THE RIGHTEOUS BRANCH Growing out of the Root of Jesse, and healing the Nations.  
Held forth in several Sermons upon Isai. Chap. 11. from vers. 1. to 10.  
Together with some few Sermons relating to all who live under the shadow of the BRANCH.  
By Mr. William colvil Minister of the Gospel, and Primair of King James' College in Edinburgh.  Jer. 23.5. Behold, the days come, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch; and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth. Zech. 6.12.— Behold the man, whose name is the BRANCH, and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 
Edinburgh, Printed by George Swintoun, James Glen, and Thomas Brown, Anno DOM. 1673.   

To the Religious and truly Noble Ladies, my Lady Napier, and to my Lady Mary Erskine, Aunts to my Noble Lord, the Earl of Marr.  
Noble Ladies,  
IT is a true saying of the wise Solomon, Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not departed from it. The first part of this, was made out by your gracious and noble Mother of blessed memory; who trained you up from your Childhood in the holy Scriptures, and in the fear of the Lord, as also in all virtue beseeming your Quality and Sex; whereof I have had the honour and happiness to be a witness for many years. I know it is a Christian duty, in the due time to make honourable mention of the virtues of the deceased Saints, to the end these who survive them, may in a godly emulation follow their good example. Your Noble Mother, was like to Annah in her private and public Devotions; like to Dorcas in her Christian compassion and supply to the necessitous; like to Sarah in her dutiful deportment toward her Noble Lord your Father; and like to Eunice, in the Christian and tender education of her Children. The other part of that Golden Sentence, ye yourselves endeavour, through God's grace to make good; by resembling her in her Graces and Virtues; and by transmitting the same in your careful education of these hopeful young Ladies, happy in your example and breeding.  
The like great obligation of Gratitude, that strongly inclined me to dedicat a Book to your gracious Mother, hath also prompted me to present this small Treatise unto your Ladyships, and to honour the same by prefixing your Names thereto. The main subject and design of both Books is the same: In the first, were some refreshing streams flowing forth from the fountain opened to the house of David, for refreshing weary and thirsty souls; and in this, is held forth the Righteous BRANCH, even the blessed Lord Jesus Christ also, for the reviving of fainting souls, by the sweet savour of his grace and power, to convert and save lost man.  
It is not in such a dress, as will please the fancy of some others; but I know well, if the stuff be upright and solid, your sober minds can easily dispense with the want of embroideries of Humane Eloquence: That it may be profitable to your Ladyships, and to all who shall be pleased to peruse the same, is the humble prayer of him, who is in all duty,  
Noble Ladies, Your most humble and devouted Servant, Mr. Wil colvil.   

TO THE READER.  
THe desire of light and knowledge to the understanding, is natural unto every man; as by the outward light, things visible are seen by the eye of the body, So things intelligible, are perceived by the light and the knowledge in the mind: but of all knowledge, the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ his blessed Son our Mediator, is most to be desired. It is most , because the specular knowledge of this in the holy Scriptures, is the Rudiment of that full and perfect knowledge the Saints have in Heaven; for to know this, is life eternal, Joh 17.3. It is the foundation of our spiritual practical duties; without it, man cannot believe in God and whom he sent Jesus Christ; for, how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? Rom. 10.14. without this knowledge, we cannot desire nor seek after Christ and his benefits; therefore our blessed Lord said to that poor sinful woman, Joh. 4.10. If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. For, the will cannot love and choose Christ for our portion, till first he be represented in his beauty of holiness by light and knowledge in the understanding. This knowledge is most excellent in respect of the subject, who is the brightness of the Father's glory, in whom are hid the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: All natural knowledge, though never so profound, as was that of Solomon, who knew and spoke of all Trees from the Cedar to the Hyssop; yet, if we be ignorant of the true Vine, and of the righteous BRANCH that healeth the Nations, all our secular knowledge will prove unsavoury and gustless at the hour of death: but if we know, love and obey in sincerity the Lord Jesus Christ, then at the end of our life, we shall rejoice in our longing desire, and lively hope to be with him after death, and to know him as now we are known of him. This knowledge is not dull, but active; by our knowledge of him, we are justified, Is. 53.11. Saving faith, whereof knowledge is a special and first ingredient, receiveth Christ wholly in all his Offices, and with him pardon of our sins; as all who were stung in the wilderness, if they looked to the brazen Serpent, were healed; So whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. This knowledge is active also for our Sanctification; because this knowledge, by the obsignation of the holy Spirit, maketh such a deep impression of Christ known, upon the minds and hearts of believers, that they become like and conform unto him, 2 Pet. 1.4. and by the knowledge and light of the Gospel, representing him, they are changed from glory to glory, 2 Cor. 3.18. that is, from one degree of grace to another in the course and progress of Sanctification, which is no other thing, but the commencement of that glory we look for in heaven. This saving knowledge, which true believers have of Christ, is an humbling and increasing knowledge; Paul became very humble, thinking himself the chief of sinners, and least of Saints; it is a growing light and knowledge, the more they know him, they love him the more; and the more they love him, they desire to know the more of him. When they grow old, and the natural faculty of understanding waxeth weak and dim, though they grow not in the knowledge of the literal apprehension, yet they grow in the knowledge of appretiation and estimation; as the motion of every thing, the nearer it comes to its centre, is the swifter; So the sound believer, the nearer he draws to the term of his life and the hoped for fruition, the centre of all his desires and hopes, the motion of his heart toward God is the greater, and he vehemently desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is best of all.  
This knowledge, in some abstruse and supernatural mysteries, is but confuse and general; we know from divine revelation something of the matter, but little or nothing of the manner; It is our duty to acquiesce on divine testimony, and refer the knowledge of the manner unto that day, wherein we shall see God face to face. It is with us here in this dark valley of Baca, as it was with that blind man of Bethsaida, Mark 9 who at the first touch of his eyes by Christ, did see objects more generally and confusedly, but afterward at the second touch, more particularly and distinctly: So here in this life, by his first touch and illumination of our mind with the light of faith, we see something of these great mysteries in a confused and general notion but at his second touch in heaven, by the beatific vision, we shall know distinctly and more particularly, at the least we shall know so much in these high mysteries, as will satisfy the desire of the soul, and will rejoice the heart, without all anxious or painful desire to know more.  
Therefore (Christian Reader) I made choice to speak in the public Congregation, for some time, on this portion of Scripture, wherein the Lord Jesus Christ, the Righteous BRANCH, is held forth to us, that coming to him, we may be healed, both of sin, in our justification through him, who is JEHOVAH our Righteousness; and that we may be sanctified, and daily purified from all uncleanness of the flesh and spirit by him, who also is made of God, sanctification unto us, who bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness. This knowledge is most to be sought after; for as the fashion of this world passeth away, so certainly, the knowledge of things worldly will be out of fashion after death: but the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, begun in the Elect here by faith unto the Gospel, will be perfect and everlasting in that day of eternity, when the Lamb will be our light for ever.  
If thou (ingenuous Reader) shall reap, as I pray God thou mayest, any spiritual benefit by this small Treatise, published at the desire of some pious and sober minded hearers, give all praise to the Righteous BRANCH, who, as he is in himself most precious, so he maketh himself savoury and precious to believers: And that it may be seen he is so to thee, let thy conversation smell of the BRANCH. What escapes thou perceivest (as in the multitude of words there want not failings) impute them merely to the weakness of the trembling hand here, that holds forth the BRANCH, but no ways to the BRANCH itself. Though possibly thou cannot construct some expressions in this Treatise, with thine own sentiment and opinion; yet certainly, the intention of the Author, to magnify the riches and power of Gospel-grace in the conversion of chief sinners, and his earnest endeavours to stir up Converts unto a suitable conversation in Christian duties, and unto Christian communion in love and peace among themselves, cannot be disrelished by any person of the Gospel-spirit. Farewell.   

ERRATA.  
Pag. Lin. Read. 16 23 facility. 67 20 Acts 16. ibid. 27 have heard. 75 30 loffes. 76 6 nor on. 116 29 thou hast. 125 1 Acts 10.1. 132 20 Mat. 25.30. 175 16 diversity. 202 29 42 220 20 because of 241 24 ingenuous 259 20 jealous God. 261 30 lenitives. 263 23 special. 279 19 of conscience.   

THE RIGHTEOUS BRANCH, Growing out of the Root of Jesse, and healing the Nations.  ISAI. Chap. 11. from vers. 1. to 10. And there shall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his Roots. 
IT is usual and worthy of the holy Prophets, in speaking of temporal mercies and deliveries of the people of God from their enemies, to insert something, by way of Prophecy, like a bright colour, to give lustre to temporal benefits, by speaking something anent our spiritual and eternal redemption by the promised Messiah: Thus the same Prophet, having prophesied of the temporal deliverance of the Jews, from the combination of the Kings of Assyria and Israel, subjoins an Evangelical Prophesy concerning the coming of the Messiah, Isa. 7.14. The Prophet Jeremiah having spoken, (Chap. 23.) of the return of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon, subjoins, (vers. 6) a Prophecy of the kingdom and benefits of the Messiah; as also, the like is done, Jer. 33.15.  
In like manner, the Prophet here having foretold their deliverance from Sennacherib, King of Assyria, subjoins a gracious and comfortable Prophecy of the Messiah his birth, government, and the deliverance and redemption both of Jews and Gentiles from their spiritual enemies, by their happy conversion to the faith of the promised Messiah.  
In this Chapter, from the beginning to vers. 10. we have these particulars; 1. The low beginning and original of the Messiah, set forth in borrowed expressions. 2. His singular endowments and qualifications for executing the office of Mediator, and for governing his Church, vers. 2. 3. The manner of his government, vers. 3, 4, 5. 4. The effects of his government, vers. 6, 7, 8, 9 5. The cause of these effects, in the end of vers. 9 For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.  
Vers. 1. By rod, or twig, we understand the Lord Jesus Christ as a small twig, sprouting up from Jesse the father of David: He is so called, in respect of his outward, low and humble condition in the world; as it is also said, Isai. 53.2. He shall grow up as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness, etc. Which is not to be understood, in relation to the outward form or feature of his body, which, without all question, was most comely, having its constitution and complexion framed in a singular manner by the Holy Ghost; but it is spoken in respect of his outward condition and estate in the world; because he was born in a poor Cortage, without all outward Pomp and State, Luk. 2.7. This prophecy of Christ's descending from the loins of David and Jesse, was accordingly fulfilled, Act. 13.23.  
By Branch, is meant our blessed Lord, who is so called, Jer. 23.5. Zechar. 3.8. and 6.12. In which places the 70. Interpreters render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Oriens; and in this Text they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Flos; because he was in dignity the firstborn and flower of all the creatures. To these places of holy Scripture, wherein our blessed Lord is called the Branch, many learned Interpreters do think, that place, Matth. 2.23. he shall be called a Nazaren, doth relate; he was called a Nazaren, that is, the Branch, from the City Nazareth, where he had his education, it being a City compassed about with bushy trees; as even at this day, the Jews call a Christian, Natzar.  
It is said, out of his roots; because at the time of Christ's birth, the family of David, the son of Jesse, was like a root hid under the ground in time of Winter; because after the captivity of Babylon, none of the Tribe of Judah had the government; but at that time the Maccabees, of the Tribe of Levi, were the supreme Rulers: at the birth of our Lord, Herod the Great, the son of Antipater, slew all of the Sanedrim, who were for the most part of the royal Tribe of Judah: then was fulfilled that Prophecy of the Patriarch Jacob, concerning the departure of the Sceptre from Judah, and of a Lawgiver from between his feet, when Shiloh was born into the world, Gen. 49.10. At our Lord's birth, the family of David, in respect of any outward splendour, was like a root hid under the ground in Wintertime: but the Lord who quickens the dead, made this root to sprout, and bring forth this Plant of Renown, even the Lord Jesus Christ.  
Observe. 1. It is the duty of the people of God to raise up their thoughts, from any temporal deliverance promised or received, unto the meditation, and consideration of that spiritual and eternal redemption, wrought be Jesus Christ: This is clear from the coherence of this Chapter with the preceding; 1. Because all our temporal mercies and deliverances, are nothing in comparison of that precious, full and eternal redemption, purchased by Jesus Christ: if we consider the price of our Redemption, even the precious blood of the Lamb of God, of infinite worth and value above all things corruptible, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19 we are redeemed and delivered from all our enemies, Luk. 1.74. and it is an eternal redemption, that in the effects of it endureth for ever, Heb. 9.12. 2. Temporal deliverances are common to the wicked, as well as to the godly; in which respect, Christ is called the Saviour of all men, 1 Tim. 4.10. 3. Wicked men may receive a great temporal deliverance, who are yet reserved for wrath to come, 2 Pet. 2.4. Jud. v. 13. Cursed Cham was delivered from the deluge, and many damned Sodomites were delivered by Abraham from captivity, at the rescue of Lot from his enemies.  
Obser. 2. Our blessed Lord humbled himself to a low condition here on earth; he was as a rod or small twig, out of the family of Jesse, one of the smallest in the Tribe of Judah. Consider well his Humiliation, 1. It was voluntar and free, Philip. 2.7, 8. he emptied himself; as he laid aside his upper garment to wash the feet of his Disciples, so he laid aside outward state and glory, that he might suffer for us, and wash us in his precious blood. 2. It was a gracious and bountiful Humiliation and Exinanition on our behalf, that by the merit thereof, he might enrich us with his unsearchable and durable riches, even with the graces of the holy Spirit, obtained to us by the merit of his death, 2 Cor. 8, 9 Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be made rich, and thereby also to exalt us unto glory, and set us in heavenly places together with himself, Heb. 2.10. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. The merit of his Humiliation was as a Ladder fixed on the earth, for us to ascend thereby unto glory. 3. He came in a low condition, for the comfort of many of the godly, who are born and live in a poor and low condition here on earth; their low and despicable condition in the world, shall not be any prejudice to the salvation of their souls, for Christ shall be all to them, and all in them, Colos. 3.11. Lazarus a poor man, and Onesimus a servant, are accepted of God in him. 4. He became low, and subjected himself to infirmities, that thereby we might have confidence of pity and help to us in the day of our infirmities, Heb. 4.15, 16. He knoweth from experience, what it is to have an heart overwhelmed with grief, or astonished with fear; for his soul was in an agony, Luk. 22.44 and he was sore amazed through fear, and very heavy in heart through grief, Mark 14.33.  
5. He came in a low condition, to teach us to be content in our lowest estate; in thy low Cottage be content, and look to the Heir of heaven, born in a poor outhouse: though thou have course fair, be content, and look to him, who in his ordinar entertainment, had but a few barley Loaves and some small Fishes: at the evening of the day, though thou get a hard bed, look up to him and be content, for he had not whereon to lay his head, Mat. 8.20.  
Use 1. Be not offended at Christ's low estate, Blessed is the man, saith our Lord, that is not offended in me: remember, 1. he was brought low for our cause, he was bruised for our iniquities; our lifting up of ourselves in the pride and rebellion of our hearts against God, brought him low to suffer and satisfy the Divine Justice in our nature for us. Should a Debtor be ashamed of, or despise his Cautioner, brought low only by his suretyship for his debts, and not for any of his own person? 2. That thou may not be offended at his outward low condition, look by the piercing eye of Faith, into the inside of Jesus Christ, in him the Godhead dwells bodily, Col. 2.9. His Humane Nature was like the vail, that hide what was within the most holy place; but draw aside the vail, and by Faith behold in him, the most holy One, that Mercy-seat and Propitiatory, in whom and by whom we get a gracious answer of peace from the Father, Joh. 16.23. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. He is our propitiation, 1 Joh. 2.2. By Faith, look through the vail of the Humane Nature, and behold in him the pot of heavenly Manna, which descended, not only from the clouds, as that Manna in the wilderness, but from the third heaven, to give life unto the world: By Faith, behold in him the rod of Aaron the high Priest, ever blossoming; for he is our great high Priest, living for ever in the most holy place, Heb. 7.24. and by the special assistance of the holy Ghost, according to his promise, Mat. 28.20. he maketh the preaching of the Gospel by his Ministers, not only to blossom in a fair outward profession, but also to be fruitful in the conversation of his people. 3. Consider, although our blessed Lord was born, and lived in a low condition, yet some glimpses of the glory of his Divine Nature, did now and then at his own pleasure, break through the vail of his Humane Nature: although he was low in the place of his birth, yet at the same time he was attended by an heavenly host of Angels, and was worshipped both by the wise men that came from the east, and by the shepherds: after he was tempted as a man in the wilderness, yet the Angels ministered unto him as the Son of God: after his sleeping as a man in the ship, he rebuked the Sea and the Winds as the Son of God: yea, in his lowest condition upon the Cross, he by the power of his Godhead, did shake the earth and raise the dead.  
Use 2. Meditate ofttimes for thy comfort, upon his lowing and humbling himself in his birth, life and death, look upon it as the greatest token of his love: jacob's service in so low a condition, was a great token of his love to Rachel; but the Prince of Glory, even jacob's Lord, was in the form of a servant, near-by thirty four years, to espouse us who were by nature enemies to God. Look upon his low condition and humiliation, as a special mean to engage thy heart and affection to himself, who took upon him thy nature, to make thee partaker of the Divine Nature, by a conformity to God in holiness in this life, and in glory and happiness for ever in the other life. Look upon his humiliation, as thy pattern in thy behaviour to thy inferiors; he condescended to us in our low estate, therefore be not highminded, neither in a supercilious arrogancy stand upon your punctilios; but let the like mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who humbled himself to do us good: So should we, after his example, condescend to do good one to another, Phil. 2.3, 4, 5.  
VERSE II. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 
FOr the better clearing these words, we would answer three questions; 1.  God gave him the Spirit not in measure, Joh. 3.34. How is it that the graces of the Spirit bestowed upon him, are here stinted and limited to the number of six? 2.  he had these graces from all eternity, being equal in understanding, wisdom, counsel, might and knowledge with the Father, how is the Spirit said to rest upon him in his Incarnation, as if he had not been endowed with those graces before that time? 3. What is meant by these several graces and gifts mentioned here?  
I answer to the first, The graces reckoned up here, are such as were bestowed upon him, as Man and Mediator in our nature at his Incarnation, and were requisite for him in the Government of his Church and people; although all other graces were habitually and eminently in him, as humility, meekness, patience, etc. yet such graces are mentioned here, as in a special manner qualified him for the actual discharge of the Mediatory-office: as for that spoken of our blessed Lord, Joh. 3.34. He received not the spirit by measure; it is not to be understood simply, as if the Humane Nature of Christ, by way of transfusion, had received an infinite measure of grace; for a finite creature cannot receive such a measure, seeing every thing is received according to the measure and capacity of the receiver: but it is spoken by way of comparison, with all the intelligent creatures, Angels, or Men, who received not such a measure of the graces of the Spirit, as Christ did in his Humane Nature, wherein he was anointed above his fellows, Psal. 45.7. Eph. 4.7.  
To the second Question I answer, Our blessed Lord, in respect of his Divine Nature, was of infinite understanding, wisdom, counsel, might and knowledge: but these graces, in a finite measure, were communicate to the Humane Nature, in the personal union thereof with the Divine Nature in his Incarnation, but in a measure far above the capacity of Angels or Men; because the nearer the creature is united to God, the perfection of it is the greater: therefore it is even so among believers in the Church here on earth, some of them are more perfect than others, because united to God by more of faith and love than others: and in Heaven, the Saints glorified, are more perfect than the Saints militant on earth; because they are united and near to God in the facial vision of God by full knowledge and perfect love: Now, of all creatures, the Humane Nature of Christ, was and is most perfect, because united and nearest to the Divine Nature in a personal union.  
To the third I answer; We understand by the Spirit of understanding, his large capacity in perceiving and up-taking, what was incumbent for himself to do and suffer as our Mediator; and also, what the elect should do for attaining eternal life through him: By the Spirit of wisdom, we understand the gift of active prudence, whereby he was enabled for doing and performing the duty, which he understood was incumbent to him as our Mediator, Psal. 40.8, 9, 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation. By the Spirit of counsel, we understand his ability to reveal the eternal counsel and purpose of the Father, concerning the way of man's salvation, Joh. 6.40. And this it the will of him that sent me, that every one which seethe the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. By the Spirit of might, we understand that power and dominion over all creatures, given to him as Mediator and Head of his Church, Mat. 28.18. All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth. An exceeding power of invincible grace toward the Elect in their effectual calling and conversion, Eph. 1.19. and also a power and mighty force to subdue his obstinate and incorrigible enemies, 1 Cor. 15.25. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. By the Spirit of knowledge, we understand, not only his certain and infallible knowledge of all things to be done and suffered by him, for the salvation of lost man; but also his knowledge and dexterity for instructing his Church in the truth and way of salvation. As in the Breastplate of the High Priest was Vrim and Thummim, rendered by the 70. Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Manifestation and Truth: So our Lord knew the truth, and had a transcendent gift of a convincing gravity and authority, as also a persuasive clearness upon the spirits and hearts of his hearers, Psal. 45.2. Grace is poured into thy lips. Mat. 7.28, 29. And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these say, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes. Luk. 24.32. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures? This knowledge infused into the Humane Nature of Christ, was not an absolute Omniscience, which is incommunicable to any creature, yea, not to the Son of man, Mark 13.32. This knowledge in the Humane Nature of Christ, was intrinsecal, communicate from the personal union: for it is said, He knew in himself, to wit, from the Godhead dwelling in him personally, Luk. 8.46. Joh. 6.61. but the knowledge of the Prophets and Apostles was  by inspiration, and extraordinary revelation. By the spirit of the fear of the Lord, we understand that heavenly grace of unspotted holiness and purity in his Humane Nature; for such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, etc. Heb. 7.26. therefore is he called by way of singularity and excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that Holy Thing, Luk. 1.35. The words being thus explained, two things may be observed, 1. The variety of the graces and gifts poured forth upon our Lord Jesus Christ for the good of his Church. 2. The permanency and continuance of these graces and gifts in vigour and exercise; it is said, The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.  
Observe. 1. Variety of graces and gifts were poured forth upon Jesus Christ our Head, for the good of all the members of his mystical body the Church: this is evident from this place, as also from Joh. 1.14, 16. He was full of grace and truth, and of his fullness have we all received, and grace for grace. As the ointment poured forth upon the head of Aaron, the High Priest, did flow down to the skirts of his garment, Psal. 133.1. in like manner, the virtue of the graces of the Spirit poured forth on Jesus Christ our great High Priest, doth descend to the meanest member of his mystical body for sanctifying them throughout, and for gladning their hearts with that oil of gladness spoken of, Psal. 45.7, 8. It is said (Eph. 4.10.) He asscended up far above all Heavens, that he might fill all things. It is true, believers were filled in some measure with grace through him, before his ascending into Heaven; yet a greater measure of the Spirit was poured forth upon them after his ascension, Acts 2.33. as the Sun after its rising fills the earth with light; but the higher it ascends in its course, the earth is filled with more of light; so there is a greater measure of spiritual knowledge and grace in believers after the ascension of Christ, then was before his birth, or during the time of his abode upon the earth in the time of his humiliation.  
Use 1. Seeing the Lord Jesus Christ received all these graces and gifts of the Spirit, as Mediator for the good of his Church, we should in all our wants and spiritual indigencies, have our recourse by prayer to him, that out of his fullness we might receive grace for grace: It is a sure ground of our confidence and comfort, that he received all these graces and gifts for our benefit; therefore we should go to him, as Children of the Family to the Stewart, sealed and appointed by the Father, who to their certain knowledge, hath got provision both of grace and glory for all of the household of Faith; and we may be assured he is faithful in all the House of God, to give unto the children their Father's allowance, Joh. 6.27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father sealed. Art thou dull in understanding, and hath little or no sharpness of wit to understand and discern spiritual and supernatural truths, no more than a blind man has sight to discern colours? Go to the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom was and is the spirit of understanding; be thou humble under the sense of thy spiritual blindness; and by prayer seek that eyesalve which is called the Unction from the holy One, 1 Joh. 2.20. and is called the Spirit of revelation, Eph. 1.17. Seek it with a sincere purpose of heart to improve thy understanding of the truth revealed unto practice, and doing what thou shalt understand to be Gods will and thy duty. Go with confidence to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both able and willing to open thy understanding, and to give a heavenly faculty to perceive and understand divine truths. He not only taught the Disciples going to Emmaus, by word of mouth; but also opened their understandings, Luke 24.44. And if thou have an honest purpose of heart, to do revealed duties, thy Lord will make thee to understand and discern the truths that are necessary for the saving of thy soul, Joh. 7.17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.  
Wouldst thou have spiritual wisdom and prudence for ordering thy conversation, and doing of revealed duties? Go to him, upon whom was poured the spirit of wisdom; by prayer seek it of him who gives liberally, Jam. 1.4. Make conscience of frequent hearing and reading the Word of God, which is the book of heavenly wisdom, making men wise to salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15, 16.  
In difficulties and perplexities, wherein thou knows no more what to do, than Jehoshaphat did in a great strait, 2 Chron. 20.12. go to him for counsel, Prov. 8.14. Counsel is mine. And here it is said, The spirit of counsel was upon him: He is called, by way of excellency, The Counsellor, Isai. 9.6. He hath promised to give counsel to our hearts in times of greatest difficulties, Luk. 21.15. and accordingly he did so to his faithful servants, as to Stephen, Act. 6.10. and to Paul, Act. 23.6.  
In an hour of temptation from the power of thine own corruption, from Satan, and from the world, go to the Lord Jesus Christ for obtaining might and power to resist, and in end to overcome thy spiritual enemies; thus did Paul in an hour of darkness and temptation, 2 Cor. 12.9. remember, the spirit of might was poured on him; he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him: Go to him for strength and protection in times of great trials and persecutions; keep fast the word of his patience, that is, his direction for carrying thyself in such a time humbly, patiently and peaceably, Rev 3.10. Go to him in a time of fainting, that from him thou may get quickening and might to run the ways of his Commandments: Because the spirit of might was poured forth upon the Captain of our Salvation, to help forward poor willing souls, now and then fainting in the way of their Christian race: it is not enough in your regeneration at first to be quickened unto a new life; but in respect of your faintings in the race and course of Sanctification, ye have need of daily quickening and up-stirring to the duties of the new life: Therefore it is that David, a man according to God's heart, being already in the state of grace, and partaker of the new life, prayeth frequently for quickening unto duty, Psal. 119.25, 37, 88, 107, 159. and Psal. 143.3.  
Wouldst thou have the knowledge and persuasion of divine and supernatural truths? Go to him for light and knowledge, the spirit of knowledge rested on him, Prov. 1.23. Prov. 2.3, 4, 5. Rev. 3.18. He is by Office the great Doctor of Israel, and will give his Spirit to persuade the heart to receive and embrace the precious truths revealed in the Word, even unto all who seek to him for instruction, and humbly submit to his discipline and correction. Hast thou a profane, lose and godless heart, void of the fear of God? go to him on whom was poured the spirit of the fear of the Lord, that he may put the fear of God in thy heart, that thou mayest be sanctified throughout in spirit, soul and body, in a conformity to him, on whom the spirit of the fear of the Lord did rest: To this end he died, that he might ratify and confirm that promise of the new Covenant, I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not departed from me, Jer. 32.40.  
Use 2. Seeing these graces and gifts of the Spirit were given to Jesus Christ the Mediator, for the benefit of his Church, it is our duty to search ourselves, and try if we have received of the spirit of Christ: because, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his, Rom. 8.9. And hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit, 1 Joh. 4.13. As a member of the body not animated by the soul, is not formally and properly a member thereof; so a man not quickened by the Spirit of Christ, is not an actual member of his Mystical Body the Church.  
His Spirit is a Spirit of understanding; If thou understand the fundamental and necessary saving truths, and followest Christ by saith, as a Scholar following and maintaining the opinion of his Teacher; and if thou set thy heart to follow him by obedience, in the way of his holy Commandments, as a Servant following the direction of his Lord; For a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments, Psal. 111.10. If thy understanding be seconded with an hatred of every false way, Psal. 119.104. then mayest thou be assured the Spirit of Christ is in thee; even the spirit of sound judgement and understanding.  
The Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of spiritual and heavenly wisdom, which is pure without guile, and peaceable without faction and sedition, Jam. 3.17. It is true, there is a wisdom that passeth under that name in this present world, but it is foolishness with God, 1 Cor. 3.19. there are many wise in their own generation, but are fools in the great business of Regeneration; such as put forth all their wit and pains for attaining the deceitful pleasures of sin, which is called a ploughing of iniquity, Job 4.8. a sowing to the flesh, Gal. 6.8. a drawing of iniquity with cart-ropes, Is. 5.18. a travelling with iniquity, Ps. 7.14. and making provision for the flesh, Rom. 13.14. Such as lay forth all their wit and pains for attaining uncertain riches, or unconstant honour of a present world, these men are like unto stupid Idiots, preferring base metal to the Pearl of price; and the others are like to mad men, running with all their speed into a precipice or gulf for their own destruction. Such men are worldly wise, who lay all the stress of their trust upon the uncertain, insufficient and perishing things of this world, as that miserable worldling, Luk. 12.20.  
Such also who are nimble wits, to meddle in all business, except the business of their own salvation, of such fools we read, Prov. 20.3. And there be also too many hypocritical fools, that have a frame and set form of some good holy words, without any foundation of new obedience in their heart, and without good works in their life and conversation: such a man was that foolish builder, Mat. 7. and the foolish Virgins, Mat. 25. But, has thou that wisdom which is from above, which appears in the choice of the best thing, Mat. 13.46. in active intentions for attaining the chief end, even God's glory and thine own salvation; which appears also in strong desires following after the means of salvation, Ps. 27.4. One thing have I desired, and that I will desire, etc. It appears in an heavenly conversation, and minding things that are above, Prov. 15.24. The way of life is above to the wise, that he may departed from hell beneath, and in providing wisely for the time to come, by doing works of piety and charity, 1 Tim. 6.19. If thou be wise in this manner, than thou mayest be assured thou hast received of the Spirit of wisdom, that rested on Christ thy Head.  
The Spirit of Christ was a Spirit of sound counsel; if thou has received of that Spirit, thou wilt not give pernicious counsel to others, as Jonadab did to Ammon, to further them in any sinful course; nor wilt thou give counsel against others to their hurt or ruin, as Achitophel did against David: But thou wilt give good counsel, as Daniel did to Nebuchadnezar, Dan. 4.27. If thy counsels be according to the Word of God, as the testimonies of God were David's faithful counsellors, Ps. 119.24. then mayest thou be assured thou art of the Spirit of Christ, who according to the Word of God, did delight to do the will of the Father, Ps. 48. If thou rejectest, with an holy indignation, evil counsel and suggestion, though given by a friend, when he would dissuade thee from duty to God, or to men in God, this is an evidence thou art of the Spirit of Christ, who rejected such evil counsel, Matth. 16.24.  
Hast thou power and might to resist the onsets and bicker of inward corruption? It is an evidence thou art partaker of the virtue of the Spirit of Christ, Rom. 8.37. We are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. Gal. 5.24. They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. Hast thou power and ability to walk equally and evenly, both in prosperity and in adversity, humble and moderate in that, and patiented in this? thou art partaker of the Spirit of Christ, who was of a moderate and sober mind; when they would have made him a King, he withdrew himself, Joh. 6.15. he was patiented in adversity, as a sheep before the shearer, Is. 53. Art thou able, through his grace, to do Christian-duties with some measure of sincerity, fervency and cheerfulness? then art thou of the Spirit of Christ; for it was his meat and drink to do the will of the Father, Joh. 4.34.  
If the Spirit of sound and heavenly knowledge be in thee, not only wilt thou have the knowledge of simple apprehension, in thine uptaking the literal sense of Scripture truths; but also, thou wilt have a knowledge of discerning the sublime majesty, the admirable simplicity and infallibility of Divine Truths, both in promises and threaten, far above all humane Writings, that thou wilt say from persuasion, never man spoke as he spoke: and thy knowledge will be joined with an high estimation of Divine Truths, more than men has of thousands of gold, of honey and of spoil or plunder (as was in David) Then mayest thou be assured thou art partaker, in some measure, of that Spirit of knowledge that was poured forth and rested on Christ thine Head, Ps. 119.72, 103, 162. Thou art one of his sheep, effectually called and elected to be set on his right hand, for his sheep know his voice, Joh. 10.4.  
If the Spirit of the fear of the Lord be in thine heart, a fear with humble submission to the will of God, both for doing and suffering his will, Is. 50.10. a fear joined with hope and confidence on his mercy, Ps. 145.11. a fear joined with reverence in his holy worship, Ps. 5.7. a fear joined with zeal, provoking others by word and good example, to worship and fear the Lord, Act. 10.2, 3. Then mayest thou be assured thou art of the Spirit of Christ; for the Spirit of the fear of the Lord rested on him: there was in him a fear joined with submission in the day of his sad affliction, for he said, not my will, but thine be done: there was in him a fear joined with active and passive obedience, Philip. 2.8. a fear joined with confidence, even in his greatest desertion and sad complaint, my God, my God, etc. a fear joined with reverence in prayer, Luk. 22.44. and a fear joined with zeal, provoking others to fear the mighty God above all things, Mat. 10.28.  
Use 3. Here is sure ground of unspeakable comfort to the Church and company of Believers, against all their fears from the worldly wisdom and power of the enemies of the Kingdom of Christ; there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord, Pro. 21.30. The spirit of wisdom in him, who is set over the house of God, doth far surpass and overreach all their wisdom, falsely so called; the enemies of the people of God, said, Let us deal wisely with them, Exod. 1.10. but the Lord, in the depth of his wisdom, turned their cruel policy to the good and increase of his Church and People; it was as the heavy weight unto the Palmtree, to raise them the higher; and as the inundation of Nilus, to make them the more fruitful in every good work: there is no counsel against the Lord, for he throughly sees the devices and plots, even in the heart of the enemies, Is. 10.7. He is the stone with the seven eyes, Zachar. 3.9. he can discover their secret designs, as he did to his servant Elisha, 2 King. 6.12. He discovered the secret conspiracy against Paul, Act. 23.16.  
The power of the wicked is finite and limited, but his power, being God, is infinite, and there is no proportion between finite and infinite. He can limit their power and say, as to the proud waves, come no farther; though he permit them to come to the neck, yet they shall not drown them, Is. 8.8. Their Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, is now far above all the waters of affliction and persecution; he can restrain their malice; he cuts the horn of the wicked, he breaks their teeth, Ps. 3.7. although they bark, yet they by't not; or if he permit them to by't, yet their bite is not deadly, like that of some mad dogs; he can put a bridle in the jaws of Sennacherib; he can defeat their counsels and contrivances, as he did that of Achitophel, turned it to folly and ruin to himself: he did defeat and wonderfully disappoint the counsel of Haman against Mordecai, according to that of Job 5.13. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong: and in his unsearchable wisdom, he turns their malice to the praise of his great Name, who is mighty to save his people, maugre all opposition, Ps. 76.10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee.  
There is no might nor power worldly, that can overthrow the Church of Christ, The gates of hell shall not prevail against it, Mat. 16.18. Because it is built on him who is the Rock of Ages, and is the strength of all, who by faith are built on him; they are kept by the Father, Joh. 10.29. and by the power of God through saith, 1 Pet. 1.5. The Church and company of Believers, is compared to a strong City, fortified with strong Walls, and with a deep and broad Ditch, Isa. 26.1. Isa. 33.21. because the mighty Lord is in the midst of them. It is true, the Lord doth not always show his might in holding off the trouble from them; yet he makes manifest his might and power in upholding them under troubles, and in strengthening them to patience and long-suffering with joyfulness: they are cast down, but not destroyed; persecuted, but not forsaken; perplexed, but not in despair, 2 Cor. 4.9. Psal. 46.5. He that dwells in the bush, though he suffer fire to enter into it, yet he keeps it from being consumed; because he strengthens his own children to bear afflictions, Isa. 41.10. Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Likeas a Physician, holding his Patient by the hand, doth encourage him under the present pain and throws from a bitter potion, by confirming him in the hope of better health thereafter, Joh. 16.20. 2 Cor. 4.17. Sometimes he comforts them with a sense of his love, shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost; which, as a cordial, doth preserve and revive them, that they faint not altogether in times of great trouble, 2 Cor. 1.3, 4. As a tender father speaketh more kindly to his sick child, than he was wont to do formerly in time of his better health; so the Lord speaketh comfort to them by his Spirit according to the word of promise, when they are in a desolate condition, like unto a wilderness, wherein they have none or few to speak a word of comfort unto them, Hos. 2.14. Stephen the Martyr, had never such a manifestation of God's gracious presence, as in the day of his greatest affliction and persecution, Acts 7.56. And the young Confessor Theodorus (as testifies Eusebius) felt never more sweetness, then in the time he was upon the rack. Consider, the merciful Lord moderats their afflictions in the specie or kind in not sending always his sorest plagues: Sometimes in the number, he lays not on all his rods, he stayeth his rough wind, in the day of the east-wind, Isa. 27.8. Sometimes in the degree and measure, in not afflicting them in extremity, The Lord hath chastised me sore, (saith David) but he hath not given me over to death, Psal. 118.18. And he moderats the afflictions in respect of the time and endurance, Psal. 125.3. The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. The Lord by the spirit of wisdom and power, turns all their afflictions, in end, for their spiritual advantage, By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his sin, Isa. 27.9. Dan. 12.10. They shall be made white, etc. And many times he order their afflictions to the good of others, who are confirmed in the way of truth and righteousness, from the example of their patience in suffering for the truth, Phil. 1.12. The dispersing of some Christians in that persecution against Stephen, was in the wisdom and power of God, ordered for the in gathering of many people in Samaria unto the Christian faith, Acts 8.  
Observe. 2. As the gifts and graces of the Spirit were poured forth upon Christ in great variety, so they were permanent and abiding in him, without any change, and without remitting of their vigour and exercise upon all occasions, the Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him. The Spirit which descended from Heaven like a Dove, did abide upon him, Joh. 1.32. The extraordinary gift of revealing things secret, by the light of Prophecy, was not at all times permanent in the Prophets, 2 King. 4.27. As light within the house occasioned by lightning in the air, is transient and not permanent, so neither was the gift of miracles, or healing the sick, always permanent in our Lords Disciples, Mark 9.18. Yea Paul left his beloved Trophimus, sick at Miletum, 2 Tim. 4.20. But our blessed Lord healed all, whom and when he pleased. It is true, the sanctifying graces in the Elect, are always permanent, Joh. 4.14. 1 Joh. 3.9. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. They are permanent in respect of the root, of the seed, and of the habit; but not in respect of the fruit and exercise; but the graces of Christ were ever flourishing and fruitful, Graces in the godly, have decays and changes; even Abraham, the father of the faithful, had a fit of diffidence, when in his fear he dissembled twice, to wit, in Gerar and in Egypt; but our blessed Lord, his confidence was permanent in the hour of temptation, for he witnessed a good confession, even to the last, before Pontius Pilate. Moses was a meek man, yet was surprised with a fit of bitterness at Meribah: but our blessed Lord was meek at all times; for, his scourging out the profaners of the Temple, (Joh. 2.) was not a fit of passion and perturbation, but an heroic act of holy zeal, proceeding from judgement and deliberation, because it was written, His Father's house should be the house of prayer.  
The habits of grace in Christ, were full and perfect: whereas it is said, Luke 2.52. He increased in wisdom. We grant he increased in wisdom and in knowledge experimental, he learned obedience, by the things which he suffered, Heb. 5.8. as a Physician, who hath an habitual gift of healing such and such a disease, may grow in his experience, although his knowledge of healing, groweth not in the habit: It is a growth extensive in respect of divers objects, toward which it is extended; but it is not intensive in respect of the habit itself. The graces of Christ were permanent in their fullness, and not more remiss at one time, and more intense at another; because the absolute fullness of grace in his Humane Nature (so far as it could be capable) being a sequel of the personal union, did exclude all intensive growth: It is true, there were different degrees in the manifestations and expressions of his graces at one time more than at another. Christ his dying for us, was an higher expression of his love to lost man, than was his suffering of poverty, hunger, etc. yet all the expressions of his love to the elect, did proceed from love in his heart, equally intense, at all times: More of his patience was manifested in his agony and bloody sweat, than in his suffering of reproaches and buffet: His love and devotion toward God, was full at all times, and did not admit of degrees: whereas it is said, Luke 22.44. he prayed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, more earnestly: and therefore it might appear, he was more servant in his devotion and religious affection, at one time than at another. I answer, 1. Some render it prolixius, he prayed longer, which did proceed from a deeper impression of his sufferings upon his spirit; but his love and devotion toward God, was still equally intense in his soul: For even in godly men, short ejaculations, at one time, and prayers longer at another time, may proceed from devotion in the heart, equal at both times. 2. Though he prayed more earnestly, yet this earnestness, was not in respect of his devotion toward God, unto whom he prayed, whom Christ, as man, loved fully and perfectly at all times: but this greater earnestness, was in respect of the great and inexpressible sufferings against which he prayed, being in an agony, and under the sense of greater inward pains, than any he had felt formerly. This manner of expression, will not infer any intenseness of his devotion and love to God, but only that there was an intenseness of pain and agony in his spirit from what he suffered, and against which he prayed, yet always with submission to the will of the Father.  
Use. In all our intermitting of the exercise of grace, or in the remitting of degrees in gracious actings, we should go to Christ on whom the Spirit rested, as in time of drought when waters fail, we go to the fountain; because the dearest children of God, are subject to decay of grace, in respect of degrees, and to intermission in the exercise of grace, through their own sluggishness: in prayer they have sometime a great freedom and outflowing of the Spirit, Job 32.13. At another time, they are so bound up and overwhelmed with griefs and fears, that they cannot speak to God, Ps. 77.4. At one time, their faith and confidence is very strong, Ps. 27.10. but at another time very weak, Ps, 31.22. At one time they have a soft heart and abundance of tears, Ps. 6.7. but at another time their heart, like Nabal, is dead and stupid, and their eyes are dry; as was in David for some time, till the Prophet Nathan did awake him: At one time they have great joy and comfort, Ps. 23.4. but at another time, especially after relapses into sins against the light of their own conscience, they have much heaviness and suppression of spirit, Ps. 51.8. At one time they have great zeal, as David, dancing before the Ark; and at another time they are much damped and disheartened in the course of Godliness, by reason of some cross dispensation in their course, as David was in bringing up the Ark, when he saw the breach made upon Vzza, 2 Sam. 6.8, 9  
Quest. What is the cause of such intermiting and remitting of the exercise and degrees of grace in the godly? Ans. The causes are especially, 1. Pride and conceit of our own ability to improve the habit and stock of grace, after we have once received it; this provokes God to leave us to our own managing of grace received, and we being left to ourselves, do soon and easily miscarry in the exercise of grace: Peter failed in the exercise and confession of faith, after he had been very confident of his own strength, Matth. 26.33. he denied the Lord at the voice of a damsel. 2. Excessive worldly fears, make our saith greatly to abate, in respect of the degrees of it at one time and another, Mark 4.40. 3. Ingratitude, when we neglect or forget to praise God for his assistance and help in our former gracious actings, and when we begin to sacrifice to our own drag, than it fareth with us in any new occasion of acting, as with Samson, after his strength had departed from him: We imagine, from former experience of God's help, notwithstanding our unthankfulness, that we shall be able to act and exercise grace, as in former times; but we find, in our sad experience, that God, to punish our ingratitude, doth leave us to our own counsels and miscarryings in duties, as he did leave Samson, Judg. 16.20. 4. Our inadvertance unto the first beginnings of a decay in grace, makes us insensible until the decay become visible to others, and in end sensible to ourselves; as it was with Ephraim, Hos. 7.9. Grey hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not, till there was a visible change upon all the hairs of his head.  
Quest. 2. What shall be done for prevening a decay in the degrees of grace? Ans. 1. The exercise of the graces and gifts of the Spirit, is a blessed mean to preveen such a decay; this mean Paul did use, Act 24.16. and all that are strong in the faith should do the same, Heb. 5.14. Who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil; because sluggishness and carelessness to do spiritual duties, when God gives occasion and opportunity, doth make us more and more remiss, till in end we are overcome with a spirit of slumber. 2. Be not discouraged from setting about commanded duties, because possibly at first thou finds not such vigour or quickness of spirit, as is requisite: it was strange and strong delusion in some in these latter times, that they would not pray to God, till first they should find an impulse of the Spirit for prayer; but, should not the precept of God, commanding the duty, be sufficient for moving us to endeavour after it? Were it not a folly in a weak sick person, that had little or no appetite to meat, to resolve he would forbear to eat, until he should get sharpness of appetite? such forbearing were the ready way to make him lose all appetite, and in end his life: but as eating little and little brings forward appetite, so thy doing duty from conscience to God's Commandments, brings forward and increases thy desire to spiritual duties, and in end, procures thy delight in them. Have not the children of God, many times at the beginning of prayer, been sad and heartless, and yet before they have ended (as the countenance of our blessed Lord was changed in prayer,) so their hearts and countenances have been changed to joy and cheerfulness, as we see, Ps. 6. and Ps. 13. by comparing the end of the Psalm, with the beginning thereof? Therefore, though thou find not such an impulse and strong motion for the duty as thou would, yet make conscience of obedience to the holy Commandment, and go about duty, trusting to him who hath promised to bless the diligent; and when God, besides the Commandment, calls thee forth to duty by strong motions upon thy spirit, neglect not the call of such invitations, but let thine heart come forward to the duty, lest otherwise thou provoke the Spirit of God both to withdraw those good motions, and also his assistance, which thou mightest have had for doing the duty, if thou hadst embraced the opportunity, Cant. 5.1, 2, 3. 3 Observe well the beginnings of a decay and fainting in duty, and at first, run by prayer to Christ for quickening thee to duty, and for preventing a farther decay, as Peter did when he began to sink, notwithstanding he was in the way of duty, he cried to Christ, and was helped, Mat. 14.32. 4. Whenever thou enters upon commanded duty, pray for the assistance of the Spirit, for without him we can do nothing, Joh. 15.5. because, an habit or stock of grace is not sufficient, without the assistance of his Spirit, impowering and enabling us to manage the stock of received grace, 1 Cor. 15.10. His grace which was bestowed on me, was not in vain: but I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. As it is not enough, that the Ship be furnished with Tacklings and Sails, unless there be a prosperous gale of wind upon the Sails, there is no progress.   
VERSE III. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the lord— 
SOme read it, God shall make the Messiah to be of a sweet smell to all who believe, among whom he shall be preached in the Gospel; according to that, 2 Cor. 2.16. We are a savour of life unto life to those that are saved. And so they take the words in a passive signification, that Believers and the fearers of the Lord shall receive from him a sweet and pleasant sent of his excellencies and bounty through the Preaching of the Gospel: Others (whom we follow rather) understand the words in an active signification, to wit, that God shall make him of a quick sentiment and sagacity of judgement, to discern who fear God and serve him uprightly. Thus our blessed Lord did discern Hypocrites and Pharisees, notwithstanding all their fair outward pretences of gravity in their smooth speeches: He did also discern a true Nathanael before he had seen him with his bodily eyes, Joh. 1.48. Likewise he discerned the hypocrisy of many fair professors, Mat. 22.18. John 2.24.  
By the fear of the Lord, we understand all things that concern the service and worship of God; as ordinarily in holy Scripture, the fear of the Lord is taken, if we compare Deut. 6.13. with Matth. 4.10.  
Observe. 1. Spiritual discretion in the matters of God, is from the Spirit of God; for it is said, he shall make him, etc. As the Lord Christ, the King of Saints, had that gift in a special and superexcellent manner from the Spirit of God; so all his subjects in the Church, have in some measure, the gift of discerning truth and error, good and evil, from the same Spirit, 1 Cor. 2.14, 15. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned: but he that is spiritual, judgeth all things. This is evident by induction,  
1. It is the Spirit of the Lord, which openeth the understanding to perceive and discern heavenly truths, Mat. 13.11. Mat. 16.17. Luk. 24.44. As it is not enough, that an object to be seen in a due distance be set before the eye, unless the same be enabled to see it; (for blind men see not what is set before them) so it is not enough, that the object of faith be set before us in the Word, unless the eye of our understanding be opened to perceive it.  
2. The Lord makes us by the inward illumination of the Spirit, and by the light of his Word, to discern and put a difference between temptations and duties; as for example, when it is born in upon the spirit of an unlettered and unqualified man, in these our days, to preach the Gospel, a spiritual-discerning private Christian looks upon it as a temptation from the Spirit of error; and not upon it as a duty: because he knows and discerns by the Spirit of the Lord from the holy Word, 1 Tim. 2. and Tit. 1.9. The Minister of the Gospel, should be a man able to teach, and to convince the gainsayers.  
3. The Spirit of the Lord makes us to discern between sin and duty. Ab●shai through want of this gift of spiritual discerning, thought it a duty incumbent on David to kill Saul: because God in a providence, by appearance, had cast his enemy into his hand: but holy David by the Spirit of God discerned it to be a sin, if he should make such use of that opportunity; and he looked upon it rather as an occasion to try his loyalty to King Saul, and to stop the mouths of calumniators, who spoke of him as an enemy to the King.  
4. He makes us to discern the opportunities of speaking and doing things in due season; it was the Lord that put it in the heart of Jacob to seek the blessing in time; for soon after he went out from his father Isaac, his brother Esau came in, Gen. 27.30. It was the Lord who put it in the heart of Abigail, both for her own and David's good, to meet David in the way before he came to the house of Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.5. He makes us to discern our own spiritual estate, that we are under the banner of his love; and makes us, by a reflex act, to know the saving graces of the Spirit bestowed upon us, 1 Cor. 2.12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  
5. He gives us the gift of wisdom and discerning matters civil and moral: He gave sagacity unto David to smell out Joabs' subtlety, and to perceive his hand in suborning the woman of Tekoa, 2 Sam. 14.19. He made Solomon in his sagacity to discern between the true and counterfeit mother, by the affection of the one, and the unnaturalness of the other. Thus God put it in the heart of King James, of blessed memory, to smell out the Powder-plot, and horrid treason, Anno Dom. 1605. from a word in an unsubscribed Letter, by one of the Conspirators, to the Lord Mont-eagle, desiring him to keep himself out of the Parliament-house on such a day, whereon there would be a sudden clap or blast: which the King by an act of special discerning, given him of God, did presage was to be by Powder; and so after a narrow search, the Plot was discovered, and through God's gracious providence, and the King's sagacity, was disappointed.  
6. God gives the gift of skill unto men, both in their public and private employments, as the spirit of Government to Rulers, whether supreme or subordinat; and also to men for their private employments, Isa. 28.26.  
Use 1. This should humble us under the sense of our own silliness and want of knowledge of many things, that we may and should know, in respect of the many means given to instruct us in things that differ; and also to humble us when we compare our knowledge with others, who know much more than we, though we have had the same or greater opportunities for learning. Socrates, upon a time, showing the universal Map of the World to that vocky young man Alcibiades, said unto him, Look there, and see how little your parcel of ground is: in likemanner, the knowledge of any particular person, is very little, in comparison of that vast and universal knowledge men would have had, if they had continued in that first estate of primitive integrity.  
Use 2. To convince many in this generation of petulant and luxuriant spirits, or the wits (as they are called) who are of quick understanding in many curious and unnecessar speculations, which the Apostle calls the Raveries of a sick and distempered mind, 1 Tim. 6.4. and yet how slow and dull are they to discern and take up the  and fundamental truths of Religion? Of such men we may speak in the words of Eliphaz, Job 15.2. Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? How many are quick and sagacious in their worldly matters, and no man is able to overreach them? but they have little or no understanding in the great bargain of Salvation: to these I may say, as our blessed Lord said to the Pharisees, This ye should have done, and not left the other undone.  
Use 3. As thou wouldst have the gift of spiritual discerning, 1. Pray to the Father of lights to open the eyes of thine understanding, Psal. 119.18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law. 2. Labour diligently to keep thine heart pure from carnal lusts, which as gross vapours many times obscure the judgement, that it cannot discern spiritual matters in the right colours, but oftentimes the judgement is miscarried to a wrong sentence by a deceived heart. The intemperate person discerns not the evil of intemperance, nor the incontinent the evil of his unclean ways, because these vile lusts do distemper their judgement: The worldly-minded man discerns not the excellency of things heavenly, because his heart is not purged from the love of the world, and his surfeit of worldly cares, obstructs the smelling and relishing of things heavenly to his taste. 3. Beware of curiosity in desiring to know things unnecessar, or secret, which God hath reserved to himself, Deut. 29.29. for it is just with God, when men misimploy the quickness of their natural understanding, many times so to blunt their understanding, in order to supernatural truths, that they become more dull and incapable, even than many others, whom they despised as silly ignorants: As the sharper the edge of the new polished Knife be, if it be used to cut hard Metals, especially at first it becomes so blunt, that it cannot cut such things as are soft and more easy to cut, even by these who had not such a sharp edge, as themselves seemed to have had.  
Observe. 2. Our blessed Lord is quick of understanding; he has a piercing eye to discern the hearts of all his subjects, Heb. 4.13. All things are naked in his eyes, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as blemishes and bruises are clearly seen upon the carcase after the skin is taken off. Rev. 2.18. His eyes are like unto a flame of fire for piercing, and his feet are like brass for crushing his enemies.  
Use. Therefore let us walk humbly and circumspectly in the fear of our Lord, who observes our most secret counsels, courses and ways. 1. Look to thy thoughts and purposes, although men see them not, yet the Lord is of quick understanding to perceive them and see through them, Is. 10.7. Luk. 24.39. 2. He knoweth the secret frettings of the heart at his Word, when at any time thou murmurest against the Word preached, because contrair to thine opinion or interest, Luk. 5.21, 22. he knoweth the secret fretting of the heart against his holy Commands, when they are contrair to flesh and blood, and to our carnal desires, Numb. 14.27. he knoweth our frettings at the reproof of his Ministers, Exod. 16.7, 8. he seethe our frettings of heart at the prosperity of others, Gen. 4.6. and our frettings against our own personal afflictions, Jonah 4.9. 3. He knoweth our secret speeches, Ps. 139.4. our secret reasonings of unbelief, Mat. 16.8. our secret whisper and backbitings to separate friends, Ps. 50.20, 21. Mat. 9.11. 4. He seethe our most secret actions, Job 26.6. Ps. 139.12. 2 Sam. 12.12. Joh. 4.18. He knew Judas his secret bargaining with the Pharisees, and said to him, What thou dost, do quickly. Remember as now he knoweth, so there is a day when he will judge the secrets of all hearts; he will make many then to know, what now they will not believe and lay to heart, for their more humble and circumspect walking in time coming; then shall the damned acknowledge their sins, and their neglect of the day of their merciful visitation on earth; which convincing light of conscience will not comfort them, but confound them with shame and horror.  
Observe. 3. Our blessed Lord improved and exercised his quickness of understanding, not about the matters of this present world; but especially in matters of Religion, pertaining to his spiritual kingdom; for it is said, he shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. In the days of his Humiliation on earth, he would not interpose as a Judge in civil debates, Luk. 12.24. nor in criminal causes, Joh. 8.10. because the condition of his Kingdom and Government is spiritual; the Ordinances of his Kingdom are spiritual, to wit, Word, Sacraments and Prayer; the Benefits and Privileges are spiritual, Rom. 14.17. Righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. The duties are spiritual, to wit, repentance, faith, hope, love and new obedience: the end of the Administration is spiritual, to wit, to make a man wise unto salvation; and the means whereby his Kingdom is enlarged are spiritual, Zechar. 6.4. 2 Cor. 10.4.  
Use 1. The use of this Doctrine is specially to correct four errors, which arise from the mistake of the nature of the Kingdom of Christ.  
1. The jealousies of the secular powers of this world, as if the Kingdom of Christ within his Church, were not consisting with their civil power: Herod the King was troubled, when he heard that the King of the Jews was born, Mat. 2.3. But our blessed Lord shows them, they need not be so jealous and fearful, Joh. 18 36. My kingdom is not of this world. It is in it, but not of it, but of men separate from the evil of the world. Augustine, Tractat. on John, sayeth to the powers on earth, Venite credendo, & nolite metuere saeviendo; Come to Christ by believing, and do not fear by raging against the Church. He who giveth an heavenly Kingdom, doth not by his Government in the Church, take away mortal Kingdoms from them; whatever has been the pride, violence and usurpation of Churchmen on the civil Government in divers Ages, it was altogether from their own corruption, and not from the nature of the Kingdom of Christ, who clearly teacheth his subjects in his spiritual Kingdom, to give unto Cesar that which is Caesar's, and to God, that which is Gods, Mat. 22.21. Our blessed Lord and King of Saints teacheth them, not only subjection and subordination at all times to lawful Authority, but also obedience to all their lawful commands, Tit. 3.1. and forbids them to use their Christian liberty, as a cloak of maliciousness against lawful Authority, 1 Pet. 2.16.  
2. This Doctrine serveth to correct the encroachments of the spiritual Guides at any time upon the civil Authority; as was that of Pope Gregory the 7th, because Henry 4th the Emperor, would not come to a synodical Answer for his investiture of Churchmen in Ecclesiastical Dignities: For this cause did the Pope excommunicate him, absolve the Subjects from their Allegiance, stirred them up to rebellion, and in end, gave the Imperial Crown to Rodolph Duke of Swabland. Pope Alexander the third, did insolently insult and trample upon the Emperor Fredericus Barbarossa, and blasphemously, to his wicked purpose, abused that place of holy Scripture, Ps. 91.13. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion, etc. This is not to be quick and active in the fear of the Lord, as our blessed Lord was; but in the pride and violence of their own sinful courses: How far is such insolent usurpation from the precept and practice of Christ and his Apostles, and also from the humble subjection of the primitive Christians unto lawful powers? How disadvantageous such pride and violence has proven unto the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ, and propagation of the Christian Religion, sad experience has made it evident, both in former and latter Generations: Such violent dealing has made many men become either open enemies to all true Religion, or hypocrites, and secret bitter enemies, waiting for a time of revenge. Devout Bernard, his advice to Pope Eugenius 4th. was,  thou art appointed to be a planter in Christ's Vineyard, know that thou has need of the Dible, and not of the Sceptre: If thou be content with Christ's Legacy, (to wit) Feed my sheep, thou shalt not inherit glory and pomp, but care and labour.  
It serveth to curb the inconsiderate zeal of too many, who would have this Kingdom to be propagat by force of arms; they consider not that it is spiritual about Religion and the fear of the Lord, and suitably to be enlarged by spiritual means and midses; such as are especially the preaching of the Word, Mat. 28.19. frequent and fervent prayer to God, 2 Thes. 3.1. a Gospel-like conversation, 1 Pet. 2.12. 1 Pet. 3.1. and patiented, suffering persecution for the truth, without tumult or sedition, Phil. 1.12. Phil. 1 29. Revel. 13.10. Therefore it was a bold and arrogant speech of Nestorius unto Theodosius the younger, Give thou to me, O Emperor, the earth purged from heretics, and I shall give unto thee heaven; scatter thou the heretics, and I shall with thee scatter the Persians thy enemies. These speeches became not a Churchman, whose weapons are not carnal, but spiritual; our blessed Lord, though he had power and might, would not command fire to destroy the Samaritans, who refused to receive him into their City, Luk. 9.55, 56.  
4. And it is of good use to correct the obstinate unbelief of the Jews, who wait for a Messiah in outward pomp and glory; they mistake the nature of this Kingdom, by misunderstanding such places of holy Scripture, wherein the Spirit of God speaks of the inward beauty of his Kingdom, in an allusion to the outward beauty of earthly Kingdoms, Psal. 45.3. But (if they were not prejudged and obstinate) they might learn something of the nature of this Kingdom, from Isa. 53.2. and Zechar. 9.9. where the Prophets foretell, that the Messiah shall not come in outward pomp and glory.  
Use 2. The Spiritual Guides and Ministers of the Church, in imitation of Christ the chief shepherd of our souls, should go about the business of this spiritual Kingdom, and therein especially exercise their quickness and activity: this was most minded by the holy Apostles, Act. 6.4. Col. 1.28, 29. The sense of the burden of this great work made the Apostle Paul to cry out, Who is sufficient for these things? It was the Apostles counsel, 1 Tim. 4.15. Meditate on these things, and give thyself wholly unto them. Famous Gerson, lib. de vit. Spirit. speaking to Churchmen, Tell me (saith he) whether it is a more holy thing to serve the world by thyself, and to serve God by a Vicar and Substitute; or to serve God by thyself, and the world by a Substitute? Pope Damasus compared the Ministers of the Church, who, to attend their worldly affairs, did commit their flocks unto Substitutes or Suffragans, he compared them (I say) unto some wanton women, who having full breasts, yet that they might give themselves to their pleasures, did give out their Infants to be nursed by others.   
VERSE III. — And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, etc. 
IN the former part of the vers. we have the manner of our blessed Lord his judging and governing his subjects with great wisdom and prudence; In these words, we have his equity and justice set down, negatively, vers. 3. and positively, vers. 4.  
Whereas it is said here, He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes; it may be demanded, if it be a fault for men to judge according to their seeing and hearing; because men on earth cannot ordinarily understand any cause or action, till first they have it in their sense and imagination? Answ. Certain it is, that Judges should determine according to matters alleged and proven, and therefore must judge according to things heard or seen, Deut. 1.16, 17. The Priest under the Law was appointed to look with his eyes upon the leprous person, before he judged and pronounced sentence, whether he was clean or unclean: But Judges would not be rash to judge according to fama clamosa, the common report: because in so doing, men judged amiss of the Apostles themselves, who were commonly, but falsely reported to be seditious persons, Acts 17.6. As also of their Doctrine, calling it heresy, Acts 24.14. Whereas a flagrant report is only a ground for enquiring, but not for a judicial sentence, Deut. 17.4. Neither must men in Judgement, judge according to the seeing of their eyes, as by looking to the person of the poor man, to take no notice of his cause, Deut. 1.17. nor should they judge partially out of respect to the man whom they see to be of outward grandour or prosperity in the world, Leu. 19.15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgement, thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Our blessed Lord judged not of the Pharisees according to his hearing of their fair words, nor according to their seeming holiness; but he judged righteous judgement of them, that they were a generation of vipers.  
The words may be also taken for the way of judging, that was peculiar to Christ, wherein he excelled all the Judges of the earth; in so far as he needed not the help of the outward senses of hearing and seeing, because he did discern and judge the secrets of the heart. Solomon, in judging which of the two women was the true mother of the child, made good use of hearing both the one and the other; but our blessed Lord knoweth the hearts and thoughts of men, though they speak nothing, Joh. 2.24. yea, he knew the wickedness of their hearts, notwithstanding their flattering speeches of dissimulation.  
Use. This equity of our Lord in Judgement, serveth for our imitation, both in public and private Judgement: Men in public Judgement, should not upon hear-say and ba●e information proceed to a sentence of absolution or condemnation; but they should inquire diligently, if the matter be so as is reported: God himself doth teach Judges this duty by his manner of proceeding to judge Sodom, Gen. 18.21. and by his precept, Deut. 13.14. For if it were enough upon hear-say and common report, to judge and condemn, then innocent persons should suffer many times. Jeremiah was reported to be a factious man, who by his preaching did weaken the hands of the people; and Paul to be a seditious man, that stirred up the people: neither should Judges be rash upon hearing only the one party, to pronounce sentence against the other; for if it be enough to accuse, who shall be innocent? Prov. 18.17. He that is first in his own cause, seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him. Such rashness in judging was contrair to the Law of the Jews, Deut. 1.17. Joh. 7.51. Job searched out the cause which he knew not, Job 29.16. It was contrair to the Law of Nature and of Nations among the Heathens: Alexander the Great, in time of judging, laid his hand closely upon the one of his ears, that he might reserve it (as he said) for the party that was accused. Neither should they judge according to the seeing of the eye, as they perceive the party to be a friend or an enemy, rich or poor, a great or a mean man, Levit. 19.15. Deut. 33.9. because the Judge who is a respecter of persons, is easily biased and perverted in judgement, Prov. 28.21. The partial Judge saith, Show me the man, and then I will show you the Law; but the impartial and  Judge saith, I will show you the Law, be the man what he will. It was Tertullian his complaint against the Judges of that time, persecuting the Christians; there is (saith he) inquisitio nominis, sed non examinatio criminis, an inquiry after the name, if they be called Christians, but no examination of the crime. It was well spoken by the Heathen Judge Aristides, fitting in Judgement; when one of the Competitors, pleading before him, said, This fellow hath also done great wrong to thyself in speaking evil of thee: My friend (said Aristides) I pray thee, tell me only the wrong he hath done unto thee, for I am Judge here to do right unto thee, and not to judge the personal wrongs done to myself. Rashness in Judgement doth bring guiltiness upon the Judge, and damage upon the innocent Party: David his rash Judgement against Mephibosheth, did no small prejudice both to himself, and to the poor innocent lame man.  
In your private Judgement, be not rash, Mat. 7.1. as in judging wicked men to be in a good cause, or course, from their outward prosperity, Mal. 3 15. or in judging a cause to be evil, because men are crossed in it: This was the error of Asaph, till he recollected himself, Psa. 73.17. Jonah in fleeing from the Lord, was in an evil course, and yet found a Ship ready at the first, and also fair weather at his Embarqueing; but God met with him in end, and crossed his course. The Disciples of our Lord were in a right course commanded by himself, Joh. 6. and yet were crossed with a mighty contrary wind; but in end had an happy and safe landing. Of this purpose see more, Serm. Joh. 7.24. Neither should men be rash in judging one another about matters indifferent, in the practice whereof they differ one from another, Rom. 14.2 This Magisterial censuring one of another, is a great impediment to peace and unity. Augustine his advice is good, Epist. 106. to Casul. We must always beware (saith he) to overcloud the fair face of Christian Charity by the tempest of contention. And to the same purpose speaketh judicious Calvin, Institut. Lib. 4. Cap. 10. Sect. 32. We must always take heed (saith he) that one Church do not despise or contemn another, for the difference of outward Discipline.   
VERSE IU. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity, for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 
HIs justice in the Government of his subjects, is set down here positively; where we understand by judging the poor, his delivering of them out of the hand of their oppressors, by taking them and their cause into his own cognizance and protection, and in end doing justice to them and upon their oppressors, Ps. 140.12. I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.  
By the meek we understand both the great and small, who being wronged, bear the wrongs with a meek spirit, (not avenging themselves by reviling, or by rendering evil for evil) as was the disposition of David, though a great man, Ps. 38.13, 14. But I as a deaf man heard not, and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth: thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.  
By reproving for the meek of the earth, we understand our blessed Lord his appearing for them in his gracious providence, and in the course of vindicative justice, when under their afflictions and persecutions, they are quiet and peaceable; then doth the Lord, unto whom they commit their cause in righteousness, ofttimes arise, and in their stead reproves their oppressors and injurers, not only by his Word, as he did David by Nathan, for the wrong done to Vriah; but also many times by his rod and sad judgements, Ps. 105.14. He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea he reproved Kings for their sakes. Or sometimes he reproves them by awaking and tormenting their guilty consciences, Job 20.19, 20. Because he hath oppressed, etc. he shall not surely feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that he desired: And ver. 26. a fire not blown shall consume him.  
Observe. 1. The Lord God is the judge and defender of the poor, even of such as are in a destitute and desolate condition, as of the widow, the fatherless and the strangers, Ps. 12.5. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord. As a Judge he will arise in judgement, to decide in their favours: thus he arose in judgement for oppressed Naboth, and by a visible judgement upon Achab the oppressor, declared to all the world the innocency of Naboth, who had been unjustly condemned as a blasphemer: the Lord recommends such oppressed persons as his special Clients, unto his Deputies and Vice-gerents upon earth, Ps. 82 3. Is. 1.17. He commends in all Judges, the care they have of the poor and destitute, Ps. 72.12. speaking of Solomon, He shall deliver the needy when he cryeth, the poor also and him that hath no helper. Upon this account, good Josiah is much commended by the Lord, Jer. 22.16. He judged the cause of the poor and needy▪ than it was well with him; was not this to know me, saith the Lord? Prov. 29.7. The righteous considereth the cause of the poor, but the wicked regardeth not to know it. And he threaten sad judgements against such Judges, who respect persons, and turn away the right from the poor, Job 13.10. Amos 2.6. Micah 3 10.  
Use 1. For imitation unto all men in place of public judgement; they should in judging, follow the example of our blessed Lord, who in judging and governing, did plead and assert the cause of the poor and destitute, 2 Chron. 19.6, 7. Take heed what ye do, for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgement: wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. The poor are frequently recommended in holy Scripture by God himself unto the Judges on earth; and we know, subordinat Judges take special notice of these who are recommended to them by the supreme Judge and Ruler of the Land; and their cause is expeded with all possible and convenient diligence.  
Use 2. For admonition to men of power on earth, not to oppress the poor, for the Lord is their Judge, and will own their cause, Exo. 22.22. Job 34. from ver. 24. to 29. what the oppressor at a time gets by oppression, the supreme Judge of the earth in his justice and providence, doth ofttimes revocke from him or his posterity, Job 20.15. He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God shall cast them out of his belly. Sometimes the Lord smites him with terror in his conscience, which is as a fire not blown or visible to the world, but secretly he torments him, Job 15.21. Job 20.26. This oppression of the poor brings great houses to desolation. Hab 2.9, 10, 11. woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high The Lord God ofttimes in his justice, raiseth up one oppressor against another, as one Pirate for robbing of another, Is. 33.1. woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee; when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.  
Use 3. For comfort to the poor, who are despised and oppressed; let them not be altogether discouraged, nor despair of redress: but let them quietly, without tumult, noise or sedition, make their address and appeal to the supreme Judge and Lord, who judges righteously, Ps. 10.14. The poor leaveth himself upon thee, thou art the helper of the fatherless. Thus did our blessed Lord, (1 Pet. 2.23.) not cry bitterly against the oppressor; but cry quietly to God, who will comfort the oppressed, and redress the wrongs done to them, Job 35.9, 10, 14. Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgement is before him, therefore trust thou in him.  
Observe. 2. God avenges the cause of the meek and humble in spirit; for it is said here, he shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. David was meek and silent when foulmouthed Shimei railed against him, and was confident God would do him good for his cursing, and one time or other give to the insolent and insulting railer a sad reproof, as the Lord did afterward by Solomon punishing him. In like manner, the people of Israel were silent at the blasphemous railing of Rabshekah; and God gave a sad reproof both to him and his Master, by that extraordinar and visible judgement upon that great Army.  
Use 1. For admonition to proud insolent brawlers, not to injure and affront the meek, and therefore insult over them, as silly base-spirited men, because they are quiet, and do not render evil for evil: although they are sensible of the wrong done to themselves; yet they are sensible of their duty to God and his holy Commandment, Rom. 12.19. Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, saith the Lord. And from sense of the wrong done, they lay it forth in secret before the Lord, who will reprove for them, and speak by his judgements in their behalf, as many times he has plagued the wicked, who oppress the meek of the earth: yea, sometimes he punishes even the godly, when they out of a fit of envy, do wrong to the meek: God gave a sad reproof by a visible judgement to Miriam, when out of envy she spoke against meek Moses, Numb. 12.  
Use 2. For admonition to these who are wronged and oppressed in any manner or measure; let them study to be of a meek spirit, and of a quiet deportment; avenge not thyself by contumely or injury: for if thou do so, God will look on and suffer thee to be doing; but in so doing, thou wilt spoil and mar thy own cause; not unlike to some poor ignorant Countrymen, who presuming to speak for themselves at the Bar of Justice, do ofttimes mar their own Cause: But if thou be meek and patiented, God will stand up in his own good time, he will plead thy cause, and make thy just possession of thy good name and estate, to outlive the unjust calumny, oppression or violent intrusion of thine adversaries, Ps. 37.6, 11. He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement as the noon day: the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Mat. 5.5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.   
VERSE IU. — And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 
WE have heard of our Lord's wisdom and sagacity for governing his subjects; we have heard also here of his justice and equity; now he speaketh of his power and faithfulness in governing.  
In these words, and he shall smite, etc. we have, 1. a description and designation of the Word of God, the rod of his mouth. 2. The power of the Word preached and applied, he shall smite, etc. 3. The subject matter or object that he shall smite, the earth. 4. The sad judgement of God upon such as continue obstinate in their evil ways, he shall slay the wicked.  
By the rod of his mouth, is meant the Word of God, inspired into the Prophets and Apostles by the Spirit of God: as men do communicate their mind and thoughts one to another by the expression of the tongue; So God, in an extraordinary manner, did communicate his mind and counsel by the inspiration of the holy Ghost, 2 Tim 3.15. 2 Pet. 1.19. Justine Martyr compares the inspiration of the Spirit unto a quill or pen, descending from heaven; and he compares the Prophets and Apostles unto a Sittern or Lute touched by it, and sending forth the sound of heavenly Doctrine; therefore what they spoke, the mouth of the Lord is said to have spoken it, Is. 1.20. because the Spirit of God did direct them both in the matter and manner of expression.  
Observe. 1. The word of God is fitly called a Rod, 1. in respect of its usefulness for describing and pointing forth to us our heavenly inheritance, Jer. 51.19. Israel is called the rod of his inheritance: men measured their earthly inheritance with a measuring rod, or with a line or cord. In likemanner, the Word of God, but more especially the Holy Gospel, doth point forth to us our heavenly inheritance, in and with Christ; for which cause it is called the Gospel of the Kingdom, Mat. 4.23. 2. The Word of God is compared to a rod, for direction; as a man by a rod in his hand points out the way, wherein the passenger should walk: So the word of God showeth unto us, in this time of our sojourning, the way wherein we should walk toward our Country that is above, to wit, the way of repentance, of faith in Christ, and of new obedience, Act. 3.19. Act. 16.31. Heb. 5.8. 3. It is compared to a rod, for correction; as the shepherd's rod serveth to smite the sheep when they go astray; So the Word of God doth sharply convince the understanding, and withal smites the heart with sorrow for erring and departing from the Lord, Isa. 58.1. 2 Tim. 3.15. 4. It is compared to a rod, because it strengtheneth and comforteth the fainting spirit, and weary heart; as a weak or weary man leaneth upon his rod or staff: the sweet promises of the Gospel are like unto the honey, touched and applied by Jonathans' rod, it did revive him and quicken him unto the pursuit of his enemies, therefore it is called the rod of his strength, Ps. 110.2. The promises of the Gospel do minister comfort to Believers in their greatest extremities, Ps. 23.4. Ps. 119.92. as the rods (Gen. 30.) laid before the sheep in the troughs or gutters, made them to conceive with young; So the promises of God laid forth in the Word before believers in their weak and feeble condition, maketh them to conceive with comfort in the hid man of the heart.  
Use 1. For admonition, not to despise the holy Word, which is called here the rod of his mouth, although it be spoken by weak men, who carry this heavenly treasure in earthen vessels; who would refuse precious gold, though offered in a pot of earth? Ministers are the Lords Heralds, and the affront done to the Heralds, doth reflect upon the Prince who sent them: David was highly provoked by the affront done to his Ambassadors, 2 Sam. 10. And he punished it severely, 2 Sam. 12.31. In like manner, our blessed Lord taketh the contempt done to his Ministers, as done unto himself, Luk. 10.16.  
Use 2. For exhortation to receive this sacred Word, as the Word of God, It is the rod of his mouth: the whole Scripture is given by inspiration, 2 Tim. 3.16. It is the Lantern, which showeth us the way to Heaven, Psal. 119.100. 2 Pet. 1.19. It is the rule of our faith, Joh. 20.31. and of our obedience and conversation, Gal. 6.16. It worketh effectually only in these, who with a single heart receive it, as the Word of God, 1 Thes. 2.13.  
Observe. 2. The Word of God is powerful, He shall smite, etc. This is evident, 1. From these things unto which it is compared; as (Jer. 23.29.) to fire, which so smiteth and pierceth the hard rock with heat, that the same is rend in pieces; and to an hammer, which breaks the hard stone: It is compared unto a sword, Heb. 4.12. which opens up and discovers the heart, like the Anatomists razor, and showeth the inward vileness of our hearts. 2. It is evident from the high Eulogies given to the Word: it is called the wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 12 8. and the reproof of wisdom doth come home to the heart, and smite it sound. The wise reproof given by Nathan to David, in a parable, did smartly smite the heart of David. The Word is called the power of God, Rom. 1.16. not that any natural power is inherent in the letters or syllables of the words, as may be seen, Acts 19.15. but because God doth ordinarily with the power of the Holy Ghost accompany his own sacred Ordinance, spoken in simplicity of words, and in sincerity of affection unto the hearts of his Elect, that so they are powerfully induced to believe the Word, and tu●n unto the Lord, Acts 11.21. 3. It is evident from examples, as in Josiah, humbled at the heart by the reading of this word, 2 Chron. 24 27. The convert-Jews were pricked at the heart by this word, Acts 2.37.  
We have a memorable example of the power of the Word, recorded by Cyrill, Bishop of Alexandria, an eye-witness of the same. At the first Council of Nice (saith he) there came out of curiosity thither an Heathen Philosoph, who was a subtle and acute Logician, but a great adversary to the Christian Religion: some of the learned Fathers there, reasoned with him by way of School-disputes, but he by one or other distinction did elude the force of their Arguments: whereupon one of the most simple in that famous Council, being a very pious, though not a learned man, came against him like David against Goliath; and in great simplicity of words, with much zeal, saith to him, O Philosopher, in the Name of Jesus Christ hearken to these things that are truths: there is one God, who made Heaven and Earth, who made man of the earth, and breathed life into him; who created all things visible and invisible by the power of his Word, and upholds all things by the same: this Word and Wisdom, which we call the Son of God, having pity on man in his lost condition, was born of a Virgin, and by his suffering of death, hath delivered us from eternal death; by his resurrection he applies to us eternal life, and we look for him to come and to judge us according to the things done in the body: O Philosopher, believest thou it to be so? Then he without all contradiction, as astonished with the power of the Word, could only answer this, that it was a truth indeed which he had spoken. Thereafter the aged Father desired him to follow after himself, and to receive Christian an Baptism, the seal of his faith into that saving truth: whereupon he immediately followed, and turning himself toward his Scholars, that came along with him, and to the other hearers, said, So long as men did deal with me by bare words only, I did oppose words to words, and by artifice of words I did elude what they spoke; but when power came forth from the mouth of the speaker, my naked words could not resist divine power, neither could man withstand God; and therefore (saith he to his Scholars) believe ye in Christ, and together with me follow this aged man, in and by whom God hath spoken to me at this time. Ruffinus Hist. Lib. 1. Cap. 13. relating this History, saith, It was from God, for verifying that place of holy Scripture, 1 Cor. 4.20. The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power: for when the Spirit of God is with the Word, we see it can so smite the heart, that it brings all our imaginations captive to it, 2 Cor. 10.4.  
Quest. How doth the Word of God smite the heart? Ans. 1. By light, showing and convincing the understanding of the errors and dangers of our sinful ways; for by the Law is the knowledge of sin, Rom 7.7. And in the Word, as in a mirror, the vileness of sin, which is compared to things most vile, as to the dross of metal, to the scum of a pot, to putrified sores, to leprosy, to dung, to swine wallowing in the mire, and to a dog licking up his own vomit: but the vileness of sin is most seen in the mirror of the Gospel; because nothing could cleanse us from the filth of sin, but the precious blood of the Son of God. And the danger of sin is seen in consequents thereof, to wit, all misery in this life, not only the first, but also the second death, and damnation eternal, unless it be prevened by true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, Luke 13.5. Joh. 3.18. 2. The heart is smitten after conviction, by grief and sorrow, Acts 2.37. The convert-Jews being convinced of the wickedness and heinousness of their sin by Peter's Sermon, were pricked in their hearts, cried out from fear, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And the affrighted Jailor, being affrighted, from apprehension of the dange● of his sins, cried out, Acts 16.30. Sirs, What must I do to be saved? In like manner, Felix the Governor, being convinced of his sins, and affrighted with the apprehension of Judgement to come, did tremble, Acts 24.25. 3. After the conscience is awakened with fear, than the will is pained and confounded with shame and displeasure, Jer. 31.18, 19 Rom. 6.21. What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  
Use 1. For admonition unto men of an hard and stupid heart, to resort often unto the hearing and reading of the Word of God; for who can tell but God one time or another will smite the earthy and obdured heart, and open it, as he did the heart of Lydia? Acts 14.  
Object. 1. But many have heard the Word, and yet their hearts have not been moved and smitten with it: The threaten of the Lord by Moses, did not move the heart of Pharaoh, but rather he was the more hardened? Answ. The cause of this is, 1. Their own unbelief: although they have, yet they lay not the threaten to heart, but put the evil day far from them: As the hammer breaks not the hard stone, except it be laid to it with some force; the old world laid not to heart the threatening of the deluge by Noah, Mat. 24.39. but the Ninivites believed the threatening by Jonah, and repent, Jonah 3.5. 2. Love of some gainful sin, keeps the will in an obstinacy against the Word, that they will not be convinced of the sinfulness of their ways: they love darkness more than light, and therefore they hate the light of the Word, which makes their da●kness manifest, Joh. 3.19. The Craftsmen in Ephesus, (Acts 19) have such love to their gainful idolatry, that they will not be convinced of the absurdity and unreasonableness thereof. 3. Pride and arrogancy will not suffer some men to be informed of the truth that is contrary to their own opinion and way; and so because they will not be informed, they cannot be convinced: such was the pride and arrogancy of the Pharisees, Joh. 9.34. 4. Preposterous love of sinful company and society, doth make some men senseless and fearless of the judgements threatened against such a society: Let his Sons in Law, out of their love to Sodom, were not moved with his preaching and threatening of sad judgement against that City. Therefore, as ye would be convinced of the evil and danger of sin, by the Word of God, and by his severe threaten, lay them to heart by believing: Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God; forsake the love of sin though never so gainful or pleasant; and forsake all communion and fellowship with the workers of iniquity in their works of darkness.  
Object. 2. But wicked and reprobat men may be heart-smitten at a time with a convincing Sermon, as Felix was. How shall we discern the smiting of our heart by the Word to be from mercy, and from a purpose to heal the soul wounded and pierced with sorrow and fear? Ans. 1. A wicked and reprobat person may be heart-smitten with grief and fear for some great and heinous sins, whereof they are convinced not only by the light of the Word, but also by the light and source of a natural conscience, as was Cain and Judas: Yea, the morning light is to the adulterer, even as the shadow of death, Job 24.17. but the children of God their heart will smite them, even for smaller offences: David's heart smote him for the cutting of saul's garment; and Paul is convinced, not only that his persecution of the Saints was a sin, but also that his inordinate concupiscence, and its first stir, was a transgression of the Law, Rom. 7.7. 2. In wicked and obstinate sinners, the pain of heart-smiting lasteth not, but as a Sea-sickness, it evanisheth in a short time, and is forgot, as in Pharaoh, Exod. 9.27. But it is not so in the children of God; though their pain and remorse of conscience, continues not always in a sense of present grief and pain, yet it remains in their memory: they remember the gall and wormwood; and in the remembrance thereof, their heart is kept humble, Psal. 38.17. I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. Wicked and obstinate sinners, when the terrors of conscience are over at a time, they do return, like a deceitful Bow, to their old posture and way: but the godly, with penitent Peter, not only do weep for their former sinful courses, but also they forsake the company of evil doers. 3. The wicked and obstinate sinners, when they are smitten with the word of reproof, do hate him who reproves in the gate, as Ahab did Elijah: but the godly take well with the word of reproof, as with a precious ointment, that makes them afterward to shine in their conversation, Psal. 141.5. 4. Wicked men, who continue obstinate in their sins, make no good use of their former heart-smiteing and pain of conscience: like some men, having at a time a great pain in their stomach and head from former excess in drinking, make not good use thereof, to shun the occasion of excess and riot in time coming: but the children of God make better use of heart-smiting, when they are again tempted to run in the excess of riot, they remember their former distempers, and consider the peace they have in their conscience for the present, and do make good use of that admonition given by our Lord, Joh 5.14. Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee.  
Use 2. It is our duty to take well with the word of reproof; although it smite, yet it will do good and heal again, when it is received by an obedient ear and heart; for to such it is an ear-ring and ornament of gold, and adorns them in their after-conversation, Prov. 25.12. It is as the lopping of a luxuriant branch, it doth the tree no evil, but makes it more fruitful, Prov. 27.6. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. It is a fearful thing to despise the word of reproof in the mouth of those who have a calling from God: for in that case, God many times takes the rod into his own immediate hand, and smites the obstinate sinner severely and visibly, as he did the old world, who contemned the reproof of Noah; as he did Sodom, who contemned the reproof of Lot; as he did Amaziah, who rejected the counsel of the Prophet, 2 Chron. 25.16. as he did severely punish the people of Israel, who despised the counsel of the Prophets, 2 Chron. 36.16. and Jerusalem, who persecuted the Prophets that spoke unto them, Luk. 19.42. Therefore the faithful Ministers of God, must not desist from their seasonable reprovings; though possibly at first they be not well received, yet afterward with the true children of God, they shall be entertained as Medicaments for their recovery, Prov. 28.23. He that rebuketh a man, afterwards shall find more favour, than he that flattereth with the tongue.  
To this purpose saith Cyprian, Though some people, like wayward sick children, bawl and cry against the Physician, yet let him wait on and do his duty; if the child shall recover, he will be ashamed of his per●ishness, and be the more thankful to his careful, prudent and patiented Physician; vociferetur licet, post tamen gratias aget: although, saith he, the child cry out in the time of his pain, yet afterward he will render thanks.  
Observe. 3. Earthly-mindedness is very displeasing unto God, he shall smite the earth, and men are much displeased with those whom they smite: Because worldly-mindedness is a great impediment to our hearing and obeying the good Word of God, Mat. 13.22. So is it unto Prayer, which is a lifting up of the soul unto God; and earthly-mindedness is like a poise or weight of Lead, bowing down the soul; it is inconsisting with sincere love toward God, 1 Joh. 2 15. And it makes a man unwilling to die, Luk. 12.19, 20. as the Jews, who were joined in marriage with the Babylonians, had no will to come out of Babylon; in like manner earthly-minded men, whose hearts are espoused to this present world, have no will to departed out of it at their death.  
Quest. 1. Wh●t call ye earthly-mindedness? Answ. A man may and should be diligent in seeking the good things of this world; because we are commanded of God to be diligent in our lawful Callings and Employments, Prov. 27.23. 1 Thes. 4.11. It is commended 2 Cor. 12.14. 1 Tim. 5.8. It consists well with true devotion and with the fear of God, Rom. 12.11. Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, and serving the Lord Joseph was a man fearing God, and diligent in his business, Gen. 41.48. Such was Shecaniah, Neh. 7.12. and Daniel, Dan. 8.27. But we must not labour for the things of this present world only, without any regard to our immortal condition in the world to come; as these Epicures did, Isai. 22.13. who said, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die. 2. We must not labour for them principally, as our chief and supreme good, Joh. 6.27. by preferring them (as profane Esau did) unto spiritual blessings; by preferring worldly profits and emoluments to the precious truths of God, and to a good conscience, as Demas did; nor by preferring honour and praise from men to our honouring of Christ and his truth in time of persecution, as many of the chief Rulers amongst the Jews did, Joh. 12.42. Because temporal things are to be sought always in order to the great end, which is the glorifying of God by these things which we seek after, 1 Cor. 10.31. Yea, our life and all things belonging to this life, are to be desired and employed toward that great and chief end, Psal. 80.18. Psal. 119.175. 3. We must not labour for them anxiously by tormenting our spirits, about the event and success of our labours, in our lawful employments, Phil. 4.6. but we should cast all our care, for the event and success, upon God, 1 Pet. 4.7. 4. We must not labour for them in an unlawful manner, by covetousness and immoderate desire of them, Heb. 13.5. because the Lord doth abhor the covetous man, Ps. 10.3. We must not labour for them by fraud and circumveening of the simple, 1 Thes. 4.2, 6. nor by violence and oppression, Mic. 2.2. Such men the Lord punisheth with great terrors in their consciences, when in his fury he doth awake them out of their secure stattering of themselves in their ways of oppression, and one time or other, spoils them or their postesterity of their unjust and violent purchases, Job 20.19, 20. etc.  
Quest. 2. What difference is there between an earthly-minded man, and a frugal Christian? Ans. They differ, 1. in their desires of the things of this world; the earthly-minded man his heart is set on the things of this world, as his chief good and place of rest, Luk. 12.14. but the frugal Christian, though he may desire them, with submission to the goodwill of God, yet his heart is most set upon heavenly blessings, Ps. 4.6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. The earthly-minded man, in his desires worldly, is immoderate and insatiable, Eccl. 5.10. but the frugal Christian is moderate and sober, Pro. 30.8, 9 2. They differ in their endeavours; The earthly-minded man, has a conscience as large as his desires; he maketh haste toward his worldly ends, and adviseth not with God and a good conscience, Pro. 28.20. 1 Tim. 6.9. but the frugal Christian, in using means and endeavours, doth consult with God and a good conscience: if he perceive the thing to be against justice and prejudicial to his neighbour, he saith, as Joseph, How can I do this, and sin against God? for he knoweth, that a little with righteousness, is better than great revenues without right, Prov. 16.8. 3. They differ in their affections of joy and sorrow, in order to the things of this present world: the earthly-minded man, through his ignorance of better things, doth rejoice most in things worldly, like young children, rejoicing and glorying in Crystal or Lamber-beeds; for they know not yet the worth and excellency of Pearls: but the frugal Christian, though he rejoice in things worldly, as some common tokens of the love of God; yet he rejoices most in spiritual and heavenly commodities, Ps. 119.72. The law of thy mouth is better unto me then thousands of gold and silver. The earthly-minded man, being disappointed of his hope, or deprived of the possession of the things of this world, he howls like Micah, rob of his idol, Judg. 18.24. like Nabal, his heart is dead within him: But the frugal Christian, in disappointments or losses, doth reverence the good and wise providence of God, Job 1.21. and taketh joyfully all his osses, which he suffers for keeping a good conscience, Heb. 10.34. 4. In using the things of this present world, which are called by the Apostle, 1. John 3. (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the earthly-minded man doth want, in respect of a sober and honest use, even what he enjoys by possession, Eccl. 6.2. He has neither a heart to bestow upon himself for honesty, nor for others for their supply: But the frugal Christian takes his own sober use of his worldly enjoyments; he blesseth God for them, and refresheth the bowels of the needy. 5. The earthly-minded man trusts in his worldly goods, but the frugal Christian doth not so, Job 31.24. Job did not make gold his hope, neither said he to the fine gold, thou art my confidence. 6. The earthly-minded man is proud of his worldly enjoyments, Ps. 49.6. They boast themselves in the multitude of their riches: but the frugal Christian is the more humble, as Jacob was, Gen. 32.10. I am not worthy, said he, of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands. For he knows well, the greater his receipt be, his reckoning will be the greater in that day.  
Obser. 4. The sad judgement of God will overtake, one time or other, such as are wicked and obstinate in their evil ways, for it is said, he will slay the wicked by the breath of his lips; that is, by his Word he shall destroy the wicked and obstinate sinners: which he doth, 1. by blinding and hardening them judicially by his Word, Is. 6.9, 10. And he said, go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, etc. Like as clay, which in its own natural temper is hard, yet is more hardened by the heat of the Sun; So, wicked men, though by nature of a hard heart, unless God preveen them with his rich mercy and mighty grace, are more hardened by the Word of God, through the fault of their own natural perverseness and corruption, bending them the more against sins forbidden in the Word and Law of God, Rom. 7.8. But sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. 2. If wicked men continue obstinate in their evil ways, they shall be destroyed in the great day, according to the threaten of the Word, Ps. 7.12, 13. Ps. 9.17. Rom. 2.16.  
Use. For admonition; Therefore, let us not be obstinate in any sinful course; but obey in time that warning, 2 Chron. 30.8. Be not stiffnecked, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.  
Quest. What call ye obstinacy in sin, that I may know whether my sin be of infirmity or obstinacy? Ans. 1. The obstinate man is one, who goeth on in his sinful course, notwithstanding frequent reproofs of the Word of God, spoken by the Ministers thereof, and secret challenges from his own conscience; such was the obstinacy of some Jews, Jer. 44.16, 17. As for the word which thou hast spoken unto us, in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, etc. The obstinate man being reproved, speaketh, or in heart resolveth, that he will act the evil deed over again, Jer. 2.25. I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. Such obstinacy provokes God in his justice, to give a man over unto himself, Ps. 81.13. and when God gives him over, Satan finds such a man, and drives him on in his sinful course, as he did the swine into the lake of perdition. 2. He is an obstinate man, who notwithstanding God has met with him by some sad judgement in his evil way, whereof he is convinced in conscience, yet goes on in it, as Balaam did toward Balak, with whom in end he perished: such an obstinate wicked man was Ahaz, who in the time of his great distress, did trespass yet more and more against the Lord, 2 Chron. 28.22. This obstinacy is a fearful sin, and presagious of a sad ensuing judgement, Prov. 29.1. He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. 3. When a man hardens himself against the frequent challenges and reproofs of his own conscience, he provokes God to give him over unto a mind past feeling, to commit sin with greediness. Therefore, despise thou not such warnings; for if our heart condemn us; God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things, 1 Joh. 3.20. It is meet for us, under such challenges, to say unto God, as Job 34.32. That which I see not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.   
VERSE V. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 
IN these words is set down that great and necessary qualification, required for right governing of people, to wit, righteousness and faithfulness; this breeds and entertains great respect and confidence in the hearts of the Subjects toward their Governor. The righteousness and faithfulness of Christ in governing his Church and people, is evident, especially in these four, 1. His veracity and faithfulness in all his assertions; for he is the faithful witness, Rev. 1.5. and a faithful witness will not lie, Prov. 14.5. 2. His diligence in doing faithfully, whatsoever was commanded him of God: it is said, Heb. 3.2. Moses was faithful in all the house of God, making all things according to the pattern shown in the mount. In like manner, our blessed Lord was diligent and faithful in doing all things for the good of his Church, according to the eternal counsel and decree of the Father, Joh. 17.26. And I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it. 3. His carefulness in keeping all these who by saith and well-doing commit their souls to him: Jacob was faithful and careful in keeping the sheep of Laban: Our blessed Lord, the great shepherd of our souls, keepeth all his sheep who hear his voice, and follow him by obedience, Joh. 6.40. Joh. 10 27, 28. 4. It comprehends also the righteousness and faithfulness, in keeping and performing lawful promises; Rahab was righteous and faithful in performing her promise made unto the spies: our blessed Lord is righteous and faithful in performing all his promises in his own due time, Heb. 10.23. 1 Joh. 1 9  
By the girdle of his loins and reins, we understand, 1. The delight which Christ hath in his faithfulness: he looks upon his own faithfulness as a special point of his honour and glory; as the golden and embroidered girdle, was an ornament of Kings, Job 12.18. 2. His readiness and forwardness to perform all his promises, as one girded and prepared for his journey: therefore he is said to wait, that he may be gracious, Isa. 30 18. and to stand at the door ready to enter in, when it is opened, Rev. 3.20. 3. It signifieth the firmness and immutability of his promises; his faithfulness cleaveth fast to him, as a girdle to the loins or reins; not like Ezekiel his girdle, that by time was marred and spoiled; but all the promises in Christ, are yea, and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20.  
Conclus. 1. Seeing our blessed Lord is righteous and faithful in all his assertions, though some of them may seem strange and incredible to sense and humane reason, not yet purified and elevated by the light of saith; it is our duty to captivat sense and humane reason unto all his assertions, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5, as to believe the unity of his essence with the Father, because he, who is the faithful witness, hath asserted it, Joh. 10.31. I and my Father are one: To believe his eternal existence before all time, even his personal pre-existence with the Father, before his coming forth in his Incarnation and assuming of the Humane Nature, because he himself, who is the truth hath asserted it, Pro. 8.30. I was by him, as one brought up with him. He was coeternal with the Father, and yet in the fullness of time came forth from the Father, into this inferior world, to take on him the vail of flesh, and thereby consecrat an entry for us into the most holy place, Joh. 16.28. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world, Heb. 10.19, 20. It is our duty to believe his individual operation with the Father in the works of Creation and Providence, not as a cause social with the Father, but as one prime cause with him, because he himself who is righteous and faithful, hath asserted it, Joh. 5.17, 19, 20. My Father worketh hitherto and I work, etc. To believe the resurrection of the dead upon his own testimony full of veracity, Joh. 5.28. The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth. But we are not too curiously to inquire about the manner how he will quicken and raise the body out of the dust; we leave that to the unsearchable wisdom and infinite power of our Lord, who will do it according to the working, whereby he is able, even to subdue all things unto himself, Philip. 3.21. Though we cannot conceive the special manner, how Original sin is propagat, yet we assent to the truth of the thing itself, upon his testimony, Joh. 3.6. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. And, Rom. 5.17, 18. By the offence of one, judgement came upon all men to condemnation, etc. Augustine saith well, We should not so much inquire about the manner how Original concupiscence hath entered into us, which we feel in ourselves, by daily experience, as about the manner how it may be extinguished. And, Lib. 2. de Nup. & Concupis. Cap. 21. Why ask ye (did he answer to Julian the Pelagian who stiffly denied any Original sin, because he could not by human reason comprehend the manner of transmitting it to the posterity) by what secret gap or crevice it hath entered into man, seeing ye have an open gate, By one man (saith the Apostle) sin entered. And Lib. 5. the Morib. Eccles. Cap. 21. Nothing is more notour, than that sin is propagat from the parents to the children: but nothing is more obscure, than the manner how it is propagat: Therefore saith he elsewhere, In humane truths, intelligam ut credam, let me understand the matter that I may believe: but in divine truths, credam ut intelligam, let me believe that God hath spoken it, and then I shall understand it to be a most certain and irrefragable truth. That ye may be the more confirmed in this Doctrine, which giveth glory to the truth and faithfulness of Jesus Christ against unreasonable men (though they call themselves most rational) pleading from humane reason to the weakening of the testimony of God, which is the supreme reason. Consider, 1. It is against all sound reason to measure the infinite Being, and his operations with the same rule of humane reason and Philosophy, by which we measure finite beings and their operations: Were it not an absurd folly to measure a tall man with the same measure we measure an infant; this were as the binding of Samson with cords of flax. 2. Yea it is most agreeable to sound reason, that most credit and faith should be given unto the supreme reason, to wit, the testimony of God, who is the prime verity: for the more famous the person testifying be, we esteem the more of his testimony. 3. We believe some natural truths, from our own sense and experience, though we cannot give a natural and evident reason of our knowledge of such things; as of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea; of the influence of the Planets upon the inferior and sublunary Bodies; of the attractive virtue of the Adamant or Loadstone, etc. And is not the testimony of God a more sure ground for faith to rest on, than our own experience and sense, which many times may be, and oftentimes is subject to mistakes? That one passage (Eccles. 11.5.) is sufficient to stop our curiosity, and to make us acquiesce without gainsaying, to the testimony of God, As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all.  
Conclus 2. From our blessed Lord his faithfulness and diligence in doing the duties of his Mediatory-office, whereunto he was called by the Father, we have a fair pattern and copy for our instruction and imitation to be faithful and diligent in our lawful Callings: His mind and his time was all taken up in his faithful and diligent discharge of the Office of Mediator, committed to him by the Father, Luk. 2.49. Witted ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And for the better up stirring of you to follow his example in your lawful Callings and Employments, Consider, 1. God blesseth the diligent and faithful, Prov. 28.20. but he that is diligent, or rather fool-hasty in using unlawful means, and so having no calling to that effect from God, cannot expect a blessing, Prov. 22.29. But he that maketh haste to to be rich, shall not be innocent. 2. Zeal in Religion and spiritual duties, doth well consist with diligence in our lawful employments, Rom. 12.11. Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Yea this fidelity and diligence in our particular Callings, doth adorn our Christian profession, but unfaithfulness and negligence is the reproach of it, Tit. 2.9, 10. 3. Idleness is a breach of the eighth Command, Thou shalt not steal, as is evident, Eph. 4.28. Because the sluggard stealeth away much precious time from the right use of it. As theft is an usurpation of that which belongs to another; so the slothful man eats his bread without any allowance or blessing from God, 2 Thes. 3.10. 4. The slothful man is a waster of much precious time, and a great impediment to himself in what he might have had, if he had been diligent, Prov. 18.9. He also that is slothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster. 5. Idleness and slothfulness is a great inlet to that evil one, and to many temptations with him: The unclean spirit entered into the empty house with a train of other evil spirits, Mat. 12.42. Cato said truly, Men by doing nothing, learn to do evil: And the Heathen Poet could say, Otia si tollas, etc. Take away idleness, so shall you take away the fuel of many noisome lusts.  
Conclus. 3. From his faithfulness and care in keeping what is committed to his trust, is inferred our duty: 1. Every one to be faithful in their trust, in imitation of him, who was faithful in keeping all who were committed to his trust by the Father: especially men in public places, as Magistrates, to whose trust God hath committed his people, as Pupils to their Tutors; and there is a day coming, wherein the supreme Lord, and everlasting Father, will call them to make their Tutors-accounts: therefore they should be faithful, careful, and tender Nursing-fathers', to protect them by their power: but no ways by oppression or subtlety to prey upon the simplicity and weakness of their Pupils: Likewise the Spiritual Guides in the Church, should learn from him, who was faithful in all the house of God, to dispense the bread of life faithfully to the children of God, as these who are Stewards of the mysteries of God▪ 1 Cor. 4.1. and must give an account to God for the souls committed to their trust, Heb. 13.17. And as men in public places would be faithful, they should labour for a deep impression of the fear of God upon their spirits, 2 Chr. 19.9. Neh. 5.15. 2. Let us take comfort from his faithfulness and care to keep what is committed to him; let us cast all our care on him, who careth for us, 1 Pet. 5.7. Joh. 10.28.  
Our spiritual enemies can never get advantage from any negligence in him; for he is the watchman of Israel that neither sleeps nor slumbers; nor from any weakness in him, for he is the stronger one, and the Almighty one, Rev. 1.8. he is both able to keep that which is committed to him, Judas Epist. 24. and also willing, John 6.37. It is the will of God and our duty to use all means and endeavours for keeping ourselves in the love and fear of God, 1 John 5.18. Judas Epist. 20. but let us not trust to our own keeping, but pray to the Lord that he would keep us in the hour of temptation, Ps. 16.1. Mat. 26.41. remembering always, that we are kept by his power through faith, 1 Pet. 1.5.  
Conclus. 4. From the faithfulness of our blessed Lord, in keeping and performing all his precious and gracious promises, let us learn, 1. for our imitation, to be faithful in that solemn promise made to God in our baptism; because in baptism we were consecrate to God, and by profession put on the Lord Jesus Christ, Gal. 3.27. Therefore, when we call to mind that solemn engagement, we should be faithful to keep that promise; and should not make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof, Rom. 13.14. As it is sacrilege to impropriat that which has been dedicat unto pious uses; So it is most detestable sacrilege to withdraw ourselves from serving God in holiness and righteousness, unto the fulfilling of our own sinful lusts. How many promises of amendment of life have we made unto God in the day of our affliction? Let us be faithful, and pay the vows which our lips have uttered, when we were in trouble, Ps. 66.13, 14. Let us be faithful in performing our lawful promises made by one to another; and truly a man fearing God will make conscience of sincerity in making a lawful promise, and of honest endeavours in performing, unless God in his providence render it impossible, Gen. 42.18. This do and live, for I fear God. But the deceitful and unfaithful man, that in promising has no purpose to perform, is like unto Antigonus King of Macedon, who made many large promises to give this and that to some men, but gave it not; therefore in reproach he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, one that was ever to give, but never gave what he had promised.  
From our blessed Lord his faithfulness for performing all his gracious promises, we have a solid ground for concluding assurance of comfort unto all Expectants of glory, and eternal rest in heaven, who are now in a state of grace and sanctification. As our blessed Lord is faithful in revealing the will of the Father, so is he likeways in performing all the promises of God, which in him are yea and amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. He will give in his own good time that rest and satisfaction promised to all who are pressed and wearied with the burden of their sins, Mat. 11.28 He will cleanse the true penitents, who confess their sins with a serious purpose and endeavour to forsake them, 1 John 1.9. he will give strength to all who are humbled under the sense of their own weakness, and trust to him for help, according to his faithful promise, Job 23.6. Is. 42.2. and he will give the promised outgate unto all who are patiented and long-suffering under great and continued trials, 1 Cor. 10.13.  
Object. 1. It is true, he is faithful in all his promises, but I doubt the promises are made to me; for there is no mention made of me in all the gracious promises. Ans. 1. In speaking thus, thou speakest against the generation of the just, as if there were not a gracious promise made to any living in thy generation, for there is no mention of them in particular, more than of thyself. 2. If thou be weary of sin, the promise of rest is made unto thee; for it is made to all who are weary of sin, and by faith come to Christ, the precious cornerstone laid in Zion, for rest and support to wearied sinners, Is. 28.16. If thou mourn for sin, and by faith in Christ come unto God for comfort, thou mayest be assured, the promise of comfort is made unto thee. If thou thirst after Christ and his righteousness, the promise of satisfaction and refreshment is made to thee: Therefore, although thou acknowledge thine own unworthiness, as justly thou mayest, yet acknowledge also his faithful promise, Ps. 69.32. Your heart shall live that seek God. Isa. 45.19. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain; I the Lord speak righteousness. In this case do thou as wise Abigail, who acknowledged herself unworthy of David's gracious offer and message sent unto her; yet she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife, 1 Sam. 25.41, 42. In like manner, obey thou his gracious message and offer of rest and satisfaction, proponed to thee by his Ministers in the preaching of the Gospel, and let thy heart cohabit with him.  
Object. 2. But the Lord delayeth to give that promised rest and peace to my wearied soul. Ans. His delays are not denials; in his great wisdom he delayeth, that thereby thou may be humbled for thy delaying and shifting in former times to do commanded duties; and also that by his delay of comfort, thy heart may be enlarged the more with strong and vehement desires, and then thy comfort shall be the more full and sensible, Ps. 81.10. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Consider, that assoon as thou reputes, and by faith cleavest to the promise made in Christ the Mediator, thou gets the peace of reconciliation, Act. 13.39. wait on in faith and patience, and thy blessed Lord will give, in his own good time, the peace of assurance: as the Judge doth first pronounce the sentence of absolution, and thereafter gives an extract of the sentence by his Secretary unto the party absolved, which he layeth up in his Charter-chest, and is in much peace and quietness of mind: In likemanner, our blessed Lord, by his holy Spirit according to his promise in the Word, shall seal the mourning believers, Ephes. 1.13. and assure them of pardon, and of eternal life; from which assurance, shall arise peace in their conscience, and joy unspeakable and glorious, Rom. 8.34. 1 Pet. 1.8.  
Object. 3. Our blessed Lord has promised deliverance out of troubles, yet my troubles continue; yea, are increased. Ans. All temporal promises are to be understood, with a secret clause of provision; if the performance of them shall be for the glory of God, and the spiritual benefit of his own children, Psal. 34.10. They that seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing. Psal. 84.11. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Therefore be thou patiented, and in the time of continued and increasing afflictions, look to his faithful promise, Joh. 16.20. In this world ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Our faithful Lord, in his own good time, can easily recompense all our temporal losses even in this world, if it seem good in his eyes, Is. 61.7. For your shame you shall have double, and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion; therefore in their land they shall possess the double. But certainly in that day of restoring all things, all losses shall be recompensed though not in specie, yet in value exceeding them very far: therefore reckon with thyself, that all the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, Rom. 8.18.  
Object. 4. The faithful Lord hath promised to deliver out of temptation, 1 Cor. 10.13. yet I am daily infested with sinful thoughts, and sometime brought into bondage with my own consent. Ans. Yet it is the better that such thoughts are a grief to thy spirit, as Hagar was to Sarah; be of good courage, the Lord in his own good time will cast out the bondwoman and her child, even thy indwelling corruption, and all the offspring of it; reverence the wisdom of God in suffering thy soul to be molested with these incursions and bicker of that impure spirit; he permits it, that the grace of humility and prayer m●y be the more exercised by thee: all the Canaanites were not driven out of the land of Canaan, by the wise providence of God, permitting and ordering it for good▪ that the wild beasts should not multiply in the land: So the Lord, in his wisdom, permits the indwelling and stir of corruption within thy soul, to preveen the increase of pride, and to keep thee humble and watchful, and to stir thee up unto daily prayer for increase of strength in the inner man. Therefore give it not over, but resist daily, trusting to that promise, Rom. 16.20. The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. Thou art engaged into a good cause, to fight against thy lusts; although through the wiles of Satan at a time, thou mayest be brought into bondage, yet despair not of victory in end; mourn as Peter did after his denial in the high Priests Hall; and if thou mournest bitterly for thy bondage, it is not altogether voluntary; when thou mourns for it, there is some resistance to it from grace in thy will; and he that gives grace to resist, shall give victory in end, Rom. 7.24, 25. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The father of the possessed child brought his son, who had been infested and molested from his childhood; and when the child was acoming to Christ, the unclean spirit did vex him and rend him; but he went forward to our blessed Lord, who charged that soul spirit to come out of him and enter no more into him, Mark 9.17, etc. So it may be thou art never more infested, than when thou hast a resolution to go to Christ and walk after his Commandments, yet rise up by repentance and resolution of new obedience; who knows but thy mighty Lord will rebuke that unclean motion, and say as he did to that unclean spirit, I charge thee to come out of him, and enter no more into him?  
Object. 5. But in the mean time my soul faints within me, under great afflictions and desertions; because there is neither appearance of comfort nor out-gate. Answ. As faithfulness cleaveth to his loins as a girdle; so let faith in thine heart cleave to him and his promises: for as the lungs, like bellows, do cool and refresh the heart that it faint not through much heat and labour; so faith, breathing the faithful and gracious promises of God into the fainting soul, doth revive the same, Psal. 27.14. Psal. 42.5. Psal. 119.81. When the Mariners in the Ship with Paul, (Acts 27.) saw no light outward, for directing their course, they did cast out their Anchors, and waited for the day: so when thou who fears the Lord walkest in darkness, and hath no light, trust in the Name of thy faithful Lord, and stay thyself upon thy God, Isai. 50.10. Remember for thy encouragement, thy blessed Lord is faithful and compassionate, Mat. 15.32. he had pity on the multitude who had continued with him three days without any bodily refreshment, and would not send them away fasting, lest they should faint in the way: much more thy Lord, full of compassion, will not suffer a poor humble soul, that hath been waiting on him by sincere obedience, and for him by a lively hope purifying the heart, and thirsting more and more for righteousness, to departed out of this life, without some refreshment in the inner man, but as he did to that old expectant Simeon, Luk. 2. he will give him Christ his Saviour into the arms of his faith, that he may departed in peace in the hope of salvation.   
VERSE VI. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 
FRom this vers. to the 10. is set down the great and admirable effects of Christ's powerful government by his Spirit and Word, to wit, a strange change and metamorphosis of persons, who, before the light of the glorious Gospel did shine in their hearts, were of a sensual and brutish disposition, and of a wild and savage conversation; who were rebellious against God, and had an antipathy one against another: who were like Wolves in oppression; like Leopards and young Lions in fierceness; like the Asp and Cockatrice in bitterness of spirit, and venomousness in conversation: but these after their conversion, by the light of the Gospel, shall live in obedience and peace with God, and in concord with others, who before them were in a state of grace▪ The wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: and the calf, and the young lion, etc. that is, they shall be so daunted by the power of grace with the Gospel, that they shall live in a sweet communion and fellowship with these who were in Christ before them: and also with these, who sometimes were also bitter and malicious enemies to the godly; even such as had been like Asps and Cockatrices, shall be converted and made partakers of the meek and lowly Spirit of Christ. The cause of all this change, will be the light of the glorious Gospel, as it is said in the end of vers. 9 For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. As at the Sunrising, the wild beasts do return to their dens and caves; so the light of the Gospel, in such as are effectually called, according to the eternal purpose of God, will make their wild and beastly affections to hid themselves for shame; and they shall have no pleasure in the unfruitful works of darkness, and they shall cast away all their idol-lusts, Isai. 31.6, 7. Hos. 14.8.  
Observe. 1. Man, before his conversion to God, is compared to creatures void of reason, and carried away by their sensual appetites, unto objects pleasing to sense; so that they are liker to brute beasts then to men of sound reason: therefore, in holy Scriptures, they are compared sometimes to the beasts in the field; sometimes to the fowls in the air; sometimes to the fishes in the sea; and sometimes to creeping things. To beasts of the field, are compared such obstinate sinners, who oppose the Gospel, and will not forsake their sins, that Christ may reign in them; such are as headstrong beasts, 1 Cor. 15.32. Acts 19.29. in which respect men are called brutish, Psal 92.6, 7. Psal 94.8. Isai. 19.11. Open and fierce persecuters, are compared to the fierce lion, 2 Tim. 4.17. Heretics, who subtly seduce people from Christ and from his truth, as also, being cruel hypocrites, are compared to wolves, Acts 20.29. Mat. 7.15. The furious and outrageous man, to a boar rob of her whelps, that doth run against any he meets with, though possibly innocent, Prov. 17.12. such were the furious Donatists and Circumcellions, who massacred these of the orthodox Church, that withstood their schism. The oppressor, who by violence beareth down all who stand in his way, is compared to the ranging bear, Prov. 28.15. The vindictive man, who dissembles his malice, and watcheth for an opportunity of revenge, is compared to lions and leopards, who lurk privily, and setteth upon the Passenger unawares, Psal. 10.9. Secret and subtle detractors of the children of God, are compared to foxes, which peel the bark from the Vines; so they by blasting their reputation, endeavour to make their labours fruitless and unprofitable to others, through calumny and prejudice, Cant. 2.15. The insolent and riotous man, who roving in his wild courses, doth puff at all that reprove him, is compared to the wild ass snuffing up the wind and will not be turned back, Jer. 2.24. The man that inconsiderately, and yet willingly casts himself into temptations, is compared to a horse rushing into the battle, Jer. 8.6. The man who is not overawed by the fear of God, nor led by the counsel of God in his Word; but must be restrained by outward force or judgements, is compared to the horse and mule, Psal. 32.9. The man that is inconstant in the way of his Religion, is compared to a dromedary, Jer. 2.23. The profane men, who have no esteem of the precious Ordinances of God, are compared to swine and dogs, Mat. 7.6. Seducers, who infect others with the poison of their pernicious errors, are likened to mad dogs, Phil. 3.2. Men, who after profession of repentance, return to their old sins, are compared unto swine and dogs, 2 Pet. 2.20. Men, who revile Rulers, unto barking dogs, 2 Sam. 16.9. Covetous men, unto greedy dogs, Isa. 56.11. The beautiful woman, who wants discretion, and doth expose herself unto temptations, is compared to the swine. The silly person, drawn away to uncleanness by her allurements, is likened unto the ox led to the slaughter, Prov. 7.22. The base-spirited man, who submits to adversaries upon any terms, though never so unhonest, is compared unto an ass, Gen. 49.14. So is also the base servile spirit, that doth not duty out of love, but only out of servile fear, Prov. 26.3. And the drunkard is worse than the beast in the field, because the beast thirsteth for drink only to satisfy necessity and his natural appetite; but the drunkard thirsteth for drunkenness to satisfy his sensual and sinful appetite. They are compared to the fowls in the Air; the man that walks disorderly and waits not upon the employments of his lawful calling, is compared to a bird wandering from its nest, Prov. 27.8. The unnatural parent, careless of breeding or providing for his children, is compared unto the Ostrich, Job 39.14. Lament. 4.3. The deceitful man, who by fraud and unrighteousness maketh his purchase, and thereafter in the just providence of God is spoiled thereof, is compared unto a Partridge, gathering and hatching eggs, but beaten or chased away from them by the hunter, or some ravenous fowl, Jer. 17.11. The ambitious proud man, that sets his nest on high, and thinketh no hand is able to remove him, is compared to an eagle, Jer. 49.16. The man who preys upon the simplicity and weakness of others, is compared unto ravenous birds, Is. 46.11. The pusillanimous man, afraid of every thing, is compared unto the silly dove, Hos. 7.11.  
They are compared unto fishes in the Sea: the great men on earth, who to satisfy their lusts of covetousness and ambition, do trouble the peace of the Sea of this world, are compared unto whales, Ezek. 32.2. The dissembling cruel man, unto the crocodile, that seems to weep, and yet devours tne passenger that comes under his reach, Is. 27.1. Such a man was Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Jer. 41.6.  
They are compared to creeping things; the false turbulent Prophet, by his loud and frequent cry, stirring up the powers of the earth to war one against another, is compared unto frogs; and as the loud cry of frogs is ordinarily the sign of an ensuing tempest, So is the seditious upstirring of seditious false Prophets, a sign of ensuing troubles, unless God in mercy preveen it, Rev. 16.14, 15. Seditious whisperers, detractors and calumniators, are compared unto vipers, Mat. 3.7. and here they are compared unto asps, which are serpents, full of windings, like unto the plies of a buckler, (as the Greek word imports) and they do hurt men at unawares, Gen. 49.17. Ps. 140.3. And great men of bitter and fierce spirits, are compared here to the cockatrice, the chief of serpents, called in Greek, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and in Latin, Regulus; and because the wicked counsels of leading-men do much harm, therefore they are compared to the eggs of the cockatrice, Is. 59.5.  
Use 1. For admonition to all men, living yet in the state of nature, and walking after their own sensual lusts; Look into the glass of God's Word, take a view of your deformity through corrupt nature, and be humble in the sigh: and sense of it; because your sinful lusts prevailing in you, makes you rather like unto beasts, than unto rational men. At this the very Heathens of old did glanse in their Mythologies, and poetical Metamorphosis, as in Actaeon, turned into a pufillanimous hart by his fond lusts, and Lycaon, into a wolf, by his cruel and tearing oppression: this is the spiritual use we should make of the History of some of the beasts, recorded in holy Scripture to this end, that beholding in that mirror of these creatures, our deformity in our conformity unto them, we may be humbled, ashamed, and study in time coming to conform ourselves unto the will of God revealed in the holy Word. Let us not be like unto these, of whom the Apostle speaketh, Jam. 1.24. who behold their natural face in a glass, but straightway forget what manner of men they were: far less should we be like unto the Apes, who beholding their deformed and misshapen bodies in a mirror set before them, do run upon it and tear it: they despise and contemn both Word and Preacher, when their own deformities are discovered unto them, as the Jews did against holy Stephen, when he discovered their gross errors both in judgement and practice, Act. 7. against Paul, Act. 21.30. and ran upon him when he spoke that which crossed their opinion, Act. 22.22.  
Use 2. The other use we should make of the natural History of the irrational creatures, is for our instruction, as to stir us up to diligence, we should go to the Pismire or Ant, and learn in the summer of our youth, to provide for the winter of old age, Prov. 6.6. The quarrel-some men should learn meekness from the Doves; and the rash uncircumspect man, prudence and caution from the Serpents, Mat. 10.16. the careless unbeliever, who is negligent to use the outward means of salvation, as the hearing of the holy Gospel, the receiving the blessed Sacrament of the holy Communion, should learn diligence and make conscience of resorting to these gracious Ordinances, wherein Christ is offered; this he may learn some way from the Eagles resorting to the place where the dead carcase is, Mat. 24.28. The unthankful man should learn thankfulness to God and to men his benefactors, from the Ox and the Ass, Is. 1.3. And the secure and careless sinner should learn forefight and circumspection in flying from the wrath to come, even from the Stork and Crane, Jer. 8.7.  
Observe. 2. By the preaching of the Gospel accompanied with the power of the Spirit of God, a great change is made upon the spirits of natural and unregenerat men: Many that had been like Lions, Wolves, Bears and Serpents, shall be changed (saith the Prophet here) from their wild and malicious inclination, and shall be made partakers of the meek and humble Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the days of the full manifestation of the Gospel, as it came to pass in the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 6.10, 11. and in the Ephesians, Ephes. 5.8. It was clearly manifested in Paul, who sometimes like a Wolf, did persecute and scatter the flock of Jesus Christ, yet afterward became not only a sheep of the flock, but also a Preacher and Pastor: Zacheus, who sometime was like a ranging Bear in his oppression, is converted by the Gospel▪ restores what was not his own, and of his own giveth to the poor, Luk. 19.8. And many of the Priests, who had been like Asps and Cockatrices, of bitter spirits, venomous tongues and cruel hands, against the primitive Christians, became themselves obedient to the Faith, through the power of the Spirit of God accompanying the Gospel preached unto them, Act. 6.7.  
For the better understanding of this change, wrought in the hearts and conversation of the Elect by the Gospel, we would Consider, there be three principal changes in the spiritual estate of man; 1. A change from the estate of primitive innocency and happiness, unto an estate of sin and misery, brought upon man by his own fall, Eccl. 7.29. L●● this only have I found, that God hath made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions. This was a voluntar and a sinful change, from the better to the worse. 2. There is a gracious change wrought by God himself in our conversion, from an estate of rebellion and of prevailing corruption, unto an estate of grace and favour with God, and unto an estate of sanctification; this is from the worse to the better, 2 Cor. 3.18. We all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 3. A change from the better to best of all, from an estate of grace here, unto an estate of immortal glory at our death, Job 14.14. All the days of my appointed time, will I wait till my change come. 1 Cor. 15.51. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.  
Consid. 2. What man lost by his first change, and what he lost not: he lost not through his fall any thing, which was essential to him; for then after his fall he should have been no more a man, although after his fall he is sometimes called in holy Scripture a beast; yet not that he became such in nature, but because he was carried for the most part like a brute beast by sense, toward that which was pleasant to flesh and blood: he retained still after the fall his natural faculties of understanding and will: he had an inbred capacity to understand some speculative truths, as that there is a God; and that the whole is more than any several part of the same: and also to understand practical truths, Rom. 2.15. as, that he is to be worshipped, and that we should do to others as we would have them do to us. He lost not his liberty of will, in willing freely from previous deliberation, without coaction, or force in the proper and elicit acts of the will, in willing or refusing; though in the outward man he may be forced, yet can he not be forced in his will: when a man is forced to go into prison, yet his will is not forced, for still he freely willeth it not. He lost not the affections of grief at what was noisome, nor of fear at what might harm him; he had them in the state of innocency in the first act, and proneness (as they speak) but not in the act of exercise, till after his fall into misery; these affections were lost in respect of their straightness and rectitude, but not in respect of their substance and being. Man by his fall lost not the faculty of conscience; for after his fall, conscience made him ashamed of his nakedness: and the natural conscience in Heathen men, is said to accuse or excuse, Rom. 2.15. He lost not the shape or posture of his body, whereby he is in some sort distinguished from all other creatures: I grant, accidental deformities in the body, are the consequents of sin; but yet the frame of it, in respect of the situation of the members, was not lost. He lost not dominion altogether over the creatures: although wicked and unregenerat men have not a right to the creatures, as they are pledges of a better portion in Heaven; yet they have still a right to the bare creature, but without that relation to that better portion in the other life. For, as wicked men have their natural life from God, so they have a right and allowance from God to preserve that life, by the use and help of his good creatures; otherwise it were not lawful for them to use means for preserving their life, but they should rather abstain from them.  
By his fall, he lost clearness and quickness of understanding, to take up and discern heavenly and spiritual truths, in order to the salvation of his own soul, Mat. 16.17. 1 Cor. 2.14. Although he lost not the faculty of willing, nor liberty from coaction, and from a natural determination to this or that; yet he lost the liberty of rectitude and uprightness, by being now after his fall perversely inclined to that which is displeasing in the eyes of God, Rom. 5.10. We are called enemies to God by nature, and enmity is properly in the will. He lost purity in his affections; our affections, at first, were like clean and pure water running in a clean channel, but now they are muddy and earthly, there being much perturbation in them, like water running through a muddy channel, Joh. 3.31. He that is of the earth, is earthly. Our affections at first were strait, set upon God and things above; but now they are bowed down, and through the strength of corrupt nature, set on things below, Rom. 8.5: For they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh. Although fallen man hath not lost the faculty of conscience, yet he hath lost that clearness, quietness and calmness that was in it at the first: for so long as man lived in a communion and harmony with God, there was also inward peace, and a pleasant harmony in his conscience, like an instrument well tuned: but when by sin he broke harmony and communion with God, than his conscience became like a troubled sea, roaring out into his ears a dreadful sound from fear of wrath to come, as a mighty tempest to drive them into hell; then as Outlaws, they were afraid at every thing: So Adam and Eva, after the fall, had a mighty tempest in their consciences, which did drive them away to hid themselves from the presence of the Lord.  
Consider. 3. In conversion to an estate of grace, there is a happy change, 1. In the mind, by illumination and light: as at first God created light in the first creation, so in the second creation and regeneration, he first creates the light of faith, whereby we see God reconciled to man in Christ the Mediator, 2 Cor. 4.6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. When a man is converted, he gets a new light, in respect of his mind, which is the subject of it: but it is not a new light in respect of the object; he hath not new spiritual and saving truths revealed to him, beside, or far less contrary to the Word: as a blind man, when his eyes are opened, doth not see another Sun, than what was before in the firmament, though not seen by him, until his eyes were opened. 2. God makes a change in the will, by taking away the stony heart, Ezek. 36.26. Acts 16.14. He removeth impenitence and unbelief, which are as two strong bars to resist his call by the outward means, until he remove them by the power of his invincible grace, whereby he worketh mightily in those that believe, Eph. 1.19. For not only doth he preach deliverance by his Word, but also he sets at liberty such as are bruised with sorrow in their hearts for their sins, Luk. 4.18. 2 Cor. 3.17. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. August. (Lib. 1. against the 2 Epist. of Pelag. Cap. 19 citing that place, Joh. 6.44. No man can come to me, except the Father draw him,) observes, it is not said, no man can come to me except the Father lead him, that so we might think the will of man did preceded, and thereafter the Father did lead and promove his will: but it is said, except the Father draw him: and who can be said to be drawn, if he himself first be willing? therefore (saith he) they are made in a wonderful manner, even to be willing by him, who knoweth how to work inwardly upon the hearts of men: not that any man (for that is impossible) should believe against his will, but because of not-willing, he is made willing. 3. There is a change in their affections, which in some measure are purified and rectified: the sense of God's love in Christ worketh godly sorrow in their hearts, Zech. 12.10. It works a filial fear in them, to do any thing that may offend God, Jer. 32.40. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not departed from me. 4. There is a change in the conscience, after conversion, it is quiet and calm: the righteousness of Christ apprehended by a lively saith, doth quiet the conscience, both with the peace of Justification, Rom. 5.1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. And with the peace of Sanctification, Rom. 14.17. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The conscience after conversion, becomes more tender of duty, and sensible, even of smaller offences, like the flesh of Naaman, cleansed from his leprosy: such tenderness we see in David, Psal. 119.113. I hate vain thoughts, but thy Law do I love. 5. There is a change in the body and conversation: the body, it becomes a temple to the Holy Ghost, and all its members, like several Vessels in the Temple, are consecrat to the service of God, 1 Cor. 6.19. Rom. 6.19.  
Consider. 4. This change is not perfect in degrees, 1. Our knowledge in the state of grace here is but in part, 2 Cor. 13.9. For we know in part. In many mysteries of Religion, we know, that such a thing is an undoubted truth from divine revelation; but the cause and manner how such and such things are, we know not; as the eternal generation of the Son; the manner of the eternal procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son, the individual unity of the three blessed Persons in the Divine Essence; these mysteries we know in a confused and general manner, like the sight of the blind man of Bethsaida, Mark 8.24. But in Heaven our knowledge of these great mysteries, will be more clear, like the sight of that same blind man by a second touch, and by the light of glory; when we shall see light in his light, Psal. 36.9. and when we shall see him as he is, 1 Joh. 2.2. 2. Although there be a change of our will at our conversion, yet there remains in it corruption, which is the seed of disobedience to the will of God, Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit. This tumult and insurrection of corruption against grace in the will, doth pain and vex the godly, like the twains which strove in the womb of Rebekah: but after our change at death to immortal glory, our petition put up to God in this life, shall be fully answered, Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven: then shall we be like unto Angels, and our will shall cleave unto God and his will indeclinably for ever. 3. Our affections, after our change and conversion in this life, are not wholly pure; who can say he hath made his heart clean? Prov. 20.9. As shoes open above (as was the manner of the Jewish Nation in our blessed Lord his time) did contract dust and fuilʒie, and their feet had need of daily washing, so our affections are not so closely united to God; but many times they are open and enlarged toward the world, which defiles the heart, and puts even men converted unto a daily necessity of repentance, and cleansing from all uncleanness of the flesh and the spirit, 2 Cor. 7.1. But in Heaven there will be perfect purity of heart, like Angels; not a wandering motion there; we will be far above the world which defiles the heart, and far above the vain shadows of this present world, which now and then intervening, draws our eye and heart off God: but at our change into glory, nothing can or will intervene between God and us; our minds and our hearts then will be wholly and unchangeably set upon him. 4. Though now after conversion, there may be some calmness in the conscience, yet it continues not always alike; some of the godly do say, as Job 7.4. I am full of tossing to and fro; as David, Ps. 42.7. All thy waves and thy billows have gone over me: and as Hezekiah, Is. 38.13. As a lion, so will he break all my bones, etc. But at our last change to glory in heaven, there will be a perfect and an everlasting calm; like that of men tossed at Sea, when they come within a safe Harbour; for the salvation of God will be a perpetual bulwark unto them. 5. The body of the godly in this life, is subject many times, as a drudge, unto a corrupt and imperious will; but at our last change, as the will of the godly will be wholly and sweetly subordinat unto the will of God; so in the day of resurrection, the body with all its members, shall be a Temple filled with the Holy Ghost: then there shall not be a wrong look in the eye, nor an impertinent word in the tongue, nor a wrong step in all the course of our bodily motion and conversation; the body now is weak and sickly, but than it will be ever healthful and strong; now it is weary and subject to fainting, but than it will be agile (as Augustine speaketh) it will be in an instant of time, wheresoever the spirit shall desire to be; then shall our bodies and tabernacles of clay be conform to the pattern shown in the mount, when our blessed Lord was transfigured, Philip. 3.20.  
Use 1. For conviction of many, who think they are in a state of grace, when in the mean time, they are carried away with sense and masterful passions, like brute-beasts, toward the fulfilling of their sinful lusts: some are like Lions in fierceness, some like Bears in their inconsiderate wrath, some like evening Wolves in their cruel covetousness, some like the Asps in the venom of their tongues, and others like the Crocodiles in dissembling their cruelty with false shows of pity, that the more easily they may destroy the simple ones; but such men would consider in time, how far they are from being of the meek Spirit of Jesus Christ; now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his, Rom. 8.9.  
Use 2. For exhortation to all such who are yet the old men, like Moab, not changed from their Lees; consider, 1. in God's account ye are compared to Beasts, before this happy change spoken of here be wrought in you; and (as it is truly said) it is better to be a beast, than truly compared to a beast. 2. Ye can have no evidence that ye are in Christ, but from this change; If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5.17. and if any man be not a new creature, he is not yet actually in Christ; and it is not possible to be with him in glory after this life, except ye be in him first as new creatures in this life; for as there is no condemnation to them that are in him, so there is no salvation to them that are not in him, who is the Saviour only of his mystical body, Eph. 5.23. 3. If there be no change from thy state of corrupt nature; death in its approach will be terrible, like a Sergeant at Arms to apprehend a rebel in his act of rebellion, and straightways to hale him before the King's Bench, Psal. 7.12, 13. 4. There is no coming to heaven, without this change; as lepers under the Law, were not admitted into the assemblies of the people of God, before they were cleansed from their leprosy, So there will not be admission into the assembly of the firstborn in heaven, until you be cleansed from your sins; and all your presumptuous thoughts of salvation, without cleansing the heart and conversation, are but vain imaginations and groundless fantasies, Jer. 4.14. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved: how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?  
Use 3. For comfort to all such, in whom God by his Word and Spirit has wrought a real change from their former vain and sinful conversation: be of good comfort, he who has begun the good work of grace in thy soul, will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ, Phil. 1.6. he is the wise builder, and will perfect his work of free grace begun in thee in this life: though thy knowledge of God, and of thy happiness in him be but in part, yet in the other life it will be full, like the light of the Sun at noonday, 1 Cor. 13.12. Now thy knowledge is mediate, as through a lattesse; then shall it be immediate and intuitive, 1 Joh. 3.2. we shall see him as he is. In this state of grace, our will is not only mutable by nature, but also of a mutable condition, even after we are in a state of grace, and has a proneness and liberty unto evil; but in heaven our will shall be of an immutable condition, fixed always upon God, and subordinat unto his will necessarily, yet most freely, without all force and co-action; for than it will be our meat and drink to do the will of our heavenly Father: then there will be perfect purity in the affections, we shall be presented to the Father altogether faultless, Judas Epist. 24. than shall there be full joy and everlasting delight in God himself the supreme good. There will be an everlasting calm in the conscience, not so much as an air of temptation, or whisper of any inordinate motion; and all the members of the body will be weapons of righteousness, like vessels in the temple above, wholly consecrat to God. Therefore, let the children of God in all the outward changes they see in this unconstant world, and in some inward changes they feel now and then in themselves, in respect of their spiritual condition, yet hold fast their confidence in God, and rejoice in the hope of that unchangeable condition that abides them in heaven.  
Quest. Some will say, I have a purpose to change, and have some wishes for it, as a thing  in this life, before I can be changed into that state of glory in that other life: but seeing this change is not ordinarily upon a sudden, (as was that of Paul) what shall I do, as previous in order to such a change? Ans. 1. Thou would be first, from the threaten of the Law, convinced of thy extreme danger, if thou be not changed from thy former evil ways, Psal. 7.11, 12, 13. and thou must believe the faithful promises of such benefits, as will attend thy change, to wit, peace of conscience in this life, Psal. 119.165. Gal. 6.16. and eternal happiness in the life to come, Ezek. 18.21. Rom. 8.13. 2. Thou wouldst observe, according to the threaten of God, his sad judgements accordingly falling upon some sinners, that were obstinate and would not change from their former evil ways: some drunkards have been taken away suddenly, others clothed with rags, and made visible documents of the revenging justice of God against excess and riot: Likeways some unclean persons have been seen pining away in vile diseases; and others of them brought to a morsel of bread through the whorish woman: Thou who art a drunkard or harlot, observe this, and change thy way, lest a worse thing befall thee, who has the advantage of such a severe warning from others; it was said to Belshazzar, Dan. 5.22. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this. 3. Observe also some changes in thine own outward condition: It may be thou hath met with some sad dispensations from providence, when thou was running in the excess of riot; which were like the Angel's opposition unto Balaam in his way to Balaak: make good use of such sad occurences; before wrath be poured forth upon thee in the great day, even to the uttermost; and harden not thine heart against such warnings, Job 9.4. God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered? If God at any time has changed thine adversity into prosperity, observe it, and let the riches of his bounty lead thee to Repentance, and to a change from thy former evil ways, and say, as Ezra 9.13, 14. Seeing that thou our God hath punished us, less than our iniquities deserve, and hath given us such deliverance as this; should we again break thy commandments? 4. Be thou resolute against all the impediments of a future change; especially against the bitter mockings of such, as sometimes were thy prosane companions in iniquity; who will speak all manner of evil against thee, after thy change, because thou wilt not run with them to the same excess of riot, 1 Pet. 4.4. they will possibly call thee a vile hypocrite: but labour thou to be of a sound and honest heart in all manner of conversation, exercising thyself (as Paul did, Act. 24.16.) to keep a good Conscience void of offence both toward God and man, in all things willing to live honestly. Heb, 13.18. then shalt thou not need to be ashamed of thy fair profession, Ps. 119.80. let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed. 5. Be thou also resolute against the counsels of the evil men, who would pervert the right ways of the Lord, and draw away thine heart from entering into them; as Elimas' the sorcerer would have drawn away Sergius Paulus the Deputy, from the way of the Christian Faith, Act. 13.10. but resist thou such evil suggestions at the very first, as our blessed Lord did the counsel of Peter, Mat. 16.23. 6. Be thou resolute against discouragements suggested by worldly men, to hinder thee from the way of Godliness, and going forward into that heavenly Canaan; as the unfaithful spies did discourage the Israelits, from going to that earthly Canaan, Num. 13.32. They allege the way of Godliness is a melancholious and comfortless course of life; whereas, on the contrary, true joy and mirth comes to the soul after our change and conversion, Luk. 15.32. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. The Eunuch, after his conversion to the Christian Faith, went on his way rejoicing, Act. 8.39. 7. In order to thy future change, thou must believe that infallible proposition, If we change from our former evil ways, God will turn from his wrath and pardon the iniquity of our former evil ways, Isa. 55.6, 7. Jer. 18.7. for a man will not change his way, unless he think to be the better, and happier by the change. 8. Lastly, thou must be frequent in prayer to God, that he would produce this happy change in thee; for though a man by a general concourse of divine help, may do some Acts previous to the special change and conversion, from the state of Nature into Grace, yet can he not without the concourse and strong influence of the special help of supernatural Grace, change himself from the state of nature into the state of grace, Jer. 13 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Although some previous dispositions be ordinarily antecedent in order of time; yet are they not the causes of our change and conversion; which is wrought and brought forth by the invincible grace of God, changing and inclining our will to the obedience of his holy will; Jer. 17.14. Heal me O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved. August. citing this place, saith well, In vain do vain men say, I will heal myself; no, saith he, let us say, heal me, O Lord, and I shall behealed. Jer. 31.18. Turn thou me and I shall be turned. He preveens us by his grace, and makes us willing, and thereafter followeth us also with his grace, lest we should will in vain.  
Observe. 3. A true and real change from the state of corrupt Nature, unto a state of Grace, is visible and evident in these four effects, held forth in the text, 1. A communion and fellowship with the godly already converted, They shall dwell with the Lamb, etc. 2. A cheerful submission to the Word of God, though preached by weak men, A little child shall lead them. 3. Honesty and righteousness in their purchase, and contentment with their own portion, The Lion shall eat straw like the Ox. 4. Peaceable-mindedness and a meek conversation, They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain.  
1. Evidence. Sincere and real Converts will delight themselves most in the society of the godly; because they are forbidden to have any intimat fellowship with the ungodly, 1 Cor. 5.11. If any man that is called a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one, no not to eat. 2 Thes. 3.14. If any man obey not our word by this Epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. It was the care of the Saints on earth, to shun the company of the ungodly, Psal. 26.4. Psal. 101.7. The holy Evangelist John, would not go into the same , where were the blasphemous Heretics Ebion and Cerinthus: but contrariwise it was their custom to frequent and delight in the company of such as feared God, Psal. 16.2. Psal. 119.63. Act. 9.19. Then was Saul, (to wit, after his conversion) certain days with the Disciples, which were at Damascus.  
Quest. 1. Is it unlawful in any case to keep communion and company with wicked men? Ans. 1. It is not simply and altogether unlawful; for than must we needs go out of the world, 1 Cor. 5.10. A natural communion with them, in things necessary for this present life, is very lawful: Abraham and Isaac went to Gerar and Egypt in time of famine: and our blessed Lord sent to Sihar, a village of the Samaritans, for bread. 2. A civil communion in things necessary for our well-being, is also lawful; as commerce and trading with wicked men: thus Solomon, 1 King. 9.26. did keep a communion and commerce of trade with the Heathens of the Eastern India: Likewise a communion and association in war for defence and self preservation; or for the recovery of things unlawfully taken by usurpers and oppressors, is very lawful for the Magistrate and Ruler of the people: Abraham joined in confederacy with Aner, Eshcol and Mamre, though Canaanites, for the rescuing of Lot, Gen. 14. It is lawful also for the preserving of the public peace, and their own private peace: Isaac made a Covenant of peace with that Heathen King Abimelech, Gen. 26.31. And Nehemiah sought a Pass for safe conduct and protection from Artaxerxes, Neh. 2.7. Providing always such confederacies be without any condition prejudicial to Religion, or to common honesty: It must not be on such like conditions, as were these whereupon peace was offered to Israel by Nahash the Ammonite, 1 Sam. 11.2. 3. There is a lawful outward Church-communion with wicked men, in the outward ordinances, as in hearing the Word, praying, praising, and receiving the Sacrament: Ishmael was circumcised as well as Isaac; and Simon Magus was baptised, as others also were in Samaria. We may not separat from the Church, because possibly through the negligence of the Spiritual Rulers, profane and scandalous persons are admitted to the holy Sacrament: The Angel of Pergamos and Thyatira, is reproved for tolerating vile and scandalous persons; notwithstanding the people of these Churches are not required to separat from the Church, Rev. 2. Cyprian, Lib. 3. Epist. 3. Although (saith he) there seem to be tares in the Church, yet thou must not separat from it; but labour by all means, that thou thyself may be good grain. August. Epist. 48. to Vincent. Good men (saith he) are not to be forsaken for evil men's sake; but evil men are to be tolerat for good men's sake: And this he proveth, 1. From the example of the Prophets, who spoke much against the people of Israel, and yet did communicate with them in the holy Ordinances. 2. From the example of Christ, whom did tolerat Judas. 3. From the example of holy Cyprian, who did tolerat the covetousness of his Colleagues; and yet not forsake communion with them in the sacred Ordinances. Such toleration is not an approbation of these whom they tolerat: it is simply unvoluntar, as the toleration of the tares, Mat. 13. but voluntar, only in respect of a care to preserve the wheat: Thus David, for preserving the public peace, did tolerat the sons of Zerviah, but did not approve them in their headstrong courses: It is true, we must have no communion with wicked men and workers of iniquity, as such, in their evil works, Eph. 5.11. Though we should not have communion even with the godly in their sinful infirmities; yet we must not for these break off fellowship with them, Gal. 6.1. And we should follow them and their example in all things, wherein they are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 11.1.  
Quest. 2. Wherein stands our spiritual Church-communion with the godly? Ans. It stands, 1. in our partaking the same outward holy Ordinances, Heb. 10.24, 25. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love, and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. 2. In having the same common privileges, as one heavenly Father, one Head, one Spirit renewing them, one common inheritance purchased and reserved in Heaven for them; for which cause all believers are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, kinsmen; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of one mystical body; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, fellow-heirs, Eph. 2. 3. In mutual Christian-duties; as in loving one another, Gal. 5.13. Eph. 4.2. Forbearing one another in love: not breaking fellowship for infirmities: Paul reproved Peter to his face boldly, but did not break off Christian communion with him, Gal. 2.14. Cornelius and Cyprian, lived in Christian fellowship and communion all the days of their life, notwithstanding some difference in judgement. The spiritual duties of Christian love for mutual edification, we have set down, 1 Thes. 5.11, 14. 4. In a sympathy and fellow-feeling, 1 Cor. 12.26. As in the natural body there is a sympathy between the brain and the sinews, between the stomach and the reins; so there is a mutual sympathy between the members of the mystical body of Jesus Christ; they will be pained at the heart with godly sorrow for the failings of one another, 2 Cor. 11.29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not? They will rejoice in the spiritual good of one another, Joh. Epist. 3.4. There will be a sympathy of sorrow in their outward calamities, by condoling one with another, 1 Pet. 3.8. A rejoicing and congratulation in outward prosperity, Phillip 2.27, 28. 5. In a mutual supply of spiritual wants and defects, 1 Pet. 4 10. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. He that hath more of zeal, will stir up another that hath more of knowledge, but less of zeal: and he that hath more of knowledge and prudence, will advise another that hath more of zeal, but less of knowledge and prudence: Likewise there will be according to their abilities, a supply in bodily wants, 2 Cor. 8.14. as was seen in godly Cornelius, Acts 9.10. otherwise there is not any sincere love of God notwithstanding any great show in profession, 1 Joh. 3.17. But whoso hath this world's good, and seethe his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  
Use 1. For admonition, as ye would show yourselves true converts, beware of intimat and frequent fellowship with profane and ungodly men, 1. Because evil company corrupts good manners, 1 Cor. 15.33. Joseph learned in the Court of Egypt to swear by the life of Pharaoh: It is said, (Prov. 22.24, 25.) With a furious man thou shalt not go, lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. As contagion comes by looking upon sore eyes, so infection taketh hold upon many from their beholding the evil example of others; for thou art more ready to comply with their corruption, than they are to follow any grace or virtue that is in thee: thou hath corruption dwelling in thy mortal body, which is ready to correspond with them, and to concur in their works of darkness; but they have not grace in them to correspond with thee in gracious dispositions or actions. 2. Through their evil company, thou may be in danger of a temporal judgement, as was good Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 18.31. Yea not only in danger, but also involved in the same common calamity with them, as was righteous Lot, Gen. 14.12. 3. By thy intimat fellowship with profane men, thou doth great prejudice to thine own good name and reputation: for, others seeing or hearing of thy fellowship with them, cannot but think thou art like unto them, as birds of one feather flocking together: but thou shouldest consider, that next to a good Conscience, a good Name is to be sought and preserved, Prov. 22.1. a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. Silver and gold may be lost and recovered again; but a good name once lost, is not easily recovered; it will cost a man more pains and labour to recover it, than it would cost him to have preserved it: It is compared to precious ointment, Eccles. 7.1. A good name is better than precious ointment. It is more precious and fragrant than ointment; yet evil company is as a flee in the ointment, spoils it and makes it unsavoury. 4. It is the will of God thou shouldest abstain not only from the substance of evil; but also from the circumstances, and appearances of evil, 1 Thess. 5.22. abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Joh. 5.21. keep yourselves from idols. Not only from the act, but also from the object of idolatry: therefore the Lord would not have the people of Israel plant a grove of any trees near unto the Altar of the Lord, Deut. 16.21. lest it being too nigh, the people might creep into the groves, and there sin against the Lord: for, it becometh Christians to walk circumspectly, even before the world; a chaste and honest conversation becometh well the Spouse of Christ; Cesar said, it became Caesar's Wife not only to be honest in deed, but also to be free from all occasion of suspicion: how much more doth it well become all espoused to Christ, to walk humbly with God, and without offence before men? 5. The man, who without a call doth frequent evil company, provokes God to leave him, and to give him over unto the evil counsels and temptations of such evil company: therefore, godly men, though never so resolute, yet should they not, without a call from God, (as Joseph and Daniel had for their being in Egypt and Babylon) cast themselves into the snare of evil company; no man nearest to danger by his own free option, is long safe; no wise Mariner in time of calm, should cast anchor hard by a rock, for he knoweth not how soon the storm may arise, and dash the V●ssel against the rock. It was the wisdom of chaste Joseph, not to abide privately in one and the same room with that shameless woman, Gen. 39.10.  
Use 2. For exhortation, to frequent most the company of such as fear the Lord; because, 1. their good example and instruction may be unto thee a restraint from evil doing, as good Jehoiadah was to Jehoash for a long time, 2 King. 12.2. 2. It may hold off a judgement temporal even from wicked men; if there had been but ten righteous persons in Sodom, it had been spared for their sakes; yea, (Gen. 19.22.) the Angel said, he could bring no judgement upon it until Lot was first gone out of it. 3. The company of the godly, through God's blessing, may do much good unto thee by their good example and counsel, Prov. 13.20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise. This may be clearly seen in the godly servants of Abraham and Cornelius the Centurion, Gen. 24. Act 10.7. by their religious speech and dialect, ye may easily discern they have been bred in the company of these who feared God; yet sometimes it may be otherways, contrary to the good example and instructions of the Masters of the families; for in David's company, there was an Achithophel; in Elisha's, a Gehazi; and even in Christ's own company, the Traitor Judas.  
The second evidence of a real change and of true conversion, is a willing submission to the Word of God in the ministry of his weak Servants, subjected to the like passions as we ourselves are, a little child shall lead them: these that are led by another, have first life within them; So men are first quickened by the life of faith through the Word by the Spirit, and thereafter they are easily led by the Ministers of Jesus Christ, unto duties revealed by God in the holy Word, Joh. 10.27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. By the Spirit of God working effectually with the Word, they are first made sheep, and thereafter they follow him in the way of obedience to his counsel and direction, Rom. 6.17. God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart, that form of doctrine which was delivered to you: because the Word of God, by the Spirit, puts a stamp and impression upon their spirits, as the printing-iron doth upon the paper, that a man may see therein the very letter of the Type itself; this is signified in the Original, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: this submission in believers is by the assent of faith in their minds to the Word, as the infallible truth of the God of truth, and by love in our hearts to it, as the good and righteous Word of God, which is able to save the soul of the believers, 1 Thes. 2.13. Ye received the Word of God, not as the word of men, but as the Word of God. And withal, there is an honest purpose of heart to obey the direction of the Word in practical duties, Luk. 8.15. That seed on the good ground, are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Rom. 16.19. Your obedience is come abroad unto all men.  
Use 1. For conviction and reproof of many visible Professors, who by their wilful disobedience, and rejecting the counsel of the divine truth, declare themselves in effect, not yet truly changed and converted from what they were formerly; some flatly reject the Word, as these Jews, Jer. 44.16. others speak fair, but prove indeed like the young fair-spoken son, Mat. 21.31. He said, I go Sir, and went not. How many in time of sad affliction, confess their sins, and profess a purpose of amendment as Pharaoh did? Exod. 9.27, 28. but all these professions and appearing resolutions, are like the morning cloud, and as the early dew, soon dried up with the heat of a new temptation, Hos. 6.4.  
Quest. It may be asked, what is the cause that men do not submit to the counsel of the Word of God? Ans. 1. Their deadness and absolute want of the life of grace; they are dead in their sins, and dead men cannot be led: it is true, some time as dead men, they may be carried on by the example of others, to some outward performances, as Simon Magus was baptised with others; but they are not truly led as men living by a principle of faith within themselves. 2. Pride is a cause of that disobedience; for as humility is the mother of obedience to the Word of God, Mat. 11.5. The poor in spirit receive the Gospel; So pride is the mother of disobedience to the Word, as was seen in those proud civil Rulers, Jer. 43.2. and in these Ecclesiastic Rulers, Joh. 7.48. 3. Ambition and vainglory makes men to reject the counsel of God, Joh. Epist. 3. Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not. 4. Covetousness and worldly-mindedness, Matth 13.22. The care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word. As thorns draw away the sap of the earth from the good seed, that it groweth not; so the thorny cares of the world, do draw away, or at least weaken men's affection toward the Word, and makes them to mock at the word and counsel, which crosseth their worldly interests, Luk. 16.14. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things; and they derided him. 5. An obstinate love to one idol-lust or other, draweth the heart away from God and from his Word, Joh. 3.19. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  
Use 2. For exhortation to submit unto the Word of God in the mouth of his Ministers, 1. Thy hearty submission, is a comfortable evidence of thy regeneration; for, men who follow their leader, have life; walking by the Spirit according to the direction of the Word, is a sure evidence of a Spiritual life in us, Gal. 5.25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. It is an evidence of our Adoption, Rom. 8.14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 2. Consider, God is thy supreme Lord and lawgiver, therefore thou should submit to him who is infallible and most just, even by an implicit faith and obedience, as Abraham obeyed and he went out, not knowing whither he went, Heb. 11.8. Thou shouldest also, without all murmuring and fretting, submit to judgements threatened in the Word, or inflicted in the course of divine providence, as Eli did, 1 Sam. 3.18. and David 2 Sam. 15.26. He is the absolute Lord, and giveth not an account of his matters to the children of men, Job 33.13. 3. Without this submission by faith and obedience, the Word will not profit us unto the Salvation of our souls, Heb. 4.2. The Word preached, did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. As meat not received, or not retained in the stomach, doth not nourish. 4. Consider in time, if thou wilt not submit willingly to the word of his righteous command, thou shalt one day, maugre thy will, be subjected unto that punishment threatened in the Word against the disobedient and obstinate, Take the unprofitable servant, etc. Matth. 41.46.  
Object. But I have a prejudice against the Leader and Minister, I am not satisfied with the manner of his entry; therefore I cannot submit to him as my Leader. Answ. Although there were some defect (as thou apprehends) in the manner of his entry; yet consider well every defect about the administration, even of divine Ordinances, doth not make them void and null: there was a defect in the high priest, his entry, in our Lord's time, wherein it was annual, and the investitour was by the Roman Deputies, and yet our Lord did not reject them upon that account: there was in Augustin's time, a defect in the ordination of some Ministers, who formerly had been ordained by the Novatians: yet when these Ministers afterward were received into the Communion of the Orthodox Church, they were not of new ordained again; August. Lib. 2. against Parmen. chap. 13. If Ministers (saith he) return to the Communion of the true Church, they are not to be reordained; but as their baptism, so their ordination remaineth entire. He speaks of such, as had been baptised or ordained by the Novatians, with whom remained the substance of these ordinances, though in some circumstances, there was a defect: It is true, the baptism administered by the Paulinianists, being Anti-trinitaries, was by the Orthodox Church, thought null and void; as also the ordination by them; as was declared in the first Council of Nice. Yea, it is well known, that some of our learned and worthy Reformers, received ordination from the Church of Rome; and yet the reformed Church did hearty reverence and submit to the Word of God preached by them.  
Use 3. For direction what to do in order to submission, 1. Purge thine heart by repentance from noisome lusts; as the body is purged from obstructions, that it may grow by wholesome food; so the soul must be purged from noisome affections, that many a time obscure the judgement, and disturb the will: the soul must be purged from malice, from guile, from hypocrisy, from envy, from evil speaking, 1 Pet. 2.1, 2. Purge it from malice, which is as canker, and abundance of choler, eating up some children, and bindring them to grow; Purge from guile, because the deceitful man is an enemy to the word of truth, as was Elymas, a man full of deceit, Act. 13. Purge from hypocrisy, because the hypocrite is an enemy to the word of light, that taketh the vizorn off his face; and this discovery galleth him to the heart, as was seen in the Pharisees, Mark. 12.12. Purge from envy, because envy is as soreness of the eyes, and hateth the light, Joh. 11.48. Purge thy soul from evil speakings, because thy evil speaking of the Minister unto others, doth great prejudice both to thyself and to others: it puts thy heart out of that frame of meekness required, for receiving the engrafted Word, Jam. 1.21. and he that speaketh lies of the Minister, gins to hate him, who is wronged by him, Prov. 26.28. A lying tongue, hateth those that are afflicted, by it. 2. Set God before thee, and hear the Word as in his fight, who one day will judge us according to that Word; thus did the godly Centurion, Act. 10.33. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 3. Labour for a humble spirit, bringing all thine imaginations and thoughts captives, ●o follow the Lord Jesus Christ, triumphing in the chariot of sacred truth, 2 Cor. 10.5. The weapons of our warfare, are not carnal; but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing, that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought, to the obedience of Christ. We must not consult with sense and humane reason, nor with flesh and blood in difficult duties commanded by God; but follow the example of Abraham, Rom. 4.19, 20. and of Paul, Gal. 1 16. Neither must we consult with humane reason and Philosophy, as our dictator in the great mysteries of the Christian Faith; such as are the individual unity of the divine essence in the three blessed Persons; the eternal generation of the Son; the procession of the holy Ghost from the Father and from the Son; the personal union of the divine and humane nature of Christ, and the resurrection of the body in the great day: It is ground enough for us to believe the truth and reality of these great and deep Mysteries, that God, who cannot lie, hath revealed them in the holy Word: but we must be sober in our enquiry of the manner; and although we cannot, by humane reasoning, attain to the natural knowledge and science of these divine truths; and although, through our infirmity and ignorance, we imagine them to be contrary to Natural and Philosophical verity; yet, after better consideration, we conclude, that Supernatural verities, are not contrary to Natural truths; because God, the prime verity, is the Author of all real verity, and he cannot contradict himself: only by the light of divine revelation, and the inward light of Faith, we perceive and take up these sublime divine mysteries, which we cannot discern by the light of Natural reason, though never so refined: as the light of the stars, and the light of the Sun, are from God the Creator; and the light of the Sun, is not contrary to the light of the Stars; for both of them, are lightsome bodies: yet we see many things by the light of the Sun, to which our eye cannot reach by the light of the stars. Therefore let us submit our faith to divine revelation in the Word, and not oppose the barkings of humane reasonings against revealed truths: It may be well said to these men, who Idolise humane reason and Philosophy, which Tertullian said of the Heretics in his time, in his book of the resurrection of the flesh, Chap. 3. Take from them these things of humane Wisdom, wherein they agree with the Heathens; that so they may determine their questions from the Scriptures alone; and they cannot stand in the debate. It may be justly said to them, which Augustine said to the Manichees, Lib. 17. against Faust. Chap. 3. Your tergiversation and prevarication, is every way confounded: say plainly, that ye believe not the Gospel: for when ye believe in the Gospel what ye have a will to; and ye believe not what ye will; ye believe rather yourselves then the Gospel. But although humane reason cannot conceive the truth of these great mysteries, yet it is our duty, without all contradiction, to believe the holy Scriptures, and by a pious and modest silencing of all humane reasoning, to submit, by faith, to the Word of God. The more silent humane reason is in these great mysteries, the obedience of faith is the more conspicuous; and it well becomes humane reason, that is an handmaid to Divinity, to be silent when her Mistress speaketh. Augustine frequently in his disputes with the Pelagians, who did too much extol the strength of humane reason, doth repeat this saying, credam ut intelligam: Let me once believe it is spoken by God, then shall I understand it to be a truth, evident in respect of divine testimony, though I see no evidence in the things themselves. Bernard Epist. 190. What is more against reason, than to endeavour, by thy low and silly humane reason, to transcend and surmount supreme reason, to wit, the testimony of God himself, who is the prime verity? 4. As thou would be led by the Ministry of the Word, come to the reading and hearing of it with an honest heart, that is, with a serious and sincere purpose to obey the counsel and direction of it, though it should cross thy opinion, design, humour, or interest, Luke 8.15. Thou must not come, as these proud men (Jer. 42,) who pretended a purpose to obey; but when the answer given by the Prophet, was not according to their desire and design, they in their pride disobeyed it; but come with that disposition and earnest wish, that David had, Psal. 119.5. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! then mayest thou be confident it shall be well with thee, both in this and in the other life, Psal. 73.24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Likewise whosoever submits sincerely to the Word of the Lord, will have a due respect unto his Ministers and Messengers, 1 Thes. 5.13. For when the message is commended unto the conscience of the hearers, it makes room also in the heart for receiving the Messenger, for his Master's and the works sake: Rebekah was very civil and courteous toward Abraham's servant, who came to suit her in marriage to his Master's Son, Gen. 24. and shall not believers be kindly affectioned toward the Ministers of the Gospel, who are friends to the Bridegroom Jesus Christ, and do suit them in marriage unto him? 2 Cor. 11.2. I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you, as a chaste virgin to Christ.  
Evid. 3. The third evidence of a true change and conversion to God in the days of the Gospel, is set down in these words, vers. 7. And the lion shall eat straw like the ox: that is, the man who before his conversion, lived like a fierce lion upon violence and rapine, who made no conscience, what way he purchased his livelihood, after his conversion, shall forsake his unlawful way of purchase, and thereafter shall live on the fruits of his own lawful labours; as also he shall be well satisfied and content therewith, as his allowance from God; even as the Ox eateth straw and provender, the fruit of his labours, and is well satisfied, and in his own manner, content therewith. From this evidence of true conversion, we infer clearly these two conclusions, 1. Men truly converted, will forsake their former evil ways of purchase by fraud or oppression, and will make conscience of the way of their purchase in time coming. 2. They will study contentment in their lawful purchase, whether it be great or small.  
Conclus. 1. As a true Convert will forsake in his purpose and endeavour, every former evil way, because he knoweth mercy from God is promised only to such, Prov 28.13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy. Isai. 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. So the man, that hath been an oppressor or fraudulent in his deal and bargains with others, will forsake these former evil ways, and make conscience of lawful purchase in time coming: this was manifestly seen in Zacheus, who before his conversion was an extortioner, and exactor of more than was due; but after his conversion, he restored four fold, and made conscience of his purchase in all time coming, Luke 19.8. The reasons why true Converts do so, are, 1. Because such men know, that as they should walk humbly with God, so they should walk honestly and justly with men, Mic. 6.8. 1 Thes. 4.3, 6. This is the will of God, that no man go beyond, and defraud his brother in any matter. 2. They know that God threatens severe judgements against extortioners and defrauders, 1 Cor. 6.10. 1 Thes. 4.6. 3. They know that faithfulness and uprightness, in our particular Callings and Employments, doth adorn their holy profession, and stops the mouths of such as are adversaries to it, 1 Pet. 2.15. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. And they know also, that unrighteousness in our particular stations and employments, doth open the mouths of adversaries, to speak evil of our profession; thereby profane men within the visible Church, are hardened in their sinful practices, and they say, Why may not they do as such and such great professors do? Thereby men without the Church visible, are hardened in their error and alienation of heart, from a communion with the Christian Church: therefore Augustine unto this question well answereth, if it be lawful to a Christian to spoil and rob a Jew, who is an obstinate adversary to the Christian Religion? he answers, It is no way lawful; because thou who art a Christian, by so doing, hardens the Jew in his error and infidelity, and hinders him to become a Christian. Therefore it is our duty to walk in wisdom and uprightness toward them that are without the Christian Church, Col. 4.5. remembering always, the second Table of the Divine Law, is the sure Test, according to which is tried the sincerity of men in the duties of the first Table, Luk: 18.19, 20. Acts 10.35. He that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of God. Such was the practice of sincere Converts recorded in holy Scripture: Simeon was just and devout, Luke 2.25. And Paul did exercise himself to keep a conscience void of offence both toward God and men, Acts 24.16.  
Use 1. For conviction of many who have an outward form of godliness, and would be esteemed sincere Converts, and yet make no conscience of righteousness in their deal with men, Mic. 6.11. Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances? The Apostle Paul, (1 Cor. 6.7, 8.) will have all those who profess their conversion to the Christian faith, rather to remit of the rigour of their own right in particular debates with others, than to disgrace their holy profession by litigious pleas: much less should Professors disgrace it by injustice in their deal with their neighbours: The God of truth, cares not for words and phrases of piety, or for commending the Minister and his Sermon; when in the mean time their works and do are the fruits of unrighteousness: Our blessed Lord, said to that woman, who lift up her voice, and said unto him, (Luke 11.27, 28.) Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the papes which thou hast sucked: but he said, yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it. Holy and humble Angustine, on a time, hearing the people highly commending a Sermon preached by himself, said, We tremble at your praises, these are but leaves, we seek fruits from you. And certainly righteous dealing with men, is a fruit of true piety toward God.  
Use 2. For exhortation, to make conscience of your purchase, 1. Consider the evil and danger; if ye do otherwise, Prov. 28.20. He that maketh haste to be rich, shall not be innocent: Jer. 17.11. As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and batcheth them not; so he that getteth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. Wicked Ahab made haste to get Naboth's Vineyard, but he possessed it not long. 2. Unlawful purchase, like a noisome morsel in the stomach, doth pain and torment the conscience, when God awakes it with terror, Job 20.20. Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly. 1 Tim 6.9. They that will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 3. Unlawful purchase makes a man unwilling, and afraid to die; as a thief, taken with the sang, is unwilling and afraid to come before the just Judge: the unrighteous purchaser cannot leave his evil-gotten goods with any confidence of a blessing upon them from God to his children and heirs: for he may know from the very light of nature, that the righteous Judge of all the earth, doth not approve the malefactors evil deeds: yea, though the children should prove good and upright men, not walking in the ways of their father; yet they being possessors of his evil-gotten goods, are in mala fide unjust usurpers; and the righteous Lord and Judge of all the earth, doth oftentimes punish them, or rather the memory of the unrighteous purchaser their Progenitor, by taking the cursed thing out of their possession. Therefore the Heathen Greek Poet Hesiod, from the very light of Nature, said well, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, i. e. be not given to unlawful gain, for such gain is alike to great losses. Because the unrighteous purchaser, in so doing, loseth far more, to wit, a good conscience, and peace therein, which is better than gold or silver. On the contrair, consider the good and benefit of a lawful and righteous purchase, 1. There is much peace in the enjoyment of it; though it be but a little thing, Prov. 16.8. Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right. Prov. 15.17. Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. 2. Though men in this world should neglect, or take little notice of a deserving man in public employment, who keeps a good conscience in all his ways; yet his honesty in his particular actings toward men, comforts and upholds him, as it did Samuel, when the people neglected him, 1 Sam. 12.3. and as the Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. 7.2. 3. The righteous purchaser, doth at his death leave and bequeath his lawful purchase with confidence of a blessing with it from God; as Jacob at his death said to Joseph, Gen. 48.21, 22. Behold I die, but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers: moreover, I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, etc.  
Use 3. For direction of our deportment in our particular Callings and Employments, in order to the purchase of our livelihood, 1. I recommend diligence in your lawful Employments, Rom. 12.11. Not slothful in business. 2 Thes. 3.11, 12. We hear, that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies: Now them that are such, we command and exhort, by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. And the ox to whom the sincere convert is compared here, is diligent and laborious, Prov. 14.4. Much increase is by the strength of the ox. 2. God blesseth the diligent, Prov. 10.4. Prov. 22.29. but the idle man is reckoned amongst thiefs, Eph. 4.28. Idleness exposeth a m●n to temptations, as of being a bu●ie body, 2 Thes. 3.11. of being tattlers, 1 Tim. 5.13. Cato said truly, by doing nothing, men learn to do evil. Idleness tempts a man many times to use base and unlawful shifts, which hath brought many men unto a shameful end, and in stead of entertaining and preserving their life, they themselves, through the justice of God, have been the shortners and destroyers of it. 3. Be thou sober and moderate in thy desires of the good things in a present world, Prov. 23.4. Labour not to be rich, cease from thine own wisdom. Because the worldly-minded wise man, thinks gain sweet upon any terms: in a special manner, moderate thy desires in a time of common calamity, as the Lord required Baruch to do, Jer. 45.4, 5. Behold, that which I have built, will I break down; and that which I have planted, I will pluck up, even this whole land; and seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not, etc. 4. Be thou sober in thy diet, and in the use of things, though never so lawfully purchased; and be charitable to the indigent; this is the ordinary way wherein the Lord continues and oftentimes increaseth the purchase, Prov. 3.9, 10. Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Prov. 11.25. The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself. But if a man abuse the good things purchased, to pride, riot and excess; or if he withhold his charity from these in distress, he provokes God to withdraw these good things he hath purchased from him, Prov. 23.21. The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, etc. Prov. 11.24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than it meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 5. Be thou faithful and upright in all thy deal with men. Prov. 28.20. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. God will give to such a man a safe protection, and a constant provision, Isai. 33.15.16. He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, etc. he shall dwell on high; his place of defence, shall be the munitions of rocks; bread shall be given him; his water shall be sure. 5. In your deal with others, whether ye be Merchant or Tradesman, make justice commutative thy rule, Mat. 7.12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, etc. Therefore when thy heart would entice thee to secret gain by unlawful means, and whisper, stolen waters are sweet, answer thou, and rebuke that temptation from an honest conscience and principle, prompting thee to say, I will not do so, for I would not have men to do so to myself.  
Conclus. 2. A sincere Convert is content with any little portion purchased with a good conscience: he is like the Ox well satisfied in eating the straw, that groweth from his own labours, Job 6.5. Doth the wild Ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the Ox over his fodder? For the better understanding this point, we would know, 1. What true contentment is. 2. The grounds of it. 3. And the way how to attain it.  
True contentment is a voluntar and quiet satisfaction to the soul in our present condition, from a cheerful submission to the will of God, who in his wise providence measureth out our present condition and allowance unto us. This Christian contentment hath three properties, 1. It is inward within a man himself, as the cistern; but it is from God as the efficient and fountain of all satisfaction and tranquillity of spirit in his own children, Prov. 14.14. A good man shall be satisfied from himself. 2. It is voluntary, 2 Sam. 15.26. Behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. That spurious and adulterate contentment of some among the Heathens, did proceed rather from a forced subjection to a fatal necessity, or to fortune, (as they were wont to speak) than from any voluntar submission to divine providence. 3. True contentment is equal and uniform, to wit, in every estate and condition of life, Phil. 4.11, 12. In prosperity it is without an immoderate desire to have more; and in adversity it is without murmuring or envying others their prosperity. Heathens had not contentment in every estate; some of them could endure poverty, but no ways disgrace; as was seen in Cato and Lucretia, who being overcome with grief and passionate impatience, did make themselves away; which unnatural fact, Heathens did call an heroic act of a great and strong spirit; but it was rather a fit of weakness and impotency; because strength of spirit appeareth most in bearing patiently the burden of adversity, as Augustine reasoneth well to that same purpose, Lib. 1. Cap. 20. of the city of God.  
Quest. 1. May not a man lawfully desire to be in a better condition, than possibly he is in for the present? may not a poor indigent man desire to be in a more plentiful condition; and such a desire seems not to consist with contentment in the state of his present adversity? Answ. 1. A man may not desire immoderately another condition than the present, Heb. 13.5. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have, etc. 2. He may not be excessive in his desires, in respect of the matter and object, Prov. 30.8: Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty, nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me. 3. A man may not use any unlawful means of fraud or oppression for attaining the thing desired, though never so good, Prov. 23.6. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, nather desire thou his dainty meats. For he that maketh hast that way to be rich, shall not be innocent; such fool-haste is no speed: but when God in his good providence offers lawful means for attaining a better condition, we may, yea we should, make use of these means; otherwise it were a blame-worthy negligence and unthankfulness to God; for such gracious opportunities, 1 Cor. 7.2.21. Let every man abide in the same calling, wherein he was called: art thou called being a servant? care not for it; but if thou may be made free, use it rather. These worthy godly men, Joseph and Daniel, did not reject the great favours offered and conferred on them by heathen Princes.  
Quest. 2. May a true convert be displeased with ●ad afflictions lying on him for the present? and if he may, How can he be said to be content with his present condition, with which he is displeased? Answ. He may be displeased with affliction as a thing bitter and hurtful to his natural condition, and yet be content with it, as it is an act of his heavenly Father's will: the sick patient is displeased, and hath no contentment in the potion of Medicine being considered simply; yet is he well pleased and content with it, as being prescribed by the skilful Physician in order to his better health. Although impatient desires to be delivered out of adversity, are inconsistent with Christian contentment under it: yet humble desires of a delivery with submission to the good will of God, do well consist with it; as we see in our blessed Lord. Luk. 22.42. He said, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done: but we may not use any unlawful means for our own delivery out of affliction, as wicked Ahaziah did, 2 King. 1. yea far rather we should say with Job, shall we receive good at the hand of God; and shall we not receive evil?  
Quest. 3. Is it a sin not to rest content with the measure of knowledge and grace bestowed by God upon us already? and may we not desire to have more of knowledge and grace than we have for the present? Answ. 1. It is a sin, if our discontentment with our small measure of knowledge and grace, or our desire to have more, proceed from the bitter root of vain glory or envy, to the end we may have praise with men, as we see others of more eminent gifts have: thus Simon Magus desired the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost. 2. As the children of God do not desire increase of gifts and graces from any fretting discontentment at what they want; but rather from an humble desire to have more of spiritual gifts, that thereby they may glorify God the more, and edify others: So they humbly submit the measure of these gifts and graces unto the wisdom and will of God; they are thankful for the little they have already received, and praise his free grace with Paul, 1 Cor. 15.10. by the grace of God I am what I am, and withal they reach forth unto these things which are before, Phil. 3.13.  
2. The chief ground of true contentment is the favour of God, Psal. 4.6, 7. Psal. 30: 5. Psal. 63.3. Hab. 3.17, 18. And that the favour of God is a soul-satisfying portion, is evident from these reasons, 1. That which satisfies the soul of man, must be a good universal, to give contentment unto all the faculties of the soul: pleasant sounds delight the ear, but not the eye; and pleasant colours delight the eye, but not the ear: but a soul receiving God and his favour, hath an universal satsifaction, to wit, of light to the mind, of love to the will, and of delight and joy to the affections; they have as much of the enjoyment of God as they are capable of in this life; and would have more, if they were more capable. 2. The soul-satisfying good must be such, as is intimat to the soul: worldly and sensual objects, stick for the most part in the sense and imagination: but do not affect the reason with any solid contentment; they are as Saul's armour unto David, lose and shuffling: but the sense of God's loving kindness, is united to the understanding, and ravishes the heart with joy, so that ou● of the abundance of the heart, they say, as Psal. 103.1. My soul and all that is within me, or that is in the midst of me, bless his holy Name. 3. The soul-satisfying good must be that which is the supreme good; because any inferior good, cannot fully satisfy the desire, so long as the soul knoweth of one superior and better: as Moses was not satisfied with what he saw on this side of Jordan, until he was at the top of Pisgah; so there is not a full and complete satisfaction unto the soul, till we come to mount Zion, that is above: our greatest satisfaction in this life, is to enjoy God by faith, by love, by peace in the Conscience, and joy in the heart, which are the first fruits of eternal life. 4. The soul-satisfying good, must be permanent; because the very apprehension of a change, doth interrupt our present contentment, as may be seen in the intervals of chronical diseases; the fear of returning fits, disquiets the heart, even in time of health: all worldly objects are like a summer flood passing away, Prov. 27.24. Riches are not for ever, and doth the Crown endure to every generation? But the gracious presence of God is like unto the Sun, shining more and more unto the perfect day of our full happiness in heaven, Psal. 89.33. My loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. Jer. 32.40. I will not turn away from them, to do them good. Joh. 4.14. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst: but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up unto eternal life. John 13.1. he loved them unto the end.  
3. The means to attain unto true contentment are, 1. Withdraw thy heart from seeking o● placing thy contentment in the things of this present world; because worldly pleasures are deceitful; riches are uncertain; and worldly honour doth vanish like smoke; for worldly glory shall not descend after a man into the grave, Psal. 49.17. 2. Make God and his favour your portion; than whatsoever be your present condition or portion in this world, ye shall have inward contentment; because God himself is a full, unchangeable and everlasting portion, Lam. 3.24. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him; that is, depend on him alone for satisfaction, Psal. 73.26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart and portion for ever. In all thy wants or losses worldly, thou mayest and shouldest rest content in him, who is thy alsufficient portion, Hab. 3.17, 18. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. As a man, who hath lost a small portion put to adventure at Sea, doth yet rest content, and rejoiceth in the stock he hath abiding sure at land. 3. Be moderate in your worldly desires of things worldly, Prov. 30.8. feed me with food convenient. Heb. 13.5. Let your conversation be without covetousness, etc. Nature is content with little, Job 6.5. Doth the ox low over his fodder. And grace is content with less; even in tribulations and worldly wants, it can rejoice in God alone, Rom. 5.3. We glory in tribulations also. But conceit is insatiable; it must have this and the other thing also: Immoderate desire of things worldly, doth procure much grief and discontentment, if either we be disappointed or deprived after some enjoyment: how grieved was Ahab, when Naboth refused to give him his vine-yard which he did covet with too much eagerness? how did Micah howl (Judg. 17.) when he was robed of his Idol, which he coveted with so much blind zeal? when Aristotle was asked, By what means one might become rich? his answer was, if he were poor in his desires. 4. Consider how many better (possibly) every way than thyself, are in a worse worldly condition; many of the dear children of God are shut up in prison, when thou with thy poverty enjoyest outward liberty; many of them are under languishing diseases, when thou art in health: Vriah was well content to lodge in the open fields, when he saw the chief commander Joab thus lodged. 5. As thou wouldst have some contentment in thy worldly enjoyments, look well to the way of thy purchase and coming by them, Prov. 16.8. Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right. Peace in the Conscience, is like health in the body: as a man in health can be content with course fair; so peace in the Conscience maketh an easy digestion of worldly wants and crosses: God blesseth the diligent and giveth him contentment in the enjoyment of that little he hath purchased with a good Conscience, Prov. 10.22. The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. But a man made rich with an evil Conscience, can have no true inward contentment in all his abundance; as at a funeral feast, there may be plenty of meat; but there is no mirth nor music with it; neither God nor their own Conscience makes them welcome to their evil-win goods. 6. Consider what good things thou enjoys yet from God, as well as what thou wanteth: what thou hast, is far more than thou deservest; therefore be thankful to God; and thy wants are much fewer than thou deservest, therefore be content and submit to his wise dispensation. 7. Consider thy interest in that great gift, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, to which all thy worldly wants are infinitely inferior; and from thence thou may be assured, that thy want of any desirable good thing in this world, doth not proceed from want of love in God unto thee, but from the riches of his wisdom and love, who knoweth what is best for his own children, Rom. 8.32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 1 Cor. 3.22, 23. All are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is Gods. The consideration of that everlasting Covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ the Son of God, made holy David content, though he knew it would not be well with his house and posterity in their worldly condition, 2 Sam. 23.5. Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my salvation and all mdy esire, although he make it not to grow. 8. Consider what thou looks for in heaven, and be content with the little thou enjoyest here in the time of thy minority: all our afflictions and wants here, are not to be compared with our abundance there, and with the glory that shall be revealed in us, Rom. 8.18. This consideration and great to look by faith, did quiet and content the hearts of the children of God, when they saw the prosperity of the wicked and the adversity of the godly in this present world, Psal. 17.14, 15. Thou fillest the belly of the men of this world with thy hid treasure; they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes: as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness. 2 Cor. 4.16, 18 For which cause we faint not, etc. while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. 9 Labour thou to be truly godly, keeping a good conscience toward God and man; for godliness that hath contentment, an inseparable companion, always with it, is great gain, 1 Tim. 6.6. 10. Lastly, and above all, pray earnestly to God to instruct thy soul in that mystery and secret of contentment in whatsoever estate; for in it the Apostle Paul was instructed and initiated by the Holy Spirit and the good Word of God, Phil. 4.11, 12. Therefore let it be thy daily prayer, Psal. 4.6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me.  
Use 1. For admonition, to beware of that fretting discontentment with our present condition, though never so low, 1 Tim. 6.8. Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. Because, 1. this fretting discontentment with our present condition, provokes God in his justice to put us oftentimes to more of disquietness: The people of Israel were discontent and loathed the Manna, which they had for the present, therefore they were disquieted with the fiery flying Serpents, Num. 21. 2. Discontentment and secret grudging for disappointment of our worldly desires and hopes, especially when we think we are in the way of duty, doth provoke God many times to continue, yea, and to increase our afflictions. The people of Israel, were in their duty, having left Egypt at God's command, yet when they repined against the holy command, in their apprehending of great toil and labour in going up the hill, they were kept in the wilderness for the space of forty years; whereas if they had not fretted and repined, they might have come to their expected end and rest within the space of forty days, Numb. 13.34. 3. Although God should grant unto a man his desire in the time of his impatient discontentment, yet it is oftentimes given with a curse, Numb. 11.33. While the flesh, which they so impatiently desired, was between their teeth, the Lord smote them with a great plague. Therefore it should be our prayer to God, to give us repentance of our frettings in times of affliction, and to recover us from these paroxisms; and than if it be his good pleasure, to ease or deliver us. 4. This discontentment, like a fretting cancer, brings men oftentimes into dangerous and heinous sins, as to fraud, deceit, and oppression: Ahab not content with his own possessions, oppressed and murdered innocent Naboth: Proud ambitious men, discontent with the condition of being private subjects, and not so respected according to their fancy, are easily tempted to sedition and rebellion, as was Absalon: Men discontent and fretting under a great and long sickness, have been sometimes tempted to consult with wizzards and witches, as was Ahaziah, 2 King. 1.2. yea, sometimes they have been tempted to self-murder, as was arrogant Ahithophel, because his counsel, which he thought an oracle, was rejected.  
Use 2. For correcting and allaying the fits of discontentment, arising now and then, even in the hearts of the children of God, from some present sad dispensations, or pressing wants: Abraham, the father of the faithful, Gen. 15.2. said, What availeth all that I have, seeing I am childless? Godly Rachel was discontent with her own barrenness, and envied her sister Leah: Asaph had a sharp fit of discontentment with the great prosperity of the wicked, and the great adversity of the godly, Psal. 73.13. And Jonah was absurd and most unreasonable in his fretting and orping at the removing of the Gourd, which he himself never planted: so we see even the godly sometimes have their own repine of heart, when God, in his unblameable providence, sometime removes what himself freely gave, whereas they should be thankful to his rich and free bounty for the former loan; and submissive to his wisdom and sovereignty in removing what he himself gave. Therefore consider, 1. Such fretting discontentment, doth not become thy profession; thou dost profess thyself a child of God, and should a wise and kindly child take the pet at the allowance of his wise and loving Father? Doth it not become thee rather to say, as thy elder Brother said before thee, Joh. 18.11. The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? 2. Thy fretting discontentment, is a questioning of the wisdom of God, who knows well what is best for his own children; of the justice of God, who is righteous in all his ways; of the sovereignty of God, who may dispose of his creatures at his own pleasure and wisdom, Eccles. 7.14 God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. The wise God, in his various providence, sets prosperity at one time against adversity, and contrariwise, as upon the earth there is oftentimes a valley and an hill joined together: And consider, thy discontentment is a questioning the love of God, who not only chasteneth, but even sometime scourgeth his own children, Heb. 12.6. 3. Look unto Christ, and this will cure thy fretting canker of discontentment: Art thou in poverty? fret not, but look to him, who being rich, became poor for us; his ordinary fare was barley loaves and a few fishes, and he had not whereon to lay his head. Art thou reproached and disgraced unjustly by men? do not thou fret and repine against providence, nor faint as one that could not live, but in the popular air: Look unto Christ, who endured such contradiction of sinners, Heb. 12.3. He was called a Samaritan, a deceiver, a fanatic or frantic, Mark 3.21. and a complyer with Beelzebub, Mat. 12.  
Use 3. For exhortation, to be content with thy present condition, till God in his good providence, by means of his own appointment, call thee to a better and more prosperous condition, 1 Cor. 7.20, 21. Because, 1. God increaseth his gifts and graces to contented and thankful man, as unto Abraham, content with Ishmael, he gave an Isaac; and to Solomon, content with the gift of wisdom for ruling the people, he gave abundance of riches also. 2. Contentment with the things a man hath for the present, makes him to possess himself in patience, and to prevail over his masterful passions, Luke 21.19. In your patience possess ye your souls. But discontentment and repining, doth so distracted and distemper the spirit, that some malcontents turn hypochondriack and stupid, like Nabal; and others turn mad and furious, like Nabuchadnezzar, raging against every thing they meet with in the course of their life. 3. Contentment with little, preserves a man from many snares and temptations; a man content with glad and honest poverty, is not easily entangled with the bait of unlawful gain; and a man content with a low degree or place, is not easily tempted with the wages of unrighteousness unto the way of Balaam.   
VERSE VIII IX. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, etc. 
THe fourth evidence of true and sincere conversion to the Christian faith, is peaceable-mindedness, and an harmless conversation: In the days of this great change, foretold by the Prophet, men who before their conversion by the Gospel to faith in Jesus Christ, were bitter and cruel to all with whom they conversed, and were to them like asps and cockatrices, shall be new creatures, and so harmless, that other Christians, like sucking or weaned children, though weak and without power to defend themselves, shall not be hurt by them; and these Christians, that were converted before them, they shall live without any annoyance from them: for, after their conversion, as it is said in the Text, They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; that is, in the Christian Church, so called, in allusion to mount Zion, where was the Temple of Jerusalem, which was the place of the solemn Assemblies for the worship of God: for, the Psalmist, speaking of the Messiah and his kingdom, resembleth the Christian Church by mount Zion, Psal. 2.6. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. If any man from the prophecies of an Altar and Sacrifices to be in the days of the Gospel (Isa. 19.19. Mal. 1.11.) would infer, there shall be Altars and external Sacrifices under the Gospel, he may as well allege, that the worship under the Gospel, shall be upon a mountain, from this place, and from Isai. 2.2. All that can be concluded from these allusions, unto the worship under the Law, is this; that the object of Worship will be one and the same, both under the Law and under the Gospel, in respect of substance, but not in respect of some circumstances and Ceremonies, which were to endure under the Law until the time of Reformation by Jesus Christ, Heb. 9.10.  
The Christian Church is compared to mount Zion, 1. This mount was a Fort of the Jebusites at first, but afterward taken by David, and inhabited by him: So by nature, our understandings, wills and affections, are strong holds for error, disobedience and sinful lusts, until Christ the Son of David, subdue them by the power of his Word and Spirit, 2 Cor. 10.4. The weapons of our warfare, are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing, that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2. Mount Zion was a place pleasant and delectable for situation; so the Lord delighteth in his Church and people, Psal. 149.4. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people. Therefore they are called his Spouse, Hos. 2.19. his Treasure, Psal. 135.4. and his Jewels, Mal. 3.17. 3. Although mount Zion was high and visible, yet sometimes it was overclouded with a mist: so the true Church, is not alike visible at all times; as may be known from Elias his sad complaint, 1 Kings 19.14. And in the time of Athanasius, the world groaned under Arianism; and many sound believers were forced to hid themselves in caves, and there to worship God. 4. Mount Zion was firm and unmoveable; so the Christian Church, through the presence and protection of the Lord Jesus Christ, will continue and endure, even to the end of the world, Mat. 16.18. Mat. 28.20.  
Quest. It may be asked at what time this prophecy of so great peace and outward prosperity in the Christian Church was fulfilled? Ans. 1. That universal peace in the Roman Empire, at the birth of our blessed Lord, in the days of Augustus Cesar, cannot be the peace spoken of here; for that was before the preaching of the Gospel unto the Gentiles; but the peace, spoken of here, is an effect of the Gospel preached and believed amongst them. 2. This Prophecy was fulfilled in part, even in the times of the holy Apostles; when persecutors, who sometime, like wolves, had scattered the flock of Jesus Christ, were converted to the Christian faith, and became like lambs, of a meek and harmless disposition; as was seen in Paul, and also in the sometime malicious Priests, Acts 6.7. and many of the multitude, being sometime like boars, enraged against Christ and his Disciples, were by the power of the Gospel tamed, and became of a peaceable spirit and conversation, giving up themselves to be directed and guided by the Apostles in time coming, Acts 2.37, 38. 3. Many learned Divines, think this Prophecy began to be fulfilled, Anno Dom. 311. in the time of the Emperor Constantine the Great; under whose happy reign, there was an open and peaceable profession of the Christian Religion, and freedom in a great part from the Heathen persecution: at which time (as many of them think) was the beginning of the thousand years, spoken of, Rev. 20.3. during which time Satan, or the Dragon, was bound and restrained in a great measure from the former manner of persecution; and they think these thousand years did expire, Anno Dom. 1310. at the rising of the Ottoman Family among the Turks; at which time Asia was overspread with Mahometism; and soon after, in the year 1415. Constantinople was taken by the Turkish Emperor Mahomet; and the famous Temple of Sophia there, was turned to Mahometan worship. 4. This prophecy is fulfilled in part daily, when some ungodly men, who in former time hated the Church and the communion of Saints, are, by the preaching of the Gospel, converted unto the believing of the truth, unto the love of God and his holy Commandments, and unto the sincere love of all Saints. 5. Lastly, It is probable (as many learned men think, who yet are not for the opinion of the Millenaries) this prophecy shall be more visibly fulfilled at the incoming of the fullness of the Gentiles, and at the national conversion of the Jews: Because these great and frequent wars amongst Christians, of one Nation against another: and sometimes civil wars in one Nation among themselves, are a great stumbling-block unto their conversion: but when this stumbling-block shall be removed out of the way by a more universal peace amongst Christians themselves, then shall the Jews, dispersed now thorough the world amongst Christians, join themselves to the Christian Church, as it is prophesied, Isa. 2.4. Mic. 4.3. Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. This universal peace, in all probability, will not be, until the Gospel be preached unto many nations that are yet in heathenism, according to the prophecy. Isa. 19.23, 24. at which time the incalling of the fullness of the Gentiles, and peace amongst themselves, at least more than in former times, will be a motive, blessed of God, for the inbringing of the nation of the Jews unto the Christian Church: for, it is said, In that day shall there be an high way out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians; in that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land. Although the Christian Religion, was planted in Assyria, in the times of the Apostles; for there was a Church then in Babylon, 1 Pet. 5.13. and also a Church was planted in Egypt, in Alexandria by the Evangelist Mark; yet afterwards, and at this day. Assyria and Egypt, are overspred with Mahometism: But this text of Isaiah, speaketh of restoring the Christian Religion to them before the incoming of the Jews; and that after their conversion to the Christian faith, Israel shall be for a third companion in a Christian communion with them in the same Spiritual blessings. It is true, there will be still until the consummation of the World, some wicked and malicious men, within the visible Church, as tares mixed with the wheat, until the day of final separation: but it is probable, the chief Rulers themselves, being converted to the Christian Faith, shall be so overruled by the power of divine grace, that they will not hurt nor destroy in all the holy mountain of the Lord; and Inferiors, who are malicious, shall be so overawed by the wise and powerful providence of God; and also restrained by Rulers fearing God; that they shall not be able to destroy in all the holy mountain. That the incalling of the fullness of the Gentiles, will go before the incoming of the Jews, appears from Isa. 60.16. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings, and thou shalt know, that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob. In these words, the Prophet foretelleth, that the Jewish Nation shall receive the doctrine of the Gospel from the Church of the Gentiles, converted to the Christian Faith before them; and the Apostle saith, Rom. 11.25. Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. Therefore it is more than probable, that the incalling of the fullness of the Gentiles, shall preceded the incoming of the Jewish Nation unto the Christian Faith: for although some particular persons, in the times of the Apostles, and also afterward, received the Christian Faith; yet the incoming of the body of the Jewish Nation, was and is a mystery, which God is his own good time, will explain, by bringing them into the communion of the Christian Church.  
Oserv. Men truly converted to the Christian Faith, will forsake their former malice and bitter dispotion to hurt and harm others; and will labour to be of a peaceable disposition and conversation: this is evident from vers. 8, and 9 It is evident also from the happy change, which we may observe in true converts, recorded in the Word of God; as in the Ephesians, amongst whom sometime there were men, like wild beasts, with whom Paul had an unpeaceable and fight life, 1 Cor. 15.32. but after their conversion to the Christian Faith, there was a great change in them, Ephes. 5.8. Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Paul was sometimes a fierce and uncessant persecuter of all persons of the Christian persuasion; but after his conversion, he became very tame and peaceable in his moderate and Christian condescension in matters indifferent, 1 Cor. 9.22. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. These convert Jews, who a little before, in their bitterness of spirit, called the Apostles drunken fellows, do change their toon, and say in their compellation, men and brethren, Act. 2.37. The rude and severe Jailor, who was officious in his severity, doing more than he was required, afterward becomes more tame and peaceable, as may be heard in his civil compellation, Act. 16.30. Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  
Quest. If it be asked, what are the means by which we may, through God's grace, attain a peaceable disposition and conversation in a particular Christian Church? Answ. I humbly conceive, there be three special means; whereby such a disposition and conversation may be attained, 1. Humility of spirit. 2. Sound moderation in judgement. 3. Mutual forbearance in love. The humble spirit, is ordinarily a peaceable spirit and conversable in all Christian duties: pride is the mother of contention and division in the Christian Church, Prov. 13.10. Only by pride cometh contention. The pride of Diotrephes, who loved the pre-eminence, troubled the peace of the Christian Church, and bred opposition unto the blessed and peaceable Apostle John; the pride and vain glorious ambition of private professors in Corinth, glorying to be called followers, some of Paul, some of Caephas, did trouble the peace of that Church; the pride of Demetrius, Bishop of Alexandria, troubled the peace of the Church there, and the quiet of Origen, from his pride and envy of Origen his reputation amongst the people: therefore saith Augustine justly, In divers Churches, are divers Heresies; but pride is the mother of them all: On the contrair, humility is the mother of peaceableness, both in disposition and conversation; Paul after his conversion, is very humble, esteeming himself the chief of sinners, and least of Saints; and of a most peaceable disposition and conversation, both by his example in becoming weak to the weak, that he might gain them; and also by his exhortation to others, 2 Cor. 6.3. We beseech you, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain, giving no offence in any thing, that the Ministry be not blamed: The proud man cannot converse peaceably with any that will not follow his opinion, but the humble Christian desires no following, but in a subordination to the Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of our souls: such was the humility of the great Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 11.1. Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Therefore it is our duty to follow the exhortation, Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but, in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. The second useful mean toward a peaceable disposition and conversation in a Christian Church, is Christian moderation, Phil. 4.5. Let your moderation be known unto all men: that these within the Church may follow it in their Christian communion one with another, and these without, may fall in love with your profession, and join themselves to the communion of the Christian Church: such is the moderation the Apostle requires in the Corinthians, that thereby they may shun scandal and offence to these that are without, and may conciliat respect and credit to the Christian Religion, by departing from the rigour of their own private right and civil interest; and therefore not follow their litigious pleas before heathen Judges, who by their contentions, were deterred from imbraceing the Christian Religion, as being an enemy my, in their opinion, to peace and humane society, 1 Cor. 6.7. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to Law one with another; why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? This Christian moderation appears in the use and exercise of our Christian liberty in matters indifferent in their own nature, when we use them with such moderation and restriction, that we give not offence to the weaker; such was the great moderation in the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 8.13. Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth; lest I make my brother to offend. But this moderation and restriction, is to be understood only in things within our own power; for in duties, wherein we are bound to God, or to our lawful Superiors, we may not forbear the doing of such duties, because some unnecessarily may be grieved thereby, or others, through ignorance, may be stumbled; in such a case, the offence is taken, but not given: but moderation in things of our own particular benefit, or privilege, is very commendable, as a character of a prudent and sober Christian. This Christian moderation appears also, in shunning with all circumspectness, the two extreme errors distant from truth's mediocrity: for although neutrality in matters of faith, necessary to be known and believed, be very detestable; as was the neutrality of Gallio, who cared for none of these things: and also that indifferent lukewarmness of the Laodiceans, is much to be blamed; they were neither zealous for the truth, nor zealous against it: but as Christians should be valiant, and in an holy zeal, contend for the faith once delivered unto the Saints, Jud. Epist. 3. so should they decline from extreme errors, opposite to the golden mediocrity of truth. We should beware of that extreme excess of Atheistical flattery of Thomas Hobbs and his followers, who blasphemously affirms, that the Subjects are bound to obey the Supreme Magistrate his commandments, though contrary to the Commandment of God: which pernicious error, is directly contrary to the Apostles, Acts 4.19. Acts 5.29. It blameth the blessed Martyrs of great imprudence, who were tortured, not accepting deliverance, Heb. 11.35. It destroys the very vitals of Christian Religion, and is abhorred by Christian Rulers; for it spreadeth a net before them. We should also wisely shun that other extreme, to refuse peevishly and frowardly obedience in matters merely and clearly indifferent and lawful, even because the Christian Magistrate imposeth them; as if it were a taking away of our Christian liberty, wherein we should stand fast: But the Apostle in that place, Gal. 6.1. speaketh of our Christian liberty from the bondage of the Ceremonial Law; the observance whereof, after the death of Christ, was not indifferent, but pernicious, Gal. 5.2. If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. The authority of the Christian Magistrate, in commanding such things, taketh not away the liberty of our judgement, as if we were bound to think them not indifferent, but necessary in their own nature; but it restricts only the liberty of our outward practice; which restraint, is thought expedient for the good of the Church by the Christian Magistrate, with the advice and consent of the Church-assemblies. Therefore all moderate and sound Christians should rest on that golden midst, far distant from these two extreme errors, Mat. 22.21 Render therefore unto Cesar, the things which are Cesar's; and unto God, the things that are God's. And it is our duty to pray unto God, that the Christian Magistrate may use his power in things indifferent and external, according to the Apostolical Rule, to the edification of the Church in piety and charity, 1 Cor. 14.26. We would be moderate in matters circumstantial, in matters not defined and determined by the holy Scriptures; In such things (saith holy Augustine) the custom of the people of God, and the ordinances of Ancestors, are to be counted for a Law; and seeing such things do not import any necessary documents of truth, we must take heed, that we overcloud not the fair face of Charity, by the tempest of Contention, August. Epist. 86. to Casul. Such was the moderation and peaceableness of holy Ambrose, as he is cited by August. Epist. ad Januar. I● ye would not commit an error, do ye, saith he, what I use to do; for to whatsoever Church I come, I conform myself to the Ceremonies thereof. Calvin, Epist. ad Farel. Concerning Ceremonies, labour with your brethren (saith he) that they contend not pertinaciously with their neighbours: so it shall come to pass, that all things may be ours, we ourselves free from all, and also be the servants of peace and concord. Calvin, Lib. 4. Institut. Cap. 10. Sect. 32. We must endeavour, by our outmost diligence, that no error creep into the Church; that no particular Church despise another for variety of external Discipline: that in such things we prescribe not to ourselves any perpetual Law; that we refer the who●e use and end of such observancies and practices unto the edification of the Church; in which, if it be needful and expedient, not only something may be changed, but also whatsoever in matter of Discipline hath been formerly in use and observance with us, may be suffered to be abrogated and abolished without taking any offence thereat. Bullinger, Epist. ad Calvin. (which is to be found amongst calvin's Epistles) saith, Albeit our Discipline doth not answer in all things to yours; yet it is tempered according to the times, places, and persons; neither do our Churches therefore upon that difference incline, that your Discipline should be overturned. P. Martyr Epist. to Hooper Bishop of Glochester, I am not ignorant that the authority of Churches, whether present or former, should not so much prevail with us, that by them the truth of the Word of God should be suppressed: for, albeit the world should be dissolved, yet the divine truth abides always unmoveable and unshaken: but for matters indifferent, I think, saith he, and contend for it as a duty, that we should neither condemn them, nor speak irreverently of them: but now, saith he, when a change is brought into the Church in points necessary about Religion, and that with so great difficulty; if these things also, which are in themselves indifferent, shall be held forth by us, as in themselves impious; thereby the minds of almost all men, are so alienated from us, that they will not any more show themselves attentive and patiented hearers of sound Doctrine, even about things necessary.  
The third mean required for a peaceable disposition and conversation in a particular Christian Church, wherein we live for the time, is mutual forbearance one of another in love, Eph. 4.3. not but we may and should admonish one another in smaller errors, whether of opinion or practice, 1 Thes. 5.14. Leu. 19.17. But we should not separat from Church-communion with them; especially if the errors in judgement be of smaller moment, and no ways do concern the foundation of Faith; and if the Abettors of them, be otherways lovers of piety, peace, and of an honest conversation, in this case, private persons, much more the spiritual Rulers, should with all meekness and long suffering tolerat them, and according to the measure of their gift admonish them, and labour to reduce them unto the way of truth, Gal 6.1. If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Which Apostolic precept, is diligently to be observed, not only toward men defective in some errors of conversation, but also toward others, erring simply through weakness of judgement. Such simple Errants, are tolerated, but not approven; even as we tolerat some distempers in the body, but delight not in them; yea we seek some remedies to cure them: we tolerat them as Ulcers to be cured; but we do not cut off such persons by debarring them from Church-communion, as a member affected with a Gangrene: far less should such who err out of simplicity in smaller matters, be provoked or rankled by reproaches and scoffings, lest the want of charity, meekness and prudence, prejudge them much against the true Doctrine, alienat them from the truth, and also render them more pertinacious in their way of error; and least of all should the Rulers of the Church, provoke them by bitterness in words, writings, or deeds; the meek Spirit of Christ and of the Gospel, becometh them well, Luke 9.55, 56. 1 Tim. 3.3. A Bishop must be patiented, not a brawler. Judicious Calvin, is much for this forbearance, Institut. Lib. 4. Cap. 1. Sect. 12." Yea, saith he, some error may creep into the Church, either in the administration of Doctrine, or of Sacraments; which nevertheless should not alienat us from Church-communion; for, all points of true Doctrine are not of one form. And in the same place, citing the words of the Apostle, Phil. 3.15. he saith, Doth not the Apostle sufficiently declare, that difference of judgement about matters not so necessary, should not be the matter of division amongst Christians? Beza, Epist. 24. to the English, residing abroad in the time of Queen Mary's persecution, saith, Therefore to avoid that ugly and pernicious renting and tearing asunder of the members in the sacred Body of Christ, we think it, saith he, lawful for no man in any case to separat from the Church of Christ, wherein at least the Doctrine remains sound and uncorrupted; wherein is continued the power of Godliness, and the administration of the Sacraments according to the institution of Christ.  
For peace and concord's sake, there would be a forbearance and not breaking of Church-communion for every fault in the life and conversation of others: for, none of the children of God, want their own failings and trip, Jam. 3.2. For such failings of infirmity and inadvertency, which Tertullian calls, quotidianae incursiones, the daily outfalls and bicker of indwelling corruption with the inner-man of grace: therefore Augustine saith well, Now do men live well, if they live without a crime; but if any man think he liveth without sin, in so thinking, he doth not effect, that thereby he may not have sin; but by his presumptuous thoughts he hinders himself to obtain the pardon of sin. Such a condition of the Church, as may be free from all spot or wrinkle, is to be expected in Heaven, when we shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Judas Epist. 24. Yea, we may not separat from Church-communion, though gross and scandalous sinners live in it, so long as they are acknowledged by the Church-rulers to be members thereof, 1. Because the holy and zealous Prophets in the Old Testament did not command the people to make separation in such a case, when Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were a scandal to the people, 1 Sam. 2.17. When many of the children of Israel, both high and low, were guilty of gross and scandalous sins, the Prophet Isaiah did, according to his duty, sharply reprove them, Isai. 1.21, 22, 23. yet did he not require the godly to abstain from all Church-communion with these gross offenders. 2. Albeit in our blessed Lord his time, the Pharisees, who had the pre-eminence, for the most part, in their Synagogues, were men void of honesty, judgement and mercy, covetous, proud and cruel; yet the Lord himself kept communion with that Church, Luke 4.16. As his custom was, he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read: He commanded others also to keep Church-communion with them, Mat. 23.2. He did sharply reprove the Angels or Ministers of the Churches of Pergamos and Thyatira, because they did tolerat in their Church-meetings, persons abominable in errors, both of judgement and of practice; yet did he not command private Professors in these Churches to separat from them, and to erect Congregations apart by themselves. 3. The Apostles Peter and John, who were pillars of the Christian Church, did keep Church-communion with the Jewish Church, wherein were the Pharisees, Acts 3.1. There were in the Church of Corinth, some who did scandalously transgress by riot and drunkenness, 1 Cor. 11.21. yet the Apostles, did not require the pious and sober Christians among them to separat themselves from that Church. Cyprian, Lib. 3. Epist. 3. Albeit there seem to be tares in the Church, yet neither our faith nor charity should be hindered thereby; that because we see tares to be in the Church, we ourselves therefore should departed from the Church: it is our duty in such a case (he means of private Professors) only to endeavour that we ourselves may be good grain. In a great house (saith the Apostle, 2 Tim. 2.20.) there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; but the vessels of earth shall be broken by the Lord alone, to whom the rod of iron is given. And, Epist. 12. Neither think ye, (saith he to the Novatians) that by so doing, ye assert and maintain the Gospel of Christ, whileas ye have separated yourselves from the flock of Christ, and from peace and concord with it; when it is more agreeable to the duty of generous and good Soldiers, to keep their ground within their own Trenches; and being placed there, to do such things which are for the benefit of the public. Augustine contra Donat. & Parmen. adviseth these who live in a Church, pestered with profaneness and gross corruptions in manners, for to do these four things, 1. Let us amend, saith he, what we can. 2. What things we cannot amend, let us tolerat, and mourn with love to the persons of these gross offenders. 3. Let us endeavour to preserve unity. 4. If thou canst not take away the wicked from thee, yet take evil and wickedness out of thyself. Calvin Institut. Lib. 4. Cap. 1. Sect. 13." There were ever some, who out of a false persuasion of their own perfect sanctity, as if they had already become aerial Demons or Spirits; they despised the society of all men, in whom they perceived any humane weakness or frailty; such men, saith he, were the Donatists, and at this day some of the Anabaptists. But as for flagitious and scandalous persons, he thinks they should be processed and debarred from Church-communion in the holy Sacrament, until they satisfy the Church, and thereafter be received again into communion: If Church-rulers neglect to censure such scandalous persons, private Christians do not sin in receiving the holy Sacrament with them: but the Church-rulers sin in not censuring them, and thereby making the hearts of the godly sad. Beza, Epist. 2. saith, We should labour to come ourselves especially to that holy Table with a pure conscience; and if coming so, we do communicate in the Church with some murderers and adulterers, yea with Turks and Jews; the fault will not be imputed to us, but to the Church-rulers, who admitted such. August. Tom. 9 Lib. de Medicine. Cap. 3. saith, We cannot debar any man from the communion, except he hath of his own accord confessed, or hath been processed and convict in some Judicature Ecclesiastical, or Secular. Yet if that heinous sin be known to one private person only, it appears he is bound, both for good to the Church of Christ, and for good to the soul of that guilty person sinning heinously, in secret to follow our blessed Lord his direction, Matth. 18.15, 16, 17. If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hath gained thy brother: but if he will not hear thee, etc. and in end, tell it to the Church.  
Use. For exhortation, seeing the true members of the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and sincere Converts to the Christian Faith, will be (as is prophesied here) of a peaceable and harmless disposition and conversation, let us live in a communion of love, in peace and concord; not like wolves and savage beasts, biting and devouring one another: How pleasant and how good a thing is it for brethren to dwell together in unity? Psal. 133.1, 2. It is both pleasant and profitable, like the ointment poured forth upon the head of Aaron; it maketh a Church fragrant, and to be well reported amongst those who behold them, or hear of them; it is profitable, like the dew of Hermon, it maketh the Church to grow and enlarge her borders: how pleasant is it to see the houses of one and the same city, conform every way one to another, as they say, it is in the city of Gonoa? but how unpleasant is it to see the houses of one and the same city, divided far one from another; as if every man in his own pride, would make his own house a Citidale? let us remember, the spiritual Jerusalem should be as a City compact together, Psal. 122.3. How unpleasant also is it to see the stones of one and the same building, even budging and dividing asunder one from another? Is not the Christian Church said to be a building in Christ, fitly framed together for an habitation of God through the Spirit? Epes. 2.22. and being so framed together, it groweth up in sanctification, and becometh an holy Temple to the Lord, wherein he delights to dwell: but division and discord in the Church, is both unpleasant and unprofitable: Contention and division amongst the rowers in the ship, and vain presumption in the passengers, to take the oars into their own hands, greatly hinders the progress of the Ship in her way. What is the cause, the Gospel was spread so far in the Apostl's time in one age only; their sound went through all the world, Rom. 10.18. and the Christian Church was wonderfully enlarged? The reason is, they were then of one mind and heart; and the spiritual Guides, had nothing so much before their eyes, as the glory of God, that he might be known in his rich mercy and grace, and in the conversion of sinners, that they may be saved: they sought not themselves, nor their own glory and pomp in the world, but the glory of Christ their Lord and Master; they were of one heart, and rowed one to another's hand; they did not strive one against another in a bitter emulation, but did strive together, one with another in a godly emulation, for furthering the Gospel. It is true, even in the Apostles times, there was division in the Church of Corinth, 1 Cor. 1.12. but Paul and Cephas, were no ways the the Authors, or Abettors of these divisions: they did not foment them by their own contentions, or by bitter emulation and popular ambition: Paul sharply reproved it, 1 Cor. 1.13. and condemned it as a course not of spiritual, but rather of mere natural and carnal men, 1 Cor. 3.4, 5. And Peter requires them (1 Pet. 2.1, 2.) to lay aside all prejudice, and to drink-in the sincere milk of the Word, like new born babes, who look more to the breast, than to the face of the Nurse. Division and discord in a Church, hath many times proven (as St. Jerom observed in the Donatists) the occasion of error and pernicious heresy, which eats like a canker: when the stones are divided one from another in the building, than the rain getteth place; and though not perceived at first, yet in end undermyneth the wall, consumeth the timber, and in end bringeth ruin: a small lake in the ship, at first, through the joyntours of the boards, if not timously and carefully stopped, doth drown the ship and also the passengers, Division in Churches one from another, doth entertain heresy and the Authors thereof: What was the cause that great Heretic Martion (whom Tertullian calleth murem ponticum, the rat that did rend and consume the Church of Pontus) was received and kindly entertained in the Church of Rome, after he had been excommunicate by his own father? The cause thereof, was, that division between the Roman and African Church; for Rome would have appeals to be made unto them from beyond the Sea: this was the cause the Heretics, fleeing from the Eastern Church, got shelter in the Western; that by so doing they might maintain their pretended privilege to revise, and recognosce all causes Ecelesiastical. What was the cause, those who fled from the Western Church, were countenanced and welcomed in the Eastern? Was it not their division from the Western Church, and their bitter emulation, that thereby they might maintain their emulation of supremacy? which ambition, both in the Western and Eastern Churches, proceeded from the pride of some chief Church Rulers, both in the one and other Church. In the Eastern Church, It is true, some godly and learned men have given, and sometimes do give connivance to error and heresy, not out of any evil intention, but out of their excess of moderation, and charitable inclination, being deceived by the insinuations of subtle Heretics and schismatics; but such connivance proved ofttimes very unprofitable, yea, exceeding harmful unto the Christian Church; because those dissembling Heretics, who seemed at first to be officious followers and flatterers of those good men, afterward when these godly men that did tolerate them, were gathered to their Fathers, these deceivers began openly to vent, and violently to press upon others, their opinions, as doctrines and matters of Faith, which formerly they had desired to be in charity tolerated, as private opinions: therefore we would beware of the beginnings of division, Schism and all bitter emulation; for, if ye by't, and devour one another, take heed, that ye be not consumed one of another, Gal. 5.15. Let us remember and consider, for our up-stirring to live in peace and concord one with another, 1. Our God, is called the God of peace; our Redeemer, the Prince of peace; the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of peace and of spiritual Communion: and the more peaceable we are, we become the liker to our heavenly Father, to our elder Brother, and to the Holy Ghost the Comforter. 2. We are all members of one mystical body: How unnatural a thing is it, for one member of the same body to bear another? Ephraim against Manasses, and Manasses against Ephraim; it is called an eating of their own arm, Is. 9.20. Such contention and division is like two sandy-stones grateing one upon the other, till they be crumbled into nothing; this fury and madness, is a great grief of heart to the godly and sober-minded, and a matter of rejoicing to the common adversaries of the truth; thereby they think to spoil us of the truth, and they cry out, as Moab did against Israel, 2 King. 3.23. They have smitten one another, now therefore Moab to the spoil. 3. Consider often and seriously, peaceable mindedness is an individual companion of true Religion, Jam. 3.17. The wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated. Let us labour for christian moderation in our Opinions and Disputes, and decline extremities: Basil the great, said truly, that divers men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, through an immoderate desire of opposing and counterpoising the opinoins and assertions of others, are ofttimes drawn away from the golden midst, and afterward cannot retire (although possibly they would) for fear to offend their party, whose opinion they have once espoused. Let us beware of that too simple credulity to tatlers and whisperers, who make it their business to separate chief friends; but as Solomon saith, Prov. 25.23. The north wind driveth away rain, so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. And above all, let us pray to God for much of the Spirit of Christ; for he was of a meek and lowly Spirit, that he would build the walls of Jerusalem, and that peace may be within her walls, and prosperity within her palaces, Ps. 51.18. Ps. 122.6, 7.   
VERSE IX. — For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. 
IN these words is set down, the instrumental cause and ordinar mean of this great conversion and change in their disposition and conversation, to wit, the abounding and large knowledge they shall have by the preaching of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, whereby life and immortality shall be brought to light, and they shall know there is no name under heaven whereby they can be saved, but the Name of Jesus, Act. 4.12.  
Quest. It may be asked, at what time was this prophecy fulfilled? For answer, Consider the Gospel or Doctrine of the glad tidings of salvation in Christ, was a mystery hid from the Gentiles; and other heavenly Truths and Ordinances, were communicate only to the Jews, Ps. 147.19, 20. Rom. 3.2. There was not a Church among the Gentiles before the time our blessed Lord gave commission to preach unto them, Mat. 28.19. It is true, there were some proselytes at divers times before the birth of our Lord: in time of the Patriarches was Melchizedeck (though some think he was Shem) and Job; in Moses his time, was Jethro; in Joshua his time, Rachab; in the time of the Judges, Ruth; in the time of David, Ittai the Gittit; in Solomon's time, Hiram; and in Jeremiahs' time, Ebedmelech: these were but the first fruits of the Gentiles, and drops, in comparison of that great flood of Converts foretold, Is. 2.2. It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. After the birth of our blessed Lord, and his sending forth the Apostles, to teach all Nations, the knowledge of the Gospel did abound in many parts of the world, as the sea abounds with waters: it was foretold by our blessed Lord, that this prophecy should be fulfilled in a great part, even before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, Mat. 24.14. and it was fulfilled, Rom. 10.18. Their sound went unto all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Col. 1.23. which was preached to every creature, which is under heaven: for the Gospel was preached by the Apostles, even to the greater part of the habitable world, so far as it was known at that time, according to that ample Commission given by our Lord to his Disciples, Mat. 28 19, 20. Therefore faith Augustine de Civit. Dei, lib. 22.8. Whosoever he be that requires miracles at this time, he himself is a great wonder and prodigy, who believeth not, when all the world believeth the Gospel. But before the end of the world, these Nations, which sometimes were Christian, and are now overspread with Turcism and Mahometism, as at this day Assyria and Egypt, and many Nations, living at this day in Paganism, shall be converted to the Christian Faith; and the Gospel shall be preached unto many Nations, which were not known in the days of the Apostles, as it is at this day, both in the Eastern and Western India.  
Observe. The preaching, hearing and knowledge of the Gospel, is the ordinary mean of conversion, and of a Gospel-like conversation, 2 Cor. 4.6. God hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2.14. God hath called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is evident from instances of divers persons converted to the Faith of Jesus Christ, and to the way of Sanctification by the preaching of the Gospel, Act. 2.37.47. Act. 16.14.33.31. It is also evident from the denominations the Gospel getteth, as, 1. The word of grace, Act. 20.33. Not only because it is sent to a Nation or People out of God's freegrace, Matth. 13.11. It is given unto you, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven; but to them it is not given. But also by it, as the ordinar instrument, the holy Spirit worketh the sanctifying and saving grace of believing and turning to the Lord in all come to years of discerning, and appointed for Salvation, Act. 11.21. The hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. 2 Cor. 10.4. The weapons of our warfare, are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, etc. Gal. 2.8. He that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles. Therefore now, in these days, after that this sacred instrument and testimony, is sealed and reposited by God in his Church; the pillar and ground of the truth, 1 Tim. 3 15 as the only authentical Record and invariable Rule of the Christian Faith: if any man shall pretend to the inward revelation of the Spirit, without or contrair to the written Word, it is Enthusiasm and a delusion of his own private spirit: neither let any man think it is enough to have the outward revelation of the written Word, without the inward operation of the holy Spirit, enlightening the understanding by Faith to perceive, and assent unto the truth revealed in the Word; and inclining the will by love to receive and retain it in the heart; for the Lord openeth both the understanding and the heart, Luk. 24.45. Act. 16.14. The Gospel is called the word of life, Act. 5.20. Because the Gospel is the seed of the new life, 1 Pet. 1.23. Faith and belief to the threaten of the Law, is as the Plough, to rend the fallow-ground of our heart; but Faith conceiving and embracing Christ in the promises of the Gospel, is the seed of our regeration, Jam. 1.18. Of his own will beg at he us, by the word of truth. It is called the word of reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5.19. Because in the Gospel, remission and reconciliation in the blood of Christ, is offered unto all, who repent and believe in him, Act. 10.43. To him give all the Prophet's witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins. And it is called, The word of Salvation, Act. 13.26. Because it is the ordinar mean of Salvation, Rom 1.16. 2 Thess. 2 13. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. That the Gospel is the ordinar mean of Conversion to the Faith of Christ, is evident from Reason, and clear consequences from Scriptural truths, 1. Hope of life and immortality, is a strong motive to turn men from the broad way, that leadeth unto death and to everlasting destruction: Now the Gospel showeth unto us life and immortality in Christ Jesus, Rom. 6.6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 2 Tim. 1.10. The grace of God is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light, through the Gospel. 2. By the knowledge we have of Christ, and by believing in him, as he is offered in the Gospel, we are turned from an estate of condemned rebels, unto an estate of persons justified and reconciled in the blood of Jesus Christ. Isa. 53.11. By his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities, Isa. 53.11. 3. By the manifestation of Jesus Christ, and by believing in him, as he is offered in the Gospel, in all his Mediatory-offices, such a deep impression of his rich and free love, is put upon our spirits, that we are turned to a conformity unto him in our wills and affections unto the will of God, 2 Pet. 1.4. By the precious promises, ye are made partakers of the divine nature. This impression, is like the Spirit moving the wheels of our inner man, and making them to follow the Spirit in their motions, conform to his Word, Ezech. 1.20. our hearts become like the paper stamped with the printing iron and receiving an impression thereby, conform to the impression of the Spirit by his word: and the doctrine of the Gospel, is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 16.17. the impression of doctrine.  
Quest. If the great mystery of Redemption and Salvation in Christ, may be known by the light of Nature, and of humane Reason? Answ. 1. There are means given of God, whereby all people on earth may know God in his existence, and something of his power, wisdom and justice; as the book of Creation, Psal. 19.11. Rom. 1.20: The Book of ordinary Povidence, bearing witness there is a God, Acts 14.17. Acts 17.27. The Works of his extraordinary Providence, carried by report or otherways unto the Heathens, Josh. 2.10. The report of the silence of the Oracle at Delphos, made unto Octavius Augustus, did so affect him with admiration, that he caused erect an Altar with this Inscription, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the God firstborn; by the Minut-book of man's own conscience, which is a vade-mecum, something of the justice of God, both preceptive and vindicative, is known, and was known to the Heathens from the light of Nature, Rom. 2.14, 15. When the Gentiles, which have not the Law, do by nature the things contained in the Law, these not having the Law, are a Law unto themselves; which show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another. The Heathens knew something of the revenging justice of God, from the great terrors upon the spirits of those that do evil, as upon these wicked men, Caligula and Nero: but shall these Books, there was not one syllable of the way of salvation by Jesus Christ: that knowledge of the Law of Nature from the light of Nature, maketh them inexcusable before God; because they glorified not God, and did not all the good and moral duties they might have done, if they had improven that light of Nature, so that they are without excuse, Rom. 1.20. 2. The Heathens before and under the Law, and even many at this very day, from the light of Nature, and by tradition, (as the learned Grotius thinks in his Book of the satisfaction of Christ) from Noah and from Japhet and Ham, the Progenitors of the Gentiles, as also from their posterity downwards to the Heathens and Pagans at this very day, they had, and now have the custom of sacrificeing, although the Heathens, by these sacrifices, did and do acknowledge from the light of Nature, the Majesty, Sanctity and Justice of God, which is to be satisfied and appeased by the children of men, guilty of many iniquities; yet they did not know Jesus Christ, who offered up himself a sacrifice by his death to satisfy Divine Justice, and to preserve us from eternal wrath; this is only known by Divine Revelation in the holy Scriptures, wherein we are required by faith to behold him who taketh away the sin of the world, Joh. 1.29. 3. The Heathens, by the light of Nature, knew that in great calamities, it was their duty to pray unto God for help and relief; the Mariners in the Ship with Jonah, being afraid in the great storm, did cry every man unto his God, Jonah 1.5. but they knew not Jesus Christ, the alone Mediator between God and man, and therefore did not pray in his Name, in whom alone both our persons and our supplications are accepted: the knowledge of this we have in the holy Scriptures from our blessed Lord, John 16.23. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you. 4. The knowledge of the work of Redemption and Salvation in Jesus Christ, is only known from Divine Revelation in the holy Scriptures, Acts 4.12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. This great mystery, is only known by revelation in the holy Scriptures, Mat. 11.25. our Lord said, I thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Mat. 16.17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. The Incarnation of the Son of God, and the Salvation of lost man by him, is called a mystery, hid from the Gentiles for many ages, Eph. 3.9. This sublime mystery, the natural man cannot know by the strength of humane reason, 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Some who magnify the strength of humane reason, think, that by the natural man in this place, is to be understood the carnal man, addicted to his sinful desires, which hinder him, by the strength of his own reason, to take up these divine mysteries: but it is clear from the series of the sacred Text, that natural man, signifieth one endued only with the light of reason; and it is some way opposed by way of distinction to the spiritual man, enlightened and renewed by the illumination of the Holy Spirit; as also, spiritual man, is taken, Gal. 6.1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness. Chrysost. on this place, by natural man, understandeth a man endued only with the light of reason," That man, saith he, who liveth for the flesh, neither is yet illuminat in his mind by the Spirit; but only has that inbred humane wisdom which the Creator of all things has put into the souls of men. Grotius, upon that place speaketh thus, The natural man, and the carnal man, is not the same thing: the natural man is he, who is guided only by the light of humane reason: but the carnal man, is he who is ruled by the affections of his body. It is true, some of the ancient Fathers in the Christian Church, who before their conversion had been eminent Philosophers themselves, and had a great kindness for some of the best of them, as Socrates and Plato, they do speak very charitably concerning their salvation, although they lived in Gentilism: yet they thought not that they were saved without some knowledge of Jesus Christ: which they in a great latitude of charity, thought they might have in an extraordinary way without Divine Revelation in the holy Scriptures; but we say, as Deut. 29.29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed, belong unto us.  
Object. But it appears, the Christian Religion is grounded upon humane reason, because it is called our reasonable service; and therefore every part of Christian service, whether it be in believing all heavenly truths, or in practical duties and worship, seems to be known from the light of humane Reason; and that Reason and Philosophy should be the Interpreter of Sacred Scripture. Ans. No part of Christian Religion is against humane Reason; but there be some divine and sublime mysteries thereof above humane Reason, and the reach of the most subtle Philosophy. There be some divine Truths (which they call of mixed Revelation) these may be known by the light of humane reason, and the assent given to them upon that ground, is called Intelligence, or Science: and they may be known also by the light of divine revelation; and the assent given to them, upon that ground, is called Faith: Such is the knowledge of the existence of God, and of the creation of the world: such are also divers moral duties, which were known by the light of nature to the heathen Philosophers. But divine and heavenly Truths (which they call of pure Revelation) are known only by the testimony divine Revelation in holy Scriptures: such are, the mystery of the Trinity, of the Incarnation of the Son of God, of the Resurrection of the body, etc. As for these truths of a mixed revelation, they are also agreeable to the principles of humane reason and Philosophy; as hath been made evident by learned men in their Treatises of the reasonableness of Christian Religion, by Morney, Amyrald, Baxter and others: but the other divine truths, both speculative and practical, are known only by the light of Divine Revelation in holy Scriptures; as that practical duty of incalling of God, in the Name of Jesus Christ the Mediator, Job. 16.23. Heb. 7.25. That great Heathen Philosopher Socrates, advised men well, from the light of nature, to pray for good things from the gods, and that only in the general, without limiting them to the giving of this or that good thing in particular; which they should refer unto the will and wisdom of the gods themselves; but he could never advise them to pray unto God in the Name of Jesus Christ the Mediator, because this had not been revealed to him by the light of the holy Scripture. Chrysost. on the place, by reasonable service, understandeth spiritual worship, in opposition to the worship of God under the Law, by sacrificing irrational creatures: in the same sense doth Grotius and D. Hammond interpret it. In thinking, or speaking of the great sublime mysteries, which are called the wonderful things of God, (Acts 2.11.) we would be sober, and not measure them according to the short rule of humane reason; as speaketh well Just. Mart. in confuting the Greek questions, We must not, (saith he,) measure the works of God by our own thoughts and imaginations; for the works of God are above our mind, sense and reason. Augustine Enchyrid. Cap. 4. Such things (saith he) are to be defended by reason, which either took their beginning from the corporeal senses, or were invented by the understanding of the mind: but those things which we have neither proven by the corporeal sense, nor can reach by our understanding, they are without all doubting to be referred to the testimony of those holy men, moved by the Holy Ghost in writing the sacred Scriptures.  
Object. But these Heathen Prophetesses, called Sibyls, who lived above 400 years before the birth of Christ, did foretell of his Incarnation, of his Birth, of his Sufferings, of his Resurrection, and of his second coming to judge the world, and that he is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour; as Augustine records, Lib. 18. Cap. 23. of the City of God. This Prophetical knowledge they had not from the light of Scripture, because they were Heathens; and the Oracles of God were committed unto the Jews, Rom. 3.2. and therefore it would appear, they had the knowledge of these great mysteries from the light of humane reason. Ans. Some of the learned think, those Books, called the Oracles of the Sibyls, whereof we have but some fragments by tradition from others, were devised and written by some zealous Christian, suppressing his name, out of his affection to convert the Heathen unto the Christian faith, by convincing them from their own Writings, as he gave it out: but this is not probable; for if such Writings had been forged by Christians, than Celsus and Appion, who lived in the time of Origen, and others, zealous for the Christian Religion, would have objected such a forgery against the Christians, to whom these two subtle Philosophers (well versed in such antiquity) and malicious enemies to the Christian Religion, would have objected such a forgery, as unbecoming men of any Religion: Besides, the great Heathen Poet, Virgil, (Ecclog. 4.) speaketh of the Prophecies of Sibylla Cumana, wherein she prophesied of a new offspring in his time, coming down from the high Heavens, which he misapplyed to Octavius Augustus, reigning at that time; but is was intended by the Oracle, to declare the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came from Heaven, and was incarnate and born in the 52 year of Augustus: Now it is well known, Virgil died 18. years before the birth of our Lord, whereof the Oracle spoke; though Virgil was not living when it was fulfilled: Therefore, following the more current opinion, we think these Oracles were spoken by these Heathen Prophetesses, among which, these two, Sibylla Erythraea and Cumana, were the chief and more famous: We think they had their Prophetical light and knowledge of those mysteries by extraordinary revelation from God himself, as was also the Prophecy of Balaam, an alien from the Commonwealth of Israel, concerning the coming and the birth of the Messiah, called by him. The Star of Jacob, Num. 24.17.  
Quest. If all the people of God, before, and under the Law, knew Jesus Christ, and salvation to be purchased by him; for the Gospel seems not to have been preached or known unto all the faithful? Ans. 1. This Gospel, or the glad tidings of Salvation by Jesus Christ, was preached by God himself in Paradise unto our first Parents after the fall, Gen. 3.15. The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent: It was preached to Abraham before the Law, Gen. 22.18. Gal. 3.16. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. It was illustrat by Ceremonies, as by Sacrifices; in which respect our blessed Lord, who is the principal Subject of the Gospel, and the body of all these foregoing shadows, is called, The Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, Rev. 13.8. It was illustrat also by types, as Melchizedeck, the King of righteousness and peace, was a type of righteousness and peace through Jesus Christ the King of his Church. 2. Under the Law, the Doctrine of the Gospel was delivered by Moses, Deut. 18.15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. And by the other Prophets, Acts 10.43. To him give all the Prophet's witness, that through his Name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins. The sacrifices under the Law, were shadows of the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, Joh. 1.29. Their washings and purifications, were shadows of the blood of Christ, that purgeth from all unrighteousness, 1 Joh. 1.7. Their lamps and lights within the Tabernacle and the Temple, were shadows of Christ the true light, who enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world, Joh. 1.9. for, all natural light and knowledge is from him, and all who have spiritual light and knowledge they have it from him, who is the Sun of Righteousness, and the brightness of the Father's glory; they have it from him, and from no other. 3. This Doctrine of the Gospel, was most clearly preached in the fullness of time by our Lord himself, by his Apostles, and by all his faithful Ministers unto the end of the world: therefore the knowledge of the Gospel, in the days of our Lord and his Apostles, is called a seeing face to face, in comparison of that dim light, before, or under, the Law, 2 Cor. 3.18. as a face veiled and unvailed is the same in substance; but the manifestation of it, is not alike clear under the vail, and without the vail.  
Quest. If believers under the Old Testament, had the same Covenant of Grace and Salvation, which believers have under the New Testament? Ans. They have one and the same. 1. They have the same promise, Gen. 22.18. Gal. 3.16. Acts 15.11. We believe (saith Peter) that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. 2. They have the same main and principal object and substance of the promise, to wit, Jesus Christ, called the seed of the woman, Gen. 3. The seed of Abraham, Gal. 3.16. Shiloh, Gen. 49.10. The son of David, Psal. 89.36, 37. Immanuel, Isai. 7.14. The branch of righteousness, Jer. 23.5. David, Ezek. 34.23. Hos. 3.5. Messiah, Dan. 9.25. A fountain opened to the house of David, Zach. 13.1. 3. It is the same Covenant, in respect of the same fundamental privileges, Gen. 22.18. Jer. 31.32, 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Cor. 6.16. I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 4. There is the same Mediator, Gen. 17.7. Gal. 3.16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made; he saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. 1 Tim. 2 5. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus. Although the Covenant under the old and new Testament, did not differ in substance; yet they differed in circumstances, as 1. In their seals and Sacraments; the seals and Sacraments of the old Testament or Covenant, were Circumcision, and the Paschal Lamb; but of the new Testament the seals and Sacraments, are Baptism and the holy Supper. 2. They differ in the degree of clearness and manifestation; for now under the full dispensation of the Gospel, the Covenant of grace is more clearly manifested, than it was before the Apostles time, when it was vailed with types and legal ceremonies; 2 Cor. 3.18. 3. They differ in the extent; now the Covenant of grace and the Gospel, is manifested unto all Nations, Mat. 28.19. but it was not so in the days of the old Testament before the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; and the sending forth of his Apostles with a commission to preach the Gospel unto all Nations, Psal. 147.19.20. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel: he hath not dealt so with any nation.  
Use 1. For Admonition; take head that ye neglect not, nor despise this glorious Gospel, which is the word of Salvation, by the Ministry whereof Salvation is offered to all who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is the Saviour of his people, Mat. 1.21. He alone saves by way of impetration and effectual application of that great Salvation, purchased by his satisfaction and righteousness: but his faithful and painful Ministers, may be said, in some sense, to be ministerial Saviour's of the people of God, 1 Tim. 4.16. Take heed unto thyself, and unto thy doctrine: continue in them; for in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1 The neglect and contempt of the Gospel, is a despising the offer of pardon and peace from our gracious God; and it is an heigh contempt for Rebels to despise the offer of pardon and peace from a gracious King. 2. This contempt, is reckoned by the Lord, a more heinous sin, than any transgression of the Law; and that it deserveth a greater condemnation, Joh. 3.19. And this is the Condemnation, etc. Joh. 19.41. Jesus said unto them, if ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, we see; therefore your sin remaineth. Heb. 2.2. For if the word spoken by Angels, was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward: how shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation? etc. 3. It is a rejecting of Christ himself, when his word is not received by men, Joh. 12.48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him. 4. Barrenness and unfruitfulness in the days of the Gospel, exposeth a Nation to the curse and wrath of God, Heb. 6.8. That earth which hath the rain and plenty of the Gospel often preached, and yet beareth thorns and brears, is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. For if the barren tree, which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire, what shall become of these trees that bring forth evil fruits? 5. The contempt of this glorious Gospel, bringeth many times temporal judgements upon a Nation, Luk. 19.42.43.44. as it did upon Jerusalem by the Romans, and upon the seven Churches of the lesser Asia by the Turks and mahometans; and if at such a time the outward ordinance of preaching the Gospel, be continued in God's rich mercy for saving some of his Elect; yet in his revenging justice, he withdraws a blessing from the outward ordinance toward the generality of such a people, Isa. 6.9.10. Go and tell this people: hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not, etc. and if men continue and persevere in their contempt of the blessed Gospel, they bring upon themselves eternal judgement, Luk. 19.27. Those mine enemies, which would not, that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. 2 Thess. 1.6, 7, 8. It is a righteous thing with God, to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, etc. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
Use 2. For exhortation, both to esteem highly of the Gospel, and to live a life suitable thereunto: esteem highly of it, as men do of gold; and it is compared to the finest gold, tried in the fire, Psal. 19.10. because the truth and solid comfort of Gospel-promises, is tried, especially in the fire of affliction, Psal. 119.81.92. Unless thy law had been my delights, I had perished in mine affliction. Psal. 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. Therefore David esteemed more of it, than of thousands of gold and silver, Psal. 119.72. 2. It is compared unto a pearl of price, Matth. 19.45, 46. and men esteem much of precious pearls. 3. It is called the doctrine of glad tidings, Luk. 2.10. It brings to us the glad tidings of reconciliation, of pardon, and of true liberty through Jesus Christ; such tidings of peace should be very acceptable to rebels; and the tidings of true liberty, should be much esteemed by us, who by nature are bondslaves to sin, and in bondage to the fear of death and damnation: therefore we should acquaint ourselves more and more with the knowledge of this Gospel; and if we esteem highly of it, we will delight much in it; as men delight much in these studies that are in great estimation with them: 4. It is the golden charter of our heavenly inheritance; therefore is it called the Gospel of the kingdom; and men are very careful to preserve and understand their charters. 5. It is called the New Testament, 1 Cor. 11.25. and heirs portioners are very careful to understand what is contained in the Testament of their Legator. 6. It is called Christ's letter to the Church his Spouse; and how earnest, yea impatient is the dutiful loving wife to read and understand the letter sent from her absent husband? 7. The Gospel is the main Subject and Theme of Ministers their preaching; for which cause they are called, in a special respect, Ministers of the New Testament, 2 Cor. 3.6. They have most of inward peace and comfort in a time of fiery trial, who have been building the gold of sound doctrine upon such a foundation: but there will be no solid comfort from building the chaff of humane inventions, or the mud of their own earthly passions and perturbations: by the preaching of the Gospel, men are called and brought unto Christ; and to this end did our Lord appoint a Ministry to endure in his Church unto the end of the World, Matth. 28.19, 20. Eph. 4.11, 12. This was the great business and work of the holy Apostles, and of Apostolic men, 2 Cor. 11.2. Col. 1.28. Act. 20.20, 21. I grant they may, and should preach the Law; but principally in order to this end, that men being convinced by the Law of their own unrighteousness, may seek in to Christ for righteousness and life, which is brought to light through the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1.10. Ye are also to be exhorted to walk as becomes the Gospel; for this is the special practical duty of sincere Christians, Phil. 1.27. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ. 1. It is the Gospel of peace; and by it we are called to live in peace one with another, 1 Cor. 7.15. God hath called us unto peace. 2 Cor. 13.11. Be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace, shall be with you. 2. It is the Gospel of grace, and thereby we are called to holiness inward, in our hearts and affections, and to holiness outward, in our conversations. Eph. 5.3. But fornication, and all uncleaness, or covetousness; let it not be once named amongst you, as becometh Saints. 1 Thess. 4.7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness: For the Gospel taketh not away the mandatory power of the Law, which is the fixed rule of our thankfulness and obedience also under the Gospel, Rom. 3.31. Do we then make void the Law through faith? God forbidden; yea, we establish the Law. Tit, 2.11, 12. The grace of God, that bringeth Salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly-lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Although believers under the Gospel, be freed from the condemnatory power of the Law; yet are they not freed from the directive and mandatory power of the Law; yea the Gospel ties us more strictly to sincere endeavours of new obedience, upon a new obligation from our redemption, to serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life, Luk. 1.74, 75. and 2 Cor. 6.20. Ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are Gods. 3. The Gospel is called light, and therefore our conversation should be in some measure suitable to the opportunity of this heavenly light, by walking, (for men walk in time of light) in the ways of Gods holy Commandments, and by working out our own salvation in fear and trembling: How unsuitable is it in the daytime for men to come abroad with their night-cloaths? How unsuitable are the works of darkness and dishonesty, whether secret or open, unto the glorious profession of the light of the Gospel? Rom. 13.12, 13. Eph. 5.8. 1 Thes. 5.5, 6, 7, 8.  
Use 3. For trial; if your knowledge of the Gospel be not only literal, but also spiritual, accompanied with a true and lively faith, whose end is the salvation of your souls, (1 Pet. 1.9.) ye will discern it by these signs, 1. Much of literal knowledge, fluctuating only in the brain, doth oftentimes puff up the mind with a Tympany and windy self-conceit; but the spiritual and saving knowledge, doth make the heart humble, and the spirit sober: Paul, after he had embraced the Gospel, esteemed himself the least of saints and chief of sinners. 2. This saving knowledge, will conform you to Christ, 2 Cor. 3.18. The sincere Convert looks on Christ in the Gospel, as his pattern for assimilation and conformity to him, as he is set forth in the Gospel-promises: and therefrom, as your great copy, ye would draw and delineat your conversation in holiness and righteousness, 1 Pet. 2.21. 3. This saving knowledge of Christ in the Gospel, will obscure all things worldly, and all secular knowledge, in comparison of the precious Gospel and the truths revealed therein, 1 Cor. 2.2. I determined (saith Paul) not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Philip. 3.7, 8. I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, etc. 4. This saving knowledge in true Converts, is a growing light and knowledge, Phil. 3.13, 14. I count not myself to have apprehended, etc. I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And although the child of God, possibly doth not grow much in that knowledge of simple apprehension of things, that may and should be known, yet he groweth in the knowledge of appretiation and estimation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of these unsearchable and durable riches, treasured up in Him; to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, be immortal praise, honour and glory, for now and ever. Amen.    

THE TRUE LIVING WAY TO SALVATION. SERMON I.  JOHN 14.6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life. 
IN these words, is contained our Lords answer to his Disciple Thomas his question, How can we know the way to the Father? In which answer we have an excellent and comfortable description of our blessed Lord. I am the way, saith he, wherein men walk to the Father for reconciliation and peace in this life, and for glory in the other life: I am so the way, that I am the truth, and also the guide of all them who walk in me: and I am life to them in all their faintings in their way to heaven, to sustain and uphold them till they come to the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls.  
Three things are here attributed to our Lord, 1. That he is the Way, 2. That he is the Truth, 3. And that he is the Life.  
1. Our blessed Lord is called the Way, 1. Because as a way leadeth men unto a place of rest; so the Lord Jesus Christ, by the merit of his death, hath prepared, and leadeth believers on him to a place of eternal rest in Heaven, and giveth us access to the Father by faith in him, while we are in the world, and after death, everlasting rest in, and with him, in the Kingdom of Heaven, Col. 1.20. Joh. 14.2. I go to prepare ae place for you. 2. As men must walk in the way, and set their feet therein, that so they may in end come to the place of their rest; so we must fasten our hearts on Jesus Christ, that walking in him by faith, and after him as our great pattern by imitation, we may in end come to the possession of eternal life. 3. He is called the Way, because he is our forerunner in the way to Heaven, Heb. 6.20. Not only he hath made the way clear and passable for us to Heaven, in removing the wrath of God, which was like the flaming sword that kept man out of Paradise; this he hath done by the satisfaction made by his death to Divine Justice for our sins: but also by his example, he hath showed us the way of sanctification, wherein we should walk; and now by his intercession in Heaven, he applieth to us that promise made in the Covenant of free Grace, Ezek. 36.26, 27. I will cause them to walk in my statutes.  
Christ is called the new and living way, Heb. 10.20. He is called the new way, not that believers before the Law, or under the Law, went by any other way, than by faith in the Messiah to come, unto the Kingdom of Heaven; because all of them were saved by virtue of the Covenant of Grace made in him, in whom believers of all Nations at all times are saved, Acts 15.11. We believe, that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. Heb. 13.8. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Rev. 13.8. he is called, The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world: But he is called the new way, in opposition to the way of the Covenant of Works, made with the first Adam; which Covenant, man through his fall made himself unable to keep, and so to be justified thereby and get eternal life, Rom. 8.3. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. It is called the living way, because believers in Christ are quickened by his Spirit to walk in him, and by him to attain eternal life. The Lord Jesus Christ is called the Way, because by him only we come to eternal life, Acts 4.12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. And there is no coming to the Father for reconciliation, but by him, as the one and alone Mediator, Joh. 14.6. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  
Object. Is not Sanctification and good works called also the way to Heaven, Ephes. 2.10. God hath before ordained, that we should walk in good works? And afflictions are also called the straight and thorny way, through which we must enter into the Kingdom of God, Act. 14.22. Ans. The Lord Jesus Christ is properly the living way, that quickens us, and leads us to eternal life: Sanctification and good works are comfortable mithes and evidences, that we are in Christ the way, 2 Cor. 5.17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new Creature. Joh. 15.5. I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. Sanctified afflictions, are as hedges to keep us close with Christ the way, that we do not debord nor departed from him and the way of his Commandments, Psal. 119.71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.  
Object. But I have wandered long and far in the broad way, will I be welcome to him, who is the only way to get me access to the Father, and being reconcilled, to bring me to glory? Ans. If thou forsake thy former evil ways, he will receive thee, and by his Spirit lead thee in the way to eternal Life, 2 Cor. 6.17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. Thou has his own gracious promise, if thou wilt turn from thy former evil ways, and by faith come to him, he will accept thee, Joh. 6.37. Him that cometh unto me, I will in no ways cast out. He accepted of many who had walked in the way of curious and unlawful arts, Act. 19.19. He accepted of some vile and abominable unclean Persons among the Corinthians, when they by repentance turned from their former unclean ways, 1 Cor. 6.11. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Doth not our blessed Lord invite all sinners, pressed and wearied under the burden of their sins, Mat. 11.28? And albeit at thy first coming to him, thou has not so much ease and rest in thy conscience as thou wouldst, yet thou may have some case and beginning of satisfaction from his promise of rest to the weary soul: bless him for the promise, rest upon it by faith, and in his own good time he will give the some sense of inward peace, from the sense of his love shed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghost; for this seal of the Spirit is given after believing, Ephes. 1.13. In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.  
The second thing affirmed by our Lord of himself, is, I am the truth. This is the glorious title of the Supreme God, Deut. 32.4. A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. And the Son of God, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, is called here the Truth. 1. He is essentially truth; as the justice and mercy of God, is no other thing but the just and merciful God, So the truth of Christ is no other thing but the true and faithful Lord: as it is said, 1 Joh. 1.5. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all; So Christ is truth, and in him is no possibility of error: In him is infinite wisdom, and he cannot be deceived; he is infinitely holy and true, and cannot deceive any who trusteth into his word. 2. He is the prime and suprem Truth; the cause of the truth of being and essence in all things, Col. 1.18. For by him all things consist. And he is the cause and author of all moral truth in the thoughts, speeches and actions of men. 3. He is the truth, because by the word of truth revealed, out of the Father's bosom, by him who is called (Joh. 1.1.) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he is the essential Word, and the express Image of the Father; and also he is the great Interpreter and Revealer of the will of the Father, Joh. 1.18. and by this revealed will, he guideth his own Children in the way to everlasting glory, Psal. 73.24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 4. He is (to speak so) morally true, even as he was man, 1 Pet. 2.22. Guile was not found in his lips. 5. He is the truth, answerable to all the Prophecies and Promises made concerning him, 2 Cor. 1.20. In him all the promises are yea, and amen. He is the truth answerable to all the legal types, as the body to the shadow, Joh. 1.17. The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. In the Temple, during the Levitical service, the lights and lamps were shadows of Christ, who was called by John the Baptist, the true light, Joh. 1.9. And is called by himself, the light of the world, Joh. 8.12. Thou that art ignorant, and mourns under the sense of thine ignorance, come to him, who is the true light, and he will give unto thee that eyesalve, even the illumination and unction of the Holy Spirit, Rev. 3.17, 18. He is the beam and resplendor of the Father's glory: although a man, through the weakness of his eyes, cannot behold the Sun in his brightness without dazzling and confounding his sight; yet with much contentment and delight, he looketh upon the beams of the Sun: So it confounds and astonisheth the Spirit of a Believer, to look on God, and to think upon his greatness and justice, provoked to wrath by his many sins: this fight affrights him and maketh him say with Manoah, Judg. 13.22. I shall surely die, because I have have seen God. Therefore look thou on God manifested in his Son Jesus Christ, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, Heb. 1.3. Look upon his mercy and love, manifested in giving his Son to satisfy divine justice for our sins: this fight of God in Christ, is a comfortable and reviving fight; then may a Believer say, as the wife of Manoah said, Judg. 13.23. If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have accepted of Christ's offering and satisfaction for us. The Lord Jesus Christ, is the truth of all the sacrifices under the Law; they were a shadow of good things to come, to wit, of the sacrifice of Christ, who offered up himself by death a sacrifice of sweet smell to the Father; he is the true Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world, Joh. 1 29 Heb. 10.12. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. August. lib. 20. against Faust. cap. 21. The flesh and blood of Christ before his coming, was promised by the similitude of Sacrifices; in the passion and suffering of Christ, it was exhibi●t by the Truth its self; after the ascension of Christ, it is solemnly celebrat by the Sacrament of Commemoration▪ upon the Cross he offered up himself to the Father, to take away our sins; and now in the Word and Sacraments, we call to mind his sacrifice and death till he come again, 1 Cor. 11.26. As in the Word, Christ is not offered to God by the Minister, but to us; so in the Sacrament, he is not offered to God but to us, and with him a communion and share in the fruits of his death, ● Cor. 10.16. As the blood of the Paschal-lamb was sprinkled upon the posts of the doors, and the destroying Angel came not near the house; so the application of the Sacrifice of Christ for Propitiation and Salvation, is made by Faith, Rom. 5.1. Therefore being justified by Faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: He is the Truth of all the legal washings and purifications; he is that true Fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness, Zach. 13.1. Therefore confess thine uncleanness with the Lepers; believe in him, who is the truth of all these purifications, 1 Joh. 1.9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  
He is the true Manna, that true bread of life, Joh. 6.32. My Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven. Our Lord is the true Manna. 1. The Manna was given to the people of Israel in the wilderness, where bread could not be had from any creature: so when no creature was able to save man, God gave his Son to the death, that by faith, poor hungry souls might feed on him and be refreshed. Isai. 59.16. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, and his Righteousness, it sustained him. As the people of Israel cried out in admiration, when they saw the Manna, Man-h●●, what is this? So let us admire and cry out, what a love is this in God, to give his only Son to be the bread of life to feed and preserve those, who by nature were enenemies and children of wrath? The Manna was white and pleasant to the eye, and also sweet and pleasant to the taste, like waffers made of honey; so Christ in himself, the true Manna, is most pleasant, without spot, and without blame, as also he is a most pleasant fight to them that repent and believe the Promise: as the sight of a Cornerstone, is very comfortable to a weary person sinking under an heavy burden, as the sight of the brazen serpent in the wilderness, was most comfortable to those who were stung with the fire serpents. In like manner, the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Manna, is sweet and precious to Believers, 1 Pet. 2.7. He is sweet in the Promises, sweet in the first-fruits of eternal life, when by the holy Spirit he sheds abroad his love, like precious ointment in our hearts, when he gives peace to our Consciences, and joy to our hearts in the hope of Salvation: but the heart cannot conceive how sweet and comfortable this true Manna will be in Heaven, when we shall be filled with the full and everlasting Fruits of his glory: then shall we say as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon's glory, It was true that was told me on Earth by the Ministers of the Gospel; but the half was not told me of that I do now see and enjoy in Heaven. 3. They gathered the Manna in the morning; so by Faith, bring in Christ the true Manna, early to feed and refresh thy soul: acquaint yourselves in time with him, for he will not make new acquaintance at his second coming with any, who neglected to come to him in this their day. He will say to the foolish and slothful Virgins, Depart from me, I know you not, Mat. 25. Bring Spiritual hunger with you, it is a sauce to provoke appetite after Christ the true and hid Manna, Joh. 6.27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Bring Faith with you, for by it we seed on Christ, and draw virtue from him for our spiritual nourishment, and preservation unto eternal life, Joh. 6.35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: He that cometh to me, shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me, shall never thirst. 4. God ordained a Pot full of Manna to be kept in remembrance of his special providence toward them in the wilderness, that from the remembrance of it, they should praise him, and by Faith depend on him and his care, in time-coming: so lay thou up in thy memory any experience of refreshment at any time by the Word or Sacrament, and depend on him for time-coming in all thy wants spiritual or bodily: when thou findest any faintness or failing of Spirit, and no liveliness in thy soul for the time, then remember thou bygone experience of former refreshment: Our Lord saith to you, as to his Disciples, Mat. 16.8, 9 O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves? do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five Loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up, etc. Remember ye not the former experience ye have had of spiritual refreshment by the holy ordinances of God? Then say thou to thy disquieted Soul, as Psal. 42.6. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the hill Mizar. And resolve thou and conclude, as the Prophet doth, vers. 11. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.  
Seeing our blessed Lord is the Truth; in his lips was never found guile; truth and faithfulness cleaveth to his reins as a girdle, Isa. 11.5. In all thy doubts of acceptance into his favour, or perseverance in his favour (I speak to thee who art humbled under thy sins, and in thy fear and unbelief standest aloof from him) consider he is the Truth, and hath promised acceptance to all, who wearied of their sins, come unto him, Joh. 6.37. All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no ways cast out. And as he hath promised acceptance, so he hath promised the grace of perseverance, Joh. 10.27.28. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  
Object. I cannot deny my own sense, for I am weary of sin, and yet I find no sensible rest and quietness to my soul, notwithstanding the promise of rest. Ans. 1. Consider well the ground of thy weariness; that thou be not wearied only of sin, as it carrieth along with it a burden of wrath and punishment; thus Cain was wearied, when he said, my punishment is heavier than I can bear: but also that thou be wearied of it as an unclean and vile thing; as it is an offence against thy gracious God; then if thou be thus wearied, come to Christ the precious cornerstone laid in Zion, and although thou get not rest to thy sense as thou wouldst, yet make not haste to departed from waiting on him; he that believeth, shall not make haste, Isa. 28.16. wait on, and adhere to the promise, made to all who cast their burden upon Christ the precious cornerstone laid in Zion; because those who rest on his promise, and on him, in whom all the promises are, yea and amen, shall not be ashamed of their hope, 1 Pet. 2.6. Wherefore it is contained in the Scripture, behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone Elect, Precious; and he that believeth on him, shall not be confounded. 2. Consider there is a fourfold rest. 1. The rest or acquiescence of faith to the faithful promise of God; as a debtor hath some rest in his mind, when the Creditor promiseth to forgive him the debt, although he hath not yet gotten his acquittance and discharge. 2. There is a rest in hope of the thing promised, though there be some commotion in the Spirit through weakness of Faith, until the promise be performed to their sense: this rest is like unto some rest the ship that was formerly tossed with the waves, has now at Anchor, although not without some agitation and commotion. 3. There is a rest and peace in the soul, from the full assurance of Faith, when the heart is persuaded by the holy Spirit, and a lively faith resting on Jesus Christ, that their sins are forgiven them, and that they are reconciled in the blood of Jesus Christ: such an assurance had Paul, Rom. 8.38, 39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, etc. shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This rest, is like the quietness a great debtor has in his spirit, after he hath received his discharge out of the hand of his creditor. 4. There is the rest of vision and fruition in Heaven, when we shall ee and enjoy God, and be satisfied to the ull, with that fullness of joy, and with those pleasures for evermore at his right hand, Psa. 16.11. But thou who has not yet attained to that rest and quietness from full assurance of faith, rest thou by the faith of adherence and hope; be not so unwise, as to refuse to rest o● the promise, because thou cannot reach to that full assurance; consider thy adhering to the promise, is a step appointed of God for thy ascending unto the assurance. Were it not a childish folly for one to say, I will not go up to an high room, because at first I cannot step up to the upmost degree and step that leadeth into it? Bless thou God for his gracious and faithful promises made to the weary sinner: Consider well that the life of faith is before spiritual sense and full assurance; I say to thee, as Philip said unto his brother Nathanael, Joh. 6. Come and see. Come by saith to the promise, and thou shalt see; thou shalt get some assurance less or more of thy remission and reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ, before thou depart out of this life.  
3. The third thing affirmed by our blessed Lord of himsef, is, I am the life. 1. He is life in himself, Joh. 5.26. As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. The Son hath it communicate from the Father as the fountain of the Deity; but he hath it not from the Father as the cause; for the cause in order of nature is before the effect; but the blessed Son is coeternal with the Father in nature and essence: He hath life in himself from all eternity, Psal. 102.24. Thy years, O my God, are from generation to generation. Which words are applied to our blessed Lord, Heb. 1.10, 11, 12. and Rev. 1.8. He is call●d Alpha and Omega, the beginning of all things, and the end to which all things are referred and ordained equally as to the Father: the primitive Christians for testifying their Faith concerning the Deity of the Son of God, as also for testifying their detestation of the Arian Heresy, denying his Deity, did at their dying, direct their friends to cause these two letters Α. Ω. to be engraven upon their Tombs. 2▪ He is the Life, in relation to all creatures living a natural life; he is called, (1 Joh. 1.1, 2.) The word of life, because he giveth life to all, and not only giveth it, but also conserveth their being and kind of being, Heb. 1.3. He upholdeth all things by the word of his power, that is, by his active power in the course of providence, manifesting his will and purpose for the preservation of their being; as a King's word of command signifieth what is his will. This giving of life, and conserving of life in the Creatures; (for all things consist by him, Col. 1.17.) proveth clearly our blessed Lord, to be truly God, for he that giveth life, is truly God; and therefore God is called frequently the living God, because he liveth in himself, and of himself; and also giveth life to all things living; which even the very Heathens from the light of nature acknowledged, as the Apostle (Act. 17.18.) proveth out of their own Poet Aratus, to convince them of their Idolatry in worshipping Idols that had no life: It is God alone who preserveth and continueth the Creature in its being and operations, Psal. 36.6. Thou preserveth man and beast. Job 7.20. O thou preserver of men! and from the conservation of all things in the course of providence, our blessed Lord proveth the truth of his Deity, and equality in essence and power with the Father, Joh. 5.17. Hitherto the Father worketh, and I work. Therefore we should acknowledge, by the homage of honour and obedience our blessed Lord, who is the author and preserver of our natural life: as the Sun giveth light to the Air, and by his shining continueth the same, so our blessed Lord giveth life, and by a continued influence of his active power, doth continue our life; when the Sun withdraws his influence of light, there is nothing but darkness in the Air: so when the Lord of life withdraws his hand of power, the Creature liveth no longer, Psal. 104.28, 29. Thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good: thou hidest thy face, they are troubled, they decay and perish. Man's life is but a vapour, it is in his nostrils; thou cannot tell when thou breathest out the air, if thou shalt take it in again: how soon is our life gone, if the God of our life should stop and obstruct the common conduits of life in the body; or if for any long time he should obstruct the common Cyres, that serve for purging the body, think not thou that meat or drink only holds in thy life, it is the Lord of life that doth it by blessing and impowering these means: when he taketh away his powerful blessing, thou may eat, and yet not be satisfied, Mic. 6.14. Hag. 1.6. Ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink: ye cloth, but there is none warm. 3. He is the Life, because he is the Author and Preserver of our spiritual life: our life of justification and absolution from eternal death and damnation, is from him, Rom. 3.24. We are justified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Our life of Sanctification, whereby we are recovered in part from that deadly sickness of sin, that we pine not away in our iniquities, is by Christ, 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness. And he is the Perfecter of the life of grace, by the life of glory, Joh. 14.19. Because I live, ye shall live with me. We live in him by faith, we live to him by new obedience, and we shall live with him in glory, Col. 3.3, 4. Our life is hid with Christ in God: when Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.  
Seeing spiritual and eternal life, is only to be gotten in Christ, it is our duty and happiness to seek our life in him, 1. Because except we be in him by faith, we are dead and damned creatures. 2. If thou come to him for life, thou may be confident to obtain it; for, it is his great regrate, that the Jews would not come to him by faith, that they might have life, Joh. 5.40. 3. His willingness to give life unto penitent and believing sinners, is evident from his solemn protestation, Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? It is evident from the Son's errand in coming into the world, Joh. 12 47. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. It is evident from his faithful promise, Isa. 55.3. Incline your ear and come unto me: hear and your soul shall live. Joh. 6 51 I am the living bread, which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.  
When thou has be●n made partaker of the life of grace from Christ, labour to preserve that life; for he that is born of God keepeth himself, 1 Joh. 5.18. Preserve the life of grace, 1. By frequenting the Ordinances of Word and Sacraments; for as by these means the Lord begets this new life in us, so by the same means he preserves it in us, 1 Pet. 2.1, 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. As children, who forsake their meat, do decay daily; so Christians who loath or neglect the Sacred Ordinances, do decay in respect of the vigour of grace. 2. Frequent good company: as a good and wholesome air, is very profitable for preserving life and health natural; so good and gracious company, is very profitable by their wholesome conference and admonitions, to preserve the spiritual life of grace, Prov. 27.17. Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. But evil and ungodly company, is like evil weeds, that hinder the growth of good herbs: they by their evil example, and their mocking the work of God's grace in others, do discourage them, and sometimes abate the vigour of the life of grace in them. 3. Daily exercise is a mean to preserve natural life and health in some vigour, because, through want of exercise, the body becometh lazy, and the life less active: so daily exercising of ourselves to keep a good conscience void of offence toward God and men, is a notable mean to preserve the life of grace in some vigour; as Paul did, Acts 24.16. 4. When at any time thou perceivest a beginning of fainting in the life of grace, then at the first, go by prayer to Christ, who is the life, and wrought life in thee by his Spirit; pray to him, that according to the promise, (Isai. 40.29.) he would give power to thee who faintest, and that he would increase strength. It was the wisdom of the Shunamite, to come unto Elisha, that he might restore life to her child, who had gotten life at first by the help of his prayers: so it is the wisdom of believers, when in their sense, they seem to be dead and deprived of the life of grace, that sometime they had; at such a time to go to Christ, and by prayer and faith to wrestle with him, that he may come by his Spirit, and revive their fainting soul: It is their wisdom to do as Peter did, Mat. 14.30, 31. who beginning to sink, immediately he cried, saying, Lord save me, and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and saved him: so although the Lord may suffer thee to sink and fail in spirit, that thou may see and be humbled with the sight of thine own weakness: yet if thou run to him by prayer, he will not suffer thee to drown; but will stretch forth his hand of power, and revive thee and renew the vigour of thy faith, that thou may praise him who is the Author, the Preserver, and the Perfecter of the life of grace in his Saints. To him, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be immortal praise, honour and glory, for now and ever. Amen.   

The Attractive Power of the Death and Cross of Christ. SERMOM II.  JOHN 12.32. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 
OUr blessed Lord, in the vers. preceding; has spoken of his victory over Satan, of casting him out of his spiritual possession of the elect, and of their delivery from his power and bondage: In this vers. he speaketh of the procuring cause of their delivery, to wit, his own death on the Cross; and also of the powerful and efficacious application of the virtue of his death, by giving faith to the elect, to believe in him and draw their hearts toward him.  
Divis. In the words we have these two things, 1. The manner of our Lord his death, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth. 2. The virtue and efficacy of his death, I will draw all men unto me.  
Whereas it is said, If I be lifted up; the meaning is, when I shall be lifted up; for the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here, is taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when, as it is taken also, 1 Joh. 3.2. But we know, that when he shall appear, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. As for the manner of his death, If I be lifted up from the earth; There was a twofold lifting up of Christ: one from the earth unto the Cross, whereto his body was nailed at his death, whereof here, and Joh. 3.14. There was another lifting up after his death, unto the Throne of glory in Heaven, Acts 5.31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgivenness of sins. By his lifting up upon the Cross, and the merit of his death, he procured the remission of our sins; and by his lifting up, after his death, to the Father's right hand, he doth apply the remission of sins by his intercession. Our blessed Lord gave himself willingly for his sheep, Tit. 2.14. Joh. 10.17, 18. for if he had been pleased to make use of his own Almighty power, all the power of the world could not have taken his life from him; he that with one word did cast his enemies to the ground; who by his power, even upon the Cross, did rend the rocks, he could easily have rend in pieces the tree whereto his body was nailed: yet in his wisdom, he was pleased to suffer death at the hands of his enemies: though his death was simply voluntar, yet in some respects it was . 1. There was a necessity of it, in respect of the punishment threatened against man upon his disobedience, The day thou eatest, thou shalt die: therefore there was a necessity of satisfaction to divine truth and justice by the death of Christ, the Mediator and surety of the Covenant of Grace, which was made in him, Gal. 3.16. and ratified by him, Heb. 7.22. 2. There was a necessity in respect of God's decree to send his Son, that he might make satisfaction to Divine Justice in our nature; therefore it is said by our Lord, Joh. 17.6. Thine they were, and thou gavest them to me. They were the Fathers by election; and given to the Son, that he might satisfy for them, reconcile them, and in end bring them to the salvation appointed for them: As a King resolving to release and give liberty to so many Rebels, Prisoners, giveth them over to his Son, that he may pay their ransom, and so obtain their liberty, according to the Father's decree. For this cause, our blessed Lord, in respect of the decree of the Father to send him into the world, that he might die and save his elect, is called the Lamb fore-ordained or predestinated, 1 Pet. 1.20.  
This manner of death of our blessed Lord upon the Cross, was necessary, 1. That he might be answerable to that type of the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wilderness, Job. 3.14. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. 2. That by this manner of death, he might deliver us from the curse of the Law, Gal. 3.13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. He underwent a temporary curse, to deliver us from the eternal curse and wrath due to the transgressors of the Moral Law: Although there be no proportion between the suffering of a temporary curse, and the suffering of an eternal curse, due to us; yet, the dignity of the person suffering, did give infinite value to the merit of his suffering, Heb. 9.14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God? And the person suffering, being the Son of God, made the virtue and efficacy of his death, to be of infinite power to purge away our sins, and reconcile God to us, 1 Joh. 1.7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 3. Our blessed Lord died upon the Cross, that by this shameful death he might merit our exaltation unto favour with God in this life; for, he made our peace with God through the blood of his Cross, Col. 1.20. and that he might merit our exaltation unto everlasting glory in the life to come, Heb. 12.2. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the Cross: this joy and glory set before him, as Mediator, was that glory and triumph he should obtain over all his and his Church's enemies.  
It should be our great desire and endeavour, with the Apostle, to know Christ and him crucified, 1 Cor. 2.2. To this knowledge all humane learning should be subservient. It is of special use, 1. It will inflame thine heart with love to the Father, whom gave him to the death of the Cross for thee, that thou shouldest not perish, but, believing in him, thou might be reconciled with God, and get eternal life; It will inflame thy heart with love to the Prince of glory, when thou considerest for whom he suffered this ignominious death of the Cross: It was even for thee, who by nature was an enemy to God at first by a wicked inclination, and after thou camest to the years of discretion, thou wast a rebel by thy wicked actings and works: Men sometimes have died for their friends, as Codrus and Curius for the good of their country; but God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Rom. 5.8. when thou considerest the painfulness of his death; hands and feet were pierced and nailed to the tree of the Cross: In the hands and feet, which are the extremities of the body, the sinews meet together and convey the pain to all the parts of the body: And the purer and finer the complexion be, the sense of feeling is the more quick, as a sound and cleanly body is more sensible of the cold piercing Air, than a gross humorous body. Look in narrowly to the inside of his sufferings, even the greatness of his soul-sufferings; they cannot be conceived, how extreme they were: therefore the Greek Church, in their public prayers, said, For the sake of Christ's unknown sufferings, have mercy upon us, O Lord. We may know something of them from his expressions, my soul is exceeding sorrowful; Thou may see something of them in his bloody sweat; our raging fever in our sinning, brought on him this bloody sweat, that thereby he might cure us of the burning fever of sin: we hear something of his soul-sufferings from his most sad complaint to the Father, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? we had forsaken God days without number, and he was deserted of comfort for a time, to satisfy for our sinful desertions; and bring us into a communion of favour and glory with God. Consider the shamefulness of his death; He was exposed to the public shame and reproach of his enemies, and of all the beholders; and shame to an ingenious spirit, is worse than death; it racks and breaks their heart, Psal. 69.20. Reproach hath broken my heart. Consider his willingness to die, Isa. 50.6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hide not my face from shame and spitting. Phil. 2.8. He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Consider for what end our blessed Lord suffered all this pain and shame: his back was furrowed with stripes and scourges, that by his stripes we might be healed; his head was crowned with thorns, to get us a crown of immortal glory, he suffered all this pain and shame, to save thee from extreme and endless pain and shame: How should a sick patiented love his Physician, that preveens a dangerous fever? And how should a malefactor love the man, who kept him from the shame of the pillory? How much more should we love our blessed Lord, who by the death of the Cross, hath saved us from that unquenchable fire, and hath preserved us from eternal shame and confusion?  
2. The frequent and serious meditation on the Cross of Christ, will keep thine heart humble with godly sorrow for thy bygone sins, that crucified the Lord of glory. Zach. 12.10. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one that mourneth for his only son, etc. It will mortify the love of sin in thee for time coming: sorrow and shame are two mortifying passions; as a debtor is sorry and ashamed of the distress his surety was put to for his debt; and he is very sparing to take on new debt, 2 Cor. 5.14. The love of Christ constraineth us; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hemmeth us in, and makes us straitlaced, not to dispense with ourselves, to debord toward any thing may offend him, who died such a death, to satisfy divine justice for our debts and sins. It will mortify thee to the World; to the deceitful pleasures thereof, and to such things as take up the thoughts and affections of too many, Gal. 6.14. But God forbidden that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Joy in the Cross of Christ, suppresseth, and in end quencheth, all sinful joy; as sweet odours bear down the stench of noisome and corrupt vapours; so the sweet smell of Christ crucified, doth bear down our vile lusts. This joy in the Cross of Christ, surpasseth even all lawful worldly joy; as the wine of Christ's own making in Cana, (Joh. 2.) did far surpass the wine at the feast, that grew by the industry of men.  
3. The meditation of the Cross of Christ, will encourage and strengthen thee against all pain and shame of this present world in thy suffering for the name of Jesus; when thou remember'st how thy Lord endured the Cross, and despised the shame, to satisfy for thy sins, and to purchase unto thee eternal rest from all pain; to preserve thee from everlasting confusion, to bring thee unto everlasting glory, 1 Pet. 4.14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. Therefore whensoever God calleth thee to suffering, go not to shift it, as a duty wherein others are more concerned than thyself; When Octavius Augustus, was desired by an old Soldier to speak unto the Roman Senate in his favours; Octavius answered, he should cause one speak to them in his behalf; then did the Soldier open his breast, and shown the scars of the wounds, he had received at the battle of Actium for his cause; and that he had not interposed any other between his body and the enemy: So Christ in his own body did suffer for thee, 1 Pet. 2.24. and when he calleth thee to suffer for his name, put not off that duty to others, seeing he himself suffered for thee, as well as for others.  
4. The meditation on the Cross of Christ, yields great comfort to us in all our fears, from our spiritual enemies, Col. 2.15. Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in his cross. In which words, the Apostle alludeth to the custom of triumph after great victories over enemies; when the Captives were openly dragged in chains after the Chariot of the Conqueror: so our blessed Lord, by his death on the Cross, as his triumphing chariot, hath led captivity captive. And, 1. spoiled Satan our Arch-enemy, of all the Elect, who through the corruption of nature, are for a time, led captive at his will: Although now and then after their effectual calling and conversion, he infest and molest the children of God by his temptations and infalls; yet the Captain of their Salvation, by the merit and power of his cross, in end will give them the victory; as he prayed for Peter, Luke 22 30. And as he has promised, Rom. 16.20. Augustine Tractat. 52. in joan. saith well, Aliud est regnare intrinsecus, aliud forinsecus oppugnare: It is a divers thing to reign within in the heart, and to beseige from without. Satan reigneth not in the children of God, though he beset and beseige them with temptations from the World. 2. The Captain of our Salvation triumphed over the World in his own person, when for all the glory of the World he would not once stoop to the Tempter, Matth. 4. When ever he pleased, he restrained the malicious designs of men, Joh. 7.46. Act. 16.10. Therefore be of good comfort in all thy fears from malicious and wicked men, Joh. 16.33. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. 3. He triumphed over death, 1 Cor. 15.56. O Death! I will be thy death. He hath taken the sting from death: to the godly it is as the brazen Serpent in this wilderness, it has not a sting; but will cure us fully of all the stings we got here; of the sting of temptation; of the sting of a guilty conscience; and of the sting of venomous tongues. Thy death through Christ his victory on the Cross, shall be unto the as the valley of Anchor, an entrance to thy promised rest. 4. He by the merit of his Cross, overcame the the power of the grave, and manifested his victory by his rising on the third day, Hos. 13.14. O grave! I will be thy destruction. 1 Cor. 15.21, 22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead: for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Though thy body be turned into dust, yet shall it not be annihilat, nor turned into nothing; but shall be kept in a chamber of repose, Isa. 57.2. They shall rest in their beds, and shall be raised as a Bride adorned with Ornaments of glory, conform to our blessed Lord his glorious body, Phillip 3.20.  
The virtue and efficacy of our blessed Lord, his sufferings on the Cross, is contained in these words, I will draw all men unto me: for understanding of this, we would know, 1. How Christ is said to draw; seeing the will cannot be forced; and none are welcome to Christ, but such as are willing. 2. How is he said to draw all men, for all men do not believe? 3. What manner of drawing this is, seeing it is not only a drawing in some measure toward him, but even unto him, for an union with him, for it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, unto me? Ans. to the first: by drawing here, is meant Christ, his effectual calling of the Elect, unto grace by the Gospel, holding forth Christ crucified, and by his Spirit working faith in the heart to go to Christ, and embrace him willingly for the salvation of their souls: In ●espect of this drawing, the believing Romans are said to be the called of Jesus Christ, Rom. 1.6. 1. As in drawing, the power attractive is from without us, and is in him that draweth us; so the power of believing, by which we come to Christ, is from God, Joh. 6.44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him. Ephes. 2.8. for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God. 2. Drawing presupponeth life in him that is drawn; for dead men are carried, and not drawn on their own feet, so actual faith and drawing near to Christ, presupponeth the principle of grace and faith put first into the soul; therefore Christ is called the author and finisher of our faith, Heb. 12.2. 3. There is a drawing, not only in the first beginning of our motion and conversion unto Christ; but also after we are entered into the course of grace, we are drawn and promoved therein by subsequent and assisting grace; of which drawing, the Spouse of Christ speaketh, after her saving knowledge of Christ, from the sweet smell of his graces, Can. 1.3, 4. draw me, and we shall run after thee. This drawing is as the continuance of a prosperous gale of wind, for promoving the ship in her course.  
To the second, I answer, by all men, is meant sometimes all individuals, 1 Tim. 4.10. He is the Saviour of all men, that is, all men who get any temporal salvation or delivery, they have it from the living God. In this sense, all things are said to have been made by him, Joh. 1.3. In this sense it cannot be taken here, for all men are not outwardly called by the Gospel, which is yet hid from many Nations; and many outwardly called, are not drawn and called effectually, Matth. 22.14. Matth. 23.37. 2. It is taken by way of restriction, to the subject-matter spoken of in the same place, as 1 Cor. 9.22. I am made all things to all men, to wit, in the use of my Christian liberty, in matters indifferent: 3. It is taken for very many, though not simply for all individuals of men, Joh. 11.48. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, that is, very many will believe on him. 4. It is taken for all kinds, as Act. 10.12. Peter saw in a vision a great sheet, wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts on the earth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Rev. 5.9. Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. So it is taken here for all kinds of men; rich and poor, male and famale, Jews and Gentiles; as it is taken, Joh. 11.51, 52. He prophesied, that Jesus should die for that Nation: and not for that Nation only, but that also he should gather together in one, the children of God that were scattered abroad. Joh. 10.16. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold: and one shepherd. Gal. 3.28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Col. 3.11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all, and in all. Augustine understands this place of these who are predestinate to salvation, or of all kinds of men.  
To the third I answer, there is an outward drawing and calling by the preaching of the Word, Matth. 23.37. Our Lord saith, O Jerusalem! how often would I have gathered thy children together, etc. and ye would not? There is an inward drawing by the cord of Faith and Love, wrought and fastened in the heart by the Holy Ghost, Act. 11.21. The hand of the Lord was with these Preachers, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. The outward drawing by the word, without this inward drawing by the Spirit, is not effectual for man's conversion, Act. 13.45. The unbelieving and envious Jews were not drawn by the Word preached by Paul, but they contradicted and blasphemed his Doctrine, Heb. 4.2. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Although the word preached be a mean sufficient in its own kind, that is, a sufficient outward mean; yet is it not simply sufficient for conversion: As Ploughing and Sowing, are sufficient outward means for fruitfulness; but are not effectual without the first and latter rain.  
This effectual drawing, is a drawing upward of the soul by faith unto an union and communion with Jesus Christ in his merits, Joh. 6.65. No man, said our Lord, can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. The grace of faith is given to us from above; it is like a cord cast down from the Rock of our Salvation, to save man from drowning and destruction in his sins; it is a drawing of the heart upward unto Christ by faith in this life, and a bringing of the soul to the enjoyment of glory in the life to come, Joh. 17.24. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me. The sense of Christ's love in dying for us, is like the heat descending from the Sun, and drawing up the purified vapours: It is like the Loadstone drawing up the hard and heavy Iron: The sense of Christ's love in dying for us, softens our hard hearts, and turneth them toward himself. 2. As it is a drawing of the heart up to himself by faith and love, so it is an obediential drawing by love and obedience to the ways of his holy Commandments: It is not a drawing only toward an outward profession of the truth from the custom of others, or hope of worldly applause or benefit; as Simon Magus was baptised, that he might retain the respect and following of many Samaritans his old followers, who had now been baptised: neither is it a drawing to the profession of the truth, only for fear of worldly loss; as many of the Persians became Jews in their outward dissembled profession, for fear of the Jews: But this inward drawing and believing, is from love to God in the will, Psal. 110.3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, that is, when thou, together with thy Word, exerts the power of thy invincible g●ace, thou wilt make thy people willing and obedient to follow thee in the ways of thy Commandments. 3. It is an equal and uniform drawing both of the inner and outer man; all the powers of the soul, like so many wheels, anointed and moved by the Spirit of God, are drawn after the Spirit, according to the outward drawing of the Word, as it is said of that extraordinary drawing by the Spirit, Ezek. 1.20. Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went. The understanding is enlightened by heavenly knowledge, and light within, by the Spirit of God, according to the outward light of the Word, 2 Cor. 4.6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. The will is strongly inclined to embrace Christ, and is sick of love to enjoy him, Cant. 3.8. The affections, like the inferior wheels, are moved and carried toward Christ by an enlightened understanding, and by a vehement inclination of the will, Cant. 5.4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. Although the drawing and motion toward Christ beginneth from within, yet it stayeth not there, but draweth also the outward man unto Christ; the members of the body become weapons of righteousness, Rom 6.13. As the motion of the Clock, is first within, and thereafter perceived in the regular motion of the Hand of the Horologe, and in the sound of the Bell; so the inward drawing and motion of the soul, is perceived in our outward regular actions, and gracious communications. 4. It is a most sweet and delightful drawing; the God of all grace by his prevening grace maketh us first willing, and then by his subsequent and assisting grace draweth us most sweetly, with delectation in our hearts after him: It is, as when one is drawn forward to a place from the sent of precious odours, Cant. 1.3, 4. It is as the speedy mounting of an Eagle upon wing from the smell and fight of the dead carcase; so the sight and sent, through faith, of Christ crucified, doth most sweetly and willingly draw an hungry soul unto Christ to be fed and refreshed out of the fullness of the merit of his death, Mat. 24.28. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the Eagles be gathered together. Augustine in his Tractat. on this place, ●aith, It is a drawing, as the shepherd going before, draweth the sheep after him, by holding forth a green branch in his hand: so our blessed Lord worketh in the hearts of the elect that gracious disposition of his own sheep, to hear and follow his voice; and thereafter by the sweetness of the object propounded to them, to wit, Christ the Branch of Righteousness, and by the inward operation and strong impulse of the Spirit, he maketh them follow the outward call of the Word. Joh. 10.4. When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5. It is an invincible, and  drawing; it is not only by moral suasion of motives taken from benefit, or prejudice to their souls; but it is by a powerful persuading, and efficacious inclining of the heart, Gen. 9.27. God shall persuade Japhet, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem. Hos. 2.14. Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her, or, to her heart. Although there is in all men a corrupt principle of resistance to the will of God, yet when God is pleased to exert that exceeding greatness of his power toward them that believe, Eph. 1.19. Actual resistance is overcome by the insuperable grace of God, Jer. 17.14. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved. Jer. 31.18. Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Augustine calleth the operation of grace in our conversion to the ways of God, victrix delectatio, an overcoming delight, like a sweet and strong smell overcoming and bearing down corrupt vapours and exhalations: this grace of God in conversion, is rejected by no hard heart, because willingness to resist, is taken away, as Augustine speaketh well to this purpose.  
Therefore humble penitents should look up by faith to Christ on the Cross, as he is held forth to them in the Gospel: The persons stung in the wilderness, looked to the brazen serpent, and were healed; so whatever thy sins hath been, and whatsoever be the sting of thy guilty conscience, confess thy sins, with purpose and active endeavours for amending thy ways; draw near by faith to Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be healed, Joh. 3.14, 15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life. Although thy faith be weak, yet if convinced of thy sins, and mourning for them, thou look to Christ alone for salvation, thou shalt be saved, Isai. 45.22. Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else: which place speaketh expressly of Christ, if we compare vers. 23. with Phil. 2.11. All that looked to the brazen serpent in the wilderness, were not alike quicksighted; yet all who looked, were healed: So all stung with sorrow in their hearts for their sins, if they fix their eye and heart upon Christ crucified, they shall be saved, though faith be weak in the measure: for our salvation doth not depend upon the strength of our faith, but upon the strength and power of Christ, in whom we believe. And if thou be truly drawn by faith to Christ, than Christ and his Cross will be great in thine eyes and estimation, far above all things here below: As a man lifted up to an high mountain, esteems things below in the valley to be but small; so a soul elevated by saith to Christ, and to things that are above, esteems little of all things on earth, in comparison of Christ and his unsearchable and durable riches, Phil. 3.8. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. And the true believer glorieth most in the Cross of Christ, who endured the Cross, and despised the shame, to save us poor souls from extreme and everlasting pain and shame, Gal. 6.14. As we believe the merit of the Cross of Christ, so let us labour to feel more and more of the power of his Cross crucifying sin in us, and drawing our hearts from the vanities of this present world, and quickening us to serve and honour him, who spared not his life, but gave it to the death of the Cross for us. To him; with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be all praise, etc. Amen.   

Soul-healing virtue in Christ to the broken in heart. SERMON III.  PSAL. 147.3. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. 
THe holy Prophet stirreth up his own heart, and the hearts of others from the consideration of the glorious attributes and works of the Lord, to praise his great Name: and amongst these works for the manifestation of his compassion and mercy toward poor mourning sinners; because he healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds: This our blessed Lord applieth to himself as a work of mercy, common to him with the Father, Luk. 4.18. He hath sent me to heal the .  
As in healing the diseases and wounds of the body, there be these three considerable, 1. The Physician. 2. The Patient. 3. The Cure itself: So it is in healing the diseases of the soul, and wounds of the spirit of man. We have all these three, in these words, 1. The Physician is the Lord himself, Jehovah, Herald 2. The Patient, The broken in heart, and wounded in spirit. 3. The Cure, He healeth.  
The Lord God, is the sovereign Physician, who according to his good pleasure healeth all distempers: He healeth a distempered civil State, by restoring civil Peace, Psal. 46.9. Psal. 147.14. A distempered Church, by restoring Unity, Peace and Love, Isa. 30.26. Jer. 30.17. Jer. 32.39. He healeth breaches in families, by restoring domestic Peace and Amity; He healeth distempers through bodily diseases, Ezod. 15.25. 2 Kings 20.5. He healeth Souls distempered, through the guilt and sting of an evil conscience, Psal. 103.3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases. Jer. 3.22. Return ye backsliding Children, and I will heal your backslidings. In all our distempers, it is our wisdom and duty to go to God, and to his Son Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Physician for healing sick Souls. Psal. 61.2. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psa. 60.2. Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal all the breaches thereof, for it shaketh: especially when the soul is in an high fever and distemper of grief and fear, through bypast sins, Psal. 41.4. I said, Lord be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee. We should use the outward means ordained by God, for healing our souls; such as are the hearing of the Gospel, receiving the holy Sacrament of the holy Supper, and daily Prayer: these are, through God's blessing, strengthening and healing Ordinances: but we must not rest on the outward performances, or on the abilities of the Minister thereof; as if there were any Intrinsecal virtue in them, for healing a sick and fainting Soul: The Word was preached by Christ himself, and yet no healing followed, Matth. 23.37. Luke 19.42. The Sacrament of Baptism was ministered by Philip the Evangelist to Simon Magus, and yet there was no healing of that gall of iniquity in his heart: when a people look too much to the instruments, who preach the Word, or minister the Sacraments, it provokes our jealousy, God many times to withhold assistance from the Ministers, and a blessing from the outward means to the people: for all these outward Ordinances are but empty cisterns, till they be filled by an influence of power and life from himself, Joh. 6.63. It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. The outward Ordinance, without the Lords special presence and blessing, is like the staff of Elisha, in the hand of Gehazi, they do not quicken a dead soul, nor awake the sleepy and secure soul, 2, Kings 4.31. Therefore inusing the outward means for healing our souls, we should go by Prayer to the great Physician himself, that by his Spirit he would go along with the outward Ordinances.  
If thou go to him, thou needest not despare of healing, for in his own due time he will heal all that come to him, Jer. 17.14. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. There is no soul-disease incurable to him, though in it there were a complication of infirmities and distempers, Isai. 1.16, 18. Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your do from before mine eyes, cease to do evil: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, etc. Though thy sins were inveterat through custom from thy childhood, like the Lunatic child, Mark 9.21. Though incurable through all the counsel of friends, like the disease of that sick woman, Luke 8.43. Therefore come yourselves to him, and let parents bring their stubborn children in their prayers to Him the great Physician, who can heal perverse spirits, and make crooked things strait, even when parents and friends has despaired of their recovery from their soul-distempers and evil ways: In all distempers and wounds of spirit from outward grievous afflictions, come to this Sovereign Physician; though creatures neither can, nor will heal thee; yet he will come near to the afflicted, who under affliction bodily, are most afflicted in their spirit for their sins, Psal. 27.10. Jer. 30.17. Hos. 2.14. I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. When the godly are in a desolate, and wildernesse-like condition, and few or none to comfort: then the Lord, in an acceptable time, comes in to the soul with comfort: all the moral Instruments of our comfort and healing, are but as an Apprentice who can do nothing without their masters secret information and direction: therefore the  would come to Jesus Christ, who had a calling from the Father, (Luke 4.18.) to bind up and heal the broken in heart: he healed Inveterat bodily diseases, as one of twelve years, one of eighteen, and one of thirty eight years, for the comfort of all poor humbled sinners, who formerly have accustomed themselves to do evil. He is a skilful Physician to apply several Medicines for healing several diseases: He has Corrosives to awake these who are in a spiritual Lethargy; even the spirit of burning and judgement, Isai. 4.4 He has sharp afflictions as a scourge to tame and daunt proud and vain men, who are in a spiritual Phrency, and distempered with an heady conceit of their own righteousness, Job 36.8, 9 If they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; then he showeth them their work, and their transgressions; that they have exceeded. He has Lenatives and Restauratives to poor fainting Souls; even the sweet promises of the Gospel, Isa. 57.11. Matth. 5.3, 4. Matth. 11.28. Though this great Physician, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Humane Nature, be locally in Heaven, yet he can heal broken hearts on earth, by the virtue and presence of his Spirit, through the power of hi● Intercession at the Father's right hand, 1 Joh. 2.1, 2. If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our sins. He healed the Centurion's sick servant at a distance, Matth. 8. And the Son of that Noble man, (Joh. 4.51.) at a distance also: As the Sun in the Firmament, though at a distance from the Earth, doth quicken and revive the Creatures by the influence of light and heat; so the Sun of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ, doth by the influences of his Spirit and Virtue, quicken and revive a soul fainting under the burden of sin.  
2. The Patient under God's Cure, is the broken in heart, or, wounded in spirit, The broken heart, is called also in Scripture a contrite spirit, Ps. 51.13. Is 57.15. When the heart that was sometime whole and hard like a stone, is broken into pieces, like a grain bruised between the upper and nether millstone: so the heart of a truly humbled sinner, is crushed between the sense of divine justice, displeased with its sins; and the sense of divine love manifested in the Gospel: it is called a bruised spirit, Isa. 42.3. When the heart is bruised and bowed down so with the burden of many and manifold sins; that from the deep sense of grief and shame for them, they have not the confidence to look up to God, Psal. 40.12. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up, etc. It is called a wounded spirit, Prov. 18.14. because the Lord of hosts, provoked by our sins, doth justly wound the guilty conscience with pain, that the wounded spirit can get no rest. Psal. 38.3. There is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger: neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin. It is called a soft and tender heart, sensible of the danger and vileness of sin; Josiah his heart, was tender and humbled at the hearing of the Law, 2 Chron. 34.27. A rend heart, Joel 2.12. When the love of sin is emptied out of the heart by repentance; as water out of a rend vessel: and it is called an heart of flesh, pliable and yielding to walk in the commandments of God, Ezek. 36.26, 27.  
The necessity of a broken heart, is evident from the text, because it is the broken heart only that God healeth. 1. God taketh speci-notice of the broken in heart, Psal. 56.8. Ezek. 9.4. 2. He preserveth the broken in heart in the midst of common calamities, Psal. 34.18. Ezek. 9.4. For if they be taken away with the common calamity, yet they get their souls for a prey. Good Josiah, is said to have been gathered to his grave in peace, 2 Chron. 34.28. Although he was slain by the bloody sword of an enemy. 3. It is evident from the contrary evil of an hard heart; because man's wilful hardening of himself in his evil ways against warnings from the Word of God, from the rod of God upon himself or others, and from the sharp checks of a guilty conscience, doth provoke God judicially to harden him, by giving him up to a Conscience past feeling, to commit sin with greediness, and so to obstruct their own healing, because not the hardened, but the broken in heart, are healed, Mat. 13.15. For this people's heart is waxed gross, etc. Lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. For when wicked men do wilfully harden themselves in their evil ways, it is just with God to withdraw his former common restraints, such as were the checks of a ●emording Conscience, and a panic fear of wrath to come; thereafter he casts the bridle on their neck: then do they run wild in their own imaginations, when they are given up in the just judgement of God to walk in the counsels of their own hearts; Psal. 81.11, 12.  
The means and helps for breaking of the heart, that in all men is naturally hard, are, 1. A laying to heart the severe threaten of God against sin, Jer. 23.29. Is not my word like an hammer? Many men hear the word of threatening, but are still hardened, their heart is not broken; because the threatening is not said to heart by Faith. The old world, (Mat. 24.39.) though they knew the threatening of the deludge by the preaching of Noah, yet they knew not, that is, they laid it not to heart, till the flood came: The hammer breaks not the hard stone, until it be laid to it with some pith; but when it is laid to heart, it doth in some measure begin the work of heart-breaking, Jonah 3.5. They believed God in his threatening, and proclaimed a fast, which was a proclamation of their sorrow for their sins: Faith to the threatening, worketh fear in the heart, and fear breaks the heart with present sorrow, from a present apprehension of the wrath to come; this was the cause of Ahab his sorrow and legal humiliation, 1 Kings. 21.27. but in the children of God, this fear and brokenness of heart, is so ordered in the wisdom and mercy of God, that it prepareth them for the comforts of the Gospel in Jesus Christ; as Noah moved with fear and apprehension of the threatened deludge, prepared an ark to the saving of himself and his house, Heb. 11.7. In like manner the children of God, warned and wakened by the threatening of the Law, flee in to Christ, the only Ark and propitiation, that covereth believers from the curse of the Law and eternal wrath, 1 Joh. 2.1, 2. If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins. 2. Sad afflictions, laid home with conviction to the Conscience, is a mean ofttimes ordered by God to break an hard heart, as is seen in Manasseh, who was humbled by his fetters, and in the Prodigal, who was humbled by great famine and want: the unjust reproaches of enemies, contrary to their intention (like that man, who opened the Apostem in the body of his enemy, by a dart thrown at him) are ordered by God to break the heart of his children with sorrow for bypast sins: the reproaches of vile Shimei, calling David a bloody man in the matter of Saul, wherein he was most innocent; yet it did break his heart with sorrow in remembrance of the matter of Vriah. 3. A particular confession of our sins, is a mean blest of God to the breaking of the heart: when we consider the circumstances of their number and greatness against infinite Majesty, infinitely just, who will not clear the guilty, when we consider the Omniscience and Omni-presence of God, that we have done this and the other evil in his sight, and so have been shamless in our sinning; as the vile adulteress, is shameless by entertaining the adulterer in the presence of her husband: when we consider our wilfulness and obstinacy in sinning against the light of our own conscience, as these men did, Act. 7.51. When we consider our relapses, like the Sow to the puddle, & the Dog to the vomit, after many promises and resolutions in the day of affliction to the contrair: when we consider our base ungratitude, not only neglecting to render to the Lord according to his benefits bestowed upon us; but also our rendering to him evil for good, and so deserving, that evil of punishment should never departed from us, Prov. 17.15. 4. A particular register & remembrance of God's former mercies in doing us good all our days, by providing for us, and preserving us from many visible and invisible dangers; when we call to remembrance his patience and long-suffering in bearing with us in our sins: this broke the hard heart of the Prodigal, when he remembered the former bounty of his gracious father. Luk. 15.17, 18. 5. A serious and frequent meditation of death and judgement, will be a mean to break an hard heart, a● a man drowned in debt, not acquainted with any that will be surety for him; and knoweth assuredly, the rude Messenger will take him personally at the Term, arrest him, and present him to the Judge; then the irrevockable sentence will come forth, Take him, bind him hand and foot, etc. It broke the heart of Paul's companions, that he said, they should see his face no more, Act. 20.38. So the fear of the day of death and of judgement, should break the hard heart, when they consider if they go on and die in their sins, they shall be separate from God for ever, and never shall see his face. Therefore break thine heart with sorrow for bygone sins, break off thy course of iniquity by righteousness; make thine acquaintance in time with Jesus Christ the Surety and Mediator of the New Covenant, and pray with Hezekiah, Lord, I am oppressed, undertake thou for me. If now he be thine Advocate, thou needest not be afraid of that day of judgement, because thy Advocate will be thy Judge: repent of thy sins, and by faith make application to him as thy Advocate and intercessor at the Father's right hand: be of good courage, he that speaketh for thee now, will not speak against thee in that day. 6. Look oft by Faith and frequent meditation upon Christ crucified: this is a special Medicine and Lenitive to soften the hard heart, Zach. 12.10. This look to him by faith, is like the blood of the goat, which breaketh the hard Adamant; look on him wounded for thy transgressions, both in his body and spirit: shall the innocent Cautioner be wounded, and sore distressed? and shall not the Principal debtor be wounded with sorrow for the debt he himself contracted? shall our spotless Cautioner suffer shame and reproach? and shall not our hearts be broken with grief and shame for our sins, which put the innocent Lamb of God to open reproach? Psal. 22.6, 7. Psal. 69.20. 7. Pray to God for a soft and broken heart, it is promised in the New Covenant, Ezek. 36.26, 27. Pray for the influence and insuperable operation of the grace of God upon thy hard heart, that thou may know in thyself what is the exceeding greatness of his power to them who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, etc. Ephes. 1.19. The influence of his overpowering and overcoming grace, will be as Aquafortis, to cut and divide an heart of iron: we are like little children within the house, that can shut the door of the heart upon ourselves, but cannot open it: Therefore we must cry to him, who both opens the dark understanding (Luk. 24.45.) and also the heart and affections, Act. 16.14. that he would open our hard hearts by his prevening grace, and by his subsequent grace, he would keep them open, and enlarge them by love toward himself, and his holy Commandments.  
3. The cure of the broken in heart, he healeth them, and bindeth up their wounds. God healeth these that are of a broken heart with sorrow under great afflictions, upon their persons or outward estate, Hos. 6.1. Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. The Lord healeth these that are thus wounded, by giving them patience and strength in the inner-man to bear the visitation of the Lord in the day of their trouble, Psal. 138.3. In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthendst me with strength in my soul. Sometimes he comforts them with inward peace and joy; that exceeds the pain they have from outward tribulation, 2 Cor. 1.4, 5. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, &c: For, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ: and sometimes by delivering them in their greatest extremity, 2 Cor. 1.9, 10. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.  
The Lord healeth also, in a more special manner, those whose hearts are broken with sorrow for their sins: This is the healing we should desire most, as David did in the time of his great sickness, Psal. 41.4. I said, Lord be merciful unto me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee. Our greatest care should be of soul-health, 1. Because our care should be greater to have the soul healed, than the body or outward estate: This was David's first and greatest desire in the time of sore sickness, Ps. 39.8, 13. he first prays for deliverance from his sins, and then, with submission, for deliverance from his bodily disease, Deliver me from all my transgressions: O spare me, that I may recover strength before I go hence, and be no more. The soul is more precious than the body; as men are more careful to have an Apostem in the inward and noble parts healed, than a scratch in the skin of the body; so our first and greatest care should be, to have the diseases of our souls healed. 2. If the spirit be healed, and if a man have peace with God and his own conscience, he will be able patiently to bear the infirmities of the body; But, a wounded spirit who can bear? Prov. 18.14. As a man having an Ulcer in his back, is much disquieted, even with a little burden: but if the back be sound and whole, he can walk quietly under a great burden: So when there is no health nor peace in the conscience, a very small affliction doth disquiet and perplex our hearts: but when we have inward health and peace in the conscience, we are able through the Lord, who strengtheneth us, to walk patiently and quietly under a great affliction, Psal. 23.4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psal. 138.7. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. 3. Unlese ye have a care of your souls-healing in this life, there is no coming to perfect soul-health and salvation in Heaven: as the Lepers, under the Law, were not admitted into public meetings, till first they were cleansed and healed; so no unclean thing shall enter into the New Jerusalem, Rev. 21.27.  
That we may the better understand what this soul-healing is, and how the cure is performed, we would consider, that sin in Scripture is compared oftentimes to sickness, Isai. 1.5. and in many places to leprosy. 1. In bodily sickness, there is a privation and want of health, so in sin, there is want of Original Righteousness, which was the sound constitution of man in the state of innocency. 2. In bodily sickness, there is a collision of humours, like contrary waves, making a commotion in the body; so in our corrupt hearts, there is a contrariety of unruly lusts, one desiring this visible and sensual good, and another lust, carried after another sinful object. 3. In sickness there is consumption, and a tendency unto death, unless it be prevened; so in sin, there is a tendency unto eternal death, unless it be prevened by the pardon of our sins in the blood of Christ. 4. In sickness bodily, men oftentimes become weaker and weaker; so unless they be restored by sanctification, sinners grow worse and worse, 2 Tim 3.13 Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.  
Therefore, by healing, is meant specially these two, 1. The forgiving of sin to these who are broken in heart with sorrow for it, Isa. 33.24. And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick, to wit, unto the second death: the people that dwell therein, shall be forgiven their iniquity. 2. The sanctifying of a  man, and healing him by degrees, from indwelling corruption, which many times overmastered him: these two acts of soul-healing, are set down, Psal. 103.3. Bless the Lord, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases. By the remission of sin, the soul is healed, and recovered from a state of guiltiness and obligation to punishment eternal; and by sanctification, it is recovered from pineing away in iniquity.  
The impediments of soul-healing, are, 1. Waywardness and frowardness of men, who cannot endure to have their wounds touched and ripped up by the word of reproof, Prov. 1.30, 31. They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof: therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. They cannot endure amputation and mortification of their sinful lusts, which are as a gangrened hand or foot, therefore they are not healed; but choose rather to pine away in their beloved lusts, than to have them cut off, and so to have their souls saved. 2. Hardness of heart, and stupid security, without apprehension of the danger, and vileness of their sins, makes them careless to seek to the Lord for healing their souls, Mat. 13.15. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 3. Wilful rejecting of the counsel and direction of the great Physician of our souls, given to us by his faithful Ministers, Jer. 51.9. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Mat. 23.37, 38. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, etc. how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not? Behold your house is left unto you desolate, etc. 4. A false conceit and imagination of our own righteousness and soul-health, is a great impediment to the healing of the soul, as the Phrenetick man, who thinks himself whole, seeketh not the Physician for healing, Matth. 9.12. They that be whole need not a Physician, but they that are sick; that is, they that are sensible of their souls distemper through the malady of sin, are sensible also of a necessity to be healed.  
The outward means of Soul-healing, are the Word, specially the Gospel-promises, Psal. 107 20 He sent his Word and healed them. Isai. 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One, etc. I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humhle, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isai. 61.1 The Lord God hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted. Psal. 51.17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart O God, thou wilt not despise. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper, is an outward mean for healing a broken heart; because it is a visible sign and seal of our Communion of Christ's Body broken for us, and of his blood shed for us; and his offering of his Body, and our receiving of it by Faith, is the special mean to heal the broken heart by the virtue of his Body broken for us: Prayer is a mean blessed of God for healing a broken heart: Moses (Num. 12.13.) cried unto the Lord in behalf of his leprous sister Miriam, saying, heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. And (2. Chron. 30.18, 19, 20.) Hezekiah prayed to the Lord for healing and forgiuness to the People, who had prepared their hearts to eat the Passeover, but had not been punctually cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary conform to the Law cerimonial: And it is said, the Lord harkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.  
The inward means of healing the Soul, are specially two. 1. Repentance, Jer. 3.20. Return ye backsliding Children, and I will heal your backslidings. Jer. 4.14. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. Repentance cleanseth the wound, and letteth out the malignant humour. 2. Faith is a special mean for Soul-healing; it is as the hand that applieth the healing-plaister; it applies the blood of Christ, wherewith the Soul is cleansed, Act. 16.31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. As the Haemoroise Woman, when she touched Christ, was healed by the healing virtue that came out of him; so when a humble  sinner doth lay hold on Christ, and the promise made in him, healing virtue comes from him, whereby guilt and obligation to eternal punishment, is taken away in our Justification, and the fever of corruption is much abaited, by the work and power of Sanctification.  
The manner of Gods healing the broken-heart, is, 1. Freely without any merit in man procuring the same; for, Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? Rom. 11.35. To this purpose saith the prophet, Isai. 43.25. I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, etc. 2. He healeth powerfully; so that when he puts to the hand of his invincible grace for healing, no distemper of the will can resist him; for he takes away willingness to resist, and so he gins his healing in cureing the malignancy of the will, Jer. 17.14. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. Jer. 31.18. Turn thou me, and I shall be turned. This efficacy of God's grace in healing Souls, is called the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward, who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. It is a power, exceeding and overcoming the power of our corruption, at the time when God is pleased 〈◊〉 exert it. 3. God heals the Soul gradually in ●espect of indwelling corruption: although (as is most probable) God justifies a sinner at once from the guilt of all his sins, actually forgiving him all his bypast sins, and giving him a right and claim through Christ unto the remission of sins to come: Yet the healing of the soul, from the vilness of indweling corruption in the course of Sanctification, is by degrees; for so long as the children of God are on Earth, there is in them grace and corruption, and each of them lusteth one against another, Gal. 5.17. 4. He healeth perfectly and fully all his Patients, at the end of their life, from all stain of Sin, and distemper of Conscience, through the stirring of inward corruption: as the Jewish Women were fully purified after Childbirth, before they were presented in the Temple; so our blessed Lord and Physician, after our new Birth and Regeneration, doth purify us in the course of Sanctification; and at death, having closed the course of our purification, doth after death, present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Jud. Epist. 24.  
Obj. One possibly may say, my heart is broken with sorrow for my sins, and yet their is no healing of my soul, nor peace and quietness in my Conscience; I may say, as Jer. 4.14, 19 I looked for the time of healing, and behold trouble. Ans. God is debtor to none for healing; he healeth the broken in heart, but not because their heart is broken: The distemper is merely from ourselves, but our healing is from his free Grace; with some sinners he deals more roughly than with others, according to his Wisdom and good Pleasure, Isai. 28.27. Paul is cast down to the ground, but the heart of Lydia is gently opened; some are sooner cured and comforted, to preveen despair; others are kept long under cure and exercise of Conscience, to preveen pride and presumption  
Therefore wait upon the Lord thy Physician, with all patience and submission. 1. Because he hath promised to heal the broken in heart, and in zeal to the glory of his Truth, he will perform his promise, Heb. 10.36. Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Our patience is the thing he willeth, and after the proof of our patience, we shall receive the good promised, he doth not heal us to our sense, at the first; David had not health and peace in his Conscience at the first, upon the breaking of his heart for these two heinous sins, Psal. 51.8, 12. The Lord in his wisdom, suspendeth healing and comfort, after the heart is broken, to the end in time coming we may be more careful to keep a good Conscience, which is the box wherein the precious Jewel of Peace and inward Joy, is preserved from rubs and defilments. 2. Consider, the more patiented thou art, thy inward pain will be the less: a sick man from his Impatience, that he is not healed so soon as he expected, doth both increase his pain and offend his Physician; and afterward when God gives to his impatient Children, any case from trouble, they are ashamed of their former Impatience; whereas patience and submission to God about the time, manner, and measure of our healing and delivering, will preveen the shame that ariseth from our impatience in times of trouble, and delayed relief, Rom. 5.4, 5. Patience worketh experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed. 3. Consider that our wise God, to manifest his Sovereign Dominion and free Grace, doth sometimes heal at the fi●st, even gross offenders, as the Publican Luke 18. And the notorious Thief, Luke 22. Sometimes he doth keep lesser offenders, for a long time under pain and terror of Conscience: In rich mercy he pitieth some of his Elect, that are in an high raging Fever of sin, and like to perish in it: As also in his Wisdom he keepeth lesser offenders, for a long time under exercise and disease of Conscience, lest they should think little of lesser sins, which ofttimes prove an inlet to greater sins. 4. Consider his Wisdom, who knoweth well, when and how, to deliver his own Children out of trials and troubles, 2 Pet. 2.9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptations. 5. Consider his Faithfulness, 1 Cor. 10.13. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Limit not the holy One of Israel to means or times: The Physicians of our bodies will not take it well, to be limited by their patients to this or that time of healing: but wait thou on him at all times in the use of the lawful means, and wait for him in hope; who can tell, but he will heal and comfort thee, in thy greatest extremity, with unexpected and abounding consolations? Isai. 41.17, 18. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them; I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.  
Quest. How shall I know, if I be in the way of recovery, from the fever of my corruption, and in the way to perfect Soul-health, and Salvation? Ans. 1. As the recovery of some health in the body, is known by the beating of the pulls, when it is more equal and regular than it was formerly; so if thou be in the way of Soul-health; whereas thy former motions and ways, were unequal, thou was once much for the lesser duties of the first Table, as the pharisees were in their precise payment of Tithes, but they neglected the substantial duties of the second Table, as Mercy, Faith and Judgement: At other times, thou seemed very zealous of the duties of the second Table, as the deputy Gallio was of the Emperor's honour and service; but as for the matters of God and true Religion, he accounted them but trifles, and cared not for them: but if thou be in the right way to perfect Soul-healing, the respect of thine heart, will be equal and uniform toward all the Commandments of God, Psal. 119 6. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy Commandments, Act. 24.16. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience, void of offence toward God and toward men. Though thou may fail sometimes out of Infirmity, and Inadvertence; yet the disposition and inclination of thy will, is found in all thy ways to honour God, Heb. 13.18. Pray for us; for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. 2. As in a begun recovery of bodily health, the former fever and thirst is in some measure abaited; so it will be with thee, if thou be in the way to Soul-health: whereas sometime thou didst drink-in Iniquity with greediness, as the Ox doth water, thou was insatiable in thy sinful desires; even when thy body was wearied in thine Iniquity, thy will was not wearied of it: but now if thou be in the way of recovery and ammendement, thy former desire after sin, will be much abaited, and thou wilt hate even wand'ring and straggling motions, Psal. 119.113. I hate vain thoughts, but thy Law do I love. 3. As natural appetit groweth in these that are in the way of recovery to bodily health, and their right taste gins to be restored: so whereas formerly the good Ordinances of God, were loathsome to thee in the time of thy raging Fever in sin, as Manna was to the people of Israel, in their feverish sits of Impatience and Discontent: Now, if thou be in the way to Soul-health, the Word of God will be sweet to thy Soul, Psal. 119.103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Thy former sins will be bitter to thee as wormwood; as a man scunners much afterward at the Dish, which did overset and distemper his stomach, so thou wilt abhor thy former evil ways, which did distemper thee, and bring pain to thy Conscience, Ezek. 36.31. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your do, that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Rom. 6.20, 21. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness: what fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? 4. The man in the way of recovery from bodily sickness, gins to have a stomach to digest grosser meats; whereas in the time of sickness, he tarrowed at every thing: So if thou be in the right way to Soul-health, begun peace in thy Conscience, will make thee digest even great afflictions and wants, 2 Sam. 23.5. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire; although he make it not to grow. Heb. 3.17, 18 Although the Figtree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the Vins, etc. yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 5 The sick man in the way to recovery, gets ●●me ability to walk; our blessed Lord said, J●h 5.8. to the man that was healed, Take up thy bed and walk. So, whereas formerly thou was wallowing in the more of vile sins, or lying in the bed of sluggishness, and carnal security: Now if thou be in the right way to perfect Soul-health, thou wilt endeavour to walk in the ways of God, as Manasseh did. 2 Chron. 33.16. and as Zacheus did, Luke 19.8.  
Quest. Ye will ask, what direction give ye us, after we are in the way of soul-recovery, that we may not relapse into our former fits and soul-distempers? Answ. 1. Be thankful to the great Physician, who hath begun in thee the course of Sanctification to heal thy soul: Hezekiah was thankful to God, after his recovery from his bodily disease, and went up into the house of the Lord, to worship and praise him: If thou be unthankful to thy Physician, thou cannot with any confidence in new troubles and distempers, go to him for help and relief. 2. Keep a good diet; be thou of a sober and humble spirit, both under the sense of former mercy recovering thee, and also under the sense of the dregs and relics of corruption dwelling in thee; which will not be perfectly cured till the hour of our death; a man in the way of recovery, abstains from such meat, as would provoke his old disease, and distemper him again; so abstain thou from evil company and all occasions, that would cast thee into a new fever of trouble in thy Conscience; as the holy Patriarch Judah did abstain from going to Thamar any more, Gen. 38.26. And as the holy Apostle Peter went out of the high Priests hall, where he had been tempted to deny his Lord, Luk. 22.62. 3. Be thou watchful and circumspect after thy begun recovery, as Hezekiah was, Isa. 38.15. What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. As a man who is recovering of a broken leg, walks at leisure and circumspectly, especially in rough ways, wherein are many stumbling-blocks: Remember often what our Lord said to the sick man that was healed, Joh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee. Be not secure, but follow the advice given by the Prophet to the King of Israel, after his victory against his enemies, 1 Kings 20.22. Go strengthen thyself, and mark and see what thou dost; for at the return of the year, the King of Syria will come up against thee. Much more shouldest thou watch against thy spiritual enemy, for thou knowest not how soon he may return with a violent temptation and assault upon thee. 4. Be careful to keep acquaintance and daily correspondence with God in thy devotion and spiritual duties; as a man healed of bodily sickness, is careful to keep good correspondence with the Physician that healed him, and when at any time he is afraid of a new fit of his old disease, he doth acquaint him; so do thou by prayer, make daily application to God who hath begun to heal thy soul, Mat. 26.42. and at thy first apprehension of the rising of any lust or noisome humour in thy soul, cry to him, as Paul did, 2 Cor. 12.8, 9 and thou shalt get a gracious answer as he did, My grace is sufficient for thee. To God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be immortal praise, etc. Amen.   

Soul-healing Virtue from Christ, by believing in him. SERMON IU.  JOHN 3.14, 15. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness: even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life. 
IT is said, Joh. 1.17. The Law was given by Mose●; but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The Moral and Ceremonial Law was by God's appointment proclaimed by Moses; but the grace of Justification and absolution from the curse of the Moral Law, as also Truth in fulfilling the Ceremonial Law, and answering to all the types under the Old Testament, came by Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, the body, and substance of all the legal Sacrifices and Offerings, Joh. 1.29. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the World. He is the truth of all the legal washings and purifications, 1 Joh. 1.7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. He is the truth of all the lights and lamps in the Levitical service, Joh. 8.12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. He is the truth of all the Levitical Altars, as he was of their sacrifices, Heb. 13.10. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the tabernacle. He is the alone Altar that sanctifieth all our spiritual offerings, 1 Pet. 2.5. His death was the true antitype of the lifting up of the brazen Serpent in the wilderness; as is clear from the words in the text: in which we have a vive resemblance between Christ crucified, and the brazen Serpent; as is clearly insinuat in the particle of similitude as, and in the particle of reddition and application, even so.  
The resemblance is, 1. In that which was lifted up, to wit, the brazen Serpent, and the Son of man. 2. In the place, to wit, in the wilderness. 3. In the lifting up of the Serpent upon a pole; and the lifting up of Christ upon the tree of the Cross. 4. In the necessity of the lifting up of both; there was a necessity of lifting up the brazen Serpent to heal those who were stung; so there was a necessity of the death of Christ, for healing and saving sinners, even so must the Son of man, etc. 5. There is a resemblance in the consequent and benefit following, their looking: all those, who being stung, did look on the brazen Serpent, were healed: So all sinners wounded with sorrow for their sins, and looking by faith, receiving him in all his offices, and resting on Christ crucified, as he is offered in the Gospel, shall not perish but have eternal li●e.  
2. There was some resemblance between that brazen Serpent and Jesus Christ, who by way of excellency, is called, The Son of man, 1. That Serpent was in outward form, like unto Serpents that have stings; but really it had no sting: So our blessed Lord, though he was in form like unto sinful men, yet was he without all sin, Rom. 8.3. He was in the similitude of sinful flesh, it is not said, In the similitude of flesh, for he was truly and really partaker of flesh and blood; but without sin: for he behoved to be clean himself, who was to cleanse us; and to be whole and perfect, who was to heal us. 2. That Serpent was not made of Gold, but of Brass: Jeroboams Calves were made of Gold: Our Lords outward Garb and fashion before the world, was without all show and pomp, Isai. 53.2. When we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him, Luk. 17.20. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. The ordinances of men are oftentimes very specious in their outside, as were the Calves of Jeroboam; but the Ordinances of God are simple, without outward splendour: as the holy Word preached in simplicity, and the holy Sacraments administered in simple elements, yet with them is great virtue, and a blessing to believers. The Word, accompanied by the Spirit of God, is the power of God to salvation, Rom. 1.16. and worketh effectually in those that believe, 1 Thes. 2.13 The Sacrament of Baptism, through the Spirit, is the Laver of Regeneration, Acts 22.16. 'tis 3 5. and the Sacrament of the holy Supper, is through the blessing of God, the real and spiritual communion of the body and Blood of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 10.16. Jeroboam his Calves, though of Gold, did not heal any who worshipped them: but there is much comfort and benefit to be had in the ●●●ple Ordinances of God, much more than in all the specious and glistering inventions of men. One old zealous Father, at the Council of Nice, prevailed more with that young Heathen Philosoph, for his conversion to the Christian Faith, even by speaking to him in the simplicity of the Gospel, than all the learned Fathers could do by dispute and arguing. 3. The occasion of making and lifting up the brazen Serpent, was their great pain and danger in being deadly wounded by the fiery fleeing Serpents, Numb 21. So the occasion, both of the Incarnation of Christ, and of his death upon the Cross, was our sins, wherewith we were wounded by the old Serpent, and had been in pain for ever, if Christ had not been Incarnate and died also for us; he was wounded for our transgressions, Isa. 53.5.  
The consideration of this, that our sins were the cause of the lifting up of Christ upon the Tree of the Cross, should work in us these three penal affections, 1. Grief and great sorrow for our bypast sins, Zech. 12.10. David when he saw the innocent people destroyed by the Pestilence, he was grieved at the heart, and said, 2 Sam. 24.17. Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? So we may and should say in the grief of our hearts, What hath the innocent Lamb of God done, who was without spot, and blameless? But we have sinned, and we have eaten the so●● Grape; and his teeth was set on edge: we stretched out our hearts and hands to iniquity; and his back was scourged for our offences. 2. It should work in our consciences, shame and self-indignation; and we should afflict our spirits for our sins, as Ephraim did, Jer. 31.19. I was ashamed, yea even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. 3. An active detestation of all sinful ways for time coming, as it is said, Job 34.32. That which I see not, teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more, Hos. 14.8. Ephraim shall say, what have I to do any more with idols?  
2. The place wherein the Serpent was lifted up, was the wilderness: even there did God provide a remedy, where no means of humane help was to be had: there was no antidotes to be found in the wilderness against the venom, for preserving from that inflammation, and extreme burning with pain: So fallen man, was in a wilderness-estate after he had sinned against God: for in holy Scripture, wilderness i● taken for, a desolate condition, Isai. 35 6. In the wilderness shall waters break out; that is, plentiful refreshment by the Messiah. Isai. 41.18. I will make the wilderness a pool of water. When no remeed for healing man could be had from creatures, the righteous Angels could not satisfy infinite Justice, they being finite creatures: no more than the payment of ten pounds can exhaust the debt of an hundred thousand pounds: holy and righteous men cannot satisfy for themselves, Psal. 143.2. And enter not into judgement with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Yet in such an extremity, like a wilderness, wherein no out-gate is seen, the Lords own arm brought salvation to his people, Isai. 63.5. I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it upheld me. In this wilderness, our blessed Lord was lifted up; let us look by faith to him, when at any time we are stung with the tongues of a viperous generation, and backbiters, who are like Dan, an adder by the way; in such a case look thou to Jesus Christ lifted up on the Cross, mocked and reviled, Heb. 12.3. Consider him, that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. In this world, that is a wilderness of many Labyrinths and difficulties, wherein many times we see no probable outgate: Let us lean by faith and dependence on Christ crucified, the Captain of our Salvation; and he will at death lead us out of this wilderness, into that Paradise that is above. as it is said of the spouse in Cant. 8.5. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Rom. 8.39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separat us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  
3. As the Serpent was lifted up upon the Pole; even so was Christ upon the Cross, 1 Pet. 2 24. Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree; the word there (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) signifieth both to bear a burden, as Matth. 4.6. The Angels will bear thee in their hands, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also to take away, Joh. 1.29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. So our blessed Lord took away our sins, by bearing the burden of the punishment due to us; and thereby making satisfaction to Divine Justice, Isai. 53.6. We have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all; and vers. 12 He was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sins of many. He was lifted up upon the Cross, and died that kind of death, to take away the curse of the moral Law, threatened against us for our sins, Gal. 3.13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Although there be no proportion between a temporal curse or punishment, and that eternal curse and punishment due to us for our sins; yet the infinite worth of the Person, being the Son of God, gave infinite worth and value to his sufferings for a short time, for taking away the eternal punishment, and for procuring to us an eternal and exceeding weight of glory, according to that of Heb. 9 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, Purge our Conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?  
As our blessed Lord was lifted upon the Cross; so let us lift up our minds and hearts to him, and as Paul had the Philippians always in his heart, Philip. 1.7. So let us carry Christ crucified always in our hearts. 1. This should be our great care and study, with the Apostle Paul, who studied nothing so much as the knowledge of Christ and him crucified, 1 Cor. 2.2. And Philip. 3.10. That I may know the fellowship of his sufferings. For this end, the holy Sacrament of the Supper was institute, to bring often to our remembrance the death of the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. 11.26. 2. Serious and frequent thoughts of his Cross, will mortify sin in us, Gal. 2.20. I am crucified with Christ. Thoughts of the great grief and shame, brought upon the Innocent Lamb of God by our sins, should pierce our hearts: should we rejoice in that, which made him cry out, My Soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death? God forbidden we should glory in that which procured the shame of the Cross to him. The thoughts of his Cross will mortify our impatience in all our afflictions; when we look to him, who with so great patience endured the Cross, and with insuperable courage despised the shame of the World. This will mortify our love to the perishing vanities of this present world, Gal. 6.14. God forbidden that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. As a dead man is not affected with the pleasures of the world; and the world is crucified to him, as a man has no pleasure to look upon the limbs of a malefactor hanged up in the high way. 3. Thoughts of the cross of Christ, have an active and attractive Virtue: they will quicken our Faith, and draw us nearer to Christ; where the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered, Matth. 24.28. The sweet smell of the cross of Christ, draweth Believers to him: It will quicken our love to Christ, and our obedience, Can. 1.3, 4. Thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the Virgins love thee: draw me, and we shall run after thee. A thankful man cannot but love his servant, that has suffered much for him; how much more should we love our blessed Lord, who suffered so much for us, who by an evil Nature, are born enemies to God? The consideration of his death, will quicken our hope and dependence upon God, for all things needful in time coming, Rom. 8.32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also, freely give us all things? It will quicken our love to all who belong to Christ, especially in the time of their distress; as the love of David to Jonathan, in the remembrance of his great kindness, did make him inquire after these that belonged to Jonathan, that he might show kindness to them, 2 Sam. 9.1. The consideration of this great love of Christ, in dying such a death for us, by the power of his Love, will subdue our sinful lusts, and make us by patience to overcome difficulties and afflictions in suffering for his Name, Rom. 8.37. Nay, in all tbese things we are more than Conquerors, through him that loved us. This Heavenly fire of his Love in our hearts, like lightnings, will quench that earthly fire and exhalations of unclean lusts. 4. Serious and deep thoughts of the cross of Christ, will comfort and encourage us against all our enemies, whether devils or wicked men, because Christ, upon th● c●oss, hath spoiled principalities and powers. Col. 2 15. Satan our arch-enemy, is both bound and spoiled by the Captain of our Salvation. He may and will molest us, like an enemy besieging a City, and making frequent assaults; but he shall not prevail to get possession, John 10.28. They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. The true Believers, may and will be molested, by wicked men tempting them to sin; and persecuting them with tongue or hands, because they will not run with them in the excess of riot, 1 Pet. 4.4. But be of good comfort; for even all the wicked in the world, are subjected to him by the merit and power of his Cross, Phil. 2.8, 9, 10. Joh. 16.33. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace; in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. The thoughts of the death of Christ, will comfort us against the severe charge, and sharp challenges of a guilty and accusing Conscience, Rom. 8.34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather th●t is risen again; who is even at the right hand of G●d, who also maketh Intercession for us. It will comfort and encourage against the fear of death; seeing our blessed Lord by his death on the Cross, hath taken away the sting and curse from our death, 1 Cor. 15.57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.  
4. The necessity of the death of Christ upon the Cross, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; It was necessary our Lord should die. 1. There was a necessity of immutability in respect of God's decree to save lost man by the sufferings and death of Jesus Ch●ist, Heb 2.10. For it became him, for whom are all things; and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 1 Pet. 1.20. Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. 2. There was a necessity in respect of infallibility to fulfil the Prophecies concerning his death for our sins. Isa. 53.12. He hath poured out his soul unto death. Dan. 9.26. The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself. 3. To fulfil and to be answerable by his death and bloody sacrifice to the typical sacrifices, Heb. 10.4, 5, 6, 7. For it is not possible, that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins, etc. And, Rev. 13 8. he is called, The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; to wit, in these mystical and typical sacrifices, before, and under, the Law. 4. There was a necessity for him to die this kind of death on the Cross; whereof see more in Serm. Joh. 12.32.  
Though there was a necessity for our blessed Lord to die, yet he submitted to it most willingly; he poured out his soul unto death, and frequently it is said in the New Testament, he emptied himself, and gave himself to the death, Gal. 1.4. Eph. 5.2. Tit. 2.14. This kind of necessity agreeth well with a spontaneous willingness, though not with a liberty of indifferency toward the opposite act. And seeing our blessed Lord submitted himself willingly to this necessity, in order to our salvation; let us also,  in a necessity of divine providence we are called to undergo this or that cross, willingly and cheerfully submit ourselves to the necessity of his wise providence: Let us say as our Lord did, Not my will, but thine be done. Let us say as David did, 2 Sam. 15.26. Behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. And with these loving Professors, Acts 21.14. When Paul would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, the will of the Lord be done.  
5. There is a resemblance in the consequent and effect of their looking to the brazen Serpent, and of believers their looking to Christ on the Cross. 1. These Serpents in the wilderness were deadly: the Septuagint Interpreters calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: so in sin there is the by't of the old Serpent, when a temptation to sin is fastened on our hearts, and we give consent to it, Jam. 1.15. When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. The bite of the Serpents, was painful before they looked up to the brazen Serpent; there was a burning inflammation and pain from the sting: so it is in sinners, after they have sinned, the sting of an evil conscience remains burning and tormenting them from the sense of guiltiness, and the fear of wrath to come, and fear hath torment, 1 Joh. 4.18. 2. They were pained at the heart, before they looked to the brazen Serpent: so before a sinner can look by faith to Jesus Christ, and so be healed, there must be pain and grief at his heart in some measure of sincerity, for offending the just and gracious God, Mat. 9.11, 12. Jesus said unto them, they that be whole need not a Physician, but they that are sick. Two sorts of persons are not healed at the first, to wit, those that are lethargic, or phrenetick; senseless of sin, or conceitful of their own righteousness: The Church of Laodicea is convinced first of her security and vain imaginations, before she be invited to be healed, Rev. 3.19. And the Pharisee, conceited of his own righteousness, returned to his house not justified, Luke 18. As the lethargic is ordinarily cured by casting him into a fever, and then he being sensible of his distemper, is healed by the Physician; so our great Physician puts secure and senseless sinners oftentimes to a sharp fever and exercise of conscience, by discovering covering sin and wrath to them, and thereafter heals them, as he did the Jailor, Act. 16.30, 31. The Phrenetick and conceity soul, the Lord heals, by beating them with the sharp rods of affliction, Job 36.8, 9, 10. If they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; then he showeth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded: he openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.  
They were healed by looking up to the brazen Serpent; so by faith in Christ Jesus, we are healed from our sins, Act. 16.30. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. He is the only Physician, that is both able and willing to heal the broken in heart: As the People stung, were healed by their looking up, as a condition appointed and required by God: But they were not healed for their looking up, as a cause meritorious of healing; so Faith is appointed, and required as an instrument or condition, without which there is no Justification and Salvation; but it is not the cause meritorious, but looks to Christ alone, as the procurer of our Justification and Salvation in his blood: The sick Woman was healed of her bloody flux, through her touching of Christ, but not by any virtue in her touching; for the healing virtue came from Christ himself alone, Mark 5.30. Luke 6.19. He healeth us of all the stings, that disquiet and torment our spirits; of which there be four. 1. The sting of a guilty and tormenting Conscience, spoken of, Job 20.12. 2. The sting of outward great afflictions, not only in the Wicked, but also in the Godly; to wit, a fear and apprehension of wrath in the affliction, Job 6.4. The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit; the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. 3. The sting of temptation, 2 Cor. 12.7. There was given to me a thorn in the flesh. 4. The sting of death, 1. Cor. 15.56. At that time, our sins that were quiet from tormenting us, as the viper was for a time, Act. 28. at death they leap on our Consciences, to torment them with fear of the second Death. Therefore let us look to Christ crucified, that we may be healed of all these stings, Isai. 45.22. Look unto me, and be ye saved all the ends of the earth: Look to him, who shed his blood for the remission of sins; who has reconciled us in the blood of his Cross; and this look, will calm the Conscience, from the sting of guiltiness, Rom. 5.1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. When thou art disquieted with the sting of afflictions, look to Christ, who by the merit of his sufferings, hath taken away the curse and wrath from thy sufferings, and maketh them medicinal and profitable for thy soul, Heb. 12 10. He chastiseth us for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. 3. Against the sting of temptations and sharp trials, look to his rich and free Love, Rom. 8.37. He will give strength to resist, 2 Cor. 12.9. He will give outgate, 1 Cor. 10.13. 4. Against the sting of death, look by Faith to Jesus Christ, who is the Saviour of his body, Rom. 8 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Look by Faith to him, interceding at the right hand of God, for preserving us Believers unto eternal Life, Rom 8.34. Joh. 10.28. As by his death he purchased our peace with God, so by his Intercession he perpetuats that peace, Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the outermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them.  
4. All that looked to the brazen Serpent, were healed; although in such a great number of men, all were not alike quicksighted; so all Believers, though not alike strong in Faith, by looking to Christ crucified, are saved from their sins. There is no exception of infants in the life of Faith, although in the estate of Grace, and for the time they be not able, by a reflex act, to discern their own estate: as infants are refreshed with bodily food, although their hand be not so large, as the hand of men grown up to ripe age: the promise of salvation is universal to all true Believers, whether stronger or weaker, Joh. 3.16. Joh. 3.36. He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life: The Church of Christ, is compared to a flock of sheep, Act. 20.28. And all the sheep are not alike strong; yet the great Shepherd of our souls, doth gather the Lambs with his arm, and carrieth them in his bosom, and doth gently lead those that are with young, Isai. 40.11. It is compared to a family, Heb. 5.14. And all in the family are not alike strong; so it is in the Church: and yet our heavenly Father feedeth all by Jesus Christ, the bread of life. Therefore look unto him, with the eye of Faith, though weak, and be ye saved, Isai. 45.22. It is not so with the eye of a believing soul, as it is with the eye of the body, in beholding this created Sun; the more it looketh upon it, the eye is the more dazzled and weakened; but the more a Believer looketh on Christ the Sun of righteousness, he groweth the stronger in the grace of Faith: because he seethe more and more of the power of Christ, to save all who come to God by him; who is the Son of God, in whom the Father is always well pleased; he seethe the more of his willingness to accept of sinners; he seethe him on the cross, giving pardon, and promising Paradise to a notorious malefactor; he heareth him praying for forgiveness to his enemies: Therefore he concludes, that he will not reject his soul that cometh unto him sincerely, though weakly.  
It is not said, that the Son of man must be lifted up, that all men may believe; or that all men may have eternal li●e: For if the Lord had intended, that all men should believe, or that all men should be saved, than all men should believe and should be saved; for who hath resisted his will, and purpose? Rom. 9.19. It is also repugnant to his wisdom, to intent what he knows cannot come to pass, to wit, that all men should have Faith; for Faith comes by hearing the Gospel, and God intends not to send the Gospel to all men.  
The bite of the Serpent in the wilderness, was in itself deadly; yet all who looked to the brazen Serpent were healed: So all sin in itself is deadly; for the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6.23. But if we confess our sins with sorrow for them, and a purpose to forsake them; and if by faith, we look to Christ crucified, and rest on him, we shall be saved, 1 Joh. 1.9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We would consider well the covenant of Grace, made in Christ to Believers: It is a covenant well ordered, sure and everlasting, 2 Sam. 23.4. It is well ordered, and adorned with rich and free promises of all things requisite for our eternal happiness; as promises of mercy, (I will forgive them their sins) of grace and sanctification, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and writ it in their hearts, etc. Jer. 31.33, 34. It is a sure Covenant, because grounded on two things immutable, to wit, God's eternal Counsel and Decree manifested in the Gospel, for blessing and saving all Believers in Jesus Christ, Gal. 3.16. All the promises, are Yea and Amen in him; because, made in a respect to his satisfaction, and performed by him in the fullness of time: The other ground of the sureness of the Covenant, is the Oath of God, Heb. 6.17, 18. Gen. 22.16. It is made sure by the blood of our Surety and Mediator Jesus Christ, who shed his blood both to purchase, and to assure us of the remission of our sins: It is insured to us by the Seals of the holy Sacraments, and although the Seals under the Old and New Testament, be divers: yet the Covenant sealed, is one and the same; as the face is one and the same, when veiled and unvailed. It is an everlasting Covenant, Jer. 32.40. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, etc. It is put in the hand of our Surety, to be kept for us, and he by the power of his invincible Grace, keepeth us for the possession of the heavenly Inheritance. 1 Pet. 1.5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. For farther clearing the Doctrine of believing in Jesus Christ for Justification, or Remission of sins, and for eternal Life, we would answer some Questions.  
Quest. What is the Object of justifying and saving Faith? Answ. The Object of divine Faith, is all the divine truths revealed in the holy Scripture; but the Object of justifying and saving Faith, is the Lord Jesus Christ; he is the only Object, whereunto we must look for justification and salvation, Isa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. Act. 10.43. To him gave all the Prophet's witness, that through his Name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins. Act. 13.39. By him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses. As these who were wounded by the fiery serpents in the wilderness, looked also to the pole whereupon it was set; but they were healed only by looking to the brazen Serpent its self; so though the whole Scripture, is as a ring of gold, precious and much to be esteemed, yet the Lord Jesus Christ, is as the precious stone in the midst of it; and for obtaining justification and salvation, is to be looked unto allanerly: The Lord Jesus Christ, and Gods rich and free love in sending him into the world, is mostly, among all divine Truths, to be looked unto, Joh. 5.39. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. Joh. 20.31. But these are written, that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his Name. So as he is the alone Object, to which we should look, as the meritorious cause of our justification and salvation; so, of all revealed divine Truths, he is the principal Object of our Faith; he is the end of the Law Cerimonial, Gal. 3.24. He is the entire supplement of the Moral Law, by his perfect righteousness and satisfaction to divine justice, Rom. 8.3. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. And he is the Mediator and substance of all Gospel-promises, 2 Cor. 1.20. All the promises of God in him, are Yea, and in him Amen. Therefore it is our duty to be conversant in all divine Truths revealed in holy Scripture; but we should meditate most frequently upon this divine Truth of our justification and salvation by Jesus Christ, wherein most eminently is manifested the Father's love in sending him, the love of the Son in coming into the world, that by the merit of his death, we may be justified and saved; and the love of the Holy Ghost, in anointing and qualifying him for these great effects: as the Bee passeth thorough many flowers in the Garden, but stayeth longest on these, where it getteth most honey; so we should often meditate upon the mystery of God's free love in Jesus Christ: All the Scriptures are faithful say, and worthy of all acceptation; yet this saying is eminent above all, 1 Tim. 1.15. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We should turn away our eyes from looking to any thing as meritorius of justification and salvation: but we should look unto Christ alone and his righteousness for the salvation of our souls; because life eternal, is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom. 6.23. And we are saved by grace, through Faith in him, Eph. 2.8. This doctrine, from the force of truth upon the Conscience, and for quieting the heart in the remembrance of our own unrighteousness, the learned and worthy reformed Divines, have maintained according to the holy Scriptures; and the learned Bishop Andrews, (in his Serm. on Jer. 23.6.) saith piously and sound, That if men would set God before them in his justice, and their own souls in their guiltiness, they would interpose nothing between the revenging justice of God, and their guilty souls, but the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ: yea, some of the Roman Church, have acknowledged, that justification and salvation, is to be sought only in the Lord Jesus Christ; as was evident from that directory for visitation of the sick, reprinted at Venice, one thousand five hundred seventy six; the priest is directed to propone this question to the sick person, Believest thou that none can be saved by their own merits, or any other way, than by the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ? And the Priest is directed to instruct the sick person, that there is no other way of salvation, but by Faith on Jesus Christ alone. Bellarmin. (lib. 3. of Justif.) after a long debate, he concludes, It is safer for the uncertainty of our own righteousness, and for shunning the danger of vain glory, to put our confidence only in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ferus, a learned and moderate Divine, commenting upon the parable of the Labourers in the Vine-yard, Mat. 20. speaketh to this purpose, God promised freely, and he rewardeth freely; therefore if thou wouldst keep God's favour toward thee, make no mention of thy own merits; for he will give all things out of his own mercy; nevertheless thou must not be the slower to do good works; yea rather thou shouldest be the more zealous of them, seeing we have so bountiful a Lord.  
Quest. Is there no more required for justification, but only Faith in Jesus Christ? Is there no more required for inheriting eternal life, but to receive him, and to rely on him? Answ. Some of late, even Divines of the reformed Church, have spoken very rashly (to say no worse) of some eminent and Orthodox learned men of the Reformed Churches, as if they did not require in the believer new obedience and sanctification: It is true, they require according to the Scriptures, that by Faith alone in Christ and his righteousness, they should look for justification; but they require new obedience and sanctification in the believer, as a necessary antecedent unto eternal life. The Harmony of learned Divines of the reformed Church, in the Doctrine of justification, See in learned Hornbeck his Institut. Theolog. Cap. 11. and they affirm that as our sins were imputed to Christ the Surety and Mediator of the New Covenant, so his Righteousness is imputed to believers for justification: therefore it is not, as some in their expressions, complying with the Papists, have spoken, a fancy, or Justitia Putativa, a supposed righteousness, but it is real of God the Father, accounting his Son's Righteousness unto the sinner, and by that accounting, making it his to all effects, as if the sinner himself had performed it: as speaketh the learned and famous Arch. B. Usher, in his Sum of Christian Religion up●n this Subject: Because (saith he) this Righteousness is in Christ, not as in a person severed from us; but as in the head of the Church, the second Adam, from whom therefore it is communicated unto all, who being united as members unto him, do lay claim thereunto, and apply it unto themselves, Rom. 5.19. Rom. 10.4. And though (saith he) it be not fit to measure heavenly things by the yard of reason, yet it is not unreasonable, that a man owing a thousand pound, and not being able to pay it, his Creditor may be satisfied by one of his friend's: And answering to that question, how then doth the soul reach after Christ in the act of justifying? Even as a man (saith he) fallen into a river and like to be drowned, as he is carried down with the flood, espieth the bough of a tree, hanging over the river, which he catcheth at, and clingeth unto, with all his might to save him; and seeing no other way of succour but that, ventureth his life upon it: This man so soon as he had fastened upon this bough, is in a safe condition; though all troubles, fears and terrors are not presently out of his mind; until he come to himself, and seethe himself quit out of danger; then he is sure he is safe; but he was safe, before he was sure: Even so it is with a believer, Faith is the espying of Christ, as the only means to save, and the reaching out of the heart to lay hold upon him: God hath spoke the word and made the promise in his Son; I believe him to be the only Saviour, and remit my soul to him to be saved by his Mediation: So soon as the soul can do this, God imputeth the righteousness of his Son unto it, and it is actually justified in the Court of heaven; though it is not presently quieted and pacified in the court of conscience; that is done afterwards, in some sooner, in some later, by the fruits and effects of justification.  
Quest. Is there an infallible and inviolable connexion between true faith on Jesus Christ, and salvation by him? Ans. Yea, for it is said here, That whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life. And it was said ●y the Apostle Paul unto the Jailor, Acts 16. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt he saved. Christ is said to dwell in the heart by faith, Eph. 3.17. As there is a local union between a man and the house wherein he dwells and resides, so there is a spiritual and real union between Christ and a believer; and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ: and to assure believers on Christ, of the certainty of their salvation, it is said in the present tense, Joh. 3.36. He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life. Believers are as sure of it by their claim of faith on Christ, as if they were already in present possession of it: yea, it is said in the preterite tense, Rom. 8.30. Whom he justified, them he also glorified.  
Quest. May not one have true justifying and saving faith in his heart, and yet not know that he is justified? Ans. Yea, he may have the direct act of faith, whereby he is justified; and yet not have the reflex act of faith, whereby he knows, and is assured of the gift of Faith, freely given to him of God, by which act he is Assured of his justification; as an Infant has the truth of life natural in him, though for want of ripeness in judgement, he doth, not by a reflex act of understanding, know the same: Yea, a true and justified person, may be so overwhelmed in spirit with the fears of his former great and many sins, though he embrace Christ, and rely on him wholly and only for salvation, that yet he may so faint in his fears, that at the time he doth not discern the truth of the life of grace and faith in his Soul; as a person in the time of his bodily swooning and fainting, doth not discern the truth of a natural life in his body: Notwithstanding the true Believer, in such times and cases, cannot discern the truth of the life of faith in himself; yet other godly discerning Christians, perceiving his sincere desire after the means of Salvation, and his appetite toward the Gospel, which is the immortal seed of the new life, do very rationally conclude, that he has the truth, though not the vigour of the life of grace and faith in his soul; as these who look on, and see an Infant greedily sucking the breast, though the Infant itself has no knowledge to discern its own life, yet they truly conclude from its natural appetit to the means of life, that it has life; because as new born babes, they desire the sincere milk of the Word, 1 Pet. 2.2.  
Quest. What are the effects and signs whereby I may discern the truth of faith, when we have not the vigour of it? Ans. We discern it by the effects. 1. The true Believer has an high estimation of Christ, and a low estimation of himself: He is precious to Believers, 1 Pet. 2.7. Paul had an high estimation of Christ, that he came into the world to save sinners; and a low estimation of himself, as being the least of Saints, and chief of sinners: The true believer esteems highly of the Gospel, whereby life and immortality is brought to light through Christ. He accounteth all things but loss; yea, but dung and unsavoury, in camparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord, Phil. 3.8. 2. The true believer, as he rejoices most in the cross of Christ; so he mourns for his sins, whereby he crucified the Lord of glory; he looks upon him whom he pierced with his grievous sins, and he mourneth as one mourneth for his only Son, Zach. 12.10. 3. True faith, is a Magisterial grace, and labours to quiet our unruly affections and passions, as an awful Master, by his presence, quiets the unruly Scholars; for, faith receiving Christ in the heart to dwell there, commandeth all the affections to be still, and to do nothing that may disturb and grieve the Spirit of Christ; the Spouse, after she has found her Beloved, saith to her heart and affections, I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, etc. that ye stir not up, nor awake my love till he please: That ye neither interrupt his delight in me, nor my delights in him, Cant. 3.5. 4. True faith purifieth the heart, and labours daily to keep it clean by the bessom of repentance, Act. 15.9. God put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. The Lord is said to dwell in the heart by faith, Ephes. 3.17. And after the believer has received him, he endeavours daily to keep the house clean where he dwells: by faith, the heart is espoused unto Christ as a chaste virgin, 2 Cor. 11.2. And when the believer is tempted to any vile lust, he saith with Joseph, how can I do this and sin against my Lord, to whom I am espoused for ever in holiness and righteousness? 5: True faith on Jesus Christ, worketh by love, Gal. 5.6. It commands us, and in an holy violence constraineth us to love the Father, who has forgiven us much; to love the Son, who shed his blood for the remission of sins; an● to love the Holy Ghost, who is the sealer and confirmer of our justification and remission: Faith on Christ, commands us, and by a commanded act, requires us to love one another, 1 Joh. 3.23. This is his commandment, that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another. As lines drawn from the circumference, the nearer they come to the Centre, they are the nearer one unto another; so believers the nearer they come by faith to Jesus Christ, the Centre of our souls rest and happiness, they are the more united one to another in love; yea, when by faith we look upon Christ, as our great example, faith doth command us to love even our enemies, with the love of benevolence and beneficence; when we perceive our blessed Lord, both prayed for his enemies, and also healed Malchus ear; and in a special manner to love all saints with a love of complacency and delight, as fellow-members of the mystical body of the Lord Jesus Christ; and to walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.  
It is therefore the wisdom, duty, and comfort of believers, to examine themselves, that they be not only sound in the doctrine of faith, but also sincere in the grace and work of faith, that they may have rejoicing in themselves from the testimony of a good conscience, Gal. 6.4. True and sincere justifying and saving faith, receiveth Christ entirely to dwell in their hearts: the sincere believer receiveth him in all his Offices; as a Priest, to bless the soul where he dwells, with all spiritual blessings; as a Prophet, to teach him by the Word; and as a King, to rule him by his Law and holy Commandments. As he receiveth him by faith, so he intertains him by love; as he receiveth Christ by faith, so he gives up himself by love unto him; as Christ dwells in him by faith, so he dwells in Christ by love and delight; he intertains him by obedience in the course of Sanctification; as an honest Subject, who sometime was a rebel to his Prince, the more he rests upon the word of the Prince for his remission, he is the more ready and active to obey him in all time coming: for though faith rest on Christ alone, and on no other for Justification and Salvation, yet it rests not from the duties of obedience in the course of Sanctification; the true believer in the preparation of his heart, is ready to every good work and commanded duty, with the Apostle Paul, Acts 9.6. saying, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? For the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, obligeth believers the more strictly to the duties of Sanctification: for, knowing they are justified in the blood of Christ, which is the price of our redemption, therefore should they glorify God in their body and in their spirit, which are God's, not only by the right of creation, and temporal preservation; but also by the right of redemption and everlasting salvation, 1 Cor. 6.20.  they have the promises of free grace, ratified in the blood of Christ, they should cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1. See more, 2 Cor. 5.15. Tit. 2.11, 12, 14. So that the Doctrine of Justification by faith in Jesus Christ, doth not make void the Law, but establisheth the Law, Rom. 3.31. Though it make the Law void as to Justification by it, Rom, 8.3. yet it doth not make it void, or cancel it from being a fixed rule for our direction. Now to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, with the Father and Holy Ghost, be all praise, etc. Amen.   

Spiritual Life, and Spiritual Walking. SERMON V.  GAL. 5.25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 
THe Apostle, having spoken in vers. 22, 23, 24. of the several fruits of the Spirit in the soul, wherein he hath planted the life of grace; he inferreth this conclusion, If we live in the Spirit, etc. that is, if we be quickened by the Spirit of God, and raised to a new life of grace, let it be seen in the course and actions of our life, Let us walk by the Spirit: that is, by the guidance and direction of the Spirit, according to the Word of God, which was inspired into the Prophets and Apostles by the Holy Spirit.  
In the words, we have, 1. A benefit supposed, If we live in the Spirit. 2. A duty proposed, Let us walk in the Spirit.  
For clearing the benefit supposed, we would know, 1. The nature and condition of this life, which we are said here to have by the Spirit; what it is. 2. We would know the necessity of this life. 3. The excellent quality of it, in excelling all other kinds of life.  
1. As for the nature of this life, it hath three effects or operations, 1. Our Justification, whereby our sins are forgiven, and we are absolved from the sentence of damnation, through the perfect obedience and satisfaction of our Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ: as a man sentenced to death for some heinous crime, is called a dead man, even before the execution of the sentence; and when he is absolved, he is said to be a living man; so by nature, through sin and guiltiness, we are children of wrath, and dead in sins and trespasses, obnoxious to eternal death and damnation; but being justified by faith in Jesus Christ, we are said to live in Christ, and have the hope to live with him for ever. This life is purchased to us by the merit of the death of Christ, and is applied by the Holy Spirit, working faith in us, whereby we are united to Christ, and receive, in and through him, remission of sins, offered to us in the preaching of the Gospel, and s●aled in the holy Sacraments, 1 Cor. 6.11. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 2. The act also and operation of the life of grace, is our Sanctification, wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, mortifying in us the deeds of the body, Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live, to wit, the life of glory in Heaven; and it is a quickening of us to live here unto righteousness, as a man pincing away in sickness, is said to be a dead man in respect of his fast approaching unto death; and when he is in the way of recovery, he is said to be a living man; because there are pregnant hopes of his better health and life. This life of Sanctification, purchased also by Christ, is applied and wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, through the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3.5. 3. There is the life of comfort and spiritual cheerfulness; it's said of old Jacob, Gen. 44.30. His life is bound up in the lad's life: because he was much comforted in his son Joseph. When sin and judgement is set before us, our heart is dead and comfortless, like the heart of Nabal, whose heart, at the report of David's wrath against him, died within him through fear, 1 Sam. 25.37. But when the Spirit of the Lord in our fears and faintings, doth revive us by the sweet and piercing smell of the cross of Christ, received by faith into the soul, than we live a comfortable life, and our soul rejoiceth in God our Saviour, 2 Cor. 4.11. For we which live, are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh, that is, that the life of comfort and inward strength from Christ might be manifested in our sufferings, 1 Pet. 1.8. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. This life of inward comfort and strength, purchased also by the merit of the death of Christ, is applied and wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, Eph. 3.14, 15, 16. I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might, by his Spirit, in the inner-man. This life, is called our life in Christ, Col. 3.3, 4. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. It is purchased by him, hid and preserved in him and with him, as the life of the branches is preserved in the root, Joh. 14.19▪ Because I live, ye shall live also. It is called the life of the Spirit, or by the Spirit, in this place, because by the Holy Spirit, we are united and joined unto the Lord our Head and Saviour, 1 Cor 6.17. He that is joined unto the Lord, is one spirit: and because we are renewed to a new life by the Holy Spirit, Joh. 3.5. Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. It is called the life of faith, Gal. 2.20. because, by faith we receive the life of Justification, Sanctification, and of inward comfort from Jesus Christ.  
2. This life of grace, is absolutely  as a midst and  antecedent unto eternal life. 1. As the natural life is a  foundation of natural actings and operations; dead Trees grow not, dead Animals walk not, dead men discourse not; so the life of the Spirit in us, is the foundation of all our spiritual and supernatural actings: without this life, men are dead in sin, and cannot grow in grace; without it, men are dead, and cannot walk in the ways of God's commandments; without it, men are dead, and cannot understand nor perceive the things of God in a saving way for the salvation of their souls, 1 Cor. 2.14. 2. The necessity of the life of grace wrought in us by the Spirit, appeareth in this, because without it, there is no coming to the life of glory, Joh▪ 3.5. This life of grace, is the infancy of the life of glory; and as one cannot grow up to the perfect stature of a man, unless he hath been first an infant, so a man cannot be a perfect man in glory, except first he be an infant in the state of grace: as one cannot be put into actual possession of an inheritance, till he first be born into the world; so no man can be put into the possession of the heavenly inheritance, until first he be born over-again by the holy Spirit, the author of the life of grace, and the preparer and preserver of us for the life of glory. This life, in, or through, the Spirit, is absolute , even for all men who would come to the life of glory: for it is said indefinitely, Joh. 3.5. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God: Though he were never so nobly descended of earthly progenitors, yet if he live not in the Spirit, it may be said of him, as of Judas, It had been good for him he had never been born. 3. It is  for our comfort, to assure us we are united to Christ, and that neither life nor death shall separat us from him: as life in the branch, is an evidence of its ingrafture and union with the Tree, So our partaking of the life of the Spirit, is a comfortable evidence, that Christ is in us by the indwelling of his Spirit, and we are in him by faith and love, 1 Joh. 4.13. Hereby know we, that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.  
3. This life in the Spirit, is an excellent life, if simply considered in itself, 1. In respect of that true and pure pleasure that attends it; the deceitful pleasures of a sinful life, are like the sting of an asp, casting a man into a deep sleep, but when the conscience is awaked, the heart, through fear, is as Pashur, Magor-missabib, fear round about; the conscience of a sinful liver, is like a chiding wife in the bosom, casting up to the man all the former evil ways he has walked in, in the days of his former life. But the godly and spiritual liver, has much inward pleasure and soul-satisfaction, Pro. 14.14. The back-slider in heart, shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. His good conscience, from the sense of the life of the Spirit within him, is like Abishag to David in his old age; it doth cherish the inner-man, and warm it with a sense of God's love, shed abroad in the heart by the holy Spirit; it sweetens common mercies to the man who lives in the Spirit. The primitive believers, from the sense and comfort of the life in the Spirit, did eat their meat with gladeness and singlness of heart, Acts 2.46. Oh, that profane and worldly-minded men, who speak of a holy and spiritual life, as a condition sad and comfortless, would become spiritual livers in the Spirit, and take a proof of that estate of life: I say to these men, as Philip said to Nathanael, Come and see; and after sight and proof, ye will say as the Queen of Sheba did, it was true that was told me; but not the half of that contentment and joy I find by experience, to be in a godly and spiritual life, was told me. The life in the Spirit has great and certain gain accompanying it, together with much unspeakabl contentment, 1 Tim. 6.6. Godliness with contentment (that is, which has contentment always attending it) is great gain. 1 Tim. 4.8. Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. It has the promise of temporal blessings, Psal. 34.6, 7. Rom. 8.28. and of eternal blessings, 1 Cor. 2.9. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. These who live in the Spirit, do live in great honour and reputation with God; and the greater and wiser the person is, who doth bestow the honour, it is the greater: but so it is, that the great and wise God doth esteem much of men of an holy and spiritual life; he calleth them his Treasure, Psal. 135.4. his inheritance and portion, Psal. 35.12. his jewels, Mal. 3.17. The friends of God, 2 Chron. 20.7. The sons of God, 1 Joh. 3.1.  
This life in the Spirit, is excellent, if compared with the natural life: the life of the sense is common to us with the brute beasts, whereof some do excel men in some outward senses: the life of reason, is common to us with Pagans and Infidels; and many of them in their philosophy hath excelled us: yea, our living under the outward means of Word and Sacraments, is common to us with many hypocrites and castaways; but this life in the Spirit, is far more excellent than that of sense and reason: as a man by reason, doth far excel the most sagacious beast; so doth a man, living in the spirit, excel the greatest Moralists, who were, or are, void of the life of grace by the Spirit: natural men partake of the divine gifts, but spiritual and godly men are made partakers of the divine nature, by way of assimilation, 2· Pet. 1▪ 4. And as for men, living, or rather dieing, and stinking above the earth in their vile lusts; a godly and spiritual life doth excel that vile and miserable life, as far as light doth darkness, and Heaven doth Hell.  
 we live the life of grace by the Spirit, we should be very watchful, that we grieve not the Spirit. 1. It is the worst sort of unthankfulness, to render evil for good; and it is also unnatural for children to grieve their parents, that under God are the author of their natural life, How great a sin than is it, to grieve the holy Spirit the author of thy spiritual life? 2. Thou art sealed by the Spirit, who sealeth thy eternal redemption to thy faith▪ by the promises of the Gospel, and more clearly by the administration of the holy Sacraments, as the outward common seal, and effectually by the graces of the holy Spirit of sanctification, as the inward and privy seal of thine heavenly inheritance, Ephes. 1.13. In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise. And, how loath are men, and in reason should be so, to grieve the King's Secretary, that has passed their gift gratis through the Seals? 3. The Spirit of God is the comforter; And shouldest thou grieve him, who many a time has comforted and supported thee in the day of thy trouble and grief? If thou grieve the Comforter, to whom wilt thou go in the day of new troubles on thy spirit, for comfort and strength?  
Use 1. Therefore grieve not the holy Spirit in whom ye live, 1. By your unruly passions; he is the Spirit of love and peace, grieve him not by your envy, and malice one against another; it was a grief to Moses his spirit, who was a man, living in the Spirit, to see the Hebrews at strife one with another: the holy Spirit, is a Spirit of purity; and vile thoughts and motions in the heart, entertained with delight, grieveth him, as the daughters of Heth did grieve Rebekah; he is a liberal Spirit, as he is called, Psal. 51.12. and our base nigardness and unmercifulness toward the poor, doth much grieve him. 2. Grieve not the Spirit by speaking or doing against the light of your conscience, which being inspired by the Word of God, is the counsel of the Spirit; thus did Ananias grieve the Spirit, Act. 5.3, 4. and the Rulers, Act 7.51. 3. We grieve him by our unbelief in new exigents of trouble, notwithstanding our former experiences of his power and bounty, as the Disciples grieved our Lord, Mat. 16.8, 9 It is no small grief to thy friend if thou distrust him in a small matter, when thou hast had experience of his kindness in great matters. 4. We would by all means beware of mocking the work of the Spirit in others; it was a great grief to Sarah, that Ishmael mocked her son Isaac: so this mocking of the work of mortification and holiness, doth greatly grieve the Spirit of God: any Artificer is grieved, to hear the work of his hands to be undervalved and despised by others; so the Spirit of God, is greatly grieved and displeased to see holiness, which is his own proper work in all who live in the Spirit, to be undervalved and despised by the men of this present world, who mind not the things of the Spirit but of the flesh. Labour to be spiritual, and like to the Spirit by whom we live: we are said to be sealed by the Spirit, Ephes. 1.13. and there is an impression of the seal upon the wax; so if we live by the Spirit, and be sealed by him, there will be an impression of holiness and purity in some measure answering to the Spirit, by which we are sealed: Let us be spiritual in our intentions toward the honour of God, with any gift of the Spirit bestowed upon us; for our Lord saith of the Spirit, Joh. 16.14. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and show it unto you. Let us labour to be spiritual and heavenly-minded, often conversing in our hearts with God, Phil. 3.20. Our conversation is in Heaven: like Pilgrims, who being abroad do often mind their own native country; let us be spiritual in our delights, for they that are after the Spirit, mind the things of the Spirit, Rom. 8.5. Let our delight be most in God and things heavenly, as in spiritual benefits, spiritual ordinances and spiritual duties: let us labour to be spiritual and sincere in the worship of God; for the Father seeketh such to worship him, Joh. 4.23.  
Use 2. The duty proposed, walk in the Spirit, that is, walk by the power and grace of the Spirit, according to the light of the Word inspired and dictated by the Spirit: this Word, in the original, signifieth to walk foot for foot after the leading and teaching of the Spirit, by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as young children walk after the footsteps of their father in the same path, though not with steps equal to the father; or as Schoolboys learn the A, B, C, and first elements (which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) one letter after another: In like manner we learn precept upon precept, and thereafter do construct and set the actions of our life and conversation together aright, according to the rule of the Word of God, so that by walking in the Spirit, is meant the course of sanctification, and of new obedience, required by God of us in the covenant of grace, as it was said by God to Abraham, the father of the faithful, Gen. 17.1. Walk before me and be thou upright. God promiseth in the new covenant of rich and free grace, that he will both give unto his people power to walk in his commandments, and also actual assistance in walking, Ezek. 36.26, 27. A new heart also will I give you; and a new spirit will I put within you, etc. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes: To this duty we engage ourselves in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper, to walk in newness of life, Rom. 6.4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life. And in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, we renew our engagement made in Baptism.  
The duty of new obedience, is called a walking, 1. Because in walking, there is a place, from which we walk and turn f●om; so in the course of new obedience we must forsake our former evil ways, Isa. 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. 2. There is the way, wherein men do walk; so the man, renewed by the Spirit, doth walk in the way of God's commandments, Ezek. 20.19. I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes. 3. A light, according to the which men walk; so in ou● Christian walking, the light is the Word of God, Psal. 119.105▪ Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 4. In walking through a wilderness and dangerous places, men have need of a skilful guide, as Hobab was to the people of Israel in the wilderness: So men renewed, hath need of the holy Spirit to guide and lead them by his strength from one duty to another: Therefore David prayeth so often for quickening in the ways of God's commandments; for it is not enough, that once we be quickened to a new life, but we have need also to be quickened thereafter and stirred up to the duties of a new life. Psal. 119.37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way. 5. As in bodily walking, there is an end and place toward which we walk; so in our spiritual walking, we walk from strength to strength, aiming at perfection and the seeing and enjoying of God in mount Zion that is above; 2 Cor. 7.1. Having therefore these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Phil. 3.13.14. I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  
This duty of walking in the ways of God's commandments, is required of all, who have the spiritual life of grace, If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit. Although the estate of grace, doth free us from the Law, as it was a covenant of works to man in the estate of innocency, Rom. 6.14. Ye are not under the law, but under grace; yet we are not fred from it as the fixed and perpetual rule of the duty of thankfulness to God, both upon the account of our creation and redemption, Rom. 3.31. Do we then make void the law through faith? yea, we establish it. The Gospel addeth a new obligation from the glad tidings of our redemption through the blood of Christ, 1 Cor. 6.20. For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods. To this we are called by the Gospel of grace, Tit. 2.11, 12. 1 Pet. 2.24. Christ bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness. To this walking in newness of life, we are engaged by solemn profession in Baptism, wherein we are said to put on Christ, Gal. 3.27. and these who put on Christ, should walk in newness of life, Rom. 13.14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. And Christ giveth salvation only to them who labour to obey him, by walking in newness of life, Heb. 5.9. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation, unto all them that obey him.  
There be three evident symptoms of natural life, to wit, 1. Appetite toward the means of life, 2. Growth and increase of stature, And 3. Motion and walking. In likemanner, there are three signs of spiritual life, 1. Appetite and desire after the word and means of Salvation, 1 Pet. 2.2. As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word. Although the renewed children of God, do not know sometimes by the reflex act of knowledge and faith, that they live by the Spirit; yet others experienced Christians, do know they live by perceiving their spiritual appetite after the means of the life of grace. 2. Growth in Grace and Sanctification, is a sign of the life spiritual, infused into them by the Spirit; for the Ministry of the Word, is given for the perfecting of the Saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Eph. 4.11, 12, 13. 3. Moving and walking in newness of life, with all respect to all the holy Commandments, is a sign undoubted, that we live in the Spirit; because these two are joined together, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. As Lazarus, raised from death to life, did come forth from the sepulchre, wherein he was laid, and walked in the sight of others; so a soul quickened by the Spirit, doth rise from his sins, wherein he was dead and buried, and walketh before God and men in newness of life.  
There is a walking after the flesh, directly opposite to walking in the Spirit, Rom. 8.1. There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. We must beware of such walking, because the end of it, is eternal destruction; for, he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the spirit, or walketh after the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting, Gal. 6.8. Such walkers after the flesh, are profane men, walking presumptuously in the imaginations of their own evil hearts, and yet thinking to get Heaven in end, as if a man walking toward the west, should think in end to come to the east: Of this profane and presumptuous walking, and the severe punishment of it, we read, Deut. 29.19. This is not to walk in the power of the Spirit of God, but in the strong delusion of their own deceived spirit: such walkers are these spoken of, 2 Pet. 3.3. There shall come in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And all such also, who walk in a course of life, fulfilling the sinful desires and lusts of their own hearts. It is true, the godly, though renewed by the Spirit of God, have flesh and corruption in them, but they walk not aftr the flesh, as their ordinary guide and counsellor.  
The holy Scripture holds forth the manner of our walking in the Spirit, in these following qualifications, 1. In walking humbly with God, Micah 6.8. What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? By keeping upon thy spirit the impressions of his greatness and holiness, this will make thee to walk humbly: this made Isaiah humble, after he had seen a visible representation of the Majesty and Holiness of God, Isai. 6.5. Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, etc. This impression, will make the soul obedient to the will of the Lord, as Isaiah also was, Isa. 6.8. Also I heard the voice of the Lord▪ saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? then said I, Here am I, send me. This impression of the greatness and holiness of God, will make the renewed man to shine in his conversation before the world, as Moses his face did shine before the people, after he had conversed with God in the mount. 2. It is a spiritual and heavenly-minded walking, having the way and haunt of the heart far above the things of the world, Prov. 15.24. The way of life is above to the wise, that he may departed from hell beneath. Such walking keepeth the heart free from the bondage of many temptations and snares, wherein the earthly-minded man is taken and detained: as the Eagles, who soar in a high way, are not so easily shot and felled by the Fowler, as the greedy Cormorants that flutter upon the surface of the earth, or the vain Stanchel that hovers in the air and embraceth the wind: In like manner, heavenly-minded men, are not so easily taken with the baits of the world, as greedy and ambitious men, who mind earthly things. 3. It is a circumspect walking, Eph. 5.15. Whereof hereafter in Serm. on that place. 4. It is a sincere and upright walking, Psal. 84 11. No good thing will the Lord God withhold from them that walk uprightly. It is a walking with a respect unto all the Commandments of God, as David walked, Psal. 119.6. with active endeavours to keep a good conscience toward God and man, as Paul walked, Act. 24.16. To have a good conscience, and to be always willing in all things to live honestly, as the Apostle did, Heb. 13.18. It is a constant walking, at least in respect of a fixed purpose and resolution, Psal. 84 7. They go from strength to strength. Phil. 3.12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  
The impediments of walking, are, 1. Want of light: for if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him, Joh. 11.10. Therefore said our blessed Lord to the Pharisees, Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures, Mat. 22.29. Therefore, as we would walk in a right way toward the Kingdom of Heaven, we would labour to understand the holy Scriptures, which show us the way of truth and righteousness, and we should daily pray with the holy Prophet, Psal. 43.3. O send out thy light and thy truth, let them lead me, let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy Tabernacles. And we should pray with holy David, Ps. 143.10. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God: thy spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness. 2. Fetters are a great impediment to walking; so our unruly and excessive passions, as the excessive fear of creatures, excessive desires of worldly good things, excessive joy and delight in worldly pleasures, are a great impediment to spiritual and heavenly walking; as servants gazing and fixing their eyes upon some Pictures in their way, are stayed in their walking and in going about their business: Against this impediment we would pray to God for liberty and enlargement of spirit from that bondage to our masterful affections; and we would turn David's resolution, (Psal. 119.32.) into a supplication, O Lord, enlarge thou my heart, and then shall I run the way of thy Commandments. It should be our daily prayer to the Lord with holy David, Psal. 119.37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way. 3. A heavy burden is a great impediment to walking▪ so when men over-burden their spirits with the care of worldly things, they walk not in the way of righteousness; but many times step aside after the wages of unrighteousness: the love of the world hindered the rich young man to walk after Christ, Luk. 18.23. Therefore that we may walk readily and cheerfully in the ways of God's Commandments, we should cast all our care upon him, for he careth for us, 1 Pet. 5.7. And we should pray daily, as Psal. 119.36. Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies, and not to covetousness. 4. Fainting is a great impediment to walking. Jonathan fainted in his way, till he tasted of the honey. Great difficulties and discouragments in the way of Holiness and uprightness, are like the Sons of Anak, that discouraged greatly the people of Israel from walking up the hill, that thereafter they might enter into the promised Land. Against this impediment of fainting in the good and perfect way, from the many troubles and discouragements thou meetest with therein, recollect thyself, and be encouraged from the Lords faithful promise, Isai. 40.29. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength. In all the bitter mockings thou meetest with from profane men, who not only mock thee, but speak evil of thee, because thou wilt not run with them to the same excess of riot, yet be thou resolute and steadfast in thy spiritual and Christian walking, as David did, Psal. 119.51. The proud have had me greatly in derision; yet have I not declined from thy Law. Yea, walk the more sincerely and spiritually in conversing with God by prayer, Psal. 69.12, 13. I was the song of the drunkards; but as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time. When the child of God has least acceptance or communion with profane men, then is he most acceptable to God, and hath most of his countenance, which preserves his soul from fainting at their bitter scoffings: look often unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who endured such contradiction of sinners, lest we, looking too much to men who wrong us, should faint in our minds, Heb. 12.2, 3. Be encouraged in all thy faintings from the hope of that Crown of Righteousness laid up for all these who walk with God, as Enoch did. Walk with God in heavenly meditations; and walk thou before God as Abraham did in faith and obedience: the hope o● that Crown strengthened the heart of Paul against fainting, 2 Cor. 4.16, 17. For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Therefore seeing there is an infallible connexion between spiritual life by the Spirit, and spiritual walking in the strength, and by the direction of the Spirit, according to the Word, as there is a conjunction of the stream with the fountain, if we live in the Spirit, let it be manifested by our walking in the Spirit; and if the Spirit dwell in us, the Spirit will quicken our mortal bodies, and raise them up to follow the Lamb wherever he goeth: To him, with the Father and Holy Spirit, be all praise honour and glory, for now and ever. Amen.   

Circumspect walking. SERMON VI.  EPHES. 5.15. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, VERS. 16. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 
AS Salvation is the end of faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1.9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls; So our walking in the way of holiness and good works, is the way to salvation; the Lord Jesus Christ, is properly the living way, that leadeth and guideth believers to salvation; and good works are the meeths and evidences that we are in Christ the Captain of Salvation, Eph. 2.10. For we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.  
The Christian walking, is described here, 1. Positively, See that ye walk circumspectly. 2. Negatively, not as fools. 3. By way of opposition to the walking of fools, in two qualifications required in circumspect walking, But as wise, redeeming the time. 4. The motive to a Christian and circumspect walking, is taken from the evil of the times, Because the days are evil.  
To walk circumspectly, signifieth (as the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth) an accurate and exact walking, like a man walking upon the ridge of a mountain, without declining to the one hand or to the other, Deut. 5.32. Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: you shall not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left. 1. In our zeal, we would walk circumspectly, not overstretching ourselves to do more, than we have a calling from God to do, as Peter did in smiting with the sword, without a warrant from Christ; and we must circumspectly shun the other extremity, in omitting the duty of confessing the truth, when we are called thereto by God; it was the sin of these fair professors (Joh. 12.42.) they did not confess Christ, for fear to be put out of the Synagogue. 2. We would shun circumspectly all negligence and carelessness to do good works, Gal. 6.10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith, Tit. 3.8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works: because every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire, Mat. 3.10. and we would walk circumspectly, shunning the other extreme, in confiding into our own good works for justification and salvation, because, if God enter into judgement with man, none living shall be justified in his fight by their own works, which are very far short of that exact righteousness required in the law, Psal. 143.2. Yea, Abraham, Father of the faithful, was not justified by his good works: for if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God, Rom. 4.2. 3. We should walk circumspectly in using the things of this present world; not refusing the good things offered to us by the good providence of God, whether riches, liberty or preferment to a more free and plentiful condition of life, 1 Cor. 7.21. But if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. And we should walk circumspectly in shunning the other extreme, by abusing the good things of this present world, to pride, riot, or vain confidence, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 4. We should walk circumspectly with holy men in this world, not following them absolutely in all things; for even the best of mere men, has their own failings: they are compared to the cloud in the wilderness, that had a light side and a dark side: we must not put darkness for light, nor light for darkness: but should follow holy men with this limitation, in so far as they are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 11.1. We should follow Peter in his free confession before the Council, Acts 4. but not in his denial, in the high Priests hall. 5. We should walk circumspectly with wicked men, that we be not enticed to sin by their evil counsel or example, Prov. 1.10. When sinners entice thee; consent thou not. We would walk circumspectly in forbearing to speak any thing in their presence, that may strengthen them in their sinful courses; or may be a snare to ourselves, in giving occasion to them to procure our hurt from these, who will make a man an offender for an inconsiderate word, Psal. 39.1. I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. 6. We should walk circumspectly, shunning all appearance of evil, 1 Thess. 5.22. Neither doing evil, nor evil like: for, by the appearance of evil-doing, we grieve the stronger Christians, and stumble the weaker, we do wrong and prejudice to our own good name, which being preserved entire, is better than precious Ointment, Eccles. 7.1. but being spoiled by the scandalous appearance of evil doing, it becomes unsavoury to others, as Ointment, corrupted by a dead flee: Joseph walked circumspectly; not only he harkened not to that shameless woman, but also would not abide in the same secret room with her, Gen. 39.10. Paul was very circumspect in shunning all appearance of mal-versation and unfaithful dealing in the matter of public collections, 2 Cor. 8.20. Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance, which is administered by us. 7. There should be a circumspect walking, in shunning all occasions and provocations to sin, especially familiarity with profane and riotous men, Prov. 4.14, 15. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men, Prov. 20.25. With a furious man thou shalt not go, lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. For, evil company corrupteth good manners: can a man touch pitch and not be defiled therewith? can a man take fire in his bosom, and not be burnt? Prov. 23.20. Several sins have their own several occasions and provocations: but evil company is a magazine of evil occasions and provocations for all sins. 8. We should walk circumspectly, in abstaining from lesser sins; because such being neglected and not noticed, are ofttimes inlets to greater sins: what is said of one sin, is true of all, Prov. 17.14. The beginning of strife, is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with. Peter went rashly into the place of temptation, without a call; and thereafter denied first, and in end cursed if he knew the Lord Jesus Christ: it is not a superstitious and unnecessar, but commendable preciseness, to abstain from lesser sins. 9 This circumspect walking, is in an abstaining from every thing that would provoke our predominant sin: old sores are soon and easily rankled; therefore we would carefully keep aloof from it, as David did, Psal. 18.23. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. And we would shun also all occasions, that are apt to induce us into sin, as the occasions of superstition and idolatry in the matter of God's worship. The Lord God forbade the people of Israel to plant a grove nigh unto the Altar of God, Deut. 16.21. lest possibly, in respect of the nearness, people should step aside from the Altar, and true worship of God, into a place or manor of false worship.  
The causes of uncircumspectness in our walking, are, 1. Want of knowledge, and ignorance, as men for want of light, to discover dangers in the way, cannot walk circumspectly, Joh. 12.35. He that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whether he goeth. Through want of knowledge, the Jews walked in a way of cruelty against our blessed Lord; and the Ephesians through the ignorance that was in them, gave themselves over unto laciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, Ephes. 4.19. 2. The impetuous and vehement desires, even in the godly and orthodox, hath made them in their eagerness of opposition to one error, through an immoderate desire of counterpoising, (which Basil calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) to walk uncircumspectly toward another extremity of error: some ancient Fathers, in their great zeal to oppose Manicheism, in asserting a fatal necessity of all humane actions, did incline too much to Pelagianism, and the extolling of the liberty of man's free will, above the sphere of its activity, as gardeners do bend a crooked branch too much sometimes to the other side. 3. Pride and self-confidence, maketh even the godly sometimes rash and uncircumspect in their walking: Peter from self-confidence in his own strength, was rash and uncircumspect in his going into the High Priests hall. 4. Forgetfulness of death and judgement, and the account we must make to God of our walking in the time of our sojourning here, doth make men walk at random in their evil ways, as Jerusalem sometime did, Lament. 1.9. Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end, Amos 6.3. Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near.  
Means and Helps for a circumspect walking, are, 1. Sound knowledge of the good and acceptable will of God from the word of light and salvation; because the word of God, is the rule and measure, according to which we walk circumspectly in obedience to the holy commandments, like children walking in one step after another, according to their grounds and elements in learning, Gal. 6.16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them. When we walk according to this rule, we walk circumspectly; for we need not be ashamed, when we have respect unto all his commandments, Psal 119.6. This rule keeps us from wandering rashly into the paths of wicked and profane men, Psal. 17.4. Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 2. As ye would walk circumspectly, look to God in all your ways; he is now a witness, and one day will be thy judge, Gen. 17.1. Walk before me, saith the Lord, and be thou upright. He seethe in secret, therefore walk circumspectly in secret; although no man did see thee, yet the Lord ponders and considers all thy ways, Prov. 5.21. The ways of man, are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his go. The allseeing wise God, pondereth all the steps of humane actions in their desires, intentions and courses: though thy profession be never so fair before the world, yet he ponders the intention of thine heart; he saw the hypocrisy and crooked walking of Jehu, notwithstanding his fair and large profession of zeal for the Lord: He ponders the time of thy sinning and unrighteous walking, if it be after mercies received, Deut. 32 13, 15. Jer. 5.7. When I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery. The Lord ponders if thy unrighteous walking be in a time of affliction, when thou should walk humbly and circumspectly; he observed wicked Achaz in his trespassing more and more in the day of his distress, 2 Chron. 28.22. he ponders the place where thou walks in thy ungodly way, Isai. 26.10. In the land of uprightness, will he deal unjustly: that is, in a place of uprightness, where he might have seen the good example of some men, walking uprightly and circumspectly before God and the world, yet he will walk in the way of injustice. 3. Walk circumspectly in respect of the holy Angels, 1 Cor. 11.10. The Apostle will have women in the Church-assemblies, to carry themselves decently in respect of the Angels, who are frequently there to behold and admire the wisdom and mercy of God, revealed to his Saints in the holy Word: they ●re ministering Spirits to the heirs of salvation; ●nd our uncircumspect conversation and walking, is very displeasing unto them; as the rash speeches and actions of an inconsiderate pupil, doth much grieve his Governor and Tutor. 4. Walk circumspectly in respect of the godly, because by thy rashness and failings, thou wilt make the hearts of the righteous sad: Paul was much grieved with Peter's dissimulation at Antioch: by thy rashness and failings, through uncircumspect walking, thou stumbles the weak, who by thy evil example are drawn from the way of righteousness: Many were drawn away by the example of Peter's dissimulation, Gal. 2. and how fearful and dangerous a sin it is, to give offence to the weak, we may clearly see, Matth. 18.6. Paul would rather never eat flesh, than he should stumble his weak brother by eating thereof, 1 Cor. 8.13. Walk circumspectly in respect of wicked men, who watch for thy halting, who will magnify themselves, when thy foot slippeth, and speak evil not only of thee alone, but also of thine holy profession, and of all the Saints, as if they were all hypocrites: David, by his uncircumspect walking, opened the mouths of adversaries, 2 Sam. 12.14. Therefore pray thou daily, as David did, Psal. 27.11▪ Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me i● a plain path, because of mine enemies, or observers. 5. As ye would walk circumspectly▪ remember frequently the Lords former mercies, toward you, that so ye may not departed from his ways, and so sin against the God of your mercies: This consideration Ezra holds forth to the people of God, that in time coming they may walk more circumspectly, Ezra 9.13, 14.  thou our God, hast given us such deliverance as this; should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? The remembrance of former mercies, made Hezekiah, after his recovery from a dangerous sickness, to walk softly and circumspectly all his years, in the bitterness of his soul, Isai. 38.15. And our blessed Lord, holdeth forth this consideration to the man that was healed of a longsome disease, Joh. 5.14. Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, etc. 6. Fear of thine own weakness, and fears from the many temptations and snares in this present evil world, is a special mean to make thee walk circumspectly: fear to slip and fall, maketh men walk circumspectly in slippery places, Rom. 11.20. Be not highminded, but fear: therefore walk circumspectly and humbly with thy God in the remembrance of his former mercies, in the remembrance of thy former sins; in the conscience and sense of thy present weakness, and in the fear of many and manifold temptations in this evil world; as a man walketh circumspectly, looking well to every step in the midst of snares. 7. As ye would walk circumspectly, be not rash to venture upon temptations: Cyprian saith truly, Nemo periculo proximus, est diu tutus, no man near to the temptation and danger is long safe: his advice is good, that men would be circumspect, like mariners at Sea, who in time of a calm, do not cast anchor beside a rock, because they know not how soon a storm may arise, and dash the Vessel against the rock: so a Christian would be circumspect, though his affections be quiet and still for the present time, yet if he venture upon the place of temptations and snares, he cannot tell how soon the wind of temptation may arise, and bring the shipwreck of peace and a good conscience. 8. As ye would walk circumspectly at all times and in all places, remember often the necessity of our compearance after death before the tribunal of Jesus Christ; this consideration made Paul circumspect, both in his personal and ministerial conversation, 2 Cor. 5.9, 10. Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him: for we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.  
Not as fools: The Apostle speaketh more particularly of our Christian walk, and that negatively, that we walk not as fools. 1. Not as the atheistical and profane fool, who walketh without any serious thoughts of God in his heart, Ps. 14▪ 1. The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God: they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doth good. Ezek. 8.12. They say, the Lord seethe us not. Psal. 94 8, 9 Understand ye brutish among the people, and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, etc. Therefore be not profane and godless fools, but fear God and departed from evil, Prov. 3.7. 2. Be not vain and arrogant fools, walking in the imaginations of your own evil hearts, Prov. 12.15. The way of a fool, is right in his own eyes. 3. Walk not in the way of the licentious fool, a●ter the lusts of uncleanness or drunkenness, Prov. 7.7. The young man that followed the strange woman, is said to be simple and void of understanding: he is a mad fool, running in the way of riot and uncleanness to his own destruction. Walk not in the way of drunkenness and excess: for the Scripture saith, that drunkards are benumbed and besotted fools, Hos. 4.11. Whoredom and wine take away the heart. 4. Walk not in the way of worldly-minded and covetous men, who set up their rest upon the things of this world, and make no conscience of their purchase, for the Scripture calleth such men, fools, Jer. 17.11. As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not: so he that getteth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end, shall be a fool. Luk. 12.20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, etc. 5. Walk not in the way of strife and contention, for such men are, in the Scripture-phrase, fools, Prov. 20.3. Every fool will be meddling. Prov. 26.17. He that passeth by and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears: he doth at first rashly engage himself into the quarrel, and is afraid how he shall come off fairly without prejudice to his credit or estate. 6. Walk not in the way of malice; for the Scripture calleth malicious and wrathful men, fools, Eccles. 7.9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 7. Walk not wilfully and obstinately in any evil custom or way, for such men the Scripture calleth fools, who will not be reclaimed by the rods of God upon their backs, Prov. 27.22. Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a , yet will not his foolishness departed from him. Jer. 5.3, 4. But they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a rock, they have refused to return; therefore I said, surely these are poor, they are foolish. 8. Walk not in the way of malicious dissimulation; though such dissemblers may be esteemed wits, and active men in this present world; yet in God's account they are fools, Prov. 10.18. He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth slander, is a fool. 9 Walk not in the way of slothful men, who delay from time to time to go about the great business and work of their own salvation; such persons in holy Scripture, are compared to the foolish Virgins, Mat. 25. 10. Walk not in the way of bare formality, resting upon the performance of some outward duties only; because such men are compared to the foolish builder, who built upon the sand: such fools are these who rest on the hearing of the Word, but prepare not themselves to do it, Mat. 7.26. 11. Walk not here and there, departing from a known and received truth in the matter of Religion; for such wavering and unconstant men, are called fools, Gal. 3.1. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  
But as wise: The Apostle (1 Cor. 3.18.) speaketh of a twofold wisdom; an heavenly wisdom, when a man preferreth his duty to God unto all things worldly; such was the wisdom of Paul, Act. 20.23, 24. The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me: but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself; so that I might finish my course with joy, and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. This wisdom is thought foolishness to the worldly man, whose mind and heart is fixed on things earthly. And there is a worldly wisdom, when men in their practice and endeavours, do prefer the good things of this life unto the best things of the life to come, as Demas did: this wisdom is foolishness in God's account; for, what avails it a man to gain all the world, and lose his own soul?  
This Christian Heavenly wisdom, standeth, 1. In men's proposing to themselves a good and happy end of their actions: when they propone to themselves, as the great and supreme end of all their actions, the glory of God, of whom, through whom, and for whom are all things, 1 Cor. 10.31. Whether ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of God: when in the next place, they propose to themselves that subordinat end, to wit, the salvation of their own souls, Phil. 3.14. I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus: and when they propose to themselves the good of others, by following their own example in well-doing, Mat. 5.16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. 2. True Christian-wisdom, stands in a serious deliberation and search out of God's Word, what are the fittest means for attaining these ends; as by well-doing, and suffering for well-doing, to glorify God, 1 Pet. 4.14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. When we search and consider from the Word of God, that true repentance, lively faith, and sincere obedience, are the means, whereby we attain salvation, Acts 3.19. Acts 16.31. Rom. 2.6, 7. 3. It stands in a careful and timous applying of the means necessary for these great ends: So if ye be truly wise Christians, ye will be diligent and active in using the means, whereby God may be glorified, and your souls saved; Jam. 3.13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge amongst you? let him show, out of a good conversation, his works with meekness of wisdom: for God will have men to repent and turn, that they may live in his sight, Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Ye must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for there is no salvation in any other, neither is there any other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, Act. 4.12. And ye must walk in obedience to his will, because he became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him, Heb. 5.9. 4. True Christian wisdom standeth in foreseeing impediments, stumbling-blocks, and snares in the way wherein ●e are to walk toward eternal life, Prov. 22.3. A prudent man forseeth evil. 5. As the truly wise Christian forseeth the danger, so he wisely preveeneth or removeth every impediment out of the way, that would hinder him to walk or run his race with patience, 1 Cor. 9.27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. Heb. 12.1. Let us lay aside every weight, etc. 6. The wise Christian walketh according to right reason in his worldly desires, and not according to passion and sensual appetite, which would be at the outmost point of his carnal desires; for passions, not guided and moderated by prudence and right reason, do run into extremity of sinning, as is spoken of Israel, Jer. 3.5. Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things, as thou couldst. In so doing, men become foolish to the destruction of their own souls; like the Nightingale, delighting so much sometimes in her own singing, that she bursts. 7. The truly wise Christian walketh wisely towards them that are without the Church, and adversaries to the sacred truth, Col. 4.5. Walk wisely toward them that are without. 1 Cor. 10.32. Giving none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God: because in so doing, thou hinders (so far as lieth in thee) the great end, to wit, God's glory in their conversion to the faith and truth professed by thyself: to this end, the Apostle giveth sound advice to all who live in an outward civil society with others, of a different persuasion in the matter of Religion, 1 Tim. 6.1. Let as many servants, as are under the yoke, to wit, of unbelieving masters, count their own masters worthy of all honour; that the Name of God, and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 1 Pet. 3.1, 2. Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives: while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.  
Worldly and contentious wisdom, is directly opposite to true Christian wisdom, as is evident from Jam. 3.15. This wisdom that hath with it bitter envying and strife, descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual and devilish. It is called earthly from the object of it, because it is employed chief about things earthly: of such wisdom speaketh Jer. 4.22. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge: wise to oppress others, as Pharaoh, Exod. 1.10. Let us deal wisely, etc. wise by wicked counsels to destroy the innocent; such was the wisdom of Achithophel in his counsel against David. It is a sensual wisdom, to fulfil their own sinful lusts, in taking the opportunities to do evil; as the young man, taking the opportunity of the twilight to go about the work of darkness and uncleanness, Job 24.15. and the vile adulteress, taking the opportunity of her husband's absence for her shameful and sensual ends, Pro. 7.19. It is the earthly wisdom of a covetous man, by his speeches to deceive and defraud the simple, Pro. 20.14. It is nought, it is nought, saith the buyer, etc. It is called a devilish wisdom, from the Author of it, the subtle old serpent; and it is rather craftiness and subtle deceit, than true wisdom.  
The true signs and vive characters of the true Christian wisdom, are, 1. These given by the Apostle Jam. 3.17. It is pure without mixture of deceit; peaceable, without envy and malice; gentle, without desire of revenge; full of mercy and charity, without grudging to give unto them that are in distress; and full of good fruits, to wit, of piety, sobriety and righteousness. 2. Where true heavenly wisdom is, there will be teachableness, and willingness to hear a word of reproof when we do amiss, Pro. 1.5. A wise man will hear, etc. Pro. 9.8. Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee. David loved Nathan and Gud, the faithful Prophets, who reproved him in the Name of the Lord. 3. A truly wise Christian will endeavour by his good example, instruction and admonition, to win others to God, Prov 11.30. He that winneth souls, is wise; as a wise and faithful servant, by his good example of diligence, maketh other servants diligent and faithful in his Master's service. 4. True Christian wisdom, hath honest and harmless simplicity joined with it, Mat. 10 16. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 5. The truly wise Christian, like the wise Merchant, preferreth Christ to all things; and like the wise builder, Mat. 7.24. he builds his comfort and confidence on Jesus Christ the rock of his salvation, as Paul did, Rom. 8.33, 34, 35. Gal. 6.14. God forbidden that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 6. The truly wise Christian, is an heavenly-minded man, having his affections set upon things above, Prov. 15.24. The way of life is above to the wise, that he may departed from hell beneath.  
The means and helps for attaining this heavenly wisdom, are, 1. Thou must be humble and denied to thine own wisdom, 1 Cor. 3.18. Let him become a fool, that he may be wise. Thou must captivat all thy thoughts and imaginations to the wisdom and will of God, revealed in the holy Word, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. 2. To this end, thou must be well acquainted with the holy Scripture, which only is able to make thee wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15. 3. Thou wouldst carefully observe the experiences thou has had of God's mercies in time bypast; this will make thee wise and resolute in times of new difficulties, to depend on God and his help, Ps. 71.17, 18. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, etc. Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not: for, experience is the schoolmaster of fools, to make them wise: thou wilt also observe the Lords chastisements upon thyself in the former time of thy deboarding, and thou wilt be more wise in time coming, Ps. 119.71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy Statutes. Thou wilt observe the uncertainty and vicissitude of all things worldly, and therefrom learn to be humble and wise, not trusting, or insolently glorying in things uncertain: but thou shouldst be wise, and learn to glory in the Lord alone, with whom there is not a shadow of change: thou shouldst observe the judgements of God on wicked men, and learn to be wise in forsaking their evil ways, Act. 19.16, 17, 18, 19 When many that believed, saw the judgement of God upon the conjurers, they burned their magical Books, and forsook their unlawful arts. So the unclean person, observing the judgement of God upon the harlot, brought to a morsel of bread, and upon the prodigal waster, clothed with rags, and upon the proud man, as Haman, brought to open disgrace, this should make others wise to salvation, in being chaste, sober and humble. Cato said truly in alleging, wise men profited more by fools, than fools did by wise men; because wise men see the faults of fools, and avoid them; but fools will neither see their own faults, nor follow the example of wise men. 4. If thou would be truly wise, frequent the company of these who are wise, Pro. 13.20. He that walketh with wise men, shall be wise: but a companion of fools, shall be destroyed. 5. As thou wouldst be wise, pray to God for wisdom, Jam. 1.5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Pro. 2.3, 5. If thou liftest up thy voice for understanding, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord.  
Redeeming the time: To redeem the time, doth sometimes signify to gain time by delaying and shifting of hard and difficult questions, which might bring the answerer into great danger; So, Dan. 2.8. the King said to the Chaldeans, who could not tell him the interpretation of his dream, but desired that he would show them first the dream, he said, I know of certainty, that ye will gain the time. To gain the time, is rendered by the seventy Interpreters, in the same word that is used here: But we take the expression here to be borrowed from Travellers or Sojourners, who sleeping too long in the short winter day, do hastily rise and walk the faster, redeeming the time that was lost by sleep, and amend their pace all the rest of the day: or it may be borrowed from Merchants, preferring the opportunity of a good Mercat, and of buying precious wares, even to the time of their ordinary refreshment, by eating and drinking, Prov. 23.23. Buy the truth, but sell it not; that is, with the hazard of any loss worldly, lay thou hold upon the occasions and opportunities of learning the sacred Truths of God, but upon no terms sell thou, or alienat the truth: or, the expression is borrowed from frugal men, who retrench their Retinue, Diet and all Superfluities, that by so doing they may redeem Houses or Lands, mortgaged formerly through misgovernment or prodigality.  
It is a chief point of Christian wisdom, to improve the time well; for it is said here, Be wise, redeeming the time, as were, the wise Merchant, the wise Builder, and the wise Virgins, spoken of in holy Scripture, because time is precious, Pro. 25.11. A word fitly or timously spoken, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Esther spoke in time, in behalf of the Jews, and Jacob sought the blessing in time; and the wise Virgins provided oil in time: time passed cannot be brought back again, like the running of water, that doth not return; and it is wisdom for travellers to take the opportunity of the tide before it be spent: as our time is spent here, so will it be with us in eternity: it will be evil with them for ever, who spent the time of their life in following their lusts and sinful pleasures, and did not redeem lost time, by repenting in time, Luk. 16.25. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Gal. 6.7, 8. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap: for he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  
There be three differences of time, as it is commonly taken; to wit, the time past, present, and to come: we should walk wisely in reference to all these differences of times.  
1. When we look back to the time past, that hath been misspent in the vanities and follies of sin, we should be humbled as holy Job was, Job 13.26. Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth: as holy David was, Psal. 25.7. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Cato, though an Heathen, repent (as he said) that he had misspent one day in idleness: but all of us may say as Psal. 90.9. Our years are spent as a tale that is told: we are like some careless hearers, who scarce know the subject and purpose of a tale, before it be near an end; so we know not the main end and purpose of our life, which is to know God, and to glorify him, when we have known him; and the life of many is near to an end, before they consider the great intendment of God in giving them life. We may say (as Eccles. 11.10.) Childhood and youth are vanity: misspent idly in doing little or no good, and ofttimes in doing evil; and we may say (as 1 Pet. 4.3.) The time past may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, etc. When we remember this misspent time, we should mourn, and resolve by the grace of God, by amendment, to redeem lost time, and say and do as Job 34.32. That which I see not, teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. How many opportunities of well-doing have we sloathed and neglected? As of thanksgiving to God for benefits received, like unthankful Israel, Hos. 2.8. She did not know that I gave her corn, etc. Of prayer and calling upon the Name of God, as Israel in the time of oppressing one another, Psal. 53.4. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread; they have not called upon God. How have we neglected the opportunities of humbling ourselves by fasting and prayer in a time of imminent or incumbent judgements? Yea, we have walked in revelling and riot, contrary to the Lords sad dispensations, Isai. 22.12, 14. We have neglected the opportunities of hearing the good Word of God, Prov. 1.24, 25. We have refused the gracious invitations of the Gospel, like these men, who made light of the King's invitation to the Marriage-feast, Mat. 22.5. We have abused the time of God's patience, that should have led us to repentance, as it is said, Rev. 2.21. Not only have we been negligent, to lay hold upon the opportunities of well-doing; but also we have been forward and hasty to take the occasions of evil-doing: How many have been so malicious, that like the cruel old Priest Annas, they could not sleep till they had done evil? How many have taken opportunity, from the weakness of others, of their cruel revenge, as Simeon and Levi did? How many have taken occasion from the simplicity of some, or from the desolate condition of others, as of Widows and Orphans, to oppress them, and by their ruins build up an estate to themselves? Such men should redeem the time by repentance and restitution in time, Prov. 23.10, 11. Remove not the old landmark, etc. for their Redeemer is mighty. Job 20.19, 20. Because he hath oppressed, and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not: surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.  
As for the present time, we should improve it to well-doing without delay; God, in holy Scriptures, urgeth the opportunity of the present time, Joel 2.12. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart. Psal. 95.7. To day if ye will hear his voice, etc. 2 Cor. 6.2. Now is the accepted time, etc. The husbandman takes opportunity of the season, for ploughing and sowing; so should we of ploughing up and renting our hearts by repentance, and of sowing in righteousness: the sea-faringman, taketh the opportunity of a fair wind; so should we take the opportunity, when the Spirit of God breatheth upon us by the Word, without delay to departed from our sins, and to advance toward the Port of eternal Salvation: Because, 1. The neglect of the opportunity given us for well-doing, doth provoke God to withhold the like opportunity in time coming, Joh. 7.34. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me. Esau came not in time to get the blessing; and he never got another opportunity for it. Jerusalem would not in time know those things that belonged to her peace, and therefore in time coming they were hid from her eyes, Luk. 19.42. Felix made not good use of the opportunity he had for hearing Paul preach; and he never got another convenient season, Act. 24.25. 2. Though thou may have afterward an opportunity of the outward Ordinances, yet through thy former neglect of them, thou provokes God to reject thy offerings, and outward duties; the Lord would not accept of the people of Israel their offer to come up the hill afterward, because they had neglected the former opportunity of Obedience, when he had commanded them to come up, Numb. 14.40, 41, 42. 3. The time is uncertain, in respect of the opportunity of the means of grace; for thou cannot tell how short a time the mercat and offer of free grace may endure: the Lord may send a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord, Amos 8.11, 12. The time of thy life is uncertain; how many have been well and in health the one Sabbath, but removed by death before the other? 4. Consider seriously, though the Lord may be found of thee on thy sick and deathbed, after the many slight of opportunities in the days of thy health and prosperity; yet shall it be to thee with much pain and wrestling; as the people of Israel, were put to the pains of forty years abiding in the wilderness, which might have been saved by the timous pains of forty days, Num. 14. As a man that neglects the opportunity of a fair and favourable wind for sailing, may possibly wait on a long time, before he have the like opportunity: Yea, though a man may repent truly and sincerely upon his deathbed; yet it is not without much fear and jealousy, that he hath not so much forsaken sin through any true spiritual averseness from it, as from a mere want of power to act sin in the body, as he was wont formerly to do.  
A wise Christian, should redeem and improve the time in order to time coming: he should make timous provision for the time to come, as Joseph in the time of plenty, laid up provision for the time coming of famine. There be four things especially we would make provision of, 1. Of the word of the holy commandment, and threatening against the time and hour of future temptations, Psal. 119.11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. And when we are tempted to this or that sin, we would make use of the commandment forbidding it, and of the threatening against it: we would lay up provision of the Word, of gracious promises, against a time of temptation to doubts and fears of acceptance, as these promises, Is. 55.1. Mat. 11.28. Joh. 6.37. and against the fears of final Apostasy; we would lay up provision from the word of promise, Joh. 4.14. Joh. 10.28. We would lay up provision of gracious promises against temptations in an hour of da●kness and desertion, as that, Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Isa. 49.15. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee. Psal. 89 31, 32.33. If they break my statutes, etc. Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes: nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. And lay up the word of admonition against a time of senseless security, 1 Cor. 10.12. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. Lay up that word, Phil. 2.12. Work out your own salvation in fear and trembling, and that of, 1 Joh. 5 18. He that is born of God, keepeth himself. 2. Make provision of good works, though not as a ground of confidence, yet as a matter of comfort for time coming, Luk. 12.35. Provide for yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not. 1 Tim. 6.18, 19 Charge them that are rich, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute willing to communicate: laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. For, although good works do not make way, and usher us into glory, (for Christ the Forerunner, only doth that by the merit of his death, Heb. 6.20.) Yet they are attendants, accompanying persons justified, even unto eternal life, Rev. 14.13. Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord, from henceforth; yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them. 3. Lay up provision of thy observations of Gods sad dispensations upon men going on obstinately in their sins, Job 9 4. Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered? as on Pharaoh, Senacherib, Antiochus Epiphanes, Herod the great, and Julian the Apostate. Lay up this observation as provision against temptations to walk on in any course of rebellion against the known will of God: Hezekiah advised the people of Israel well, from the sad experience of great desolation, brought upon their Ancestors by their great sins, 2 Chron. 30.8. Now, be ye not stiffnecked as your fathers were; but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and serve the Lord your God, etc. Lay up provision of thy own personal experience of sad afflictions upon thyself in a time of thy former strayings from God; and of the good such afflictions did to thee, in stopping thy course of defection, Psal. 119.67. Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word. And in a time of renewed afflictions, be patiented, and submit to God, who chastiseth his own children, to this end especially, that he may make them partakers of his holiness, Heb. 12.10. In time of great affliction, lay up provision from thy experience of his strength supporting thee, and of his wisdom and power in delivering thee, that in time coming thy heart may be established by confidence and dependence on him in new troubles, Psal. 42.6. O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. 2 Cor. 1.9, 10. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in our selves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust, that he will yet deliver us. 4. Lay up provision of self-denial and resolution for evil times of persecution to come, Mat. 16.24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, etc. And he must be resolute as Paul, Act. 21.13. I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus.  
From this Doctrine of Redeeming the time, three sorts of persons are justly to be reproved, 1. Slothful Idlers, who redeem not the time, but from day to day, delay to put heart and hand to the work of their own salvation, like the sluggard, Prov. 6.10. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber. Such men are like to spendthrifts, who neglect the appointed time for redeeming their mortgaged lands; and afterward when they would, they have not the opportunity, Luk. 13.24. Strive to enter in at the straight gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 2. Such as trifle away their time as the Athenians did, Act. 17.21. As these tattling widows did, 1 Tim. 5.17. and as these busy bodies, 2 Thess. 3.11. Such also who spend more time in their excessive recreations and gamings, than in their necessary and lawful employments: especially such, who spend much of their time in dycing and carding. Such, of old, were severely fined by the laws, both of Heathen and Christian Emperors; and by the Canons of the Council of Eliberis, were suspended from the holy Sacrament, as witnesseth the learned Ductor dubitantium: such prodigal triflers of precious time, are like to some foolish persons, who spend upon conceits and fancies the moneys that should have been employed to redeem their mortgages: so these men play away their time, which should be employed to redeem their former time, that was engaged to their former foolish courses. 3. The debauched wasters of time in the works of darkness, as uncleanness, drunkenness, oppression, covetousness, pride, malice, etc. Such men redeem not the time, but prodigally cast it away: they are like unto profuse wasters, who do not redeem the wodsett, but take on more debt, and in end bring themselves to sinful, shameful and desperate poverty: So these prodigal wasters and debauchers of their time, bring themselves in end to an everlasting want of all comfort, as the rich glutton did, Luk. 16.23, 24.  
Therefore, let all sorts and conditions of men, take with the warning to improve their time to the glory of God, and to the advantage of their own salvation. 1. Such as are in their adolescency and growing age, they would improve their young years to the glorifying of their Creator, Eccles. 12.1. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth. Offer the first fruits of your age unto God, that your after-age may be sanctified and blessed of the Lord: if the first-fruits be holy, the whole lump of your time and age will be holy, Rom. 11.16. Plato to this purpose speaketh indeed like a divine Philosoph, in his first book of his Repub. Young age, saith he, p●st over in virtue, and in honest employments, is a comfortable nurse to entertain and cherish their old age: but he that wasteth and debaucheth his young years, when he comes to old age, the remembrance of his former miscarriages in the time of his youth, doth greatly affright him: as infants awaked out of their sleep, by loud noises, are greatly terrified and affrighted. In like manner, those men that sleeped sometimes securely in the sins of their youth, shall be awaked in their old age with the terrors of an accusing conscience, and affrighted with the dreadful found of death and judgement, and shall not have rest to their souls, until they repent of the sins of their youth, and by ●aith rest on the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood cleanseth from all unrighteousness. 2. Such as are in their prime, and meridian of their time, who are now in their full strength of body and mind, Improve your time well; honour God, with the strength of thy body: give not thy strength and the flower of thy time to uncleanness and drunkenness, like these cursed men, Isa. 5.22. woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine: by so doing they weaken the spirit, and consume the body: they turn the good gifts of God unto rebellion against himself, as if a soldier should employ his levy-mony to buy arms, wherewith he might fight against his King who gave it. Reuben, the beginning of jacob's strength, abused his own time and strength; therefore his dignity and excellency was taken from him: but Joseph improved well his youth and strength of body; therefore God blessed him, and his bow abode in strength, in despite of all that shot at him. Now is the time wherein your senses and judgement are ripe and quick; use your time and judgement well, that ye may have comfort in old age, when senses and judgement will fail, as they did in old Barzillay: but if your quickness be set on edge upon vain inventions, ye will be forced in your old age to say, as Rom. 6.21. What pleasure have we, or fruits, in those things, whereof we are now ashamed. 3. And such who are in their decrept old age, stooping toward the earth and the grave, let them not employ their short time and their affections wholly upon the things of the earth, when by the course of nature, they are near to be removed from it: Let them not be busy in the things of the world, and careless of the work of their own salvation; I say to them, as the Lord of the Vineyard said to those, Matth. 20. Why stand ye all day idle? ye are come to your eleventh hour, your time is near run, the night of death is near hand, wherein no man can work: therefore, before that night surprise you, delay not to enter unto the work of sanctification, which is begun salvation, and work it out in fear and trembling, that at death ye may rejoice, and say with Paul, (2 Tim. 4.7, 8.) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, etc. Let them with old Simeon, frequent the temple, and make conscience of the holy ordinances both public and private, in them waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ, who will come to old expectants, as he did to old Simeon; and will put himself into the arms of their faith, that they may say at death, Mine eyes have seen thy salvation; now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace.  
The reason brought by the Apostle, to press the whole complex duty, is, walking circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, is set down in these words, because the days are evil: no day or time is intrinsically evil, but good, being created of God together with the creatures, as the measure of the endurance of things created by God, which were all good in the beginning: but as man, by the abuse of his own freewill, made himself evil, Eccles. 7.29. So he himself maketh his time and days evil, which are the measure of his evil actions.  
The holy Scripture speaks of good days and happy times, such as was the day of the birth of our blessed Lord, Luk. 2.10, 11. such as is the time of the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles, 2 Cor. 6.2. such as will be to the godly, the day of our Lords second coming, which is called the day of refreshment, of restoring all things, Act. 3.19.21. and the day of full redemption, Eph. 4.30. The Scripture speaketh also of evil days, wherein sin and iniquity doth abound; such were the days wherein Noah and Lot lived; such were the days wherein Isaiah lived, when he complains of the decay of truth, of common honesty, and of the abounding of violence, Is. 59.15. Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil, maketh himself a prey. Such were the times wherein Jeremiah lived, who complained heavily of them, Jer. 9.2. O that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of way-faring men, that I might leave my people, and go from them; for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men, full of falsehood and dissimulation, etc. Such were the times whereof Peter foretold, 2 Pet. 3. There shall come in the last days, scoffers walking after their own lusts: Men blasphemous and profane, mocking at the promises of God, and at the saith of the godly for trusting to these promises. Evil days also are the days of sad and grievous calamities, Gen. 47.9. Jacob said unto Pharaoh, few and evil have the days of the years of my life been. Such were the days of Jerusalem in their first destruction by the Babylonians, and in their second destruction by the Romans.  
In such evil days, we should walk circumspectly; for, the Apostle urgeth this duty from this reason, because the days are evil. Consider, 1. God observeth the godly in their walking at such a time especially, wherein sin and iniquity doth abound; he observed the uprightness of Noah, in the midst of a crooked generation; and the righteousness of Lot, whose soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of that evil time; he observed these few in the Church of Sardis, who had not defiled their garments with the pollutions of that evil time wherein they lived, Rev. 3.4. 2 Evil days are critic days, wherein we may discern and judge of the good or bad dispositions of men living in such times; evil times are searching and trying times of the saith of the godly, notwithstanding the prosperity of the wicked; thus the Prophets saith was tried, Ps. 73.28. But it is good for me to draw near to God. Such times are trying times of the patience of the godly, Heb. 10.36. Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. In such evil times, the steadfastness of the godly is tried, when many that were fair professors in a time of prosperity, do make defection from the way of truth and righteousness, as Joh. 6.68. when many that were sometimes disciples by profession, went back and walked no more with Christ, than the steadfastness of Peter and of such as were disciples indeed, was tried and manifested: Peter said, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 3. Evil times, wherein sin and iniquity abounds, are perilous times, 2 Tim. 3.1. This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come. They are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, times full of difficulty for the godly, to preserve themselves from the contagion, or from the violence of such times, if they will not run to the same excess of riot with the wicked.  
Preservatives against evil times are, 1. Sound information from the Word of God, that by the light thereof, we may discover and shun the ways of an evil time, Ps. 17.4. Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Ps. 119.104. By thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 2. Give not consent to the beginnings of any evil course, Prov. 1.10. My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Because consent at first, may justly provoke God in his justice to leave thee to thy own counsel, and then thou mayest prove an active promoter, and violent driver on of the course of iniquity: Paul at first gave consent to the stoning of Stephen, and afterward made cruel havoc of the Christian Church. The course of iniquity is called a backsliding, Hos. 4.16. Israel slideth back as a back-sliding hiefer. And if once thou begin to slide, thou cannot tell how far thine own corruption, and the evil counsel and example of wicked men may carry thee, as it did sometimes the people of Jerusalem, Jer. 8.5. Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back, by a perpetual back-sliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. At first men are deceived by their own hearts, and thereafter to excuse and strengthen themselves in their own sinful ways, they deceive and corrupt others by evil counsel and example: for no man at first comes to the height of iniquity, according to the saying, nemo repent fit pessimus: but they grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived, 2 Tim. 3.13 3. In a time wherein piety and righteousness is mocked by profane and licentious men, speaking all manner of evil against the godly and upright, who will not run with them to the same excess of riot, 1 Pet. 4.4. labour thou the more to preserve thyself from pusilanimity, and base fear of their revile against any complying with their sinful ways, Ps. 119.51. The proud have had me greatly in derision, yet have I not declined from thy Law. 4. In evil times, when a man is made an offender for a rash and inconsiderate word, Isa. 29.21. then preserve thyself by silence, except thou have a call from God to speak, Psal. 39 1. I said I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. Amos 5.13. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time. And pray often to God to set a watch before thy mouth, not to suffer thy heart to comply with the workers of iniquity; and that the Lord would preserve thee from being taken with their worldly baits and allurements, Psal. 141.3, 4. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips; incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties. 5. In evil times of wrath and imminent judgement, by reason of impiety and iniquity abounding in the land, draw near to God by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, Zeph. 2.1, 2. Gather yourselves together; yea, gather together, O nation not desired: before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lords anger come upon you. Be humble, and tremble in time at the threatening of wrath, that ye may have rest in your souls in the day when the cup is poured forth, Hab. 3.16. When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. They who tremble not in the time of a threatened judgement, yet when the judgement is poured forth, even these who were stouthearted sinners, in the day of wrath poured forth, they become like Pashur, Magor-missabib, fear round about: When thou hast repent of thy sins, which together with the sins of others, have provoked the Lord to great wrath, then flee by faith in to the mercy of God manifested in Jesus Christ, who is the only Ark of Propitiation, Heb. 11.7. Noah being warned of God, of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his soul. When the evil day of wrath is come, and the judgement is incumbent, then humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, 2 Chron. 7.14. If my people which are called by my Name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chron. 30.8. Now be ye not stiffnecked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever; and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. Thus Rehoboam and the Princes, did humble themselves; and the Lord gave them some deliverance, 2 Chron. 12.6, 7. 6. That thou may not faint in evil times, wherein sin, persecution and misery do abound, guard thy heart with the hope of that eternal rest, when thou shalt rest from all thy labours, 2 Cor. 4.16, 17, 18. For which cause, we faint not, etc. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. Heb. 10.34. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves, that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Which is purchased to us by the merits of the sufferings of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be everlasting praise, honour and glory, for now and ever. Amen.   

The Believer his Prospect, through the dark Valley of Death.  
SERMON VII.  2 COR. 5.1, 2. 
For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens:  
For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.  
THe Particle For, points at the connexion of these words with the last verse of the preceding Chapter; wherein the Apostle gave the reason of his not fainting under all the pressures and afflictions he suffered in the body; because he looked not so much by present sense to the things he suffered here, as by faith and hope he looked to things eternal in heaven, to wit, unto an eternal rest, and an immortal Crown of Glory, which not seen by sense, yet he believed was reserved for him in heaven: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11.1. And the light afflictions in this present life, are not to be compared with these eternal things not seen nor perceived by sense, Rom. 8.18. What these eternal things are, the Apostle describes in part, in the two first verses of this Chapter; even an immortal and glorified body in the day of the resurrection: therefore he faints not, but hath Christian courage in all the pain and shame he suffereth at the hand of men, now in his frail and mortal body; for we know (saith he) although our earthly house of the tabernacle of the body shall be dissolved; when all the pins and joints will be dissolved, yet we have a building of God, and we look for an house, even a glorified body, not of man's making and giving; though our frail body be framed in the womb by the Lord, yet the glorified body is of the Lords making and giving, in a more special manner; because in the day of our resurrection, he shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, Phil. 3.21. It is an house eternal, and well situate in the heavens, where it will not be subject to storms and tempests, as it is in this life: my assured knowledge (saith he) of that future happy condition, stirreth up in my soul an earnest desire and longing to remove out of the body, that I may be clothed upon with glory in my soul after death, and with immortal glory both in soul and body at the day of resurrection.  
By earthly house here, is meant our body, called an house of clay, Job 4.19. because the body of the first Adam, of whom by propagation we have our bodies, was form out of the red earth, from which man was called Adam: it is underpropped for a time by meat, drink, sleep, and sometimes by medicine, to fill up the breaches, and to repair the decays of this house of clay, which in end will fall down to the dust of the earth.  
It is called a tabernacle; because the soul dwells in the body for a time, as the Ark did reside in the Tabernacle, built for divine worship for a time in the wilderness; until it got a settled residence in the Temple of Jerusalem: in likemanner, our souls in this time of our sojourning on the earth, are lodged in frail bodies, subject to many changes, and to a continual flux.  
By building, or an house not made with hands, is meant the immortal glorious body in Heaven: here in this life, the parents do minister the materials of our frail and natural bodies; but the immortality and glory of the heavenly body, will be only from God himself, as is evident, Phil. 3.20, 21. It is said we groan, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) as men straitened and pressed with a burden, that hinders them to go so fast in their journey as they would: therefore the holy Apostle groans and longs to be eased of that burden of the body, which retards him in his motions toward his country that is above; and he desires to be clothed upon with that heavenly house of incorruption; and to be invested in that full glory, when the soul will be reunited unto a glorious body for ever without separation; as likewise the body will be ever with the soul, and wherever it desires to be; for the desire of the soul will be satisfied in Heaven, as August. de Civit. Dei, saith truly, Protinus ubi volet spiritus, ihi erit corpus, wherever the spirit will desire to be, there incontinent shall the body be.  
In the words we have, 1. The Apostle his assured knowledge of that far better estate after this life, vers. 1. For we know that if our earthly house, etc. 2. The effect this knowledge wrought in the holy Apostle, to wit, an earnest desire after that eternal house, vers. 2. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring, etc.  
From the words we draw clearly these four Conclusions, 1. The dissolution of the body is certain, Our earthly house will be dissolved. 2. The glory of the bodies of believers in this life, is certain in the life to come, We have a building of God, etc. 3. There is a great difference and opposition between our present and future condition in the body: now the body of believers is in this life, earthly, and hath need of earthly supports and props: but hereafter in Heaven it will be heavenly, in respect of its qualities: it will not be gross and heavy, but subtle and agile; it is now corruptible, but than it will be eternal; now it is on the earth, as a poor cottage of clay in the wilderness; then will it be in Heaven, as a Palace, beautiful, strong and unmoveable upon Mount Zion that is above. 4. The assured knowledge of our interest and title through Christ unto that happy condition of glory both in soul and body, will stir up in believers a vehement desire of that complete happiness in Heaven, for in this we groan, etc.  
Conclus. 1. There will be a dissolution of the body by death, For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, that is, although it were dissolved, as the particle which is also here (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) is well rendered, 1 Cor. 4.15. Though you have ten thousand instructers in Christ: and the same particle is sometimes taken for (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) when, 1 Joh. 3.2. We know that when he shall appear, etc. and so it may be well rendered here also; when our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved. Certain it is, it shall be dissolved, Heb. 9.27. It is appointed for all, to die. Rom. 5.12, 17. Sin came over all, and by sin also death. 1 Cor. 15.22. In Adam all die. Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death. If man had not sinned, he had never died: and of this immortality of the body upon the condition of his continuance in the estate of innocency, the tree of life was a visible Sacrament and seal of assurance: so as man was created with a possibility (I do not say, a power or inclination) to sin or not to sin, according as he should use the power of his own free will: even so accordingly he was created with a body capable of mortality or immortality. It is a gross error of some, who have it from the Pelagians, denying Original sin; That man would have died, although he had continued in the estate of innocency; by reason (say they) of the materials of the body, made up of contrary qualities, that by wearing one upon another, would have made an alteration in the body, and in end brought corruption. But although man's body was composed of contrary qualities, apt to war and wear one against another; yet if man had continued in harmony and correspondence with his Creator's will, he would have kept these qualities in a just harmony one with another; as he restrained the Lion and Wolf from devouring the Lamb and Kid in the Ark of Noah; the Lion from doing any harm to the Prophet's Ass, 1 King. 13.24. and the fire from finzing the hair of the head of the three Children, Dan. 3.27. Is it not very probable, the glorified Bodies in Heaven will have these same primitive natural qualities, and yet they will be without any alteration or corruption? is it not evident, that the sentence of death was threatened only upon the condition of sinning against God, The day thou eatest, thou shalt die? That this is not to be understood only of the spiritual death of the soul, in being deprived of the favour of God, is clear, Gen. 3.19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. So that the sentence formerly threatened, is execute upon man after his failie, and for his failie.  
Seeing this earthly house will be certainly dissolved, our care of it should be moderate, and not immoderate: let us not torment ourselves with vexatious care, what we shall eat, or what we shall put on; if we have food and raiment in any competent measure, let us be content therewith, as sojourners are content with a small portion in the time of their sojourning: Let your greatest care be of your immortal souls, which are as a precious jewel enclosed in the body for a time: Is it not a shame for many persons to have so much care, and take such pains for adorning a mortal body, and in the mean time to neglect their immortal soul? Were it not a senseless folly in a man, to put forth all his care upon the repairing of the outside of his house, and yet to have no care of the precious stuff and plenishing within it? Frequent meditations of the certainty of the dissolution of our bodies, would keep our spirits more humble and sober in the days of prosperity and health: to this end, the very Heathens did often think upon their mortality; a Lictor or Sergeant was put into the triumphal chariot beside the Conqueror, to put him in mind of his mortality, by crying to him, Memento te esse mortalem, remember thou art a mortal man. Philip of Macedon commanded his Page to knock every morning at his chamber door before he risen, and to cry, Memento mori, remember thou must die. The great Emperor of the Schythians, Tamberlan, in his military march, caused carry before him his winding-sheet, as well as the royal standard; and many of the people of God amongst the Jews had their tombs in their gardens (as we read Joseph of Arimathea had) to keep their spirits sober in the midst of their worldly pleasures and delights: but men's forgetfulness of their approaching dissolution, makes many so impudent and obstinate in their sinful courses, Lam. 1.9. Her filthiness is in her skirts, she remembreth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully; she had no comforter. We have daily warnings of the approaching dissolution of this house of clay, 1. From the props we make use of daily to support it, as our meat and our drink, they are for repairing this ruinous house for a time; and yet do what we can, it will fall down to the dust: take warning from thy going to sleep, and remember, as thou puts off thy , so thou must put off this garment of mortality: If at any time thou take medicine, remember it is but as a plastering for a time of a decaying mud-house. 2. Let sickness in the body at any time, put thee in mind of thy dissolution by death; because alteration doth tend in end to corruption; as a drop from the roof doth in end wear the side-walls. 3. Take warning from the death and burial of others; when thou seest their scull, or bones, or dust: this is a pious Necromancy thereby to divine of thine own dissolution by death. 4. Take warning from the winter season; when thou lookest on the earth, thou seest neither grass nor flower, then remember thou that, of 1 Pet. 1.24. All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man, as the flower of grass: the grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away. But thou who sowest in tears, rejoice in the hope of that harvest of complete glory at the Resurrection, which is the spring-time of the immortality of the body; when the bodies of the Saints shall spring up in glory, like the lilies, that were hid under the ground in time of winter, Isa. 26.19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise: awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew, is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead:  
There is great reason, wherefore we should be preparing daily for the dissolution of the body by death, 1. This dissolution is inevitable, and there is not exemption from it by any humane power. It is true, God himself did exempt Enoch and Elias from dissolution of the body; because he is the supreme Lawgiver, and may dispense with his own penal statutes: but no person can exempt himself from the necessity of a dissolution of the body: riches cannot bribe death; the rich glutton died: honour and majesty in the great ones of the world, cannot dash death out of countenance, nor chase it away; Kings are laid in their graves: might and power of Armies cannot affright death; it has taken away Kings and great Commanders upon the head of their Armies, wisdom and eloquence cannot dissuade it from approaching; the wise and eloquent die, as well as fools and ignorant men. The Piety of the godly, will not turn it away; Abraham the father of the faithful, and all the Patriarches died. 2. This dissolution is uncertain in respect of the time, manner, and place: We come into the world one way, but go out of it a thousand divers ways: that rich worldling, (Luk. 12.18.) was taken away on a sudden; the Shunamit's son goeth forth well in the morning, but dies before the evening: though our days are numbered of God, yet they are uncertain to us: our breath is in our nostrils; if either the air we draw in, or the air we breathe out, be stopped, we are gone in an instant: if but the small passages from the reins be obstructed, our heart is suffocat. Therefore let us not in our vain presumption number years unto ourselves; but let us pray daily to God, that he would teach us so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, Psal. 90 12.  
Quest. How shall I be prepared for my dissolution and death? Ans. That thou mayest be prepared, 1. Repent of thy sins, and be reconciled unto God through faith in Jesus Christ the Mediator, without delaying, even while thou art in the way, and cannot tell how soon thou mayest be removed, that thou may appear before thy Judge, Mat. 5.25. Delay not till the very term of thy dissolution be come; for than it will be with thee as with a careless debt or, who takes no course with his debts in time; at the term-day he is confounded with fear, lest death as a rude Messenger, sent from the great Judge, shall hale him to the bottomless prison, from which there is no redemption. 2. Embrace Christ the Saviour of sinners into the arms of thy faith, that so with old Simeon thou mayest departed in peace, Luk. 2.29, 30. Holy Ambrose at his death, beholding his friends weeping sore, said, Why weep ye? I have not so lived, that I am ashamed to live longer, if it shall so seem good in the eyes of God; neither am I afraid to die, because I have a gracious Lord. 3. Be thou diligent in thy Christian, and also in thy particular lawful Calling; the foresight of death, and appearance after death before the Tribunal of the Lord Jesus Christ, made Paul careful to approve himself to God in his Apostolical Calling, 2 Cor. 5.9, 10. Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him; for we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ, etc. Upon this account Peter was also careful to do his duty faithfully, 2 Pet. 1.13, 14, 15. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up, by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, etc. 4. In all the ways of thy Christian conversation, study to persevere in keeping a good conscience, that at death thou mayest die with some comfortable evidence in thyself of thy future happiness, 2. Tim. 4.7, 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, etc. 5. Labour thou to be prepared, as were the wise Virgins, (Mat. 25.) with the light of sound knowledge in thy mind, that thou mayest say with the Apostle, 2 Tim 1.12. I know whom I have believed. And also having the oil of sincere love in your heart toward God; for the heart cannot conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. 2.9. As also having sincere love in your hearts toward all the Saints, 1 Joh. 3.14. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. 6. Be thou prepared as these faithful servants, (Luk. 12.36.) who trussed up their garments, that they might be the more expedit and ready to open the door to their Lord at his return: In like manner do thou retire thy heart in time from the excessive love of the things of this present world, that it be not entangled thereby: but set thy heart upon God and things above; for as Plenishing or Householdstuff fixed fast in the wall, is ordinarily broken before it can be removed; so a worldly-minded man, his heart is broken with grief and worldly sorrow, when he is removed from his present enjoyments: his spirit is rather taken from him against his will, then by him freely commended, and cheerfully put over into the hands of his Heavenly Father, Luk. 12.20.  
Conclus. 2. The future glory of the bodies of the Saints in Heaven, is not only sure and certain, in itself, in respect of the object promised by God; but also in respect of the subject, to wit, believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, who may and should be assured of it; for it is said here by the Apostle, not only in his own name, but also in the name of all believers on Jesus Christ, We know we have an house, etc. It is expressed in the present tense, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, we have) to signify the certainty of it in a believer; so, Joh. 3 36. He that believeth in me, hath everlasting life. This assurance Job had, Job 19 27. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, etc. And David, Psal. 17.15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness.  
The reasons are, 1. Because not only the soul, but also the body of a believer, is a part of the mystical Body of Christ, who is the Saviour of his whole body, Eph. 5.23. 2. As the body of believers, is an instrument and vessel of honour to God in this life; so these same bodies shall be vessels of glory in the other life, that they may receive there according to their service done unto God here in the body, 2 Cor. 5.10. 3. The bodies of the Patriarches, do now rest in their graves; and as we may be assured, they shall be raised unto glory, Matth. 22.32. Joh. 5 28, 29. So all true believers on Jesus Christ, may be assured, that their own bodies also shall be raised in glory unto eternal life.  
As we would be assured of glory to our bodies in heaven, let us use our bodies here as temples to the Holy Ghost, Rom. 8.11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Now the body is used as a temple to the Holy Ghost, 1. by separating it from the service of sin and iniquity, as the temple of Jerusalem, which sometime was a threshing-floor before it became a Temple to God, it was separate from that common use; So our bodies must be separate from the service of iniquity, before it can be consecrat to the service of God, 2 Cor. 6.16, 17. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God, etc. wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separat, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. 2. As the temple of Jerusalem was not only separat from a profane or common use, but was also dedicat and consecrat unto the service of God, and spiritual employments; in like manner, our bodies should be presented and dedicat to the service of God, according to the duty of our Christian calling, Rom. 12.1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. As all the vessels in the Temple, whether great or small, were holy; so should all the members of our body be employed unto righteousness, Rom. 6.13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Our eyes should be turned away from beholding vanity, and employed to behold the power and wisdom of God in the works of Creation and Providence; our ears should be circumcised and tu●ned away from hearing profane or obscene speeches, and turned to hear what may be profitable for our edification; our tongues should be turned away from all unsavoury communication, and should minister grace to the hearer. 3. The Temple was guarded and kept by the Porters, lest any thing should enter or creep into the Temple, which might defile it, 2 Chron. 23.19. In likemanner should we watch over the Ports of our eyes and ears, that nothing enter in by them, which may defile the soul, which is the very sanctuary within the temple of our body. No stranger was admitted unto the temple of Jerusalem, Act. 21.28. so we should not admit willingly, any strange thought or straggling motion, which would turn the heart away from God, Ps. 119.113. I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love. If through our inadvertence such motions creep in, or through violence rush into the soul and molest the body, then as our blessed Lord in his zeal, did scourge out the buyers and the sellers out of the Temple, we should in a holy indignation, and commendable self-revenge, cast out these thoughts that would sell our bodies and the members thereof unto iniquity: If thus ye be careful to use your bodies as a temple to the Holy Ghost, then may ye be assured, the Holy G●ost who dwelled in the soul, and overruled the body in the day of resurrection, will fill his temple with glory; even as the temple of Jerusalem was first built by God's command, and thereafter filled with the cloud, and sensible presence of God himself. But these who dishonour God in the body and members thereof, as by blaspheming the Name of God, by uncleanness, by drunkenness or other sins acted by the subserviency of the body; can such persons, or dare they say, We know we have an eternal house in heaven? Yea, do they not know, and are convinced from the threaten of God, and from their own conscience bearing witness to the truth and justness of the same, that if they live and die in their sins without repentance and amendment of life, there is a bottomless dark prison with torments everlasting, prepared both for their soul and for their body? Gal. 6.8. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption.  
Conclus. 3. There is a great difference and opposition between the bodies of believers in this life; and the condition of their glorified bodies in the life to come: here the body is an earthly house, mouldering down daily; but in heaven, it will be fixed, eternal and incorruptible. This opposition is clearly set forth, 1 Cor. 15.41, 42, 43. 1. Now the body of the Saints is subject to alteration and corruption, It is sow● saith the Apostle, in corruption, but raised in incorruption. The body now, is in a continual flux and decay; some pickles of our dust are running daily: our life is like a lamp within this pitcher of clay, having need daily to be recruited by fresh oil: but in heaven our bodies will be of a fixed condition, without any need of reparation; then the vital and animat spirits of the body, will be pure and free from all superfluous humours, and from all conflict of one bodily quality against another; which, like contrary tides, do make a great commotion within the body: but in heaven there will be a perfect harmony amongst all the elementary qualities in the body; and therefore no possibility of alteration, or declining to old age. 2. There is an opposition in respect of the feature and beauty of the body; The body is sown in dishonour, but raised in honour. Our body in this life, is called a vile body, Phil. 3.20. Saccus stercorum; and the greatest on earth must carry about with them these monitories of humility: A little time before death, the face becomes pale and earth-like; as wine near-run, doth smell of the dreg: after the soul is gone, like an heavenly spark of fire out of a mud-house, than the body becomes nasty and loathsome through stench. Abraham desired to bury his sometime beautiful Sarah out of his sight. But in the day of resurrection the bodies of the godly will be raised in honour, like unto the glorious body of Christ. As the tabernacle in the wilderness, was made according to the pattern shown unto Moses in the Mount; so the tabernacle of our body will be raised according to the pattern of Christ's b●●y, shown in mount Tabor, when he was transfigured, Mat. 17. They will be raised in great comeliness both for splendour and proportion: these bodies that had any defect or deformity in this life, through want of any member, shall have all made up in that day of restoring all things: he that bringeth forth the lily from under the ground in beautiful colours, exceeding the glory of king Solomon, and he that restored Malchus his ear, will adorn the body with beauty, and with integrity of members: all doubts, how such a thing can be, are resolved by the Apostle, Phil. 3.21 He will do it according to the working, whereby he is able, even to subdue all things unto himself. 3. There is an opposition in respect of the healthful disposition and constitution of the body; It is sown in weakness, but will be raised in power. The best constitution of the body now, in comparison of that it had in the estate of innocency, is at the best but weakness: although all bodies now be not alike weak; yet a sharp fit of an ague, or of the stone will lay the strongest man on his back; even the strongest bodies through much labour do become weak and feeble, as a strong bow, through much shooting, becomes flug and remiss: Samson, notwithstanding his great strength, became weary and thirsty after his fight with the Philistines; and on deathbed the strongest man is not able to carry a drink to his own head, or to turn himself in his bed: but in the day of resurrection, the body will be raised in power and strength, and so continue without all weariness: for weakness in the body, and weariness after labour, is a consequent of man's fall, and of original corruption; if man had not fallen, his labour in the garden would have been only a pleasant recreation without toil and sweat: but in heaven there will be no remains of corruption in the soul; and therefore no weariness in the body. 4. There is a great opposition between our body now, and the glorified body in the resurrection, in respect of exercise and operations; It is sown a natural body, but will be raised a spiritual body: not of a spiritual, Aerial, or Etherial substance, for the same individual body will be raised, and it was not in this life Aerial or Etherial: there will be a raising up of that same body which is fallen, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and that was a terrestrial body; it is said demonstratively, 1 Cor. 15.54. This corruptible, and this mortal. But the body will be raised up with spiritual qualities; now it is a natural body, and has need of natural means for preserving and continuing the spece and kind by Generation, as also of meat, drink and sleep for preserving the Individual by nutrition: but after the resurrection, the body will be abstract and retired from the use of these natural means and operations; the glorified Saints will be like unto Angels, neither giving in marriage, nor taking in marriage, Mat. 22.30. The number of the Elect, and of the Church Triumphant, will be complete at the resurrection; there will be no more enlargeing of the Church by posterity: the whole desire and delight of the Sa●nts glorified, will be so ●ully taken up with the vision and fruition of the all-sufficient and unchangeable God, that the beatific vision will drown and swallow up any remembrance of natural desire or delight on the creature: if Peter (Matth. 17.) was so deeply affected with a sight of that created glory he saw on mount Tabor, that he forgot all his former contentments and enjoyments worldly below the mount, when he said, It is good for us to be here: How much more will the Saints in heaven be ravished with the sight and knowledge of that increated glory of God himself in their souls, when he shall be marvellous in his Saints, 2 Thes. 1.10. and when they shall also behold the glory of Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness in his humane glorified body? The glorified body will not have any use or need of meat, drink or sleep, because the body than will be of a fixed and durable constitution and consistence, without all possibility of alteration or decay, Rev. 7.16 In heaven the body will be spiritual, in respect of lucidity and agility in motion; like unto the celestial Spirits and Angels, who in a very short time make their motions through a vast space and interval, as the Angel Gabriel did, Dan. 9.23. In like manner, our bodies then will be carried quickly in an imperceptible moment of time, wheresoever our souls shall desire to be, 1 Thes. 4.17. We shallbe caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. As for these members of the body, which in this life serve for  and natural use, they will serve in heaven for ornament and integrity of the body: as the breasts of the woman come to old age, who sometimes gave suck; although in old age they will not serve for that use, yet they do still serve for the ornament and integrity of the body.  
Herefrom is matter of great comfort to the godly, who suffer hard things in the body here: be of good courage ye are not to dwell for ever in that silly frail house; at the term of removal by death, ye know of a durable house; now it is mouldering down daily, like an house of clay after a great shower; but in heaven ye will have a mansion and fixed station in your father's house, Joh. 14.2. Although possibly there be sensible weakness, or visible deformity now in thy body; yet be thou patiented in the hope thy body will be raised in strength and beauty, as the body of Lazarus, without any sores: It is true, after the Resurrection of our blessed Lord, the print of the nails remained in his hands and feet, as also the hole of the wound in his side; but that was for a short time out of his merciful condescension to cure Thomas his doubting; as also his eating (Joh. 21.) was not to satisfy necessity, for then his body was glorious and immortal; but it was to feed and confirm their faith of the Resurrection of his body. 3. Though now thou be weary in the body after much labour, so was our blessed Lord in this, like unto us, as in all things, except sin, Joh. 4.6. But be of good comfort, thou who exercisest thyself in well-doing, shalt rise in the body, as one refreshed in the morning after a sound and quiet sleep▪ then shalt thou be like unto Angels, in doing the will of thy Lord with all cheerfulness, without all possibility of weariness. 4. Now in the body thou art sometimes troubled about a livelihood and things ; but after the Resurrection thou shalt be satisfied to the full both in soul and body with the fruition of our all-sufficient and unchangeable God; even with that hid Manna of the sweet▪ full, and unspeakable variety of delight, both in the sense of the love of God toward thee, and in the sense of thy love reflected on God, Rev. 2.17. To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the hidden manna. 5. Now thou art molested and fashed with the stir of inordinate concupiscence dwelling in the body, as Sarah was grieved with Hagar, dwelling in the same house with her: but it is thy comfort, after the Resurrection of the body, as there will be perfect calmness in the affections, without the least unruly motion; so in all the members of the glorified body, there will be perfect quietness; as when the sea is calm, there is no agitation in the Ship. 6. Though now at the dissolution of the body, and at the departure of its noble guest the immortal soul, there may be, and ofttimes is, much pain and agony, like unto the grief Jacob had at parting with his dear Benjamin: yet rejoice thou in the hope of that joyful meeting again of thy soul and body, as the joy was great when Jacob and Joseph met again together: the glorified soul will bring glad tidings from heaven to the body, like the faithful spies, Num. 14. for the encouragement of the body to go along with it to the third heaven: this joy will be increased at their meeting with Christ, accompanied with millions of Angels; and it will be perpetuated with him in the paradise of God, for we shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thes. 4..71  
Conclus. 4. The assured knowledge believers have of that happy estate of soul and body in Heaven, stirreth up in them an earnest desire after the fruition of it; for it is said, vers. 1. We know, etc. and, vers. 2. In this we groan earnestly, etc. for the knowledge and persuasion of the truth of the good set before us, doth stir up the heart to desire, quickens us to diligence in using all lawful means for attaining the good desired; and encourageth us against difficulties in the way: The pleasantness and fertility of the land of Canaan, seen and known to the faithful spies, (Numb. 14.) stirred up in them an earnest desire of possessing the promised land; it quickened them to diligence in the way, and gave them courage against the sons of Anak. who were to oppose them in their way to it, Numb. 14.9. The Apostle Paul, knowing it was best to be with Christ, did desire to be dissolved, Phil. 1.23. This desire made him diligent and faithful in all the parts, both of his Christian and Apostolic Calling; it made him also courageous and resolute against all difficulties and discouragements, Acts 21.13. 2 Cor. 4.16, 18. 1 Tim. 6.12. But gross ignorants, who know or believe nothing concerning the complete happiness of soul and body in Heaven, have no true or well-grounded desire to remove out of the body: and wicked obstinate sinners, though they have some literal knowledge of it; yet they have not that lively hope, which purifieth the heart; and therefore at death they are driven out of the body, sore against their will, as a Malefactor condemned, is forced from his house to the prison, Job 18.18. He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. As in his life-time, the wicked man rushed into sin, like an horse into the battle, without all fear of God: so he shall be driven as a beast into that dark and bottomless prison; he shall be chased and pursued with the fears and terrors of an evil conscience, Psal. 140.11. Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.  
Object. But sometimes even the godly are unwilling to die, as was Hezekiah, Isai. 38.10. and David, Ps. 39.13. What is the cause of this unwillingness in them who walked uprightly before the Lord? Ans. The causes are, 1. An immoderate love sometimes in the godly toward some of their nearest and dearest relations: it maketh them to linger in their desires and resolutions to die; as Lot did linger in his departing out of Sodom Gen. 19.16. his great affection to his sons-in-law, made him linger longer than he should: but when death takes the godly by the heart, as the Angel did Lot by the hand, than they are willing to submit to the will of God; and they say, as our blessed Lord did at his death, Father, into thy hands I recommend my spirit. 2. Their desire to do good in their station in the world, is a cause of their unwillingness to remove for a time from that station: and this I think made David and Hezekiah somewhat unwilling, out of their great respect to the people of God over whom they were set: this made Paul to hover, and to be in a straight, whether to departed or abide in the flesh; even his great desire to benefit the Church of Christ, by preaching the Gospel, Phil. 1.23. These are truly pious desires and commendable purposes; yet when the children of God perceive it is Gods peremptory will to remove them by death, they commend their spirits to God, and the care of all their concernments unto their wise Lord, who can raise up a Joshua in the place of Moses, and an Elisha in the place of Elijah, and also enable them with the spirit of their Calling. It is also a natural and pious desire of godly Parents, to live that they may bring up their young children in the knowledge and the fear of the Lord, and under God provide for them: nevertheless when they perceive it is Gods will to remove them by death from their children, they willingly submit themselves to the will of God; and as they cast themselves and the care of their soul upon the God of their salvation; so with confidence they commit their children to God, who taketh this title unto himself, to be the father of the fatherless. And I know well, the God of truth doth not assume empty titles; but is fully answerable unto them in the work of his gracious and fatherly providence. 3. A cause of their unwillingness to die, is sometimes their want of full assurance of the remission of their sins, and of the salvation of their souls: but if they had this, they profess they would be most willing to die. For answer to this scruple, I confess it is no wonder the child of God desire this full assurance; because the more they have of a well-grounded assurance, they have the more of inward peace and comfort: yet though thou have not that full assurance, which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the full assurance of faith; yet if by thy true repentance thou hast forsaken thy former evil ways, and hast brought forth fruits meet for repentance in the amendment of thy life, and by faith cleavest to Christ, and to the merit of his perfect righteousness, I say unto thee, as our bl●ssed Lord said unto the Ruler of the Synagogue, Mark 5.36. Be not afraid, only believe: Remember that of John 3.18. He that believeth on him, is not condemned. And (Joh. 3.36.) He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life. That full assurance, called in a borrowed phrase, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is like that of a Ship coming in to the Harbour with full Sails before the wind: yet some Ships in time of a storm will come in safe also with a piece of a Cross-sail: Bless thou God for thy faith of adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the promises of salvation in him: if with Job thou can say with an upright heart, Job 13.15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Consider I beseech thee, for thy comfort, that God is more zealous of his own honour in performing his faithful promise made unto believers, who depend upon him by faith and obedience, than thou canst be of thine own salvation: as he takes no pleasure in the destruction of a sinner; so he takes much pleasure in thy turning and trusting in him: if thou die leaning by faith on him and his promise of salvation, then shalt thou be saved and carried by him out of this wilderness unto that Paradise which is above; as it is said, Cant. 8.5. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? If the Son of God, the beloved of the Father, be also thy beloved; and if thou die, leaning on him, then shalt thou come out of the wilderness of this world; and shalt be filled with his everlasting love, and fullness of the purest joy and delight in the Kingdom of Heaven.  
Quest. What are the means and helps to make the children of God willing to remove out of the body? Ans. 1. A special mean is that, set down here in the Text, to wit, the assured knowledge of a far better estate after this life: Moses, a little time before his death, went up to the top of Pisgah, Deut. 34. and there the Lord shown unto him the pleasant and plentiful land of Canaan, that was on the other side of Jordan; after which sight, he willingly died there: in likemanner the Lord our God, for their further encouragement, elevates the minds of his children, by the eye of faith, toward their eternal rest in Heaven; then their hearts are so affected with love and desire to be there with Christ, that they say as Paul did, Phil. 1.23. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is best of all. Old Simeon, a long expectant of glory, waited for Christ, the consolation of Israel; and when he got him in his arms, he said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Luk. 2.29, 30. In likemanner, faith embracing Christ the Saviour, and the hope of salvation in him and with him, doth departed in peace. 2. The seal of the Holy Spirit, in the work and course of our sanctification, doth encourage and make us willing to die▪ as the Seal of earthly Kings, make sure to men their earthly possessions; so the King of kings, by the Seal of the Holy Spirit, as our Sanctification is called, (Eph. 1.13) maketh sure unto believers their heavenly inheritance, which is said to be among them which are sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 26. ●8. Therefore as ye would die willingly in the hope of that heavenly inheritance, be very careful, that your gift thereof pass not only through the Common Seal of the outward Ordinances of hearing the Word, and receiving the holy Sacraments; but also through the Privy Seal of purifying and sanctifying the heart; for, Blessed are they that are pure in heart, they shall see God, Mat. 5.8. and without holiness none shall see God, Heb. 12.14. There is no coming unto the heavenly inheritance without regeneration as a child yet unborn cannot actually have the possession of an inheritance. 3. The earnest of the Spirit, which is also called, The first fruits of the Spirit, (Rom. 8.23.) maketh a man willing to die: as a man receiving, though a small earnest-peny out of the hand of one that is faithful and able to perform the whole bargain at the term, doth trust to his faithful promise; and withal having received some earnest of the promised sum; the nearer the term of performance is▪ he is the more joyful: In likemanner, the child of God, having sometime received an earnest or first-fruits of his salvation, in the sense of God's love, shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost; some peace in his conscience by faith in Jesus Christ the Saviour of sinners; and some joy of the promised salvation, from a lively hope to be with Christ; the nearer he is to the term of his removal, he is or may be the more joyful: so it was with the Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. 5 8. He also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit; therefore we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. These first fruits of the Spirit in the soul, are like unto these few clusters Joshua and Caleb brought from the valley of Eshcol; they give some refreshment to the soul, and withal encourage it to go forward to Heaven, where they shall get no worse, but much more of such fruits. Although thou hast not such a measure of the sense of God's love towards thee, as thou desirest: yet if there be in thine heart a true and sincere hatred of all sin; and a true and deep sense of thine own love toward God, that thou mayest say in humility and sincerity, as Peter did, Joh. 21. Lord, thou that knowest all things, knoweth I love thee: then mayest thou die willingly, because (1 Cor. 2.9.) Eye hath not seen, etc. what God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor. 8.3. If any man love God, the same is known and approven of him. Peace in thy conscience, from faith resting on Jesus Christ and his perfect righteousness, is the earnest of thy full and everlasting peace in Heaven, when thou shalt see God as he is. Although thy peace of Sanctification may be interrupted now and then by thy sinning sometimes against thy light, as it was in David, Psal. 51. yet in Heaven there will be perfect righteousness inherent for ever, and the fruit thereof will be perfect and everlasting peace in the soul. Spiritual joy, which is called the joy of the Holy Ghost, because he is the Author of it; and is also called the joy of salvation, because eternal salvation in Heaven is the object of it▪ if at any time God hath given joy to thy heart after thy mourning in secret for thy sins; and after thy believing in Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save even the chief of sinners; then look thou upon that joy, as a love-token sent down to thee from Heaven; and as an earnest of that full and everlasting joy in Heaven that shall never be taken from thee. This consideration and joyful expectation maketh the children of God willing to be dissolved, and to be with Christ at whose right hand is fullness of joy, and pleasures for ever: For if there be such joy from the earnest and first fruits, that it is called, (1 Pet. 1.8.) Joy unspeakable and full of glory, What will the joy be after this life, when we shall receive the full sum of glory, and shall reap the full harvest of joy in the kingdom of Heaven? It is true, some of the dear children of God, who sometimes in their life-time have had peace in their conscience, and joy in their heart from the hope of salvation, have been a little before their death under a cloud and great wrestle against temptations to unbelief and despondency, which were fierce as the sons of Anak at their coming out of this wilderness: but before their dissolution, that cloud evanished, and they expressed their joy, like the joy of the wise men, when they saw the Star that led them to Christ appearing again, Mat. 2.10. and they cried out, Venit venit, He is come, he is come; And then they say, (as Isa. 25.9.) This is the Lord▪ we have waited for him, we will be glad, and rejoice in his salvation.  
Use. For exhortation unto willingness at death to remove out of the body: to this end we would seriously and frequently consider, 1. This is the place and the time of our sojourning; our rest is not here: therefore let us pass the time of our sojourning here, in fear, 1 Pet. 1.17. Like unto loving and dutiful children in the time of their travels abroad, who are afraid to do any thing in a strange country, that may dishonour their loving father, who sent them to their travels for a time, and bore all their charges in the time of their absence: this fear to dishonour our heavenly Father, and our active care to honour him in this present world, will make us willing and confident to return unto him at death, who will make us welcome at our return, and give us rest in these eternal mansions in our Father's house: this fear to offend God, and care to please him in all things, made the Apostle Paul willing and confident in the thoughts of his departure from this world, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8 I have fought a good fight, etc. henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also, that love his appearing. 2. Consider often the place thou leavest at death, and the place thou goest to after death; and the vast difference between these two, as the Heaven is distant from the Earth: thou leavest a world of iniquity and misery; but goest to that other world, wherein dwelleth righteousness & all happiness: there is a vast difference between the earthly house thou flits from at death, and that eternal house and mansion to which thy soul flits immediately after death, and shall rest from all thy labours, Rev. 14.13. Thy soul dwelleth now in a dark house; there is much ignorance even in the best of Saints here: and any light or knowledge we have now in the body, is but like the light unto a prisoner in the dungeon, through crevices and slitts, by the ministry of our outward senses, our hearing and seeing: but in that heavenly mansion, whereto the believer goeth at death, there is full light, Ps. 36.9. In thy light shall we see light. 1 Joh. 3.2. We shall see him as he is. There will be an identity in the object, God himself, seen by all the glorified Saints: yet there is an infinite variety of all things  for our happiness, to be seen and known in God himself, infinite in excellency an goodness: even as a man beholdeth divers re●ractions fr●m one and the self same sparkling precious Diamond: his light and knowledge in the souls of glorified Saints wil● endure for ever, Rev. 21.23. The city had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. This ea●●thly house doth ofttimes smoke, and maketh our eyes to gush ou● with tears, as smoke doth from a soaking fire not y●t put out: so the many sinful motions and fumes, arising from indwelling concupiscence in the body, maketh the children of God here many times to mourn in secret before the Lord, and in the bitterness of their spirit to cry out with the Apostle. Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? But at death the fire of concupiscence will be wholly quenched; as at flitting, the fire of the house, wherein they formerly dwelled, is wholly put out: but after death we shall follow the Lamb in white robes, not only without blame, but also without all stain. Now we dwell in a straight and narrow house; here are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great p●essures and oppressions of spirit, with one affliction after another; but after death, we shall be enlarged from all trouble and pain; then God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes, Rev. 21.4. Now we dwell in a dropping house; one defluction after another, from our weak and distempered head, do trouble this earthly body: but after death, in our eternal house, there will be a perpetual influence of life, health, peace and joy, from our strong and everlasting Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we dwell among many evil and troublesome neighbours, who make us ofttimes cry out with David, Woe is me that I dwell in the tents of Mesecb. But in heaven there will be perfect peace, a sweet harmony in minds and affections amongst all the fellow-citizens: there we shall be in a perpetual communion with the blessed Angels, and with the glorified Saints. Yea that which crowneth all, we shall be in an immediate, full, and perpetual communion with God himself, infinite in glory, Rev. 21.3. God himself shall be with them. And at the resurrection of the body, we shall live in a communion of the visible glory of Christ the Lord, whom we shall see with our bodily eyes, 1 Thes. 4.17 3. Lastly, consider what joy thou hast had at any time here from faith in Jesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love, in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, 1 Pet. 1.8. O what shall our joy be after death, when we shall see him face to face! If now thy joy be so great in seeing him only through the lattesse of his Ordinances, and if some of the Saints have such joy in suffering for him here, how great shall their joy be in reigning with him there? If we have some peace and calmness in our conscience, when we are in the sea of this world, what shall be the peace and calmness, when we shall be brought within that haven of ●he third heaven, where the salvation of God shall be our perpetual bulwark? Old Jacob, when he considered the misery and famine of the Land from which he parted, when he looked to the wagons and provision sent to him by his beloved Joseph, and when he considered he was going to be with his own Joseph in honour and great plenty, he departed willingly from the place of his former abode: So let us consider this present world from which we part; it is a place of sin and misery; let us consider, any provision of inward comfort God hath sent us at any time, it should be as a waggon and fiery chariot to carry our hearts upwards toward God, the fountain of all comfort and happiness: Consider our dear Joseph the Lord Jesus Christ, that was sold for our iniquities, is now at the father's right hand, the great Steward and Dispenser of grace and glory; by death we are going to him, in whom and with whom we shall enjoy all happiness for ever. If there be comfort sometimes from a drop of joy here, how full, ever-flowing and overflowing will our joy be, that shall proceed from the vision and fruition of God for ever? These everlasting pleasures and purest joys, are that pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb, Rev. 22.1. I close with that of the Apostle Judas, ver. 24.25. Now unto him that is able to keep you ●rom falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and ever. Amen.  
FINIS.