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DISCOURSES
i
Redemption of Man
DEAT H of CHRIST.
By JOHN WF. S L £ T,' M. A-.
Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford.
Sixteen Discourses upon Lu¬
ther's- Explanation of the Second Ar¬
ticle of the Creed, which is as follows;
I Believe that J ejus Ckrijl, very God, begot¬
ten of the Father from all Eternity; and
alfo very Man, born of the Virgin Mary in
Time, is my Lord •, who has purcbafed, ran-
fomed, and redeemed me, forlorn and Undone
Man, from all Sin, from Death and the Bower
of the Devil not with Gold and Silver, but
with his holy precious Blood, and witt his in¬
nocent Sufferings and Death, that I might be
his own, and live under him in his Kingdom,
and ferve him in everlafling Righteoufnefs, In-
nocency and Happinefs, like as he is rifen from
the Dead, and now lives and reigns to all Eter¬
nity, This is certainly true
DISCOURSES, UV,
I believe in J ejus Chrijl, his -only Son our Lord,
DISCOURSE I.
iidiaiL • I believe.
Believe. Thou believe ft thai there is one God, thoit
doeft nvell: The Devils alfo believe and tremble,
James ii. 19.
A clear Demonftration, that it is not enough to
Salvation, to believe one only true God.
Godfo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten
«,Pa Son, that vuhofoever believeth in Him, fhould not perifh,
but have everlajlir.g Life, John iii. 16.
And the Gofpel is given to this End, that ye might
believe, that J ejus is the Chrifl; and that believing ye
might have Life through his Name, John xx. 31.
This therefore is the Difference between our Belief
and that of the Devils.
We believe in his Name, which is JeJus; for he /ball
lave his People from their Sins, Matth. i. 21. We mull
'earn to know his Name aright.
This is Life eternal, that they might Itnovo thee the
• mly true God, and jefus Cbrifi vohom thou haf font,
fohn xvii. 3.
The Lord faw before-hand, that People would think
t enough to Salvation, to believe in God ; therefore he
idds, Believe alfo in me. John xiv. 1.
clhat nuhich may he knovm of God, is manifef in them ;
or L / has Jhevjea it unto them, Rom. i. 19.
No < i the Enemy of Souls cannot hinder Men from
Sieving thus much, (nay thus he believes himfelf) he
erluades them, that that is the faving Faith which he has.
A — - -r Some
( a )
Some will allow, that there is one only God, and
{land in Awe of his Name; becaufe he can puniffi,
chaftife, vifit, and condemn.
This reftrains People from Sinning fo freely, and
znakes honeft andjuji Men.
But few know and bplieve any thing of Chrift.
For the Proof of this, one need not go out , of
Chriftendom.
What other Nations, Mahometans and Jews, believe,
the fame believe alfo thofe that call themfelves Cbrifians,
And moil People require no more of an honeft Man,
than to have an awful jR egard to God the Creator of
the whole World.
A great Unhappinefs this, that People have only to
do with God, and little with Jefus Chrift; as if he had
not been found in the World, nor was to be found in
the Bible ; or as if he was a Cypher, and one could be
laved without him.
Hence it is, that Difcourfes of our Saviour are counted
trivial, and only fit for Schools; not for wife and great
Men, who commonly think and talk but cooly of him.
Others, that among Chriftians are counted the bell j
and moft pious, fhew more Zeal than ordinary in the I
Knowledge of God, and avoid offending him, becaufe
he can call them, to His Judgment.
But Chrift is all this while unknown ; and I believe
many would linger out Years, without once naming if 1
'"Jefus, were they not fhock'd fometimes with a fudaen j
Surprize, or with fome Pain.
It is highly neceffary to lay this Matter to Heart,
and make it our earneft Bufmefs to know Chrift;
what there is in his Perfbn and Offices; and that not F
only in order to improve ourfelves, but to fet forth L
evidently the unknown Saviour to all the World, and
particularly to the Chriftians fo called. *
For tho" they continually fay, we muf! know and ^
have him in our Hearts; yet it is but too true, the
World doth not know him, John xiv. A t
Only learn to know Jefus: He alone can deliver j
from Sin; he can relieve, when all human Means fall I.
short. J m
C 3 )
y , In the Children of Cod, Sin is look'd upon as a Ma-'
Iefaclor and Prifoner, who dare not lift up his Head.
The old Man has had his Sentence pafs'd upon him
• r l by Chrift, that he fhall die upon the Crofs and be anni-
hilated, Rom. vi.
'tiCii r ^'S ^urP°fe* t^e §on °f God vsas manifefief that
'' ' he might defray the Works of the Devil, John i. 3. 8.
. ge]jever (]are not p0 as gjve Ear to Siny
fince the folemn Divorce between the Soul and her old
■ ~'v Hufband through.the Body of Chrift. The Soul muft
now cleave to her right and lawful Hufband, and bring
forth Fruit to everlafting Life.
; jC;;L- This Privilege is a great Happinefs for us.
But it is not antecedent to Grace. One muft have
receiv'd Remiilion of Sins, as an ungodly Perion; then
this Privilege follows,
ssi The Remiftion of Sins is obtained ly Faith in the
.£ Name of the only begotten Son of God.
Our Faith muft ftand faft upon the Merits of our Sa-
, viour; <who gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us
from all Iniquity, and purify unto himf If a peculiar Peo¬
ple, zealous of good Works.
'1 is neceflary in hearing any Difcourfe, to have the
'four following Queftions in one's Mind.
" ; Firf, What is the-Meaning of the Word ? How is it
to be underftood ?
Secondly, Is the Word well grounded ? Doth it agree
with the Scripture ?
Thirdly, Have I experienced this ? And then follows,
Fourthly, How fhall I come to the Knowledge and
Practice of it ?
And all this muft be obferved in the Dodtrine of Jefus
Chrift; it muft be underftood, conftdered, fought after,
and found out.
A real Faith is, to receive Chrifi, John i. 12. As
many as received him, to them gave he Povoer to become
^ i the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name.
We do not fee him with our bodily Eyes, which
might be of no Signification if we did, as we may ob-
• '> ferve in the People of his Time ; but the Word of Chrift
Hf is near us, and fets the Myftery of the Crofs in as clear
3*11^ a Light, as if the Lord did ftill hang before our Eyes.
.* . A 2. ' This
C 4 }
^This Kis Word we muft receive and keep in Simpli¬
city, as the Primitive Believers did ; bat more efpecially,
when we perceive the Power of God touches our Hearts,
in order to make them burn and fet them all in a Flame.
To believe his Word, is the firft Duty whereon our
Salvation depends.
We muft believe in his chief Name, Jefus the Re¬
deemer, the Saviour and Reftorer of Salvation ; for he
muft redeem his People from their Sins, Matth. ii. We
muft believe,
Firfi, That he is the Saviour of Sinners, who died
for the Sins of the whole World.
Secondly, That he, as a Malefaftor, hung upon the
Crofs between two Murderers, and was thus vilified,
defpifed, torn and wounded, out of Love to our Souls.
thirdly, That he has purchafed, reconciled, redeem¬
ed, and fo highly loved us, that he laid down his Life
for us; and that becaufe he fo valued our Souls, and
bought them at fo dear a Rate, he has the firft Right
to us.
In this glorious Redeemer's Name we muft believe.
This Matter is too weighty, and too difficult for hifc
pian Reafon.
Many therefore will not approach this Truth; and
if they try, yet fhrink back immediately, becaufe
they neither can nor defire to believe.
*• This is the very Reafon why fo many Souls are loll,
even becaufe of their Unbelief: For <v:ithout Faith it
is impojfhle to pleafe God.
They can not enter into Pefl, becaufe of Unbelief.
Wherefore Faith is fuch an efpecial Gift of God, that,
whoever poffefies it, can never blefs God enough for it.
This is the Point fo hard to many, that they rather
chufe to do and fuffer any thing.
'Tis the Caufe of fo many religious Exercifes, all in¬
vented to fupply the Place of Faith.
Thus Faith is a ftrait Gate, which few find, Matth. vii.
The whole Intreaty in Chrift's ftead turns upon this,
that we be willing tc^be reconciled, 2 Cor. i. 5. Free
Grace will afterwards do, beftow and perform all the reft.
God is willing to beftow his Grace upon all Sinners
for ChxiJTs &ke,
— Chrift
' 0$ ?
, A#
( J )
Chrift died for Sinners, and not for the Righteous.
We are by Nature all equally Sinners before God ;
but Men are fo difguifed by Reafon and Education, that
they do not know themfelves. . t
One judges another from his whole Heart as a Sinner,
and condemns himfelf unawares.
Many a one has not had the Opportunity or Temp¬
tation to Sin, elfe he might be far worfe than any other.
For in the Heart lies hid all manner of Sin.
'Tis but a poor Method to judge of People meerly by
their outward Actions; but it is much worie, from the
Intermilsion of this or that ACtion to conclude, that
Peoples Minds are free from Corruption.
The Lord fearches the Heart, and his Eye-lids look
after Faith.
Outward Actions fall under the Cognifance of publick
Juftice; but the divine Judgment penetrates the Heart.
Wherefore we muft all come to Jefus as Sinners, and.
accufe ourfelves, according to our Hearts, as Rebels,
Fornicators, Drunkards; as impertinent, wild, and falfe
Creatures; and, as fuch, implore his Grace; and the
Righteoufnefs purchafed by his Blood.
The moft innocent and moft pious, who perhaps has
led an unblameable Life from his Mother's Womb, fo
that he might be counted a Saint, of whom no body had
feen or heard any ill, needs this as much as Men of the
moft reprobate fort.
All want one and the fame Grace, the fame Mercy,
and the fame Blood of a Redeemer; neither doth our
willing or running, our Repentance and Amendment,
avail, but Chrift's Satisfaction and Atonement upon the
Crofs,
This, tho' it may be abufed, to carnal Security, yet
remains an eternal Truth.
Let every one therefore acknowledge himfelf a Sinner,
and humble himfelf for the Grace beftowed upon him,
which is merited for all.
There are fo many forts of Men enflaved by Satan,
through fo many Forms of Wickednefs, and fo many de¬
luded under the Pretence of Goodnefs, as can never -be
difentangled, but by being made fenfible of an univerfa!
Difeafe, and of an unlverfal Remedy proper for it.
A3 All
C 6 )
All "Men then want Grace, as well profligate as ho-
ngft; all want the Blood of Chrift, which alone can
avert the Wrath of God, purify the Heart, cure our
Difeafe, root out the Love of Sin from the Bottom, and
reftore and make all good again.
We are Sinners as well with all our belt Perfor¬
mances, as with all our Enormities.
And, without Chrift, no Refolution to avoid Sin, and
to live godly, avails any thing.
Wherefore our important Bufinefs is to obtain Faith
in Chrift. Jefus muft come to be our Faith, our Love
and Hope, the whole and fole Objedt and End of our
Life; fo that all our Thoughts, Words and Defires be
full of him.
And then we do not tremble like Devils by our Faith,
but are fincere and confident like Children,
DISCOURSE, II,
•JESUS.
/""aT"" H IS Name is a frong Tower, ami a City of Re-
j fu&e> ~'nf0 ^-'tcb we muft f.y for Safety, Prov. x.
But few Men underftand it.
The Angel of the Lord explains it to the Virgin Ma¬
ry, Matth. i. 21. Thou Jhalt call his Name Jefus: Rot
he fall fawe, or redeem, his People from their Sins,
The Jews waited for the Mefliah as their King, on¬
ly regarding their outward Neceflity, and Slavery; at
generally natural People do, who know of no other
Trouble than bodily and publick Calamity, and are
hardly to be convinced, that Sin is the greateft of all
Evils. ;
For this Reafon Jehu was fent to convince the People,
that their Salvation conflfied in the Remifsion of their
And from this very Ground the Angel declares, that
the Saviour would deliver them from the Dominion and
Power of Sin.
Eat
C 7 )
But which is that People he is to fave ? Chiefly and
properly the Jews.
But when his Office was no where lefs valued, than in
his own Country, and the Jews did not receive him as
their Mtfiiah; then the Heathen and the whole World
were chofen ; and the Words His People had a vail Ex¬
tent.
And other Sheep I have, which are not of this Fold:
Them alfo 1 muji bring, John x. 16.
We are not of the fame Fold, but we come in by
Grace to fupply their Place.
Therefore 'tis faid, Matth. xxviii. Go ye and teach
all Nations. They were to begin to preach at J en fa¬
te m, in Judea, and Samaria ; but afterwards to go to the
uttermojl- Parts of the Earth.
It was our Saviour's longing Defire to have that Fire
foon kindled he was to fend upon the Earth.
He is a Saviour of all Men, Tim. i. iv. but his Belie¬
vers experience, enjoy, and make Ufe of this,
The .Apoftles recommend his Salvation in all their
flSE.lL Words and Writings, that every one may have a Right
to it.
For J ejus is the univerfal Reftorei1 of all Mankind; ,
and the Propitiation, not for ours only, but for the Sins
<v of the whole World, John i. 2.
The Wall of Partition is broken down ; and thofe, who,
fometimes were afar of, are made nigh by the Blood of
kl Chrifi, Eph. ii.
- " •• t But this is no Contradiction to that Text, where 'tis
faid, John xvii. that he did not pray for the World, but
for his Believers.
For that was his Laft Will and Teftament, when our
Saviour was wholly taken up with making his Will, and
configuring Executors.
But on the Crofs he remembered not only his own that
- were in the World, whom he loved unto the End, but al¬
fo thofe that crucified him, his Enemies, the greateft Sin¬
ners and I ranfgreffors, Ifa. liii, and made Intercefsion
_ for them.
The firll Proof of his Intercefsion being anfwered,
• rwas manifelled in the Thief that was crucified with him,
that was converted and made his Friend,
m
'ithan,®,
kAooteij
ae.
uatttowii
tiatfestoclo:
i bt
iefoMsi
jkCas.
( « )
But which is that Sin he is to deliver us from ? Eve¬
ry one knows and feels, that Sin is no Happinefs for
Man. But one need not make a large Defcription of
it. According to the Gofpel, John iii. 9. the not belie-
tying on Jefus is that 'very Sin ; when, from a carnal
Mind, one doth not care, either for him or his Fellow-
ihip, Rom. viii. which Enmity of Unbelief extends it-
felf fo far, that even the Children and Servants of God
are hated, becaufe they are in Favour with God.
Ye mujl be hated of all Men for my Name's fake,
John xvi.
This has not only happened in Times of Heathenifm,
when it was faid, Vir bonus, fed malus, quia Chrifianus;
he is a good Man, but becaufe he is a Chriftian, he is
good for nothing; 'but it is the fame Cafe now even in
the Midft of Chriftendom.
'Tis very well known how little Honour accompanies
the Teftimony of Jefus Chrift : On the contrary, how
much Ignominy and Perfecution ?
Indeed Believers are not concerned about that; be¬
caufe the Love to the Crofs of Chrift, and the Salvation
they enjoy in their Lord, is dearer to them than any
Thing elfe. They know He fared no better, but was
firft and moft periecuted, John xv. and that their Suf¬
ferings is nothing in Comparifon of what He bore.
Unbelievers may be divided into two forts; either
they are dead, or they are in a manner alive.
The former are quite dead and infenfible, i. e. very
eafy in themfelves, may fometimes have the Character
of very honeft, quiet, nay good and pious People,
as having a Senfe of God and Confcience: But they
have no Senfe of Chrift; they are without him, and
confequently without God.
They may neverthelefs mean well, do a great deal of
Good ; their Mind may be raifed fometimes by the Con-
f deration of the Word of God and the Power of prf
<venting Grace ; but all this vanilhes again, and is no
divine Seed.
Nay it may happen, that fuch People do not obftrufl
the Kingdom of Chrift; yea they may be ufeful in pro¬
moting it, and Lovers of Goodnefs; but their Heart
is and remains a Rock.
They
. ( 9 )
ij They may alfobe convinced, that they are miferabfe
a»d worthlefs Wretches j. but thefe are but unfettled and
: 'i«ki tranfitory Thoughts j To that they remain indolent and
r.tr carelefs, and have no Strength to help themfelves.
i)rk:u . Thele dead People are either Virtuous; who, in a falfe
San&ity, can proceed fo far, that they may have the
--Woif, Appearance of Angels:
-miiljiA Or are Viciouy, living in many Sins, only they do
^ b : not blafpheme.
Another fort of Unbelievers are lively and a&ive
. T'ifliat enough, enlivened by the Spirit of the World, and en-
,v. f--; flamed by Hell, Jatnes ii.
iu They carry the Image of Satan about them, and ate
declared open Enemies of the Kingdom oi Chrift ; they
fet themfelves with all their Might to overturn it, and
make it a particular Merit to be inftrumental in oppo-
ilng the Work of the Lord's Servants.
Thefe are the moll dangerous Inftruments of Satan,
and perhaps become his Martyrs: And lince it is almoft
impofsible to convince them of their Errors, the Lord
mull apply very uncommon Means for their Delive¬
rance.
They are either Virtuous, like Saul, who thought
within himfelf that he ought to do many Things contrary
to the Name of Jefus, and yet was unblameable accord¬
ing to the Law: Or they are Vicious, who, with t«heir
grofs Sins, are alfo Scoffers and profefs'd Enemies of the
Truth i and are grieved to look upon the Servants of
Chrift, becaufe they reprove their Thoughts, Wifd. ii.
; : & All thefe unhappy forts of People are loft and undone,
and want a Saviour j who muft fave them, if ever they
st &' are faved.
But what flgnifies the Word Save P Itdignifies to re-
fcue Souls from the Power of Darknefs, and to tran-
flate them into the Kingdom of Chrift Jefus; who will
.- 2 raife the Dead to Life, reftore the Slaves of Satan to
'Liberty, take away their Enmity and Unbelief, and
beftow Faith and Love.
: - . Our Saviour himfelf muft make the Beginning of fuch
yf a Salvation : 1 will draw, faith he, all Men after me.
He will do all by his Spirit; fend a Fire upon the
Earth j pour out his Love into all Hearts •, endow the
Dead
c&:(ktktam
MM
icyy®
< jfflSJUsh
B
( JO )
Dead with the Breath of Life. Attend the Voice of
the Lord, when he approaches the Heart with his Power,
with his Fire, and with his Spirit; and confer not with
Flefh and Blood, but be obedient to the heavenly Vi-
Jitation.
God fees according to his infinite Wifdom, how to
'deal with every Soul.
The Manner, Occafions, and Times are fo different,
that they cannot be determined.
The Lord touches one in a Sermon, another at Home,
another in the Street, another in the Field, another in
the mid Career of his Sins.
Wherefore it is not Gofpel-like to prefcribe Rules,
Methods and Difpoiitions to all alike. We mull leave
to the free Grace of our Redeemer, how he may and
will lay hold of Souls.
Now fince he is ready, it is a great Heaven-piercing
Sin not to attend and regard him, when he comes with
his divine Power to work upon the Soul.
Wherefore it is highly necelfary, whenever fuch a pre¬
cious Vifltation of Grace appears, to fist afide even the
weightieft Affairs, becaufe thefe may be retrieved,
• < T his is well to be obferved, that one may not hinder
the Work of God, but keep up and further it with
Prayers and Supplications.
This may be done in the Heart, if one has no other
Opportunity, with Lord have Mercy upon me a Sinner!
Which is as prevalent with God, as a long Prayer.
The Caufe of all Grace is only the Merit and Satif-
faftion of Chrift, He, in Iris bloody Crofs and Pafsion,
is all in all.
For on the Crofs he was initiated with the bloody
Baptifm, as the Saviour of the World; and there his
Name, Jcfus, was fealed to all Eternity.
, Wherefore he that underftands the Myftery of the
Crofs of Chrift:, can never want Comfort and Relief,
even tho1 he were the greateft Sinner; for Chrift is the
Propitiation for all Sins part, and future, to all Eternity.
On the Crofs he made a Confefsion for all the World,
when he faid, Father, forgive them ; And when lie
cried out, " lis fnffid, he gave Abfolution to all wicked
Rebels,
He
C ii )
Up that believes on him is not condemned.
Upon this Confideration we need not be anxious, left-
Souls (hould not be humbled and contrite enough for
their Sins.
Indeed all mull feel a certain Degree of Humiliation,
as much as our Saviour fees necefary for them.
But as in the lall Day thofe, that fha.ll be alive and
remain, fhall not prevent them that are afleep: (What
others have experienced who have been long dead,
the fame they that are then living fhall experience in the
Twinkling of an Eye, when their Corruption is chan¬
ged into Incorruption.) Even fo fome in a Moment, or
. in a few Hours, fhall experience all that which others
in many Days and Years feel.
So that no Rules or Bounds can be prefcribed to our
Saviour in the Humiliation or Converfion of Sinners ;
but we mud fubmit all entirely to his Wifdom, how
much Remorfe and Contrition he will didribute to every
one, and how foon he will deliver them.
His Delight is to fave and deliver fpeedily.
Thy King comes to thee a Saviour and a Helper.
The ordinary Method of our Saviour is not to pre-
fcribe Souls a long Preparation and Form of Repen¬
tance : It cods him oftentimes but one Word, and Grace
is prefent, and takes away all Sins.
It is highly requifite to meditate ferioufly upon this
Matter; fo that we may, by our own Experience, be
enabled to fay, he can fave, he can deliver all that come
- to him.
■ ucc.
rA,
DISCOURSE III.
CHRIST,
WE have found the Mefiah, vohich is, by I?iterpre\
tation, the Chrift.
This Name he had already in the Old Tedament;
it has ever been an Ointment poured out to the Faithful,
Cant. i.
He
( I* )
He muft fir ft manifeft himfelf as Jefus every where,
then the Soul will alfo experience him as Chrift. After
the Communication of Grace in his Blood, Souls are
alfo made Partakers of his Anointing, John \. z.
The Name Jefus is his own proper Name, which he
bears as our Flefh and Blood for the Benefit of all Men.
Be they ever fo dead or fick, or ever fo miferable and
linful, by this Name all can and fhall obtain Life and
Salvation.
But the Name of Chrift is the Name of his Office,
and belongs only to thofe that are his redeemed Ones
already.
This Name is reverend and of great Importance; for
the Father has fealed and fan&ified him for that End,
John vi. He has appointed him to be the Lord and
Chrift.
All thofe who have hitherto bore his Name, and
never confidered its Dignity, ought to be highly
afhamed before his Face, and tremble at their bold
Prefumption.
The Name of Chrift belongs only to the Head and
his Members.
Therefore he that will call himfelf a Chriftian in
Deed and in Truth, muft be able to fay, I live,yet not
1, but Chrift lives in me.
I am not at all able to defcribe a Name which con¬
tains fo many Myfteries, Benefits, Offices, and-Bleffings.
Truly a Soul, that knows the Name of Chrift, muft
humble herfelf in Duft and Afhes before the Throne of
his Majefty; and is, as it were, taken from Jefus's Bo-
fom, and caft to his Feet in Shame and deepeft Ac¬
knowledgment of her own Unworthinefs.
Chrift fignifies an Anointed, He pofleffeth all that
together in the fublimeft Degree, which all thofe in the
Old Teftament had, who were called Anointed.
Now there were three forts of Perfons anointed; the
Kings, Priefts and Prophets. Chrift bears all thefe
three Names and Offices : For he is called,
Fir ft, The King of the Lord, Pfd. ii. yea, The King
cf Kings.
Secondly, The Prieft according to the Order of Mel-
fhifcdtck,
ThirdiJ,
C 15 )
«csf«! fTbirdk, The great Prophet, mighty in Word and
: ■ Deed ^the Teacher come from God; the Leader of the
Vj^y Elders, that rule well and labour in the Word and Doc¬
trine ; the Firfi Martyr of the New Covenant.
. Fourthly, He himfelf is the King of the whole World:
His Government is univerfal; all Things depend upon'
his Breath ; the very Beads of the Held, Ifa. lxiii. 14.
And hefreferveth them.
The Father upholds every thing by him as the Word
v, of his Power, Heb. i. All Mankind live, move, and
have their Being in him, Ads xvii. All mull ferve him
c according t?o that Glory and Majefty, which he had be¬
fore the World was, John xvii.
But his Anointing from the Father into this World
;ib was for no-worldly Throne, but for a Kingdom in the
E Hearts of Men; wherefore our King of Peace, in his
Kingdom of the Crofs, doth not make ufe of that Power
- : by which he can fuhdue all Things to himfelf
9:;:. He reds in his Children, when they are to fuffer. It
. ;.:ii -feems then often as if the World and Satan, the Prince
thereof, could do what they would ; and as if it was an
End with Chrid, and all his Flock were cad down and
overcome.
For he doth not hinder nor exempt his Children from
the Crofs and Sufferings. He has fuffer'd himfelf, and
his Kingdom in the Time prefent is and remains a King-
«jdom of the'Crofs.
Chridians" therefore ufe no Methods to withdraw
. themfelves, or to avoid Sufferings, by their Riches, Au-
~ /thority or Power. The Servant is not greater than his
But when the Time comes, that the Lord will execute
*'" omething through his Children, and they lhall ufe not
' inly Patience, but alfo the powerful Faith of the Saints :
Then nothing can redd them, but all mud fucceed ;
.nd all the Creatures, even the Wicked themfelves, mud
promote their Work in the Lord with all their Might.
The Government of our King is wife and wonderful,
nd humbly to be adored in its Depth.
All mud at lad fubmit and be bowed down at his
eet; for he is and remains the King and Judge of all
B the
1
I !
n
C s4 )
the World ; and all Knees in Heaven, on Eart^ and
tinder the Earth, muft bend before him in his Time.
His Name as High Prieft is likewife majeftick to us.
As fuch, he is appointed to be an univerfal Mediator,
Redeemer, and Interceflbr. He atones for, and purifies
all by his Blood. He is a faithful High Prieft to make
Reconciliation for the Sins of the People, Heb. ii. 17.
And by one Offering he has perfected for ever them that
are fanciified.
He prays for us.
Reftores us to his Father's Face.
As fully ranfom'd by his Grace.
He alfo brings our Prayers before the Lord, and
makes them valid.
Altho' we believe, yet we daily want his Blood and
Interceflion : For our beft Deeds are fo full of Frailty
and Imperfection, that they are of no Value it all
without him.
We want his Interceflion for ever, that God may be
merciful to us; becaufe we neither have, nor fhall ever
have, any Worth and Merit in ourielves.
His Blood fpeaks more powerfully than that of Abel;
for that called for Vengeance againft his Brother: But
the Blood of Chrift interceeds for Grace as well for
thofe who actually fhed it, as for us, who had as truly a
Hand in it.
Becaufe by Nature we are all his Enemies and
•Crucifiers.
As we were Partakers of the Sin of Adam, nay would
foe fo ftill, if it were to be committed this very Day.
Wherefore it highly becomes us to humble ourielves,
and regard his Grace as a majeftick Grace, which we
ought to feek and to fue for with a moft burning Zeal.
This Grace we can never obtain with any Deeds,
Promifes of Amendment, nor any Mortifications and
good Refolutions of our own ; but we muft beg it with
Tears for God's own Mercy s fake, forfaking and ab¬
horring all'tlie Works of our own Righteoufnefs, wherein
we formerly placed our Salvation without him.
We muft give the Honour to the Grace and Merits of
■Chrift, and throw curfelves before the Throne of his
• j race, as poor, niiferable Sinners, who neither can nor
know i
C 15 )
\ know to help themfelves ; then Jhall his Scepter he
' reached out to us.
He is alio the great Teacher come from God, who
conftitutes all other Servants and true Prophets of God.
'Tis he that puts the Word of Truth into their
Mouths. He is Amen, the true Witnefs, the Firft born
of Witneffes,. and. the Truth itfelf.
He fpoke himfelf with fuch Emphaiis, that the Hearts
were burning; and.be inuft Hill daily pour out his Spirit
and co-operate with the Word-
He forces no body to his Gofpel; but the Sweetnels-
©f his Grace conftrains Souls,, as well as their own Mi-
fery, to come to him.
He is alio a Preacher to the Poor ; plain fimple Peo
pie have ever been his fitted Inftruments ; and tuofe that
hear him, mull lay their Wifdom afide and become
Children.
And what he is,, he communicates ahb'to his Chil¬
dren, and makes them Kings, Priefts, and Prophets. .
They have the Honour to bear his Oil, his Seal, and-
his Name, Wherefore it is their Office to glorify andi
proclaim that Prophet, who has been their Teacher.
As the Hufband, fo is his Wife. The whole Church,
is made up of Kings j who, tho1 they are concealed to
the outward Senfes, yet rule in Truth throughout the
"World, like their Lord and Head.
As to their Bodies, they are fubjeft to all the higher-
Powers ; but for their Spirit, they are placed above all
Slavery, in that Liberty to which the Son has brought
them.
dhey rule their omon Mind, Prov. xvi. 32.
A Man without Chrift is a Slave to his Pride, Lull,
Avarice, Slothfulnefs; and cannot refill, but is dragged
by their Chains from one Danger into another.
But he that is in Chrift, overcomes all that, and be-
1 comes a Lord over all his Paffions ; neither doth he
dare to fin any more; and if he durft, he would not.
A Member of Chrift looks upon Holinels as a great
Happinefs and Benefit.
Faith is his Duty, and Holinefs his Nature; and
whereas other Men fight with Sin, and yet perhaps are
: R z~ over-
c *6 y
Overcome, the Members of Chrift' are afturea, that Shi
is under their Feet.
Chriftians are Priefts of God, who daily walk in
their holy Apparel, and lift up holy Hands without
Wrath and Doubting. They keep themfelves unpol¬
luted from all Things, and purify themfelves in the
Elood of Chrift, becaufe they bear the Lord's Veflels.
But the chief Duty of their Priefthood is to carry the
Death and the bloody Sacrifice of their Redeemer con¬
tinually within their Heart, and diligently to enter into
the Sandluary ; which Prayer of theirs doth not confift
in a long Form of empty Words, but their Hearts keep
always more in Store than they can utter.
Again, we are Priefts of the living God. We ought
to prefint cur Bodies a living Sacrifice,, holy and ac¬
ceptable unto Cod:
He that has well learnt this double Service of the
Lord, who can pray and fanctify himfelf unto the
Lord, will never think it difficult to be a Witnefs of
the Lord.
Of old that Office was not tied to a certain Tribe;
but a Prieft like Zacharias, a Prince like Ijaiah, a
Herdfman like Amos; all three had a Right to teach.
Chriftians are a chofen Generation, All appointed to
be Prophets, to fhew forth the Praife of him who has
called them, i Pet. ii. 9.
Ye Children of God, ye are an anointed and ho¬
noured People ; but caft yourfelves down at the Feet of
thrift, bow down and humble yourfelves: Ye are made
Partakers of him, whofe Anointing ye have received,
and ye know all Things.
But all ye, that know nothing of this Mercy, and to
whom Jefus is ftill a Stranger, what will you under¬
hand of him ?
What Name do you carry about you with the Dan¬
ger of your Life ?
For the Lord will net hold him guiltlefs that takes bis
■ id a me in vain.
r it 5
DISCOURSE IV.
Very God,begotten of the Father from
Eternity.
WE do not defign to produce here a Demonftra-
tion of the eternal Godhead of Chrift, but-only
relate the moft weighty Circumftances of his Divinity.
To prove thrift's Divinity, one need but fee whether
he is called the Son of God, and the only begotten Son
of God ; if lo, he is, without any farther Demonftra-
tion, as furely God, becaufe his Father is God, as 3"
Child is a Man, becaufe his Father is a Man.
Who has ejtablijhed all the Ends of the Wor Id ? What
is his Name, and what is his Son''s Name, canjl thou tell
it2 Prov. xxx. 4.
We do not find this Queftion plainly anfwered in the
OldTeftament; but, in the New, Chrift anfwers it him-
fialf, Luke x. Matth. xi. No Man knows who the Son is3
hut the Father.
And thus we know nothing of it but what he and
the Holy Scriptures tells us.
And we need ufe no other Arguments to prove this
Myftery, but,.A is written, fo we read.
Moft fure it is, that we neither know nor. are capable
of comprehending the Depths of his Godhead j, yet the
Comfort is,, that he will reveal as much of it as he
jjeafes, Matth. xi.
The Servant doth not know what his Lord dotjfc. hut I
ha<ve called you Friends, John xv.
He that would not fufFer a Teacher of the Jews to
call him good, becaufe he did not believe him God j
befides whom none could be called good, accepted with¬
out Hefitation or Contradiction to be worfhipped by the
poor Man born blind.
Tho' he did not indeed at all Times exprefly pro¬
claim his Divinity, yet he never contradicted it; but
accepted of the Honour of Worlhip, due to none but
God.
Nay, he ordered the Adminiftration of Baptifm to be
£ 3 gssj
performed, not only in the Name of the Father and the
Holy Ghoft, but alio in the Name of the Son.
St John fell at his Feet as dead, Rev. i. 17. He
made not that Objection, which the great Angel.made,
chap. xix. 10. See thou do it not.: I am thy Fellow Ser-
11 ant, and of thy Brethren, that have the Feft imony of
jifus.
And becaufe he knew, that all the Angels of God
Thould worfhip him, he has bellowed upon the Hearts of
all his Children the fame Mind and Inclination to wor-
ihip him.
He. has given us both an Underftanding,. that we
know how to worlhip him, and an Example. For he
lift up his Hands and blelfed them; and it came to pafs
while he bleffed them, he was parted from them, and
parried up into Heaven, and they worjhipped him.
Now we lhall mention fome of the chief Obfervations
the Holy Scriptures makes about the Divinity of our
Saviour.
The firft thereof is, that Chrift is the only Son of God
in the Bofom of the Father,' For all the others, which
are called Sons of God, are but adopted Children,
chofen by Grace; not only at the Time when Chrift
died, which was the Seal and finifhing Stamp of our
Election ; but they were eletted from the Foundation
of the World : yet all for the Sake of Chrilt the only
begotten Son of God, and for the Sake of their intimate
Relation to him.
TJri&.makes us Members of God's Family, and gives
us GrJace to be. called the Children of God, John i.
But Jtfus Chrift is by his Birth-right, and by Nature,
the Son of God's own Heart and Bofom.
From hence proceeds the fecond Obfervation, that
the Father loves the Son ly Nature.
For-when he recommended him to Mankind, he faid,
4This is ?ny beloved Son, in whom I am well pleaftd. This
is that Myftery of Love betwixt Him and his Father,
his laft Prayer is full of, John xvii.
The Father alio teflines his Love to him in this, that
he is of the fame Mind and Will with him.
He has fpoke to us by his Son, who is in his Bofom *.
Jie has declared and revealed to us his Father's Will.
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The Eove of God to Chrift can never be diminifhecfj
nor increafed, nor changed, John iii. but is eternal arrd
unchangeable ; whereof none can have an adequate
Conception but the Spirit, who fearches the deep Things
of God, I Cor. ii. 10.
The third Cbfervation of the Divinity of Chrift in
Conae&ion with the Father, is, that he did not fpare
his only begotten and entirely beloved Son, but has given
him up for us all, Rom. viii.
God fo loved the Worldy that he gave his only begotten
Son, that vohofoever believes in him, [hould not perijb, but
have everlajling Life, John iii.
This demonftrates the Depth of Love in God, and
his univerfal fatherly Heart, the Council of God feeing
it fit and unavoidably neceffary, not able to find out a-
nother Way to fave loft Mankind, than that God muft
give himfelf-to be the Propitiation for the World.
The fourth Point of Oblervation, is this, that the Fa¬
ther did not compel the Son to fuffer, but that it was
his Sovereign Son's free Choice.
He had Power to lay down his Life, and to take it up
again.
He was not obliged to redeem Mankind ; neither
eould he have incurred the Wrath of God if he had re-
fhfed it: If it had not been his own Will, he might
have dropt it; he would, neverthelefs, have been God,
and we the Devil's Sport.
It depended entirely upon him, and notwithftanding
he pray'd to his Father on the Mount of Olives, that
he would take that Cup from him, which was alio that
momentous Part of Conformity to our Sufferings.
For he was to experience even this fort of Anxiety,
Confufion, Darknefs, and Perplexity, that he might
know, by Experience, how to fuccour defponding Souls
in the like Circumftances, Heb. 11.
Yet he was ftill the Sovereign Lord, to do and to
fuffer what he would, even unto the Crofs and the
Grave; but his Love carried him through all the Com¬
bat to Vi&ory.
The fifth Obfervation is,. that the Father loves him,
C\'en upon account of laying down his Life, John X
and
'S.rid humbling himfelf unto Deatheven the Death of the
Crofs, Phil. xi.
He look'd upon him with Delight and Satisfa&ion,
even in his holy Purgofe, as well as after he had over¬
come and done all, made good his Undertaking, and
ranfomed the World.
The fixth Obfervation is, that the Father did appoint
a Reward for all the. Labour and Pain his Manhood
fliould undergo in the World.
He fhall fee of the Travel, of his Soul, and fhall be fa-
tlsfed.
He (hall deliver Man an4 introduce him into Glory.
As God, he wanted no Reward ; but what he accept?
as Man, is a Type of the Reward, of his Followers,
who, after they have overcome, fhall fit with him in the
Throne of his Glory, Rev. iii. zi.
What could he as God, the Lord of all, and Creator
©f the whole World, obtain and acquire more ?
But Judgment is given him, all the Majefty and Glo¬
ry of the Royal Throne of Jefus appertained to his
Manhood.
And thus it is to be underftood, that the Son fhall be
fubjedt, i Cor. xv. Since he is here the faithful Ser¬
vant in the Kingdom of Grace, the Steward of God's
Family, the Head of his Body the Church, the Cap¬
tain of their Combat and Vidtory.
He cannot always be the Servant and Minifter, but
the Completion of this OEconomy only waits till his
lall Enemy is made his Footftool.
The lajl Enemy which is to be deJfroyed,.is Death.
T'he Servant abideth not in thje Houfe for ever,, til
Son abideth ever, John viii. 35-..
His Manhood and Miniltry had their Degrees. He-
increafed in Wifdom and Stature, and Favour vnth Gil
and Man. He did not know—and experienced; He
prayed — and was heard.
And it is a fixed Truth',., that the Majelty of Jefus
Chrift, which he had from all Eternity, mult be well di-
flinguilhed from that State of Humiliation his Love was
pleafed to enter into, tho' it be the fame Man Jefe
•Cleriit
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e-JST
C 21 )
But who can underftand this, except he to whom the
Son reveals it ?
Such a wife Man hears and adores him in Silence, and
fays to his Godhead and Manhood, Amen.
Thus it ftands fail, that Jefus Chrift the Son of
God, with the Father, is to be praifed and magnified,
to. all Eternity ; and that he only humbled and emptied
himfelf of his Glory out of Love to us.
Jefus Chrift, the fame Yefterday, and To-day, and
for ever, Heb. xiii. Men and Angels (hall worihip him,..
Rev. v.
May he grant us to pay him that humble Obedience,
in this Time of Grace, which is due to him from all his
redeemed Ones in Eternity ; that we may become true
Members of his Body, of his Flefti and of his Bones,
according to his facred Manhood; and he remain for
ever the glorious Head of his Body the Church.
Who would not,, in Love to him, with Joy, i;eje£t
and defpife the Trifles of this World, and live only to
him ? Let us never forget thefe two Confiderations:
Firjl, That God was a Pilgrim ; and fuch a miferable
Man in this World as we poor Mortals are.
For that will make us willing to become a Reward
for his exquiftte Pain and Labour.
Secondly, That our Brother, and inmoft-beloved Sa¬
viour, is the great Reconciler of Sinners, the Lover of
Mankind ; tho' here in the miferable Form of a Servant,,
neverthelefs the eternal and living Son of God, and
the Lord God in the higheiL
This makes us look upon the whole World as a little •
Corner of Duft, and all the Inhabitants thereof as Grafs-
hoppers. It will make us think, as if we and the Lord,
were alone in the World, and lofe all Admiration, all
Sorrow and Joy in him. For he overbalances all, and
will himfelf be all in ail to us.
o 13-
( 22 )
DISCOURSE v.
And very Man,, lorn of the Virgin Mary
in Time.. <
THE Father has alfo given him. Authority to ex¬
ecute Judgment, becaufe he is the Son of Man,.
jjohn v. 27. I
Thefe are our Saviour's own Words of the Son of j
God ; wherein he plainly declares one of the Reafons of
his Manhood.
1 he well known Reafon was, that none could recon¬
cile us to God,, no Brother, no Angel, nor any Crea; !
ture : Therefore God gave his only begotten Son to be a 1
Propitiation for us all.
God could not die, and yet he would die : Therefore 1
he humbled himfelf J and took the Form of a Servant upon
him, Philip, ii. the Form of finful Fleih, and became
as truly Man as he was God., II
As he was in the Form of God before, fo he was 1
feen afterwards sin a human Form y. as very Man in ha.- !
man Form, as the Angels of God adore him in his di- J
vine Form.
We therefore, when we on one hand caff ourfelves 1
down in Duft. before him at his Feet, becaufe he is God,
the Lord in the higheft, can approach him on the other
hand with Joy, cordial Affection, and Confidence, be¬
caufe he is a whole Man, fuch as we are.
And this is our Labour to preach Chrifl crucified, ;
and fet him forth evidently before the Eyes of Men, with
his real Death for them ; but rifen again, and fitting r.ow
at the Right-hand of Power.
Yet this Subjedt has been made contemptible; becaufe
it has been fo often rehearfed in Hymns, Prayers, and
Sermons, without being underffood ; while the Teacher
did not know what he faid, nor the Hearer what he
thought.
But whofoever is wife, or, as St Paul faith, is pet-fed,
to him it is Wifdom, i C ii. 6.
1 he fecond Reafon why Jefus is come in the Flefh, is,
that he might execute Judgment.
He
Tie knows what Difpojition we are of,) Heb. ii,
\* He can have Patience with us, and underflands how
to diftinguifh betwixt Malice and Weaknefs.
. „ He has felt our Infirmity ; for he was a real Man in
Soul and Body, and Partaker of Flefh and Blood, like
other Children.
He has experienced whatever they meet with in Life,
is; He was made like the raeaneft of all.
There is no Man in fo miferable and defpicable a Figure,
" x cfi who could not remember, and comfort himfelf with this,
x: &L that J.efus-had been in the fame Condition as he is.
In the Wildernefs he felt the A faults of the Devil,
•; .and the fiery Darts of the wicked one.
He, as Man, has been ftruggling, and was obliged to
arm himfelf with the Word of God, and with Prayer,
like other Children of God.
He depended upon his Father in conftant Refignati-
on and Faith.
After he had failed forty Days, he felt a great Weak¬
nefs of Spirit, and other Symptoms, incident to another
Man in the like Circumftances.
From hence it is, that our Saviour, in his State of
Humiliation, calls his Father our Father, and his God
our God.
Yet we know we are but Men, and He God : We
Children by Grace, He the Son of the Houfe : He Lord,
• and we Servants: He has Life of himfelf, but we have
it from him.
All we have is of his Grace and Mercy.
That is and remains true: In regard of his Worth
and Dignity, we are mere nothings, and little Atoms
of no value.
... **•' We are Creatures, He the Creator : We Members,
He the Head. All our Gifts, Graces and Virtues, we
> -SB-- have from him.
Yet notwithflanding we are what He was.
We can believe, love, and keep Faith and a good
Confcience, as He did.
This he begg'd of his Father in his Laft Will, that
.. jo'#- He might be in us, and we in Him, and that he fhould
keep us, John xvii.
This is a Matter of the utmoft Importance, which
fhould
C 24 )
fhould make the deepeft Imprefhon cn all our Hearts,
We fhould make it our greateft Joy to tread in -his
Steps, and walk as he walked.
-For 'every Man that hath this Hope in him, purifetb
himfelfy even as he is pure, I John iii. 3. And he that
faith he ahideth in him, ought himfelf alfo to walk even
as he walked, 1 John ii. 6.
Nothing but the Life of -our Saviour is the Rule.
The Looking-glafs c>f Holinefs is this: We have the
Mind of Chrift,
And this Mind we can obtain no otherwife, than by
remembering, that the great and unchangeable God,
who dwelleth in the Light which no Man can approach
unto, 1 Tim. 6 16. has made himfelf vifible, and has
appeared in the Form of ftnful Flefh, and has judged and
condemned Sin in his own Body.
This is that great Myftery of the true Religion; God
manifejied in the Flefh.
And this is what St Paul wanted to apprehend, viz,
to know him, and the Power of his Befurreclion.
And when he faith, Fight the good Fight of Faith, le
thou Lord over Sin, the World and the Devil, he adds,
Lay hold on eternal Life, t Tim. vi. 12.
But this is Life eternal, to know Jefus Chrifl.
Here it is nothing but Patchwork, where one doth
not know the whole : But there is perfeft Knowledge,
where we fhall know him, as we are known, 1 Csr.xiii.
Wherefore true Religion confifls in being initiated,
Day by Day, more-ar.d more into this Truth, That Je-
*fus by Grace is become a Man, and has been like one
•of us; and that at laft it may and muft be faid of us,
Ms he is, fo are we in the World, 1 John iv. 17 •
-CT-S-^T3>-Si vl
DISCOURSE VI,
Is my Lord.
MY Lord and my God! Thou knoweft all thofeBlef-
fings we enjoy in the Knowledge of thy Govern¬
ment, and in what manner we are to be delivered at
once from all our former Sias.
Thou,
ft toteS
«c aroi'isfeli
ibd'afelti
ratninos^
C 2 5 )
Thou, King of the whole World, knoweft how hap-
py thy free Subjetts are, that have given themlelves up
to thee, and fubmitted to tliy Government.
Make us all fo happy, that are here before thy Pre-
fence, that this important Truth of thy Sovereignly
may be declared, if not with all due Exaftnef, yet
according to thy real Intention, for thy Mercies fake.
Amen.
If any Man love not the Lord Jefus Chrijl, let him be
Anathema Maran~atha.
I will not enquire at prefent, whether this is the Form
of a Ban or Curfe, or a Relation of the unhappy Srate
of thofe Souls that do not love Jefus, like that in Rt
pjj wife TT1
xxii. 11. He that is unjuf, let him be unjuf Jtill; and
he that is righteous, let him ke righteous fill: So as if he
would fay, He that doth not love the Lord Jefus, is
curfed, and cannot inherit the BleLing ; he is undone,
our Peace cannot reft upon him; for tne Source of all
Peace is Chrift our Peace.
But be that as it will, the Declaration remains firm,
that all the Souls, of any Congregation, that does not love
. _ - Jefus Chrift, are accurfed.
The Threatening of the Apoftle might not impro-
> perly be applied to us Chriftians, who ufe the outward
Form, and will not be excluded from God's Family and
the Church of Chrift : But I wave1 that, and only declare
to all, that the old Corruption we have by Nature,
and which ihould have been, nay, may have been ac¬
tually taken away by Baptiim, is yet prefent and return¬
ed again ; is ftill prefsing, nay, will prels you down to
Hell, if you do not love the Lord Jefus.
This great Privilege of the Love of Chrift, is ground¬
ed upon ieveral Principles of the Holy Scripture.
^ • y The Apoftle faith, He died for all, that thy which
■ lime, Jhoiild not henceforth live unto themfelmes, hut unto
: i[him which died for them and rofe again, z Cor. v. I y.
. • and Rom. xiv. g. To this- End Chrijr both died and rofe
and revived, that he might be Lord both of the Dead
.yfnd the Living.
To him therefore belongs the Kingdom and Sovereign
:-T Sceptre over all .Souls, over all Mankind upon the Face
_N*;" >f the whole Earth; particularly over thofe that are in
C . re
( A* )
one Society and Congregation, where his Dpdlrine is
freely confeffed and publickly declared. Thefe furely
have nothing to object, when they hear of Jefus laid
home to their Hearts.
But wherein doth his Lordfhip and Sovereignty confilt ?
In this particularly, that his Subjects are a free, wil¬
ling People, whofe Delight is-to ferve him with Joy and
Gladnefs j which the Lord expreffes thus, If a Man
love me, he veill keep my Words, John xiv. 27. And
Luke vi. 46. Why call ye me Lord, and do not the
1kings vohich I fay ?
Truly this Subjedt, that Chrift is our Lord, is of ex-
<juifite Energy and Experience.
Whofoever knows in this prefent evil World, that Je¬
fus is his Lord, the fame has found out a Myltery, which
can fupport and comfort him all the Days of his Life.
We know if we live in l ime, or in Eternity, we
keep tljis our Lord.
We need not quit his Service ; we are happy for ever
in his Communion.
He is a moll gracious Lord ; and if wemiftake any
Thing in our Poverty and Frailty, he will always judge
us according to our Hearts, and never require of us the
lifue of Things, but look upon the Sincerity of our In¬
tention. Great Works do not convince our Saviour
that we are his.
To remove Mountains, caffi out Devils, cure the Sick,
and w ork Miracles, are no Proof that we are his.
For in the lafl Day, vchen People Jhall fay, Have ivil
xot prcphejfdin thy A a me F And in thy A a me call out
Devils, and in thy Name dene many wonderful Lhittfl
Then he will profefs unto them, J never knew you.
On the other hand, the pooreft'and grehteft Sinner,
that obtains Grace, tho' he has no: one Moment's Time
to do any good Work, has as gracious, loving, and kind
a Lord and Mailer, as he that has a&ually done many
good Works in God. !1
ft founds terrible to Self love, that we deferve no¬
thing at all with allour Works ; that all our bell Deeds,
tho" they are done in ami for God, when we (hall ap-
jpear before his Face in the Jaft Day, can jr.erit nothing.
But the very doing any Thing, for our tleffed Ke-
jjunia's fake, is Reward enough of itfelf.
( 2 7 )
It, That we fervehim, is already a Reward : and is at-
•ss tended with fo much Satisfaction, Peace and Serenity of
Mind, that whenever we have done any thing, we are
aejfli rather afhamed, that he has made Ufe of us, than to put
suis it to his Account.
. Nay, if one ihould rejoice at any Time in any La¬
ter r.bour of Grace, a holy Shame feizes and convinces us of
fo many,Frailties, that we have Reafon enough to thank
God, when we forget ourfelves, and think upon nothing,
but that we have a Saviour.
Thus it is with his Servants.
Nothing is here required but a fincere Will and Faith-
'fu]nefs-.
But if they will merit any thing, they get nothing but
Pain and Trouble.
He rewards according to his Pleafure, and the lafl re¬
ceive the fame as he gives the firft, Mattb. xx.
Do but agree with thy Saviour, he will abzfte thee
nothing, but certainly perform what he hath promifed :
But thou muft not look upon him with an evil Fye, that
deferves nothing, and yet receives as much as thee.
The Sum and Subftance of all that can be faid to all
in general, or to every one in particular, is this, O might
Jefus be thy Lord ! Didft thou once know what a Lord
he is, thou wouldft love him.
The World promifes a great deal, but performs little ;
and if {he keeps her Word, and perhaps outdoes her
Promife, it doth not come up to him, who promifes
nothing but Sufferings, Perfecution, Poverty and Death
for his Name's fake.
This is the Salary, by which the Soul erijoys more
Eafe and Content, and has far lefs Thoughts to change
her Mailer, than any one can have in that Service, where
he could have all the Pleafures and Treafures of the
World.
I befeech you all fincerely to enter deeply into the
Meditation of the Sufferings of Jefus.
. A Man of the meaneft Capacity can comprehend and
experience this, as well as the greatcfl, wifefl, and moft
honourable and venerable of all.
I cannot deny, however, that here a great many
Things may be wanting which our Saviour requires,
C. * and
( -8 )
and many Things may occur, whereof the Soul may he
afhatned before his holy Face, when this happens all on
a fudden ; for the Drawings and conftraining Motions
of Love to him are quicker than our Thoughts and Re¬
flections.
But by this we fee what a good Lord we have; how
faithful ne is; how he deals and bears with us; how
he knows to rectify all our Faults, and to fupply, by
his Wifdom and Faithfulnefs, all the Wants of our Ex¬
perience,
The living and abiding Imprefsion of this is ever in-
creafing, and never leaving us, wherever we are; when¬
ever we eat, or drink, or travel, 'tisprefent with us, and
mixes itfelf in all Difcourfes, upon all Occafions, and
in all our Rufinefs and Actions of Life.
This Impiefsio.. doth not permit us to do what we
pltafe, butties us to the Yoke and Regularity of Chrift.
Tiiis Imprefsion cannot take Effect till the Man is
alive; till the Son of God makes him hear his Voice.
And this is the bleffed Effedt of the Blood of the
Lamb, which makes the Heart melt in a Moment, and
calls out Death, that Life may take place ; if Men, at
the Hour when the Lord comes with his Spirit, to im¬
print the Word of the Crofs, do not make their Hearts
as an Adamant, and harden themfelves, feeking Relief
by Books, by Men, by Diverlions, and other fruitlefs
Amufements, againft our Saviour's kind and folemn In
vita ions.
Our own Hearts will tell us how often we have done,
and this ftill.
And now I mufl mention, in a few Words, how we
ought to behave in our Call, that we may not fruflrate
the lame.
Here many will objedl and fay, tho' I would willing¬
ly refign mylelf entirely to my Saviour, yet I cannot
do it, becaufe I ferve fuch a Lord or luch a Mailer,
where I have fomething elfe to mind; or the Circum-
ftances of my Affairs with other People will not permit
it.
But all this doth not, in the Ieaft, interfere with our
Saviour's Service,
One
C -9 )
One may be, and do any Thing in the World, pro¬
vided the Condition, or Bufinefs, is not finful in itfelf.
What particular Conviction any one may have of his
own Condition, is quite another Cafe; for what is hurt¬
ful to one, may be ufeful to another.
What can forward one, may be a Hindrance to ano¬
ther: The Lord may, with Patience, bear in one, what
he cannot fuller in another.
But, in general, in all the outward States, Conditi-
■■-"M ons anc| Trades of Men, (if they are approved in Scrip¬
ture, or tolerated) our Saviour may be the Lord in them
all.
' For all Men in the whole Univerfe are his Subjedls,
• ••-i' and all the Creatures his Servants. You feme the Lord
L Ckrift.
Even the Servants, that were Slaves to their Heathen
Mailers, were commanded to do their Mailers Bufinefs
as to the Lord Jefus.
Whether you eat or drink, or'whatever ye do, do all to
the Glory of God, i Cor. x 31.
sis The Lord our Saviour is fo intimately united with
his Men and Maid Servants, that he has a Hand in all
their meaneft Offices.
Whatever they do with Chearfulnefs, without any
Defign for Self-intereft, but from a true Principle, lo
that they can fay, 'tis my Office, my Duty, I will do
it with all my Heart; this is what the Lord blelTes, di-
re&s, profpers and protects, as we fee in the Example
of Jofeph.
Our Saviour lhews his Servants in the moll fimple and
natural Manner, whether we pleafe him or not.
He convinces us of what is contrary to his Will; but
that is an unprofitable Servant, who, whenever his Lord
-! requires it, doth not, in a Moment, abandon all his For¬
tune, Honour and Glory.
He doth not fend Trials to no Purpofe, but is very
exaCt in his Demands.
As the Preferver of the whole World he will have
2* every Thing to be done in Order, and loves to fee his
Chi dren difperled upon the Earth j and his Difciples to
., fandiify all States, all Employments, and all Conditions^
f ' as thofe do that are governed by another Spirit.
It
II! #
Mil ,
1 ,i
It were therefore to be wifhed, that this whole Coun¬
try ai.d City might be replenifh'd with Men and Maid
Servants of Chrift, who neither changed nor defired to
forfake their Condition, but endeavoured to get a new
Heart, another Spirit, and a new Principle, to do their
feveral BufineiTes by.
Then would this human Generation rejoice, and even
thcfe v ould be the better for it, who do not know Jefus,
but are ftill under the Patience of God, tho' not his
Children yet.
Thus it is with the Service of our Lord, which is
grounded upon this, Thy Sins are forgiven thee: And
begins with this, I <willy he thou clean.
He that pretends to belong to God's Family, isaccur-
fed by the Apoftle, if he doth not love the Lord Jefus.
But whofoever rejefts all thofe outward Things, and
freely confeffes that he doth not trouble neither his
Head nor Heart about a Saviour, he lies both under the
Wrath to come, and under the univerfal Corruption;
where he puts on the Curfe like a Shirt, which will
never lea\ e him ; nay all is deadly and damnable about
him; and his whole outward Life is but a Curtain
drawn betwixt him and eternal Perdition, or Hell kjelf:
So that when his earthly Tabernacle falls to Pieces, he
finks immediately into the Pool of Damnation, without
knowing how to help himfelf.
This is truly that lamentable Condition, which turns
all the Glory and Riches, all the Crowns and Scepters,
and all the Palaces and Pleafures of this World into fer¬
ments and Wilderneffes.
And here we can appeal to all Mankind's Experience;
for it lieth in every Man's Breaft* of what Condition
cr Quality foever he may be.
But to have that Experience, which all thofe blef-
fed Souls enjoy, that live in and with our Saviour, Men
muft wait with Patience for the Voice of the Son of
God,
O Thou true and ever bleffed Redeemer, I befeech
Thee with an humble and filial Heart, to have Mercy
upon all thofe, that in thefe Days have been pleafed,
and for the future fhall be pleafed to hear the Testimony
©f thy Dominion, of thy eternal Peace and Love, of
\
ist
C 31 )
thy Merits, and of the blefled State of thofe Souls tha
are united to Thee: Embrace them all with the Arm
of thy infinite Compaffion, and be prefent with them in
all their Ways, and make them fenfible of thy Glory,
that thou mayeft enter with thy bleffed Spirit to forgive
their Sins, to take away from them all Death and Per¬
dition, receive them into thy Kingdom, and blefs the
remaining Days of their Lives, and all their Circum-
ftances, with Peace and Joy.
For thou art the great and good Saviour and Lover
of Souls, all which are of an ineftimable Y^alue to
Thee.
They are thy Joy and Glory, they are the Crown
of thy Head ; take them all into thy Protedion.
The Father has given them to thee : Thou art to be
their Head and King; thou art to dwell in them, and
walk with them.
Do this, O moil merciful Lord and Saviour, particu¬
larly in all that are here before thee ; eftablilh thy Go¬
vernment in their Hearts, and pour out thy Peace, which
palfes all Underftanding, for thy infinite Love and
Faithfulnefs fake. Amen.
DISCOURSE VII.
I
}Vho has redeemed me, a loft and undone Crea¬
ture.
Am come to fend Fire on the Earthf, and ivhat will
/, that it were already kindled ? Luke xii. 49.
This was our Saviour's longing Defire, when he came
upon the Subjecl of executing the great Defign of our
Salvation.
When we fpeak of the Salvation of us all, the Na-
: J ture of the Subjed leads us to three general Obfervations:
Firjl, That we are loll.
Second, That we are condemned.
Third, That we are to be redeemed; or rather, ac¬
cording to the much more emphatical Exprefsion of our
Article, that wf are redeem'd already,
Thefe
C 3* 3
Thefe three Things we muft have in our View, 'viz.
that we are loft, condemned, and redeemed. And all
thefe three Qualities are verified in us at once, viz. Every
Man, who neither has, nor knows Jefus yet, is in the
Eyes of a Servant of Chrift, that underftands the My-
ftery, not only a loft and condemned, but alfo a re¬
deemed Man.
And this is the Reafon why the Children of God are
iV)t eafily provoked to be angry with wicked People :
For, notwithftanding all their moft miferable and unrea-
fonable Doings, by which they hurt themfelves moft,
they are looked upon as redeemed Ones, and may be¬
come fuch as we are.
For we are entirely convinced, that we are but by
Grace and Mercy what we are.
We know, we are even fuch loft Creatures as they,
and are redeemed by the fame Blood of the Covenant
as they are.
He that is convinced of this Truth, can eafily evade
all thofe Difficulties, which are opppfite to that loving
Defire, of furthering Souls in the Knowledge of their
own Redemption, and bringing them to the Land of
the Living.
O how were it to be wifn'd, that the Satisfa&ion, the
Grace and the Blood of Jefus Chrift, fhed for them all,
were once fo truly prefent with, and applied to them,
that it might be as mamfeft in their Flearts and Confci-
ences as it is in the holy Sight and Judgment of God!
Then they would receive the Benefit and Comfort of it.
But whence is it that we are fo hard to be perfuadcd
of our own Redemption, nay, doubt of it, when we look
upon ourfelves; and that all Converfions begin with a
Doubt, not only whether we are redeemed, but "alfo
whether it be poffible for us to obtain Grace ?
Whence is it that Trouble and Anxiety are the firft
Thoughts of a Man that comes to himfelf, and awakes
from his deadly Sleep ? Hence it is, becaufe he makes
no due and true Reflection upon his loft and damnable
State and Condition.
For did we believe this, we could eafily comprehend
aud reconcile the other.
ifaiah
ittu
iiH
ill:
. ijjBjdob'R
C 33 )
Ifaiah fays, We all, like Sheep, have gone of ray,
have turned every one to his oven Way.
To be loft, is, according to common Senfe :
Fir ft, Not to be there where we fhould be, and can
be found of thofe that feek us; neither are we able to
find our Way back again from our ftraying Condition.
Second, To have neither Hope nor Profpedt to reco¬
ver one's Eftate, Health or Life. i his, and the like,
is called, in the World, to be in a loft Condition; which,
in a fpiritual Senfe, is as much as to fay, we have loft
the Way of Salvation out of our Sight, neither do we
know how to find it again, nor where we are.
St Paul fays, Deft u ft ion and Mifery are in their Ways,
and the Way of Peace have they not knovon, Rom. iii.
l6' x7\
To difpute with Men about this, that in their Ways
is nothing but Mifery, is almoft unneceffary. For it
will not be long, but they will grow fober from their
Drunkennefs, which makes them fancy, that they are
in a good and fafe Condition; nay, you will fee hardly
any one go out of this World, that will not confirm it
in his own Perfon, and fay, In my Ways are nothing but
DefruStion and Mifery; my Days are vanijhed, I have
feen no Good in them.
But often, before this, while Men are fecure, and do
not care what becomes of them, the gracious Hand of
God overtakes them, and makes them tremble at his
Judgment, and their imminent Danger, that they do
not know what to do.
They are convinced they cannot efcape, but muft fall
into his Hands now or hereafter.
This is iuch a Shock they cannot refift.
His Word is a Hammer that oreaks the Rocks.
And all that a Soul feels in that State of her own
Condemnation, is a Scene of eternal Wifdom and Grace.
Whofoever fees a Soul in that Condition, cannot but re¬
joice and think, O that poor Child, which is oppreffed
and bowed down with the Weight of his Sins and his
own Condemnation, the Lamb is now certainly paying
his Ranfom.
From this State one enters into the State of Redemp¬
tion.
C 34 )
One knows and can fay with chearful Confidence I
'was loft and am found ; I was condemned, and am re¬
deemed-
Eut you can never prove this Holy Truth to People
that have had no Experience of it.
As long as a Soul is not convinced, that {he is dead
and in a State of Damnation, the preaching of Grace
will be to no Purpofe, and the glad Tidings of the G<*
fpel will have no Effedt upon her.
One may reform, do good, and get the Credit of aa
honeft and pious Man.
But Grace never takes place, but where a Man knows
hi-mfelf to be condemned.
Then our Saviour and all his Apoftles preach the Go-
fpel to the Poor.
Then Streams of Grace run from- the Wounds of our
Redeemer, that one can fay, Abba, Father; and from
that, foment 'tis manifeft in the Soul, tha>one is a
Child of Grace.
Our Redemption confifts properly in this: The ever-
living Son of God, who is as truly fhe Son of God as any
Man's Son is a Man, has been pleafed, becaufe Sinners
could be redeemed by no other Means, in the Love of
his Father, through the Co-operation of the Holy
Qhoft, (yet out of his free Choice) to humble himfelf,
and to be born a Man, in the Form of finful Flefh, like
as other Children are; to fuffer. a moil vile, fhameful
and curfed Death, in the Eyes of all the World; to
hang upon the Crofs, as a MalefaSor, between two mod
notorious Thieves; to be railed at, Tpit upon, fcorned
and mocked at; and aP this with no other View, and
to no other End, but to redeem the whole Race of Men
from Sin, Satan, Death and Hell; to take away the
Curfe from the whole Earth, and to reftore eternal
Righteoufnefs, which had been loft by Sin; to exalt
Mercy above Judgment; to gain a Vidtory, the like
the World never heard, nor. will hear of: and thus, in
one Moment,, by the Refignation of his Spirit into the
Hands of his Father, and laying down his Life, to ex¬
ecute the beft Defign of Divine Wifdom, and which the
V jI], Counfel and Love of God had refolved upon
frbm all Eternity. He arofe afterwards, and (hewed hint-
c
55
)
lelf to a few Souls, teaching and explaining to them
the Myftery of his Kingdom-more accurately and fully*
that fo they might become his Witneffes in all the World;
After all thefe Tranfa&ions, he afcended above all Hea¬
vens, where he, as Man, fits at the Right-hand of
Power, as the Head of all his faithful Believers, to
reign over all the World, but in the Form and Figure
of the Crofs: wherein He and his Believers are looked
upon as nothing, or as if they were made for nothing
elle hut Sufferings, and for a Spectacle of Angels and Men.
But the greateft Part of the World, or almoft all the
Souls for which he died, go on carelefly under his Eyes
and Patience; and are far lefs concerned for his Re¬
demption, Death and Refurreftioh, than he would be
for the Lofs,of any Trifle.
Altho1 this is a divine Truth, able to infpireus, who
believe, with Love, Refignation and Awfulnefs; and
to preferve and deliver us from all Sin in Time and E-
ternity ; yet all Men have not Faith, i Theff. iii, 2.
Amen: I declare to all that hear me, that next the
Incarnation and Death of our Redeemer, it is the great-
eft Mercy, the higheft Benefit, and thedeepeft Wonder,
God can beftow upon, or reveal in us, when he makes
lis believe in his Son Jefus Chrift; who, by his Death
and Martyrdom, has redeemed all the Souls of Men,
taken away Sin, fuffered and underwent that Baptifm
which he fo much longed for to fulfil: by all which he,
as Man, merited and obtained the Right to become a
Preacher, who fpeaks more powerfully than the Blood
of Abel, and of ail other Witneffes.a Teacher, in
whofe Words is Grace, Redemption and Salvation,
DISCOURSE VIII.
Ranfomed, gained, or purchafed.
A LL Things are yours, but you are drift's, 1 Cor,
l \ iii. *2, 23. ,
To this End Chrift loth died, and rofe, and revived,
that he might be Lord both of the Dead and the Livings
Rom. xiv. .9.
C 3* )
They were thine, and thou gavejl them me, John xvii, 6.
Thefe three Texts of Scripture demonftrate one and
the fame Thing, viz. That Souls, which are redeemed
by Jefus Chrift, are great and mighty Men ; who can
boaft with Truth, that all is theirs.
St Paul fays, the Apoftles are yours; all Men in the
World, they may treat you as they pleafe; all Things
in the World are yours; Life and Death are yours:
What can you defire more ?
Were this permitted to Men in their corrupted State,
it would produce a great Confufion and Difturbance;
and if Men were allowed to ufe all Things, as they do
fometimes the few Things of their own, there would be
no living in the World; but all this is guarded againft.
For all thofe that live ftill in their natural Depravity,
are fo little Matters over all, that they themfelves are
meer Slaves of Sin and Death.
But thofe that can claim all for their own, are a
Myftery unknown to the World, and ftand in an Obe¬
dience towards their faithful Redeemer, which the
Apoftle calls the Obedience of Faith; an Obedience
which proceeds from this, that we know he is our
Lord; that we fee him with our Hearts, as if we faw
him with our bodily Eves; that we keep clofe to his
Crofs and Death, and to our Redemption, in him ; and
that we cannot but love him with all our Hearts.
As the 1/raelitts were cured from the Bite of the fiery
Serpents, by looking upon the brazen Serpent; fo do
we look upon Jefus, the Author and Finijher of our Faith.
So did the fick and diftreffed People in his Time;
they look'd upon him with the Eyes of Faith.
With thefe Eyes we lay hold of his Heart; fo that we
live in a moft intimate and tender Communion with
him.
But it doth not flop here; but we take alfo his Yoke
upon us, as the golden Chain about our Neck. We are
drawn with Cords of Love ; and thefe are likewife the
Ornament to the Cloaths of Salvation, and to the Robe
of Righteoufnefs.
'Tis alfo called the Badge of our Order, which we carry
about us as a Pledge of his Love and our Faithfulnefs,
that we dare not do our own Pleafure; but that we have
no
to
Kaqptttij;
C 37 )
no other Mind and Will than what the Virgin Mary had
It, in all her Happinefs : Behold the Handmaid of the Lord.
Chrift is now the Lord to the Glory of the Father,
and we are his Subjects upon three Accounts.
i. He has redeemed us. 2. He has purchafed us.
And 3. He has gained and won us. Thefe are three
different Rights.
The Redemption is made by a Ranfom or a Price
which is paid.
The Purchafe is made and obtained by Pain and Li-
bour.
The Winning or Vidtory is gained by a Battle.
Firf, Our Saviour has redeemed us and all the
World. He gave himfelf, fays the Apoftle, for all ta
be faved ; and this ihould be preached in its due Time.
Wherefore our Saviour commands hi; Difciples, con¬
formable to thofe Words, declaring to us, inftead of a
folemn Oath, that being delivered from the Hands of
■ our Enemies, we fhould Jerque him, without Fear, in Ho-
■ linefs and Righteoufnefs all the Days of our Life.
.'t- t Go ye, fays he, into all the World, and preach the
« S Gofpel to emery Creature. He that beliemeth and is hap-
tifed, jhall be famed j but he that beliemeth not /ball be
damned. And why ? Becaufe he has not believed in the
Name of the only begotten Son of God.
For God fent not his Son into the World to condemn the
-31: World, but that the World thro1 him might be famed.
mt st'
He that beliemeth on him, is not condemned; but he that
beliemes not, is condemned already.
v jsp'j./' Thus we fee what Stumbling-block lies in the Way of
all the World, of all wicked Doers and Inhdels in all
■^ Nations, of all Barbarians, all half Beads and Cannibals,.
,yof all honeft Men, great and poor, of all Learned and
:26 Laymen, of all Formalifts and Scoffers, of all Beftial and
Moral Men, of all Philofophers and Men of lower Ca-
*&.'M i
.4$**
^ pacities; in a word, of all that are not faved, nothing
but Unbelief.
The Scripture declares, we are redeemed from feve-
■»*
ral Things; as,
He has redeemed us from the Wrath to come, from all
Unrighteoujhefs, from the Power of the DemiI, and from
■d-'^fyhis prefent evil World.
ZtjD fc
C .3* 3
He has redeemed us alfo from our vain Convcrfatm
received by 'Tradition from our Fathers.
Redemption, according to a fcriptural Senfe, is at
Adlion, whereby any Thing or'Perfon, that is in unhappy
Circumilances, is fet at Liberty in fuch a Manner, againfi
which the old Poifeifor has nothing to object, becauie of
the Satisfaction that is given him.
The Redemption of Mankind is made by a Price or
Ranfom.
Bt Peter warns People, they fhould not think that they
were redeemed with Gold or Silver, but with the pre
cious Blood of Chriil, as of a Lamb without Blemiih and
without Spot.
We are as truly bought, as we can buy any Goods
from another, or can ranfom a Slave from his Capti¬
vity. We are bought and redeemed from Wrath, Judg¬
ment, Curfe, and all Deftrudtion; from Sin, Death,
Hell, and the Devil, by a true, and in God's Treafury,
plenary and fatisfadlory Payment and Ranfom, viz.
thro1 the Blood of him, who by the Grace of God has
tailed Death for every Man.
Ifrael is juitly redeemed, and bis Prifoners are jufti-
fed.
They could not be redeemed but by an eternal Righ-
teoufnefs and an eternal Redemption
For they w ere delivered up and fold by a Sentence as
irrevocable as the Letters of the Kings of Perfa.
The Law of Sin and Death was eitabiiihed in the
deepeit AbyiTes of Eternity.
It was declared before that Tribunal, whofe Senten¬
ces are valid, and muit be executed thro' all the Eterni¬
ties.
But the Iffue of all was this: Satan, who had really
bound the Souls fail according to his Will, (for, to whom
they yield themfelves Servants to obey, his Servants they
are J has nothing to objeel, becaufe he himfelf has exe¬
cuted the Counfel of God, by putting it into the Heart
oi Judas to betray his Mailer Jefus, and by periuading
Men to k:il the Prince of Life, by nailing him to the
Crofs, and bringing the Effedt of his Blood and Death
upon themfelves and their Children.
Yi neiefore he muil now rtsfign them all to him, whom
they
at
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C 59 )
they have offended, whom they have crucified, and
who has purchafed them all anew for his Inheritance,
To that God, to whom Vengeance lelongetk, Ven¬
geance is bis, he will repay : He will lo<Ve all his Ene¬
mies, blefs them that carfe fo'tn, do good to them that
hate him, and pray for them that defpitefully ufe and per-
ftcute him j for he is the only begotten Son of the Fa¬
ther. , *
In a word, we are free from the Devil.
The World, which had enflaved us anew, to which
We had fold ourfelves.
The frequent Signification of the Word Pur chafe is?
this: When a Man gains fomething, either with his
Hands, in the Sweat of his Brow, or by taking a great
deal of Pains with his Head.
Jacob laboured fourteen Years for his Rachel, and fix
for his Wages, to which he appeals againft his Father-
in-law : I was confumed with Heat by Day, and with
BRMntl
Eroft by Night, and my Sleep departed from mine Eyes,
nc,adit (if ~
fflkaeGami
L
as k If a®
- '—I 1
fV- ;jj sic
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,::N^
ft*
ftiil
Gen. xxxi. 40.
When we confider the Life of our moft glorious Re¬
deemer, the long and' great Pains he underwent in the
World, the laft Years of his publick Miniftry, when
oftentimes he had not fo much Leifure as to eat, when
he tired himfelf with Labour by Day, and with watch¬
ing by Night, when he fuffered at laft the moft exqui-
fite and inconceivable Travel in his Soul, which made
him fweat Blood ; we may well believe him to have
gained and purchafed fomething. by all that Travail of his
Soul.
Certainly, if we compare our Saviour's Labour and
Fatigue with ours, we muft be highly afhamed.
Thofe whofe Mind is fet upon their Bufinefs, take a
great deal of Pain and Care ; but what is all this to that
World of more than Man-like Toil and Pain the Son of
God went thro' in his whole Life of Humiliation, who
had not where to lay his Head, and fweated Blood in
his Agony in the Garden.
By this his Pain and Labour we are properly, and in
a particular Manner, his Purchafe or Reward, or (ac¬
cording to the prophetick Expreffion) his Delight and
Satisfaction.
D 2 I*
C 40 )
In another Place 'tis laid, My Delight is <with tht
Children of Men : That he may have Joy and Pleafure
in us, and be facisfied with us, that is the Reward of hij
infinite Pains.
He has alfo won us, or, as the Original Greek very
emphatically expreffes it, He carries us about in Triumph,
2 Cor. ii, 14.
The common Acceptation of the Word, is to con¬
quer and to fhew the Booty of the Vi&ory, as formerly
the old Conquerors did, who tied their Enemies to their
triumphal Chariots, in token of their Victory.
And thus it is, fays the Apoftle, God carrieth us in
Triumph thro1 all the World, and manifests thro'us
the fweet Smell of his Honour and Glory, and that in
a different Manner; to fome to their Dextruftion, to
ethers to Salvation, to Life or Death.
He is fet for the Fall and rifing again of many.
One of the old Patriarchs laid, This 1 have got with
my Sword and Bow.
Our Saviour has holpen himfelf with his Arm, fo that
the Blood of his Enemies has ftained all his Raiment.
If a. xiii. 3. He has deliver''d us from the Power of
Darknefs with his -Arm, he rode on becaufe of the Word
of Truth, and his Right-hand has taught him terrible
Things.
His Arrows were very fharp, and the People wore fuh-
duid unto him, even in the Midfl of the King's Enemies.
Therefore he is faid to go forth conquering and to con¬
quer, Rev. xiv. 2.
But this is not a Victory only like that of fubduing one's
Enemies, but like that of refcuing one's Allies from the
Hands of their Enemies, and fetting them at Liberty;
who afterwards ferve as honourable Trophies of their
Friend, of their Protector and Supporter, to go forth
with him.
In the Day of thy Power the People fall offer thet
Free-will Offerings, Pfal. ex. 3.
The Enemies muff experience this with Terror and
Anguifh, but his People with a thoufand Joys.
The Chariots are his free willing People, which free¬
ly confefs to every one, that they are willing Servants
©f Jefus.
Thus
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(41 5
Thus SW faved a City in its utmod Didrefs, and de-
liver'd it from the Hands of its Enemies, i Sam. xi.
Even fo did the old Servants of God fuccour and fup-
port their Allies. Abraham procured Red and Peace
to the Kings his Neighbours, which made Melchifedecb
to meet and blefs him, Gen. xiv.
And even fo did our King Jefus, who was ours, and
we were his; who had promifed from Eternity to be our
Surety, and to pledge his Body for the whole Race of
Mankind.
Wherefore he is called the Lamb (lain from the Be¬
ginning ; who, by his long and great Sufferings, has truly
purchafed us, and at lad, in the Sweat of his Brow, ob¬
tain'd his Suit, and gained the Viftory for us on the
Tree of the Crofs, in the Form of a fufFering and curfed
Malefactor, who bore the Sins of the whole World.
He has brought forth Judgment unto Vidtory, made
his Enemies his Footftool, and made a Shew of them
openly.
Now fince he has truly redeemed, ranfomed, and
purchafed us from all Sins, a careful Attention is re-
quir'd on our Part; Hovj Jhall <we then cfcape, if ive
negleQ fo great a Salvation ?
Why have we not long ago made it our Honour and
Joy to receive this Redemption, and the Enjoyment of
that Conqued obtained for us all by Jefus Chrid ?
He is fo nearly prefent, and fo ready to give us all,
and to bedow on us his Redemption, that every one
may apply it to his own particular Perfon, and fay, I
have been purchafed and ranfomed too.
He would fain make us know that we are his pur¬
chafed Good, his Bride which he labour'd for, his con-
quer'd Joy, the Reward of his Crofs, his Delight and
Crown, wherewith he was crowned in the Day of his
Heart's Delight, on a Day of Joy, which none can
name but himfelf^ and thofe that are of his Mind : For
the Crown, in which he fees all his Souls as precious
Jewels twided together, was the Crown of Thorns.
And thofe torn, bloody, death-pale and diff Limbs,
with which he hung before God, Men and Angels, as a
mod abominable Sight, fcorn'd, (pit upon, and forejy
didrefs'd ;
,D x Thefe
C 4* )
Thefe are indeed they which alone ftill pierce and
wound the Hearts of all poor Sinners to this very Day.
For this Figure of our atoning Saviour was the Copy
of our condemned abominable Souls; yet he loved
us unto Death, and obtained this by his Sufferings
upon the Crofs, that now he dare not conceal, but Ihew
us to every Body as his Trophies, as his delivered Allies
apd his peculiar People, whom he carries through the
World, protcils them as their Hero, and never for-
fakes them to the End of the World.
To-day, if you will bear his Vrice, harden not your
Hearts.
We are not bid to force ourfelves, but only not to
harden our Hearts.
Harden not your Hearts for the fake of a little de-
fpicable Honour, uneafy Pleafure, uncertain Greedinefs,
or fhameful Lazinefs.
When you feel the Power of God, do not refill it;
let us not be govern'd by our Fancy, thinking this or
that Man will defpife, ridicule and foriake us, or make
our Life miferable.
We cannot deny, that the natural Inclination to what
is evil outweighs by far the Impreflions of the Crofs of
Chrift.
Be that as it will, the Word is now declared; you
have heard it, and I hope it will prove a Witnefs in
your Hearts.
You are all together redeemed, purchafed and ran-
fomed by the Merit, Sufferings and Death of the eter¬
nal Son of God, our Saviour, our Head, and our Lord.
Now what Soul foever will ftill remain a Servant of
Sin, and die under the Dire&ion and Guardianfhip of
her Hulband the Flelh, her old Corruption fhall one
Time, with the Enemies of the Lamb, defire to Ihelter
herfelf under Hills and Mountains ; and will then, if
not fooner, be convinced, that it was her own Choice,
and Ihe would have it fo.
D I Sr
petti
C 45 )
DISCOURSE IX.
From all Sin.
DE ATH is [wallowedup in Vifiory. O Death !
Where is thy Sting ? O Grave ! Where is thy
Vifiory ? Thanks be to God, who gives us the Vifiory,
through our Lord fefus Chrijl.
He will have Mercy upon us, blot out our Iniquity,
and call all our Sins into the Bottom of the Sea.
And this is the Vittory in which Death is fwallowed
up.
The Sea is the Abyfs of the Mercy of God, which is
cover'd all over with the Blood of the Son of God, as
the Earth is with Water.
He drowns the Curfe of all Sin, never to rife again,
like a Stone caft into the Sea.
Death is quite the Reverfe of that, to which 'he Love
and Mercy of God created us.
God created us to Life, and that we have loft; but
he, who has the Son of God, has that Life again.
He that has not the Son of God, is ftill in Death.
Yet People generally take Sin to be a Delight.
But if it were fo, how could it be called a Sting ?
Our Saviour tells us better what Sin is: Tou are of
your Father the Devil, and the Luji of your Father you
will do, John viii. 44.
Every Man fubjedt to his Luft, Covetoufnefs, Ambi¬
tion, or Love of Eafe, &c. is a Drudge and a Slave of
the Devil.
And if he obtains the intended End of his Ambition,
Covetoufnefs, Luft, or Eafe, he remains Satan's fecret
Diverfion ; and is, according to the different Paflions of
Men, either admired or envied, beloved or hated, or
counted a happy Man.
But if he has tormented himfelf twenty, thirty, or
forty Years in his Purfuit, and obtained nothing at all,
then he is expofed to all the World, and laugh'd at a«
an ambitious and proud Fool, or pointed at for a vile,
covetous Wretch; that is the Reward he has for his
Pains.
The infinite Compafiion of our bleffed Redeemer,
moved
C 44: )
moved him to fend his Meftengers to Mankind, to open
their Eyes, and to turn them from Darknefs to Light, and
from the Power of Satan unto God.
If we will live then to fee good Days, let us turn to
our good Lord, that our Sins may be blotted out, and
the Time of Refrejhment may come from before the Face
of the Lord.
Then that laborious Toil of finning lofes its Strength
and Nourilhment, faints away and dies.
But from whence doth this proceed f
Thanks be to God, who gives us the Victory through our
Lord Jefus Chrift.
He has redeemed us.. We may have committed ne¬
ver fo many Sins, they are all drown d in the Ocean of
the Blood of Chrift.
All that hear and believe this, and whofe Hearts
are really defirous to be redeemed from all Sin, may ex¬
perience it this very Day.
No Sinner, never fo long nor fo grofty, is excepted
from this univferfal. Redemption : There is no Sinner to
whom Satan has not loft his Claim.
Ye Whoremongers and Thieves, ye Revengeful and
Murderers, ye Liars, and whoever ye are, ye Fearful
and Unbelieving that hear and read this, will you be
laved ?
Believe then that Jefus Has paid a Ranfom for you all,,
and that ye may experience it this very Moment, and
know that ye have been healed by his Stripes.
The Well of Salvation is open for all Sin and Un-
righteoufnefs.
Take the Abfolution, look upon him, believe and re¬
joice, arife, gird yourfelves and run.
H'e died for all, that they, which live, Jhould r.ct
henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him which died
for them, and rofe again.
We are his, and belong to him.
As we have been the Delight of Satan before, fo we
may now be the Delight of our Saviour.
Thole Things in his Service, which the World counts
a Burden and-Trouble,, fhall be our Joy ar.dPleafure.
• "We are his Spoufe; the Reward of his thirty and
three Years laborious and painful Purchafr.
Whether
H ft iift6
C 45 )
Whether we eat or drink, fleep or wake, labour or
reft, all is done to his Glory.
He has fought and conquer'd Satan for us, and ac-
complifh'd his Vittory in Triumph.
He included and delivered us up to his Father in his
laft Words ; Father, into thy Hands I commend my Spirit.
There God gained us again. Ye are dead to the old
Husband, to live to another.
In lhort, all turns to this, that, after we have recei¬
ved Chrift, we live now, as we Ihould have done before
the Fall, unblemiffied and holy j only more bleffed and
more fure.
Since he is our Lord, we muft be his People, follow
him and ferve him.
And whoever lives fo as he did, muft, of Necefsity,
be hated as he was.
But whoever can fay, I live, yet not I, but Chrijl
lives in me, makes light of all thofe Difficulties.
ft •
si, J? IWfj
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From
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DISCOURSE X.
Death, and from the Power of the
Devil.
FOrafmuch as the Children are Partakers of Flejh and
Blood, he himfelf like wife took part of the fame
that thro' Death he might deftroy him that had the Power
of Death, that is, the Devil; and deliver them, who,
through Fear of Death, were all their Lifetime fubjeft
to Bondage, Heb. xi. 14, 15. ,
By our Wages we know what Mafter we ferve.
The holy Scriptures demonftrate this.
Whoever has the Gift of God for his Salary, is fure-
ly a Servant of God.
But he who gets Death for his Wages, is a Servant
of him that can give nothing but Death, let him pro-
mife what he will. For he has nothing but Death in
his Power; and this is the Devil.
By this Death we muft not underftand our natural
Exit out of the World, which is generally called Death.
He
C 4^ )
This is evident from ocr Saviour's Words, He that be •
iicvetb in me, though he were dead, yet'/ball he live: And
vohofoever liveth, and helievcth in ?ne, Jhall never die.
'Tis worth our while to confider thefe Words; be-
caufe they plainly demonftrate, that the putting off this
mortal Tabernacle, which People call Death, is no true
Death, neither in itfelf, nor in its Confequences.
And for this very Reafon the Scripture wifely diftin-
guilhes betwixt the firffc and fecond Death.
All Things born into the World, are fubjeft to the
firft Death, viz. unto that which is introduced into the
World by Sin.
And this Death we not only bring with us into the
World, but carry it about us, wherever we are, or in
whatfoever we do; nay, from the very Moment of our
Conception, Death is entail'd upon us by Nature.
The immortal Soul, which can never die,, is, while
in the Body, inclofed in a deadly Prifon, in which it is
carried about in the World.
The Motions, Senfations, and Experiences, which fhe
might have, as a free Soul, are difturbed by another
Being, and the Soul is many times prelfed down, as it
were, with a leaden Weight, and turned from her Pur-
pofe by an Accidentfo that the whole natural Life of
Man is but a continual Death.
Therefore our Saviour could not mean his Difciples
fhould never die in this Senfe.
But that they foon lhall live, and Death fhall ceafu.
St Paul faith, To me to die, is gain.
It is a true Gain to die : It delivers the Soul from its
Priibn, and from that great Burden fhe has bore fo long
in Humility and Patience, according to God's Appoint¬
ment, and the Example of her Saviour Jefus thrift;
who had juft the fame Body, and did not fay, It is fi-
nijhed, till the Hour came to give up his Soul into the
Hands of his heavenly Father.
Thus Life begins, when this outward Tabernacle is
put ofF; no Death is to be expe&ed any more.
Then the Soul is delivered from her Incumbrance,
and comes to breathe, as it were, in the free Air.
That which before died, and now is laid afide, is to
be cured in the mean Time; and, by the wonderful
Power
k *m-,'
~ht its jctisjji
^o^DoijSu^:
^'cLoisp®,
Qi^®4\S
saniDd.
■^c;14n{iav.
VjAiskmissit
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[tt,ma!w w
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si
CU R
r 47 )
Power of God, is changed into an incorruptible State.
Thus, when we hear our Saviour has delivered us
from Death, 'tis as much as to fay, he has given to his
■Believers, that as foon as thofe Days and Years, in
which, according to thejuft Sentence of the Fall, they
ihould die, are fulfilled, they fnall enter, at once, into
Life for ever ; be freed from Death at once, and their
Soul, which has been walhed and cleanfed by the Blood
of Jefus Chrift, fhall not be'found naked, but cloathed,
as foon as the Houfe of their corruptible Body fhall be
pulled down and taken to Pieces.
For they wear the Righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift as
their Garment, after they have put him on here ia
Time, a id are found cloathed with him.
Whereas all other Men have nothing to expe<ft but
Terror, when the Time of their DilTolution draws nigh.
But why ? becaufe here they are like the Children of
God, who, in their outward Life fare no better; but
they have a Death within them, which they do not
feel, a Death much more dangerous and intolerable
than the Children of God have to ftruggle with. For
thefe that are Chrfs, crucify the Flejh ixith the Af-
fefiions and Lujis thereof; they know how to keep the
Body of Death under and in Order.
Thefe, by all their Labour, Faithfulnefs and Fatigue,
■''"Si" -and by their Self-denial, can prevent many Eruptions of
the Poifon of Death; and difpofe themfelves in fuch a
Manner, that, in all their outward Affairs and Ti attr¬
actions in and for Gcd, their Heart is always above,
where their Treafure is t And thus, being bufy in the
Things of God, and the-Salvation of Souls, they do
not think upon their Decay, becaufe God rejoices their
Hearts.
They likewije perceive their tranfitory Tabernacle
Jefs than other Men, becaufe they pamper it lefs.
Whereat other Men mind nothing elfe but what
;.r,# mak s them feel their Death in a moll fenfible Manner;
they are continually bufied about Things, which do but
increafe their Torment. .
Thus, when fuch poor Worldlings, void of Spirit,
quit this Life, they have nothing to expedt; but, after
they are delivered from their burthenfome Cottage, and
the Soul freed from the Body, then ilwe Begins a new
Tor-
aiDsi®1
0,
I
{
dty
( 4« )
Torment, viz. the fecond Death, and the Soul is cloath-
cd with fomething elfe ; for (he is naked.
And this unhappy and fullied Garment will be far
.more tormenting to the Soul, than all the Mifery of the
former Cottage was.
Here in the World they knew how to moderate the
Bitternefs of Death by feveral Amufements, invented by
Satan to divert the Thoughts of his Servants, in order
to keep them from thinking upon the one Thing need¬
ful, and from all Conhderations which might recover
them out of his Snare.
But when they enter Eternity, all their Amufements
.are gone. All thofe Diverfions, all thofe Reafonings,
and other Things with which they have been delighted
in Time, remain not; the Eyes are clofed, the Senfes
«deftroyed, the Arguments, which they referved to an-
fwer the Accuiations of the Heart, are forgotten. Then
their Souls fink down into Death; for they are con¬
demned, becaufe they do not believe in the Name of
the only begotten Son of God.
And that is unchangeably the Cafe, as foon as the
Soul plunges into Eternity, where nothing is but Truth,
and every thing appears in reality without all falfe Fi¬
gures and Ideas ; and thus foe links down into the fe¬
cond Death with all her Knowledge, Convidtions, and
Senfations.
Thefe enfuing terrible Events, tho' here they be never
fo many Ways diverted and ftifled, yet are always at¬
tended with fome fecret Gnawings, and foreboding
Omens: So that Satan keeps them neverthelefs in his
Slavery, and doth with them what he pleafes; becaufe
he hath Death in his Hands, which for our Sins is en¬
tailed upon us, and with which he can torment and
fright us whenever he will.
He can fpoil our bell Days and moll joyful Hours at
once, that we do not know where we are.
All that is in his Power. He is the Prince of Dark-
nefs, that worketh in the Children of Difobedience.
And as the Servants of Chrift fay, he is our God, in
whom we put our Trull; fo thefe poor Souls under the
Tyranny of Satan, mull acknowledge him to be their
Head
C 49 )
Head and Matter, and dare not ttir without his Leave j
he is their God.
Wherefore the Beginning of their Reformation mutt-
be made by the Grace of the Lord Jefus, and his Mercy,
by his Atonement and Redemption from the Power of
Satan.
This leads me to fay fomething about the Combat
againft Sin.
All fincere Souls agree, that one mutt never give way
to any ttnful Thoughts, Inclinations or Defires whatfo-.
ever.
And every honeft Man can relate by his own Expe¬
rience, how violently he has refitted his natural Inclina¬
tions upon many Occafions, and broke his own Will.
Such a continual Confiid St Paul relates of himfelC
- when he was a great Philofopher and Teacher among
.xthe Pharifees.
He gives a large Account of it; whenever he had au
Daa;^ Inclination to do good, he could not, and was foou
overpowered by a contrary Principle, which forced him
to do what he would not.
x'' This went on, till he was no longer a Slave to the
■ • • Body of that Death ; for which he thanks God, thro*
Jefus Chrift, and draws this Conclufion from it,
That he, who lives in Jefus Chrift, doth not walk
er the Flefh, but after the Spirit. There is no Con¬
demnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus, the Laajj,
- ft of Death being then abolifhed.
. ,jj!i As foon as St Paul found this by Experience, he was
7 if fet at Liberty, and delivered from the Power of Sin at
' once.
£tf As long as we live without Jefus, and have not found
Redemption in his Blood, fo long we wreftle with Sin,
010 and ftrive againft it, but prevail not.
And here a Man of a fincere Difpofition, and of at
g°°d natural Underftanding, may be driven fo far, that
he doth not know what to do; nay, we have Inftances
■ : 7'-; of fuch People, that have run mad, for no other Rea-
m, fon, but becaufe they would be good, and do righteoufly.
but could not efteft it. _ .
The Devil ftill treads them under Foot, notwith-
ftanding all their Struggle and Combat; They are in
Mr E -he
ntktncTii^
jlikila;
ikyhitWq
( 50 )
the fame Condition with David, when he fays, 7'he
Enemy has perfecuted my Soul; be has fnitten my Life
down to the Ground; he has laid me in the DarkneJ's, as
the Men that have been long dead.
All this proceeds from their being Servahts of Sin;
they are looked upon as Adulterers; they have no
Power to leave Sin, their old Hulband, and dare not live
with another.
But he who knows the Salvation that Jefus has pur-
chafed us, underftands the Myftery how to get rid of
Sin in a moil eafy Manner; fo that it mull give way,
muft fly and die.
We keep ourfelves, that the veicked one toucheth us
not, and reffi the Devil, that he mull: fy fro?n us.
And this is to be obtained no other Way, than by an
entire Dependance upon Chrift. When we humbly
confefs and fay to him, My blefled Saviour, I of my-
felf can do nothing ; lama Man weary and heavy
laden. Have Mercy upon me, I fcarce can breathe
under the Weight of Sin ; I cannot overcome it; de¬
liver me from this Body of Death, and fet me free from
my Perdition. Apply the Efficacy of thy Death to my
Soul. Do thou fay to mine Enemies, Be gone. Call
my Sins behind thee, and fwallow up Death in Viftory.
Then will our Saviour foon take our Cafe in hand, and
receive us, who has faid, He that comes to me, I mill in
no wife cafl out.
He knows very well, that we can do nothing without
him.
Thus when fuch a poor Soul, which has tired itfelf,
and yet effected nothing at all, comes to him, accord¬
ing to his kind Invitation, the firft thing he doth with us
is, he prefents himfelf to us, and fays, This ChildJhall
he dijlurbed no more.
Souls that are jufl: pafled from Death to Life, that are
but juft new born ; thofe he puts to fleep, as it were,
and then begins to feed and nourifh them with his own
Flefh and Blood, keeps and nurfes them till they grow
~Kp to the Stature of perfed: Men.
Of whom St Peter fays, As ?ievj born Babes, dfre the
Jincere Milk, that ye may grow thereby.
:0
C 51 )
At that Time Satan dare not touch us, who are as
Children in their Cradle.
That Child refts in perfedt Peace, which keeps its
firft Love.
A Beginner in the Kingdom of Chrift, who but juft
has received Remiflion, whom our Saviour has but juft
laid upon his Shoulders to carry him home with Joy,
lives in fuch Security, which no Man can imagine ; he
can fay with David, Thou haji lifted up my Head from
the Gates of Death.
Indeed when we are grown up, have got Strength of
Faith, and put on the Armour of God, then the Enemy
gets leave to try the Children of God, what People they
are, what the Lord has made of Sinners, and what he
has endowed them with.
But then the Devil is treated in quite a different Man¬
ner than before.
Then it cannot be denied, that we fight with him.
The World we avoid, and fly from it; and this is our
beft Way.
But Satan we muft ftand faft againft, and overcome,
by the Power of God, whenever he attacks us.
The Lord treads down Satan under our Feet.
Sin is the moft miferable and mean thing under the
Sun; and if any thing comes to put us in mind of any
pail Sin, we muft treat it as the moft contemptible
thing, and kill it as a Fly.
Sin has neither Right nor Power, nor is it worthy of
our leaft Regard.
We muft never fuffer it to ftir, or get the leaft Ad¬
mittance.
For our Saviour has broke down its ftrong Hold, and
fpeil'd its Building.
A Thought may come flying, and there may appear
again fomewhat of the Seeds of Satan, of his Craft or
Violence; but it is crufhed immediately under Foot.
The Faith of a Child of God is fo aftive, that when
he perceives Sin afar off, the Anointing is immediately
ready to warn us; and this Intimation of the Spirit is fo
powerful, that ere Sin can put itfelf in any Pofture, it
is routed already.
tybofoever is born of God, doth not commit Sin } for
R ' his
( 51 )
his Seed remains in him: And he cannot JinT becanfe he is
horn of God.
Thus we have fpoken a little of Death, and of the
Power of the Devil; likewife of the Power we have, as
foon as we begin to live.
Then one can fay, amidft all the Agonies of Death
that may befal this mortal Cottage, Farewel, the Time
is near at hand, when Death fhall be deftroy'd.
Now I am dead, I am crucified with Chrift. I
know the Hour will come, when People fhall think me
dead and gone, fo that all is at an End ; but my Soul
will think quite otherwife, and look towards a glorious
.Refurrettion.
That is true; I fhall not re-take this corruptible
Body.
My Body and I fhall never meet again in this deadly
Figure ; my Head-ach fhall never return.
But is this Death or Life ?
That is indeed a bleffed State, to be paft all thofe
Difficulties and Dangers, all thofe Troubles and melan-
cholly Profpefts the whole World is furrounded with.
Every earthly God, who is ftill under the Power of
Satan, muft, with an envious Eye, look upon the
meaneft and pooreft Man in a Hofpital, that loves Jefus
Chrift.
For he muft of Neceffity have a princely Spirit, and
an heroick Soul, who can give up his Life and All for
jefus's fake, and knows he is happy.
Surely as one has been a Slave thro' Fear of Death
all his Lifetime; fo one comes to be a Lord thro' the
Hope of Life.
' Tis no Wonder thai the World would willingly draw
us back, and therefore tries all the Methods poflible for
lhat Purpofe.
But it is impofiible for us to engage in any thing elfe.
The wholeWorld,with all its Pomp and Splendour, can
never come to the leaft Comparifon with that Salvation
we poftefs, nor with that Life we enjoy, to which all our
Endeavours are flretched out Night and Day; becaufe
we know, that we are to be transformed into his Image;
that he who raifed up Jefus from the Dead, will alfo raife
cur mortal Bodies to Life, becaufe his Spirit dwells in us.
D I S-
C 53 )
► Jnla;
sr.
DISCOURSE XI.
Not with Gold or Silver, but with his holyy
precious Blood, w//£ innocent Suf¬
ferings and Death.
WHof sever fall confefs, that Je/us is the Son of
God, God dwelletb in him, and he in God
1 John iv. 15.
Thus it is with a Soul, that has Faith and Life.
As loon as one knows and feels, that Jefus is the Son
of God, every thing follows of Confequence; one is a
Child of God, one is willing to refign all.
But Flefh and Blood cannot reveal this.
Education, human Arguments, and Convidlions, do
not imprint it upon the Heart.
It muft be done by that Light whereof St Paul fpeaks:
God who commanded the Light to fine cut of Darknefs,
has fined in our Hearts, to give the Light of the Know¬
ledge of the Glory of God, in the Face of "Jefus Chrif,
2 Cor. iv. 6.
But how is it with thofe, who really believe that Jefus
died for them ?
St Peter fays, Not fafioning y ourfelves according to the
former Lufis in your Ignorance. But as he, which has
called you, is holy, fo be ye holy in all Manner of Con-
•verfation : Becaufe it is written, Be ye holy, for I am
holy. And if ye call on the Father, who, without re¬
fold; of Perfons, judges according to every Man's Works,
pafs the Lime of your fojourning here in Fear. Forafnuch
as ye know, that ye are not redeemed with corruptible .
Things, as Silver or Gold, from your vain Cor.verfation
received by Tradition frosn your Fathers, but with the.
precious Blood of Chrif, as a Lamb vsithout Blemif and
without Spot, 1 Pet. i. 14, 1 <y.
Here are two Things beyond our Conception. Fbf,
The Weight and Importance of the Subjeft. Secondly,
How to attain thofe important Truths, after we have
given our Alfent to them.
Every one muft acknowledge, if it be true that Chriffc
is made Man, I have no Excufe but Ignorance or In¬
credulity,
E 9 Ignorance
C 54 )
Ignorance, when I have heard nothing of it.
Incredulity, when I cannot receive or believe it.
Of the former 'tis faid, The Times of Ignorance God
winked at.
But of Incredulity our Saviour faith, He that believeth
7101, is condemned already, John iii.
He that doth never feel the Wrath of God, is dead
in Sin.
Has he been baptifed ? Then he is twice dead.
The Moment a Soul begins to live, and the Spirit of
God overlhadows her, fhe hears the Voice of the Son
of God, which fpeaks of nothing but the Blood of Pro¬
pitiation.
Then can one fay, He has loved and wafted us from
Our Sins in his own Blood, Rev. i. 5.
The divine Efforts in the Heart, which drives the
Sinner to the Crofs of Chrift, doth effefl all this.
Here one need not anxioufly endeavour to mend one's
felf.
For Grace overflows all our Sins j they are all co¬
vered with the Blood of the Lamb.
He that hath once tailed the faving Sweetnefs of the
Name of Jefus, will give him his whole Heart; and can
be pleafed with nothing elfe, but with our Saviour and
with following him.
Ye Children of Grace, that can prefent your good
King with nothing of your own, render Thanks to that
Mercy, which has not broken the bruifed Reed, nor
quench'd the fmoaking Flax of your Faith.
In his Sight all Men are Sinners, the pious as well as
the profane.
.All have finned, and all mull be faved by his free
Grace. They mull bow themfelves before his Face,
till he relieves them out of their wretched State.
This is a Doftrine, not of the Head, but of the Faith,
"which draws and kindles the Fire of divine Love in the
Heart.
D I S:
C 55 )
DISCOURSE XII.
That I might he his own.
HE Jhall fee of the Travail of his Soul, and Jhall it
fatisfied, fa. liii. vi.
Obferve, i. The Labour or Travail of his Soul.
2. His Reward.
I. His Labour is called the Travail of his Soul. What
our Saviour fuffered in his Body, is not properly the
thing by which he has purchafed us for his own Pro¬
perty.
In his Body he became a Sacrifice for us on the Tree,
reconciling us to God by his Death, and quench'd the
Fire of eternal Wrath.
The Caufe of his Sufferings was the redeeming Man¬
kind from the Slavery of Sin and Satan, and to do Pen-
nance for us on the Crofs.
There is no need of our Piety and Godlinefs to make
us Partakers of the Death and Crofs of Chrift ; but we
obtain that as Sinners, without any Regard to our
Works, if we believe.
This is the Effett of the crucified Body of Jefus.
But the Matter which lays the utmoft Obligation
upon us, is this, That his Soul was in Travail, and
laboured.
He expected his Death above thirty Years, and knew
that he fhould die for the Sins of the whole World.
In that whole Time he felt whatever a Man could
fuffer in his Soul, all our Infirmities, Difeafes, Temp¬
tations, and Trials.
All that join'd together, when he fweated Blood on
the Mount of Olives; and when he cried out upon the
Crofs, My God, my God, <why haf thou forfaken me ?
All thefe Sufferings he underwent on Purpofe to gain
our Souls to be his Bride.
And this he fuffered in a quite different Manner from
his Witneffes.
For they enjoy'd the greateft Chearfulnefs of Spirit
in their Sufferings j whereas he was deprived of all joy
and Comfort,
II. His
( 5« )
II. His Reward for this Labour was foreordained to
Our Redeemer by h,is heavenly Father.
Two Things were promifed him.
i. He foall fee his Delight.
And, 2. He fhall be fatisfied.
I. He fhall fee his Delight.
In the prefent Courfe of the World we cannot but ob-
ferve how little Regard is paid to our blefied Redeemer.
His Children, whofe Number is but fmall, are look'd
upon as Monftere in the World.
Their whole Ambition and longing Deftre is to be¬
come the Reward of his Soul's Labour.
And yet they are look'd upon as dangerous People,
Or fuch as one Ihould be very cautious to converfe with.
And if they are allowed to pafs for the Children of
God, yet the World doth not change its Behaviour, but
remains as it was before.
Yet the Happinefs of thofe is great, whom our Sa¬
viour acknowledges to be his Delight.
No Man can defire a greater Salvation.
And our Saviour takes his Delight in all thofe whom
he knows will receive and embrace him.
He forefees how many in ten, twenty, and thirty
Years, {hall be added to the Number of thofe that are
faved.
Secondly, He {hall be fatisfied.
This Exprefsion goes beyond the Reach of our Con¬
ception.
According to our common Acceptation, to be fatisfied,
is to get as much as one wants ; to obtain as much Pro-
vifion as one Hands in need of; or to eat as much as to
fatisfy one's Hunger.
But if the Son of God {hall fatisfy his Hunger and
Thirft after Souls, that muft, no doubt, be fomething
unfpeakable and inexprefsible; nay, far exceeding all
our Thoughts and Hopes.
This encourages his Soldiers to fight, and to labour
with Pleafure.
There will be ftill a Time, wherein his Souls fhall be
numbered by Millions and Myriads.
Indeed the full Extent of this Exprefsion furpstfles the
Reach of all Words.
He,
scamotln
C 57 )
He, who with Hunger and Thirft after Souls, fpent
above thirty Years, and ventured his Life more than
David's mighty Men, to quench their Matter's Thirft »
nay, even at his Death, exprefled his longing Dettre by
his Thirft ; he, I fay, ftiall be fatisjied.
We, who are to be the Reward of our Saviour, mutt
be brought fo far, that we can fay with Truth: I have
no Will of my own; I renounce all the Honour, Riches,
and Pleafures of the World.
All I have, belongs to my Saviour. Neither is there
any Need of enumerating any Virtues and Good
Works.
All is his from this very Hour. He demands his Re¬
ward, and we believe that he deferved it.
And this is the Matter, which all true Servants of
Chrift ought highly to obferve.
When Souls are dead, they may be told too foon,
that they are the Reward of our Saviour.
He demands thefe Wages of his Labour, when he
forgives our Sins. .
We mutt fir ft know, that we are redeemed and pur-
chafed by him.
This is fometimes our Saviour's Bufinefs, by the Lavj^
whereby we are brought into Straits. He fhews us
our Mifery, ftrips us of all our ielf-conceited Virtues
and Merits, and convinces us that we are Sinners.
By thefe Means we learn to value the eternal Worth
and Weight of our Saviour's Merits; and when he for¬
gives us our Sins, we fall down at his Footftool, and
acknowledge, that it would be a Heaven-piercing Sin,
to with-hold the Reward of his Labour from him ; as
if the bloody Sweat of Chrift trickled down upon the
Ground in vain.
DISCOURSE XIII.
To live under Him in his Kingdom3 and to
ferve Him.
0 RD, remember mc, <nvhen thou comejl into thy
T <
J
tai
C 58 )
Thefe Words reprefent to us one of the moll beauti¬
ful Circumftances in our Saviour's Pafsion.
The Lord underftood the Senfe of it exaCtly by his
Anfwer, Verily I fay unto thee, To-day thou fhalt be with
me in Paradife, Luke xxiii. 43.
The Man, who wanted to be remembered by our
Saviour, was a Robber ; who, ftill upon the Crofs, was
unconverted; and not only took Jefus for fuch an one
as he was himfelf, but alfo revil'd him : For thofe that
were crucified with him, who were no more than two,
reviled him, Mark xv. 32.
That hearty Intercefsion, Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do, could not pofsibly be with¬
out a faving EffeCt, Lukexxii. 34.
By this his Heart was touched, and began to awake j
Or, as it was faid of Lydia, The Lord opened his Heart.
So that, without any Hefitation, he faid, Lord, re¬
member me, when thou comefi into thy Kingdom.
The Lord, who would ihew us the Method of faving
Souls, replied immediately, Verily I fay unto thee, To¬
day thou fhalt be with me in Paradife.
Through this Word the Thief was made immediately
a Companion of our blefted Redeemer.
This Inftance is not at all extraordinary, as many
well-meaning Teachers, to prevent Mifchief, endeavour
to prove ; and that fuch an Inftance may happen but
once in an Age; or that this may be an Inftance which
happened only at the Pafsion of our Lord.
But more of this hereafter. The SubjeCt of our Dif-
courfe at prefent is the Kingdom of Jefus and his Sub¬
jects.
I. The Kingdom of Jefus Chrift is threefold.
1. The Kingdom he had before the Foundation of
the World was laid, and which fliall endure for ever.
2. The Kingdom he began at his Incarnation, and
continued until his Exaltation.
3. The Kingdom he partly began at his Afcenfion,
and Ihall continue to all Eternity, tho' under feveral
Degrees.
j. Before the Foundation of the World He was the
eternal Son of God, and had that Kingdom before the
World was.
Where-
C 59 )
"Wherefore he could fay in his lad Prayer, Father,
•Bat#, glorify Thou me with thine" o<wn felf, with the Glory
Sack which I had with Thee before the World was, John xvii. 5.
. : \ . In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. sill Things weft
made by Him, John i.
He has had that Kingdom, which was continued in
- Majefty, Honour and Glory, from an Origin we can ne~
-tanifi, ver fathom.
-*e nonortsk' We can never fay his Kingdom began, but it conti¬
nued uninterrupted and unchangeable, till he was pleafed
,/spfcto empty himfelf of it, Phil. ii. 14.
■ ds the Children are Partakers of Flefb and Blood, he
alfo himfelf likewife took part of the fame, Heb. ii. 1.
iaHwiis 2- Here began a new OEconomy, a new Kingdom,
I ..which had been expe&ed fo long, and is called the
1:: iy Kingdom of the Crofs.
And this Crofs reprefents nothing elle but the real
_ 41^' Form of the King; in which as he appeared, fo like •
wife do all the Subjects of his Kingdom.
When the King of Perfa wanted to honour Mor-
decai, he asked, IIhat Jhall be done unto the Man whom
f f the King delighteth to honour ? The Anfwer was, Let
the Royal slpparel, which the King ufeth to wear, be put
" Upon him, and bring him on Horfeback through the Streets
.of the City, Efiner vi.
4. . 4 So every one, who will be a Servant of our Saviour,
:: KaW» mujj wear j^s R0bes> Reproach, and his Crofs.
- "u'jiir ^ whole Kingdom of Chrifl appears mod glorious
• • -f. , in thofe Souls that have a fpiritual Tade.
The Lord forbids us to fay, 'Tis here or there ; but
you may eafily fay, There it is not.
To the great and magnificent Defcription the World
gives of it, (who make their outward Pomp and Gran-
deur, and worldly Power, the CharaSler of the true
Church) one may, without the lead Hefitation, give a
flat Denial.
Thofe applauded Chridians can never demondrate
henifelves to be the People the King honoureth.
For they want his Ornament, the Nature of his Princes,
and the real Enfigns of his State.
In this Kingdom nothing is to be found but real Sa¬
tisfaction,
W
J
tiH
^ 5 » j
tisfaflion, and perpetual Hours of Bleffednefs; but all
this in the Heart.
The Kingdom of God is Bightcoufnefs, Peace, and Joy
in the Holy Ghofl, Rom. xiv. 17.
But to all that do not underftand the Myftery, this
Kingdom is but poor, mean, and infignificant.
The natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit
cf God, for they are Foolijhnefs unto him: Neither can he
know them, becaufe they are fpiritually difcerncd, 1 Cor.
ii. 14.
3. His third Kingdom begins partly from his glorious :
Afcenfion, and endures to all Eternity ; but it will be
then fully manifefted, when all thofe fhall be brought
into it, who are ftill fweating in the Kingdom of the
Crofs.
His Servants fhall fee his Face and glorify him.
Whatever we can fay of this, his Kingdom confiits in
nothing but Figures.
It furpaiTes our Imagination; it is more glorious than
any Idea we can poflibly frame.
Beloved, now we are the Sons of God, and it doth not
yet appear what we Jhall he : But we know, that when
he Jhall appear, we Jhall he like him ; for we Jhall fee
him as he is, John iii 2.
The Thief entered this Kingdom.
II. The Subje&s of our Saviour's Kingdom are the
Souls of Men ; in the Kingdom of his Power none are
excepted. All Souls are his.
But God. hath chofen us in Chrif before the Foundation \: :
of the World, to the Praife of the Glory of his Grace,
Eph. i.
All our Days are written in his Book that are yet to
come.
We muft promote his Kingdom, tho' never fo much
againft our Wills: We are obliged to do every thing in
his Kingdom, whatever he delires; only we receive no
Benefit from it, if it is not done with a good Heart.
We fhall alfo become Subjects of his Kingdom of the
Crofs.
When I Jhall he exalted from the Earth, I will dram
all after me. He will not leave one Soul of us un¬
drawn.
We
Mi
Ki
Mskk ^ ' C 61 )
We are all appointed to be Subje&s of" this his King-
dom.
The calling of Mankind to the Kingdom of the Crofs
■ may be confidered in a threefold Manner. 1. With
• ■ rjstan' regard to Time. 2. With regard to the Things they
are to do. 3. With regard to the Manner how our
v. Saviour will difpofe of them.
1. The Time in which Men are to come to this
Kingdom, is in God's Hands, in the particular Trea¬
ty S*i fures of our Saviour's Wifdom.
". When one of fourfcore Years old lies a-dying, who
-."ie Wk had always been in a dead State, and had never percei-
ved any of our Saviour's Grace in his Heart, and in the
laft: Hour of his Life is drawn of our Saviour the firi£
" JEW ■ Time, he is as happy as the Thief upon the Crofs, and
,'aStps goes immediately to Heaven.
Our Saviour, when he calls in the laft Hour, is fatif-
. -. fied even with his laft Hour.
The Servants of Chrift can be fully allured, that fuck
People are as happy as themfelves.
There is a great Number of thofe, like the Thief on
the Crofs, who learn but at the laft of their Lives what
Jefus is to them, and what they fhould be to him.
Such poor Souls muft not be detained with a long Ac-
count of their Enormities, but they muft be ftreight-
'~:3 way directed to Jefus Chrift.
For fuch a Soul, that is thoroughly fenlible of its be-
• ing loft, the Lamb has paid the Ranfom.
Provided, however, that they were never awaken-
ed before, nor confequently fupprelfed the Motions of
Grace.
But People that have known what Jefus and his Sal¬
vation is, cannot but in their laft Moments be a Proof of
that Unhappinefs which is felt when Jefus has been re¬
jected, and the Heart has fwerved from him.
Howbeit, if thefe Souls could but take Courage to
. Come to Chrift, furely there would be Help for them.
But their Cafe is a thoufand Times worfe, than that of
thofe that are quite dead in Trefpaft.es and Sins.
And this Difference the Meflengers of Peace ought to
obferve in their Declarations of the Gofpel.
F Bit
1
A&aA
C ^ )
Both of the forementioned forts of People have indeed
nothing more to do than to receive the Grace offer'd them.
But with him who is called betimes, aftd has Hill Time
to aft for, and live to his Saviour, the Cafe is quite
different.
Of this fort of People, whoever would truft and lean
upon Grace, and not endeavour to improve it, nor per¬
form that which our Saviour has called and appointed
him to do, he would mod; miferably deceive himfelf.
As foon as one has Time and Opportunity, one ought
to teftify of Grace, to ferve the Crofs, and live as a
Triumph of the Lamb.
2. With regard to the Things our Saviour appoints
Men to do in his Kingdom, they may be reduced to
two forts.
Some Men the Saviour ufes in a common Way, whom
he permits to bufy themfelves in Things necefiary for
a civil Life.
Thefe neverthelefs may do all to him, and be faithful
and graceful Chriftians.
But there are others, whom he appoints in a fpecial
Manner to his Service.
In the Old Teftament we have an Example of this
as in a Type, where every Tribe had its particular Por¬
tion of Land allotted them ; but the Priefts dedicated
to the Lords fpecial Service, were no where at home.
Thefe are a fort of Outlaws.
No Sanftion can ever be eftablilhed, by which they
•an be exempted from Perfecution.
Thefe muff be ready every Hour to quit their Right,
their Conveniency, and give up every thing.
But we will alfo fee what our Saviour puts us upon in
his Kingdom, and what we may expeft of him.
Here our Saviour has feveral Difpenfations.
One he leads by his Underftanding chiefly.
Another he vifits with many fpiritual Senfations.
To the third he gives a deep Knowledge of his re¬
vealed Word.
Every one has his natural Talent, which the Lord
fanftifies, when it is laid down in the Dull, and given
up to our Redeemer.
A Man doth not chufe his own Way, but our Saviour
ac-
«3 )
accommodates himfelf to our Capacity and Difpofi-
He that is endowed with a penetrating Judgment,
our Saviour leads by that; but fuch an one mull be*
ware of reafoning againft God.
He that wants this, is led through man^ SenfationS
and great Impreffions of his Grace and Love.
Thefe enjoy much Happinefs; but they ought
r take care left they run into idle Imaginations.
The third fort, which keep clofe to the Word, are
5 led by that; but they muft beware of empty Specula¬
tions and vain Criticifmg. ,
The Lord manifefts himfelf according to the different
Capacity of every one ; fo that they are happy in this
He it World, when they keep what our Saviour has given
them.
The Service of our Saviour is continued even in the
.. bTacsc Kingdom of Glory, where it will be the Caufe of in¬
ward and outward Reft and Satisfaflion. Here in the
World it is furrounded with many Troubles and Diffi¬
culties ; but there it will be a Part of our Joy atfi
a k apfoints bit Eleffednefs.
His Servants Ifvall fee his Face, and ferve him at the
feme Time.
Yet all our Labour in Eternity will be without any
; jaikPrieitf Merit.
The only Merit that is and lhall be mentioned here¬
after, is this, Thou haji been fain thou hafl loved us
'Tjj'C an4 wjked us from our Sins in thy own Blood\ Rev. i. 5.
. ■'iltif H
i&f? DISCOURSE XIV.
In Eternal Righteoufnefs, Innocency and Hap¬
pinefs.
. T)u<r on the new Mats, which, after God, is created
JL in Bighteoufnefs and true Holinefs, Eph. iv. 24.
Here obferve two Things, what is meant by eternal
1 Righteoufnefs, Innocency and Happinefs j and how we
may obtain them.
,Jj F 2 The
cite
l' rz
The Means to obtain eternal Righteoufnefs is Juffifi.
Cation ; Holinefs brings eternal Innocency, and Redemp¬
tion eternal Salvation.
That which makes us fo happy in the Kingdom of our
Redeemer, is called Righteoufnefs, Innocency and Hap¬
pinefs.
But here we mud confider, what thefe glorious Qua¬
lifications were before the Fall; what Condition they
were in after the Fall; and how they appear again af¬
ter our bleffed Saviour's Reftoration from the Fall.
Before the Fall we were endowed with Wifdom,
Righteoufnefs, Innocence and Happinefs. They were
true and real ; but, as the Event fhewed, not eternal,
We were then dignified with fuch a Wifdom, as I am
not able to defcribe, becaufe it is not exprefly reveald
in Scripture.
The true Righteoufnefs was, that God had created
Man for this Purpofe, as he declares himfelf, Gen, i. 26,
i8. that he fhould rule over the Earth and fubdue it.
The Lord, who alone was his Superior, having made
Man Mailer over all the World, gave him, at the fame
time, but one Rule which he fhould obferve, to teftify
Iris Dependance upon his divine Maker, who in lis
1 krone would be greater than he. Gen. xli. 40.
Here the whole World was fubjedt unto Man, and
the Image of the invifible God was tranfplendent in hini;
which gave him fuch a Luffre and uncontroulable Au¬
thority over all the Creatures, that every one in parti¬
cular was at his Command.
Fie could demand the Fruitfulnefs of the Earth, and
the Glory of Heaven, as a Tribute that belonged to
him.
No Creature in the For ell can enjoy its Food, where-
foever, with more Freedom and Innocency, than Man,
in his primitive State, could ufe and er.joy every Thing
about him.
His Holinefs, before the Fall, confided in his Inno¬
cency ; he did not know what Sin was, nor could he <i
have any Notion of it.
And he was but cheated into it; fo that he fell but -
by Craft. J;
His Happinefs before the Fall was this, that he was k
perfectly
t 5
perfectly eafy; no Evil nor Wearinefs difturbed him in
all his Labour, but Reft' and Peace attended him every
where, and in every Thing he did.
a&l&jk 2. But, after the Fall, the Cafe is quite altered.
'ilMOCttu Our natural Wifdom now is nothing but a vehement
Defire to know all Things that we could be happy
hi theft»' without; on the contrary, we know not that which all
; Vast Withour Happinefs depends upon.
thev ipjej We are rather inclined to learn any Thing, than what
boa ins;;;; belongs to our eternal Salvation,
a; dm!p Hence our Wifdom is called Foolifhnefs before God.
iHapinefs, Tail What we know, are generally Things we have no
r ;;: need of, and are either uncertain, or, atmoft, but pro-
.■ilfcbable.
2fr, Our Righteoufnefs, after the Fall, conlifts in this, that
we patch up. fomething, which we fancy to juftify our-
-God felves before God withal.
■ ■ nfdf.t ' ^ ^Pea^ fuch People as are at the Pains to feek God;
. : I as for others, one cannot even fay fa much of them.
T L Thefe endeavour to make God their Friend by all
. forts of Worfhip and good Works; which Opinion foon
'.jf' crept in among the lfraelites, and doth ftill prevail every¬
where. The Righteoufnefs of Men that have a Regard
for God, confifts, generally, in doing good, efchewing
. Evil, giving of Aimsy &c. and this, they think, fhall
- W* juftify them.
And altho1 this is fometimes contradidled from the-
Pulpit, yet the Practice is ftill the fame.
--Our Sandlification, after the Fall, confifts either in a
grofs Ignorance,, or.in a patch'd up Holinefs.
Ignorance feems to have fome Refemblance to the
. 7 ' Innocence before the Fall, becaufe it doth not know any
. Thing of this or that fort of Wickednefs.
But it differs, Fir ft, That befides the Capacity, it has
'even an Inclination to Wickednefs, and wants nothing
. but an Occaffon to exert it.
Secondly, That before the Fall it was univerfal; but
- ■ ■js^'that after the Fall is particular, and can be faid of fome
Perfons, or fome particular Things only.
We are ignorant but of fome certain forts of Vices.
As one Perfon may not be unchafte, another not proud,
% third not covetous, and a fourth not unaftive; but all
F 3 thi5
this may not proceed from a Love to God, but from
Education or Conftitution of Body, which inclines them
to this or that Virtue, and makes them unfit for the con¬
trary Vices.
Even this Holinefs, therefore, is good for nothing; be-
caufe it doth not proceed from him, who muft work all
that is good himfelf.
The Children of Reafon (mind) are Children of Wrath
even as others, Eph. xi. 3.
The Happinefs of natural Men confifts in obtaining,
what they defire, and keeping what they have obtained
as long as they pleafe.
I fpeak of thofe that have a Shew of Happinefs j
that have healthful and hopeful Children; a well or¬
dered Family; kind and reafonable Neighbours; mo¬
derate and fufficient Liberty.
But if a Man is in Poifefsion of all this, and his Heart
33 not at home where it ought to be, neither one, nor
all thefe Things, will be able to fecure his Contentment,
except he is quite indolent and ftupified.
Thus Happinefs, after the Fall, is no Happinefs at
all.
3. That is now, after the Death of Chrift, true Wil-
dom, true Righteoufnefs, true Holinefs and Redemp- h
tion, which is incorruptible, undeflcdy and that fadetb in
not anvay.
This Wifdom is the fimple and uninterrupted Contem¬
plation of the Love of Jefus 5 the higheft Knowledge of
all, and worthy the Meditation of any human Soul.
When a Man drops and lofes all the Right he has by
Nature; and, by Faith, receives from our Saviour, an
Affurance, that all his future Expectations depend en¬
tirely upon his Grace and Mercy; when he has leave to
ask for, and receives all that Jefus has merited for us:
This is that eternal Righteoufnefs obtained by Jelus
©ur Mediator.
He that has it, knows it.
What Man fancied he had before, was mere Delufi-
©n ; and what he actually had was the Curfe.
But what he now has is mere Grace.
Our Innocency after the Fall begins with Holinefs,
and refers to the former primitive Innocence.
.. '' "" None
T<!7 )
-]Sfone can be innocent, but he that has obtained the
Righteoufnefs of Chrift ; for he may be innocent in
one Thing, and yet not in another.
He that obtains the Righteoufnefs in the Blood of Je-
fus Chrift, receives alio Strength to fubdue all the Evil he
knows in himfelf, and which he muft conftantly ftudy to
find out more and more, and to tread it under his Feet, till
' at lafi^ after he has long converfed with his Saviour, he
forgets Sin quite, and relies entirely in his Redeemer
And this is to be obtained by conftant Grace, Faithfulnefs,
and clofe Imitation of our Saviour's Example; fo that
we can fay with St Paul, I live, yet not I, but Cbrijt
lives in me.
fd Qdiioju For as much as one lives to himfelf (dvlof tyu) he is a
icaixi liejfc; Sinner; but he that is juftified never meddles with Sin,
but atts always contrary to it; or, if it begins to ftir, he
: of il ids, nisi ftifles and conquers it prefently.
a be, Mice The Happinefs is, that a Man recovers and enjoys
•tjtafe tbat he had before the Fall, viz. Reft, Contentednefs,
a Happinefs fuitable to the Mind of the Lord; but all
this in the Spirit and in the Heart.
The Body keeps its Order, and the Children of God
experience what our Saviour did whilft he was in the
--eiisli- World; yet their Heart is joyful, and in Safety and
Jk Certainty.
We are made Lords over our Bodies and its Incum¬
brances, and live contented, let the outward Circum-
ftances be ever fo hard.
Such is the happy State of the Faithful ?
But here is the Queftion, How can one obtain all this ?
How can we become fo wife, fo righteous, fo innocent,
; fo happy, and all this for ever ?
? ' , ! The Way to attain it is no other but what we are
taught in the Gofpel.
It doth not confift in Words; but when Jefus Chrift
" teaches us, we learn (d'ppijla P^«l«) Words that are in-
exprefsible.
We obtain a divine Certainty of the Truth.
i-Ofi, W, The Wifdoni of this World is changeable; but this is
■.t unchangeable.
> G0- n u| The" very Wifdom of the Apofiles is alfo ours.
The very pooreft and mofl miferable People of for¬
mer
^ C <53 ;'
mer dark Times, who had Jefus, fpoke the fame which
we do now, tho1 with other Words.
No Soul, fince the World began* was ever faved
any other Way but by the Blood of Chrift, without any
Merit or Works of their own.
The common Proverb is, Many Men, many Minds j
but here it is faid, We are all of one Mind in Chrift.
This Wifdom is,., the Myfter.y of the Merits of Jefus
Chrift; which Souls, by Nature, know nothing of, tho',
perhaps, they may be able to fay a great deal about
other, even good Things.
No, it mull he given from above.
By Nature, we have no-Parts for it. No Do&or nor
Philofopher can find it out; no natural Capacity can
comprehend it.
But as foon as our Saviour begins to inftruft us, there
is no need'of many Arguments, but he does {bmetbing
in the Heart which is felt without Contradi&ion.
It is mere divine Power and divine. Wifdom.
- The Way to true and. eternal Righteoufnefs is Julti
fication.
Our Saviour has but one Method, both with all Man¬
kind in general, and with every Soul in particular.
When we are weary and heavy laden, then our Sa¬
viour Ihews his Father that he hath made Satisfaction
for us..
And'then a Sinner is convinced of that eternal Pri¬
vilege, that the Blood of Jefus Chrift is her fafe Con¬
duct through the World, Sin, Death and Hell.
Holinefs is given, when the holy Spirit affures us, that
qur Sins are forgiven us through the Merits of Jefus.
Then the Proud and Ambitious abominate Honour; the
Luxurious, Lulls and Pleafures; the Lazy and Indolent
abhor Idlenefs; and the Covetous fly from Riches.
And this Work our Saviour carries on to the lad Day
©F our Life; fo that we grow more holy, moro^ighte-
ous, and more happy. Our Saviour doth not proceed,
like moral Philofophy, to mend an unholy Life by De¬
grees, but all that mull be denied at once.
He drowns all Wickednefs in his Blood, and fuppreffes
it with his Power.
Eut
( (9 )
But, on the contrary, Goodnefs and Holinefs admits
kUttm ' of Degrees.
The Man grows more chafte, more humble, moreli-
beral and more adtive ; or, to fpeak plainer, the Scholar
comes to be a Man, and, by Degrees, a Mailer.
" i®"] One always learns to get a deeper Infight into the
Myftery of Holinefs, grows more familiar with the
Pradtice, gets more and more Advantage and Succefs
by Ufe and Application : And this is very much advan-
ced by continual Ufe; the Senfes more exercifed, and
Experience obtained.
This is being happy, when nothing comes in Com-
:::1L petition with our Saviour and his uninterrupted Prefence
Cape with us; when nothing in the World is able to caufe a
Separation between him and us, then his Peace keeps
fit;:: Aki our Hearts and Minds for ever,
xtbfi doesiaa We are happy wherever we Hand or go, fit or lie
Co::.. 4 down, wake or fleep, fuffer or conquer, live or die.
.--iWf;ii The World cannot difturb our Happinefs. Neither
; -i. -. dare the Flefh fhew itfelf any more.
Only the wicked One remains, whofe Power is great
and terrible; and is ever very bufy about the Faithful,
to try whether he can find an Opportunity to aflault
and overcome them ; wherefore our Saviour not only
. . teaches us continually to pray, Deliver us from Evil, but
thought itnecelfary topray for us himfelf, that attheTime
cf -:Eir> when Satan defires to lift us, our Faith may not fail.
DISCOURSE XV.
As He is rifen from the Bead, lives and reigns
for ever and ever.
, /*\UR Saviour explains this in few Words, John
xiv. i g. 1 live, and ye Jhall live alfo.
TFrom which Words let us learn thefe two fundamen¬
ts^/ tal Truths, i. That he lives. And, 2. That we fhall
live alfo.
He that lives, is the fame, who lay in the Grave and
tailed Death for us alL
But
T~ 70 ;
But the Son of God could not remain in Death.
When Princes ftoop to mean Offices or Circum-
flances, every one knows that is not their proper Bufi-
nefs, but it is only for fome other End and Purpofe.
Whoever has feen the Son of God on the Crofs, mud
have concluded, ^hat he could not remain in that low
Condition, but that it would tend to fome great and in-
expreffible Purpofe.
He then prepared a Way to an ever-abiding Life
of many Souls. And this Way was his Death.
No Soul enters Eternity and comes before the Throne
of God, unlefs her Tablernacle is changed.
For this Reafon our Saviour laid his Body into the
Grave, as the Place where others fhould be laid.
But becaufe he did not want to remain longer in
Death, he rofe again by his divine Power.
He fuffered innumerable Pains and Agonies, but they
were at laft diffolved by his Power, becaufe he has the
Keys of Death.
As he a&ed as Lord in his Death, fo he did in his
Grave; where he remained his appointed Time, or as
long as he pleafed, and left it again after he had facri-
f.ced his Body, and then converfed with his, as long as
he thought necefiary.
Thus we fee who it is that lives, w. the eternal
Son of God in the Bofom of his F ather; at whofe Name
all Creatures mull bow in Heaven, in Earth, and under
the Earth, and all Tongues mull confefs, that Jefus
Chrift is Lord, to the Glory of the Father, Phil. ii.
10, 11.
But what is the Manner of his Life ?
1. He is rifen from the Dead, and lives and reigns
for ever. Chrifl being raifed from the Dead, dies no
more, Rom. vi. 9. He ever lives to make IntereeJJton
for 11s, Heb. vii. 25. He has overcome, and is fet down
ivitb his Father in his Throne, Rev. iii. 21.
This is our Saviour's Manner of Life : He labours
continually, that the World may fubfift ; and that is the
ancient Work of his Divinity.
But he labours alfo as Man, and ever draws one after
another, interceeding for them with his Father, looks
to his Enemies, purities and fpares them, till here and
there
( 71 )
® t there he makes an Example of them for the Benefit of
r\ ^ the World.
y f This Life endures for ever and ever, according to that
fpecial Word, John viii. 35. The Servant abideth not
.«Kaii it in the Houfe for ever, but the Son abideth ever.
u ■ •'asjata His Time of Service, his Subjection, as glorious as it
is, fhall have an End, when he has fubdued all his
• --i tw-ifc: Enemies, and accomplifh'd all his Offices : But then he
?1-- ? Death will live in his Divinity after all the Periods of Time
c.xoietkl are pad; his Entrance will be from Eternity into Eter-
t "-ijei, nity, as his coming forth was before all Time,
c .Sec. And this is the Life of our Saviour.
..:ixE k Secondly, Ye fhall live alfo. This he fays of us and
.; to notour Life, We are the People that fhall live.
iseFowtr. 'Tis no fmall Matter to live, and particularly fo, as
: iriA. Jefus doth, and to fit with him in the Throne of his
"ow, Wis P^her.
I count all Things but Lofs, for the Excellency o f the
"V ill Ml Knowledge of Jefus Chrif my Lord: For whom I have
■ 1 tfuffered the Lofs of all Things, and do count them but
. ^ jfo'KB Fung, that I may win Chrif, and be found in him,
Hi-
St Paul wanted only to know him and the Power of
... 1, his Refurre&ion. He wanted to be fure of his living.
All Men fhall not live. Ye fhall die, fays our Sa-
' -, viour to a Number of Men, John viii. 24.
- V If you have fpent your Life, which is nothing but
- -./Death, in this World, either with a philofophical
Thought of a future better Life after this, or with a
fanciful Faith and Hope of being faved, or have be-
lieved nothing at all; and thus quit your mortal Cottage
the Soul was imprifon'd in, you will enter into a new
Death, and die for ever.
I will give but a fhort Defcription of thofe that die
: - aV an eternal Death, and enter the Lake which burns with
b'bbfire and Erimftone, which is the fecond Death, Rev.
Here not only the Murderer, Whoremonger, Thief,
and the like, enter, but the loving Apoftle names alfo
/J evet^; the Fearful, and places them in the Front of all thofe
woful Wretches that fhall be thrown into the fiery Lake,
$0)" and die eternally.
C i1 )
To be fearful, is the tiharader of thofe who are
ever beginning and refolving anew to be converted, but
never put their good Refolution in pradice.
This is not a Defcription of wilful Sinuers, but of
fuch as die in their Wilhes, Prov. xx. 25. of thofe
that will not accept of the Power and Efficacy of
Chrift's Death, nor partake of this glorious Life, nor
can with Truth fay, I am his.
Whoever cannot fay this, is fuch an unhappy Wretch,
that dies eternally the very Moment he goes out of this
World.
Our Thoughts and Wilhes can eafily deceive us. Not
only a firm Refolution and Promife ; but alfo a 1 iving
Faith is required, if one will efcape eternal Death.
We muft make the Refurredion prefent to our Minds,
and meet it with our Hearts lifted up on high.
This is being fure without wavering or drawing back,
-but keeping clofe to Jefus, th#1 invifible, as if we faw
him with our Eyes.
Thus he fhall live that believes, and takes his Delight
in his Saviour and his Refurredion; who neither fets
his Heart at Eafe, nor lays his Head to Reft, till he can
fay with Aflurance, Yea, Amen, I fhall live.
Our Saviour often puts his Children to the Trial, that
they may found and fearch their Hearts.
And all the Confiderations our Saviour raifes in our
Hearts, in order to know whether we are his, do but
ferve to enflame our Hearts the more with Love and Joy
towards him.
Our Mifery and Infirmities cannot detain us from
him. " | j
He that has got once into his Acquaintance, has r.o
need to leave him, or fwerve from him : But if he finds
any thing contanry to the Majefty of our Saviour, he
lays it before him, and fays, Here is fomething, 'which
is not fit to bring before the holy Throne, cleanfe arJ
uoafh it am ay; but if that mill not do, fift, melt, ctr.l
refine it, Mai . iii. 3. and make me precious in the Furnace
of Ajfhftion, Ifa. viii. 10,
'Whoever is not fearful, may be delivered every Mo¬
ment from all that troubles him; from all his Tempta¬
tions and Damnation.
Thus
C 73 )
Thus all thofe 'Sinners live, that look for Jefus and
find him, that could not be at .reft, till they had recci-
■ved him.
' 2. The Life we receive, divides itfelf into two
Branches.
The firft is, we are dead, and our Life is -hid with.
Chrift in God.
The fecond-k the Confequence of the firft ; but when
Chrift, who is our Life, lhall appear, then ihalLwe al-
fo appear with him in Glory.
Y/e live from that Moment, when Jefus fays to us*
Thou Jbalt live.
~ The hidden Life in God, and the Salvation in Chrift,
begins the very Moment when we know what we have
jeeteraaiDcsi in our Saviour.
When the World takes us for civilly.dead, ufelefsan4
dip®. unhappy Men, we then ar Citizens and Elect, and be^
miW- long to God's own Family.
.- ■ Concerning our outward Life and Behaviour, we of¬
ten do nothing elfe, but what other People do, but with.
Bjjultfci a Child-like, loving, and chearful Heart towards God
0»;©[ and Man.
KeaduM ' This is that fecret Life, fo difagreeable to the Eyes
tjihllfo of other People.
| But he, whofe Eyes fearch all the Corners of the Earthy
Kfleatf, looks upon it in Mercy.
■ - The King's Daughter is all glorious voithin, Pf. xlv. 14,
• I he ' 'dden Man of the Heart in a meek and quiet, Sgi -
mortal Tli-> li cf sreat Price in the Sight of God, 1 Peter iii. 4.
.'Tis in the Heart as it is in Heaven.
But what will that Life be in our Father's Kingdom ?
Hereof we can fay but-little. Our Difcourfes tend
only to excite the Mind to confider that Subject %
lktle deeper, and confult the Word of God; whichc
f being read with a Heart that is touched and raifed to.
,jp& Life, will be better than all human Words,
5 This Word, indeed, points to the Lamb, and fo doth
^orc^ oc^» ®3Ut Exprefsions we cannot find
out with our bell Underftanding, but may be felt and
tailed by an indwelling intimate Senfation of the Spirit,
,■ jjjj:. This I recommend to all your mature Confiderations j
humbly bftbscb the Holy spirit to rea.d you an em
^ G pbatical
.
C 74 )
-phatical Ledure upon thefe Words, 'That
you are to live with him.
Je/us lives ant
DISCOURSE XVI.
That is certainly true.
fa
THefe are the laft Words of the fecond Article.
I know whom I have believed, and am perfua-
ded that he is able to keep that which I have committed
unto him againft that Day, I Tim. xii.
I believe that my Saviour, my King, bears his Name
with Honour and Glory. *
I believe his eternal Divinity : I believe his real Hu¬
manity: I believe that I am one of his Family : I be¬
lieve I was loft and damned : I have known my Sentence
of Death and Damnation.
But I believe alfo for certain, that I have been ran-
fomed and abfolved.
I believe that I am the juft Reward of all his Labour,
of all his Sweat, and of all his Pains.
I .believe he has won and gain'd me by his own Sword
and Bow.
I believe I am no more obliged to fin.
I believe I lhall not die.
I believe that I am the Devil's Lord and Mafter.
I believe that I am redeemed merely by the Death jj;
and Punilhment the Son of God has fuffered for me.
I believe that I now belong to none but to him who
has purchafed me.
I believe him to have the Kingdom over all.
I believe, that wherever. I am, I live in him, in his
Protedion, and in his Peace.
I am now aflured that I have the fame unchangeable
Right with all my Fellow-citizens, to be as uninterrupt¬
edly holy, and as inceflantly happy as they.
But I believe alfo, that I am nothing without him; and
that I live only for this Reafon, becaufe he lives; and as
long as he lives I live alfo.
And all this I am as firmly aflured of, as I know that
my Head is joined to my Body.
l«
nm.
Tki.
tyilWaek:
OK
1W
C 75 )
A particular Certainty is required when any one be¬
lieves.
That a Man mull be able to confefs and fay, 1 be¬
lieve, is evident from the manifold Queftions of our Sa¬
viour, Believeft thou ? If thou couldefl believe, Canjl
thou believe P
'Tis impofiible to pleafe God without Faith.
When we believe we fee the Glory of God to our
Aflonilhment; all the Senfes, Defires, Ideas and .Moti¬
ons of our Heart and Mind are changed.
Not only others mull confefs the Wonder, that the
Man is fo alter'd, but we are amazed -at the Change
•ourfelves.
We become a Wonder to ourfelves; for we fee with
our own Eyes, and perceive that he has given us of his
Spirit.
Who doth not fee, that we mull: afiuredly know that
we believe, when we will be Partakers of divine and
jtlkilk heavenly Things ?
Then the Blood of Chrifl, which interceeds for us
• ; oflitli with the Father, has its purifying and ianClifying Ef¬
fect immediately.
Whenever one fees no Change in a Man, then one
may fay with Truth, either thou never has had any
Faith, or thou has forgot that thou was purged front
thy Sins; which is as much as to forget ones Salvation.
Iffr- -ds foon as one receives Faith, he efeapes the Vanities
the World; he keeps under what remains of the Fall,
;)JiM f° that it cannot rife to hurt or Hop him.
^or mtvj qve can do what we will.
■ '' This is what accompanies Faith itfelf; but we mufi;
-j-jinji a^° know in whom we believe,
,r jiiiiS It is the greateft Happinefs to know our Saviour in
l&>'' all the Degrees, as well of his Humiliation as of his
" $0"0US Exaltation.
®ar Heart can never be fully fatisfied and at Eafe,
z£"'.fa kut when we confider our Saviour upon his Crofs, in his
^ j ®°od and deepeft Humility.
®ut if we do not alfo confider him at the fame Time
}$&■■*' as our exalted Saviour, who now fits upon the Throne
©f Majefly on the Right-hand of God, and is Lord over
fadfir all the World, then our Impreflion is but half, and our
G ^
humble
( 7 6 J
h tumble Dependance upon him much lefs, than when we
are fully perfuaded, that our Lamb is God, the Lord
too.
To know in whom we believe, is as much as to fee
Jefus, who is the Lord our God in the Bofom of his
Father, and contemplate him in the Spirit of our Mind
upon the Crofs, and chrud our Hands.into the Print of
his Nails.
'Tis quite another thing to preach, to produce Argu¬
ments, and to be able to explain this Subjeft: All thefc
are Gifts not to be defpifed, provided they are agree¬
able to the Word of God; but they are not ellential
Ingredients of Faith.
A Soul of the meaneft Capacity can often have a
greater Affurance of Faith, than a Dofior of the greatest
Learning and Sagacity.
All Men have not p,aith;,'fts mere Grace and
i^ercy.
We mull "be alhamed of our Unbelief and our Ig¬
norance, when we do not know in whom we believe'.
We ought to pray to God to give us Faith, when we
bave it not; and to (Lengthen and increafe it, when we
do not yet polfefs all the Beatitudes ; .and our Saviour is
not manifeded to us in his Humiliation and Exaltation,
as far as our Nature can bear it.
Thus I mud know in whom I believe.
He is God, has all theTreafures of Eternity in his
Hand, and can do all Things.
'He is Man ; I can converfe with him as a Child ;
let me be never fo miferable and poor, if I can but pray
from my very Heart, Ha<ve Mercy upon me, thou that
art 'my God and Saviour.
. Thefe two Ideas in one View, is knowing in whom
we believe.
In the lad Place, we mud know, that he will remain
fo : I amperfuaded, that he is able to keep that which I
have committed unto him againf that Day, 2 Tim. i. 12-
This was the Depofitum of the Apodle, which he
expefted to receive in .due Time.
uds long as the Heir is a Child\ he differs nothing few
f. Servant, tho" he be Lord of all; but he is undtrLutoiS
c.rJ
C 77 )
»nd Governors mill the Time appointed of the father.
Gal. iv. r, 2.
Juft fo it is with us ^ we have it not as yet; we are
not yet at home with him : It is, neverthelefs, laid up
very fafe; fo that one can fay, My Inheritance, my
Crown, my Blifs is laid up, and remains fafe in Hea¬
ven.
This founds almoft as if a Man, that has once re*
ceived Faith, could never fall from it.
Mtjttijt And truly he need not, if he will not..
, jjbiHu But if any one will forget, that he was purged, like
a Dog or a Sow, he may be entangled again in the
caaofalsi Pollution of the World, 2 Peter ii. 20. That is true,
i.dr./iifp The Apoftles themfelves met with fuch People,, eve*
in. their Time, that return'd to Satan again,
fc; If you ask why this Liberty is left us ? I anfwer, firft,
becaufe eternal Love has not built Heaven to force Souls
juji into it, as into a Callle or Cloifter; but for a Habitation
'. of all Happinefs, Peace and Liberty.
r<rAnd, fecondly, for Reafons, I do not know, nor
; can enter into human Hearts, but are incomparably
great, good and well grounded.
'Tis enough that this Liberty of our LoVe can well
fecure us; our Happinefs is great enough ; nothing can
pluck us out of his Hands; we can remain if we will.
• Neither Satan, World, nor our own Flelh and Blood
- ' can hinder us; but we ourfelves do it out of our per-
verfe and obftinate Will, if we fall away from it; which
the Apoftle calls, Heb. vi. 6. crucifying the Son of God
afrejh; and Cap. X. 29. treading under Foot the Son of
God, and counting the Blood of the Covenant an unholy
Thing, and doing defpite unto the Spirit of Grace.
Wherefore every Soul ought to ask daily and hourly,
Doeft thou remain in thy Faith ?
- " This the Apoftle calls fighting and combating for the
. f'| Faith ; to look about whether there is any Thing that
J tvill hinder and deprive us of it.
..= jfh Our Saviour asketh, Will you go away ? At he faid
before,. Will you come ?
ijed Happy is he who anfwers with Peter, Where Jhall
go, thou haji the Words of eternal Life ?
Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit Sin,
■0
C 78 )
He keepetb hhnfelf: No Man keepeth himfelf before
be has the Forgivenefs of Sins; nor till that Time can
he eitner ftir, or move, or do any fpiritual Good ; nay,
■if he fhould work Miracles, move Mountains, preferve
Countries, and fuffer Martyrdom, all that would avail
nothing, if he had not Faith and Charity at the fame
Time in his Heart.
. Both thefe muft go Hand in Hand together. They
are promifcuoufly ufed in Scripture, becaufe they are im¬
mediately joined together, as foon as Forgivenefs of Sin
is obtained.
In the very Moment Love exerts itfelf in outward
Works, then one can do Good without being tired.
. If ye then he rifen vsith Chrifi, feek thofe Things nxhich
are above, vohere Chrif ftteth on the Right-hand of
God, Col. iii. 1.
Every Man that hath this Hope in him,.purifeth hint•
felf even as he is pure, I John iii. 3.
Now we have done with the fecond Article of our
Chriftian Creed. I fet my Seal to it from the Bottom of
my Soul, and fubfcribe, that the Lord God is true, and
that his Son is all in all to me.
Would to God that all the People might fay, Auu&
FINIS«