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1 €M& Ctttcifteu : 1
1 MARROW of "the GOSPEL,!
!£g Evidently holden forth in ^
Seventy two SERMONS
O N T H E >£
Whole Fifty third Chapter of Ifaiab. %
*& WHEREIN J£
^| The Text is clearly and judicioufly opened up, and a great many moft Ap- ^ ^ pofite, profoundly Spiritual, and very Edifying Points of Doctrine, in a ^ *& delegable Variety, drawn from it } With choice and excellent Practical &* ^ Improvements made of them. ^
«£$ ^Vherein aifo feveral Adverfaries of the Truth, as Soeinians, Arminians, Antinomlans, &c. ^ **$ • ate fmartly, folidly and fuccin&ly Reafoned with, and Refuted. $$*
2J Wherein moreover, many Errors in Pra&ice incident to ProfefTors, otherwife Sound and &* 2 Orthodox in their Opinions, are Difcovered ; And not a few grave, deep, and very ^* ^ concerning Cafes of Conscience, foberly and fatisfyingly Difcufled,
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^ By that ableMinifter of the New Teftament, Mr. James Dvrha.m, fometime Minifter of ^* ^5 the Gofpel at Glafgow, and folemnly called, to a publick Profeflion of Divinity in the Uni- ^* ^ veriity there, and aifo his Majefty's Chaplain in Ordinary, when he was in Scotland. S"
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<& i Cor. ii. 2. For I determined not to know any thing among you, fmve Jefus Chrifl, and >£* ^5 him crucified. $&*
^ Gal. iii. i. 0 foolifl) Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye Jbould net obey the truth, S* 4*§ before whefe eyes Jefus Chrifl hath been evidently jet forth, crucified among you? J£
fk«z$ i Cor. i. 23. But rve preach Chrift crucified, unto the Jews a ftumbling-blcck, and unto the $$* "ij Greeks foclijhnefs ; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chris! the &» "^ power of God, and the wifdem of God. ¥*»
^5 2 Cor. v. 21. Fir be hath made him to be fin for us, who insw no fin j that we might be ^" ^ made the righteoufnefs of Gcd in him.
^ 1 Pet. ii. 24* Who his own felf bare cur fins in his own body en the tree, that we being %j£ <$$ dead to Jin, fiyould Jive unto righteoufnefs : by whofe flripes ye were healed. £,
55" Auguflinus in Pfal. 129. Sacerdos nofter a nobis accepit, quod pro nobis o/Ferret : accepit ??* ^ a nobis carnem ; in ipfa came vi&ima pro nobis fa&us eft, holocauftum fa&us eft, facri- 5j) ^ ficium fa&us eft. . . S"
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^ ment-clofs: Aifo at Glafgsw, by ?^» Robert f on, James and 5fo&» #™w*j, and Miftrefs *£
^| ^™w*> Bookfellers ; and at Stirling, by Jra/iaai Anderfon Bookfeller. MDCCXXVI. >*»
'S-C&&J&
Unto all affllfted and Croft-learm? fawns Chrtftians ; and more parikulai)} to the Right Honourable and Truly Nolle Lord, WILLIA-M Earl of CRAWFORD.
IT is one of the greateft practical debates and contefts betwixt God and his own people, privileged with a fpecial intereft in him, which they are nat rally inclined longeft to keep up, and are lotheft to let fallow*. Whether he (hall guide and govern them, and fhape out their lot to them, while they fojourn here in the world, as he himlelf in his own infinite wifdom fhall think fit, having a blank fubmiflion put by them into his hand, to be fil ed up with what kind and quality, with what meafure and quantity, and with what continuance and duration of troubles,, trials and afflictions himfelf pleafetn ? Or, whether he fhould, as to fome things at leaft, ccnfult their will and pleafure, and as it were take their advice, and al- low them a liberty to pre'cribe to him, how he fhould guide and difpofe of them ? And in leed to be here denied to tneir own will,- and abfolutely fubmitted to the will of God, is one of the higheft and moft difficultly practicable pcin s of felf-denial fto which notwiihftanding all the diiciples and followers of Chrift are exprefly called,, and wherein he ha' h great delight and complacency, as favoujingftrongof intife truft and confidence in him) Yet, if we confider thefe few things, it will be found that there is all the reafon in the world, why they fhould come in his will, and iweetly fubmit themfelv?s to it in all things, how crofs foever to tneir own inclination, without any the lead finful relu&ation or contradiction ; which is our pri- vilege, and the reftoration of our degenerated nature to its divine and primitive integrity.
Firft, If it be confdercd, that he hath mod fovereign, abfolute and incontroulable dominion over you, as the potter hath over the clay ; for ye are the clay, and he is the \Potter : Nay, he hath more abfolute dominion over you than the potter hath over the clay, for the potter maketh not the clay, both the clay and the potter being made by him-,- but he hath made you, and not you your pelves ; ye are all the work of his hands, Pial. ioo. 3- Ifa. 64. 8. He hath made you living creatures, rational creatures, and new creatures ; If any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5. 1 7. which is the very flower of the creation : And ye are 'his workmanjbip, created in Chrift Jefiis unto good works, Eph. 2. ro. If therefore it be unfuit- able and incongruous for the clay to fay to him that fajbioned it, What make ft thou ? or for a man's work to fay to him, that he hath no hands, Ifa. 45-9- it's fure much more for you to . fay to your great Potter and Fafhioncr, What makeft thou of us ? why dealeft thou fo and Co with us ? Wo to him that ftriveth with his Maker ; let the potftoeards ftrive with the potjh cards cf the earth : Hath not the potter power over the clay ? And are you not in the hand of the Lord, as the clay is in the hand of the f otter ? Rom. 9. 21." Jer. 18. 6. He might have made you veffels to diftscnour, veffels of wrath, fitted for deftruBion, without being juftly chargeable Avith any injury done to you ; and when he hath, in the foverei^nty of his molt won.lerful free grace, made you veffels to honour, and veffels of mercy , which he hath afore prepared unto glory, will ye dare to quarrel with him for difpofing in his own way of y cur external con- dition in this world, and of thefe moveables and acceffories that are wholly extrinfick, and not at alleflential to your falvation and true happinefs ? (For, let all the pleafnres, riches and honours of the world, even all the delights of the fons of men, in their verv extract, fpirits and quinteflence, and when in a manner diftill'd in a lembick, till they be made to evaporate the pureft perfumes of their utmoft perfections, be heaped on the Chriftian ; as they make him no> .better Chriftian, nor make any addition at all to his true happinefs ; fo, when he is deplumed and dripped naked of them all, every bird as it were of thefe earthly comforts taking back again from him its own feather, he is made never a wThit the worfe Chriftian, nor his hnnpinels in the leaft impaired) It were certainly much more becoming you to fay„ It is the Lord, who can do us no wrong, and who hath undefervedly done us much good j, let him do to us what feemeth good in his fight. a z &**
tv The Efiftle ^Dedicatory.
Secondly, If it be confidered, that he is of infinite wifdom, and knows much better what is good for you,, than ye do your felves, who often miflake what is good for you,, thro* 'our corruption, ignorance, partiality or prejudice ; but he, by the molt abfolute perfection of his bleffed nature, is infinitely removed from all poflibility of miftaking what is good in itfelf .or good for you : And if you will adventure your eft ate and livelihood in the world on able'and faithful lawiers, when ye your felves are much unacquainted with, and ignorant of law, and are difpofedto think that the fuit that is commenced againft you will ruine you, while* they think otherwife,- and if you will commit your health and life to skilful and painful phyficians or chrurgeons, and receive from the one many unpleafant and lothfom potions and pills, and fuffer from the other fuch painful incifions and injections, fuch fearchings, lancings and pan- cings, fuch fcarifications, cauterizings and amputations ; from all which ye have fo great an flverfation, if not abhorrency : Will ye not much rather and much more confidently commit the conduct and care of your felves, and of all that concerns you, to him, ofwhofe tmderfian- ding there is no fear ch, as to what is good for his own people, and whofe faithfulnefs in his dealing with them, reacheth to the very chads, and izeverfaileth ? PfaL 36, 5.. Pfal. 89. 33. The skilfulleft of thefe may miftake, none of them being infallible ; and the moft faithful of tjiem may poflibly at fome times and in fbme things be found unfaithfully neglective, none of them being perfect : But it is fimply impoflible for him, either to miftake or to be unfaithful ; for otherwife he fhould deny himfelf,and fo ceafe to be God; whereof once to admit the thought, is the highefl blafphemy.. Let therefore your confident trufting of men in their refpective profeflions and callings, make you blufh at, and be afhamed of your diftruflings and jealoufings of God, .and of your quarrellings with him, even when ye know not for the time what he is doing with you, and when what is done would have been none of your own choice, but doth very much thwart and crofs your natural inclination. Is it not enough that he is infinitely wife in himfelf, and for you ? may you not therefore fafely trull: in him, and with unfolicitous confi- dence, commit the conduct of your felves and of all your concerns to him, as knowing that he cannot himfelf be milled, nor mifgovern you ? may you not in faith,without diftruftful and per- plexing fear, follow him, as faithful Abraham followed him, not knowing whither he went , Heb. 11. 18. and call: all your care on him, who car eth for you, 1 Pet. 5. 7. and hath made it your great care to be careful for nothing, Phil. 4. 6. and thus evenfing care away.
Thirdly, If it be confidered, that ye have in your own experience (as the reft of the people ©f God have in theirs) found, that in all his bypaft deajings with you, even thefe that for the time were moft afRicting, his will and your true welfare have been unfeparably joined toge- ther, and that but very feldom and rarely your own will and welfare have tryfted together ; fb that ye have been conftrained, when at your [elves and in cold blood, to blefs him that you got not your will in fuch and fuch things, however for the time ye were difpleafed with the v* ant of it, and have been made to think, that if ever ye had any good days or hours along your pilgrimage, your moft croffed and afflicted ones, wherein God took moft of his w ill, and gave^ youleaft of your own, have been your befl days and hours: Dare you fay, upon feriousand juft reflections,, that it hath been otherwife ? or that ye have not reafon, as to all bygone crofs- proyidences-,even the moft apparently crufhing ofthem,fince the day that ye were firlt brought wnder the bond of his covenant.to this day, to let up as it were your ftone, and to call it Eben- <szer, T he flow of hety , faymg,Hitherto the Lord hath helped us? 1 Sam. 7. 12. May you not, and fhould you not then humbly and confidently truft him, that ye fhall thro' grace have rea- fon as to prefent and future ones, how fadly and furprizingly fbever they are or may be circum- Aantiated, to fay, Jeftovah-fireh, the Lord will fee or provide} Gen. 22. 14. O but it be 2 Iweet, pleafant, fpiritually wholfom and refrefhful air that breathes in that walk betwixt Eben- tzer- and Jehovah- fir eh, wherein a few turns taken by the moft afflicted Chriitans in their ie- xieus, compofed, fpir&ual and lively contemplation, would., thro' God's bleffing, very much
CQifc
the Epiftle Dedicatory. v
Contribute quickly to reconcile them to all their refpective crofles, how crofs focver, and to the keeping of them in better, firmer, and more conftant fpiritual health !
Fourthly, If it be confidered, that by your pcttifh, fretful, male-contented and unfubmiflive contendings, drivings and ftrugglings with him, ye will not help' your felves, ye may well make your own burden the more uneafy, and your chain the heavier ; Should it be according to your wind ? J.ob^34- 33. Shall the earth be forfaken for you ? or fa all the rock be removed out of his place} Job 18. 4. Will ye dif annul his judgment} will ye condemn him, that ye may be righteous} Job 40. 8. Will ye ftnve againft him, who giveth not account of any of his mas- ters} Job 33. 13. Will ye tax his wifdom, as if he did not underftand what is convenient for you ? Will ye teach God knowledge ? Job. 21.22. Is it fit that he mould come down to your will, rather than ye mould come up to his } mall God change and break all his wifely laid meafures and methods of governing his people, and take new ones to gratify your peevim hu- mours ? He v\ ill not be diverted from his purpofe ; When he is in one. way, who can turn him > what his foul de fir eth, that he doth ; for he performeth tjoe thing that is appointed for you, Job 23. 13, 14. Heis more juft to himfeff (to Ipeak foj and more merciful to you,than to degrade as it were his infinite wifdom fo far, as to fufter himfelf to be fwayed againft the dictates of it, by fuch fhort-fighted and forward tutors as you ; the great Phy flcian of fouls is more companionate and wife than to permit his diftempered, and fometimes even in a manner detracted patients,. to prefcribe their owacourfe of phyfick ; but he will needs do, what he thought fit and refol- ved to do, whether ye choofe, or whether ye refufe, Job 34. 33. only he would (to fay fo} have your confent unto, and your approbation of what he doth, for the greater peace and tran- quillity of your minds : Surely therefore it is meet, meekly and fubmiffively, to be f aid to Godr whenever and however he chaftifeth, i" have horn chaftifement ,■ I will not offend any more 5 t.Joat which I know not, teach thou me ; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more, Job 34.. 31, 32. It is the fureft and fhorteft way to get our will, in fo far as may be for our well, to allow him to take his own will and way with us ; for he hath a fpecial complacency in this,an& therein gives wonderful vent to the bowels of his tender coinpaflion toward his chaftifed and "humbly fubmiffive children : Surely (faith he) / have heard Ephraim bemoaning himfelf thus * Zfhou haft chaftifed me, and I was chaftifed, as a bullock unaccuftomed to the yoke : turn thou me, and I ft all be turned ; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned \ I repented, and after that I was inftrucicdy Ifmote upon my thigh : I was ajhamed, yeax even confounded, becaufe I did bear the reproach of my youth. . Is Ephraim my dear fon ? is he a pie af ant child} for fince Ifpake againft him, I do eameftly remember him ft ill* there- fore my bowels are trotibled for him ; I willfurely have mercy on him, faith the Lord, Jer, 31. 18, 19, 20. Thus, when ye come fubmiflively to his hand, he comes as it were fweetly to yours : And as ye gain nothing by your driving with him, fo ye lofe nothing, but gain much, by your foft ftooping and filent fubrriitting to him ; If ye humble your felves in the fight of the Lord, he fhall lift you up, Jam. 4.10. Humble your felves • therefore under the' mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, 1 Pet. f.'S*.
Fifthly, If itbe confidered, that yeftand in need of all the troubles and afflictions that ye meet with; whenever^ are in he 'avinefs through one or mo, or manifold temptations, it is< alway, and only, if need be, 1 Pet. 1. 6. And if ye be wTell feen in the ftate and pofture of your foul-affairs, what graces of the Spirit are to be quickned and drawn forth into more lively and ;. vigorous exercife, , what of thefe precious fpices in your gardens are to be blown upon, not only by the more gentle and foft fouth- winds, of confolations, but alfo by the more fharp and nip- ping north-winds of afflictions, and to be beaten as it were in the mortar thereof, that they may fend forth their pleafant and fragrant fmell ; what religious duties are either much negle- cted, or but very lifelefly,. coldly, formally ■, lazily, fuperficially and heartlefly performed, and fe) what a higher pitch and peg of fpirituality in the manner of performing them they are to be •
$] The Bpifile ^Dedicatory.
skrewed up ; what lufts and corrup ions are to be further mortified and fubdued ; how little your hypecri{y3 your felf-love andielf-feeking, your pride, paflion, impatience, unpliableneis and unfubmittednels to the will of God, your carnalnefs, earth ly-mindednefs, your immoderate and inordinate love to tie things of the world, your murmuring and fretting at, yuur diflatisfo- . £tion and diLontent with your prefenc lot ; how little thcfe and many other corruptions are cru- cified and brought at under : If, I fay, ye be well feenand verfed in the knowledge of your fpjrkual condition, ye will upon ferious and thorow reflections find, tha!: ye (land in need of every affliction ye meet with, as to all the circum (lances thereof, or, if ye do not, info far ye aye unacquainted with, and ftrangers to your felves, and to the (late and poflure of your fpiritual ahai: s ; nay, ye will eafily find, that all, even your heavieif. erodes and afflictions, have enough ado to work you up to what you mould be at ; and tho' fometimes ye may be difpo fed to think that ye could hardly bear any more, yet ye wi!l upon due fearch find that ye could have wanted nothing of what ye have met with, without a greater prejudice than ihe crofs hath brought along with it. We are naturally frowar i and peevifh, bent to fretfulnefs and difcontent, inclining rather to reftlefs endeavo' ring to have our lot brought up to our fpi- rits, than to be at fuitable pains :o have our (pints brought down to our lot,and therefore have much need to be tamed and calmed by the crofs , this rigged and uneafy temper of fpirit being the great hinderer, yea oppofite of that flayed and fweet contentation of heart with and in every flate, which is the very life of a Chriftian5s life, confifimg /as the Lord faith) not in the abundance of the thin'gs which we pojjefs, Luke 12. 15. but in our fatishednefs with them, whether abundant or not : To the attaining unto which ble^ed temper,^ the fhorteft cut, and moA compendious way, is, in the firft place, to be well-pleafed and latisned with God himfelf, and with a folidly (ecured intereft in him ; and to endeavour, in the next place, to be well- pleafing in his fight, to be gracious in his eyes, to (land well in his 1 noughts, even to do al- ways thefe things that pleafe him, John B. 29. to which defirable frame of foul, if we were once thro5 grace brought (whereto our beari ig of the yoke, and putting our fhoulders under the crofs, is not a little'thro' God's blefflng contributive) O how good-natured then and eafy to pleafe would we be found to be, and how ready to conftrue well of all that he doth to us ! feldom out of humour, fo fpeak fo. Now, if we ftand in need of all the afflictions we are tryfted with, in all their moft fad and forrowful ciroumflances (as certainly we do, becaufe God, who cannot lie or miftake, hath faid it) why fhould we not fubmit our felves to his will in meafuring them out to us? or what jufl reafon can there be to be diffatisfied with, or to complain of God's gi ing to, or ordering that for us, whereof we fla^d in need, and which we cannot want, without being confiderably prejudged andworfted by the want?
Sixthly, If it be confidered^tbat in all your chaftifements and affictions God is gracioufly driving theblefled de%iofyour fpiritual good and profit, making them all to work together for that defirable end, caufin? than turn toyfonrfapoation, thro' the help of the prayers of others of his people, and thefupply of the Spirit of Jefus Chrifi, Rom. 8. 28. Phil. 2. 19. Gi- ving you affurance by his faithful word ofpromife, that thereby your 'iniquity fi all be purged, and that this frail be all the fruit (O flrange and admirable condefcenfion of grace! all the fruit I) to take away fin, Ifa. 27. 9. and that'he will not chaftife you as parents according to the flejh do their children, to wit, for their own plea ft/re ; who,, however they may have a general defign of good to their children in their chaftifing of them, yet, thro5 a remamder of corruption in thebefl of them, they are often fub jetted to fuch hurries and tranfportsof pafTi- ©n, when it comes to the ad of chaflifement, that they much forget to confult the good and advantage of the chaftifed child, and too much gratify their own pleafure and humour ; but that he will chx.ufc for your profit, that ye way be made partakers of his holinefs, Heb. 12. 10 Now, if this be his defign in chaftifing, and if this be the promifed fruit of your chaftife- ments and aiRi&ions. why fhould ye not therein fubmit to his pleafure, which hath your ov\ n ~ profit
The Eft file Dedicatory. \\\
profit infeparably joined within it, if ye your feives do not finfully lay obft ructions in the way thereof, as o'therwile, fo particularly by your being diipleafed with this his pleaiure, which yet his grace in his own people foffers not to be invincible nor final ? I do not fay,that our chaflii'e* ments and afflictions do of themielves produce this profit, and bring forth this fruit ; for alas i we it ay from doleful experience have ere now arrived^ at a (ad perfwalion, that we arc proof againft all applications, excepting that of fovereign, efficacious and all-difficulty-conquering free grace, and that nothing will do at us fave that alone ; whatever means be made u;e of, this only mull: be the efficient producer of our profit : It is apiece of God's royal and incommunicable prerogative, which he hath not given out of his own hand to any di'penfation, whether of ordi- nances, never fo lively, and powerful in themielves ; or of providences, never fo crofs, loudly alarming and clearly (peaking, abftractly from his own blefling, effectually to teach to profit , Ifa. 48. 1 7. a::d therefore he doth (as well he may) claim it to himielf alone, as -his peculiar privi- vilege, while he faith, / am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit. Since then this is his deiign in all the chaftifements inflicted on his own people, and fince he only by his grace can make it infruftrably take effect, let him have our hearty allowance and approbation, to carry it on vigoroufly arjd fuccesfully ,• and let us pray more frequently and fervently, that, by his effectually teaching, our profiting may be made more and more to appear under our chaftife- ments ,* and withal, in the vault it tide of our fad thoughts about them, let his comforts delight cur fouls, and this comfort* in particular, that in them all he gracioufly defigns and projects. our profit, even the making of us more and more to partake of his holinefs.
Seventhly , If it be confidered, that all our trials and troubles are but of time-continuance, ' and will period with it ; they are but for afeafon, 1 Pet. 1. 6. yea., but for a moment ; 2 Cor, "4. 17. He will not contend for ever, knowing well, if hefhould do (6, thefpirits would fail before him, and the fouls which he hath made, Ifa. 57. 16. Tho' they fhould follow clofs on
!fOU, and accompany you to your very dying day, yet then they will leave you, and take their all: good-night and everlafting farewel of you ; forrow andfighing will then for, everfiy aways and all tears on whatever account fio a 11 then be wiped from your eyes, Raw?- 17. and 21. 4. It is a great alleviation and mitigation of the moft grievous affliction, and 6fthe bittereft and moll: extreme forrow, to think, that not only it will have a term-day and- $f ate of expiration, but it will quickly, in a very fhort time, even in a moment, be over and zi an end (as a holy martyr laid to his fellow-fufferer in the fire with him, It is but winking, fyind our pain and forrow is all over) and that there fhall be an eternal tack of freedom fromjit ; and that ever- iailing folace, fatisfaction, and joy without the leaft mixture of forrow ani|fadncfs, fhall fuc- ceed to it, and come in the room thereof: It is but for the little (pace of tfreefccrc years and;. I ten, or fourfcore, Pfal. 90. 10. (which length moft people never come) that his people are*' fbbjected to trouble ; and what is that very fhort moment and little point oftime, being com- pared with a vail: and incomprehenfibly long eternity ? in refpect of whichy# thoufand years, are but as one day, or as a watch in the night, when it is paft, Pfal. 90. 4!- And no doubt the little while's trouble, fadnefs and forrow of fojourning and militant faints, is, in the depth .of divine wifdom, ordered fo, that it may the more commend and endear that blefled calm and tranquillity, that fulnefs of pureft joys, and thefe moft perfect pleafures at his right hand, that triumphant faints mail for evermore enjoy.
v Eighthly, If it be confidered, that all along the little moment that your trials and afTlicti-' ons abide with you, they are, even the faddeft and moft fevere of them, moderate, and thro* his grace portable and light; In mcafure he debateth with you, and ft ays his rough wind in. the day of his eaft wind, Ifa. 27.8. And whatever difficulty ye fometimes find under fore pre£ lures, to get it folidly and practically believed, yet God is faithful who hath promifed, and. will not puffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able, but will with the temptation mak£ a way to efcape, that ye may be able to bear it, 1 Cor. iq, 1 3. He is a God of judgment
(Ife,.
I
viii 7*he Epiftle ^Dedicatory.
(Ifa. 5c. 18.) and difcretion, that fuits bis peoples burdens to their backs, and wifely propor* tions their {traits to their flrength : He pits not new wine into old bottles, Mat. 9. 1 7. neither doth be break the bruifed reed, Ifa. 42. 3. and even when he hides his face, and is wroth wit Jt lois children, and [mites them for their iniquity, Ifa. 42. 17, 18. it is only fatherly wrath ; And however dreadful that may be, and difficult to be born, yet there is nothing vindictive in it ,* it is a Father's anger, but contempered with a Father's love, where alfo love predomines in the contemperature. And indeed the moil extreme, and the very heavieil of ail our affli- ©ns, are moderate, and even light, being compared, ift, With what your fins deferve, ex- ceedingly far beneath the defert whereof ye are punife.ed, Ezra p. 23. even fo far, that ye may without all compliment moil truly fay, 'That it is becailfe his companions fail not, that ye are not confirmed, Lam. 3. 22. that ye are kept out of hell, and free from everlailing burnings, to which your many, various, and grievoufly aggravated provocations, have made you moil juilly liable : So that ye have reafon to think any affliction, fhort of everlafting deilruction from the prefence of God, to be a highly valued piece of moderation, and to fay, Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the pwiifhment of his fin'i Lam. 3. 39. We will bear the indignation of the Lord, becaufe we have finned againft.him, Mic. 7. 9. zdly, With what others of the people of God have readily met with ; for we have not refifted to the blood, Jlri- ving againft fin, Heb. 12. 4. We have it maybe all this while been but running with the foot- men, when they have been put to contend with horfes, Jer. 12. 5^ idly, With what our ielves have fometimes dreaded and been put to deprecate, when horrid guilt hath flared us in the face, and when God apprehended to be very angry, even threatning to fmite us with the wound of an enemy, and with the chaftifement of a cruel one, to run upo?i us a giant, to break * II our bones ; And again to pew hi mfelf marvellous upon us, by taking us by the neck, and* flaking us in pieces, Jer. 30. 14. Job 1 6. 14. & 12. Job. 10. 16. A-thly, With what our ble£- ied Lord Jefus fufrered for his people, who, all the while he fojourned here on earth, was a Ma-nofjorrows, and acquainted with grief , Ifa. 53.-4. and might moil juflly have faid, be- yond all men, / am the man that hath feen affliction by the rod of his wrath : Is there any for- row like unto mine, in the day when the Lord hath affliBed me ? And, jthly, Being compared with that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory , which they work for youf^z Cor. 4. 24. Seeing then that the fharpefl and foreft of your afflictions are, in thefe and many other refpects, very moderate, gentle, eafy and light ; is there not reafon why ye fhould in them, -without grudging, fweetly fubmit your felves to his will, heartfomly faying, It might have keen much worfe, this hlls infinitely fhort of what we have defer ved, bleffed be God that it is only thus, and no worfb.
Ninthly, If it be confidered, that often, when in any more than ordinary fjaritual and lively frame of foul, ye have in prayer defired the Lord, that he would take any way^and make ufe of any means he pleafed (wherein your fin might not be) to make you more ferious in the cxercife of godlinefs, more effectually to mortify your corruptions, and to further your confor- mity to his ima^e in holinefs ; and that ye fhould thro3 his grace be content, putting as it were a. blank in his band, to be filled up as him elf in his own infinite wifdom fhould think fit, de- claring that ye were fatisried, on tne terms propofed by Jefus Chrifl, to be his difciplcs, and to take up not only a crofs, or the crofs in general, but, Mat. 16. 24. your crofs in particular, the crofs that fhould be fhaped out for you, however circumilantiated : And when under fome Very fad affliction, he on the matter befpeaks thus, I am now about to grant you your own defire, tho5 it may be in fuch a way, and by fuch a mean, as either would have been none of your own choofing, had it been left to your choice, or poffibly fuch as ye did not think of; will ye be difpleafed with me, or miftake my hearing of your prayers, fulfilling of your petitions, and granting you according to your own heart's defire, becaufe I do it in my own way,and by means uf my own cjbooflng, wherein ye left and allowed me a latitude, and not in your way and by
your
*The Efiftle 'Dedicatory. he
^our means, which ye then reno- need, a: not thinjong your felves competent judges thereof ? Alasi here we ? ndatbefl! to border upon a practical rewing, retracting, and lifting
up again of the blank fu htch we profefled to lay down before him : and to fay, by
our. fretting, rep- erate beavihefs#and defpondency of feint, that
we were fomewo I not fo well advif d, when we (ub'cr be : and gave in fuch a fub-
miffion and furreuder of our lei1 es to him ; that we did not think he would have taken f ch advantage of us, or would have put > s thus lore to it ; .and that, if we had thought he would have done lb, we would have been better ad vifed, before we had thus fubnitted to h.'m, and with our own consent put our (elves in his reverence; and that, if it had been any thong but this, we ceu'd have born it (whereas he farh, Nothing but this) Whereby we do not only, not a little reflect upon hi n, as dealing ur kindly, and doing what we would not have expected at hi: hand ; but "alfq make a lad 2nd humbling difcovery of much" unfoundnefs in our felves, as to our oilc. ing up of fuch general defires, and as to our making of fuch abfb- lute fubmimYns to him ■ Lei us therefore, in order to the juftifying of him as both righteous and kind, and to the vindicating of our itlvts, at Jeaft from allowing of any unfoundnefs, diflimulation,, or ■ nfar and meerly compliirental dealing -with God, in our iubmitting our [elves to him in the general, wi hout any Sut's or If's, any rcCtriciiom or exceptions, hold at the fubmiflion given ; fharply expoflulating .with, and feveely chiding our felves for this diicovered practical contradictkHi and contravention ,* and we ihall find that he hath done nothing unworthy of himfeff, nor in rhe lead prejudicial to us, but what is according to our own moft deliberate defires, and grearly to our advantage.
It were a very wide miftake, if,from what is difcourfed in this Confiderat ion pay fhould con- clude, that we intend either to commend or allow Chriftians praying directly andexprefly for crofTes and afflictions, let be for fuch and fuch afflictions in particular : For,befide that we nei- ther find it commanded in the fcriptures, nor allowedly Tit at all) precedented or pracufed by the faints recorded there, and that it Teems to be a finful limiting- of the fovereign God to a Jar mean: We may ealily know,from fad experience,with what difficulty, repining and fainting we of en bear thefe crofTes and afflictions that we are moll clearly called to take on, find that are unavoidably laid upon us ; and how lamentably little for moil: part we profit by them : What hope or affurance could we then have,thatwTe fhould either carr-y chriftianly under, or make Ratable improvement of fuch crofTes ar we mould unwarrantably feek, and pray for to our felves? It is true, we find Tome of rhe faints, and thefe,flars of the mdt magni- tude, ps Mofrs, jfcb3 Eli as, David and &onas, in their diflempered mal-content or fainting fits, naMionately, .prepofteroufly and precipitancy praying, or rather wifhing for death (for which they were not for the time in Co good cafe } but that was not for death under the . of affli&ion. but rather to prevent future and further -afflictions, or to have a period! put to prejently in:umben: ones. If it fhould here be fad, Why may not fa:nts pray for af- Bfclions, fmce they feem to be promiTed in the covenant of grace, zs^Pfal. 890:0, *i, 92. Hof. 2. 6, 7. and v. 14. and Tmce God hath gracioufly promifed to blefsall the afflictions/ of his people, and to make them turn to their Tpiritual good,pn Strand advantage, as Rc>; and Heb. 1 2. 10. end el Where? To thefirft part of the ob'p&mt, it may be briefly anfivered, Thatthcfe, and other fuch, are not properly and formally promifes of the coven nt of grace, out rather ; covenant-threatnings (Sor the covenant of grace ha:h its- own threatnitjgs, fuited to .the nature thereof, as well as the covenant ofWbrtt ' no fay To) in cove-
nant-grace and mercy : And to the other part of it as briefly , That God hath promifed to blefs and to caufe to profit by fuch afflictions and c imfcif thinks fit to inqjct and
lay on, but notthefe which weTeek and pray for to our felves : Nei her doth that fcripture, tPfal. 11 9. *>• -5. I know that in faithfulness then jkift affiicled me, fay any thing to- wards itrcngthning the objection,or invalidating the anfwW given to it ; for,the P&lmift only
b there
X T'he Epifle dedicatory.
there humbly and thankfully acknow ledgeth God's faithfulness in fulfilling, his threatning, in afflicting him when he went aflray ; and in performing his promife, in blefling his affliction to him ibr preventing his after-flraying, and making him earn better to keep his command- ments; in both which he is faithful.. AH that is either expreit or meant in this confederation, - is,That the faints often pray God,ihat he would take his own way, and uk his own means to bring about theie great ends mentioned; Wherein theie is indeed at fetft a tacitc iniinuation that if he in his wifdom fee it meet to make ufe of the rod and affliction in order thereto, that tley v, ill not allow themfelves to decline the fame, nor to miftake him in it ; but that rather the;, frail through grace he fatisfied with, and bids him for fulfilling their petitions, and gran- tii g them according to their own hearts cie£re5,tho, k be by fuch means : W'hich is not pray- ing for afflictions, but a refolvecf and declared fubmiflion to infinite \V ifdom's love-choice of his own midies to eflectuate and bring to pafs.ths prayed-for ends.
*tmtbly, If it be cenjldered, that it now neither grieveth nor troubleth any of all the glori- fied, triumphing, and palm-bearing company before the throne of God, and of the Lamb, that tl ey were excrciied with fo many and fo great trials and tribulation \, while they were here be- low' : It troubleth not John the 'Baptifi, that he was imprifoned, bafely murdered and behead- ed there in a hole, without having accels to give any publLk teftimony before his death, and at the deiire of a wanton dancing damfel, thro' the infligation of her adulterous and ince- ftuous mother : Nor Stephen (commonly called the ^rote-martyr) that he was itoned to death as a blafphemer, for giving teftimony to the moft precious- and comfortable truth of Chrift's being the Mejjiah : Nor Tatil, that he was thriceheaten with rods, and received five times forty tripes iave one; that he was info many perils by fea and land, in the cky, in the country, and in the wildernefs, by the heathen, by his own country-men, and by faife bre- thren ; that he was floned, and fullered all theie other things, whereof he gives us an hiftori- cal abridgment in his id Epift. to the Corinthians., chap. 1 1 . Nor doth it trouble any of all thek worthies, of whom the world was not worthy, that they were cruelly mocked, imprifo- ned,. fcourged, tortured, or tympanized and racked, ftoned, tormented, fawn aftyider, killed with the iword, tempted, driven to dens and caves of the earth, and put to wander up and down in fheep-skins and goat-skins, whofe martyrology the apoftle briefly compendeth, Hcb* i rv. Nor doth it trouble any other of all the martyrs, faints and fervants of Jefus, who have in the feveral ages of the Church fuftered fo many and fo great things while 'they wTere here in the world ; nay, all thefe their fufrerings go to make up a confiderable part of their fong of prarie in heaven (where the hiftory of thefe wars of and for the Lord, will be very plea! ant to them to readj however fore and bloody they wTere on earth) And not only fb, but thefe of them who have fi.fi ered moft, wonder much that they have fuffered fo litt'e, and that they are come to fo excellent and glorious a kingdom, thorow fo little tribulation in the way to it : Believe it, there v. ill he as much matter of thankfgiving and praife to God found treafured up- ■under the p.'yesand foldings (to fay fo) of the moft crofs and afflicting providences that ever the people of God met with here in the world, as under thefe that for the time were more fir; ij ing and fatisfying ; Let us then, valuing all things we meet with, according to the afpect they have on cur Spiritual and eternal ftate (which is fure the jufteft and fafeli valuation of them ) heartily allow him to take his own will and way in afflicting us.
Ek "Jentbly, If it be conjidered, that as this fubmiflion to the will of God, in crofs and afTli- fiing providences, is chronicled in thefacrcd records, to the perpetual commendation of feve- xal of the faints ,• namely, of Aaron, of whom it is faid, when God had (lain his two fons in a flrange and fiupcndious manner, even by fire from heaven, for their prefumptuous offering of flrange fire before him, tfo t he held his peace, Lev. 10. 3. Of old Eli, when he received a fad jxieflage concerning him'elf and his hcufeby the hand of young Samuel^ who faid^. It is th% iwdj let tm do what Jeemetb bipf&ccd, 1 Sam. 3. 18, Of Job, after,.. by four feveral mef-
-finger*
the Epiftle 'Dedicatory. 3d
Fengers (each of them coming immediately upon the back of the other, fo that he fcarcely got leave to Lreaihe betwixt, or the ibrmer to rajah his lamentable narration) the terribly alarming tidings were br< ught him, concerning the plundering of his oxen and aiTes by the Sabeahs, and the killing of his lervsnts w ith the fword ; concerning the confuming of his iheep and fer vants bv the fire of God tailing from heaven upon them"; concerning the carrying away of his ca- ncels, and the killing cf his fervants by the Caldeans ; and concerning the Imctheiing to death s (ons and daughters, v>hilc feaftingtegerhrr, by the falling of the houfe upon them; v ho laid, The Lordgweth, and the Lord taketh #m&g> blejjed be the N*m oj the Lord-, In ell this not firming, nor charging God foclifnly, Job r. 21, 22. Of iD avid, who, in a croud of crofles, faith to God, Inas dumb, I opened not my nwitib, becaujetkou didfi it, P&l. 3?, 9. 2 Sam. 1 5. 25, 26. and who, when forced to flee from Jerusalem by frs unnatural and re-
s fon Abfaiom, and fending back the ark thither, with admirable compofure and fweet fioc ] fag cf foul, iaid, If I pall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he <mU bring me again,
m me both it and his habitation : But if he fay thus, I have no delight in thee, beheld, « here am I, let him do with me asfeemeth good to him : Of Hezehah, when that heavy mef-
as brought to him by the prophet Ifaiah concerning the Bahylwip capvi 1 it". , v hereia
a! posterity were to have their deep mare ; who laid, Gccd is the word of the Lord which thou haftfpeken ; who faid moreover, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days > 3. Kings 20. 1 9. if the threatned doom ancUentence (hall be for a while fufpended, and not pre- fentjy execute: And of thefe Chriftians, who, after they had with much weeping earnestly intreated the apoftle Taul, defervedly very dear to them, not to go up to Jerufalem, where tht p: cphet y?gab us had foretold he mould be apprehended and put in bonds, and perceived
e \ a inflexibly refolved at any rate of hazard to go thither, ceafed, and fubmimvely faid, Tie-will oj the Lord be done, Acts 21. 14. As, I fay, k is thus chronicled to their commenda- tion, fo it is a piece of moil beautiful and amiable conformity to the practice of our blefled Lord Jeius, of v.hom we ought to be followers as dear children (Eph. 5. 1.) in all thefe things, wherein he is propofed as a Pattern for our imitation, who in a great and grievous agony of trouble, and when moil: terribly affaulted.by a ftrong combination of crofs and afflicting -pro- vidences, and after conditionate deprecating of that bittereft cup and blacked hour, plealant- ly, (weedy and fubmiilhely. fubjeined, and faith to Lis Father, JSeverthelefs net my null, bub thine be done ; Not as I will, but as thou wilt, L^ke 22. 4.2. Mat. z6. 32.
Twelfihiy and finally, If it be confdered, that when the whole contexture and web of pro- vidences, and more eipeciaily about the cacholick, vifible, militant Church, and every indivi- dual member thereof, fhali be wrought out, and in its full length and breadth (as it wTere) fpread forth in the midft of all the redeemed, perfected, glorified and triumphant company of air.rs, Uanding round about, and with admiration beholding it ; there will not be found (to fay fo) one mifplaced threed, nor one wrong-fet colour in it all, but every thing will be found to have fallen in. in the fitted place, and in the mod beautiful feafon and order thereof: O fo rare, Co RBiatkable, fo renowned and fo ravifhing a piece, as it will by them all unanimoufly, and. with ore voice, be judged and declared to be, even worthy of the mod excufiteart and infinite skill ©f the great Wnker thereof! The fevered criticks, and mod difficultly fetisfia le of them all, about mere publick and more particular crofs providences,will then fully and to the height be farisn"ed,and willall,without any the lea ft heiltation or jarring3readily and cheer- I ear him this concordant tedimony , that he hath done all things well, Mark 7. 37. every thing hi particular, and ail things in general, tho*, when he was a doing of them, they often prefumptuoufly took upon them raihly to cendre, a»d to of er their impertinent and crabbed arimadverlions on, and their amendations and alterations of feveral of them; and will moil: cordially blcls him, that he wrought en in his own way, about 1 is Church, and each of them- fdves, without confuting them, or following their way, which would l&ve quite marred the
b * beauty,
. xii tfhe Epiftk 'Dedicatory.
beauty, and darkned the luftre and fplendour of that molt clofs and curious divine contexts- Everyone of thefe confiderations hath much reafon iri it, to perfwadeto this indre and ahfo- lute fubmiffion to God's will ai^d pieafure, in what is cfojsto you, afflicied and forrowful Chri" itians ; but O how much weight and ftrength of found (piritual reafon is there in them all united together (hemic the many other excellent confiderations, diTperfed up and down thefe choio2 Sermons, faffed hill with ftrong cordials, fitted both to recover and prefer ve you from feinting under your many feverahaffli&ions) powerfully to perfwade and prevail with you,even the molt av<:ri2,untoward,way-ward, and crofs-grain'd .; to fay fo) of you all_, without further debate de mur,or d. lay,in thefe things that an i ting to you,and do moft thwart your inclination
to come in his will, and pleasantly, without any the leafl: allowed reluctancy or gainfayins to to i m ! How might you thus poilefs your fouls in patience, and how quiet, calm fedate and composed might ye be, more cfpeciaily in troublefom times, amidfl; thefe things wherewith others are kept in a continual hurry, aJmoft to the hazard of being .diftracted by them? • Let them \ 11, my fiohle Lord, prevail with your Lprdfbip in particular reverently to adore- Clently to (loop unto, and fweetly to acqulefce in, the Lord's fevereign, holy, and wife orde- ring your many and various complicated trials ; and more efpecially his" late removing your ex- cellent Lady, the defire of your eyes, the chriukn and comfortable companion of your youth by his ftrcke : As indeed all the tyes of hjaarcft and deareft relations, betwixt husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and fillers, &c are capable of diffolution, and will all ere long by death be actually diflolved ; there being but one tye and knot of marriage-union be- twixt precious Jefus Chrift and the believer, that by divine ordination is eternal 'y incapable of any diffolution, even by death it [elf; which tho'it diflblve the ftrait union that is betv ixt the foul and the body, yet doth not at all loofe the Rraiter bond of union that is betwixt him and
' both of them, but it remains ftill inviolable ; and by vertue thereof, the believers vile dead bo- dy fhall be raited again at the laft day, conform to his own glorious body, and be re-united to the perfe&ed-fouh which two old intimates will then meet in far better cafe than when they were parted and pulled afunder : For he is an Husband that cannot grow old, fick or weak, neither can he die ; he is a Husband whofe Bride and Spoufe is never a Widow-, neither hath he any relicts : The drawing on of which matchleis match and marvellous marriage, is one great de- sign of thefe fweet fermons, wherein pregnant reafons are adduced by this friend eft be Bride- groom, to perfwade finners to embrace the offer thereof made to them in the gofpelj and to make them, who, by his own gracious and powerful inimuations on their 1 ; enter-
tained his propofal, toward making up, and final clofing of the match, to blefi themfelves in their choice, and to blefs him, that ever he was pleafed to ftpop fo very low as to bee Suiter to them, with a peremptory refolirion to admit of no rciufal, but infruftrably to carry their hearts content to take him for their tjord9 Head and H?j$band3 to he to them a S\ a cThyfcian and Jre aftrre, even their All hi all, their A 11 alow all; which day of efooufals^ as k was the day of the gladncfs of bis heart , fo it will never be any grief of heart to them. Let all mutinous thoughts about his dealings with you be fllenced with, If s the Lord; let riot too much dwelling on the thoughts ci your affliction, to the filling of your heart flill with forrow, incapacitate you for, nor divert you from, humble asking the Lord, wnat he aims at by all thefe difpenfations, what he would have you to learn out of them, what he reproveth and contends for, what he would have you amending yg-jr hands in, and what he would have you more weaned, felf-denied, and mortified in, and what he would have you a further length and a greater proficient in : He hath told you the truth y that thefe things are expedient for \ym\ ftudy to find them to be fo in your exptrience. Sure he hath, by them, written in great, le-' gible and capital characters, yea, even as with a fun-beam, vanity, emptinefs, uncertainty, mu- tability, unfatisfactorinefs and difappointment upon the forehead of all creature-comforts, and
; with a loud, voice tailed your J-ordfbip, yet more ferioufly than ever, to feek after lolid foul-
7* he Epifile Dedicatory. fatisfacYion in his own klefTcd and alWufficient Self, where it is molt certainly to be found,, with- out all peradventure or poiR-jjky of mifgiving : Make hafle, my Lord, yet to come by a more clofs confining of ail your- defires and expedationsofhappinefsandfatisfacliontoyourfoulVto God only, contracting and gathering them in, from the v aft and wearifom circumference of earthly eomforts_,and concentring them all in himfelf as their point ; finely thro' grace, in a (weet
not to meet with it from every airth whence it is looked fori Aks i if is the feathering of our expectations and defires of happinefs among other objects befide him, that breeds us ail the di£ quiet, anxiety and vex 'tion ; whereas if we kept our felvesthro" grace under a more clofs and eonltant confinement to Mm, when thk-and that, and the other creature-comfort, whether perfon' or thing, were taken from us, there would be no deduction made from, nor any dithV- nutioh made of our i rue happinefs ; none of thefe, how dear and defirable foever, being eilen- tia-ryconflitutive of it, ner to much as trenching thereupon; and he, in whom "only all our happinefs lies, bein^. the fame yefter 'day , to day, and for ever, hvithont any variablenefsor Jba- dow of turnings There are fome whomrhe loveth jb well, that he cannot (to ipeak fo) find in his heart to fee them thus, to parcel out their affections, and to dote upon any painted ima- ginai y happinefs in creature-comforts ; and therefore^ on deflgh., he doth either very much blaft them, as to the expeded fatisfaction from them j or quite remove them, that, by making fuch a vacuity, he may make way f ^-r himfelf to fill it, ana happily to necefHtate the perfon, hum- bly, prayerfully/and believingiy, to put him to the filling of it : And it is a great vacuity that' he, ^cho fills heaven and earth, cannot fill ', a little of whofe gracious pretence, and manifested fpecial love,can go very far to fill up the room that is made void, by the removal of the choiceft and mofi defirable of all earthly comforts and enjoyments. Happy they, who, when they lofe *' a near and dear relatiun or friend, or any idol they are fond of, are helped of God to make 'jefus Chriilr, as it were, fuccced to the fame as its Heir, by taking that lofs as a fummons to transfer and £tt!c their who1? love on him, the Object incomparably molt worthy of it, as being alto- gether lovely, or ail defires \ Cant. 5. 1 6. There is no earthly comfort,peribn or thing,but hatb Somewhat in it that is not deilrable, and that it would be the better to want ; but there is nothing in him- that is not truly defirable, nor any thing out of him that is worthy to be defiredf
I am, my noble Lord, the more eaflly prevailed with and encouraged to addrefs thededica-- tion of thefe Sermons to your LordOiip, more particularly when I remember the unfeigned faith that'firft dwelt in your grandmother, as another Lois ; and in your mother, as another ' . Eunice; and more lately in your--own choke Lady, wrho, as another beloved Perils, laboured, much in the Lord: And tho' file had but a very fhort Chriitian race (in which fhe was much' encouraged by coming into your Noble Father's family, and her beholding how hard your bleffc ^Mother did run and prefs toward the mark/even when in thelaft ftage, and turning in a man- ner thelaQ: ftoop of ner Chriflian courfe) yet it was a very fwift one, wherein fhe did quite cut-run many that were in Chrift long before her; (all three Ladies of honour^ alrripft (if I heed to fayalmoft) without parallels in their times, in the ferious and diligent exereife of god- lihefs, and patterns worthy .to be imitated by others) and I truf: in your Lordfliio's felf alfb, yea, and in fev.eral others of your elder and younger noble relations (for grate nath fuch a draught of fouls amongfl: you, as it ufeth not often to have in focietres' of ib noble extract, for not many noble are called ) which, as it defervedly draweth refpect to fuch of you, as are thus privileged, from the obfervers of it, lb it layeth a mighty ftrong obligation upon you, to be much for God, and in fervice to your generation, according to his will; Further, when I obferve your LordfhipVchriftian and exemplary carriage, under fuch a con junction and com- fcinauon of fo very cr ofs, .and alfliQlt crufliing calamitous providence^ choofmg rather con- tentedly;'
7" he Epifle ^Dedicatory.
JllllUi cillU UUVVaiiaui«^ v wuuv., ^ann-umi^ vj ^MMUUU« ^»i-L V-H-^IUIO ^ LULU H1C UCOL WriS
not of your Lord ihip's own contracting) under whatever ipecious pretexts and advantages of law; whereof m2ny make no bones, who, if they may keep up their fuperH .jties, care not to ruine their friends ingaging in -ruretyfhip for their debt, and to Jive on the fubitance of others. Moreover ,when with great fatisfa&ion I notice how much your Lord/hip makes it your bufi- nefs to follow your noble anceit.ors,in fo far as they were follower i of Chrifr, .which many great men, even in the chriilian world, alas, do not much mind, not confidering that it is true nobi- lity, where God is the chief and top of the kin, and where religion is at the bottom ; and what renowned Razdeigh {klth,Hinc diEtm nobilis quafi fr<e aliis virtutendtabws&tod what another faith, j^// ab illuftrium majorum fplendi da virtute degenerarunt nobilia portent a fnnu And finally,when I confider, that in your Lordfhir/s retirement and abftraction from wonted converfe and dealing in buflnefs,you will have accefs at fefure to read them,whereby you may thro' God's biefiing be fweetly diverted from penfive and not fo profitable poring on your a£» diction, and be much inftrucied, convinced, reproved, directed, edified,ftreng*:hned and com- forted. Read them then, my Lord, carefully (as I take ir for granted yoi will) ponder and digefl them well, and I am hopeful,that they fhall throJ grace prove contribute ve to the brings jng upon you a confiderable growth of holinefs, and to the making of your ways and doings more than ever fuch, that others of his people obferving the fame, friail be comforted,and made to think and fay, Verily God hath not done in vain all that he hath done to yonder Nobleman* That thefe lubftantial and marrowy gofpel-fermons may come along to you all, nay to all the readers of them, and to your Lordfhip more particularly, with fhowers of gofpel- bleflings, is the earned defire of,
jDearly beloved affliffedChriftians, and my very noble Lord in particular ,
iJov. 1 5. Tour Companion iti Tribulation, defirous aljb to be in the Kiiigdom and
1 6 8 2. Patience ofjefus Chrift, and your Servant in the Gc/pel for his fake,
J. C
Unto the Readers, and more particularly unto the Inhabitants of the Qit) of Glafgow, of all Ranks.
■♦Hough the whole field of thefacred and infallibly infpired fcriptures,be very ptafantand
pleafant and beautiful ; and 'amongft thefc, fuch as hold forth his fuftenngs^and himielf as cru- cified, mod evidently before mens eyes, have a peculiar and raffing pleafantnefs and beauty in ihem : If fo, then fure this 5 3d chapter of the prophecies oxlfaiah cannot but be look: at as a tranrcendentiy pkafanc, beautiful, lweet-fmelling and fragrant piece of divine fcripture-fie!d# wherein the eva n^eljck prophet difcourfeth of the fufferings ofQirift^s particularly and fully, 3S plainly and pathetically, even to the very life, as if he himfelf had been a fpectator and eve- witnefs of them. However ,tliis fweeteft chapter from beginning to end, as aTo the three, fall: Yerfes of the foregoing, be by the greatly learn d Grotius moil mi&rab'y perverted, while he in- ^uftrioully diverts it from the Meffiah yzn6. by ftretching and curtailing thereof at hispleafure, (as the cruel tyrant 'Afazentius did the men he laid on his bed, to make them of equal length with it) wholly applies it to the prophet Jeremiah in the firfl place only, not denying that it jbath accommodation to Chriit, of wnom too he takes but little or no notice in all his anno- tations
To the Reader. %r
tations thereon ! The impertinencies and wreftings of which application, are convincingly ho'den ..forth Ly famous Doctor Owen (who looks on this port.on of 'cripture asthefum of" what is fpoken in the Old"Tefiamenty concerning the fati:fac~tory death of JefusChrift) that mell of Sochi ans/m his Find; cite Evangelic <e againft Sidle and the Racovian Catechifmy who was a burning and fhining light in the reformed Churches., tho' now,alas! to their great lofs, lately extinguifhed : And indeed the dealing of that very learn'd man profelTing himfelf ta be a Chriftian, with this moft clear, and to all true Chriflians moft comfortable fcripture, is the more-ftrange and even ftupendious, confidering, r. That feveral paffages in ft, are in the £few T'eftament exprefly applied to Chrift, Matth. 8. 1 7. Mark 1 5. 28. Luke 22. 27. jiffs 8, 2.8, &c, i (Per. 2. 22. ex: 24. but not one fo much as alluded to, in reference to Jeremiah, - z. That the ancient Jewifi Doctors and the ChaldeeTarapJorafi (as Dr. Owgujn the fore- faid learn'd and favoury book, gives an account) do apply it to him. 3, That a late Do&or of great note and honour among the Jews, Abrabinti afnrmeth, That in truth he fees not how one verfe of the whole (feveral of which he toucheth on) can-be expounded of Jeremiah^ and wonders greatly that any wife man can be fo foolifh as to commend, let be to be the au- thor of fuch an expofition, (as one RMi Gaon had been had been) which is (faith he) fo utterly alien, and not in the lead drawn from the fcripture. ' 4. That feveral Jews do profefv that tneir Rabbins could eafily have extricated themfelves from all other places of the prophets (a vain and groi ndlefs boaft) if Ifaiah in this place had but held his peace, as. Hifljiiis.(vexy lately, if not prefent) i/^r^-ProfefTor at #rev^,declares fome of them did to himfelf 5 . That a Rabbi ,by his own confedion,was converted from a Jew to a Chrifti an ,by the reading of this 53d of Ifaiah ,2ls the excellent Mr. Boyljn his delicate difcourfes on the {tile of the holy fcrip- tures,intorms us ; yea, that divers Jews have been convinced, an4 converted to the Chriftian faith by the evidence of this prophecy, as learn'd and laborious -Mr. Tool affirms in his lately publifbed Englifn Annotations on this fcripture. tf.That the Sochi am themfelves have not dared to attempt the accommodation of the things here fpoken of, to any other certain and particular perfon,than the MeJJiah, tho', being io much tortured thereby, that they fhewed good-will enough to it. And 7. That himfelf had before written a learn'd 'Defence of the ca- tholick faith concerning Chrift9 s fatisfaBion againft Sochiis, wherein alfo he improved to no- table pur pole feveral verfes of this fame chapter : But,in thefe later annotations ,ht\n% altogether Clent as to any ufe-makmg of them that way, he,as much as he can, delivers that 2)eJperado and his difciples from one of the fharpeft fwordsthat lies at the very throat of their caufeffor if the chapter may be applied to any other, as he applies it wholly to Jeremiah, no fblid nor ' cogent argument can be drawn frcm it for confirming Chrift's fatisfaclion ; ) and by his never re-inforcing of that defence of his,againft the affault made upon it by the Sochi an Crellins, (tho? he lived 20 years thereafter) he feems for his part quite to have abandoned and delivered it up into the hands of thole declared enemies of Chrili3 s J 'at isj del ion, yea and of his Godhead. It s true indeed, that the learn'd Voffms defends that defence againft the aflault of Ravenfpergerus, a Groning Divine, but it :s on a quite different account from that ofCrellius ; by* which anno* tations of his.as by feveral others on qjher fcriptures, how much (on the matter at leaf!) great Gr othts hath,by abufmg his prodigious wk,and profound learning, fubferved the curfedcaufe of bla'phemous Sccinvs, and further hardened the- already ,alas much and long -hardened poor Jews ; and what bad fervice he hatH doneto our glorious Redeemer, and to his Church fa-- tisf7ed-for, and purchased by his blood, by his fad fufTerings, and fore foul-travel, moft clearly and comfortably difcourfed inthis chapter, Jet the Lord nimfelf, and all that love him in, fincerky, judge t I wifh I could, and had reafonto fay no worfe of this admirably learn'd4- perfon here, than: that, giiandcque dorwitat Homerus. Z^
Which very many and various, very great and moft grievoufly aggravated fuffenrigs, were itidured by him, not only in his body^nor only in his foul,, by vertue of the fympathy it hadi
To the Render.
:\ \i body , from the intimate and ftrait u ion be.wixt them ; but a'fo, ani -mainly, in his blefled humane foul immediately : Since he re leeme&fatisfi eopie's fouls
11 as their bodies ; and the foul haying principally £nned,a. md-fouree
t/flnriefs withal deferring punifhm* andb ing,
\\iuhout the benefit of his mediation, to be purul yd eterti a id bodies,
an i mainly in their fouls ; there is no doubt, the £me cogent reafon for the Mediator^ faffer- ingin both parts of the humane nature aflumed by him, tl ;r nature^ Offer-
ing which finned : Which, {listed complaints of Ve exceeding trouble of his foul, uttirig him to fay *he;e ftrange and ftujxndious^vords, What Jhall J jay} and heav/nefs thereof, even to death, his amazement, Jlrcttfc cries and r-^s, with his andfiz-eat of 'blood, John 12. 27. Mat. 16. 58. Mark 14. 53 \ 5. 7 (and that
before an
crp, pu of his bodily
and draw thefe ftrange expreflions* from him, would make hkn,who L*Lof ! and Mailer,, to be of far greater abjednefs of Spirit than many of his fervan 3 the martyrs were, and to fall feugefy below that holily heroick and magnanimous courage and refolutian, wherewith they adventured on extream fufierings, and moilexcjuificetormerrs,- which svould be very un .vor- fhy of, and a mighty reflection upon him, who is the valiant Captain if fakmtwn, made ferfeft through f i fieri ng, pxho drank of the brook in the teay, and therefore lifted tip the head, "Heb. 2. 10. Pfal.i iq. 7. But here is the great and true reafon of the difference betwixt hi^fad and fbrrowful deportment under his mfterings^and their fo!acious,oheeriul and joyful deport- ment under theirs ; that they, through h;s fufferings and fatk&cSfcn, were per fwaded and inadc fenfibleof God's being pacified towards them, and were mightily refrefhed by his graci- ous comforting prefence with themamidfl their fufferings ; while he on die contrary looked upon himfeif as one legally obnoxious to punifhmenr^ fifled before the terrible tribunal of the juftice of God, highly provoked by, atKl very angry at the fins of his people, who was in a moft fignal manner pouring out upon his foul the vials of his wrath and curfe, a* hich made him lamentably and aloud to cry out of defertion, tho' not in refpedt of the perfonal unicn, as if that had been diffolved, nor yet as tofecretly fupporting, yet as to fuch a meafure at leaft of fenfibly comforting and rejoicing prefence, My God, ?ny God, ivhy haft thou for faken?/iet jfhere faith was in its meridian, tho5 it was dark mid-night as to joy) wherewith, as fuch, Jfiis body could not be immediately affeded, lpirkual deflation m)t falling 'nder bodily fenle. Whence we may fee how jurily the dodrine of Tap'ifts is to be exploded, v \\. ■• deny ^llfuffering in his foul immediately, to falve their darling dream of his local defcent a. tp his foul, while his body was in the grave,into hell,and to JimhuS pcdrxint^o bring up thence into lieaven the fouls of the fathers, whom, without giving any reafon, or alledging : :ny ■'. their part, they foolifhly fancy, after their death till then, to bave been imprifoned there, tho' quiet and under no pnnifhment of fenfe, yet deprived of all light rC rod, and
fo under the pimifhment of lofs, the greateft of punilhments, even by the conjfeffion c of themfelves, whereby they put thele holy and perfected fouls (for there they fay there is no .more purgation from fin, that being the proper work of their profitable ?■■* \ worfe
cafe .all that length of time after their deaths than they were when alive < n where
doubtlefs they had often much foul-rcfrcfhing fellowfhip with God, and the light of his coun- tenance lifted up upon them. -
Neither were thefe his fufferings in foul and body only to confirm the dodrine taught by him (if that was at all defigned by him as an end of his fufferings, fo much Humbled at in tL'ejame, (which yet I will not debate,, let be peremptorily deny) his dodrine being rather coni ;ty iiis miracles and jefurredion) and to leave us an example and pattern how we fhould fuffer
(as
?b the Reader. xva
(as non-chriflian and blalphemous Sccinians aver) which were mightily to depredate, and difparage, nay, to enervate and quite to evacuate his fufierings, by attributing no irore to them than is attriLutab e to the fufferings of his fervams and martyrs (it's true his example was an infallible, directory, the example of all 'examples, bui theirs not o \ yet this doth not at all in- fluence any alteration of the nature of the end) but al{b and main y i y ,hem, undergone for fcis people,andin their roc m, and as fuflairing their per{bns,vicfe and place, truly and propeily by the laciifice of himfelf to fatisfy Divine J ufiice for their llns: /nd vbo, 1 pray, can put any other comment on thefe fcripture-expreflions, without mahifeft pefverting and wreuing of them,i& hath made him to bejinjcr tis,wJtfo knew no fin-, Chrift hath redeemed usfr&m the $urfe of the law, being made a curjefor us; Who his ever/ f elf l ere err Jim in his own body mi the tree, z Cor. 5. 2.1. Gal. 3. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 24. (which is by the apohte fuL joined as a iupe- rior end of his fufierings to that of leaving us. an example, difcourfed by him immediately be- fore) He was wounded for our tranfgreJJIons, he was brmjedfer Gv>r iniquities \ audthecha- fiifement of our peace was upon him ; The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all ; For the tranfgreffionof my people was hefiricken; When thouJbjP.lt make hisjoiu an offering for fin ; He pall bear the fins of many \ In whom we have redemption through his blood; Who is the propitiation for our fins ; Ifa. 53. 5, 6, 8, 10. 12. Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. 1 Joh. 2.2. and the like.
Nor did he undergo thefe fad (ufFerings for all men in the world, to fatisfy juftice for them, and to reconcile them to God, but only for the elect, and fuch as were given unto him.
For, Firftfthe chaftifement of their peace only, was laid.on him, who are*foealed by his Jfripes, as it is v. 5. of this 53d otlfaiah, For the iniquities of my people was he firicken, faith the Lord, v. 8. The fame who are called the Mediator's people, 'Pjal. no. 3. (for faith bleiTed Jefus to his Father, Joh. 17. 10. All mine are thine, and thine are mine ) Who Jh all, without all peradventure or poflibility of mifgiving,£e made willing in the day of his power : He only bare the iniquities of thefe whom he jufiifieth by his knowledge, verf 1 1. For, other- wile the prophet's reafoning would not be confequent 5 he only bare the iniquities of as many tranfgreffcrs as he makes inter cePfon for , verf 12. And that he doth not make interce (lion for all,but for thefe only who are given to him,that is,all the elect, is undeniabl mar.ifeftfrom jfchn 17. 9. where himfelf exprefly faith, I pray not for the world, but for thejewhom thou hajb given me. Now,God's eternal electing love, and his giving the elect to the Mediator in the covenant of redemption, to be fatisfied for, and faved by him, and his intercefli n for them. ?re commcnfurable and of equal extent, as is moil: clear from John 1 7. 6. where he faiih, /hine- they were, (to wit, by election) and thou gave fi them to me, to within end by the c< venant of redemption (God's decree of election being in order of nature prior to this donation, or gift of the elect in the covenant of redemption) compared with v. 9. where he frith, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou haft given me, for they are thine-. Itis obfervable, that he faith twice over, I tray for /fe^maoifeftly and emphatically restricting his interceflion to them,and excluding all others from it. W hy then mould no t alia his facrifice (the price of the redemption of thefe elected and given ones, agreed upon in that
a very leam'd manaffirms,ThatyChrifl's appearance in heaven, and hisintercefIiom,are'iiot
properly facerdotal acts, but in fo far as they lean on the vert ue of his perfected facrince :
c uEt Vny relevant'or C08ent re*fon,can there be, to make a disjunction betwixt thefe parts
©f his ofneejand to extend the moft difEcult,operous and cofliy part to ail men,and to narrow
c .the
Sviii To the Redder.
the other, which is the more eafy part, as that whereby Ke onV deals for the application of what he hath made a purchafe or by his ktlsfajftipn, which pit him to much lad and fore foul-travel, and to reftrict it to the elect and gifted ones ? 3. Doth not t' e fcrlp'ture hold forth his d ath, and the ihedding of his blood, as the great deWnfyratidn of his ipec'ial love to his own e!e<5r. people? as is clear elfe-where, fo particularly John 15.13. Greater woe than thishath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friends na; , purchafed recon- ci'iction through the death of Chrif\ is by the Holy Ghorl made a greater e , idence of divine io e, in fome refped, than the glorification, of the reconciled, according to what the apoftle faith, Rom. 5. 10. For if whence were enemies, we were reconciled toGcd'by the de at Jo of Jois Son, jyivxh more being reconciled, w?Jhall be faved by his life. 4. All the* other* gifts " of
. God to finners, even the greateft fpiritual ones,, fall hugely below the lining of Je us Chrili: himf if, that Gift of God by way of erinency, as the apoftle reafoneth irrefragabfy, for the comfort of believers, Rem. 8. 32. He that [pared not his own Son, but delivered him tip for 11s all, how pall he net with him alfo freely give lis all things ? Will he give the greateft gift, and not give theleiler ? as jufiirication, adoption, fanctincation and glorification ; which, how sreat foever in themfelves, are yet lefTer than the giving of Chrift himfelf to the death ;
' and if it be undeniably ceitain that he giveth not thefe to all,which are the lefler and lower gifts, why fhould it be r nought that he hath given the higher and greater > 5, Shall that grand expreflion of the fpecial love of God be made common, by extending it to all the world, the greateft Profligates and Atheifts not excepted, no not <Pharach , nor Mab, nor Judas the traitor, nor Julian the apoftate, nay, nor any of all the damned reprobates, who Were actually in hell when he died and fled his blood ? 6. If he died thus for all, it feems that the new fong of the redeemed, Rev. 5. would have run and f unded berterthus. Thou haft redeemed us all and every man, of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, to God by thy blood, than as it there ftandsby inspiration of the Holy Ghoft, 'Thou waft /lain, and haft redeemed m to God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, andpeofijp, and nation ; but who may prelume by fuch an universality to extend and ampliat what he hath fo reftricted, and to make that common to all, which God hath peculianzed to a few favou- rites ? But the author having much to better purpofe on this head in thefe Sermons, I need add no more here.
I (hall only further fay of thefe aftonifhing, in a manner non-pluffing and furpafling great fufterihgsof bleiTed Jefus, that, as they were equivalent to what all the elect deferved by their
; fins, and fhould have differed in their own perfons throughout all eternity, con fifleruly with the innocency and excellencv of his Perfon, and with the cjignity of his mediatory- office 5 therefore it isfaid, v. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked,, and with the rich in his death ; or as it is in the original, in his deaths, in the plural number, as if he had died the death of every one of the elect, or as if there had been a conjunction and combination of all
1 their deaths in his one death ; and v. 6. That the Lord laid on him the inifuityofus all, or, as the word k, made the iniquity of 11s all to meet on him, there having been a lolemn tryft,
' convocation and rendezvous (as it were) of all the iniquities of all the elect, more common and more pecular, in all their various aggravating circumftances; not fo much as one com- mitted fince /tdamh firft tr nfgreflion, or to be committed ;to the day of judgment, beim; ab- ient in the punifhment of them upon his Perfon ; No wonder that fuch a load of innume- rable thoufands and millions of iniquities made him heavily to groan, and that the confidefa- fcion. thereof made great Lv.ther fay, That Chrifi was the greateft /inner in all the world, to wit,.by imputation of the guilt ojf all the .fins of the elect to Him, and by his having Had «he pi niihmerit of them all laid upon his Perfon ; So we may from them beinftru<Sed in thefe
*** , w»
To the Redder. ^ xlx
Firfty Concerning the height of holy difplicencc and deteflation, that the Ma jetty of GcJ hath ai rm, the only thing in the whole world thac his foul hates, and which,, in the vile and .aLomim.de nature of it, hath an irreconcilable antipathy w ith, and enmity againft his infinitely pi re, holy, and blefled nature ; and hath a tendency, could it pofiibly be effected, to feet . after the deftrudion and annihilation of the very Being of God, and is in- erpreratively dei- c .p . the language of it being, 0 that there were not a God I that he cannot Lehold it in his finleft, innocent, and dearly beloved Son, tho' but by imputat.un ( for he v as not made y the finner, as Antinomians blafphemouf y aver) but he will nee s in fo terrible 2 e ;, testify his greafdifiike of, and deep difpleafure at it, and take fuch formidable ven- . nit, even in his Perfon : Ah 1 the nature of fin, which Go :, wjio .s of p. re eyes^ c ©not, v. hercver it be, behold, without perfect abhorrency of it, is but little t; o; »wjy under { ad pondered ; Would we otherwife dare to dally and fport with it, or to take the
!; i ujibin committing ofitjit the rate we do? I have fometimes thought that it is an error in . cc ncoction(to fay fo) of religion in many profefTors of it, and pretenders t< b, that we bgye ever fran ed Id .able apprehenflons of the moft hateful, vie and a: o->unable nature of fin, • bkh hath a great influence on the fuperficiarinefs and overlings of all duties and practi- ces f religion) and that many of us had need to be dealt with, as skilful fchool-mafters ufe to> dqft] with their fchollars that are foundered in the firft principles of learning, left they prove but fmatrerers all their days ;to bring them back again to theie,even to be put to lea n rh is firft leilon in religion better,and more thorowly to underftand the jealoufy of God as to this curled thing Sin ; for which, tho" he gracioufly, for the fake of thefe fufferings of Ch rift, pardon the guilt of it to his people,and hear their prayers, yet will needs take vengeance on their inventions % tPj&l 99. 8, be they never fo ferioufly, holily,and eminently ferviceable to him, and to their ge- neration according to his will ; whereof Jffofes the man of God is a memorable inftance : That Ancient conceived rightly of the nature of fin, who faid, That if he behoved necejfarily , ez- t her to commit the leaf fin, or go to hell to be tormented there eternally 3 he would rather wife to defire tc go to hell, if he mild be there without fin.
Secondly, Concerning the feverity of divine juftice in punifhing fin, whereof its punifh- ment in the Perfon of the Son of God, at fuch a rate, is one of the greateft, cleared and moft convincing evidences imaginable,to whom he wTould not abate one farthing of the elects debt, bit did v-ith holy and fpotlefs feverity exact the whole of it; and tho' he was-the Father's Fellow, yet he would needs have him Jmitten with the awah/edjword (Zech. 13/17.) of fin- revenging juftice and wrath : As if all the executions that had been done in the earth on men for fin, -as on the old world of the ungodly, drowned by the deluge; on the mifcreant inha- bitants of Sodom znd Gomorrah, and of thefe other Cities, ipon-whom he fhowreddown li- quid flames of fire and brimflone, even fomewhat of hell in a manner cut of heaven (caelum firebar Gchennam) burning them quick, and frying them to death in their own skins oil n and Abiram, and their affociates, upon whom the earth opened and fwa' low- up in a moft ftupendious manner alive, the reft be ng confumed by tire fent down from he .ven on the one hundred eighty five thoufand men of SenacheriFs army, all fain in one y an angel , and on the Jjr a elites, who by many and various plagues were wafted and wn n out to the number of fix hundered thoufand fighting men in the fpace of fourty- years ; reflections on. which made Mofes, a witnefs of all, with aftonifhment to cry out, Wty knows the j ewer cf thy anger 1 PfaJ. 90. n. As if, I fay, all thefe terrible executions of jufcice, had ne by ? fword afleep, or in the fcabbard, in companion of tl e execution it did on Je- fus Ghrifi the elect's Cautioner, againft. whom it awakned, was unfheathed, furbifhed, and , rsaxie.tQ glitter : So that we may fay, Had all the fons and daughters of Adam, without the exception of io much as one, been eternally deftroyed, it would not have hem a greater de- monstration of the feverity of the juftice of feod in punifhing, fin.
c z . Thirdly*
xx To the Reader.
Thirdly, Concerning the grcatnefs, incomprehenfible vaftnefs, and unparalelablenefs of the love of God to the eledt world, which he fo loved (O wonderful fo ! eLernity will but be fuf- ficient to unfold all that is infolded in that myfleriors fo ; an ovtco that hath not an &t9 an ua thai hath not zficut, zfo that hath not an as) That he gave his only begotten Son, i John 3. 16. to fufrer all thefe things,, and to be thus dealt with for them : And of the Mediator, who was content, tho' thinking it no robbery to be equal with God, to empty himfelf, and be of no reputation, to take on him the. fh ape of a Servant, Vhil. 2. 6,7,8. to be a Man offorrows and acquainted with grief '; to be c haft 1 zed, fmitt en, wounded and bruifed for their iniquities Ifa. 53. 3, 5. to flep off the throne of his declarative glory, or of his'glory manifefied to the creatures, and in a manner to creep on the footflool thereof in the capacity of a worm, and to become obedient even vnto the death, the fhameful and curfed death of the crofs : This is indeed matchlefs and marvellous love, Greater than which no man hath, to lay down his life for his friend, John 15. 13. But he, being God-Man, laid down his life for his enemies, that he might make them friends, Rom. 5. ic. O the height and depth, the breadth and length of the love ofChrift ! Epb. 3.' 9, 10. vvhereof,when all that can be faid,is (aid, this mufl needs be id\d,Tj:at it's a love that pa Ret h not only expreflion, but knowledge ; it's demenfions being al- together unmeafurable : So that we may fay,ifit had feemed good to the Lord,and been compa- tible with his [pot'kCs juftice, and with his infinite wifdom/as fupreme Rector and Governor of the world, giving a law to his creatures, to have pardoned the fins of the ele&,in the abfolute- nefc of his dorrinion, that knows no boundary, but what the other divine attributes fettoit,
fatisfaction made by Jefus ChriiY) It would not have been a greater and more glorious demon- flration of the freenefe and riches of his love than he hath given, in pardoning them, thro' the intervention of fo difficult and toilfom, of fo chargeable and cofllya fatisfaction, as is the fad fufferings, and the fore foul-travel of his own dear Son ; who yet is pJeafed to account finners coming to him,and getting good of him,fatisfaction for all that foul-travel : And indeed,which of thefe is the greateft wonder, and demonflration of his love, whether that he fhould have undergone fuch foul-travel for iinners, or that he fhould account their getting good of it, fa- tisfaclion for the fame,is not eafy to determine ; but fure3 both in conjunction together make a wonder pafilng great, even a moil: wonderful demonflration of love.
Fourth ty, Concerning what dreadful meafure all they may look for, who have heard of thefe fufferings ofChrift, and make not conference in his own way to improve them for their being reconciled to God thereby, and whofe bond to juflice will be found flill (landing over their heads uncancelled in their own name, as proper debtors, without a cautioner. When the innocent Son of God, who had never done wrong, and in whofe mouth no guile was ever found, Ifa. 53. 9. having .but become Surety for the elects debt, wTas thus hotly purfued, and hardly handled, and put (through fad foul-trouble) to cry, What fo all If ay > John 12. 27. and falling a-groof on the ground with the tear in his eye, in much forrow and heavinefs even to death, and in a great agony, caufing a fweat of blood, tho' in a cold night, and lying on tbeeaith, conditionally to pray for the pafilng of that cup from him, and for his being faved from that hour ; fo formidable was it to his holy humane nature, which had a finlefi averfition from, and an innocent horrour at what threatned ruin and definition to it feif fim- ply c<,nf]cered ; and which, had it not been mightily fupportedby the power of the Godhead united rhere'o in his Perfon, would have quite fhrunk and fuccumbed under fuch an heavy burden, and been utterly fwallowed up by fuch a gulf of wrath : What then will finners, even alt the dvvour debtors, not having ferioufly fought, after, nor being effectually reached by the ieaefit of his furetyfhip^do^w hen they come to grapple with this wrath ofGod^when he will
To the Reader. , **1
fall upon them as a giant, breaking all their bones,and as a roaring lion;, tearing them to pieces, 'cohen there will be none to deliver? Pfal.<>o. 22.WHI their hands be flrcng,or their hearts be able to endure in the day that he fbaU deal with them*?. Ezek.22. 14- Then, Othen, they will be afraid, and fear - fulnefs will lake hold of them, and make them fay, Who canftand before the devouring [ire, and who can dwell befide the everlafiing burnings? Ifa.34. 14- and to cry unto the hills and mountains to fad m tkem.and to hide them from the face of the Lamb.and oj him that fits en the thrcne, for the great day of hU wrath is eome,and who is able to /land? Rev. 6, 16, 17. then it will be found in * fpecial manner to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10. 31. All fuch may fee, in the great furFerings of Chrift,as in the cleared glafs,what they are to look for, and moft certainly* tomeet with ; for if it was thus done in the green tree, what Jh all be done in the dryi Luke 23. 31. O -it is a fad, even one of the faddeft fubje&s of thought, to think, that a rational creatute fhall be eternally fupported, preferred and perpetuated in its being, by the one hand of God's omnipoten- ey> that it may be everlaftingly capable of terrible Vengeance, to be inflicted by the other hand of hie juftice !
Fifthly, Concerning the very great obligation that lieth on believers f 6 Jove Jefus Chnft,who hath thus commended his love to them, by undergoing all thefe fad fufFerings for their fakes ; even out of love to them to become a curfe, to bleed out his precious life, and to pour out his foul to death for them; which to do he was under no neceflity, nor in the leaft obliged by them, being infinitely re- moved from all poflibility of being reached by any obligation from hiss creatures, whom he loved, and for whom he defigned this grand expreflion of his love, the laying down of his life for them, before they or the world had any being ; »ay,being by their fins infinitely difobliged: Ah that mod of thefe Whom he loved fo much,ihould love him (who is altogether lovely) their duty* his friends and in- terefts for his fake fo little ; even fo very little, that, if it were poflible, he cou]d rue and repent of what he hath done and fuflfered, to commend his love to them, they would tempt him to it ! And indeed there is nothing that more fpea&s forth the freenefsof his love than this^ that he fhould love them i'o fervently, and continue thus to love them, even to the end, who are often fo very cool in rheir love to him : Sure fuch,when in any meafure at themfelves,cannot but love themfelves the lefs, and lothe themfelves the more, that they love him fo little;and earneftly long for that defireable day, wherein he fhall be admired in and by all them that believe, and when they fhall get him loved as well as ever they deflred to love him, and as well as he fhall will them to love him, and when they fhall be in an eternal extafie and tranfport of admiration at his love.
Sixthly, Concerning the little reafon that believers have to think much of their fmall and petty fufFerings undergone for him ; For what are they all, even the greateft and moft grievous of them^ being compared with his fufFerings for them ? They are but as little chips of thecrofs ,in compari- fon of the great and heavy end of it, that lighted on him, and not worthy to be named in one day with his: All the fad and forrowful days and nights that all the faints on earth have had, under their many and various, and fadly circumftantiated croffes and fulFerings, do not by thouiands of degrees come near unto, let be to equal that one fad and forrowful night, which he had in Gethfemane (be- . fide all theforrows and griefs he endured before that time) where he was put to. conflict with the awakned fword of fin revenging juftice, that did moft fiercely lay at him, without fparing him : "Which terrible combat lafted all that night, and the next day, till three a-clock in the afterhoon^'hen that fharpeft fword, after many'fore wounds givm him, killed him outright at laft, and left him dead upon the place(who yet,even then, when feemingly yanquifhed and quite ruined', was a great and glorious Conqueror, having by death oversome and deflroyed him that had the p wer of death* that is the devil ; and? having fpoiled principalities and powers, making a jhew of them openly, and triumphing over them in his crofs, Heb. 2. 14. Col. 2. !<,. the fpoils of which glorious victory be- lievers now divide, and fhall enjoy to all eternity.) Ah that ever the fmall and inconfiderable furFe- rings of the faints, fhou?d fo much as once be made mention of by them, where his ftrange and ftupendious fufFerings o.fer themfelves to be noticed.
Seventhly , Concerning the unfpeakably great obligation that lieth on believers, readily ,'pleafantly and cheerfully, not only to do, but alfo to fufFer for Chrift, as he fhall call them to it, even to do all that lieth in their power for him, and to fufFer all that is in the power of any others to do a^ainft th m.on his account, who did willingly, and with delight, do nnd fufFer fo much for them; They" bays doubrlefs £«o4 reafon heartily to pledge him in the cup of his crofs^ and to drink after himy
axii „ To the Reader.
there being efpecially fiich difference betwixt the cup that he drunk, and that which they are put to drink ; his cup was (leered thick witi-. the wrath of God, having had the dregs thereof, in a man- ner, wrung out to him therein ; fo that it was no wonder, that the very fight of it made him con- ditionally to fupplicate for ks departure from him, and that the drink of it put him in a molt grie- vous agony, and caft, him in a top fweat of blood: Yet, faith he on the matter, either they or I muft drink it ; they are not able to drink it, for the drir.king of it will diftra£V them, and put them mad, will poifon and kill them eternally ; bat I am able to drink it, and to work put the poifon and venom of it, and though it fhall kill me, I can raife up, a id reilore my felf to life again ; therefore, Father, come away with it, and i wilt dr nk t up, and drink it out, This to the everlafUng wel- fare-of thefe dear ibuls \ Net my Will, buttbi.-iebe dcac .u>, thus it was agreed betwixt thee and me in the covenant of redemption ; when as theirs is ,1 >ye from bottom even to brim { whatever mixture may fometimes be of paternal and domeui.k j ftice, proper and peculiar to God's own family, and which, as the Head and Father th reof h. cxercifeth therein) not fo much as one gut or fcruple of vindictive wrath being left therein : A b ' it s b th a fin and lhame, that there fhould be with fuch, even with fuch, fo much fhynefs and ihrinking, to drink after him in the cup of his crofe; efpecially confid^ring, that there is fuch an high degree of* honour put upon the fuffering be- liever for Chritl, above and beyond what is pur on trie iimple. believer in him, fo that in the icrip- tu re account, the fuffering believer is not niy , but alp. according to what the apoftle faith, ThiU i. 29. To you it is given in the behalf c\ Chrijfy not, only to believe on him, but alfo tofuffcrfcr bis fake.
Eighthly, Concerning what mighty obligation h'eth on believers to mourn and weep, to be fad and forrowful for fin : How can they look on him, whom they have thus bruifed, wrounded and pierced by their fins, without the tear in their eye, without mourning for him, and being in bitternefs, as sl man is for his firft-born, and for his only begotten fon ? when they think ( as all of them, on fe- rious consideration, will find reafon to think ) that if their fins keeped the tryft and rendezvous, when all the fins of all theeLcl: did meet, and were laid on him; then fure, there came no greater company, and more numerous troop of fins, to that folemn rendezvous, from any of all the redeem- ed than came from them ; and that he had not a heavier load and burden of the fins of any than he had of theirs, whereby he was even prefled, as a cart is prelfed down under the Iheaves, and was made moil grievoutly to groan, even with the groanings of a deadly wounded man ; and that if he was wounded and pierced by their iniquities, then furely he was more deeply wounded and pierced hy the iniquities of none, than by theirs ; O ! what mourning fhould. this caafe to them ? even fuch mourning as was at Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo, on the occahon of the fad (laughter and death of that good and deflrable king Jofiah ? This is indeed one of the moft genuine and kindly, one of the moffc powerful and prevalent, one of the fweeteft and ftrongeft fprings of, and motives to, true gofpel-repentance> forrow and mourning for fin.
Ninthly, Concerning the notable and none-fuch obligation that liethon believers, to ftudy the cru- cifixion and mortification of fin : Was it not their fins that crucified and killed precious Jefus Cbrift, the Prince of life ? was it not their fins that violently drove the nails .thorow his bkifed hands and feet, and thrufl the fpear thorow his fide, to the bring;ng forth of water and blood ? Shall they not, in their burning zeal and love to him, and in the height of holy indignation at themfelvcs. be aven- ged on that which brought fuch vengeance on him? fhall they not fericufly leek to be the death of that which brought him to death, and whereof, the death and deftru&ion, was one of his great dcligns therein, on which he was fo intent, that in the profecution of it, he did amidft his dying pangs and agonies breathe out his foul ? O let it never be heard for fhame, that ever any of them mall find the lead fweetneis in that accurfed thing, that was fo bitter to him ; that ever any of them toll be found to dally with, or to hug that ferpent and viper in their bofom, that fo cruelly flung him to death.
But this being the great fubje<ft of thefe following fermons, wherein the preacher, being in a good meafure wife, hath fought to find cut acceptable words, (Eccl. 12. 10, li.) and words I hope of up- rigbtnefs and truth-, CO that they maybe to the readers as goads and nails faflned by him who is the great Alafter ofajjsmblies !) I fhall infill no further ;* only I may humbly fay, that to my know- ledge, none hath preached on tins whole chapter to better purpofe every way ; many may have done virtuoufly, but it's probable he will be found to excel them all : Nay, if I fhould fay, that, for any thin£ I know, this book for fo much is amongil the bed books of this nature the world hath feen,
To the Reader. ' . Xxiii
I fuppofe hardtyVifl any judicious Chriftianr thorowly exerclfed to godlinefs5 after he hath read it all over, and pond rtd it, think that I have greatly, if at all, hyperbolized. ^
There are in thefe choice Sermons, depths as it were for elephants to lwim in (whereof his furpri- Z.ins?, fab'im-ly fp rftua\ 2nd very deep divine difcouries, concerning the nature of ChnlVs inter- celfi/n, and the right improvement of it, in the lalt fix Sermons, is a notable inllance) and fhallows ; for lambs to wade in ; there sin them milk for babes in Chriji, and flrcnger meat for fuch as are of full age, who by reafn of ufe have t Heir fen fes exercifed to difcern both good and evil. Heb. «$. 13, 14. Nay, I may in a good meafure fa\ or thele Sermons, as it's laid of the learned difecurfes of a late great" man, That in the dotlrinal part of fever *1 of them, ye will findthe depth of polemical divinity^ and in his inferences from thence, the fweetnefs* of practical; f:me things that may exercife the prof undefl fiboUar and ethers that may edify the weakeji Chriflian \ nothing readily is more r}er- vcus and firing than his reafnings, and nothing m re fweetly and powerfully affecting than his ap- plication : There 'is :m them much tor information of the judgment, for warming of the affec1:ionst and for dire&ion toward a gofpel becoming converiation •, there is much for clearing and expeding the doubts and difficulties of more weak and darkned ChriiHans, and much lor edifying, confirming and eftabfiftiing of more grown ones; there is much for convi&ion, reproof, warning, humbling, for (Hiring up and provoking to the ferious exercife of godlirefs, and much for the comforting and re- freihing of fuch as (land in need, and are capable of confolation •, there is much for difcovering, rou- ting, awakning and alarming of carnal, fecure, unlound, hollow-hearted and hypocritical-profeifors of religion, and much for beating and hammering down of the prideof conceity felf juftifying profcf- fors; much for training up of ) oung beginners, and much for advancing and carrying on in their ChriiHan courfc fu:h as are entred into it, and have made any tolerable progrels therein : In a word, he doth in a great meafure approve bimfelf to God. as a workman that needs not be afbamed% rightly dividing the w rd f truth (2 Tim. 2. 15.) and as a skilful and faithful fteward, giving to every one his portion in due kind, meaiure and feafon.
It may be fome readeis will think, that there are in thefe Sermons feveral coincidencies of purpo- fes. and repetitions : To which I fhatl but prefume to (ay, That, befide that there is a great affinity amongft; many ofthepurpof s delivered by the prophet in this piece of his prophecies, if not a holy Coincidence of them, and a profitable repetition now and then of the tame thing in different exprefli- ons ; as there is in fome other fcriptures, without any the lead imputation to them, as that truly nob^eand renowned Gentleman Mr. B-j'/fh.-weth. in his dabourate, eloquent and excellent Confide" rations, touching theflile of the holy Scriptures ; and that the :ame midfes, and near-by the fame ex- prcflions, may very pertinently be made u e of, to clear and confirm different points of doctrine \ It will be found, that if there be in fo many fermons or difcouries on fubje&s of fuch affinity, any co* incidenctes or repetitions, they are at fuch a .onvenient diftance, and one way or other fo di veri- fied, and appofitely fuited to-the tubjeft of his prefent difcourfe, that the reader will not readily naufeate, nor think what is fpoken in its place, impertinent, liiperfiuous or needlefs, tho'fomewhat like it hath been faid by him in fome other place : Or, if there be any not only feeming, but real repetitions of .purpofes and expreifions, as they have not been grievous (Phil. 3. 1.) to the preacher, i'o he, with the apoftfe Paul judged them needful at the time for the hearers.
And now, as for you, much honoured , right worthy, and very dearly beloved Inhabitants of the City r/Glafgow, let me tell you, that 1 have fometimes of late much coveted to be put and kept in fome capacity to do the Churches of Chrift, and you in particular, this piece of fervice, inputting to the prtfs thefe fweet Sermons on this choice Scripture beiore I die : And indeed, after I had gone thorow a good number of them, not without cor.fiderable toil and difficulty (having, alralongfl, bad no notes of his own, but the Sermons as they were taken hail ily with a current pen from his mouth* by one of his ordinary hearers, no fchollar, who could not therefore fo thorowly and di'iiin&ly take up feveral of the purpofes handled by the preacher) the Lord was pleafed to give ine a flop, by a long continued fharp affli&ron.not altogether without fome little more remote and gentle threatring9 of death ; but he,to whom the ilfues from death do belong, gracioufiy condefcended to fpare me a lit- tle, that I might gather fome ftrength to "go thorow the remainder of them- I have much reafon to think, that if poor I had been preaching the gofpel to you'thefe twenty years pad, wherein we have been in holy providence feparated (which hath been the more affli&ing to me, that ye were in my heart, to have lived and died with you j and if it had fo teemed good in the eyes of the Lord, it would
hxrp
*xiv . To the Reader.
have bee* to me one of the moft'refrefiving and joyful providences I could hare been tryfted with ia this world, to have had fair accel's, thro' his good hand upon me, and his gracious pretence with mc, to have preached the gofpel to you a while before my going hence and being no more) I would not by very, very far, have contributed lo much to your edification, as thefe Tew Sermons mav, and I hope thro' God's blefling fhall. Several of you heard them preached by him, when he was alive amon/il you ; and now, when he is dead, he is in a manner preaching them over again to you (O that fuch •of you as th«m were not taken in the preaching of them, might be fo now in the ferious reading of them !) and by them fpeaking to thefe of you that did not then hear them, who, as I fuppofe are now the far greateft part of the city-inhabitants: You will find your felves in them again and "again ranked and claifed, according to your different fpiritual eftates, and the various cafes and conditions Of your fouls, and wonderful difcoveries made of your felves to your felves, that I fomething doubt if there be (b much as one foul among the feveral thousands that are in Glafgcw, but will find it felf hy the readingtof thefe Sermons, fpoken to, fuitably to its (late and cafe, as if he had been parti- cularly acquainted with the perfon and his fpiritual condition (as indeed he made it a confiderable part of his work, as the observing Reader will quickly and eafily perceive, to be acquainted very thorowly with the foul-date and condition of fuch at leaft of the Inhabitants as were more immedil ately under his own infpeftion and charge) and, as if he had fpoken to the perfon byname; O how Inexcufable will fuch of you be, as had your lot cafl to live under the miniftry of fuch an able Alini- fier aft he New Teftament, of fu:h a Scribe very much inftru&ed into the kingdom of Heaven wh* ss a good houfl>olderknew well b^wto bring out of his treafure things new and old ! Mat. 13. 52. If you were not bettered and made to profit thereby $ God and angels, and your own confeiences ■will witnefs, how often and how urgently the Lord Jefus called to you by him,- and ye would not hear. And how inexcufable will ye a!fo be, that fhall difdain or neglect to read thefe Sermons ( as ■ I would fain hope none of you will) that were fometime preached in that place by that faithful ffervant of Chrift, who was your own Minifter, which layeth fome peculiar obligation on yo" be- yond others to read them ? or if ye fhall read them and not make confeience to improve them to your fouls. edification and advantage, which contain more genuine, pure, finccre, (olid, and fub- ilantial gofpel, than many thoufands have heard, it may be in an age, though hearing preach ines much of the while ; evenfo much, that if any of you fhouldbe providentially deprived of the li- berty of hearing the gofpel any more preached, or fhould hare accefs to read no other lermons or comments on the fcriptures, thefe (ermons, through God's blefling, will abundantly (lore and in- rich you in the knowledge of the uncontr overt ably great myftery of godlinefs, God manifefiedin tbeftejh, 1 Tim* 3. 16. and according to the fcriptures make pu wife unto falvqtion, through faith D&bich is in Chnflf-efus, 2 Tim. 3. i*;. much infifted on in them: I would therefore humbly ad- vife (wherein I hope ye will not miftake me, as if by this advice I were defigning fome advantage to my felf, for indeed I am not at all that way concerned in the fale of them ) that every one of you that can read, and is . eafily able to doit, would buy a copy of thefe fermons; atleaft, that every family that is able, wherein there is any that can read, would purchafe one of them ; I nothing ttoubt, but ye will think that litt'e money very well beftowed, and will find your old minifter, deflrable Durham, delighful company to difcourfe with you by his fermons, now when he is dead, and you can fee his face, and hear him fpeak to you by vive voce no more ; whofe voice, or rather the roice of Chrift: by him, was, I know, very fv eet to many there now afleep, and to fome «f you yet alive; who, I dare not doubt, never allow your felves to expect with confidence and comfort to look the Lord Jefus in the face, but as ferioufly and fincerely ye make it your bullnefs to be found in his righteoufnefs, fo much cleared and commended to you ; and in the ftudy of holinefs Snail manner of converfation, fo powerfully preffed upon you, here.
That thefe fweet and favoury gofpel-fermons may come to you all, and more particularly to you, fny dear friends at Glafgow , with the fulnefs of the bleffmg of the gofpel, ( Rom. 15. 29.) even of the word of bis grace, which is able to build you up> and to givey ou an inheritance among them that %rc ftnfcjitd) ( Afts 20. 3%) is the ferious defirc of
Your firvant m the Gofpef,
J. c. SERMON
SERMON I.
Ifaiah liii. I. Who bath believed cur report i and to whom is the arm of thi Lord revealed ?
WE hope it fhall not be needful to in- fift in opening the fcope of this chapter, cr in clearing to you of whom the prophet meaneth, and is fpeaking : It was once queiVioned by the eu- nuch,/7tfy 8. 32. when he was reading this chap- ter^/ whom dth the prcphet [peak this? of him- pelf, or off>me other man ? And it's Co clearly anlvvered by Philip, who, from thefe words, be- gan and preached to him of Jefus Chrift, that there needs be no doubt of it now. To Chri- stians thefe two may put it out of que(Hon,that Jefus Chrift and the fubftance of the gofpel is compended and fummed tip here. 1 . If we com- pare the letter of this chapter with what is in the four evangelifts, we will fee it fo fully, and often fo literally made out of Chrift, that if any will but read this chapter, and compare it with them, they will find the evangelifts to be com- mentators on it, and fetf'ng it out more fully. 2. That there is no fcripture in the old tefta- ment fo often and fo convincingly applied to Chrift as this is, there being fcarce one verfe, at lead not many, but are by the evangcHrts or apoftles made ufe of for holding out of Chrift. If wc look then to the fum ot the words of this chapter, they take in the fum and fubftance of the gofpel ; for they take in thefe two, 1 . The right defcription and manifeftation of Jefus Chrft, And 2. The unfolding and opening up of the covenant of redemption. Where thefe two are, there the fum of the gofpel is ; but thefe two arc here, therefore the fum of the gofpel is here. Firft, Jefus Chrift is defcrib^d, 1. fn his perfon and natures ; as God, being eternal ; as Man, being under fuffering. 2. In all his of- fices ', as a Prieft, offering up himfeif as a facri- fice to fatisfy juftice ; as a Prophtt, venting his knowledge to the juftifying of many therebyjand as a King dividing the fpoil with the ftrong. 3. In his humiliation, in the caufe of it, in the end of it, in the fubj & of it in the nature and rife of all, God's good pleafure. And 4. In his exaltation, and outgate promTed him on the back of all his furferings and humiliation.
idly. The covenant of redemption is here de- fcribed and fet out, 1. In the particular Parties ofit.God and the Mediator. 2. As to the matter ahout which it was, the feed that was given to Ckrift; and all whole iniquities met on him* ?«
As to the mutual engagements on both fides, the Son undertaking to mike his foul an offering for fin, and the Father promifing that the efficacy oPthat ins fatisfa£Hor. {hall be imputed and ap- plied for the jaitilication of dinners; and the terms on which, or the way how this imputati- on and application is brought about, to wit, By his knowledge : All are clearly held out here.
This is only a touch of the excellency of this fcripture, and of the materials (to fay fo; in it, as comprehending the fubftance and marrow of the Gofpel. We ihall not be particular in divi- ding the chapter, confldering that thefe things we have hinted at, are interwoven in it.
The firft verfe is a fhort introduction to lead us in to what follows. The prophet hath in the former chapter been (peaking of Chrift as God's Servant, that fhould be extolled and made very high ; and, before he proceed more particularly to unfold this m) ftery of the gofper, he cries out by way of regrate,PPfo hath believed our re- port? Alas (wou'd h; fay) for as good news as we have to carry, few will take them off our hand, fuch is mens unconcernednefs, yea, ma- lice and obftinacy, that they rejed them. And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? To point at the neceflity of the power of God to accompany preaching, and even the moft lively ordinances, to make them effectual. How few are they, that the power of God captivates to the obedience of this truth ?
For the firft part of this verfe, Who hath be- lieved our report ? To open it a little, ye ihall take thefe four or five confiderations, ere wc come to the do&rines.
Confider, 1. The matter of this report, in re- ference to its fcope ; it's not every report, but a report of Chrift, and of the covenant of redem- ption and of grace. In the original.it is, Who hath believed sur hearing , actively ; that is, that which we have propofed to be heard , and the word is turned tidings, Dan.w . 44» and rumcur, Jer, si. 46. It's the tidings and rumoui of a fuffering Mediator, int rpofing himfef betwixt God and finners : and it may be, hearing is men- tioned, to point out the confidence which the prophet had in reporting thefe news ; he firft heard them from God, and in that was paffive ; and then, actively* he propofed them to the peo- % B pte
£ Ifalah ^3,
pie to be heard by them. 2. Confider that the prophet fpeaketh of this report,not as in his qwn perlon only, but as in the perlon of all that ever preached, or fhall preach this gofpel ; therefore this report is not peculiar to Ifaiah, but it's our report^ the report of the prophets before, and of thefe after him,and of theapoftles and minifters of the gofpel. 3. Confider that Ifaiah fpeaketh of this report, not only in refpe& of what he met with in his own time, but as forefeeing what would be the carriage of people in reference to it in after-times ; therefore,^. 12. 38. and Rom, IO. 16. this fame place is alledged to give a rea- fon of the Jews unbelief, becaule Ifaiah foretold it long before. 4. Confider, that when he com- plaineth of the want of faith to the report and ti- dings of the gofpel, it is not of the want of hiftori- cal faith, as i{ the people would not give Chrift a hearing at all,but is of the want of laving faith; therefore,^. 12. 37, 3 8. it is LidjTbiugb be bad done many miracles before tbem> yet tbey belie- ved, not on him ; and this prophetick fcriptureis fubjoin'd as the reafon of it, That the faying of Efaizsmigbt be fulfilled tw bo faid.Lcrd.vofj? bath believed our report ? applying the believ'rngjpo- ken of here, to that Paving faith,\vhereby folk be- lieve and reft upon ]efus Chrift. 5. Confider, that tho' there be no exprefs Party named, to whom the prophet complaineth, yet no doubt, it is to God ; therefore, f-o.12* 38. and Rom. 10. 1 6. when this fcripture is cited, it is faid, Lord^ who hath believed our report ? fo it is the prophet's complaint of the little fruit himfelf had,and that the minifters of the gofpel fhould have,in preach- ing of thegofpel,regrating and complaining of it to God,as a fore matter, that it fhould come to fo many, and fo few fhould get good of it,fo few fliould be brought to believe,& to be faved by it. Tho' thefe words be few, yet they have four great things in them, to which we ihall reduce them,for fpeaking more clearly to them. i.That the great fubje& of preaching,and preachers great errand,is, to report concerning Jefus Chrift, to bring tidings concerning him. 2.That the great duty of hearers (implied) is, to believe this re- port, and, by vertue of it, to be brought to reft . and rely on jefus Chrift. 3. That the great, tho' the ordinary fin of the generality of the hearers of the gofpel, is unbelief; Who bath believed ? that is, it's few that have believed; it's a rare thing to fee a believer of this report. 4.That the great complaint, weight and grief of an honeft minifter of the gofpel, is this, that his mefTage is not taken ofFhis hand,that Chrift is not received, believed in,and refted on ; this is the great chal- Jange minifters have againft the generality of
Verfe u Serm. i.
people,and the ground of their complaint toGod, that whatever they report concerning Chrift,he is not welcomed, his kingdom thrives not.
That we may fpeak to the firft,confideringthe words with rei'pecl: to the fcope, we fhall draw five or fixDottrines from them: Thefirft whereof is more general/That the difcovery ofChrift Jefus, and the making him known,is the greateft news, the gladeft tidings,and themoft excellent report, that ever came,or can come to a people; there is no fuch thing can be told them, no fuch tidings can they hear;this is the report that the prophet fpeaks of by way of eminency, a report above, and beyond all other reports ; thefe are news worthy to be carried by angels,£e,W,faith one ofxhem.Lukei.io.Ibringyougoodtidingsofgreat Mf, which fhall be to all people: And what are thefe tidings,lo prefaced to with a Behold? For unto you is bom this day, in the city 0/ David,* Saviour, which is Cbrift the Lord : thefe are the good ti- dings,that jefusChrift iscome,and that he isthe Saviour by office. We fhall not infift on this;on- ly, 1. We will iind a little view of this fubje&in the following words, which hold forth clearly Chri(l,God and Man in onePerfon,fo compleat- \y qualified. and excellently furniihed for his of- fices, 2. It's alfo clear, if we look to the excellent efFe&sthat come by his being fo furnifhed ; as, his fatisfying of juftice, his fetting free of cap- tives, his triumphing over principalities and powers, his deftroying the works 0? the devil,, uV. there cannot be more excellent works or ef- fects fpoken o^ 3. It's clear,ifwe look to him, from whom this report cometh,& in whofebreaft thefe news bred, (if we may fpeak fo) they are the refult of the counfel of the God-head ; and therefore,as the report here is made in theLord's nanie,fo he is* complained to,when it is not taken off the prophet's hand. And, 4. It's clear,if we look to the myfterioufnefs of thefe news ; angels could never have conceived them,had not this re- port come .* thefe things tell,that they are great, glorious,and good news,glad tidings, as it is in the end of the former chapter, That which bath not been told them, fhall tbey fee\and that which they have not heard, fhall tbey confider.
The firft Ufe is, To draw our hearts to be in love with the gofpel, and to raife our eftimation of it. Peoples ears are itching after novelties,and ye aremuch worn out of conceit with thefe news; but is there in any news fuch an advantage as in thefe? when God fendeth news to men,they mud be great news, and fuch indeed are thefe.
Ufe 2. Therefore be afraid to entertain loth- ing of the plain fubftantial truths of the gofpel;if
ye
Serm. I. Ifaiab «,3»
ye had never heard them before, there would be- like>be fome Athenian itching to hear and fpeak of them ; but they fhould not be the lefs thought of, that they are often heard and fpoken of.
Ufe 3. Therefore think more of the gofpel ,fee- ing it containeth the fubftance of thefegood news and glad tidings ; and think more of gofpel ordinances, whereby thefe good tidings are fb often publifhed and made plain to you.
2. More particularly cbfcrve* That Jefus Chrift, and what concerneth him the glad and good news of a Saviour, and the reporting of them,is the very proper work of a minifter,and tbe great fubjeefc of a minifter's preaching, his proper work is to make him known : Or take it thus,Chrift is the native Subject, on which all preaching fhould run. This is the report the prophet fpeakethof here,and in erre& it was foto Jfcbn and the other apoftlesand ihould be To to all minifters; Chrift jefus, and what concerns him,in his perfon, natures and offices ; to know, and make him known to be God and Man ; to make him known in his offices. to be Prieft,Pro- phet and King; to be aPrieft in his fufFering and iatisfying juftice ; to be a Prophet. in revealing the will of God ; to be a King,for fubduing folks lulls and corruptions ; and to know, and make him known, in the way by which finners, both preachers and hearers.mav come to have him to themfelves5as follows in this chapter. This, this isthefubjea of all preaching, and all preaching fhould be levelled at this mark; Paul is,iCVr. 2. 2. peremptory in this. / deter min'd to How no- thing amcngjcu.but Jefus Cbrifl and him cru- cified ; as if he had faid, I will meddle with no other thing,but betake my felf to this : not only will he forbear to meddle with civil employ- ments, but he will lay afide hisslearning, elo- quence, and humane wifdom, and make the preaching of Chrift crucified tys great work and fludy; the reafon of this is,feecaufe Chrift ftand- u t S *°u,rfo^ Nation to preaching; 1. He is the Texf,to fay fo, of preaching ; all preaching is to explain him, A$$ 10. AV To him give ail tbe prophets witnefs^nd fodo the four evangels,and the apoftolick epiftles, which are as Co many
5 Teachings of him ; and that preaching, which andeth not in relation to him, is befkle the text and mark. 2. He is holden out as the Foundation and ground-work of preaching, fo that preach- ing without him wants a foundation, and fs the building, as it were,of a raftle in the air, 1 Cor. 3. lo»— / have laid tbe frundati n.and another buildeth thereon: but let even man take heed how be buildeth ; for other foundation tan no man la} than that which it Uid&bi&h J*f*i Chrift*
Verfe 11. 3
Importing, that all preaching flicutd be fyuared to, and made to agree with this ground done, 3. He ftandeth as the great End of preaching, not only that hearers may have him known in their judgments, but may have him high in their hearts and affections, 2 Cor. 3. 4. We preach net cur felves > that is not only do we not preach our felves as the fubjeet, but we preach not our felves as the end of our preaching ; ourfcope is not to be great.or much thought of,but our end in preaching is to make Chrift great. 4. He ftandeth in relation to preaching, 1 as he is the power and life of preaching, without whom, no preaching can be efre&ual, no foul can be capti- vate and brought in to him; hence, 1 Cor* 1. 23. he faith. We preach Chrift crucified, to tbe Jews a ftumbling-blocky they cannot abide to hear him; and to the Greeks feelifhnefs; but to them that arefaved, the Power of God, and the Wifdom of God.
Up: 1. For minifters, which we (hall forbear infilling on; only, 1. Were Chrift the fubjeetand fubftance rff our report, were we more in hold- ing out him, it's like it might go better with us. 2. There is need of warrinefs, that the re- port we make, fuit well the foundation : And, 3. The neglect ot this may be the caufe of much powerlels preaching hecaufe Chrift is not fp preached as the fubjecl:- matter and end of preach- ing ; many truths are (alas) fpoken without re- fpect to this end, or but with little refpect to it.
Ufes particular for you that are hearers, are thefe, I. If this be the great fubjecl: ofmmifters preaching, and that which ye fhould hear moft gladly, and if this be moft profitable for you,we may be particular infome few directions to you, whi'h will be as fo many branches of the ufe. And firft&f all truths that people would welcom and ftudy,they would welcome and ftudy thefe that concern Chrift, and the covenant of grace moft,as foundation-truths,and feek to have them backed by the Spirit. We are afraid there is a fault among Chriftans, that moft pla^n and fub~ (iantial truths are not fo heeded, but fome things that may further folk in their light, or tiekle their afreetions, or anfwer a cuCe, are almoft only- fought after; which things (it's truejare good: but if the plain and fubftantial truths of the gof- pel were mof% ftudied,and made ufe of, they have in them that which would anfwer all cafes. It's a fore matter,when folks are more t- ken up with. notions and fpeculations, than with thefe foul- faving truths, as, that Chrift was b©rn,that he was a true Man,that he was.and is King,Prieft, and Prophet of his Church, OV. and that other 3 2 thing*
4 Ifaiah
things are heard with more greedinefs ; but if thefe be the great fubje& of minifters preach- ing, it fhould be your great ftudy to know Chrift, in his perfon, natures, offices, and co- venant ; what he is to you, and what is your duty to him, and how you ihould walk in him, and with him ; this was PauVs aim, / count (faith he) all things lofr and dung for . the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift, that I trtay know him>and the power of his refurreftion, and the felhwjhip of his fuffe rings, &c. Phil. 3. 8, 9)io. It's my delign, (as if he had faid) not only to make him known, but to know him my fel£ There is little faith in Chrift, and diftinftnefs in ufe-making of his offices, and folks take but little pains to know thefe things : Therefore, on the one fide,let me exhort you, to make this more the fubje& of your enquiry; and one the other fide, take it for your reproof,that there is fuch a readi- nefs to fnufF when plain truths are inlifted on,or when they are not followed to fome uncouth or ftrange way; which fays, we are exceeding un- thankful to God for giving us the bed things to fpeak, hear, and think of.
2. Think much of the preaching of Chrift,and to have minifters to preach of him; he is the bed news,and God hath lent minifters on this errand, to make them known to you : had he fent them to tel! you all the fecret things to come that are in God's purpofe,and all the hid works of nature,it had not been comparable to thefe news ; what would you have been^Owhat would fabbathdays, and weekdays, your lying would and rifing up, your living and dying b^en, if thefe news had not been ? ye fhould have had a finful and fad life, and a mod comfortlefs and terrible death ; therefore think this gofpel a thing of more worth than ye do, and count their feet beautiful on the mountains,that bring thefe news & glad tidings, as it is J fa. -52. that good repoit of making peace betwixt God and finners fhould be much thought of,and prized, and counted a greater fa- vour than we ufe to count it. 3. By this ye may know who thrives and profits heft under the gofpel,even thefe that learn moft of Chrift: which confifts not in telling over words ; But firft, In actual improving of him ,; s it is Eph. 3. 20. Te have not fo learned Chrift, but fo as to improve what is in him. 2dly, In an experimental finding of thefe erfe&s in us, that are ipoken of to come by Chrift,whieh is that which the apoftle mean- eth, Phil. 3. 10. That I way know him > and the power of his refurrcftion, and the fellow/hip of his fufferings, that I may be comformabh to his death. 1 am afraid that of the many that hear ftus gofpel, there are bat few that know Chrift
•53* Vcrre 1. Serm. 1.
this way. But if he be the great thing that ihould be preached by us, and that ye Ihould learn, (1.; What is the reafon that Co many fhould be ignorant of him, that the molt part look rather like Turks and Pagans, than likeC^i'- ftians ? God help us,what fhall we fay of the con- dition of the moft part of people, when the preaching the gofpel has not gained this much ground on us, as to make us know Chrift, in his perfon, natures,effices,our need of him,and the ufe we fhould make of him ? But (2) f we will try how he is improven, it is to be feared, there be far fewer that know him in this refpecl; do not many men live,as if they had never heard tell of him ? Though they hear that pardon of fin is to be gotten through him,and that vertue to fubdue fin muft flow from him;yet they live as if no fuch thing were in him : if your confeien- ces were pofed,befides th- evidences that are in your pra&ice, this would be found to be a fad truth. And (3.) If we will yet try further, what experience folk have of Chrift,what vertue they find flowing from his refurre&ion,what fellow- fhip there is in his fufferings, what conformity to his death, what benefit redounds to them from his offices of King, Prieft, and Prophet, to the flaying of fin,and quickning to holy duties,what benefit of fruit from his death ; alas / no more, with moft,than if he had never died : what pro- fit or real influence, as to any fpiritual change, do any to count upon find ? and think ye all thefe things to. be but words f they know him not, that reel not fomething of the efficacy ol his death and refurre&ion in themfelves.
3. Obferve^That the report concerning Chrift, is the main fubjeft and errand that has been,ani is, and will be common to all the minifters of the gofpel, to the Ind or the world ; it's our report, it was the report of all the prophets, Afts 10.43. To him bear all the prophets witnefs, that thro* his name, who focver believeth en him fhould have remiffion f 'fins ; they all agree and have a joint teftimony in thefe. 1. *n one fubjed,Chrift,and the fame things concerning him;as, that the par- don of fin is to be gotten in him, and through faith in him,and no otherway,C?f. 2. In onecom- miffion, they have all one commiifion, though they be not all equal ; all are not apoftles, yet all are ambafTadors : there is the fame authority for us to report, and you to receive the gofpel, as if Ifaiab or Paul were preaching ; the autho- rity depending en the commiflion, and not on the perfons of men who carry it. 3. In one common end which they all have,and in one common ob- ject they are (em; toi 4. In this, that they aH
bold
hold of one common Mafter,hemg gifts of one & the fame Mediator,£/>£. ^When be afcended on high, be led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men, to fome A? files, &c. . The ftrlt ufe is,To teach you, not to think the lefs of the teftimony, or matter teftified,becaule of thefe that teftihe to > ou ; \f Ifaiab or Paul were teftifying to you, ye would get no other tidings, though their life & way would be of another (ort andftamp than ours are: Alas! for the mod part, we are warranted,as well as they,to make Chrift known to you, therefore take heed of rejecting the teftimony of this Chrift,that we bear witnefs unto; it is the fame Chrift that the law and the prophets bear witnefs tofhereis not another name liven under heavenyrobereby afinnercan befav*d\ it's through him,that whofoever believes on him may receive the remiflion of fins : in this ye have not only us, but the prophets and apoftles, to deal with, yea Jefus Chrift, and God himfelf; and the rejecting of us, will be found to be the reje&ing of them. It's the iame t ftimony, on the matter, that it was in Ifaiab his time; and therefore, tremble and fear, all ye that flight the gofpel; ye have not us for your part)\but all the prophets, and Ifaiab among the reft, and our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath faid, He tbat recti- vethyoujeceiveth me\ and be tbat dsfpifetbjouy defpifttb me. There will be many aggravations ot the guilt of an unbeliever,and this will be a niain one,even the teftimony of all the prophets that concur in this truth which the) have reje-
Verfe I. $
&ed. Take heed to this,al! ye Athiefts,that know not what it is to take with fin ; and all ye hypo* crites,that coin and counterfeit a religion of your own; and all ye legal perfons, that lean to your own righteoufnefs; what will yefay,uhen it fhall be found,that ye have rejt&ed all thefe teftimo- nies ? ye muft either fay, ye counted them falfe Witneffes, which ye will not dare to fay ; or that ye accounted them true, and yet would not re- ceive their teftimony : and the beft of the e will be found fad enough ; for if ye counted them true, why did ye not believe them ? this will be a very pungent dilemma.
Ufe 2. For comfort to poor believers. They have good ground to receive and reft upon Jefus Chrift ; there is never a prophet, apoftle or preacher of the gofpel* but he hath fealed this truth concerning Chrift. What needs any finner fear at him, or be fearful to clofe with him? will ye give credit to the teftimony of Ifaiab and of PcteryAtts 10. 4}.and of the reft of the prophets and apoftles ? Then receive their report,and fet yourfelvesto be among the number of believers, that their teftimony may be refted on. We arc perfwaded there is one of two that will follow on this do&rine,either a ftrong encouragement to, and confirmation of believing, and quietly refting on Jefus Chrift for pardon of fin; or a great ground of aggravation of, and expoftula- tion with you for your guiit,who care not whe- ther ye receive this report or not. We fhall fay no more for the time, but God blefsthis to you.
SERMON II.
Ifatah liii. i. Wbo batb believed our report? and to wbom is the arm of the Lord revealed t
THE prophet Ifaiab is very folicitous about the fruit of his preaching, when he hath preached concerning Chrift ; as indeed it is not enough for minifters to preach, and for people to hear,except fome fruit follow ; and now,when he hath been much in preaching,and looketh to others that have been much in that work,he fad- ly regrates the little truit it had, and would have among them, to whomChrift was and lhouldbe fpoken of; a thing that in the entry ihould put Us to be ferious, left this complaint of Ifaiab (land on record againft us; feeing he complains of the hearers of the gofpel, not only in his own time, but in our time alfo.
We told you, there were four th:ngs in this firft part of the verfe. i. The great errand that minifters have to a people, it is to report con- ttrftinfc Chrift \ and beiide what we obferVed
from this head before, looking to the fcope, WO fhall obferve further,
i. The end that minifters fhould have before them in preaching Chrift and the gofpel,is, that the hearers of it may he gained to Jefus Chrifl by hearing, fo as they may be brought to be- lieve on him ; it's in a word, to gain them to faving faith in Chrift.
2. It is implied, that Jefus Chrift is only to be propofed as theObjeft of faith, to be refted on by the hearers of the gofpel; and is the only ground of their peace: there is no name that can be men- tioned for the falvation of fouls,but this name on- ly ; and there is no other gofpel can he propofed, but that which holdeth him out to people.
3. Obferve, (which is much the fame with the former obfervation^and to which we would fpeak a little more particularly; that by preaching of
the
6 Jfaiah 33.
• the gofpeljefus Chrift is laid before the hear- ers of it,as the Objeft of their faith, and propo- fed to be believed upon by them; elfe there would be no ground of this complaint againft them. But wherever this gofpel is preached, there Chrift is laid, as it were, at the foot or door of every foul that heareth it, to be belie- ved and refted on ; this is the great errand of the gofpel, to propofe to people Jefus Chrift, as the Object and Ground of faith, to lay him down to be refted on for that very end. When the apoftle is fpeaking, Rom. ic. 8. ofthedo&rineof faith,he faith,/* is not nowJVb* Jhall afcend into heaven i nor who jhall depend into the deep? but the word is near (bee, even in tbf moutb,and in thy heart : what word is that? the word of faith which we preach. Now, faith he, Chrift, by the preaching ot the gofpel, is brought fo near folks, that he is brought even to their heartSjand to their mouths; fo ncar,that(to fpeak fo) people have no more to do, but to ftoop and take him up, or to roll themfelves over upon him ; yea, it bringeth him in to their very heart,that they have no more to do,but to bring up their heart to confent to clofe the bargain,and with the mouth to make confeffion of it: and thefe words are the more confiderable, that they are "borrowed from Deut. 30. where Mofes is fetting death and life before the people, and bidding them choofe ; tho' he would feem to fpeak of the law,yet,if we coniider the fcope,we will find him to be on the matter fpeaking of JefusChrift, holden forth to that people under ceremonial or- dinances,and fhewing them that there was life'to , be had in him that way, and according to God's intent,they had life and death put in their choice. I know there are two things neceffary to the afting and exerciftng of faith. The ift is obje- ctive, when the obje& or ground is propofed in the preaching of the gofpel. The 2d isfubjt £ive, when there is an inwara,fpiritual, and powerful quickning,and framing of the heart, to lay hold ©n, and make ufe of the objc:& and offer. It is true, that all, to whom the orfer cometh,are not quickned ; but the do&rine faith, that, to all to whom the gofpel cometh, Chrift is propofed, to be believed on by them, and brought near unto them ; fo that we may fay, as Chrift faid to bis bearers, The kingdom >fG°dis come near unto you ; both Chrift and John brought, and laid the kingdom of heaven near to the fews and it is laid as near to you in the preached gofpel : This is it then that the do&rine fays, I. That the gofpel boldeth out Chnft,as a fufficient ground of faith to reft upon. And,2.With a fufficient warrant to hefe who hear it^to make ufe of hiiivtccoruin£
Verfe 1. Serm. 2.
to the terms on which he is offered. And, 3. It brings him fo preflingly home,as he is laid to the doors & hearts of finners who hear the gofpel ; that whoever hath the offer, he muft neceffarily either believe in,and receiveChri(l,or reje&him, and caft at the report made of him in the gofpel. I ihall firft a little confirm this do&rine, and then fecondly make ufe of it.
Firft A (hall confirm it from thefe grounds,(i.) From the plain offers which the Lord maketh in his word, and from the warrant he giveth his minifters to make the fame offers; it's their com- miffion to pray them,to whom they arefent,tobe reconciled ; to tell them, that God was in Chrift reconciling the world to bimfelfzs it is, 2 Cor. «;. 19, 20. and in Chrift's ftead to requeft them to embrace the offer of reconciliation ; to tell them, that Chrift died for the finners that will embrace him,and that he will impute his righteoufnefs uc* tctthem ; and Chap. 6. 1. We befeecbyou (faith hejr^a^ff receive not this grace in y<*i/»;which is not meant of laving grace, but of the gracious of- fer of grace and reconciliation through him ; this is minifters work, to pray people not to be idle hearers of this gofpel ; For, (aith he,/ have heard thee in a time acccepted, and in a day of falvation have I fuccoured thee ; behold, now it the accepted time ; behold , now is the day of fal- vation. The force of the argument is this,If ye will make this gofpel welcome,ye may get a hear- ing ; for now is the day of falvation, therefore do notneglea it. So.Pfal. 81. 10, u. (where God maketh the offer of himfelf and that rery largely) Open thy mouth wideband 1 will fill it : the offer is of himfelf,as the words following clear •, M? people would not hearken to my voice, and Ifrael toould none of mt\ for they that refufe his word, refufe himfelf; and hence,//*. 65. 1. he faith, / am found of them that fought me not ; / faid, Behold me, heboid me, unto a nation that was- not called by my n*me\&n<i tothejfrwj,/ have fir etch* ed out my bands all daylong to a rebellious people* C2.)We may clear and confirm it from thefe firni- litudes, by which the offer of this gofpel is,as it were, brought to the doors of people : and there are feveral iimilitudes made ufe oC to this pur-
Sofe ; I ihall name hut four. 1 . It's fet down un- er the expreffionof wooing,as,2CVr. 1 1 .i.Ibava cfooufed you as * chaft virgin to Chrift ; this is ordinary, and fuppofeth a marriage, and a bride- groom, that is by his friends wooing and fuiting in marriage ; fo that (as we fhew) wherever the call of the gofpel comes, it's a befpeaking of fouls to him, a$,G*»f. R. What Jhall we do for our [ifte*f in tb€ day that fie Jhall hf^Qkenfor ? 2* It's let
our
Serm. 2. p . . > J/"** ft
out under the expreffien of inviting to a feaft; and hearers of the gofpel are called to come to Chrift,as (hangers or gfcefts are called to come to a wedding-feaft,A4a* . 22. 2, 3i 4- -<*// ^m^f *'* rftf^v, come to the wedding, &c. Thus the gofpel calleth not to an empty houfe that wants meat, but to a banqueting-houfe where Chrift is made ready as the cheer, and there wants no more but feafting on him : fo it's fet out under the fimili- tude of eating and drinking,?*** 6. 27. He that cats me, even hejhall live by me. 3. It's fet out often under the expreffion or fimilitudeof a mar- ket, where all the wares are laid forth on the {land,//*. 55. 1. Ho, every one that tbirfisycome to the waters, &c. And, left it fliould be faid, or thought, that the proclamation is only to the thirfty,& fuch as are fo and fo qualified ; ye may look to what followeth,tef him that hath no money €ome ; yea, come, buy without money and with- out price. And to the offer that is made to thofe of Laodicea, Rev.3. who,in appearance, Were a hypocritical and formal people,yet to them the counfel and call comes forth^Come buy of me eye- falvt,gold tried in the fire ,&c. It fays the wares are even in their offer, or even offered to them. 4.1t's fet out under the fimilitudeofa (landing & knocking at a door, becaufe the gofpel brings Chrrft as knocking and calling hard at finners doors, Rev. 3. 20. Behold, J ft and at the door and knock \ if any man will hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,and fup with him,and he with me, So,Cant.^ 2. By the fleepy bride it is faid,/f is the voice of my Beloved that knocketb, and,P/</.24» lad four verfes, 'tis cried, Lift up your heads, ye gates ,and be lift up, ye e- verlafting doors,that the King of glory may come in \ which is an earned invitation to make way for Chrift Jefus, wanting nothing but an entry into the heart ; whereby we may (ee how near Chrift comes in the got pel, and is laid to folks hand. 3. We may confirm it from the nature of faith,and of the obedience that is required to be given to the command of believing : Wherever this gofpel comes, it tyeth and obligeth all the hearers to believe on Chrift, that is, to receive and welcome him ; and there could be no recei- ving of him, if he were not making an offer of himfelf. Thus it's faid,jfo£». 1. 11, i2.H<r came ttnto his own,but his own received him not ; but ms many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, He came to both thefe '•whcreceived him,and to thefe who received him not; but he gave to believers only this privilege of fonfliip. If we look to all the names of faith, ^coming to Chrift, eating and drinking of kimy Receiving of kirn /cfting wklmjte* they all fup-
Verfe 1. 7
pofe that Chrift is near to be catched bold o5, and within fpeaking and try (ling terms to people that hear the g0fpeL4.lt may be confirmed from the many fad complaints that the Lord hath for not receiving him, and not believing his word, and from the dreadful defignations,by which he holds out the (in of unbelief; all which will make out this,that God lays Chrift at finners door in his word *, hence, Job. 5. 40. our Lord fays, Te will not come unto me,thatye may get life : and Mat. 23. at the clofe,0 JeruJalem,Jerufalem>how often would I have gathered thee, and ye would not! This was it that did aggravate their fin,that he would,and they would not j fo,Pfal. 81. My people would not hearken to my voice and Ifrael would none of me^nd^Lukej. its faid,the Scribes and Vharifees re jetted the counfel of God againft themfelves, ar\d,Atts 13. 54. when the Jews re- jecledChrift,it'sfaid,ffoy judged the mf elves un- worthy of everlafting life ; and therefore the A- poftles (ay,that they will leave them,and turn t§ the Gentiles. 5. We may confirm it from this, that in refpe& of the gofpel, and offer made in it, Chrift comes alike near to all that hear it ; for if he be near to fome, then he is near to all,I mean in regard of an obje&ive nearnefs ; there is the fame warrant to fpeak and make the offer to all, before there be fome difcovery made for qualify- ing the doctrine to fome. It's true,there is a dif- ference in refpeft of the power that accompani- eth the gofpel ; but as it layeth out the offer of Chrift,and life through him, it comes alike near to all the hearers of it : the invitation comes to ail,and in the fame terms,to them thatrefufe, as well as to them that receive him; the fame gofpel is preached to both. A 6th confirmation is from the nature of God's adminiftration of his exter- nal covenant,which is fealcd in baptifm to both ; not one covenant to one,and another covenant to another; but the fame covenant,on condition of believing,to both : behold,then,in the preaching of this gofpel,that Chrift comes near you,even to your door,in refpeft of the mediate ordinances; as near as he did to Abraham and David,d\thoy God had his extraordinary ways of manifefting himfelf to them,not common to others :yea,this day, the gofpel is more clear obje&ively to you than it was to Abraham, who rejoiced to fee Chrift's day afar off,when it was vailed ; yea,the gofpel is as clearly preached to you,as thofe, who are now before the throne of God, had it preach- ed to them, as to the matter of it, tho' we will make no equality as to the manner of it.
Ufe 1. Advert to this,when ye come to hear the gofpel prcached,and think how you are living in
try (I*
3 Jfaiab ^3.
iry fling terms with God, and bow near Chrifl comes unto you;the word of faith lays himfo near, that ye have no more to d o but to receive the offer of him,to believe and clofe with him,and.{tep in upon him,as it were, to come as living floncs to be built upon him as a fure foundation.
But it will be asked,How comes this gofpel Co nearPHow does it bring in Chrifl fo ne. r to fin- r\ers?Anfln thefe live fleps,i.As it makes the re- port of Chrifl, and brings the ti ings of fuch things,as,that he is born, and that he hath fuffe- red,and for fuch an end, that we may partake of the benefit of them on fuch terms ; it makes the proclamation narratively, and tells what he did, what good may be gotten of him, and how we may come by it. 2. As it brings an offer or thefe good things on the terms on which th y are to be gotten, Co it never tells that Chriil is come, but it fays alfo, Here is life to be gotten in him by you,if ye will take the way propofed to come by it ; therefore, when the proclamation comes forth, that all things arc ready, the next word is, Come to the wedding ; And wh^n, in the one word, he fays, I ft and at th: door and inoek'^t the next he Ca.ysyIfany man willopentbe door, I will come in to himy and fup nitb him, and he with me ; and when, I fa. 28. it's faid, He is a precious Corn%rftoneya tried foundation* ftone laid in Zion ; the next word is, He that believes on him /ball not make baftey or, as the Apoflle hath h,jbaU not be ajhamed or confoun- ded ; this makes the gofpel glad tidings, becaufe it comes always with an offer of Chrifl, and or life in him. 3. When the offer is made, and the precious wares are expofed to fale in this cried fair of grace,a command comes out,Choofe life, come buy the wares,believe,re:eive the offer, as is clear in all the places we named before ; it leaves not folk indifferent to receive or not, but chargeth them, as they would be obedient to a eommand,to receive him,i Job* 23. 3. This is bis tommandment that ye Jbould believe on the name of his Son Jefus Cbrift ; this is the great gofpel- com nand,and ministers have not only the terliog of thefe news,and warrant to make theoffer,but a cornmiffion to command to receive it ; and therefore the fitting and flighting oC the off.-r, is a fin oppofite to the commnnd. 4. It notonly makes the of?tr,and backs the offer with a com- mand to embrace it, but it fweet ns the com mand with many gracious promi es knit to it, as Jfa. 55. Hear andyour f ul Jball live+and I will make an everlaftmg covenant with you, even the fore mercies of David : And whenever the com- mand of believing comes, it's always with a pro- jHifej as Paul deals with the jaylor> Acts 16. Be~
Verfe 1. Sertru 2.
Ueve& thoujbaU be faved\ and Mark 16. at the clofe,the Lord fays,T% that believe Jball be fa- vedyto encourage to faith in him. 5. It preffes the offer, and commands embracing of it with the pro.tiife,with a certification; for the offer is not conditional, but alternative, Mark 16. If ye be- lieve notyye foall be damned ; Ca,Deut. 3o.death and life are propoled,and they are bidden choofe: If the gofpel be not effe&ual in its commands and promifes, it will be effe&ua) in its thrtat- nings; the word of God will triumph one way or the other,and not return to him void, as is very clear, Ifa. 5^.11. and iCor. 2. 1^,16. it tiiumphs in fome, while they are brought by the promife to give obedience to the .command of believing, and to tnem it becomes the lavour of life unto life; and to others it triumphs,as to the executi- on of the threatning on them for th ir unbelief and to them it becomes the favour of death unto death. In a word,Chriil Jefus comes fo near people in this gofpe^thathe mufl either be chofen, and life with him ; or refuted, to thedeftruftion and death of the refufer ; ye have the fame Chrifl,the fame word,the famecovenant-the fame ob'igatioq to believe, propofed to you, that believers from the beginning of the world had ; andanother ye will not get, and what more can the gofpel do,to bring Chrifl near to you? when it brings him Co near, that ye have him in your offer ,and the au- thority of God and his promifes inter pofed, to perfwade you to accept of the offer ; and threat- nings added, to certify you, that if ye accept it not,ye fhall perifh : in which refpeft, we may fay,as the prophet Jfaiab doth, Cb op, ^.iVb at could God do more to his vineyard, which be hath not done ? as to the holding out of the Objeft of faith, Jefus Chrifl to be retted on by you.
But fome wih\it may be, objeft here, i.But if there come not life and power with the offer, it will not do the turn ; we cannot believe, nor re- ceive the offer. Anfw. Whofe fault is this, that ye want ability ? It's not God's fault ; ye have a fure ground to believe, his word is a warrant good enough, the promifes are free enough, the motives fweet enough ; the great fault isa heart of unbrlief in you, that ye will not believe in Chrifl, nor open tohim w hen he is brought toyour door. 1 doubt,} ca,I put it out of doubt, when all that ever h and the gofpel fhall (land before the thr< re,th t there fhall be one found that fhall dare to make this excuse that they were notable to re- ceive Chrifl ; the gofpel brings Chrifl fo near them, that they muil either fay,yea,or nay; it is not fo much, I cannot.asj will not believe ; and that will be fcund a wilful and malicious refufal.
2« It
Serm. £ V&*6 H*
2.1t may be obje&ed,But how can this gofpel come to all alike, feeing it cannot be, that thefe that will never get good of the gofpel,have it as near to them,as thele that get the faving fruit of it? Anfw.Not to fpeakof God's purpofe,or what he intends to make of it, nor of the power and fruit that accompanies it to fome,and not to all ; it'scertain,thegofpel,andChriftinitsoffer,comes alike near to all that hear it:It obje&ively reveals the fame glad tidings to all, with the conditional offer of life,and with the fame command and en- couragement, and certificatioRjin threatnings as well as promifes : In thefe 'refpe&s, Chrift is brought alike near to all ; and when God Co- meth to reckon, he will let finners know in that clay, that the gofpel came to their door, and was refufed : yea, it comes, and where it comes,will take hold of fome,to pluck them out of the fnare, and be ground of faith to them; and to others it will be a ground of challenge, and fo the fa- vour of deatn unto death : for tho' it take not effect as to its promiles in all, nor in its threat- rings to all ; yet as to either death or life, it will take effeft in every one, fo as, if life be refuted, death fteps in the room of it.
But it may be asked, Why will God have Chrift in the offer of the gofpel brought fo near the hearers of it ? Anfw* i. Becaufe it ferves to commend the grace and love of God in Chrift Jefus : when the invitation is fo broad, that it is to all , it fpeaks out the royalty of the feaft, u- pon which ground, 2 Cor. 6. i. it's called grace, the offer is fo large and wide. 2. Becaufe it ferves for warranting and confirming the ele& in the receiving of this offer ; for none of the ele& could receive him, it he were not even laid to their door. It's this, which gives us warrant to receive that which God offers : it's not becaufe we are elefted or beloved of God before time,or becaufe he purpofed to do us good, that we be- lieve ; thefe are not grounds of faith,being God's fecret will : but we believe, becaufe God calleth and maketh the offer, inviteth and promifeth, knowing that he is faitbfulj and we may truft him ; hence David fays, / will never forget thy vordy and, In God will 1 praife bis word ; for the word in its offer fpeaks alike to all, and to none particularly : Indeed, when it comes to the application of promifes for confolation,that is to be made according to the qualifications in the perfons, but the offer is to all. 3. Becaufe by this means the Lord hath the fairer accefs to found his quarrel and controverfy againft unbe- lievers, and to make their dittay and doom the clearer in the day of the Lord, when it's found that they never received the ojflfcr, My people
Verfe u ■ 9
would not hearken to my voice>and Ifrael would none of me', therefore I gave them up to their own- hearts lufls, and they walked in their own ccun- fels : and this is an approbation given to jutlice here, It's well-wair'd, feeing they would not receive thee, that they get worfe in thy room.
UJe 2. Seeing Chrift comes near you in this gofpel; and this is one of the market-days, I ln- trcatyou, while he is near, receive him, call upon him while he is near ; or take it in the plain words of the apoftle, Open to him, take him in, give him welcome,while he bodes himfelf,to fay fo,on you. There is not a conference in any man that hears this gofpel, but he will have this tefti- mony from him in it, that he came near them, was in their fight, and within their reach and grips,as it were,if they would have put out their hand to receive him : and feeing it is fo, O re- ceive this gofpel,give him roomjwhile he is con- tent to fup with you, take him in, make fure your union with him : this is the end why this report is made, and Chrift is laid before you, even that you may lay your felves over on him.
I would follow this ufe a little, by way of ex- hortation and expoftulation jointly,feein£ the do- ctrine will bear both; for when Chrift is brought fo near, even to the mouth and to the heart, it will be great ground of reproof and expoftulati- on, if he fhall be rejected. Be exhorted there- fore to be in earned, feeing, 1. It is a matter of fuch concernment to you : many nations j kings and kingdoms have not had Chrift fo near them as ye have ; negledfc not fuch an opportunity. Do ye think that all that is faid in the gofpel,concer- ning this, is for nought ? Is it for no ufe, that fuch a report is made, and preaching continued fo long among you ? And if it be for any ufe, is it not for this, that ye may receive the report, and may, by doing fo, get your fouls for a prey? To what ufe will preaching be, if this ufe and end of it be mined ? Will your hearing the go- fpel make your peace with God, if Chrift be not received ? 2. Consider the advantages ye may have by receiving the gofpel, that others have not. Is it a little thing to be called to God's feaft, to be married to Chrift, to be made friends with God,and to enjoy him for ever ? The day comes, when it will be thought an advantage; and are there motives to perivvade to any thing,like thofp that are to induce to that? 3.Confider what it is that we require of you : it's no ftrange nor hard thing,it's but believing; and this is nothing elfj, but that the report concerning Chr.ift be recei- ved, yea,that he be received for your own good; that is it that the gofpel calls you to, even to C be-
io Ifaiab ^3.
betake you to a Phyficfan for cure, to betake you to a Cautioner for your debt. If you could efcape a reckoning and wrath another way, it were fomething; but when there is no other way to obtain pardon of fin and peace, or to efcape wrath, and obtain favour and friendship with God, but this ; and when this way (to fpeak Co} is made fo eafy, that it's but to (loop down, and to take up Chrift at your foot, as it were, or to roll your felves on him, how inexculable will ye unbelievers be, when ye fhall be arraigned before his tribunal ? But, 4. Look a little far- ther to what is coming: If ye were to live al- ways here, it we hard enough to live at a feud with God ; but have ye faith of a judgment after death ? if Co, how will ye hold up your faces in that day, that now refute Chrift r will not hor- rible confufion be the portion of many then ? and will any ground of confufion be like this, the flighting of Chrift ? when he fhall be feen coming to judge (lighters of him, what horror will then rife in confeiences, when he fhall appear and be avenged on them that were not obedient to this gofpel ? as is moft clear, 2 TbeJJ.i. When out Lord Jefus fhall be revealed in flaming fire, toitb bis migbty angels from heaven^ to take vengeance on all that know notGod^'and obey not the gofpel. 5. Confider,that death and life are now in your op- tion, in your hand as it were, choofe Orrefufe : I fpeak not,nor plead here for free:will,but of your willing electing of that which ye have offered to you;fbr one of two will bc,either fhall ye willing- ly choofe Hfe,which is a fruit of grace, or refufe life, and choofe death, which will be found the native fruit of your corruption : ye may have life by receiving Chrift, who is laid to your door; and if ye remfe him,death will follow it: as now in hearing this gofpel, ye carry in choofing or refufing, fo will the fentence pafs on you at the great day ; and fo your fentence, in a manner, is written down with your own hand, as it'sfaid, Atts 13.46.Te judge your felves unxvortby ofeter- nal life, not out of humility, but malicioufly.
Verfei; Serm. 3.
Now, when the matter is of fuch concernment beware of playing the fool ; if ye will continue prefumptuous and fecure, following your idols what will the Lord fay. but, Let it be fo, ye get no wrong wheTi ye get your own choice i and he but, as it were, ratifies the fentence which ye have paft on your felves. 6. 1 fhall add but this one word more, and befeech you that ye would ferioufly lay this to heart, as a weighty thing, confidering the certification that follows on it • It's not only death, but a horrible death, wrath* and wrath with its aggravation from this ground'; like that of Capemaum^thcit was lifted up to hea- ven in this refpeft,having Chrift brought fonear them. To whom this gofpel is not the favour of life unto life, it fhall be the favour of death unto death : and think not this a common motive^ho* it be commonly ufed ; it will bring wrath upon wrath, and vengeance upon vengeance on the -hearers of this gofpel,beyond that of Sodow^ys jbc rejecters of it. Surey none of you would thiwk it an eafy thing to be punifhed as Sodomwn> nor digeft well the curie that came on them : Is there any of you5'butye would think it uncouth and ftrange,' yeattupendious, to enter into their judgment, and to' have your lands turneclutnto a {linking loch, and your felves eternally tormen- ' ted with them ? But there is more wrath and vengeance following on the fin of unbeliefy iand rejecting of Chrift, when he comes to your door in this gofpel. Toelofeupall, Confider,;tbac Chrift is near you, and hath been long near you, and wooing you : ye know not how many days or years ye fhall have ; how foon this gofpel may be taken from you, or ye from it; how foon- ye ' may be put in the pit.where ye will gnafh your teeth, gnaw your tongues, and blafpbeme God : therefore be ferious while Chrift is in your offer, and roll your felves over upon him, whikr ye "have him fo near you ; welcome this bearing or report, while it founds in your ears, that there may be no juft ground of this complaint againft you, Lord, toho hath believed *ur report?
SERMON III.
Ifaiahliii. 1. Who hath believed our report? an'd'to whom is the arm of 4beZ<rrd revealed?
TH E moft part of men and women think not much of the preached gofpel ; yet, if it Were confidered, what is the Lord's end in it, it would be the moft refreihful news that ever peo- ple heard, to hear the report of a Saviour : that
concerning his will and ourr own Wellp as to be fuitabry affe&ed with them * It's a wonder r that God hath fent fuch a report to people," and hi ft hath laid Chrift fo near thenvthat he puts him home to them, and lays him before them,
is, and fhould be, great and glad tidings of even at their feet as it were ; and as great a great joy to" all nations; and we fhould be fo wonder, that whenthe Jjord hath C« ndefeeaded compofed to hear fuch news from God* and •■•*?.
Serm. 3« . ,.#*'«$ 5 3«
to give luch a Saviour,and brought him io near, that all he calleth for is faith, to believe the re- port, or rather faith in him of whom the report is-, which is the fecond thing in the words.
Thefecond thing, is, The duty that lies on people to whom the Lord fends the gofpel, or this report concerning Chrift:'and ye may take it in this general ♦, That it lies on all that hear the gofpel* to believe the report that it brings con- cerning Chrift,andby faith to receive him,who isholdenout to them in it: this is clearly impli- ed; Ifalah and all minifters are fent to report con- cerning him, and to bear witnefs of him, and it's the duty of all hearers to believe it \ and this is the ground of his and their eomplaint.when peo- ple do not believe it: by comparing this text with Rom. io 16. zxAJohn 12. 38. we il?ew,that it is faving faith that is here to be underftood.
I fhall take up this do&rine in three branches, which we will find in the words, and which will make way fqr t,he ufe. 1 . That apeop]e',to whom Chrifi is offered in the gofpel, may wan ant ably accept of Chrifi ; or, The •firing of Cprrfl m the go/pel, is warrant enough to believe in him : O- fherways there had been no juft ground of expo- ftulation and complaint for not believing ; for tho* the complaint will not infer that they hacl ability to believe,yet it will infer they had a war- rant to believe ; for the complaint is for the ne- gle& of the duty they were called to. 2. That they, to whom Chrifi is offered tn the gofpel, are called to. believers their duty to do it: thus,believing, in all that hear this gofpel,is necefTary,by necefli- ty of command ; even as holinefs,repentance,£?r. are# 3. That faving faith is the way and mean, hj which thefe, that have Chrifi offered to them inthe gofpel, come to get a right to him, and to obtain the benefits that are reported of to be had from bfcm ', thus, believing is neceuary, as a inids^to the end of getting Chrift,and all that is in him : this is ajfo here implied in the regrate made of the want of faith, which prejudgeth men of Chrift, and of the benefits of the gofpel.
We fhall fhortly put by the firft of thefe, which is, That all that hear the gofpel preached, have warrant to believe and receive Chrift, for their eternalpeace,and for making up of the breach be- twixt God, and them: this preached gofpel gives you all warrant to accept of Jefus Chrift,and ye would not feek after, nor call for another. I fhall firft premit two diftin&ions to clear this,and then fecondly confirm it. As for the firft of the two di- minutions that ferve to clear it, we may take up the gofpel more largely and complexly, in a co- Tenanjt tornvholdin^ out Chrift and his benefits, ftt condition of believing \ or,wi jmy take it ti#
Verfe u 11
as it holds out a promife, without particular mentioning of a condition : now, when we (ay that the gofpel commands and warrants all that hear it to accept the offer, we do not mean the laft, that airthat hear the gofpel have warrant to accept the promife, without a condition, but the firft, that is, that all the hearers of the gof- pel are commanded to accept of Chrift offered; there is.by the preaching of it, a warrant to clofe with tlie report, and then to meddle with, and take hold of the promifes, and the things pro-* nii fed : fo that it's the gofpel, conditionally prb- pofed,that gives warrant to believe,as believing refts on Chrifi for obtaining life in him. The K& conddiftin&ionls,That we would confidcr faith, as it reds on Chrift for obtaining union with him* and right to the promifes ; cr>as it applies and makes ufe of the benefits to be gotten in and by Chrift: the' offer of the gofpel give's not to all a warrant to apply the benefits to be gotten by Chrift inftantly ; but it warrants them to clofe with him firft, and then to apply his benefits.
Secondly, Hot confirmation of this truth,That the general preaching of the gofpel is a warrant for believing and exercifing faith on JefusChrift, for making our peace with God ; it's clear from, thefe grounds. 1. From the nature of the gof- pewit's the word of God, as really inviting to do that which it calls for, as if God were fpeak- ing from heaven ; it's the word of God,and not the word of man, and hath as real authority to call for obedience, as if God fpake it immediate- ly from heaven ; and the word of promife is as really his word, as the word of command, and therefore to be refted on and improven, as well as we are to endeavour obedience to the com- mand: and if we think that God's teftimony is triie,and if we lay any* juft weight on thefe three witnefTes teftifying from heaven, and on thefe other three teftifying from earth, 1 John $. 7. then we may reft on Jefus Chrift offered in this gofpel, and believe, that thefe who reft on him mall have life ; for it is, as we faid, as really "God's word, as if he were fpeaking it audibly from heaven, 2. It may be confirmed from thefe folemn things,the word and ctf^ofGod, whereby he hath mightily confirmed the exter- nal offer of the gofpel, even the two immutable things,\vherein it is impoflible for him to lie, that thefe, who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope fet before them, may have (Irong confolation,as it is Heb. 6. 18. And God having thus faid and fworn anent this external cove- nant, for this very end, that the hearers of the kofscl ijwy know, that they who receive Chrift: C 2 o>
ll Jfalah <53»
fered therein, {hall have life^it is warrant fuffici- ent to believe on htm for life : it's alio for this end that he hath pat feals to the covenant, cir- cuinciiion and the paffover in the old, and bap- %\im and the Lord's fupper in the new teftaments; which are extended, not only to the ele&,but to profeiTors in the vifible church,that every one, who is baptized and admitted to the commu- nion, may have confirmation of this, that the offer, that God makethof life through Chrift, is a true and real offer, and will be made good to the perfons that fhall receive it, and (b perform the condition. 3 . It may be confirmed from the end for which God appointed the word and mi- niftry in bis church, .even to make the offer of Chrift and life through him, John 20. 3 1. Tbefe things are written, that ye might believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God, and that belie- wngye might have lije through his name \ the word is both written and preached for this very end. 4. And laftly ,it's confirmed confirmed from the experience of all the faints, and from the ground on which they believed, which was the fajpe that we have ; they had no other ground kut the fame gofpel and word that we have ; it was not the fecret operation or inftin& of the Spirit, it's that indeed which works faith ; but it was the word which was the ground of their faith, for there is no warrant for faith but in the word: and as many believers as have gone before us, are as fo many inftances and experiences to confirm this truth to us.
Ufe. It ferves for good ufe to fuch as may fall to doubt and difpute whatiwarrant they have to believe: we fay, ye have as good warrant as A- brabam, David, Paul,or any of the godly that lived before you, had : ye have the fame gofpel, covenant and promifes*, it was always God's word preached,which was the ground of faith; and there needs not be much difputing, what is God's purpofe ; for we are not called to look to that in the matter of believing, more than in the matter of our duty : & as ;t were evil reaso- ning to difpute what may be God's purpofe in the matter of our duty, when we are called to it ; it's as bad real on in g to difpute his purpofe in the matter of faith : And therefore we leave this ufe with a word of advertisement, that this gofpel, as it lays Chrift before you, it gives you warrant to receive him, and reft upon him; and we may fay as Paul did, A&s 13. 38, 39. Be it known unto you there fore,men and brethren, that thro1 this man is preached unto you forgivenefs of jins,and by himaU that believe are juflified from all things, from which ye could not be juflified by the law ofMofcs. There is the way held out for
Verfe 1. Serm. 3.
obtaining pardon of fin, and peace ; the Lord hath made the offer, and laid a fair bridge over the gulf of diftance betwixt God and finners, tho' ye fhould never get good of it, and tho' ye fhould never fet a foot on the bridge : none needs to fear to ftep forward ; behold, our Lord Jefus hath holden out the golden fcepter, his call may be^ warrant enough to come; the preaching of this gofpel ftops all difputing.and banifheth de- bating of the bufinefs: it calls all the hearers of it,and gives them warrant to come forward, and it's fuch a warrant, as they will be found iligh- ters of the great falvation offered, who had this door opened to them, and did not ftep forward 5 for, as theapoftle fays, 2 Cor. 6. Behold, now is the day ofjalvation, behold, now is the accepted time : and, Heb. 2. 2. If the wordfpoken by an- gels was fled f aft, and every tranfgreffion and dif obedience received a juft rec:mpenfe of reward^ how fball we efcape, if we neglett fo great fal- vation* which at the fir ft began to be fpoken by the Lord, &c. It's the fame gofpel that from the beginning hath been preached to finners, and' that is the reafon why the gofpel is called grace% in that 2 Cor.6. 1. We befeech you that ye receive not this grace of God in vain \ and, GaU 2. at the clofe, I do not fruftrate the grace of God ; for many get the warrant and pafs to come and re- ceive Chrift, who put it up in their pocket, as it were,and make no ufe of it, as the man that hid the talent in his napkin ; the bonds of mar- riage are proclaimed,and the warrant given forth, and yet they ha!t,and come not to the wedding.
We fhall add the fecond branch, which is, That this gofpel where it comes and offers Je- fusChrift to finners,men and women are not only warranted to come; but required and comman- ded to come. The great duty that thegofpel calls for,is believing ; it leaves it not indifferent to believe or not, but peremptorily lays it on as a command .• ye hear many preachings,and Chrift often fpoken of j now this is the great thing cal- led for from you, even believing in Chrift; and while it h not performed, there is no obedi- ence given to the gofpel.
We fhall firft confirm, and then make ufe of this branch of the docVine.
1. For confirmation, take thefe grounds, i# From the manner how the gofpel propofetht faith, it's by way of command in the imperative mood, Believt, Come, ye that are weary, &c. Come to the wedding, Open, &c. wherein fome- what of the nature of faith is held out, all thefe being the fame with believing. 2. It's not only commanded as other things are, but peculiarly
coni*
Serm. 3» Ifaiah ^
commanded •, and there is a greater weight laid on the obedience or' this command, than on the doing of many other commanded duties : it's the the Cum of allChrift's prea:hing,Aftfrfc i. Repent and believe the gofpel : it's the only command whichPaa/propofestothe }2iy\or, All s\~). Believe in the Lord Jefus, &?. 3. It's, as it were,the pe- culiar command that JeCus Chrift hath left to his people, 1 John-}. 22. This is bis command- ment, that wejbould believe on the name of his Son Jefus Chrtfi , and this command of belie- ving on him, is the peculiar command left to, and laid on minifters to prefs. 4. It will be clear, if we confider,that the great disobedience that he quarrels for, is, when there is not belie- ving,when finners will not come to him, this is his quarrel, John 5. 40. Te will not come to me, that ye may have life ; and here, Who bath be- lieved our report 1 lb, Mat, 23. I mould have ga- thered you,and ye would not ; and, John 12. 37. Tho' he did many mighty works among them, yet they believed not on him* 5. Look to the nature of the offer made by Chrift, and to the end of it, and ye will find that the great thing called for, is the receiving of it, which is nothing but "believing: and all our preachings of Chrift,and of his benefits, are ufelefs without it : without this, he wants the fatisfa&ion he calls for,for the travel of his foul ; and without it the hearers of this gofpel profit not, 1 Pet. 1.9. Receiving the end of your faith, the falvation of your fouls ; the fubordinate end of preaching, to wit, the falvation of our fouls, cannot be attained with- out faith.
The ufes are three. 1. It ferveth to be a ground for us to propofe the main gofpel duty to you, and to teach you, what is the great and main thing ye are called to ; it is even to believe in Jefus Chrift, to exercife faith on him •• it's not only that your life fhould be civil and formal, that ye ihould read, pray, frequent ordinances, learn the catechifm,and fuch like ; but this is it, to believe on Jefus Chrift for the obtaining of life and remiffion of fins through him *. and it's not a thing indifferent to you,but commanded, and with this certification,that if ye believe not, ye lhall never get life nor pardon of fin: and therefore as we tell you that remiffion or fins is preached to you thro'Chrift,lo we command and charge you to believe on him,& receive this gof- pel,^ herein he is offered for the remiffion of fins. For clearing of this ufe,and that we rmy have the; more ready accefs to application we fhall fp ajca word to thefe three. 1. Tofe .ral kinds 0* true faith,three whereof are not faving ; or to the ordinary diftinftions of faith 2. To the
Verfc i. ,3
fcripture-expreflions, that hold out the nature of ^ faving faith. 3. To Come difference be- twixt this Caving faith, and falfe and counterfeit faith, or thefe afts of true faith more generally- taken, which yet are not Caving.
For the^r/? of thefe, When we Cpeak of fait*, we fhall draw it to thefe four kinds ordinari'y fpoken of,and fhall not alter nor add to the com- mon diftin&ions of faith, tho' there may be mo given. The firfl is biftcricaltzith : which may- be called true, being it whereby we aJfent to the truth of a thing, becaufe of hisfuppofed fi- delity that telleth it ; as when an author write* a hiftorv,we give it credit upon report that he was an honeft man that wrote it: fo«hiftorical faith is, when people hearing the word preach- ed or read,they aifent to the truth of it all ; and do not queftion, but that Chrift came to the world ; that he was God and Man in one per- fon ; that he died and roCe the third day, and aCcended into heaven; that they that believe on him fhall be Caved, S3> r. and taking the word to be God's word,they may give to it a higher a£ fent than they give to any man's word, becaufe God is worthy, infinitely worthy of more cre- dit than any man, yea than all men, and angels too : There may be, I fay, in this hiftoricai faith of divine truths, a higher or greater affent than there is in believing of any humane hiftory, which may be the reafon why many miftake hiftoricai faith,and yet it is but of the fame kind, and a thing which many reprobates have, as John 2. at the clofe, it's Caid, Many believed on him when they jaw the miracles which he did, but Jefus did not commit bimfelf unto tbemrthey were brought to believe, from the figns which they Caw, that he was more than a meer man, and that it was the word of God which he fpoke, and yet it was but a hiftoricaj faith ; yea this faith may be and is in devils, who are faid, James 2. 9. To believe and tremble. There are many, who, if they believeChrift to be God and Man,and the word to be true, think it enough; yet James, having to do with fuch, tells them, that the devils believe as much as that,and more thorowly than many that have hiftoricai faith ; he knovys God to be true, and one that cann%t lie, and he finds it to his coft ; he knows that fuch as believe cannot perifh, for he cannot get one of them to hell ; he knows that there is a time fet, when Chrift will come to judge the world,and himfelf among the reft, and therefore he Cays often to him, Torment me not before the time ; and as the devil hath this faith, (o there are many in hell that haye it too 5 the rich gHit-
ton
14 I fat fib $3.
ton had it, therefore he bids go tell his brc- thren, that they come not to that place of torment ; and it's told him,They hweMofes and the prophets,C5V. which fays,that he then tele the truth of many things he would not believe before. This I fpeak, that ye may know, that this histo- rical faith is the firft ftep of faith ; but it may be in hell, and fo in many in whom faving faith is not : it's really a wonder that folks that are cal- led Chriftiansfhould own this to be faving faith, & think they are well come to,when they are on- ly come the devil's length in believing;yea,there are many that never came this length, elfe they would tremble more. The fecond fort of faith, is the faith of miracles, which is often fpoken of hi the New Teftament ; as when the Lord faith, If ye bad faith as a grain of muftard-fecd, ye Jhould fay to this mountain, Be thou removed and caflinto the fe a, and itjboujd be done.There was an a&ive faith to work miracles, and a paf- five faith, to receive the particular effeft the miracle did produce ; fome had the faith of mi- racles to heal, and others to be healed ; this is an extraordinary thing, and folks may go to hea- ven without it, and go to hell with it, though they cannot go to heaven without hiftorical faith ; hence it's faid, Many (hall come to me in that day, andjhall fay, We have caften eut de- vils in thy name\ to whom he will fay, Depart from me^ye workers of iniquity. And the apoftle faith, 1 CV. 13. 2. If 1 had aU faith, and could re- tnove mountains ,if 1 want charity •• it avails me no- thing. This faith of miracles availeth not alone vto falvation,becaufe it a&s not on Chrrft holden out in the promifes, as a Saviour to fave from fin; but on Chrift, as having power and ability to produce fuch an efreft: which may. be, where there is no quitting of a man's ownrighteoufnefs; and if there be not grace in the perfon that hath it,it is anoccafion of pride. We call you then to Mftorical faith, as neceflary,tho' not fufticient ; but not to this faith of miracles, it being neither fieceftary nor fufficient. A third fort of faith is temporary faith, fpoken of, Matth. 13. and fet
Verfe 1. Serm. 44
out under the parable of the feed fown on {tony- ground, which foon fprings up, but withers ; fo fome hearers o: the gofpel receive the word with joy, and are affe&ed with it, but endure not : The difference betwixt this and hiftorical faith, is, that hiilorical faith, as fuch, confifts in the judgment,and reaches not the affections; at bed it reaches not the arFeclion of joy, for tho' the devils tremble, yet they are never glad ; tem- porary faith reaches the arFettions,and will make a man, as to tremble at the threatnings,as Felix did ; fo fome way to delight himfelf in the pro- mifes of the gofpel, and to fmack them, as it were, from the apprehenfion of the fweet tafte and relifh he find's in them. It is even here (as it were) told a whole man, that a Phyfician is come to town, he is neither up nor down with it ; but tell it to a lick man,and he is fain,from an appre- hended poflibility of the cure; yet the apprehen- ded poflibility of the cure,never fends him to the Phylician,nor puts him to apply the cure. The 4th fort is faving faith, which goeth beyond all the reft,and brings the fick man to thePhyflcian, and to make ufe of the cure : there may be Tome meafure of true faving faith, where there is not much temporary faith, or moving of the affecti- ons ; and there may be a confiderable meafure of temporary faith, where there is no faving faith all ; even as afallen-ftar may feem to glance more than a fixed one that is overclouded,yet it hath no folid light. Know then, that faith is called for, but take not every fort of faith for faving faith : it would make Render hearts bleed,to fee Co many miftaken in the matter of their faith ; there are fome who fay, they had faith all their days. O that ye were convinced of the lamentable deceit and delufion that ye are under, and that ye could diftinguifti betw ixt faith and prefump- tion, betwixt hiftorical and temporary faith,ard true faving faith; tho* the two former be not de- lusions ; but in fo far as ye reft on the fame,and take them for faving faith, ye are deluded ; for faving faith puts you out of your felves, to reft on Jeius Chrift.
SERMON IV.
Ifaiah ^3. 1. Who hath believed our report ? and td xohom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
THE gofpel is a fweet mefTage, and ought to held, we bring you gad tidings of great joy to all be glad news, when it comes to a people ; people ; unto you is born in the city of David a
and therefore, when this report of our Lord Tefus Chrift is made to finners, O ! but it's a lad complaint that follows on the refufal and not welcoming of it : there is no better news a mi- nifter can carry, than thefe brought to the fhep- Jjcrds by the angels, Luke 2. ioai 1. Fear n^fic^
Saviour , which is Chrift the Lord ; but,we*e it an Ifaiah,it will weight him,when he looks on a fruitlefs miniftry and defpifed gofpel, and will make him complain, Who bath believed our report? O that we may experimentally know the cbear-
Serm* 4. Jfaiab 53.
iulnefs and gladnefsjhat follows felie gofpel where it is embraced, & that we may not know the for- row and fadn^fs that will follow the challenge for defpifing of it. One of thefe two the preached gof* pel will be,either it will be joyful news to you, or fad ground of complaint to God againft you. We entred to fpeak of the great duty of a peo- ple that hears the gofpel, and the great mean whereby thefe news become delightlom,and that is by faith to receive the report of the gofpel, or to believe on Chrift reported of in it : This is clearly implied, for the regrate, which holds out the fin, is, &&o bath believed our report P and therefore.the great duty mult be,to believe^and by faith to receive the report. We come now to fpeak of the Ufe: And becaufe it's the great defign of the whole gofpel, yea, it's the defign of the law^alfo, both of which level at this end and Grapes even &ith in Chrift ; it will be expedi- ent,! andnoways impertinentjthat we infift a lit- tle* on this,efpecially when fo many thoufandsare Utterly ignorant of faith,being ftrangers to what believing inChrift is, and fo great ftrangers to the native end of the gofpel, and out of the way of getting good by the preaching of it *, fo that, to this day, they have not learned this one lefTon,to wit,concerning faith in Chriftjand other leffons will be to little or no puropfe,till this belearn'd. We (hall not iniift to fpeak at large of the do- ctrine of faith,but only,in a plain way,glance at what this great duty is, that is required of the hearers of the gofpel ; it's believing in Chrift fa- vingly,or faving faith,for no other thing will hold off the complaint againft you r ye will be com- plained of, tho' ye would believe with all other raithjtherefore it's this faith that is here meaned- • That we may come the fooner to that which we would be at,we fhall premit two or tt|ree words. Fir/}, When we fpeak of believing here, we pre- fuppofe thefe things that are neceflary for clear- ing theObje& of faith,and capacitating us to be- Jieve,tho' they be not faving faith; As namely,!. That the offer of the gofpel muft come to people, " that the Objeft of faith be held out to them,that it be told them,that there is a way for a finner's juftUicationthroMghChriftJefuSjand that finners fluy be accepted before God on his, account, or through him. Therff.muft alfo, 2?Re an under- handing of this, a conceiving in the judgment What it is ^folks cannot belie Ve,except they hjear, and underiVuHJ what they hear, in fo far asdi* (Un&ly to-fix their faith on the thing Renown ; they -muft know and underftand the Mediator's falnefs^theCovertant's freenefs,and the efficacy of fekk to. makeCririft. theirs.. .Yea,3,It's neceflary 4&re be fame acquaintance with our own condi*
Verfe II.
15
tion ;as that we are naturally under fin1, that we are loft, and under the curfe ; fick, and utterly unable, and even defperate to get our felves re- covered^ any thing that is in,o'r by any thing that we can do of our felves ; that We are for ever undone, if we get not a Saviour, that our mouth may be flopped. 4. Not only muft we know this,but it's necelfary there be a hiftorical faith of it,to believe that there is fulnefs-ck fuffi- ciency inChrift,that he is able to cure,and take away the guilt of fin in all that reft on him;thefe muft be believed in general,ere ever finners can reft on him for their own falvation; which fup- pofcs,that there may be an hiftorical,where there is not a faving faith. Now,when all this length is gone, faving faith is that which the gofpel cal- leth for,and it is the heart's afti-ng, according to what found light and convi&ion it hath,on]efus Chrift,as holden out in the promife, for obtain- ing oflife and falvation through him •, fo that, when the foul is lying ftill under its convi&ion, and knows it cannot have life but by refting on Chrift, and hears that there is a fufficiency in him for up-making of all its wants,then the work of the Spirit prevails with the foul,to caft it felf over on him, for obtaining of life, and of every other thing needful ; it brings the foul to em- brace and lay hold on him, not only as one able to fave finners, but to fave it felf in particular : and this is the native work of faith, that unites the foul to Chrift, and puts it over the bound* road, or march of all deluflon; it's like a finking man's leaping to catch hold of a rock or rope ; it's the bringing of a loft ftnner/rom the ferious apprehenfion of his own naughtinefs and un« done eftate,to caft himfelf oyer on Jefus Chriftj for the obtaining of life through him.
2dly> When we fpeak of faith, we would pre- mit this, That even this true and faving faith* which is not only in kind true, that is, liich as hatha real being, but is faving, maybe con- fidered in its different ads or a&ings,for its dif- ferent needs or neceflities: Tho' the covenant be one,yet the a&s of faith are manyywe having to do with pardon of fin, with fan&ijication in its parts,vivification3and mortification,with peace, £$V. faith differently a£s on Chrift and the pro- mife for obtaining of thefe. Now,the faith that we would infift on, is, the faith that refts on Chrift for pardon of fin, on which all the reft of the a<fts of faith depend ; it's that faith, . whereby a dinner receives Chrift,and cafts him- felf over on him; that faith, whereby union with Chrift is made up.
3<% We would premit, Tim there is a grea* deference
10* Tfalah <>V
difference betwixt faith, and the effedh of it, as peace, joy, aflurance of God's love, and thefe o- fefcer fpiritual privileges that follow believing. It's one thing a&ually to belie ve,another thing to have the peace and joy that follows upon, and flows from believing , the one being as the put- ting cut of the hand to receive the meat,and the other as the feeding on it. It's the firft of thefe we mean, and intend to Jpeak of,even that faith, whereby we grip Jefus Chrift himfelf, and get a right to all thefe privileges,in and through him. tfhly, We premit, That even this faving faith hath its degrees, as all other faith hath -, fome have more weak faith, fome ftronger ; fome have that full aflurance, fpoken of, Heb. 10. or a ple- rophory, not only as to the Obje<a,that **?* Effi- cient; but as to the apprehending and obtaining of life through thatObjeft ; fo that they are able to fay, Neither height % nor depth, nor any thing elfe, jkall be able to feparate them fiom the love •fGod in Cbriji Jefas. We fay then, that faving faith hath its degrees,tho* the degree be not that which we fpeak of j but it's the kind of this faith, whether weaker or more ftrong, whereby a loft /inner rolls itfelf over on Chrift ; the faith,which puts the flnner off the ground it flood on, over on him ; the faith, which brings the foul from the covenant -of works, to a new holding of life hy Chrift and his righteoufnefs. We fhall then Jpeak a little, i. To what we conceive .this a& of wving faith is not, for precav eating of miftakes. 2* What way the fcripture expreffes it. When then we fay thatfuch a thing is not faving faith, ye would know that thing is not it that ye muft lippen to ; and when we fay fuch a thing is fa- iring faith, ye would labour to aft and exercife faith according to it.
ifl, For what faving faith is not. i. It is not the knowing that Chrift is God and Man ; that he was born, was crucified, dead, and buried, and rofe again. Ask fome, What true faving faith is ? They will fay, It's a true knowledge : Ask them again, How long it is flnce they believed? They will fay, Since ever they knew good by ill. Ye would know that apprehenfive or literal and fpeculative knowledge is needful, but it will not be taken for faving faith. 2. It's not a touch of warmnefs or liberty in the affections in a natural way, which may be in unregenerate men, yea, poflibly in Pagans, as in a Felix, who, in the xnezn time,have not fo much as temporary faith ; becaufe it rifes not from the word,but from dif- penfations of providence, or from temporary things : & if it rife from the promifes of the word, if there be no more, it's but temporary faith. 3»It is not conviftions, which many take for faith,
Verfe u w Serm. £7 '
and take it for granted, if they be convinced of fin, they believe, and will fay, Whom fliould they believe on but Chrift ? and yet they never follow the convi&ion, to put in practice what they are convinced of. 4. It's not (imply a re- folution to believe, as others take faving faith to be, who, being convinced that their own righ- teoufnefs will not do their turn,refolve to believe on Chrift for righteoufnefs, but they will take a convenient time to do it ; and many maintain their peace with this, tho' it be no true peace f but a hare refolution to believe is not faith ; ye ufe to fay,There are many good wiihers in hell. I remember the words of a dying man in this place, who thought he believed before ; and be- ing asked, What difference he conceived to be betwixt the faith he had before, and the faith he now had attain'd to ? He anfwered, Before, I thought or refolved to believe, but never prae>i- fed it ; now I pra&ife believing. There is fuch a fubtilty and deceit in the heart, that if it re- folve to believe, and if it obfervably thwart not with faith, it will fit down on that, as if all were done ; therefore the word is, To day if ye mill hear bis voice, that is, to day ii ye will believe, harden not your heart.. This refolving to believe, is like a man finking in th? water, and having a rope caft out to him, he refolyes to grirHt,but does it not ; fo many think they have the pro- mife befide them,& refolve to make ule of it, but do not prefently make ufe of it, and the ihip finks .down, and they perifh, while the promife abides and fwims above. 5. It is not prayer. There are many, they think they believe, when they fome way repent, pray, and put their hand to other duties ; and they know no more for be- lieving but jrmething of that kind. It is true indeed, pr">'er may help to believe, yet it's not always with faith : it's not every one that faith, Lord, Lord, that believetfa ; many will feek to enter, that fliall not be able. Folks very often have thefe two miferable miftakes about prayer,either they put it in the room of Chrift,or in the room and place of faith, not confidering that they are different things; for faith exercifeth itfelf on Chrift as Mediator, and prayer taketh him up as God, the true Object of divine worfhip; tho , if it be founded on Chrift as Mediator, it hath noaccefs: the adding of faving faith 16 properly on Chrift held forth in the word, and prayer is a" putting up of fuits according to the word* There are many, that know no more what ufe to make of Chriil, than if he had never been in- carnate, nor had come under that relation of a Mediator, and make their prayers ferye to make
up
Serm.4. Ifatub fr
up all \ whereas faith, not only refpefts Chrift as God^but his merits as Mediator, and his offices. 6. Nor is faith only a believing this word of God to be true, tho' we could wifh many were come that length ; it would make a man tremble, to bear the blafphemous words that lome will have, when they are asked concerning their believing the truth of the Bible ; but tho' ye were that length,lt were not enough, the devils believe and tremble. The faith, that we call you to, is more than hiftorical ; it's to retting onChrift,to cordi- al receiving of the mefTage which he fends to you: as, fuppofe a king iliould fend an embaffage to a perfon, to woo her to be his wife ; it's one thing to know that there is fuch a king, another thing to believe that he is real in his offer, and that the woman by confenting to marry him,may be,and will be happy, and (which is yet more) actually to receive the mefTage, and to confent to go and marry him. It's here,as when Abraham's feryant is fent to Rebekab>Gen. 24. Ike and her friends be- lieve all the report that the fervant made of his mafter and of his fon, that it was true ; and then it's given to her option, if ftie will go with the man,and ftie confents to go, and a&ually gocth : this is it we preCs you to, to go with us,and clofe the bargain, and to accept of him, and of life through him. By the lame fimilitude ye may know what laving faith is, and what is the diffe- rence betwixt it and temporary faith ; when the great, rich, and brave offer comes to be made to Rebehah, by a man with many camels, gold and bracelets ; when ftie believes that it's true, and that it's made to her, ftie is fain, and it may be over-fain, if not fomewhat vain alfo $ that is like temporary faith : But when it comes to the articles of the contract, it's faid to dinners, Ye mud fubjeft to Chrift, and follow his will, and not your own ; this, this cafts the bargain. Thus many, when they hear there is a poflibility of life to be had in Chrift, and much more when they hear it's to be had on good, eafy, and free terms, it will make them imile ; but when it comes to that, Pfal. 45. 10. Hearken, 0 daughter, and c:n- fidcr, for fake thy father's botxfe, or the faihions of thy father's houfe ; it halts there, and they fufpend and demur to clofe the bargain; but fa- ving faith goes further on, and, with Rebehab, finally clofes the bargain.
Secondly, The next thing is, What is faving # faith ? or, what is it to believe in Chrift ? And " would to God ye were ready to believe, and as ready to receive the invitation, as to ask the que- stion, and that in asking the queftionye were in earned 5 for, by the way, many have asked the qucftion, What Jhall vjc do t9 be fay id ?
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where, if they had been in earnrft, they might have been foon refolved : The anfwer is at hand, Believe in the Lcrd Jefus Cbriftyand tboujkaltkc faved. But, to them thatdefire further clearnefs or confirmation in this concerning bufinefs, we ftiall fpeaka little ; yet ye muft know, thst it's fuch a thing as is impcflible to be made plain to a proud-humoured or unhumbled finner; it's the poor humbled foul that will take it up ; and, to fuch a feul, half a word will help to take it up.
The plaineft way to fet it out, as we conceive, is, to name fome fcripture-exprertions, ard fimi- litudes, that hold it forth •, The firft whereof is in that of Mat. 11. 28. Ccme to meyallye that arc weary and heavy laden ; And fob. 6,35. He that cometh to me Jhall never hunger, and he thai be" lieveth en me pall never thirfl. Readily thefeex- preffions hold out thefe three ; Firflyhu evil which men cleave to. Secondly ,A good that is offered to them. Thirdly , A palling from the evil to the good;and fo,Owe -to we.impHes,i.A hazard that folks are in, by being at a diftance from Chrift. 2. That there is accels to Jefus Chrift for remei- ding that evil, and removing of that hazard. 3. A parting from the one to the other, a parting from our own righteoufnefs to Chrift 's righte- oufnefs, a parting from our natural condition to Jefus Chrift, a real parting from death in our ielves to life in him. Moft part think faith to be a conceit, a humour,, or a gueffing, that they think they may have, and never know how ; but it's a real thing, a coming from our own righte- oufnefs (as I Ta;d) to his, from a covenant of works, to reft on Chrift and his righteoufnefs, held forth in the covenant of grace. This is fomewhat explained, Rem- 7. where two hus- bands are fpoken of : a woman cannot marry ano- ther man till her firft husband be dead ; fo, till a iinner be dead to the law,he cannot marryChrift ; there muft be a divorcing from the law and co- venant of works, ere ye can clofe" with Chrift.
The fecond expreflion is,jf<;<fr. 1. 12. where faith is held forth as a receiving of Chrift, To as many as received him,be gave them fewer to become the fons of God, even to as many as believed en bis name : And it's well exprefs d in the Catecbifm^to be a receiving of Chrift as he is offered in thegof- pel; this fuppofes,thatChrift is offered to us,and that we are naturally without him. The gofpel comes and fays, Why will ye die, O houfe of Jf- rael ? Come and revive a Saviour ; and the a<£e of faith is a gripping to thst offer, a receiving and imbracing of it, a being well content to take a free difcharge through his blood.
A third expreflion is. Phil. 3. 12. where faitfe is D fct
i$ If&M ^3.
fetout as an apprehending of Ch'rhr, and Heb. 6. iS.it's called a laying hold on the hope" fet before irs>and Ifa. 56. 4. a taking hold of the covenant ; All which fuppofe folk to have a choice, as it Were, laid to them, and Chrift to be holden out afs a city of refuge, and a flielterfrom that which Wearein hazard of: Chrift is held out in the gof- pel as the city of refuge *, and the exercife of faith is to run from the hazard to him,as a child,thatis chafed by an unknown and uncouth body,flees un- to the mother's arms, or as the man-flayer fled from the avenger of blood to the city of refuge : And faith,having run to hirh,cafts it felf on him, Or thrufts it felf (as it were) into him,
A fourth expreffion is /oiling or cafting of our felves over upon theLord,as Pfal. 55.22. Cafl thy bar dm on the Lord\zn&? fall"! .^.Commit thy way to the Lord; it's on the nurger\t,RolI thy felf on tbc~ Xcrd, or reft, as it's v. 7. and eafe thy felf on the Lord. The gofpel lays Chrift, as it were, at folk's feet, and faith rolls them over on him 5 it's even the foul's finding it felf, through the work of the Spirit, unable to (land under the burden, rolling it felf on Chrift, as a crazy and *yeak body cafts it felf on a down-bed for eafe. This is a very emphatick, iigniikant, a'nda&'ivs' expreffion of faith; fetting out a man quitting his jwn legs or feci, as unable to (land on them, and laying himfelfover on Chrift ; this is it that we -all you to, even to quit your own feet, and to roll your felves over on Chrift.
A fifth expreffion is,Rcw7.io* 3. where it's cal- [zdafubmitting tothsrighteoufnefs ofGod\\\\\ic\\ ^s held out in the gofpel thus, as if a king were proclaiming a pardon to rebels, and faying to them, For as many hainous crimes as ye have comm'itted,and are guilty of,ifye will take with them, and betake your felves to my grace and. mercy3fincerely refolving'to be henceforth faith- ful and dutiful fubjecte to me, I #ifl freely par- don you ; which gracious offer they mod gladly wccc-pi: of, and fubmit themfelves to- it. Submit- ling is an acquiefcing in the terms of the gofpel, .ts it is propofed •, iVseven as if ye' fhouldiay,We joid the bargain, and are well content and fatif- fied with it. In a word, faith carves not to God the way to falvatiou, but fweetly fubmitteth to ihe way he hath carved out.
A fixth expreffion is,Hiding of our felves in God, cr in Chrifl-, fo the vtordjruft in God,fignifies, to Hide our felves in him as in a place of refuge,ac- wding to that^Prov. \%.Tke name oftbeLordis J firong tower ; the righteous run into it.and are preferved,or hid ; or,they ileetoit5as doves doto their windows : And this is it trr& apoftle farth, >' ', 3. $»Tkat I/zqt bsfottodin khtf, not lowing
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rnyownrighteoufnefsM. So that, if ye ask, What is faith? It s a man betaking himfelftoChrift5that wnen he mall be called for, it may be anfwered, Lord,l am in Chrift,not having mine own righ- teoufnefs, Vc. it is not to be lippening to trie man s good hopes, to his good prayers, or to his good meaning, but to Chrift's fatisfadion, andGodspromile; by faith, when rightly ex-
n£> M,He fl"ner holds and hkl« himfelf it Chrift, till fto fpeak fo) a bit of the man cannot' be leen; and this is well fetout by the Lord,when he fays, Ifa. 23.26. Come, my people, enter into your chambers, Jhut the dodrs about you ,hide your- felves for a little while, &c. Come in under the' Mediator's wings, locg in your felves by faitk there, and fo make all fure.
A feventh expreffion is, 2 Chronic. S. where** whenflV^vaMs writing to thedegenefate tribes' to come home again, he bids them, Tteld them-' fslves to the Lord) in the original it is, Give tb'e hand to the Lord : even as two men, who have beed at odds and variance, or have broken the- tyes that were betwixt them, come to renew the friendfhrip, they chop hands ; now, God is brought in, llretching out his hands to you,Ifa. 65. i; therefore come and clofe with him, yield^ to him, give him the hand, or chop hands with him, and make the bargain and engagement fi-cker for the time to come. All thefe fimilitude^, borrowed from men, are partly to make the na- ture of faith obvious and clear,p artly to ftrength- en and confirm believers faith.
An eighth expreffion is that 0$ opening toChrift, Cant. $. 2. Open to me,toy dove,&c'.Rev.i. 2o.£<?- boldjftznd at the door and knock', if any man open the door to m*,&<i.Acls i6.it'sfaid,r6e Lord open- ed the heart 0} Lydia:: When the word comes, finners hearts are locked onGod; Chrifl: comes by • his Word,arid knocks hard to be in.bids open and take in the Saviour ;'and faith difcerns his voice, and gives him entry. It^s the letting of the word fink,the making of him welcome ; it's not only the crediting of the word as true, but the receiving of him,whom the word offers, for the end for which he is offered ; and this is, when the work of the Spirit,withthe word,wakens up a ftichitling, or /lightering (to fay (o) within, and makes the heart to open to take in Chrift; as one worded it wetland fignificantly5Af^ heart- .cleeked as a lint-feed boll to Chrifl. And. wher- ever Chrift hath a defrgn of grace on the foul, and comes with poWer, he continues knocking, rapping, and calling hard and loud, till doors #nd gates be cafl open to him. A ninth exprefftoo. or firrilitudej urtder which'
faith is held forth, is that which is ordinary of a tnarr\age,ot of covenanting or confenting,whether in marriage or otherwife, but more efpecially in marriage : When Chrift taketh on him the place of an woer, minifters are his ambafTadors, the word is their inftru&ions, wherein he bids them go tell iinners, that all things are ready , ,and to pray them to come to the marriage, or to marry and match with him ; and faith is a com- ing away to this Husband, a receiving of the word of invitation, a contenting to the marri- age: It's not To much a local, as a qualitative change or mutation •, we change fafhions,we fub- fcribe the contra& on the terms it is laid out to us : In the. bargain of grace, fomethirg is offer- ed by God, and that is, Chrift and his fulnefs ;, and there is fomething done on our fide, and that is, accepting of him by faith .• And this is ..not io much a faying with the tongue, as it is a believing with the heart j as it is Rom. io. io. With the heart man believes unto rightzoujnefs : it's the heart's prefent fubfcribing the mar ri age- contract, and going away with Chrift >to live and cohabite with himj tho' confeffion will be readily .with the mouth alio, as he calls for it.
A tenth exprefllon,or fimilitude,is that of buy* ingfio, every o»e(crieth the prophet I fa .<> 5 . i ,)tbat thirfls, some to the waters 5 and he that bath no money \co'me,buy,b\z. fo Rev-z* iZ.Buyofme eye* falve,b\z. It fays this much, that God in the gof- pel fets forth,as in a market, to finners, rich and Tare wares, and good cheap, or at very low and eafy rates , and that believing is like buying up ■©f the wares : Life eternal is holden out on con- dition of believing on Chrift, and the poor fin- der thinks that a good bargain, for it takes no mo- ney from him ; Rev.22* 17. this is called willing, Whofoever will Jet bim comeandtake of the water -of life freely , the foul hath a good will to the thing* It's held forth by feveral other exprefli- ons in the fcripture ; it iscalled a cleaving to the Zordy or flicking to him,'$o]h* 23. 8. and Alls 1 1 . 23. it is called hearing ybearkning^nd inclining of "the ear, Ifa. ^5.2,3. an attentive, concerned, and holily greedy liftning to, and taking hold of this offer ; it's a cleaving to the Lord, as wood- ben or ivy cleaves to an oak, becaufe it's life de- pends on it : And,2?*«J. 3o.and fofh* 24. it's cal- led a choofing of the Zor^and that upon delibera- tion, as knowing that we have need of him, that
he is a Saviour fuited compleatly to ah the ne- ceflities of our fouls, and that we are warrant- ed to believe on him ; it's the native a& and ex- ercife of faith,, to choofe Chrift among all the woers that are courting the foul : So like wife it's fet out under trufling and commiting, Pfal. 37. Commit thy way to theLord,trufl in him \ I know, faithPa«/,2Tim.i. 12. be is able to keep that which I have committed to him : it's to give Chrift the credit of your falvation j it's one thing to give a man the credit that he is true, and another thiqg to concredit him with our greateft concerns ; we will credit many, whom we will not thus con- credit our felves to, nor commit our concerns to; the former (whenthefe are applied to God) is hiftorical faith, but this latter is faving faith, when we dare truft and lippen our felves to him, and to his word ; and we think this expreffmn holdsforth as much of the nature of faving faith, as any of the former, if we could take it up, when we dare concredit our felves to him, be- caufe he hath faid the word. Thus alfo, to a& and exercife faith on him, for temporal, or for fpiritual things, it's to expeft the event froni God, but fo, as we expe& and look for it on this .ground^hat Chrift hath purchafed it, and we have -accepted him on his offer, which gives us a right .to thefe things needful for us, and purchafed by ,him : It's faid,Matth» 22. <