conviction they hasten their own Condemnation and heighten it Then it will be a Sin to them with a Witness when they knew their Master's Will and did it not James 4.17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do Good and doth it not to him it is Sin They carry this Conviction to Hell with them and it is a part of their Torment this is the Worm that never dies Oh what a Terror will it be for them to think I had a better Estate discovered to me I knew somewhat of the Ways of God and now I am shut out for ever and ever There is a Worm that never dies as well as a Fire that shall never be quenched Mark 9.44 There may be a Conviction so much as to enable a Man to speak to others yet he may be a worker of Iniquity and cast out of Christ's Presence How will this encrease their Torment their Knowledg serveth but to damn them the more The Characters are indelible and are not extinguished by Death To all other Torments there is added the gnawing of Conscience Look as in the Elect there is such a Spark kindled as shall never be extinguished their Knowledg they get here is not abolished but perfected and the Joys of the Spirit begin their Heaven a witnessing excusing Conscience to the Elect is the beginning of Heaven So in Hell Conscience will be always raging and expostolating with you Oh Fool that I was to neglect so great Salvation which others enjoy If I had lived civilly at least it had been better with me than now it is As they know more of God than others do so their Judgment will accordingly be greater And you know not how soon God may kindle this Fire in your Bosoms who for the present steep on carelesly in your Sins Vse 1. This may serve to perswade us that the Conviction of the World is a great Blessing and conduceth much to the advancement of Christ's Kingdom without any visible force with meer Spiritual Weapons in despight of all opposition which can be made thereunto The corrupt and ill-principled World cannot stand out against the Evidence of the Truth when it is soundly preached and in the Demonstration of the Spirit We have too slight an Opinion of the Weapons of our Spiritual Warfare 2 Cor. 10.4 The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of strong Holds Surely they are more mighty to pull down strong Holds than we are aware of The Spirit of the Lord tho he will not convert yet can so put to silence and bridle the Opposition that carnal Men make that it shall be ineffectual It concerneth God in Honour to go thus far on with the World for the promoting of his Kingdom and that they may not go on with an high Hand to oppose and crush it And this doth also evince the Truth of the Christian Religion such Convictions accompanying the preaching of it And God doth not wholly discontinue this Dispensation now There are ordinary Operations of the Spirit where the Gospel is preached which do convince the World The careless Professor
then shall be that great Rendezvouz when the four Winds shall give up their Dead Then the Wicked shall be hearded they shall be bound up in Bundles as Straws and Sticks bound up together in a Bundle serve to set one another on Fire Mat. 13.40 41 42. Adulterers together and Drunkards together and Thieves together and so encrease one another's Torment So all the Godly shall meet in a Congregation and never be separated more You do not only groan and wait for it but the departed Saints also Rev. 6.9 10. I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they held And they cried with a loud Voice saying How long O Lord Holy and True dost thou not judg and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth As in a Wreck those that get first to Shore are longing for and looking for their Companions This is the Communion between us and Saints departed they long for our Company as we for theirs we praise God for them they groan for us we long and wait by joint desires for that happy Day Vse 3. It is an Engagement to the Churches of all parts to maintain a common intercourse one with another All maketh but one Body We should pray for them whom we have not seen in the Flesh Col. 2.2 and send relief to them as the Church at Antioch to Jerusalem when the Famine was foretold Acts 11. latter end And as God giveth Opportunities meet and consult for one another's welfare But the World is not ripe for this yet Vse 4. It giveth you assurance of the continuance of the Ministry as long as the World continueth As long as the World continueth there are Elect to be gathered 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance The Ship tarrieth till all the Passengers be taken in and then they lanch out into the Deep The great Aim of Christ in keeping up the World is to make his Body compleat and as long as the Elect are to be gathered the Ministry is to continue Ephes. 4.11 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ. The Workmen are not dismissed till the House be built Secondly Understand it singly and severally that they may be made perfect in one that is that there may be a perfect Oneness between Member and Member of Christ's Body or a brotherly Affection which one Member hath to another Observe No less Vnion will content Christ but what is perfect This was the Aim of his Prayers then strive for it wait for it 1. Strive for it 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment We should all strive together as if we had but one Scope one Interest one Heart We should grow up to this Perfection more and more Oh what Conscience should we make of keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace If we are not one in Opinion yet we should have one Aim and Scope Let us concur in one Object and Rule and as far as we have attained to the knowledg of it let us walk together 2. Wait for it The Perfection of our Communion is in Life Eternal Here it is begun we are growing to the perfect Day Prov. 4.18 The Path of the Just is at the shining Light that shineth more and more to the perfect day Ibi Lutherus Zuinglius optime conveniunt We are going thither where Hooper and Ridley Luther and Zuinglius shall be of a Mind In Heaven they are all of one Mind one Heart one Emploiment there is neither Pride nor Ignorance nor Factions to divide us but all agree in one Comfort II. The End as to the World their Conviction That the World may know that thou hast sent me and that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me When is the World convinced and how I shall answer both together in part here and fully hereafter 1. In part here by Christ's being and working in them by the Life of Christ appearing in their Conversations 2. Fully and finally at the last Judgment by the Glory put upon them The Reprobate World shall know to their cost when they shall see them invested with such Glory that they were the Darlings of God But of what shall the World be convinced Of Christ's Mission and the Saints Privileges that Christ was authorized by God as the Doctor of the Church and the Saints are dearly beloved of God Observe There are two things God is tender of and two things the World is ignorant of his Truth and his Saints 1. God prizeth these above all things 1. His Gospel and therefore would have the World convinced that Christ was sent as a Messenger from the Bosom of God 2. His Saints and therefore he would have them convinced of his Love to them and that he hath taken them into his Protection as he did the Person of Christ. What should People regard but these two especially since God hath put his little Ones to Nurse and bid them be wise to learn his Truths 2. The World is most ignorant of these two Of the Divine Authority of the Gospel and therefore they slight it and refuse it as much as they do And of the dearness of his Saints therefore they persecute and molest them and use them hardly The World may be well called Darkness Ephes. 5.8 because they are ignorant of two things which do most concern them But let us speak more particularly of that wonderful and mysterious Expression That thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me Observe three things 1. That God loveth Christ. 2. That God loveth the Saints as he loved Christ. 3. That Christ would have the World know so much and be convinced of it 1. Observe That God loveth Christ as the first Object of his Love This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Mat. 3.17 He is his dear Son Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son God saw all the Works of his Hands that they were Good He delighteth in the Creatures much more in his Son He loveth Christ as God and as Mediator as God-Man 1. As God so he is primâ—m amabile the first Object of his Love as his own express Image that represents his Attributes exactly He is the First Son the Natural Son as we are Adopted Ones and so his Soul taketh an infinite contentment in Christ
wantest a sense of his Love because of thy manifold Failings it is unreasonable to think that all will end in Wrath which was begun in so much Love If he expressed Love to thee in thy unconverted Estate and hath brought thee into God's Family will he destroy thee and turn thee out again upon every actual unkindness The Lord doth gently question with Jonah in his Fret Dost thou well to be angry Jonah 4.9 When the Disciples fell asleep in the Night of Christ's Agony he doth not say Ye are none of mine because ye could not watch with me one hour but rather excuseth it Mat. 26.41 The Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weak This great Love of God overcometh all the unkindness of his Children 2. What may evidence they are concerned in this Love 1. There is some change wrought in you thou art now no despiser of God and his Holy Ways the Heart of thy Sensuality Pride and Worldliness is broken tho too much of it still remaineth in thee Now it is good to be in the way to a further Progress and we begin with Mortification 2 Cor. 5.17 If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Every change for the better is either the New Creature or a Preparation to it 2. The Gift of the Sanctifying Spirit is more prized by thee than all the Riches and Honours in the World Now without Holiness we cannot esteem Holiness and practically prefer it above other things God loveth Christ as he bore his Image so he loveth us we are sealed by the Mark of the Spirit Psal. 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy People O visit me with thy Salvation And Psal. 119.132 Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name 3. Thou lovest and preferrest Christ's People and that for their Holiness and therefore seekest to discountenance all sorts of Wickedness Psal. 15.4 In whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He laboureth to discountenance all sorts of Wickedness and desireth to bring Goodness and Godliness into a creditable Esteem and Reputation and payeth an hearty honour and respect to those that excel therein So Psal. 16.3 But to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom is all my delight He doth value them and esteem them above the greatest Men in the World because they are so loved prized and set apart by God 4. You labour more and more to be such whom God loveth as he loved Christ. Jesus Christ was the express Image of his Person we strive to be such in the World as Christ was 1 John 4.17 hating what God hateth and loving what God loveth then we make it our business to walk as he walked 1 John 2.6 doing his Will seeking his Glory God loved Christ for that Spirit of Obedience that was in him who shrunk not in the hardest Duties but whatever it cost him was faithful in his Work 3. Observe That God would have the World know so much and be convinced of this great Love which he beareth to the Saints that the World may know that thou hast loved them c. 1. The Necessity of the World's Knowledg 1. Because the World is blinded with Ignorance and Prejudice against the Children of God they cannot or rather will not see 1 Cor. 2.14 But the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned They will not see because they have a mind to hate 2. The Life that floweth from this Union is a hidden thing Col. 3.3 For our Life is hid with Christ in God It is hidden because maintained by an Invisible Power the Spiritual Life is hidden under the Vail of the Natural Life Gal. 2.20 The Life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me It is obscured by Infirmities The best shew forth too much of Adam and too little of Jesus It is hidden under Afflictions Heb. 11.37 38. They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Of whom the World was not worthy c. and the World's Reproaches 2 Cor. 6.8 By Honour and Dishonour by evil Report and good Report as Deceivers and yet true 2. The Means whereby the World is convinced 1. The Promises of the Word shew God's great Love to the Saints and hereby he hath engaged himself to do great things for them 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature He hath engaged to pardon their Sins accept their Persons sanctify their Natures keep them blameless to his Heavenly Kingdom and finally to translate them to Glory Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O People saved by the Lord and who is the Shield of thy Excellency thy Enemies shall be found Liars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high Places Psal. 144.15 Happy is that People that is in such a Case yea happy is that People whose God is the Lord. 2. By the visible Fruits of the Mystical Union The Gift of the Spirit cannot be hidden they have a Power and Presence with them which others have not 1 Pet. 4.14 The Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you They live contrary to the course of this World so as to become the World's Wonder 1 Pet. 4.4 Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of Riot And Reproofâ— Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World 3. By the wonderful Blessings of God's Providence they are hidden in the secret of his Presence strangely preserved Psal. 4.3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is Godly for himself not only as Instruments of his Glory but as Objects of his special Favour and Grace 4. This is more fully seen for the utter confusion of the Wicked at the last Day 2 Thess. 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Now it is for their Conviction or Conversion then for their Confusion these are those whose Lives we judged Madness and Ways Folly 3. Why Christ was so earnest that the World should know this 1. To restrain their Malice 1 Cor. 2.5 Had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory If God loveth Believers it should stop the Violence and Malice of the World against them they are the Beloved
formidable but in Heaven they are comfortable we are more able to bear it the Natural Faculties being fortified and we come to consider it as a Glory put upon him for our sakes II. What is this Beholding It is either Ocular or Mental 1. Ocular our Senses have their Happiness as well as the Soul there is a glorified Eye as well as a glorified Mind 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by Faith not by Sight He doth not mean present sense and the present view of Things the Life of Faith is sometimes opposed to that but now he meaneth our Privileges in Heaven Job pointed to his Eyes Job 19.26 27. Tho after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold and not another We shall see that Person that redeemed us and that Nature wherein he suffered so much for us God intendeth good to the Body he hath intrusted it with the Soul and the Soul with so much Grace that he will not lose the outward Cask and Vessel There is a Glory to entertain our Eyes in Heaven not only the Beautiful Mansion and the Glorious Inhabitants but the Face of the Lamb. We shall be always looking on that Book 2. There is Mental Vision or Contemplation The Angels that are not Corporeal are said always to behold the Face of our Heavenly Father Mat. 18.10 Angels have no Eyes yet they see God When we are said to see God it is not meant of the bodily Eye a Spirit cannot be seen with bodily Eyes And therefore God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Invisible God Col. 1.15 And seeing Face to Face is opposed to knowing in part 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see through a Glass darkly then Face to Face now we know but in part then we shall know Men as also we are known The Mind is the noblest Faculty and therefore it must be satisfied in Heaven or else we cannot be happy it is the Mind maketh the Man it is our preferment above the Beasts that God hath given us a Mind to know him Man is a rational Creature and there is as great an Inclination to Knowledg in the Soul as in Beasts to Carnal Pleasures Drunkards may talk of their Pleasures and the gratifications of Sense but the Pleasure and Delight of the Soul is Knowledg And besides this general Capacity there is a particular Inclination in Believers by Grace and therefore that we may be compleatly happy the Mind must be satisfied with the sight of God III. Why our Happiness lieth in beholding Christ. First It is the Cause of all our Fruition and Enjoiment in Heaven Secondly All Fruition and Enjoiment is resolved into it again First It is the Cause of all our Fruition in Heaven Ocular Vision maketh way for Mental and Mental Vision for Compleat Holiness or Conformity to God and Conformity for Love and Love for Delight and Delight for Fruition 1. Ocular Vision maketh way for Mental We go to Heaven to study Divinity in the Lamb's Face Rev. 22.4 They shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Foreheads There is an Assembly sitting round about the Throne and the Lamb is in the midst of them and there by looking upon his Face they learn more of God We need no other Books than beholding his Glory We converse with Christ that we may know more of God Thus we come to Knowledg without labour and difficulty Christ in his Glory and Eminency is Bible enough 2. Mental Vision maketh way for Likeness and Conformity to God Knowledg in this Life changeth us Col. 3.10 And have put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledg after the Image of him that created him Much more are we sanctified and made holy by the Light of Glory The sight that we have of Christ in the Gospel transformeth us 2 Cor. 3.18 For we all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. By looking upon Christ through the Light of the Spirit we are made like him But now in Glory when we see him Face to Face we are more like him 1 John 3.2 We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Moses by conversing with God his Face shone As a Glass held up against the Sun the Image and Brightness of the Sun is reflected upon it So the more we behold Christ the more we do bear the Image of the Heavenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil he dieth his own Spirit with a Tincture of Glory 3. This Light and Conformity maketh way for Love that is Knowledg increaseth Love as Light is so is Love our Affection is still according to the rate of our Knowledg In this World Love is but weak because Light is imperfect we love little because we know little John 4.10 If thou knewest the Gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked and he would have given to thee Living Water And Conformity is a ground of Love it is the highest pitch of Love to love God out of the Communion of the same Nature The lowest Love is to love him out of Interest as the highest Love is to love him out of a Principle of Holiness not because he is good and bountiful but because he is Holy Whilst Holiness is weak Love is imperfect We wander and estrange our selves from him and go a whoring from him for there is some suitableness between us and the Creature as long as Flesh remaineth but when we are perfectly Holy there is no suitableness between us and any thing but God and the Saints and Angels which partake with us of his Image And we love the Creatures for the need we have of them as well as the suitableness of them to us but when we are likened to God in Holiness and in Happiness we are above these Wants we are above all Baits and Snares so that our Love is entirely carried out to God 4. Love maketh way for Delight Can a Man cleave to God and not rejoice in him Rejoicing in God is not only a Duty but a Reward Isa. 58.14 Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord. The Saints love God and delight in him in his Essence and Being as much as in their own Glory This maketh Heaven comfortable it would be a torment to a carnal Heart to be always thinking of God and employed in Acts of Love and Service to God but the Saints delight in him they delight in his Presence and in their own Happiness because God is glorified in it There is an inconceivable delight in seeing knowing and being beloved of God 5. Delight maketh way for Fruition for the more we delight in God the more doth God delight in us and giveth us the actual Fruition of himself for our Blessedness so that we
While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is your Heart set upon and what do you make your Scope and Aim A Child of God prayeth professeth in order to Eternity A Man shall know his general Scope by what satisfieth him Are you contented with the World to have your Names written in Earth to have your whole Portion in this Life for other things you will give Goda Discharge Luther would not give God an Acquittance Valde protestatus summe nolle sic à Deo satiati Grace must have Eternity for it would fain answer God's Love it would live for ever for ever to praise God and serve God All the World will not satisfy it without this eternal enjoiment of God 2. Have you an Eternal Principle Is there a Life begun that cannot be quenched Is the Immortal Seed conveyed into your Hearts 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Then certainly thou art loved from Eternity for thou hast a Pledg of it First or last there is a Work wrought in their Souls that can never be undone and disannulled something that is of an Everlasting Nature And therefore what Seeds of Eternity hath God planted in your Hearts Common Graces and Moral Vertues these are of no long continuance the Soul must have an abiding Work an immortal Work 3. You may know it by this you will be much in Trial whether this be wrought in you or no whether there be such an Eternal Principle conveyed into your Hearts Morality is puffed up never suspects it self and common Grace puts us into good Moods now and then gives some tasts and flashes Heb. 6.4 5. They were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Power of the World to come Morality doth not labour to see that all is sure and safe and Common Grace only gives us some Taste and Flashes But a Child of God is looking after the Unction that will abide the Seed that remaineth and is careful to see that there is Grace and to be increasing in Grace and is always examining whether it be real SERMON XLIII JOHN XVII 25 O Righteous Father the World hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou hast sent me OUR Lord had laid down the Object of his Prayers and the Matter of them and now he comes to the Reasons tho in such affectionate Addresses to God we should not be anxious in stating the Method Some conceive this a Doxology as Mat. 11.25 26. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight He had fully discharged his Office as a Prophet and therefore giveth Thanks But I rather look upon it as a part of Supplication He had made his Will and Testament and now alledgeth the Equity of it Here First A Compellation O Righteous Father Secondly The Qualification of the Disciples for that Glory which he sought for them Saving Knowledg Which is illustrated I. By its Opposite the affected and obstinate Ignorance of the World The World hath not known thee II. By its Efficient and Exemplary Cause but I have known thee First A Compellation Righteous Father In which there is an Argument secretly couched For always Titles of God are suited to the Matter in Hand It is brought to shew the Reason why the World is excluded the participation of Heavenly Glory and the Equity in bestowing it upon the Elect. He had before called him Holy Father now Righteous Father God is Just and Righteous two manner of ways in a Legal and in an Evangelical Sense In a Legal Sense his Justice is rewarding Men according to the Merit of their Actions Thus he dealeth with the Reprobate lost World In the Evangelical Sense God's Righteousness doth not regard the Merit of their Actions but the State of the Person and judgeth them rather according to what they have received than what they have done And so God dealeth with the Elect and Reprobate the one are rewarded according to their Works the other according to their State evidenced by their Works to both God is just So that I might 1. Observe That in the Condemnation of the World God is just tho they remain in blindness 1. Because God hath done enough God is aforehand with them they have more Means than they use well The Gentile World had Light enough from the Creatures to convince them of the True God Rom. 1.19 20. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead so that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse Yet they would not acknowledg the True God The Jewish World had Miracles enough to convince them of the true Messiah Joh. 15.24 If I had not done among them the Works that no other Man did they had not had Sin but now they have both seen and hated me and my Father The Carnal World within the Pale of the Church have had means enough to be better and tho it be blind in the things of God yet the Lord is clear Isa. 5.4 What could I have done more for my Vineyard than I have done in point of External Administration The Lord loveth to be clear when he judgeth Psal. 51.4 compared with Rom. 3.26 In all Debates he loveth the Victory Isa. 65.2 I have spread out my Hands all the day unto a rebellious People which walketh in a way which was not good after their own Thoughts None goeth to Hell for want of warning Mat. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings but ye would not 2. They have not done their part They dally with Means scorn Wisdom their Weakness is wilful and their Blindness affected The Things of God must be spiritually discerned but they are folly to them 1 Cor. 2.14 For the natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned There is not only an Impotency but a Scorn there is a positive Enmity as well as an Incapacity John 3.19 This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men loved Darkness rather than Light because
How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard We must know what Christ is before we can trust him with our Souls Would a Woman accept of a Man when she knows not what he is nor from whence he came Can the Soul rest it self with Christ and venture its Salvation upon him till it knows what he is 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day Faith is an advâ—sed Act it is a Child of Light Presumption is but a blind Adventure an Act that is done hand over-head without Advice and Care but Faith certainly presupposeth Knowledg The blind Man speaks Reason in this when Christ asked him Dost thou believe on the Son of God John 9.35 He answered Vers. 36. Who is he Lord that I may believe on him And then for Love No Knowledg no Love an unknown Object never affects us Love proceeds from Sight those that have a sight of the Excellencies of God by the Light of the Spirit accompanying the Word they love the Lord. And then where there is no Love there is no Knowledg 1 John 4.8 He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love And then for Worship and Obedience that is also the Fruit of Knowledg that Worship which is performed to the unknown God is never right As those Fruits that grow out of the Sun are crabbed and sowr so all such Acts of Worship as proceed not from Light and Knowledg are not right and genuine There cannot be a greater Preservative from Sin than Knowledg 3 Epist. John 11. He that doth Evil hath not seen God Certainly he that makes a trade and course of Sin was never acquainted with God 1 John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him And there can be no enjoiment of God without Knowledg neither in a way of Grace nor in a way of Comfort Not in a way of Grace there can be no Grace without Knowledg if we be renewed and changed it is by Knowledg Col. 3.10 And have put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledg after the Image of him that created him If we be strengthned in Affliction and enabled for the Duties of every Condition it is by Knowledg Phil. 4.12 I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need All Communications of Grace are conveyed by Light Nor can there be any enjoiment of God in a way of Comfort without Light and Knowledg Fears are in the dark till we have a distinct Knowledg of the Nature and Tenor of the Covenant we are full of Fears and Doubts which vanish as a Mist before the Sun when Knowledg is wrought 2. Proposition There is no Knowledg of the True God without the Knowledg of Christ as Mediator For two Reasons 1. Because God will accept no Honour from the Creature but in and through Jesus Christ. John 5.23 That all Men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that hath sent him God hath revealed himself in Christ and you make God an Idol if you think of him otherwise 2. Because God out of Christ is not comfortable but terrible The fallen Creature cannot converse with God without a Mediator As Waters which are salt in the Sea strained through the Earth are sweet in Rivers So are the Attributes of God in and through Christ sweet and comfortable to the Soul for we cannot draw nigh to God without a Screen Vse To press us to get Knowledg The more Knowledg the more a Man the more Ignorant the more Brutish Psal. 49.20 Man that is in Honour and void of Vnderstanding is like the Beasts that perish And again as Knowledg doth distinguish you from Beasts so the Knowledg of God doth distinguish you from other Men to know God is your excellency above other Men. Jer. 9.23 24. Let not the wise Man glory in his Wisdom neither let the mighty Man glory in his Might let not the rich Man glory in his Riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord c. As if he had said If you will needs glory it is not who is most Wealthy nor most Mighty nor most Wise but who hath the greatest Knowledg of God in Christ. Above all know God in Christ that is most comfortable Horribile est de Deo extra Christum cogitare It is an horrible thing to think of God out of Christ. God in Christ is the greatest Mercy the World was ever acquainted with this is a Speculation fit for Angels 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into Eph. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in Heavenly Places might be known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God And therefore much more should it be the study of Saints But do not rest in a naked Contemplation there is a Form of Knowledg Rom. 2.20 as well as a Form of Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 which is nothing else but an Artificial Speculation a naked Model of Truth in the Brain which aâ— the Winter-Sun shines but warms not But what is true Knowledg How shall we discover it I Answer 1. It must be a serious prudent Knowledg c. See on Ver. 8. I now come to speak to the Illustration of this Qualification of Saving-Knowledg It is illustrated I. By its Opposite the affected and obstinate Ignorance of the World The World hath not known thee II. By its efficient and exemplary Cause But I have known thee I. The first Illustration is from the Opposite Ignorance and Obstinacy of the World The World hath not known thee Why is this alledged I Answer Partly to shew the Reason why they should be otherwise dealt withal than the blind World As if he had said By thy righteous and wise Constitution thou hast appointed different Recompences to Men of different States but now They have known thee but the World hath not known thee Partly in commend their acknowledgment of Christ the World neither knowing nor believing yea rather hating and persecuting thee In the Original there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho so that neither hindred by Fears nor Snares the Rulers and great Men were against the acknowledging of Christ the Multitude blind and obstinate yet the Disciples knew him and owned him as the Messiah or one sent of God 1. Observe That it is exceeding praise-worthy to own Christ when others disown him and reject him to own him in the midst of the World's blindness and madness against 〈◊〉 Now he is publickly received among the Nations it is no great matter to own his now as those
What they know not naturally as brute Beasts in those things they corrupt themselves Suppose they use the Spectacles of Art to help the Native Light of Reason with Industry yet their Eyes are blind How erroneous in Religion were the Civil Nations Rom. 1.22 Professing themselves to be wise they became Fools very foolish in Matters of Worship The Romans placed Fear Humane Passions and every paltry thing among their Gods The ruder and more brutish Nations worshipped only the Sun and Thunder things great and wonderful And still now we see great Scholars given over to fond Superstitions Nay go higher suppose besides the Spectacles of Art Nature be furnished with the Glass of the Word yet we see great Scholars very defective in the most useful and practical Points Nicodemus a Teacher in Israel knew not Regeneration John 3.10 Usually they delight rather in Moral Strains than Mysteries of Faith and err in one Point or another usually the Controversies of their Age they are blinded by Pride or Interest are loth to stoop to Truth revealed and so are outstarted by the Vulgar Surgunt indocti rapiunt Coelam c. they dispute away Heaven while others surprize it Nay suppose they had an exact Model and Proportion of Faith and do pry into all the Secrets of Religion as it is possible to do with the common Light and Help of the Spirit which is as far as a Reprobate can go yet all this is without any change of Affection without any savour or relish of Truth This Speculative and Artificial Knowledg doth not change the Heart But here is an Objection Many Carnal Men have great Parts and profess the Knowledg of the True God I Answer 1. The greatest part of the World lieth in Ignorance they are born in Darkness live in Darkness love Darkness more than Light and are under the Powers of Darkness Ephes. 6.12 The Rulers of the Darkness of this World The Devil hath a large Territory over all the blind Nations 2. Carnal Men that own the True God and profess him yet in a Scripture-sense they do not know him For Knowledg not being affective it is reputed Ignorance John 8.54 55. Of whom ye say that he is your God Yet ye have not known him but I know him and if I should say I know him not I shall be a Liar like unto you but I know him and keep his Saying It is a Lie to pretend to Knowledg without Obedience 1 John 2.4 5. And hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him For all their great Parts they are but Spiritual Fools they have no true Wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So are all Carnal Men Titus 3.3 We our selves also were sometimes foolish out of our Wits They do not understand things Spiritual and such as tend to maintain Communion with God they love and do those things with delight that are against all Reason hurtful to Body and Soul Natural Men are sometimes represented as Fools that judg amiss sometimes as Infants that know nothing Isa. 28.9 Whom shall he teach Knowledg and whom shall he make to understand Doctrine they that are weaned from the Milk and drawn from the Breast Sometimes as Beasts that are uncapable of Understanding Psal. 32.9 Be ye not as the Horse or as the Mule that hath no Vnderstanding Fools they are in their choice that prefer a Nut or an Apple before a Jewel they spend all their time in looking after Riches and Honours and such kind of things as do not conduce to Eternity for Carnal Pleasures forfeit their Souls and yet think themselves very wise In their Course they make War with Heaven and enter into the Lists with God as if they were stronger than he In their presumption they give out themselves for the Sons of God when they are the Devil's Children as if a Man born of a Beggar should pretend to be the Son of a King Fools and Mad-men challenge all Lands as theirs so do they all Promises and Comforts Within a little while experience will shew them to be Fools their Eyes are never opened to see their Folly till it be too late Luke 12.20 Thou Fool this Night thy Soul shall be required of thee Jer. 17.11 As a Partridg sitteth on Eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth Riches and not by Right shall leave them in the midst of his Days and at his End shall be a Fool. There is no Fool to the Carnal Fool Godly Men are only wise that are wise to save their Souls Vse It informeth us 1. Of our Misery by Nature For as the Reprobate lost World are so are we all by Nature we have no Knowledg of the True God Job 11.12 Vain Man would be wise tho Man be born like a wild Asses Colt We are apt to think our selves Angels but we are Beasts Every one affects the repute of Wisdom we would rather be accounted Wicked than Weak If a Man were born with an Asses Head or were monstrous and mishapen in his Body this were sad It is worse to be born with the Heart of an Ass to be born like a Wild-Asses Colt with such gross and rude Conceits of God and Holy Things This is our Estate by Nature 2. The Danger of Ignorance it is the state of the Reprobate World It is good to think of it partly that we may avoid it our selves and strive for Knowledg partly that we may be thankful if we have obtained Knowledg and partly that we might pity others as Christ wept over Jerusalem Luke 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the things which belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes It is one of God's sorest Judgments when the Lord hath left threatning other things then he threatens a blind Heart and a vain Mind The great reproach that Nahash would lay upon Israel was to put out their right Eyes The great Design of the God of this World upon the Men of this World is to put out their Eyes that they might not come to the Knowledg of the Truth 3. Positive Ignorance is a sign that we are of the World I mean where we have Means and Opportunities to the contrary and do not come to the Knowledg of God and of his Ways 1 John 2.13 I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father God hath no Child so little but he knows his Father The blind World knows him not when there is Night in the Understanding or Frost in the Heart it is a sign of a Worlding when Men are ignorant unteachable and do not grow in Knowledg God's Children many times may be ignorant and do not profit according to their Advantages John 14.9 Have I been so long
with thee and yet hast thou not known me Philip that is not known so distinctly God the Father and me as coming out from him But God's Children are not altogether unteachable 4. We have no reason to trust the Judgment of Carnal Men in matters of Godliness for they do not know God Can blind Men judg of Colours I urge it that you may not be discouraged tho the World scoff at Holiness who would take notice of the Judgment of Fools 5. That Ignorance is not only the Badg of silly weak Persons but of great Men and those that are carnally Wise. Mat. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Whatever parts they have they have no saving-Knowledg of God The Godly Man is the only knowing and wise Man all others they are but Fools however they swell with an opinion of Knowledg and count it a reproach to be so called II. The second Illustration is by the Efficient and Exemplary Cause of our Knowledg but I have known thee c. All along our Likeness to Christ and Unlikeness to the World is asserted Observe That Christ's Knowledg is the Pattern and Cause of ours We have all things at the second hand I have known and they have known All the Candles are lighted at this Torch Or to use a comparison more Celestial all the Stars receive their Light from the Sun Therefore he is called The Father of Lights James 1.17 and the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 Christ giveth us Knowledg two ways by his Word and by his Spirit Now none is fit to establish a Word none to pour out the Spirit but Christ. 1. None can give us a sufficient Revelation of the Father but Christ that came out of his Bosom that knew all his Counsels John 1.18 No Man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the Bosom of the Father he hath declared him Our Knowledg is by the Senses by Sight and Hear-say Now no Man hath seen God but Christ that was God-Man who came out of his Bosom So Mat. 11.27 No Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any Man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him To know him perfectly and comprehensively so neither Men nor Angels know him To know him originally so as to establish a Revelation with Authority and so as fit to offer the Light and Knowledg of him to the Creature so none but Christ knows him our Faith is built on God Humane Authority begets but an Humane Faith and Credulity It was necessary that in the Bedroll of Gospel-Preachers the Son of God should have the first place that in the latter Times he should preach to us by his Son that the ultimate Resolution of Faith might be into Divine Authority John 7.29 But I know him for I am from him and he hath sent me And chap. 10.15 As the Father knoweth me even so know I the Father It is for our Confidence that the full discovery of this Doctrine was reserved for the Son of God 2. None else can give us a capacity to learn Jesus Christ is such a Teacher that he doth not only give the Lesson but the Wit and Skill to learn 1 John 5.20 We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an Vnderstanding that we may know him that is true No matter what the Scholar is when we have such a Master We use to inquire whether any one hath a Capacity to learn He openeth the Scriptures and openeth the Understanding to learn Luke 24.27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself And Vers. 45. Then opened he their Vnderstandings that they might understand the Scriptures There is a double Vail upon the Doctrine and upon the Heart Christ removeth both Vse 1. If that the true Knowledg of God is only to be had from Christ it directeth us in the use of all Ordinances to look up to him there must our Trust be fixed in Reading Hearing Meditating We must use Helps and Means else we tempt God but our Trust must be elsewhere In Reading Psal. 119.18 Open thou mine Eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law There are wonders in the Law but our Eyes must be opened to see them otherwise we shall have but a superficial and literal Knowledg when Men think to find more in Books than in Christ. So in Hearing Cathedram habet in Coelis Isa. 2.3 Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his Ways You come to the Word to be taught by Man and yet not to be taught by Man in Obedience you use the Means but your Confidence is on Christ that you may hear his Voice to the Soul that he that brought the Gospel out of the Bosom of God may bring it into your Hearts The Dial is of no use without the Sun except the Sun shine you cannot see what is a Clock by the Dial. So in Meditation and Study Christ is Wonderful Counsellor Isa. 9.6 Prov. 8.14 Counsel is mine and sound Wisdom I am Vnderstanding I have strength How are Men befooled that go forth in the confidence of their own Wit Flesh and Blood are apt to stumble in God's plainest Ways Carnal Hearts turn all to a Carnal Purpoâ—e Prov. 26.9 As a Thorn goeth up into the Hand of a Drunkard so is a Parable in the Mouth of Fools The same Cloud that was Light to the Israelites was Darkness to the Egyptians Luther calleth the Promises bloody Promises through our perverse Applications Truth is only renewing as taught by Christ. Ephes. 4.21 If so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the Truth is in Jesus We cannot tell how to master Corruptions without this the Light of common Conviction is like a March-Sun that draweth up Aguish Vapors it discovereth Sins but cannot quell them We should be apt to forsake Truth upon every Temptation unless it were for Christ's teaching Psal. 119.102 I have not departed from thy Judgments for thou hast taught me 1 John 2.20 Ye have an Vnction from the Holy One and ye know all things When Men lead us into Truth others may lead us out again Those that have made trial can best judg of the difference between being taught of God and Men. 1 Cor. 2.4 My Speech and my Preaching was not with inticing words of Man's Wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power When the Arrow cometh out of God's Quiver it sticketh in our sides Then we see Truths with Application Vse 2. It teacheth us how to direct our Prayers to Christ. Seek to him with Confidence and with all earnestness of Affection 1. With Confidence we despair many
times because of our blockishness Col. 2.3 In him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg Hidden not that they should not be found out but because they are seen by the Eye of Faith Hidden because deposited there to be dispensed to us God made Christ a Storehouse to furnish all our Necessities 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Wisdom to give us Spiritual Illumination Be not discouraged it is not the Pregnancy of the Scholar that prevaileth here but the Excellency of the Teacher If Christ be the Teacher no matter how dull the Scholar be Pride in Parts hath been in hinderance but Simpleness hath never been an hinderance Psal. 19.7 The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the Simple Jer. 31.33 34. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People And they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. Mat. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes God can give to shallow and weak People great understanding in Spiritual Things as he cured him that was born blind John 9. 2. With Earnestness cry for Knowledg and lift up thy Voice for Vnderstanding Prov. 2.3 Many times God withholdeth Knowledg that we may cry for it especially when the Case is doubtful and litigious John wept when the Book was sealed with seven Seals Rev. 5.4 We need to cry for all Grace but especially for Saving-Knowledg Let us groan and sigh when we are in the Dark 1. Consider the Necessity of Knowledg The blind Man cried after Christ because he knew what it was to want Eyes Luke 18.41 Lord that I may receive my Sight We are not sensible of our natural blindness as we ought to be There is Ignorance and Folly in all but Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg in Christ. If we are not ignorant yet we are indiscreet Men know not how to guide and order their Course Certainly if you were acquainted with your selves you would not hold your peace 2. Consider the Excellency of Knowledg All Knowledg is Excellent as all Light is Comfortable Knowledg is your Excellency above the Beasts that you have Receptive Faculties capable of knowing and understanding Things that you are intelligent Creatures this is your advantage above the Beasts But Saving-Knowledg is far more excellent even the Knowledg of God in Christ. This is the Glory of a Man Jer. 29.23 24. Let not the wise Man glory in his Wisdom neither let the mighty Man glory in his Might let not the rich Man glory in his Riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord c. If Men should be able to dispute of every thing that might be known from the highest Star to the lowest Shrub this Knowledg is nothing to the Knowledg of God in Christ which is far better than all the Knowledg of the Questionists and Disputers of this World The Fear of God that is the best Excellency and that is it which Christ teacheth I observe the Providence of God in that one thing viz. Solomon had wrote many Books of Philosophy which are not extant when the Books of some Heathens as Aristotle's Book de Animalibus c. are extant but his Books of the Fear of God are preserved by a special Providence not one of them lost we may want the other without any loss of true Wisdom but we cannot want these And therefore you are more concerned in the getting of Saving-Knowledg than you are aware of Light was the first Creature that God made so it is the way by which all Grace is wrought in the Soul for in all Communications of Grace God beginneth with the Understanding Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh He makes the Creature to submit to his Providence to be contented in all Estates and Conditions Phil. 4.12 In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need God draws you to Christ but his drawing is accompanied with a Teaching John 6.44 No Man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Ver. 45. And they shall be all taught of God Every Man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me God's drawing is not a blind Force but there is a teaching with it God loves rational Service not blind Obedience And therefore cry for Knowledg and run to Christ that he may teach you and lead you into the Paths of Righteousness SERMON XLIV JOHN XVII 26 And I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them THIS is the second Reason taken from the Benefits Christ had bestowed upon them Here is his Gift and his Aim In the first what he had done what he will do Where 1. Quid the Manifestation of his Father's Name 2. Quibus to whom principally to the Apostles and from them to Believers 3. Quomodo I have that is by his Ministry upon Earth and I will in the pouring out the Spirit and his Discourses with them after the Resurrection All that needeth Explication is What is meant by God's Name Answ. The use of Names from the beginning was a distinction to separate Creature from Creature by their Appellations At first Adam gave Names to the Beasts that their Species and Kinds might be distinguished for Beasts are distinguished only by their Herds and Kinds But the Names which Men bear are individual and particular Man being an excellent Creature made for Rule and Commerce and therefore is to be known not by his Kind but Name But now what is God's Name Where there are many there is need of Names but where there is but one the singularity is distinction enough But yet God hath his Name by way of distinction from Creatures so we have a Negative Name removing the Imperfections of the Creature and to distinguish him from those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods that are so called and his Name is a Jealous God Exod. 34.14 For thou shalt worship no other God for the Lord whose Name is Jealous is a Jealous God And by way of Notification that we may conceive of him aright as Names are not only distinctive but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Damascen So all that by which he is known or distinguished that is his Name and so God hath many Names because one cannot enough express him his Works are a part of his Name but chiefly his Word the Doctrine
have some kind of remorse and trouble but they cannot help or free themselves 2. Observe that the Gospel looketh forward to the time to come It respecteth not what Believers have been before Conversion and turning to God but thenceforward they must forsake their sinful lusts and turn to God So 1 Pet. 4.2 That he no more should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God Time is short work is great since it is not enough for a Christian to cut off one member but the whole body of sin must be destroyed and they have been too long dishonouring God and destroying their own Souls and cherishing divers lusts in themselves Therefore now they should more earnestly set about the mortifying of sin Now as this is an encouragement to those that have long been serving their base lusts and vile affections and been eminent in wickedness so it is an ingagement to them to double their diligence for the future to serve God by virtue of their deliverance by Christ Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Luke 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life If the Gospel doth not look backward surely it looketh forward it obligeth us to be more assiduous and serious in the study of Holiness after Conversion that if it be possible they may restore the Lord to his honour reclaim those whom they have hardened in sin and get their own hearts more loosened from it since custom hath deeply rooted it in them 3. Observe the Apostle saith That we should not serve sin It is one thing to sin another thing to serve sin Though sin doth remain in the godly it doth not reign in them to serve sin is to yield willing obedience to it This may be done two ways First When men slavishly lye down in any habit and course of sin There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a way of sinning as David Psal. 139.24 See if there be any way of wickedness in me David would not be corrupt in any of his ways And again Psal. 119.29 Remove from me the way of lying Some are given to one sin some to another some covetous others sensual some proud others brutish there is some iniquity they regard in their hearts and make much of and indulge in themselves and so grow slaves to that imperious lust Now whatever good properties we have otherwise we must take heed of any one perverse habit or evil frame of spirit lest it hamper us and make fools of us and make us liable to be caught again after some shew of escape A beast escaped with an halter is easily caught again so this lust indulged will bring us into our old bondage Secondly When we willingly indulge any presumptuous acts For Joh. 8.34 He that committeth sin is the servant of sin If we allow our selves to commit any one gross sin we serve it Other sins steal into the Soul by degrees but these at once therefore we must take heed that we run not wilfully into these inordinacies and yet hope to escape the danger Secondly How all this must be improved by us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing this The word signifies 1. Knowledge 2. Consideration 3. Assent 1. Knowledge understand this This is of use here for ignorance of Christ and his Gospel is a great cause of sin whereas a sound knowledge produceth mortification Ignorance causeth men to become brutish 1 Pet. 1.14 Not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance 1 Cor. 15.34 Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame On the other side knowledge is an help to mortification provided it be found and such a knowledge both for matter and manner as it ought to be For matter that it be a thorough knowledge Eph. 4.20 21 22. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts If men were thorougly instructed in the Christian Doctrine they could not so easily sin against God but a partial knowledge incourages our boldness in sinning For manner it must be lively 2 Pet. 2.20 If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Joh. 8.32 And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make ye free Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote on my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth It is but a form of knowledge not the lively light of the Spirit which doth not break the power of our lusts 2. It may import Consideration and so knowing this is seriously considering this Many Truths lye by neglected unimproved for want of consideration and that is the cause of mens sins they consider not Gods benefits Isa. 1.3 The ox knows his owner and the ass his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider nor his Judgments Job 34.27 They turned back from him and would not consider his ways that is made the reason of their sin they consider not his ways that is the ways of his Providence towards them and others If men did consider and ponder with themselves how hateful sin is to God with what severity he will punish it what obligations they have to the contrary it would much check the fervour of their lusts and they could not go on so quietly in a course of disobedience against God but they do not seriously consider what they are a doing Above all the Death of Christ should be considered by us as 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot If men would know that is ponder these things in their hearts and discourse with themselves Why was so great a price given for our Reconciliation but that sin might be destroyed and the great Make-bate between God and us removed out of the way 3. Knowing is often put for Assent For Faith is not a Doubting but a certain Knowledge And this enliveneth every Truth If you do believe that Christ came to take away every sin you have no reason to cherish it The Word worketh not till it be believed Heb. 4.2 To us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it But then it worketh
communicate it to his Members he is not weak when we are weak but able to do above what we can ask or think 3. As concerning the Life of Glory we have it by Christ also 1 Joh. 5.11 This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son The door which is shut against us by our sins is opened by Christ. Let us follow his Precepts and Example and depend upon his Grace and you cannot miscarry Christ hath brought Life and Immortality to light assured us of an endless Happiness after Death Heathens had but a doubtful conjecture of another Life we have an undoubted assurance and that is some great stay to us 4. Concerning the troubles and afflictions that we meet withal As to the troubles of the Church of God he is alive and upon the Throne he can never cease to live and reign Psal. 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool The enemies of his Kingdom must bend or break first or last 5. Against Death Christ hath broken the power of it as it hath no dominion over him so it cannot totally seize upon his Members in their better part they still live to God assoon as they dye and as to their Bodies The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousness Rom. 8.10.15 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand the last day upon the earth c. But what is this to us As it hath no dominion over him so not over us the power is broken the sting is gone If our flesh must rot in the grave our Nature is in Heaven Christ once dyed and then rose again from the dead Now this doth mightily secure and support us against the power and fears of death that we have a Saviour in possession of Glory to whom we may commend our departing Souls at the time of death and who will receive them to himself one that hath himself been upon Earth in flesh then dyed and rose again and is now in possession of endless Blessedness He is Lord of that World we are going into All Creatures there do him Homage and we e're long are to be adjoyned to that dutiful happy Assembly and partake in the same work and felicity SERMON IX ROM VI. 11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. THE Protasis or Foundation of the Similitude was laid down vers 9 10. the Apodosis or Application of it to the case in hand in this Verse The Foundation is Christs Example and Pattern dying and rising now after this double Example of Christs Death and Resurrection we must account our selves obliged both to dye unto sin and rise again to newness of life Likewise reckon ye also your selves c. In which words 1. Our Duty which is Conformity or Likeness to Christ dying and living 2. Grace to perform this Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through or in Jesus Christ by virtue of our Union with him we are both to resemble his Death and Resurrection 3. The means of inforcing this Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reckon Vulgar existimate Erasmus out of Tertullian reputate consider with your selves Others colligite statuite Doctrine That all who are baptized and profess Faith in Christ dying and rising from the dead are under a strong obligation of dying to sin and living to God through the Grace of the Redeemer Here I. I shall consider the Nature of the Duties of being dead to Sin and alive to God II. The Correspondency how they do answer the two States of Christ as Christ dyeth to sin for the Expiation of it and after Death reviveth and liveth to God so we III. The Order first Death then the Resurrection from the dead so first dying to sin then being alive to God IV. The certain Connexion of these things if we dye we shall live and we cannot live to God unless we be dead to sin neither can we dye to sin unless we live to God V. In the two Branches the Apostle opposeth God to Sin I. The Nature of the Work It consists of two Branches dying to Sin and living to God Mortification and Vivification 1. Mortification is the purifying â—â—d cleansing of the Soul or the freeing it from the slavery of the flesh which detaineth it from God and disableth it for all the duties of the holy and heavenly life The reign of sin was the punishment of the first Transgression and is taken away by the gift of the Spirit upon account of the Merit of Christ however it is our work to see that sin dye it dyeth as our love to it dyeth and our love to sin is not for its own sake but because of some pleasure contentment and satisfaction that we hope to find in it for no man would commit sin or transgress meerly for his minds sake meer evil apprehended as evil cannot be the object of our choice Now then our love to sin dyeth when our esteem of the advantages of the carnal life is abated when we have no other value of the pleasures honours and profits of the world than is fully consistent with our duty to God and may further us in it Therefore we are dead to fin when we endeavour more to please God than to please the flesh and mind more our eternal than our temporal interests Rom. 8.5 They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit What we mind and value most sheweth the Reign of either Principle the Flesh or the Spirit 2. Vivification or living to God is the changing of the Heart by Grace and the acting of those Graces we have received by the Spirit of Regeneration All that have received the gift of the spiritual Life are bound to exercise it and put it in act by loving serving and obeying God 2 Pet. 1.3 4 5. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust And besides this giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. They that have received Grace are not to fit down idle and satisfied but to be more active and diligent in the exercise of Grace and whatever remaineth of their lives must be devoted to
God To live to God implieth two things First To fulfil his Commands with a ready mind and so they are said to live to God who shew themselves ready to obey him in all things Psal. 112.1 Blessed is the man that feareth God that delighted greatly in his commandments not who is greedy to catch all opportunities of pleasure and profit and worldly preferment in the world and careth not how he cometh by them but is most observant of Gods will and careful to follow it he that delighteth to know believe and obey Gods Word Secondly To glorifie his Name for as we receive power from the Spirit of Christ to live as in the sight of God so also to the glory of God Sin till it be killed and mortified in us as it disposeth us to a wrong way so to a perverse end to seek happiness in the satisfaction of our lusts but grace wrought by God inclineth us to God Phil. 1.11 Filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus to the praise and glory of God As they do good so to a good end not for any bye-respect but to please and honour God II. The Correspendency it is such a dying and living as doth answer Christs dying and living We must so dye and forsake sin as that we need not to dye any more we may never return to our sins again so as that they may have any dominion over us and that is done when sin hath its deaths wound given it by a sincere Conversion to God then we put off the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2.11 though the final death be not by and by yet as a man is said to be killed when he hath received his deaths wound so he that never reverts to his old slavery is said indeed to be dead unto sin On the other side for our new Christian life we are to take care that it may be eternal carried on in such an uninterrupted course of Holiness as may at length end in everlasting Life When we are first converted we see that man was made for other things than he hath hitherto minded therefore we resolve to seek after them and so must persevere in living to God till we come to live with him God or none Heaven or nothing must serve our turn Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth I desire besides thee nothing else will satisfie and content the Soul When we live from an everlasting Principle to an everlasting end then we live to God as Christ did III. The Order is to be regarded also We first dye to sin and then live to God for till we dye to sin we are disabled from the duties and uncapable of the comforts of the new Life 1. We are disabled from the Duties of it foâ—â—â—â—hout Mortification the Duties will be unpleasant and unacceptable to you as being against your carnal inclination and design Rom. 8.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be We may affect the repute of Religion but cannot endure the work of Religion And besides sin allowed and indulged begets a trouble in the Conscience and then no wonder if we be loth seriously to exercise our selves unto godliness for when the bone is out of joynt and the wound unhealed a man certainly hath no mind to his work The Apostle telleth us Heb. 12.13 That which is lame is soon turned out of the way but let it rather be healed A worldly carnal Byass upon the heart will make us warp and decline from our duty There can be no spiritual strength and vigour of heavenly motion whilst sin remaineth unmortified for the love of ease and worldly enjoyments will soon pervert us Well then sin must be mortified before we can live unto God On the other side grace cureth sin as fire refresheth us against the cold and health taketh away sickness so far as God is admitted Satan is shut out Eph. 4.25 Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbour and as Christ is valued worldly things are neglected and become less in our eyes Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and I do count them but dung that I may win Christ as heavenly things are prized the world is undervalued When grace hath recovered the heart to God the world that first stole it from God is despised but the first work of grace is to cast out the Usurper and then set up God darkness goeth out of the room when light comes in so doth the love of the world depart as the love of God prevaileth in the Soul 2. While sin prevaileth and reigneth in the Soul we are uncapable of the comforts of the Spirit and are full of bondage and guilty fears afraid of God that should be our joy and delight deprived of any sweet sense of his love for the Spirit of Adoption is given to those that obey him Rom. 8.13 14 15 16. If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father The Spirit it self also beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Others are tormented between their Corruptions and Convictions and can have no boldness in their access to God nor freedom in their commerce with him IV. The certain Connexion of these things this dying to sin and this living to God must be both evident in us for they are intimately conjoyned A man cannot remain in his sins and be a Christian or a Believer or accounted one that is in Christ and hath right to the Priviledges of the new Covenant these have but a name to live and are dead Rev. 3.1 Again on the other side some never break out into shameful disorders but yet love not God nor do they make it their business to obey him they never felt the power of the heavenly Mind or make conscience of living godly in Christ Jesus as the Pharisees Religion ran upon Negatives Luke 18.11 God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican These seem to be dead to sin but are alive whilst worldly things sit nearest their hearts V. The Apostle opposeth God to Sin that by the consideration of both Masters we may return to our rightful Lord. It is otherwise expressed elsewhere 1 Pet. 1.24 That we might dye unto sin and live unto righteousness but here it is die to sin and live to God And this for two reasons First That Christ came to restore us to our rightful
Graves mouth and wealth pleasure carnal rest worldly honour are no longer of use â—o us when we are to be laid in the dust One would think this should cure the mad desires of all mortal Creatures 1 Joh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God shall endure for ever When we come to die neither can the thing do us good and the very lust and desire is gone and is bitter in the remembrance of it Pray how little can all the World then do for you when you have most need of comfort the taste of these things is gone and the sting remaineth the pampered flesh must then be cast into the dust and all its pleasure will then be at an end Which will be a doleful day to those that had their good things here and all their portion in this life when that is gone which is so much valued and sought after and the true Felicity forfeited because it was undervalued and contemned how will they be ashamed of the folly of their perverse choice Therefore if we would joyfully bear or contentedly yield to the dissolution of our bodies we should now master and mortifie the desires of the flesh 4. To shew that in this state of Mortality and Frailty we may prevent the reign of sin Many will say We are frail Creatures we are not glorified Saints the desires of Nature are impetuous Ay but you may resist them and that with success The mortality of the body doth not excuse sin but aggravate it that for a little brutish pleasure that is but for a while we will forfeit eternal Joys and run the hazard of eternal Pains But can we avoid the pleasing of desires so natural Yes many that live in the flesh do not live after the flesh their Reason is not enslaved by sense but illuminated and directed by Faith to higher things The Apostle produceth himself as an instance Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me And he speaketh no more of himself than what is common to all Believers surely they may or can if they be not wanting to themselves crucifie the flesh with the affections and passions thereof yea they have if they are true Believers Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Indeed nothing seemeth harder and harsher than for men to get such a Victory over their own Flesh and to contradict motions that are so pleasing They are not stocks and stones they say How is it possible to be so dead to the interests of the animal life as not to be moved and sometimes greatly moved with these things which either gratifie or displease the flesh I answer in Christs words Mat. 19.26 With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible There is the Spirit of Christ to change our Natures and the Spirit of Christ to direct and influence our motions and Ordinances and means appointed to convey this Spirit to us as the Word which revealeth better things Sacraments which assure to us our great hopes and oblige us to live answerably there are many Providences to deaden the taste of the flesh and train us up for better things in another World and we are to be watchful serious heavenly 5. To shew that the tediousness of our Conflict and this troublesom resistance shall endure but for a little while All our business is that sin may not reign in our mortal body there will a time come when this mortal shall put on immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 and long before that our spirits must return to God that gave them Eccles. 12.7 Now the more we think of another life the stronger we are against sin the troublesom part of our duty is but while we are in the flesh or in the world and if we can but escape the corruption that is in the world through lust we shall be happy for ever Thirdly When is sin said to reign I answer in general That is said to reign which attaineth the chief power in the Soul and particularly sin is said to reign 1. Negatively when it is not opposed or but slightly opposed We must take in this part of the description because there are contrary Principles in us There is no question but fleshly lusts will solicite you but your business is to inquire whether you oppose them it may be you do for it cannot be imagined that whilst a spark of Conscience remaineth alive in us a man can apparently be tempted from his duty but his heart will give back a little but an ineffectual striving will not acquit us even the unregenerate have a remnant of natural Knowledge and Conscience which in its measure resisteth sin as Light resisteth Darkness as is seen in the Gentiles 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 unto 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 And where supernatural Revelation is added it may do more for Christians know what is evil more than Heathens do and so may escape through the knowledge of Christ the common pollutions of the world 2 Pet. 2.20 or be much troubled if they fall into them and God may give unto many some common internal Grace of the Spirit Heb. 6.4 5. which may occasion many convictions of the evil way they walk in But the business is whether there be such a Principle of resistance set up in the Soul that you walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 so that your hearts are habitually bent to God and your course of life is altered you dare not wittingly nor willingly give way to any known sin or live in the neglect of any known Duty as they do that live in any customary practice of sin or constant neglect of God or ordinarily break out into enormous offences It may be after all your care caution watchfulness resistance you may be overtaken or overcome by some violent temptation and may feel in your selves some infirmities you find you are guilty of many idle thoughts passionate words unwary practices but what is this to iniquities So those that say they relent and strive and have many wishes to be better but still continue in a carnal and ungodly life these do but sin against Conscience and never conquer the sin which they strive to resist till the opposite Principle be the ruling Principle for the main bent of your hearts and course of your lives the opposition and striving is but ineffectual If there be no sin but what you are truly desirous to
and just value for his Person Ministry Converse and Memory as they were too great to be fully exprest so they are to be wholly conceal'd and buried in silence Those acts of your Beneficence towards him wherein love is wont the sincerer it is alwaies the more to affect privacy it were a rude violence to offer at disclosing But its paths in that so long-continued Friendly commerce with him unto which your Honours were pleased to condescend could not be hid Any eye might observe the frequency of your kind visits the familiar freedom you gladly allow'd him at your House as at his own home and that when the season invited you to your pleasant Countrey-recess it was also the more pleasant to you if his Affairs could allow him there to divert and repose himself with you In the very common and piercing affliction of his Death which enter'd into the Souls of many none that were not of his nearer Relatives had a greater share than your Honours or in the bitter sorrows caused by it Your part may be hoped to be as peculiarly great in the advantages and consolations which he that bringeth light out of darkness is pleased to attend and follow it The decease of any such person besides that 't is otherwise also instructive is a further enforcing repetition and inclucation of a common but very apt and powerful Argument both for the increase of our Faith concerning another World and the diminution of our Love to this To the former purpose the Argument from this Topick cannot but be very convictive unto such whom the forelaid serious apprehension of a Deity hath prepared and made capable of it unto others to whose grosser minds that most important and so easily demonstrable thing is doubful one may despair any thing should be certain that they see not with their eyes But who that believes this World hath a Wife Holy Righteous Merciful Ruler that disposes all things in it can take notice that the best of men die from Age to Age as others do and allow himself to think no difference shall be made hereafter And that God should order the collecting of so great a Treasure in one Man not to say of general Learning and Knowledge but of true Goodness Grace Sanctity Love to himself and to men for his sake his very image and the lively resemblances of his own holy and gracious nature to be for ever buried in the dust Or who would not rather conclude as that blessed Apostle that when the World is passing away and the lusts of it he that doth the Will of God being thus tranformed into it abideth for ever 1 Iohn 2.17 And for that other purpose Who that beholds what was of so great value forsaking our World and caught up into Heaven would not less love an Earthly station and covet to be Consorted with the holy Assembly above Every such assumption ought to diminish with us the retentive Power of this World and sensibly add to the Magnelism and Attractiveness of Heaven Doth not God expresly teach and prompt us to despise a World out of which he plucks such excellent ones plainly judging it not worthy of them The general Argument to both these purposes tho it hath not more strength in it self from the death of this or that particular person when we foreknew that such must die yet hath more Emphasis and efficacy upon us as the instances are repeated especially when we have a present occasion to consider the death of some one of great value thoroughly known to us as this Worthy Person was to your Honours For it is not then a cold faint Idea we have of such a ones worth as that is which is begot by remote and more general report but have a lively remembrance of it as it appeared in numerous vivid instances and thence do with the more spirit and assurance conclude such excellencies too great to be for ever lost or be an eternal prey to Death and the Grave but therefore that he is certainly Ascended and gone into a World more suitable to him Whence also the manifold endearments which were the effects of former very intimate Conversation recur afresh with us and carry up our hearts after him thither making us wish and long to be there too But the Wisdom and Mercy of Providence seem especially to have taken care the Church of God on Earth should be some way recompenc'd for the loss of so considerable a Person out of it by those so generally acceptable and useful Works of his that survive him Your Honours Iudicious and very complacential gust and relish of any thing that was Reverend Dr. Mantons make you the more capable of the larger share and fuller satisfaction in that recompence And were it known how great a part of them hath had a second birth or Resurrection by the diligence of one depending on you that rescued them from the obscurity of a private Closet as from a grave and who tho deservedly favoured by you upon other accounts is undoubtedly much the more upon this also You would be esteemed to have the more special title to them as well as capacity of advantage by them There is however enough to make it decent and just That wheresoever these Writings shall be read your kindness to their Author should be told for a memorial of you and whatsoever your interest was or is in him and his labours it cannot be a lean wish unto you To desire your benefit may be proportionable Which is most earnestly desired for you with the addition of all other valuable Blessings by Your HONOURS Greatly obliged and very humble Servants in Christ our Lord WILLIAM BATES IOHN HOWE SERMONS UPON THE Eighth Chapter OF THE ROMANS SERMON I. ROM VIII 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit IN the former Chapter the Apostle in his own Person represents a Believer groaning under the relicks of sin or bewailing the imperfections of his sanctification now because this Conscience of in-dwelling sin may breed in us fears of Condemnation he sheweth here what remedy and relief is provided for us by Jesus Christ. There is therefore c. So that the words are an Inference from the Complaint and Gratulation expressed in the last Verse of the preceding Chapter Tho in the godly there remain some sin yet no condemnation shall be to them Observe here 1. A priviledg There is no condemnation 2. A description of the persons who have interest in it they are described 1. By their internal estate To them which are in Christ Jesus 2. By their external course of life who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 1. There is a denial of the prevailing influence of the corrupt principle They walk not after the flesh 2. Their obedience to the better principle is asserted and affirmed but after the Spirit Three points I shall touch upon 1.
then to maintain and keep a foot his interest in their souls against all the assaults of the Devil for stronger is he that is in us than he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 The World is governed by the evil spirit but they that are regenerated and enlightned by the Spirit of God have the knowledg of his Will which is more mighty to establish the Saints in truth and holiness than the spirit of Error and Persecution to draw and drive them from it So against the World 2 Cor. 2.12 We have not received the spirit of the World but the spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God He sheweth us better things and so causeth us to believe them and to live above all the glory riches and pleasures of the World For the flesh as he hath set up a contrary opposite principle against it so his constant working in the heart is to maintain it in predominancy bringing us more and more to abhor all licentiousness and sensuality and warning us of our snares and dangers that we may not make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Indeed this doth not exclude our duty we are to be led by the Spirit or else we are not what we do pretend to be We are not to grieve the Spirit or else we carry it unthankfully towards him and resist and forfeit his grace nor do we fulfil our Covenant-vow made with the Holy Ghost if we disobey his sanctifying Motions but 't is a great advantage that we have not only an opposite principle but an opposite power which is an enemy to the flesh and is still contending against it in our hearts 1. VSE is Information 1. How much this is for the glory of God that he can maintain grace in the hearts of his people that whilst they live in the flesh they do not live after the flesh Take living in the flesh in the softest sense for the natural life 't is a state of great frailty and weakness the natural life only seeketh what is good for its self Christians have the same bodies and the same affections that other men have yet they live quite after another manner the natural inclination is over-ruled while they are in the flesh they are humbled with many Wants Afflictions and Weaknesses but Gods Power is made perfect in our weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 The work made perfect is notable excellent things suffer a kind of imperfection till there be an occasion to discover them Now our many infirmities give an occasion to shew forth the perfection that is in the power of Grace which can maintain us in life and comfort notwithstanding Reproaches Pain Sufferings Were it not for the animal life there would be no place for Temptations and the exâ—rcise of Grace but all that are in the flesh have all these things accomplished in them 1 Pet. 5.19 During our worldly state we must expect hardships there goeth more grace to preserve a man in his duty than goeth to preserve the good Angels in their estate they are out of Gunshot and harms way To glorifie God upon earth is the greater difficulty John 17.4 5. I have glorified thee on earth And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory I had with thee before the world was Christ pleadeth that now for the Saints in the midst of so many afflictions to maintain their integrity and delight in God is the great glory of Grace for surely we stand not by our own strength But besides the natural life which exposeth us to these difficulties the carnal life is not wholly extinguished there is flesh in us tho we be not in the flesh Gal. 5.17 For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other Now not only to maintain the combate but to obtain Conquest and Victory is the great wonder of Grace when there are not only Temptations without but mixt principles within surely not only in this frail but this mixt estate 't is as great a wonder to maintain Grace in the soul as to maintain a spark of fire in wet Wood. The world hath usually an advantage of us in matter of principle but we have the advantage of them in matter of motive and assisting power to whom the glory of the conquest alone is to be ascribed We have indeed a principle which directeth and inclineth us to higher ends than the children of this world look after but their principles are more intire and unbroken for they are altogether flesh Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually But ours are mixed flesh and spirit They pour out their whole heart in their sinful and worldly courses Jude 11. They run greedily after the error of Balaam fot reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were poured forth as water out of an open Vessel and Luke 16.8 The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light The Reason is manifest Grace tho it be forcible 't is weak like a keen sword in the hand of a Child But we have the advantage in matter of motive the flesh cannot propound such excellent rewards as faith propoundeth eternal happiness in the vision and fruitiion of God but now general motives do little prevail against inclination and our great motives lie in an unseen world therefore our best security lieth in the assisting power which is the mighty Spirit of God dwelling in us who cherisheth and strengthneth the new creature not only to keep up the combat but to get a victory and to overcome the carnal inclination more and more Therefore thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord Not only over external temptations but our indwelling flesh Rom. 7.25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. By the Spirit of Christ we have strength to overcome the oppositions of the flesh and have grace to perform what God will accept and so far accept that notwithstanding weaknesses we shall be reckoned rather to be in the spirit than in the flesh and obtain the priviledges of the justified 2. It sheweth us the reason why carnal men think so meanly of the people of God and the spirit that dwelleth in them They think Christians are but as other men and that there is no such great matter to be found in those that profess strictness in Religion no such Spirit of God and Glory but what others have I Answer No wonder that they who are blinded with prejudice and malice and are loth to see the excellency of others whom they hate lest it disturb their own carnal quiet will not see what else would plainly discover its self But some reason there is for it This life is an hidden life Col. 3.3 'T is hidden
own personal eternal interest have an undoubted evidence of their love to Christ but we cannot say that none love Christ but those which arrive at that height and degree But this is both exclusive and inclusive The Text sheweth it to be exclusive he that hath not the spirit is none of his That is not grafted as a living member into Christs mystical body for the present nor will he be accepted or approved as a true Christian at last at the day of Christs appearing to be none of Christs is to be disowned and disclaimed by Christ Depart from me I know you not How grievous is the thought of it to any good Christian Secondly 'T is inclusive 1 John 2.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in God and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit These are magnificent Words and such as we should not have used if God had not used them before us 'T is much nearness to dwell one with another 't is more nearness to dwell one in another this is mutual and reciprocal between God and a believer if we have his Spirit we may safely conclude it To prove this let us see 1. What it is to have the spirit 2. Why this is the Evidence that we are true Christians For the first Question take these Explanations 1. By the spirit of Christ is not meant any created habit and gift For the new nature is sometimes called the Spirit John 3.6 But the third person in the Trinity called the Holy Ghost is here meant For he is spoken of as a person that dwelleth in Believers in the former part of the verse and dwelleth in them as in his Temple as one that leadeth guideth and sanctifieth them yea as one that will at length quicken their Mortal bodies v. 11. Which no created habit and Quality can do Yea he is called the spirit of God and the spirit of Christ. If so be the spirit of God dwell in you And in the words of the Text if any man have not the spirit of Christ Because he proceedeth from the Father and the Son John 15.26 When the comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father This is the spirit which is spoken of in this place 2. This spirit is had or said to be in us We have not only the Fruit but the Tree But how have we him We have a right to his person he is given to us in the Covenant of Grace as our sanctifyer as God is ours by Covenant so is the spirit ours as well as the Father and the Son and he is present in our hearts as the immediate Agent of Christ and worker of all grace 'T is true in respect of his essence and some kind of operation he is present in all Creatures Psal. 139.7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit Whither shall I fly from thy presence God filleth all things with his spirit and presence And therefore when some are said to have him and others not to have him 't is understood of his peculiar presence with respect to those Eminent operations and effects which he produceth in the hearts of the faithful and no where else For he is such an Agent no where as he is in their hearts Therefore they are called Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3.16 and 1 Cor. 6.19 Because he buildeth them up for an Holy use and also dwelleth and resideth there maintaining Gods Interest in their Souls 3. These Eminent Operations of the Holy Ghost are either in a way of common gifts or special graces as to common gifts Reprobates and Hypocrites may be said to be partakers of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6.4 Balaam had the gift of Prophesie and Judas the gift of Miracles as well as the rest of the Apostles so 1 Cor. 12. The Apostle discourseth at large of the Gifts of the Spirit and concludeth but I shew you a more excellent way verse 31. And then taketh it up again 1 Cor. 13.1 2. Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels and have not charity I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all Knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are dona ministrantia gifts for the Service of the Church such as profound knowledge utterance in Preaching or Praying or any other Ministeral acts and Dona Sanctificantia such as Faith Hope and Love the former may render us useful to the Church but not acceptable to the Lord. The superficial Christianity is rewarded with common gifts but the real Christianity with Special Graces all that profess the Faith are visibly adopted by God into his Family and under a visible Administration of the Covenant of Grace so far as they are Adopted into Gods Family so far they are made partakers of the Spirit Christ giveth to common Christians those common gifts of the Spirit which he giveth not to the heathen world as knowledg of the mysteries of Godliness abilities of utterance and speech about Heavenly things some affection also to Spiritual and Heavenly things called a tasting of the good Word the Heavenly gift and the powers of the world to come these will not prove us true Christians or really in Gods special favour but only visible professed Christians 4. The spirit as to Sanctifying and saving effects may be considered as spiritus assistens aut in formans either as moving warning or exciting by transient motions so the wicked may be wrought upon by him as to be convinced warned excited how else can they be said to resist the Holyghost Acts 7.51 and the Lord telleth the Old World Gen. 6.3 That his spirit should not always strive with them Surely besides the Counsels and Exhortations of the Word the Spirit doth rebuke warn and excite them and moveth and stirreth and striveth in the Hearts of all carnal creatures or else these expressions could not be used 5. There are such effects of his sanctifying grace as are wrought in us per modum habitus permanentis to renew and change us so as a man from carnal doth become spiritual the Spirit of God doth so dwell in us as to frame heart and life unto holiness this work is sometimes called the new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 And sometimes the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 It differeth from gifts because they are for outward service but this conduceth to change the heart it differeth from actual motions and inspirations because they may vanish and die away without any saving impression left upon the heart it differeth from those slighter dispositions to Godliness which are many times in temporaries because they are but a light tincture soon worn off and have no power and mastery over sensual affections if they restrain them a little they do not
but be raised up from the grave and their vile bodies be changed like unto the Glorious Body of their Redeemer SERMON XIV ROM VIII 11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you THE Apostle is answering a doubt How there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ since death which is the fruit of sin yet remaineth on the Godly Answer 1. By concession that sin is indeed the seed and original of mortality the body is dead because of sin Not only the carnal undergo it but the justified tho the guilt of sin be taken away by a pardon and the dominion and power of it be broken by the Spirit of Christ yet the being of it is not quite abolished and as long as sin remaineth in us in the least degree it maketh us subject to the power of death 2. By way of correction He opposeth a double comfort against it Destruction by sin is neither total nor final First Not total 't is but an half death v. 10. The spirit is life because of righteousness Secondly Nor final it hath a limit of time set which when it is expired the body shall have an happy Resurrection and that by vertue of the same spirit by which the soul is now quickned so that mark both parts receive their happiness by the spirit the soul and the body the soul tho it be immortal in its self yet the blessed immortality it hath from the spirit the spirit is life because of righteousness and the dead body shall not finally perish but be sure to be raised again by the same spirit If the spirit of him c. In the Words we have 1. The condition upon which the Resurrection is promised if the Spirit 2. The certainty of performance set forth 1. By the Author or efficient cause he that raised up Jesus from the dead 2. By his spirit that dwelleth in you the way and manner of working 1. The condition A Resurrection is necessary but an happy Resurrection is limited by a condition Phil. 3.11 If by any means 2. The certainty of performance 1. From the Author of God described by his eminent and powerful work he that raised up Jesus from the dead This is mentioned partly as an instance of his power and partly as an assurance of his will first an instance of his power Eph. 1.18 19. According to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Our Resurrection is a work of the same Omnipotency with that which he first evidenced in raising Christ from the dead the same power is still imployed to bring us to a glorious Eternity Secondly 'T is an assurance of his will for Christs Resurrection is a pattern of ours 1 Cor. 6.14 God hath both raised the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 2 Cor. 4.14 Knowing that he that raised up Jesus shall also raise us up by Jesus 2. For the way and manner of bringing it about by his spirit that dwelleth in us Where take notice 1. Of the Relation of the Holy Spirit to God Secondly His interest in and nearness to us 1. His relation to God He is called his Spirit and the Spirit of him that raised Jesus from the dead That is of God the Father The Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Fathers Spirit and sometimes Christs Spirit because he proceedeth both from the Father and the Son the Fathers Spirit John 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the spirit of truth he is also called Acts 11.4 The promise of the Father and Christs Spirit Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts Now the Spirit being one in essence and undivided in Will and Essence with the Father and the Son surely the Father will by or because of the Spirit dwelling in us raise us again for Father Son and Holy Spirit are one and the same God 2. His interest in and nearness to us he dwelleth in us All dependeth upon that mark he doth not say he worketh in us per modum actionis transeuntis so he worketh in those that resist his work and shall perish for ever but per modum habitus permanentis as we are regenerated and sanctified and the effects of his powerful Resurrection remain in those habits which constitute the new nature so the Spirit is said to dwell in us and in the former verse Christ to be in us if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin verse 10. Doct. That the bodies of Believers shall be raised at the last day by the spirit of holiness which now dwelleth in them 1. I shall a little open this inhabitation of the spirit 2. Shew you why 't is the ground and cause of our happy Resurrection 1. For the first the inhabitation of the Spirit Dwelling may relate to a double Metaphor either to the dwelling of a man in his house or of God in his Temple of a man in his house 1 John 3.24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and be in him so it noteth his constant familiar presence or of God in his Temple 1 Cor. 6.16 Know ye not that you are the Temple of God and the spirit of God dwelleth in you Which noteth a sacred presence that presence as a God to bless and sanctifie the spirit buildeth us up for so holy an use and then dwelleth in us as our Sanctifier Guide and Comforter the one maketh way for the other first a Sanctifier and then a guide as a ship is first well-rigg'd and then a Pilot and by both he comforts us he hath regenerated and guided us in the way of holiness first he sanctifieth and reneweth us Tit. 3.5 But according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy ghost and John 3.6 That which is born of spirit is spirit First he buildeth his House or Temple and then cometh and dwelleth in it Secondly He guideth and leadeth us in the ways of holiness Rom. 15.14 And my self also am perswaded of you my brethren that you also are full of godliness filled with all knowledg If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit Gal. 5.25 Before we were influenced by Satan Eph. 2.2 Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air that now worketh in the children of disobedience He put us upon anger malice envy unclean lusts and noisome and filthy ways and we readily obeyed 2 Tim. 2.28 And that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are taken captive
and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Which is a great priviledg if we consider Three Things 1. His Relation to mankind in the general 2. His Relation to the ancient Church under the legal Covenant 3. The estate wherein his Grace found us when he was pleased to take us into his family 1. His Relation to mankind in general So he is the Father of all the world as he created them and Adam is called the Son of God Luke 3.18 He is a father to any who giveth them being and hath a right to govern them so is God to us he made us and is the sole cause of our being and not being and so hath a right in us to dispose of usat his own pleasure But the Relation that we have to God by Creation is distinct from the natural Being this is our new Being which we have from him as his redeemed ones our natural being flowed from his benignity and common bounty but our spiritual being from his special Grace and Love to us in Christ. By creation we are his children as he formed us in the womb and created the soul within us called therefore the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 in opposition to the fathers of our flesh but he is our father by Adoption as we are regenerated by the Holy Ghost John 1.12 13. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God being born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Our new birth and spiritual being in Christ is the next ground of our Adoption and so we come into a nearer relation to him that we may be capable of receiving the fruits of his special love 't is the benefit of our Redemption applied by his sanctifying spirit to all them that shall be heirs of life By the common Relation God hath a title to our dearest love but we have no title to his highest benefits and therefore he is our Father in a more comfortable sense as we are his workmanship in Christ. 2. His relation to the ancient Church through the legal Covenant So God was a Father to them and they his children for Israel was called his first-born Exod. 4.22 in opposition to other Nations who were left to perish in their own ways And their descendants are called the children of the Kingdom Matth. 8.12 because they had the ordinances and means of grace but the Gospel-church is properly the church of the first-born Heb. 12.23 As they have a clearer knowledg of the priviledges belonging to Gods children and a larger participation and more comfortable use of them and so are freed from that rigour and servitude which belonged to the first administration of the covenant of Grace they have that which answereth the priviledg of primogeniture jus sacerdotis jus haereditatis the right of Priesthood as they are a royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Made Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.5 Because they offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 They are separated by the Election of God from the rest of the world and have an unction from his Holy Spirit 1 John 2.20 And so are qualified to offer up themselves Rom. 12.1 and Prayers and Praises and Alms unto God Heb. 13.15 16. The other Priviledg of the birth-right is jus hereditatis the first-born had a double portion not only of possessions but of Dignity and Honour above their brethren All Gods children are heirs and heirs of the Heavenly inheritance the multitude of co-heirs doth not lessen the inheritance nor make the Priviledg less glorious They are heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 3. The estate wherein his Grace found us when he was pleased to take us into his family We were by nature children of Wrath wretched children Eph. 2.3 that had deprived our selves of the inheritance wasted our Patrimony forfeited our right to the Promises but our inheritance is redeemed and the forfeiture taken off by Christ and we are brought back again into the family dignified with the priviledges of the first-born made Priests unto God and above all his other creatures do become his special Portion Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us to be a kind of first fruits to his creatures And made heirs of the Kingdom Jam. 2.5 Now for us to have the Blessed God whom we had so often offended to become our reconciled Father in Christ Oh what wonderful love is this That we should be admitted into the Church of the first-born have free liberty to worship God and have a right to such a blessed and glorious inheritance 2. What is the spirit of Adoption First We are made sons and then we have the spirit of his Son Gal. 4.6 Being adopted into Gods Family we have a spirit suitable They that use to adopt children give them some kind of token to express their love so here is a gift answerable to the dignity of our estate and the love of a Father and that is the gift of the spirit the dignity is inward and spiritual and the gift answereth it He hath sent the spirit of his Son into your hearts God would not distinguish the good â—â— na fall about the Tents of Israel and the people will not go for to gather it to fill their Homer they may starve Tho the Bread of Heaven be dispensed by such a liberal provision the Spirit is ready but they are lazy The Spirit by accident is a cause of servile fear but these Motions are his proper effects 2. A superficial Christianity is rewarded with common gifts but the real Christianity with special Graces All that profess the Faith and are baptized into Christ Gal. 3.26 27. are visibly adopted by God into his Family and are under a visible Administration of the Covenant of Grace So far as they are adopted into God's Family so far they are made partakers of the Spirit Christ giveth to common Christians those common gifts which he giveth not to the Heathen World knowledg of the mysteries of godliness abilities of utterance and speech about spiritual and heavenly things some affection also to them called tasting of the good Word the heavenly Gift and the powers of the World to come Heb. 6. These will not prove us true Christians or really in Gods special favour but only visible professed Christians 3. Among the sincere some have not the spirit of adoption at so full a rate as others have neither so pure and fervent a love to God nor such a respectful obedience and submission to him nor such an Holy confidence and boldness becoming that great happiness which they are called unto who have the right and hope of the Blessed inheritance and so not so much of that son-like disposition which the spirit worketh by revealing the Love and Mercy of God contained in the Gospel in the Hearts of his People some do more improve their priviledges than others do now they
tremble at his anger Numb 12.14 When he crosseth and disappointeth us it must not be slightly passed over look as in the Flood Gen. 7.11 When the windows of Heaven were opened from above and the fountains of the great deep were broken open from below the flood increased So when nature and Grace concur to heighten the afflictions the children of God must needs have a greater and more tender sense of it than others have as those that are of a delicate constitution are more capable of pain than the stubborn and robustious and the tender flesh of a child will sooner feel the lash than the thick skin of a slave So the children of God who have a more serious apprehension of things and a more tender spirit soonest feel the burden of their Fathers displeasure and do more lay it to heart than careless spirits who laugh out their cross and drink away their sorrows and partly because they are more exercised with afflictions the world hateth them because they are so good and God chastens them because they are no better many are the troubles of the righteous Psal. 34.19 There is more squaring and hewing and cutting used about stones which are to be set in a stately Palace than those which are placed in an ordinary building the Vine is pruned when the bramble in the hedg is not looked after the child is put under discipline when the Bastard liveth more at large God meaneth to destroy those whom by a just judgment he permitteth to go on in their sins to their eternal undoing 2. They are more sensible of sin as a burden Psal. 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head they are a burden too heavy for me That sins are a burden to a wounded conscience is evident by their complaints if a milstone fall upon them 't is not so heavy and bruising as one spark of Gods Wrath lighting upon the conscience for sin but they are also a burden to a tender conscience and partly because they have more light than others and see more into the hainous nature and evil of sin Jer 18.31 After I was instructed I smote upon the thigh and Rom. 7.9 When the commandment came sin revived and I died And partly because they have more love than others have and they that love much will mourn most for sin Luke 7.47 She wept much because she loved much The more holy any are the more they are troubled about offending God than others are or themselves were before what 's the Reason 't is not from the increase of sin but the increase of light and love they see more and more into sin than formerly they did or could do as in a glass of pure water the least mote is soon espied and partly because they have more heartily renounced sin therefore the relicks of it are a greater burden to them Elements burden not in their own place wicked men are in their own Element 't is a sport to them to do evil for fools make a mock of sin But 't is otherwise with the children of God sin is that they hate and pray down and strive against they are aspiring after a better estate and 't is a trouble to them they find so little of it while they are in the body 2. The other sort of reasons concern the other life A Christian here is unsatisfied and waiteth for a better and purer estate a state of constant felicity and exact conformity to God and that for four Reasons 1. By the first fruits of the spirit he is confirmed in the belief of the certainty of this estate for the Holy Ghost openeth his eyes to see the reality of the world to come Eph. 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your understanding being inlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints in light 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that ye may know the things that are freely given us of God Faith is the eye of the soul Heb. 11.1 And an Eagle-eye it is that helpeth us to look above the mists and clouds of the lower world and see eternity at the back of time and glory following shame and rest labour now affections follow perswasion Heb. 11.13 Being perswaded of these things they imbraced them They tha see there is another world a life infinitely more desirable than that which we now enjoy will find their affections stirred towards it an estate so blessed if it were soundly believed it would be earnestly desired and certainly men do not believe this blessedness if they be coldly affected towards it 2. By the first fruits of the spirit they do in part know the excellency of it Surely 't is no slight and vain thing which is so desired groaned after and waited for by all the Saints they find somewhat in themselves which makes them to value and esteem it if the first fruits be rich and glorious what will the whole harvest be If the tast be so ravishing what will the whole feast prove Surely it will wholly swallow us up with joy The joys of the spirit are unspeakable things 1 Pet. 1.8 But at his right hand there is fulness of joy for evermore Psal. 16.11 The refreshings we meet with by the way doth mightily support us what comfort shall we have when we come to our journeys end and enjoy what we have heard of And what we have heard is little to the injoyment The Saints would not part with their Communion with Christ here for all the world What will it be when our Union and Communion is full and perfect To get a glimpse of Christ as he sheweth himself through the Lattess doth much revive the drooping soul but there we shall see him with open face here we get a little from him in his Ordinances and that little is as much as we can hold but there he is all in all and we are filled up with the fulness of God Christ in us now is the hope of Glory Col. 1.27 But Christ in us then is glory its self The spirit in us now is a well springing up but then the water groweth not only into a stream but into an Ocean Holiness here is called the Seed of God but then it is the life of God Grace tendeth to the place whence it cometh as a spark of fire tendeth to the Element of fire there 't is in its perfect estate In short Look what difference there is between the Spring-head and the outfall of the water into the Sea such difference there is between our enjoyment of God now and hereafter 3. By the first fruits of the spirit we are prepared and fitted for that blessed estate We read in the Scripture that
and say it shall not be yea much reason to believe that God will give success to our endeavours for his glory in the world considering what hath usually befallen his servants in like cases tho we cannot draw a firm and certain Argument from thence yet 't is probable for the most part 't is so but in matters that concern eternal life somewhat of this hope may be observed as before conversion when we begin to be serious and seek after God we cannot say certainly God will give us converting and saving grace we must follow God tho we know not what will come of it as Abraham did Heb. 11.8 there the rule in such cases is I must do what he hath commanded God may do what he pleaseth Yet 't is some comfort that we are in a probable way Nay after conversion such hope men may have as to their own interest in eternal salvation They cannot say Heaven is theirs or that God will certainly keep them to his Heavenly Kingdom yet they dare not quit their hopes of Heaven for all the world nor cease to walk in the way of salvation 't is probable they are Gods Children 2. There is a firm and certain hope when we have assurance of things hoped for by the promises and offers of the Gospel as Acts 24.15 I have hope towards God that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust Without this hope a man cannot be a Christian. We must certainly expect the promised blessing to be given to those that are capable and duly qualified and all that are inlightned by the spirit do see it and expect it and positively conclude that verily there is a reward for the righteous Psal. 58. last This hope is the life of Religion and doth excite us to look after it by due and fit means their eyes are enlightned with spiritual eye-salve that they get a sight of the world to come Eph. 1.18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and the richest of the glory of his inheritance in the saints And if they believe the Gospel it cannot be otherwise I am certain there is such a thing Col. 1.5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel There this truth is made known all that close with the Gospel receive it and by it is this blessed hope of Glory wrought in us 3. There is a two fold certain hope one sort necessary the other very profitable but not absolutely necessary to the life and being of a Christian the first sort is the fruit of faith the second the consequent of assurance The first grounded meerly upon the offers of the Gospel propounding the chiefest good to men to excite their desires and endeavours the other is grounded on the sight of our own qualification as well as the offers of the Gospel the one is antecedent to all acts of Holiness the other followeth after it an antecedent hope there must needs be before the effect of the Holy Life can be produced for since hope incourageth and animateth all human endeavours no man will engage in a strict course displeasing to flesh and blood but he must have some hope and this hope the conditional offers of the Gospel doth beget in us and all serious creatures have it that mind their proper happiness Rejoyceing in hope is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.6 14. 'T is the first tast we have of the pleasures of the world to come Keep up this gust and tast and you are safe But then there is another hope that is grounded upon the evidence of our sincerity and is the fruit of assurance when we can make out our own claim and title to eternal life which is not usually done without much diligence Heb. 6.11 And we desire that every one of you do shew forth the same diligence to the full asurance of hope unto the end Much sobriety and weanedness from the world 1 Pet. 1.13 Much watchfulness that we be not moved away from the hope of the gospel Col. 1.23 That our hopes of eternal life begotten in us by the Gospel be not weakned and deadned in us 't is not enough thankfully at first to embrace the conditional offer but we must keep up this hope in life and vigour Much resolution in our conflicts with the Devil world and flesh 1 Thes. 5.8 Lastly some experience Rom. 5.4 of Gods favour and help in troubles and our sincerity therein when we are seasoned and tryed our confidence increaseth the frequent experience of Gods being nigh to us and honouring us in sundry tryals is a ground for hope to rest upon that he will not leave us till all be accomplished Phil. 1.20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or death Paul gathereth his confidence for the future from former experience Now these two sorts of hope must be distinguished for the first hope may be accompanied with some doubts of our own salvation or the rewards of Godliness ex parte nostri at least not ex parte Dei for there all is sure and stedfast and to doubt there is a sin it would detract from the goodness power and truth of God but when our qualification is not evident this doubting may do us good as it may quicken us to more diligence to make our title more clear and explicate especially when we are conscious to our selves of some notorious defect in our duty and have a blot upon our evidences indeed the rather when more Godliness might be expected from us as having more knowledg or helps or are obliged by calling and profession to greater integrity and Holiness of life Doubting is right when it ariseth from a right and true judgment of our actions according to the new Covenant and we cannot truly say who hath the greatest interest in us God or the world Sin or Holiness Would you have men muffle their consciences and think that they have more grace than they have or judg their condition to be better than it is absolutely safe when they are not perswaded of their sincerity Indeed when conscience judgeth erroneously and a man thinketh he hath not that Godliness which is necessary to salvation which indeed he hath he overlooketh Gods work his judgment of himself is erroneous and therefore culpable tho it be not unbelief or a distrust of Christ. Well then as to these two Hopes 1. That hope which ariseth from faith must every day be more strengthned for tho there be no fallibility in Gods promise yet our faith may be weak or strong according to our growth and improvement and in some temptations Gods Children for a while may question articles of religion of great
every evil work 2 Tim. 4.18 Therefore we should submit to endure the evil of chastisement that we may escape the evil of sin 't is worse to be sinful than miserable to be unclean than to be sick to be volupteous than to be poor and so the affliction bringeth greater good than it taketh from you therefore Christians should be careful that they murmur not against Gods dispensations for there are two evils that we bewray thereby 1. A despising of God 2. A despising of holiness And a Christian should be tender of either 1. A despising of God as if he knew not what was fittest and best for you and would send any trouble upon you that he knoweth not how to turn to good Job 34.33 Should it be acording to thy mind he will recompence it whether thou refuse or whether thou chuse Should our condition be at our own disposal and should God ask of us whether we like it or no is it not better to be satisfied in his will and say Surely God would not send this affliction if he did not know how it should be good for me We would carve out our own condition and have our will in every thing but is this wise or just Must God be subject to our passions and affections No whether we will or no he will take his own way 2. 'T is a lessening the value of holiness as if this profit did not countervail our lâ—ss We profess we esteem grace more than wealth and spiritual things more than carnal but when we are put to the tryal we little regard holiness but only mind the ease of the flesh and therefore are so hardly reconciled to the Cross surely that which doth us good should not be entertained with such impatient resentment 't is worse in Christians who are more obliged to count all things dung and dross Phil. 3.7 8 9 10. But what things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death But we may say as Moses to God Bâ—hold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me how then shall Pharoah hear me We cannot hope to convince a worldly man of this That loss of estate or poverty is good the ambitious man that 't is good to be despised and contemned and the voluptuous man that pain is sometimes better than ease and sickness that checketh the desires of the flesh is better than health that gratifieth them Alas the children of God are hardly convinced that mortifying affliction is better than carnal prosperity how then will the world believe it 2. What profit is there to be gotten by afflictions 'T is hard to instance in all particulars because God hath several ends in our afflictions according to the distempers that need cure but the usual profit of afflictions is seen in these things 1. That the time of affliction is a serious thinking time 1 Kings 8.47 if they shall bethink themselves in the land of their captivity We have more liberty to retire into ourselves being freed from the attractive allurements of worldly vanities and for the present there is some restraint on the delights of the flesh which use to besot the mind and hinder better thoughts Adversity maketh men serious the Prodigal came to himself when he began to be in want Luke 15.17 Sad objects make a deeper impression on our souâ—s than delightful do they help us to consider our ways and Gods righteous dealings that we may behave ourselves wisely and suitable to the dispensation we are under Eccles. 7.14 in the day of adversity consider See from what hand it cometh to what issue it tendeth what is thy duty under it how little thou canst mend thy self without submitting to God that to hope to escape by ill means is but like an attempt to break prison 't is better to make supplications to our Judg these Providences are not to be lightly passed over the Author of them is God the occasion sin the end repentance 2. 'T is an awakening quickning time Some are awakened out of the sleep of death and are first wrought upon by afflictions this is one powerful means to bring in souls to God and opening their ears to discipline Job 36.10 They had still slept in their sins if God had not awakened them by the smart discipline of the Cross but others are quickned and awakened to more carefulness of their duty more watchfulness against sin and the graces of the spirit which lay dormant in us through neglect are more set a work sense pleasing objects deaden the heart Gods best children sleep when they have a carnal pillow under their heads Psal. 30.6 And in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved But now because they do not stir up themselves God stirreth them up by a smart rod that faith may be working love fervent hope lively prayers carried on with warmth and zeal prayers otherwise are dead thoughts of Heaven cold or none wherein all these graces are acted Isa. 26.16 Lord in trouble they have visited thee they pour out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them And Hosea 5.15 I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early When our gust and tast of spiritual and heavenly things is recovered then we are awakened and in good earnest 3. 'T is a learning time this the Scripture witnesseth every where Psal. 119.71 'T is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Psal. 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law God teacheth us though he teach us as Gideon did the men of Succoth with briars and thorns And we read of Christ Jesus himself Heb. 5.8 He learned obedience from the things which he suffered He did experimentally understand what obedience was in hard and difficult cases and so could the better pity and help sinners when they obey God at a dear rate In affliction we have an experimental knowledge of that of which but a notional knowledge before We come by experience to see how false and changeable the world is what a burden sin is What sweetness there is in the promises What a reality in the world to come How comfortable an interest in God is Luther said Qui tribulantur sacras Scripturas melius intelligunt securi fortunati eas legunt sicut Ovidii carmen The afflicted see
of a deaf ear nonattentiveness to Gods providence made way for the prevalency of Atheism and Idolatry in the world There are two propositions that if well minded and improved would preserve a lively remembrance of God in the hearts of men That all good cometh from God James 1.17 Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights And all evil from God Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it And that any notable effect in either kind is a sign and witness of an invisible power If men would not look upon all things that befall them as meer chances they could not sleep so securely in their sins but God would have a greater testimony in every mans bosom that he hath a care of human affairs and is a rewarder of such as please him and an avenger of such as do offend him The question about this improper calling is What is the use of it or whether it be sufficient to salvation 1. Though the works of Creation and providence reveal a God yet these natural Apostles Sun Moon and Stars say nothing of Christ and there is salvation in no other Acts 4.12 They did teach the world That there is a God and that this God must be served and will be terrible to those that serve him not And possibly that God was placable or willing to be appeased because of the continuance of the Creation and the manifold mercies we lost or forfeited by our Apostacy and defection from him The Apostle saith 't is an invitation to repentance Rom. 2.4 Yet the knowledge of Jesus Christ the Son of God and of Redemption purchased to lost sinners through him is a mystery which the greatest wits in the world could not understand but by Gods revealing it in his word 2. The use of this call to those that have no other but barely it is to leave men without excuse Rom. 1.20 And that it might prevail to work some restraint of sin and to promote some external reformation in the world for the good of mankind Rom. 2.14 3. Those who have a louder call in the word are the more obliged to regard this call and invitation by the works of Gods creation and providence The call by the word is more perfect and more pressing and suited more to work upon our thoughts the object being more clearly and fully propounded to us yet this latter call is not privative but accumulative it doth not nâ—ll the duty of the former call or make it wholly useless to us but helps us to interpret it the better and we need all helps Faith doth not withdraw it self from natural knowledge and make it useless to us though we are to exercise our selves in the law of God day and night yet we must not overlook the works of Creation and Providence and whilest we study his word neglect Gods works for they are a confimation of our faith and a great occasional help to our love as appeareth by the instructions which the holy men of God gather thence witness David his night-meditation Psal. 8. Thy moon and thy stars And his morning-meditation Psal. 19. The Heavens declare the glory of God The glories of God which we read of in the word are visible in the Creation and though David preferreth the book of Scripture yet he doth not lay aside the book of Nature We must use the world as a glass wherein to see the glory of God he hath not the heart of a man in him who is not stricken with admiration at the sight of these things the glory of the heavenly bodies and the wonderful variety of all creatures and besides there is none so good but he needeth the mercy and direction of God to invite him to a more frequent remembrance of him How happy are they that have such a God for their God How miserable they that make him their Judg and Avenger 2. The proper calling is the voice of God in the word of his grace inviting sinners to Christ. This is called his distinctly calling Eph. 1.18 That ye may know what is the hope of his calling And the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.14 And again That our God would count you worthy of his calling 2 Thes. 1.11 And explained 1 Cor. 1.9 Faithful is he which hath called you into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now this is a more close and full discovery of God than is to be found elsewhere God calleth and inviteth some by the creatures only others by his grace in Christ. But this being calling most properly taken Why is it not vouchsafed to all I answer 1. God is not obliged to send the gospel to any 'T is his free dispensation Rom. 11.35 Or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompenced to him again God doth not send the Gospel by necessity of nature or any pre-obligation on the creatures part but meerly of his own grace which worketh most freely and sendeth it where it pleaseth him 2. All have more knowledge of God by nature than they make good use of Rom. 1.21 When they knew God they glorified him not as God And till men improve a lower dispensation why should they be trusted with an higher If a vessel will not hold water you will not trust wine or any more precious liquor in it 2. Gods gracious invitation of lost sinners to Christ which properly is his calling them is either external or internal external by the word internal by his Spirit 1. External by the commands and promises of the word requiring such duties from them and assuring them of such blessings upon obedience Thus Wisdoms Maidens are sent forth to invite guests to her palace Prov. 4.2 And the kings servants to call them to the marriage feast Matth. 22.9 And so far they prevail in their message that many present themselves God would not leave us to a book but hath appointed a living Ministry 2 Cor. 6.10 2. Internal not only by the word but by his Spirit and the checks of their own conscience which is a nearer approach of his grace and power to us By the motions of his Spirit How else could it be said Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not always strive with man And Acts 7.51 Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost And also by their consciences sollicâ—ting them to the performance of their duty and challenging them for the neglect of it 'T is natural duty Rom. 2.14 15. The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law to themselves which shew the works of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or excusing one another And for acceptance of the Gospel-Covenant 1 John 3.20 21. If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things If our heart condemn us not
every state what do we with Christianity if we refuse to be like Christ we must be holy as he was holy and afflicted as he was afflicted 2 Cor. 4.10 Always bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus When name dieth and interests die and languish when we are scorned and reproached despightfully used for righteousness sake we carry up and down with us the lively resemblance of the sufferings of Christ and so we begin to look like Christians and however this seemeth to be troublesome and distastful to those who are blinded with the delusions of the flesh yet a believer should count it his glory honour and happiness as Paul reckoneth it among his gain and great advantages he had by Christ Phil. 3.10 That I may know the fellowship of his sufferings and be made conformable to his death and count all things but loss and dung in comparison of it The bitter cross should be made lovely to us because hereby we are made more like our Lord and Master if our sufferings go on to death we have the same issue that Christ had and must indure it on the same comforts Heb. 12.2 Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy set before him indured the cross and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of God Death its self is a passage to life therefore is Christ called the first begotten from the dead Revel 1.5 Well then Afflictions come not by the will of man nor the bare permission of God but his special Decree we are predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son 2. In righteousness and holiness God hath appointed his chosen ones to be like his own Son in holiness this the Scripture doth every where witness Phil. 2.5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Jesus And Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly John 13.15 I have given you an example that you should do as I have done Col. 3.13 Forgiving one another as Christ forgave you and in many other places Many reasons there are for it why this part of the conformity should be most regarded 1. This is the end of conformity to him in our afflictions Heb. 12.10 that we may be partakers of his holiness that we may live a life of patience and holiness and contempt of the world for otherwise God would not afflict but for our profit he doth not grieve his children willingly but as there is need and cause 2. This is the way to conformity to him in glory We that look for immaculate felicity in the other world must be like him for eximious sanctity in this world 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into his image and likeness from glory to glory 't is begun here and perfected there eternal glory is little else but holiness perfected and spiritual life issueth into the heavenly as the Rivers lose themselves in the Ocean therefore we shall never be like him in glory unless we be like him in Grace first this is the pledg of our beatitude 3. This is a sign of our communion with Christ 1 John 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought also to walk as he walked If his spirit be precious to you is his example of no regard Do you value his benefits and slight his holiness 'T is a sign you esteem him for your own turns You love Christ the Saviour and hate Christ the Sanctifier you would abide in him to have his happiness but you would not abide in him to imitate his obedience this is perverse and unthankful dealing no you must mind both if you would justifie your pretentions of adhering to Christ. 4. This will give us boldness in the judgment 1 John 4.17 We have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is so are we in the world That day may be consideted in esse rei or in esse cognito in esse rei the day its self when a perfect distinction is made between the sheep and the goats elect and reprobate now you shall stand in the judgment for Christ will own his own image acknowledg his mark in esse cognito in our present apprehensions of it that when we think of it we may have boldness this giveth you joy and confidence for the present sincerity breedeth confidence when we are like Christ our consciences are imboldned against the terrors of judgment to come 3. In felicity and glory Conformity to Christ sheweth us not only what we should do but what we may expect the Scripture speaketh of this conformity to him in glory both as to the body and as to the soul the body Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body And the soul 1 Cor. 15.4 As we have born the image of the â—arthly one we shall also bear the image of the heavenly 1 Joh. 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him and Psal. 17.15 But as for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Our blessedness standeth in Communion with God and conformity to him or the vision and fruition of him when we are thoroughly ehanged into his likeness we are in our perfect estate holiness for the present standeth in the intuition and sight of God which we have by faith and that Communion we have with him in the duties of obedience God is an holy and happy Being our conformity to his holniess is more exact our communion with him as the fountain of all happiness is more full we are in a capacity for a more perfect reception of his benefits 2. Why this is the distinction between the elect and others This conformity to the image of his Son 1. This suiteth with Gods design of recovering man out of his lapsed estate by setting up a pattern of holiness and happiness in our nature To evidence this I will shew 1. That our primitive glory was Gods image Let us make man after our image and likeness Gen 1.26 This was our perfection which made us amiable in the sight of God and was bestowed upon man as a special and eminent favour this was the Ornament and Crown of Glory which he would put upon a creature which was his master-piece and the most excellent of all his works and indeed what greater perfection can be in a creature than the nearest resemblance to his Creator now this being lost by sin to have this restored is the true glory of man 2 Pet. 1.4 That we may be made partakers of the divine nature We read Prov. 12.26 That the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Namely as he hath more of the image of God upon him 't is not the rich the honourable the powerful man but the righteous man is more excellent he hath more of God and more of a divine Spirit in him than all the rest of the world have
when he called himself the Son of God John 5.18 The Jews sought the more to kill him not only because he had broken the sabbath but said also that God was his father making himself equal with God And they were not mistaken in it For Christ was indeed so the Son of God as to be equal in essence power and glory with the Father Their fault was that they denied this Title to be due to Christ. The Apostle explaineth it Phil. 2.6 Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God 'T was no Blasphemy no Usurpation of Divine Honour Christ was not thrust down from Heaven for Robbery and Usurpation as the sinning Angels were but was sent down This Divine Honour did justly and rightly belong to him Now that God spared him not on this occasion is the great demonstration and condescention of his Love 2. The singular and infinite love between God and Christ He is called his dear Son Col. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father loved him dearly and we are chary of what we tenderly love Therefore the only begotten Son is said to be in the bosom of the Father John 1.18 which intimateth not only his co-existence with him from all eternity but the mutual familiarity delight and complacency which the Divine persons have in one another which is also set forth Prov. 8.30 Then was I by him as one brought up with him I was daily his delight rejoicing always before him As two Mates or Companions of suitable dispositions always bred up together and rejoycing in one another Thus is Heaven fain to lisp to us in our own Dialect to set forth the intimacy oneness and delight that is between the Father and the Son yet God spared him not 3. Though he had no equal or advantageous exchange Christ is more worth than a thousand Worlds as the people could say of David thou art worth ten thousand of us 2 Sam. 18.3 How much more may it be said of Christ What could God gain that might be an equal recompence for the Death of Christ All the World set against God is nothing less than nothing Isa. 40.17 Now no man doth give much for what is but little esteemed but God gave his own Son to recover the perishing World of Mankind 2. Positively But delivered him up for us all Mark 1. The person who did it 2. The act what he did delivered 3. The persons for whom For us all 1. The person who God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all This word is used of several agents Judas delivered him John 19.11 He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin Pilate delivered him to be crucified John 19.16 the high Priests delivered him to Pontius Pilate Matth. 27.2 The people delivered him up to be scourged and crucified by the Gentiles Matth. 20.19 yea Jesus Christ delivered up himself Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences And here God delivered him up for us all one word is used but the act proceeded from several causes the people delivered him out of ignorance and inconsiderate zeal Judas out of covetousness and treachery the high Priests out of malice and envy Pilate out of a faulty compliance with the humours of the people and to preserve the reputation of his government Christ out of obedience to God God himself to shew his infinite love to us 'T is for our comfort to observe Gods act in this tradition if it had been done without Gods knowledge and consent nothing had been done for our salvation God doth nothing rashly or unjustly Therefore since Christ was delivered by the determinate counsel of God Acts 2.23 the reason must be enquired into 't was out of his love to recover a lost world that he might make satisfaction to provoked justice for our wrongs and offences so that Christ died not by the meer wickedness of man but the righteous and wise ordination of a gracious God and so 't is a great argument of Gods love and a ground both of gratitude and confidence to us We must look to the fathers act to whom we make our prayers with whom we would fain be reconciled whose judgment we fear whose favour we seek after Now he appointed his own Son to do the office of a Mediator for us the law which condemneth us is the law of God the wrath and punishment which we fear is the wrath of God the presence into which we come is the presence of God and the fountain of all blessings we expect is the favour of God and God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all to assure our comfort peace and hope his hand is chief in it 2. The act what he did he delivered him up not only to be made flesh for us 1 John 14. which was a state of being at the greatest distance from his nature who was a pure Spirit But God who is a Spirit was made flesh that he might be nearer to us and within the reach of our commerce and took a mother upon earth that we might have a father in Heaven which maketh all the promises of God more credible to us for the exaltation of man is a thing of more easie belief than the abasement of the Son of God if he will assume flesh we may reasonably expect to be apparelled and cloathed upon with his glory but also made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 Sin is taken in Scripture sometimes for a sacrifice for sin or a sin-offering by a metonymy of the adjunct for the subject as piaculum in Latin is both a sin and a sacrifice for sin so the Priests in the Prophets reproof are said to eat the sins of the people Hosea 4.8 that is the sacrifices when they minded nothing but to glut themselves with the far of the offerings part of which was the Priests portion and so Christ was made sin for us that is an expiatory sacrifice for our sin So in the beginning of this chapter Rom. 8.3 God by sending his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh hath by sin condemned sin in the flesh that is by the sufferings of Christ or his becoming a sin-offering hath put an everlasting brand upon sin to make it odious and hateful to the Saints Once more Made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 to note the pain and shame of his death and to shew that Christ was appointed to bear that curse of the law and punishment which belongeth to us which was so grievous and terrible as that his humane nature staggered and recoiled a little by a just abhorrence of the great evil which he was to undergo and when he was under it his soul was exceeding sorrowful and heavy unto death so that it extorted from him tears and strong cries yet God spared not his Son but delivered him up to these penal and dreadful evils God might be said not to spare his Son if he had only used him as
a wedding Garment and he was examined the man was speechless Matth. 22.12 When every one is particularly observed and tryed there is nothing to reply but glorifying God Jude 15. 2ly Satisfaction of the World in the righteousness and justice of Gods proceeding When every person is arraigned and every work is manifest it cleareth Gods Justice in rewarding his own and in punishing the wicked and ungodly 1. It cleareth his justice in rewarding the faithful they undergo the tryal and though they have failings yet for the main their faith is found to praise and honour and Glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.7 When his people come to be Judged and have been found obedient to his commands Faithful under tryals patient under all sufferings and inconveniencies 'T is a faith that may be owned before men and Angels Christ will confess them before God Men and Angels Rev. 3.5 So in punishing the wicked Josh. 7.19 God is glorifyed by the Creatures conviction and acknowledgement Psal. 51.4 I acknowledge mine iniquity that thou mayst be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou Judgest God is justified when the Creature is rewarded according to his own deservings God overcometh and we are cast in the plea and suit 2. The word signifieth to be made manifest And so importeth that we must all be manifested or laid open before the Judgment seat of Christ our persons must not only appear but our hearts and ways be tryed 'T is said Luke 12.2 There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed nor hid which shall not be made known 'T is brought as a reason against Hypocrisy the innocency of Gods Servants is beclowded for a while and the sin of men lyeth hid for a while but at length all shall be open hypocrisy shall be disclosed and sincerity shall be rewarded So 1 Cor. 3.13 Every mans work shall be manifested All the ways and works of wickedness though acted in never so secret a manner shall be laid open The Scripture telleth us at the Judgment Eccl. 12.14 God shall bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil The final doom shall repeal all the Judgments of this life and repair them abundantly many things that are varnished with a fair gloss and pretence here shall then be found filthy and abominable and many things disguised with an ill appearance to the World shall be found to be of God approved and allowed by him So 't is said 1 Cor. 4.5 That Christ will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the Counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God When every mans intentions and purposes actions and spring of actions shall be displayed then they that deserve blame shall be discovered and the sincere and upright Justifyed and commended Well then the Scripture shews they shall be made manifest and when made manifest In the general there are two places demonstrate it one is Psal. 50.21 I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thine Eyes All the ways and circumstances of sin shall be so represented to the conscience that the sinner shall not be able to deny or excuse evade or forget but ever be vexed with the remembrance of his past folly and ever see his sins before him as if fresh committed The other place is Rev. 12.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before the Lord and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and the dead were Judged out of these things which were written in the Books according to their works There are Books and another Book there is the Book of conscience and the Book of Gods remembrance Mal. 3.16 In these Books all things are written which belong to the Government and Judgment of the Rational Creature our good and evil is all upon record our means and mercies and our unthankfulness and unprofitableness under them Jer. 17.1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond Not only in their consciences but before God Isa. 65.6 Behold it is written before me God doth not forget or pass over but note and remember Now these Books are opened at the last day there is not one Book but Books the Book of Scripture is opened as a rule the Book of Conscience as a witness and the Book of Gods remembrance as the notice or Judges knowing both persons and facts But more particularly how are we manifested 1. By the knowledge of the Judge We may hide our sins from men but not from God from the World and from our selves but Christ shall perfectly discover them and bring them forth into the light and shew themselves to themselves and to the World and all their shifts will not serve the turn God observeth men now and observeth them in order to judgment Psa. 33.13 14 15 16. The Lord looketh from Heaven he beholdeth all the Sons of men from the place of his Habitation he beholdeth all the inhabitants of the Earth he fashioneth their hearts alike he considereth all their thoughts Though God resides in Heaven yet he beholdeth all and every of their actions yea their most secret thoughts He fashioneth their hearts alike Sept. One by one He is the former of their Souls as well as their Bodys and knoweth the Operations of their hearts as well as their outward actions Men think otherwise Ezek. 9.9 They say the Lord hath forsaken the Earth the Lord seeth not When he came to mark the Mourners and to distinguish them from the Sinners Psa. 94.7 They say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it These are mens Brutish Atheistical thoughts and so go on and are regardless of the Judgment But then your Judge shall Convince you upon his own knowledge A Judge is not disabled from being a witness The Woman of Samaria said John 4.29 Come and see a man that told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ Christ knoweth all that men do and is able to produce their lives by tale and number even those passages which were most secret there needeth no proof to our Judge for all is open and naked before him 2. The Good Angels may be produced as witnesses they have an inspection over this lower World are Conversant about us in all our ways and are conscious to our conversasations Psa. 91.11 He shall give his Angels charge over thee they shall keep thee in all thy ways Reverence is pressed upon us in Scripture in this respect Eccl. 5.6 Suffer not thy Mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou before the Angel it was an errour All the business is what is meant by the Angel There some understand it of the Angel of the covevenant the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Searcher of hearts who will not be mocked who cannot be deceived
to presume upon the indulgence of that day are such who make a fair profession injoy many outward priviledges As suppose the Jew above the Gentile the Christian above the Jew the Officer or one Imployed in the Church above the common Christian. The priviledge of the Jew was his circumcision the knowledge of the Law and outward obedience thereunto or submission to the rituals of Moses because they were exact in these things they hoped to be accepted with God and to be more favourably dealt with than others The priviledge of the Christian is baptism the knowledge of Christ being of his party and visibly owning his interest in the World they have eaten and drunk in his presence he hath taught in their streets and they have frequented the assembly where he is ordinarily present and more powerfully present Luke 13.26 'T is possible they have put themselves in a stricter garb of religion forborn disgraceful sins been much in external ways of duty given God all the cheap and plausible obedience which the flesh can spare But if all this be without solid godliness or that sound constitution of heart or course of life which the principles of our profession would breed and call for these priviledges will be no advantage to him Well then let the Officer come the Apostle Prophet Pastour or Teacher by what names or titles soever they be distinguished who have born rule in the Church been much in exercising their gifts for his glory have taught others the way of salvation this is their priviledge Mat. 7.22 Lord have we not prophesyed in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy name done many wondrous works Then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Well now if no mans person shall be accepted if not for his profession if not for his Office if not for his external ministrations surely we ought to be strict and diligent and seriously godly as well as others And if we shall all appear before this Holy Just and Impartial Judge we should all pass the time of our sojourning here in fear 2. T is a strict and a just Judgment Acts. 17.30 31. He commandeth now all men every where to repent Because he hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness Now God winketh at every mans faults and doth not take vengeance on them judgeth the World in patience but then all men must give an account those who have refused the remedy offered to lapsed mankind shall have Judgment without mercy And how terrible will that Judgment be when the least sin rendreth us obnoxious to the severity of his revenging justice But those who have heard the Gospel and accepted the redeemers mercy shall also be judged according to their works in the manner formerly explained there is a remunerative Justice observed to them we must give an account of all our actions thoughts speeches affections and intentions that it may be seen whether they will amount to sincerity or a sound belief of the truths of the Gospel and therefore we should be the more careful to walk uprightly before him Matth. 12.36 37. But I say unto you that for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the Judgment for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words shalt thou be condemned Words must be accounted for especially false blasphemous words and such as flow out of the evil treasure of the heart and sadly accounted for For in conferring rewards and punishments God taketh notice of words as well as actions they make up a part of the evidence certainly in this just judgment we shall find that 't is a serious business to be a Christian. But those who have owned the redeemer must esteem him in their hearts above all wordly things and value his grace above the allurements of sense and count all things but dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of their Lord Phil. 3.7 8 9. And glorify him in their lives 1 Thes. 1.11 12. And pass through the Pikes To him that overcometh Rev. 2.26 And resist the Devil and subdue the flesh and vanquish the World There must be doing and there must be suffering there must be giving and forgiving giving out of our estates and forgiving wrongs and injuries visiting the sick and clothing the naked feeding the hungry there must be believing loving mortifying sin perfecting holiness And this is the tryal of those who come under the Gospel covenant which might be easily proved if the thing were not evident of its self Now judge you whether all this should not beget the fear of reverence or caution at least which fear of God should always reign in the hearts of the faithful 3. Gods final sentence is to be passed upon us upon which our eternal estate dependeth Therefore the great weight and consequence of that day maketh it matter of terrour to us We are to be happy for ever or undone for ever our estate will be then irrevocable Where a man cannot err twice there he cannot use too much solicitude According to our last account so shall the condition of every man be for ever What is a matter of greater moment than to be Judged to everlasting joy or everlasting torment Matters of profit or disprofit credit or discredit temporal life and death are nothing to it If a man lose in one bargain he may recover himself in another credit may bewounded by one action and healed in another though the scar remain the wound may be cured If a man die there is hope of life in another World but if sentenced to eternal death there is no reversing of it Therefore now we knowing the terrour of the Lord sue out our own pardon and perswade others to sue out their pardon in the name of Christ to make all sure for the present 4. The execution in case of failing in our duty is terrible beyond expression Because this is the main circumstance and is at the bottom of all I shall a little dilate upon it not to affright you with needless perplexities but in compassion to your souls God knoweth I shall take the rise thus The object of all fear is some evil approaching now the greater the evil is the nearer it approacheth the more certain and inevitable it is and the more it concerneth our selves the more cause of fear there is all these concur in the business in hand 1. The execution bringeth on the greatest evil The Evil of punishment and the greatest punishment the wrath of God the wrath of the eternal Judge who can and will cast body Soul into eternal fire This was due to all by the first covenant will be the portion of Impenitentsinners by the second Heb. 10.31 It s a fearful thing to fâ—ll into the hands of the living God Mark first obstinate and impenitent-sinners do Immediately fall
their angry brow are as graves and furrows yet some have escaped the wrath of kings and worldly potentates as Elijah escaped the vengeance of Jezâ—â—el 1 Kings 19.2 3. The Gods do so to me and more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them to morrow by this time And when he heard that he arose and fled to Beersheba for his life But there is no escaping Gods wrath Rev. 6.16 No avoiding his sight or escaping the stroke of his Justice Psa. 134.7 4. If it particularly concern every one of us a Clap of Thunder in our own Zenith doth more affright us than when 't is at a distance This did once belong to all and it doth still belong to the Impenitent and therefore we should take the more care that we be not of that number and while we are in the state of tryal we cannot be over confident I am sure 't is a sinful confidence that is joyned with the neglect of the means to shun it The dreadful consequence of that day to the wicked 't is in its self a matter of terror to all and to slight this terrour is to turn the Grace of God into Wantoness And it cometh either from unbelief or from a dull stupid senseless Spirit And if it produceth not caution and watchfulness and serious and diligent preparation 't is not a fruit of the assurance of the Love of God but of the security of the flesh I confess 't is a case of Conscience how to make the day of Judgment matter of joy and confidence and matter of terror and caution sometimes we are bidden to reflect upon it with joy and confidence so as we may love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 To lift up our heads because our Redemption draweth nigh Luke 17.28 To rejoice because we shall be partakers of the Blessedness promised 1 Pet. 4.14 At other times matter of fear and terrour These are not contrary The one is to prevent slight thoughts which are very familiar with us The other future perplexities and dejection of Spirit The strictness of our account the dreadful consequence to those that shall be found faulty should not discourage us in the way of duty eternal wrath should not be feared farther than to stir us up to renew our flight to Christ and to quicken us in his service who hath delivered us from wrath to come 2. The persons fearing Paul and his Colleagues together with all the parties who are to be judged That the unspeakable terrour of the Lord is a rational just and equitable ground of fear we have seen already But the doubt is how this could be so to Paul and his Colleagues especially if we consider it mainly as we ought with respect to the execution of punishment or the Wrath of God that shall abide on the impenitent I answer 1. To be only moved with terrour is slavish The wicked may out of fear of Hell be frighted into a little religiousness But Paul was moved by other principles Hope and Love as well as fear see the 14. verse The Love of Christ constraineth us But this among the rest is allowable 't is one of the Spirits motives to quicken us to fly to Christ and to take sanctuary at his grace Heb. 6.18 To ingage us to thankfulness for our deliverance 1 Thes. 1.10 Yea to stir us up to more holy diligence and sollicitude in pleasing God Heb. 13.28 29. The Eternal Wrath of God among other things doth rowse us up to serve him with Godly fear 2. Though Paul and his Colleagues had the Love of God shed abroad in their hearts and were assured of his favour and their everlasting Salvation yet knowing the terrour of the Lord They had a deeper reverence of his Majesty and so afraid to displease him or to be unfaithful in their charge and trust And could not endure that any others should do so Reverence of God as one able to destroy us and cast Body and Soul into Hell Fire is always necessary The fear of reverence remaineth in Heaven in the glorified Saints and Angels and Christ presseth us to this fear Luke 12.3 4. 3. We must distinguish between a perplexing distrustful fear and an aweful preventive-eschewing fear A distracting tormenting fear of Hell or the Wrath of God would weaken our delight in God and therefore the Love of God casts out this fear 1 Joh. 4.18 But now the aweful fear fleeing from wrath to come this doth not destroy peace of Conscience or joy in the Holy-Ghost but gard it rather This only quickeneth us to use those means by which we may avoid so great an evil Instances we have in Scripture Job that was sure that his Redeemer lived Job 19. Yet destruction from the Lord was a Terrour to him Chap. 31. That is he thought himself obliged to use all those means by which he might shun so great an evil So Paul We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens Yet knowing the Terrour of the Lord. 4. There are great reasons why this Terrour should have an influence upon us while we dwell in flesh 1. Because 't was once our due Eph. 3.2 And though we are delivered from it by Gods grace yet still 't is a fearful state which we cannot sufficiently shun and avoid 2dly We still deserve it after grace hath made a change in our Condition There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 Yet many things are condemnable We now and then do those things for which the Wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience we deserve that God should say to us depart ye cursed 3 dly 'T is certainly a great and extream difficulty to get free from so great an evil 1 Pet. 4.18 We cannot get to the harbour but by encountring many a terrible storm and God is fain to discipline us that we may not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 I know I shall be saved but 't is a difficult thing to save me 3. The means how this fear cometh to be raised in us knowing This implyeth three things 1. A clear and explicite apprehension 2. A firm assent 3. Serious consideration 1. A distinct knowledge of this Article of Christs coming to Judgment 1 Thes. 5.2 You your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night 'T is good not only to know things but to know them perfectly for though a man may be saved by an implicite faith as he knoweth things in their common principle yet explicite faith and plenitude of knowledge or seeing round about the compass of any truth conduceth much to the practical improvement of it Instance in the Creation of the World To know the general truth may make me safe but a distinct explication thereof maketh us more admire the Wisdom Goodness and Power of God So for
for the Reprobate World that they may believe I Answer No Faith or Believing is there taken for a more full Conviction that they may be convinced and rendred more inexcusable It is not taken in a strict sence for a saving Comprehension and Receiving of Christ but for a Conviction and Acknowledgment Divisions in the Church usually breed Atheism in the World all is false when so many Ways and Differences So think they Christ is an Impostor the Word a Fable Now this kind of Conviction is not only termed Believing in Scripture but explained Vers. 23. That the World may know that thou hast sent me Nay let us grant that Faith is taken in the highest and strictest sense yet there is a difference between praying for such a thing as may be a likely means of working Faith and praying that they may believe Christ only prayeth that his People may be one that the World may not plead Prejudice at most he doth but obliquely reflect upon the World in that Prayer that they may have means of Conviction but not Grace Christ denieth that the World either hath or ever shall have the Grace of Faith Vers. 25. O Righteous Father the World hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou hast sent me And the special Reason why the Elect have known tho the World have not known is rendred Vers. 26. I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it By which is meant the special manifestation of his Grace given to Believers of all Ages which was given to the Disciples of that present Age and will be given to all future Believers A serious consideration of the Context will refute all these Sophisms Thus I have taken off the Objections Let me handle one Doubt more But if they were absolutely predestinated why doth Christ pray for them I Answer Predestination includeth all things that are necessary to the Salvation of the predestinated and so the Prayers of Christ must be taken in as well as other Means Take an Argument or two why Christ did not could not doth not pray for the Reprobate World This Prayer must either argue 1. A Nescience of his Father's Decrees which cannot stand with the Unity of his Person especially as now in Glory While upon Earth he knew it and approved it that God by an immutable Decree had left some to be justly hardened to their own ruine Mat. 11.25 26. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Or 2. A Contradiction to his Will and express Decree It is true we do not sin by asking a thing contrary to God's Decree as when I ask a Parent 's Life whom God hath determined to cut off by such a Sickness which I know not but if I did it is no rule to me But now God's Decree was a Rule to Christ in his Mediatory Actions as the Moral Law was a Rule to his Moral Actions and therefore when the Decree of God called for one thing and the Moral Law for another Christ was both to shew his Moral Affections and Mediatory Obedience Father let this Cup pass nevertheless not 〈◊〉 I will but as thou wilt Mat. 26.39 There was an innocent desire of Nature but an express Submission to his Father 's Will. 3. Because all Christ's Prayers were to be grounded on a Promise There was an Indenture drawn up between him and his Father he had the Assurance to be heard in whatsoever he asked Psal. 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession John 11.42 I know that thou hearest me always Therefore he must needs exclude the Reprobate World out of his Prayers Observations First Let us look upon it as a Mediatory Action 1. Observe Here was the first solemn Offer of Christ's Meditation between God and Man and therefore upon this place we may ground the Doctrine of his Intercession I pray for them Here I shall speak of First The Person who is the Intercessor Secondly The nature of the Intercession Thirdly The Privileges and Fruits of it First The Intercessor I pray The Syriack twice repreateth the Pronoun I even I pray for them it is not an ordinary High-Priest but I I that am thy beloved and only begotten Son co-eternal and con-substantial with thy self I that have glorified thee upon Earth and done thy work I that am holy and harmless I whose Prayers thou hast promised to hear I who am an authorized Mediator sent into the World for this Purpose There are all these Advantages in the Intercession of Christ let us go over them a little briefly I shall refer them to these Heads the Dignity and Dearness of his Person the Sublimity of his Office the value of his Satisfaction the Articles of the Covenant or the Promise of being heard 1. The Person of Christ and there you have 1. His Dignity he is God-Man and so fit for this Office Job 9.33 Neither is there any days-man between us that might lay his Hand upon us both He communicates with God in the same Nature and we with him He is our Brother and God's Fellow Our Kinsman is in the Court of Heaven pleading for us he appeareth there in our Nature to set on our Salvation we need not be ashamed to go to him nor he to go to God He is of near Alliance to us and to God himself God's own natural Son which doth not only give him a Power to prevail with God but a Sufficiency to do us good None but Christ could serve our turn in this Matter Who can know all our Needs all our Sins all our Thoughts all our Desires all our Prayers all our Purposes and wait upon our Business with God Night and Day that no Wrath break out upon us but Jesus Christ who hath his constant residence in Heaven at his Father's right Hand There is an All-sufficiency required to Intercession as well as Oblation 2. The Dearness of his Person called his dear Son Col. 1.13 the Son of his Love one with him God bids him ask what he will Psal. 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession When Christ came first into Heaven he was to make his Demand He proclaimed it on Earth when Christ was baptized consecrated to God for the Priesthood Mat. 3.17 Lo a Voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased There was such perfect Love and Consent of Mind between God and Christ that if he had never died God could not have denied him any thing 2. The value of his Satisfaction Christ is an Intercessor not by Intreaty but by Merit John 17.4 I have glorified thy Name on Earth I