Sermons Volume 4

Be not afraid of them that kill the Body, and can do no more.

2. Eternal things against Temporal, 2 Cor. 4.16. Our light Affliction for a moment, worketh for us an eternal weight of Glory.

3. The Covenant against Providence, Psal. 73.17. Till I went into the Sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.

A Sermon on 1 THES. V.8.

IN the Context the Apostle inferreth our Duty, from our Profession of Christianity; all Christians are taken into a new estate, called out of D • rkness into Light, and so are Children of the D • y, and not of the Night. Now Deeds of Darkness will not become the broad Day-light of the Gospel that we live in. He instanceth in two Sins; Negligence and Voluptuousness: Vers. 7. They that sleep, sleep in the Night; and they that are drunken, are drunken in the Night. Sleep is a Night-work, and Drunkenness also is a Night-work. He opposeth to these two Duties, Watchfulness and Sobriety; he opposeth to Sleep, Watchfulness; and as opposite to Sensuality, he enforceth Sobriety. Watchfulness implieth a Carefulness and Constancy in our Duty; and Sobriety an holy Moderation in all Earthly Things; and more particularly, a sparing use of Worldly Delights, that Security may not grow upon us, and the Day of the Lord surprise us unawares. Unless we moderate our Affections in the pursuit and use of Earthly Things, a strange benumbedness seizeth on the Conscience, and an Oblivion and forgetfulness of God and Heavenly Things presently followeth it: Luke 21.34. Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your Hearts be over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness, and Cares of this Life; and so that Day come upon you unawares. Now the Apostle doth not barely dissuade them from Sleep, and Sensuality, as we would persuade a Man that hath an ordinary Work to do, to prevent Sloth, and loss of his Day-time, which was made for Work; but as we would deal with a Soldier that is upon his Watch, to prevent danger. Therefore it doth imply, not only how misbecoming these things are, but how baneful. It is not enough to be sober, but we must be armed, else we cannot be safe from Temptations. Our Life is a Conflict, and our Graces are our Armor; Rom. 13.12. The Night is far spent, the Day is at hand; let us cast off the Works of Darkness, and let us put on the Armor of Light. Therefore it is not enough for us to be sober, or to be awake; but prepared for our Spiritual Warfare. But let us who are of the Day be sober, putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love, and for an Helmet, the Hope of Salvation.

In the Text there is a double Exhortation.

1. To keep ourselves awake, But let us who are of the D •• be sober ; the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it signifi • th both Sobriety and Watchfulness: The meaning is, Take heed we be not lulled asleep by Worldly Desires, Cares and Pleasures.

2. To put on our Armo • r: Two pieces he commendeth to them, a Breast-plat • , and an Helm • t: Men fence the Breast for the Heart's sake, and the Head is the Seat of the Sense, upon whose safety dependeth principally the safety of the whole Body, for the Head guideth the whole Body; Wounds in either of these two pa • ts are most dangerous.

Now, (1.) The Breast-plate consisteth of two Graces, Faith and Love ; these two are joined together, for the one can do nothing without the other; Faith without Love is but a dead Opinion, and Love to God in Christ cannot be without Faith; both toge • her enable us to do notable things for God. Gal. 5.6. Faith worketh by Love. What can withstand Faith working by Love?

2. The H • lmet is the Hope of Salvation, or a sure and earnest Expectation of our Eternal Reward from Christ. Keep these, and you shall not only be in a blessed Condition, when the Day of the Lord cometh; but in all your Troubles, Trials and Temptations, you are safe for the present, and you shall not miscarry by the way.

If any say the pieces of the Spiritual Armor are otherwise reckoned up, Ephes. 6. I answer, (1.) Metaphors may be several ways used, and in these things; so the matter be fitly delivered and understood, it is enough. (2.) Here the Apostle showeth what is necessary to watching, there to fighting. He that watcheth, provideth for Enemies, but doth not presently encounter them; and therefore here a Decorum is observed. Livy tells us of Paulus Emilius, Vigiles novo more, scatum in vigiliam ferre vetuit. It is enough if he hath a Breast-plate, though no Shield; for his business is not presently to fight, but to excite others to fight, when he perceiveth the Enemy approaching: A Breast-plate is enough, till he call others to help him.

Doct. Christians are not well prepared for their Spiritual Warfare, till they have put on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love, and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation.

1. It is supposed, that it concerneth us to arm ourselves for a Conflict. Partly, because we have sore Enemies, the Devil, the World, and the Flesh. The Devil is a Roaring Lyon, and must be resisted: 1 Pet. 5.8, 9. Be sober, be vigilant; because your Adversary the Devil, as a Roaring Lyon, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the Faith. The World either vexeth us with fears, or enticeth us by hopes, and must be overcome: 1 John 5.4, 5. For whosoever is born of God overcometh the World; and this is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith. Who is he that overcometh the World, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? But the sorest Enemy is within, to wit, our own Flesh, which must be subdued and tamed. Gal. 5.24. They that are Christ's, have crucified the Flesh, with the Affections and Lusts. Partly, because we are constantly observed how we acquit ourselves in the Conflict. Now for the present there are Spectators, God and his holy Angels; hereafter there will be a Judge, Jesus Christ. Now there are Spectators; 1 Cor. 4.9. For we are made a Spectacle unto the World, and to Angels, and to Men. He speaketh there of the Apostles, who were, as it were, exposed as the sorlorn hope, set up in the Eye of this World; but it is true of all Christians. Christ maketh inspection now, for we fight in his presence; he seeth how his People carry themselves in their Conflicts and Temptations: I know thy Works: Behold, I have set before thee an open Door, and no Man can shut it: For thou hast a little Strength, and bust kept my Word, and hast not denied my Name, Revel. 3.8. But Christ who is now a Spectator, will be hereafter a Judge: 2 Tim. 4.8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give one at that Day. Now he observeth, then he crowneth his Combatants; partly that we may thoroughly discharge our duty. We can hardly do any good, but we must fight for it; but especially in the great Work of our Heavenly Calling. Practical Christianity is a serious Application of the Mind and Heart to do what Christ hath required, that we may obtain what he hath offered; and to do it as our first work, and chief business. Phil. 2.12. Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. 3.14. I press toward the Mark, for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Pet. 3.14. Wherefore, Beloved! seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and 〈◊〉 . Now the Devil will not let you alone in this earnest diligence, but seeketh to break your Resolutions, or deaden your Affections, or damp and discourage your Zeal; and the Flesh joineth with him, especially when the World frowneth upon your Endeavors, and are set against you for being so faithful to Christ.

2. That they are not prepared, till they are endowed with Faith, Hope and Love. To evidence this, I shall show,

• 1. Their Nature.
• 2. Their mutual respect to one another.
• 3. Their use in the Spiritual Conflict.

I. Their Nature.

(1.) Faith, which is a firm and cordial assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel, or such things as are revealed by God, because revealed by him.

(1.) The Object: (1.) The Material Object of Faith in general, is such things as are revealed by God in his Word, Acts 24.14. Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets. The Precepts, Promises, Threatenings, Histories, Mysteries. The general Faith goeth before the particular, there is no Building without a Foundation▪ The special Object is God's Transactions about Man's Salvation by Christ: John. 17.3. This is Life Eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (2.) The formal Consideration is, because revealed by him; John 4.42. Now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard him ourselves, and believe that this indeed is the Christ, the Savior of the World. That is, because they had heard his Words, and were convinced, and satisfied. 1 Thess. 2.13. Ye received it not as the Word of Men, but (as it is in Truth) the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. Not as any Doctrine devised of Men, but as sent by God from Heaven, for the benefit of Mankind.

2. The act of the Soul: It is an Assent: The Understanding hath a double act about Divine Truths. (First,) Knowledge, or a due Apprehension of them. (Secondly,) Exercising a Judgment about them; this is Acknowledgment, or Assent. And this Assent hath two Adjuncts.

1. It is a firm belief of these things: There is a Latitude and Difference in the firmness of Assent, there is Conjecture or Opinion, which is a weak Faith; but Assurance doth best: Coll. 2.2. That their Hearts might be comforted, being knit together in Love, and unto all Riches of the full Assurance of Understanding, to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. I say, there is a difference. In the firmness of Assent, there is Certitudo Notitia, & Certitudo Adherentiae, a Certainty of Knowledge, and a Certainty of Adherence: But in all that are sincere, it is so firm, as to sway our choice, incline our Hearts, and govern our Resolutions, that we see all the reason in the World to follow the way which Christ hath prescribed, that we may be everlastingly happy; whatever it cost, they will venture, Heb. 10.39. But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of our Souls. Sense saith, Spare the Flesh; but Faith saith, Save the Soul.

2. It is a Cordial Belief, or such as engageth the Heart. For Faith considereth not only the Evidence of things propounded, but the Weight, Worth, and Greatness of them: 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation. Simon Magus believed, but his Heart was not right with God; Acts 8.13. compared with 21 Verse. So, Many believed in his Name, when they saw the Miracles which he did, but Jesus committed not himself to them, because he knew all Men, John 2.23, 24. This is Faith; for first Men believe, then love, then hope, then lift up the Head.

2. Love: Which is a Grace which inclineth our Hearts to God as our Portion, and chief Happiness. This overruleth all their Affections to their outward Interests; Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee. Here we shall consider,

1. The Qualification of the Object; Love in the general considereth the Object as good; God is good in himself, and good to us, Psal. 119.68. Thou art good, and dost good ; and we love God as a good God, having received our Beings from him. Rom. 11.36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things. And being redeemed by him, when all was forfeited into the Hands of his Justice. 1 John 4.19. We love him, because he loved us first. And looking to expect more from him, when all his Promises shall be fulfilled. 1 John. 3.1, 2. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God! Therefore the World knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved! Now are we the Sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

2. The respect of Love to the Object. It is such a respect, as becometh the Chief Good and Happiness; such a superlative and transcendent Love, that our Love to other things should be as no Love, when it is compared or cometh in Competition with our Love to God. There are two acts of Love to God, Desire after him, and Delight in him.

1. Desire is the pursuit of the Soul after God, that we may get nearer to him. It i • expressed usually by seeking after God; and when God is sought after in the first place, then are we said to love God; as Prov. 8.17. I love them that love me, and they that seek me early shall find me. All Duties, and all Acts of the Spiritual Life, are a seeking after more of God; Psal. 63.8. My Soul followeth h • rd after thee. Psal. 27.4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the Days of my Life, to behold the Beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his Temple. This ardent and burning desire is a great effect of love to God; but when Men are cold, and flat, and more indifferent as to the distinguishing Testimonies of God's love, there is something on this side God, which doth content us, and divert us from him.

2. Delight in God. The highest exercise of this is reserved for the World to come, when we shall enter into our Master's Joy; but now it is a pleasing thing to think of him; Psal. 104.34. My Meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. And to speak of him, Ephes. 5.4. Neither Filthiness, nor foolish Talking, nor Iesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of Thanks. And to converse with him, Psal. 122.1. I was glad when they said unto me, Come, let us go into the House of the Lord. Yea, it is the Pleasure of their Lives to serve and obey him; Psal. 112.1. Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his Commandments. This Complacency, or Well-pleasedness of the Mind in God, should be much regarded by us, and is known by this, when those Mercies are most valued which are nearest to himself, and do show us most of God, and least detain us from him; such as his Favor, his Spirit, or sanctifying Grace; when these are desired, when these are delighted in, we are said to love God. Matth. 5.6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness. Psal. 4.6, 7. Lord! Lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us. Thou hast put Gladness into my Heart. His Favor is as Life, his Displeasure as Death to the Soul; Psal. 30.7. Thou didst hide thy Face, and I was troubled. Now thus must we love God, not with a partial and half love, but such as transcendeth our love to all other things; Matth. 10.37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me. If anything be nearer and dearer to us than God, we do not sincerely love him. Some have a weak imperfect Motion of their Will, a Wish, a saint Desire to please God; but not a strong Volition or Inclination of Heart to love him in all, and above all things; but being overcome by their Lusts, they do not simply, and absolutely, and uncontroulably desire it, but had rather please their Fleshly Lusts, than please God. At least the event doth evidence it; you give God nothing, if you give him not all the Heart. We are so to love God, as to seek his Glory, and do his Will, even when it is cross to our Carnal Interests, that his Favor may be counted our Happiness, and the pleasing of him our greatest Work. Surely they do not love God, that cannot deny a Lust for him, or venture the loss of anything that is dear to them for his s • ke; but with Pilate, will yield to crucify Christ, rather than venture the Jews displeasure; or with the Gadarenes, will part with Christ, rather than their Swine. Others have a deliberate Resolution, and seem for the present to resolve absolutely and seriously to please God in all things, and keep his Commandments, but they do not verify it in their Conversations. Their Purposes and Resolutions are not dissembled for the present, but soon changed; they neither keep the Commandments of God, nor study to please him.

3. The next Grace is, Hope of Salvation ; and here,

1. The Object.

2. The respect to the Object.

1. The Object is our Eternal Reward. For a Christian must chiefly fetch his Supports and Solaces from the other World, where all things do abundantly counter-balance the Temptations of the present Life; Be they Troubles and Sufferings, 2 Cor. 4.17. For our l • ght Affliction, which is but for a Moment, work • th for us a far more exce • ding and eternal We • ght of Glory. Glory for Affliction, and a Weight of Glory for a Light Affliction, and Et • rnal Glory for what is M • mentary Affliction. Or be they sensual Delights, as Riches, Heb. 11.26. Esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the Recompence of the Reward. How much better is it to be poor, and scorned here, than to be destitute, and rejected forever hereafter? So for Pleasures, most Men look at present Pleasures, not at future Joys, and therefore forget God, and neglect their Souls, and those Eternal Pleasures which are at God's Right Hand, Psal. 16.11. But to a Gracious Man a Glorious Estate of Bliss is far more eligible than momentary sinful Pleasures.

2. The respect to the Object. It is a certain, and earnest Expectation.

1. It is certain, because our Hopes are built upon the Promises of God, which infer not only a possibility, or probability, but certainty of the things promised, if we be duly qualified. There is a twofold certainty, Conditional and Actual. Conditional, Rom. 2.7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for Glory, and Honor, and Immortality, Eternal Life. That is, built on the Covenant which promiseth to the penitent Believer, and mortified and diligent Practiser, a sure Reward. Actual Certainty is, where the Qualification is evident; this is built on spiritual sense or experience, Rom. 5.4, 5. And Patience Experience, and Experience Hope, and Hope maketh not ashamed, because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts, by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. Our Condition is made safe by the first, comfortable by the second; in both a certainty is required. The first is spoken of Hebr. 3.6. Whose House we are, if we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. The second, Heb. 6.11. And we desire, that everyone of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end.

2. It is an earnest Expectation, called a lively Hope, from the effect, because it puts life into our Endeavors; 1 Pet. 1.3. Who hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope. The Soul is weak, when our Expectation is cold and languid; but serious and earnest thoughts of the World to come do warm our Hearts, and inkindle our Affections, as mourning, 2 Cor. 5.2. For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our House, which is from Heaven. And joy, Rom. 5.2. We rejoice in hope of the Glory of God.

II. Their mutual respect to one another. We know God in Christ by Faith; We are inclined to him, as our Felicity and Happiness by love; and we look for the Eternal Enjoyment of him by hope. As the Object is diversified, so the Grace conversant about it, is called by several Names; as our Supreme Good is something invisible, or unseen, we apprehend it by Faith; as it is good and excellent, we embrace it by Love; as it is absent and future, we wait for it by Hope. The Understanding is cleared by Faith, that is our Spiritual Eye Salve; Heb. 11.1. Faith is the Substance of things hoped for, and the Evidence of things not seen ; as things are invisible by reason of their nature, or distance; Ephes. 1.18. The Eyes of your Vnderstandings being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints. By it we see things that cannot otherwise be seen, or in another manner than we saw them before. We see more Amiableness in God, more Odiousness in Sin, more Excellency in Christ, more Beauty in Holiness, more Vanity in the World, more Reality in Blessedness to come, than we saw before. Our Wills are warmed by Love, or carried out after the Supreme Good, with an earnest and strong desire; Isai. 26.9▪ With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night; yea, with my Spirit within me will I seek thee ••• dily. Where Love is strong, Desires after God are early and earnest, and we cannot be contented without him, or such enjoyment of him as may give us assurance of more. Our Resolutions and Inclinations are fortified by hope, that we may continue seeking after God, and not be diverted, either by the comfortable, or troublesome things we meet with here in the World: Not by the comfortable things; 1 Pet. 1.13. Wherefore gird up the L • yns of your Mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Nor by the troublesome things of the World; Rom. 8.39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other Cr • ature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ I • sus our Lord Well then, the Supreme Good, or Fruition of the ever-blessed GOD, is believed, sought after, waited for; we know it by Faith, we seek it by Love, we wait for the enjoyment of it by Hope: Faith affordeth us Light to discover it, and direct us to it; Love possesseth the Soul with a Desire to enjoy it; and Hope giveth us a Confidence of obtaining it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

III. Their Use in the Spiritual Conflict.

1. They impel us to do our Duty with all diligence, whatever Temptations we have to the contrary; 1 Thess. 1.3. Remembering without ceasing your work of Faith, and labor of Love, and patience of Hope. Whence you see Work is ascribed to Faith, Labor to Love, and Patience to Hope. Work to Faith, because that Grace is working, and ready to break out into Obedience; 2 Thess. 1.11. And the Work of Faith with Power. Labor to Love, because Love puts Men upon Industry and Diligence; they that love God, will be hard at work for him; Heb. 6.10. For God is not unrighteous, to forget your Work, and Labor of Love. Patience to Hope, because that Grace produceth Endurance and Constancy; 2 Thess. 3.5. The Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. And the good Ground brought forth Fruit with Patience, Luk. 8.19. In short, you see these Graces are of an Operative and Vigorous Nature; Faith is but a dead Opinion, unless it break out into practice; Love but a cold Approbation of the Ways of God, unless we overcome our Slothfulness; Hope but a few slight Thoughts of Heaven, unless we persevere and hold out till the time of Retribution cometh.

2. These Graces restrain and subdue those corrupt Inclinations, which are yet in the Heart, and would be a great impediment to us, if they be not more and more overcome; such as Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts, Atheism, or a denial of God's Being, and unbelief or distrust of his Promises. Worldly Lusts; Tit. 2.12. Teaching us to deny Ungodliness, and Worldly Lusts. That is to say, Worldly Fears, and Worldly Desires, or in one word, the Sensual Inclination, called the Spirit of the World. These can never be overcome without Faith, by which the Mind is soundly persuaded of the Truth of Salvation by Christ; nor without Love, by which the Will is firmly resolved and bent upon it; nor without Hope, by which the Executive Powers are fortified and strengthened in their Operations. In short, when the Doctrine of Christ concerning things to be believed and done, is first propounded to us, it findeth us wedded to the World, and entangled in the Vanities thereof; but as this Doctrine is received and believed, the bent and inclination of our Souls is altered, a new bias is put upon us and our love to God and heavenly things is more and more increased; the Heart is set to seek after God, and that with the greatest earnestness and diligence: Without this, the Carnal and Worldly Inclination prevaileth over us. As in the want of Faith, Heb. 3.12. Take heed, Brethren, lest th • re b • in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Want of Love, 1 John 2.15, 16. Love not the World, neither the things that are in the World. If any Man love the World, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the World, the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, is not of the Father, but is of the World. Want of Hope, Heb. 10.35. Cast not away therefore your Confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. Many are beaten out of their Christianity at last, because they cannot tarry for Christ's Recompences.

3. To fortify us against all evil without. Besides Corruptions within, there are Temptations without; manifold Afflictions, which Satan maketh use of to draw us to sin. Now these three Graces arm us against them, 2 Tim. 1.7. where he speaketh of enduring the Afflictions of the Gospel by the power of God. God hath not given us a Sp • r •• of Fear, but of Power, of Love, and of a sound Mind. Faith, Hope, and Love, are intended thereby▪ by a Spirit of Power meaning Hope, which breedeth • ortitude, notwithstanding Dangers and Threats of Men; Love retaineth its own Name; and by the sound Mind is meant Faith. All these help us to encounter the Difficulties and Hardships of our Pilgrimage, and breed in us a Tranquility of Mind, and Contentedness in every State.

4. Without Faith, Hope, and Love, we cannot pray to God, nor entertain any sweet Communion with him while we dwell in Flesh. Jude 20.21. But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy-Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. That Clause, Praying in the Holy-Ghost, is to be referred in common to them all; praying to be built up in our most holy Faith, praying to be kept in the love of God, praying that we may look for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus to Eternal Life. Prayer is not an Exercise only of our natural Faculties, but also of the three fundamental Graces of the Spirit. There are three Agents in Prayer, the Human Spirit, the new Nature, and the Spirit of God: The Human Spirit, for by the Understanding and Memory we work upon the Will and Affections; The new Nature, as Prayer is the work of Faith, Hope, and Love; And the Holy-Ghost is there mentioned, as also, Rom. 8.26, 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered: And he that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the spirit; because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. The middle is to our purpose, now Prayer is a Work of Faith, as the great Mysteries of our most holy Faith are therein reduced to Practice. Eph. 2.18. For through him we both have an access, by one spirit, unto the father. Love is acted in Prayer, as we delight ourselves in conversing with God; all our Desires, and Groans in Prayer, are acts of Love, expressing our Longings after more of God. Hope is acted in Prayer, as we express our Trust in God, and the Merits and Intercession of Christ, and plead his gracious Promises. Prayer itself is but Hope put into Language, Psal. 62.8. Trust in him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before him. On the other side, when we omit Prayer, or perform it coldly or cursorily, surely there is a defect in their Faith, Love, or Hope. A defect of Faith, they do not believe God's Being, and Providence, and the Promises of God's holy Covenant; Psal. 14.1. The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God ; And, Vers. 4. They call not upon the Lord. The Practical Atheist is one that doth not pray at all times, nor much, nor often call upon God, Mal. 3.14. Ye have said, it is in vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? Or if they do not soundly believe his Covenant, Rom. 10.14. How shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? How can they address themselves to God in Christ, if they are not rooted in the Faith of the Gospel? Or sometimes a defect in their Love to God, because they have no delight in him, Job 27.10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God? Isa. 43.22. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob! But thou hast been weary of me, O Israel! They are glutted with worldly Happiness, and so God is neglected, Ier. 2.31, 32. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? A land of darkness? Wherefore say my people, we are Lord's, we will come no more unto thee. Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. Or a defect in their Hope, they despair either of Assistance, or Acceptance with God. David, when he had lost his Peace by some wounding Sin, he had not the heart to go to God, Psal. 32.3. I kept silence. 1 John 3.21. If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God. Sin represents God as an angry Judge; God is terrible to a guilty Conscience; we inherit this as coming from Adam, Gen. 3.8. Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

5. We are not prepared for Death and Judgment without Faith, Hope, and Love, but either of these Days will be terrible to us.

1. Death. Take either Grace, Faith, Hope, or Love. Faith; first we live by Faith, and afterwards we die by Faith, Heb. 11.13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them. The intervening Promises are most questioned in the present Life, because of the urgency of present Necessities; but the great Promise is questioned hereafter. When we are to launch out into Eternity, it is a hard matter to look with a steady confidence into the other World; when the Soul must flit out of the Body, to see Heaven open to receive it, needs a strong Faith; John 11.25, 26. I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die, believest thou this? So for Love, that is necessary, that we may be willing to go home to our Father, who hath admitted us into his Family; pardoned our Sins, and relieved our Souls. And it is a great encouragement in the hour of Death, when we are to leave the World, and come immediately into his Presence, who hath done such great things for us, and is now about to do more. But in what a woeful case are they, who must appear before a God whom they never knew, nor heartily loved, and with whom they never had communion and acquaintance; they never had experience of his Kindness, nor interest in his Love, and now are forced into his Presence against their will! Certainly it is Faith and Love must smooth and sweeten our Passage into the other World, and make it comfortable to us. Love overcometh our natural loathness to quit the Body, 2 Cor. 5.8. We are confident, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. To enjoy Christ's Presence, we can part with what is nearest and dearest to us. So for Hope; in what a lamentable case are Men when they come to die, if they are without Hope, Job 27.8. What is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? They are full of Presumption and blind Confidence now, while they swim in the full stream of Worldly Comforts and Advantages; but when this Dotage is over, they have no solid Comfort, but either die senseless and stupid, or are filled with Horror and Despair, and their hopes fail them when they have most need of them.

2. So for the Judgment. For the Context speaketh of the day of the Lord, which cometh unexpectedly on the Sensual and Careless, and is matter of Terror to them; but it is welcome to the Godly, who are upon their guard, and have long-looked and prepared for it. Now what is the due preparation for Judgment, but furnishing ourselves with Faith, Love, and Hope? For these Graces do both put us on that Spiritual Care, which is necessary for waiting for it, and also fill us with Confidence and Comfort. Faith, 2 Thess. 1.10. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day. Love is necessary, 1 John 1.17, 18. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment; he that feareth, is not made perfect in love. Hope, Heb. 9.28. And unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation.

1. Use, Is to persuade us to get these Graces all of them, partly because without them the new Creature is not perfect. You will want Sight, Life, or strength, either an Eye, or an Heart, or a Power to act. And partly because they have a mutual Influence one upon another; Faith and Hope upon Love, for Faith looketh backward to the Wonders of God's Love shown in our Redemption by Christ; Hope looketh forward to the state of Glory and Blessedless prepared for us: And both excite our Love to God, and thankful Obedience to him. Again, Faith and Love breed Hope, for they that believe, and love Christ's appearing, will wait for it, and not think of it with Perplexity and Fear, but with Comfort and Delight. There is a great deal of Grace then to be brought to us.

Well then, labor to get all these Graces. To this end,

1. Remove the Impediment, that is, a careless vanity of Mind, which groweth upon us through an Indulgence to the Delights of the Flesh; so that either we have none, or seldom and cursory Thoughts of God, or Christ, or the World to come. Let us be sober, as in the Text; so 1 Pet. 1.13. Be sober, and hope to the end. Draw off your Affections from Carnal Vanities, or Delights of the Senses, that you may more earnestly mind God and Heaven.

2. Wait on all opportunities of profiting, and use the known Means of Grace more conscionably. These Graces indeed are not acquired, but infused, they are God's Gifts. As for Faith, Eph. 2.8. For by grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. So for Love, 1 John 4.7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God ; Not only recommended to us by his Example, but wrought in us by his Spirit. So for Hope, Rom. 15.13. Now the God of hope fill ye with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy-Ghost. But God loveth to bless us by his own means, which are the Word and Prayer.

2 Use. Exercise these Graces: Remember they are your Armor and Furniture for the Conflict, when your Resolutions of Obedience to God are most assaulted, or you are apt to be discouraged.

1. When any Want, Cross, Sorrow, or Tribulation, overtaketh you upon Earth, fetch your Comforts from God, Christ, and Heaven; be sure that Faith, Hope, and Love, be at work; so the Children of God are wont to do in their deep Afflictions. How calamitous soever our condition be, Faith can see, that there is comfort enough to be had in God, Christ, and the Covenant. 1 Pet. 1.8. In whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. So for Hope, Rom. 12.12. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation: Though we are pressed with Wants and Miseries, yet there is a better State to come. And in the worst condition, Love can rejoice in God, Hab. 3.18. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

2. In some grievous Temptation, whereby we are apt to wax weary in our Minds, stir up these Graces. Do I believe the Promises, heartily love God, and hope for his Salvation? And shall his Service, or my Fidelity to him, be tedious to me? When some present Delight inviteth us to Sin, or some present Bitterness to draw us off from God, in time of Temptation, these Graces are seasonably acted, to counterbalance Things carnal with spiritual, Things present with future, Heb. 11.35. They were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

A Sermon on Prov. xiv.14.

IN the Proverbs we must not look for Method, and Coherence; for these Sentences are not as Golden Links in a Chain, hanging one to another, but as Pearls in a String; every Sentence is precious, but independent of each other. In this Proverb I shall take notice.

• 1. Of the Drift of the Holy-ghost.
• 2. The Art and Contrivance, so as may best suit that Scope.

First, The drift of the Holy-Ghost, is the same with that of many other Scriptures, and divers Passages in the Proverbs also, which may serve for a Doctrine.

Doctr. That whether good, or bad, everyone shall reap the Fruit of his own ways.

Isa. 3.10, 11. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with them; for they shall eat the fruit of their own doings. Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given him. To keep up the Hearts of that small company of godly Persons, that yet remained among them, God giveth them assurance of his goodness; they shall fare well, whatsoever befalleth others. All things that happen shall be good, or work for good, to better their Hearts, or hasten their Glory; for they shall enjoy the Fruit of all their Labors. But it is sure to go ill with the Wicked, for he shall be rewarded according to what he hath wrought. Lest you should think this a particular Promise to that time only, Solomon maketh it the common Cordial of the Saints against the prosperity of the Wicked: Eccles. 8.12, 13. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him. But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. Wicked Men, though they escape long, they shall not escape always; though Punishment be delayed, it is at length executed, and generally they do not live long. Lest you think this is spoken Pro more faederis, according to the tenor of the Mosaical Covenant, where long Life is promised instead of Eternity, and short Life threatened as a Curse; Let us see what the Gospel saith, where we have greater Encouragements to quicken us to hold fast our Integrity, and go on steadily in our Obedience, and patient waiting on God. Rom. 6.21, 22, 23. What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Where the different Recompences are asserted, and the manner how they accrue to us; Death to Sin as Wages, and Life to Obedience as the mere Gift of God; not merited by us, but bountifully bestowed by him: This is the drift of the Holy-Ghost, to show that different Courses have contrary Ends and Issues.

Secondly, The Art and Contrivance of this short saying, whereby this Truth may the better be insinuated into our Minds; and here, (1.) I shall take notice, that here are two different Persons spoken of, The backslider in heart, and The good man. (2.) That both desire to be filled or satisfied. (3.) That the one taketh his own Ways, and the other God's Direction. (4.) That in the Event, they are both filled, but in a different sense. (5.) That rightly understood, everyone hath this from himself; The Backslider is filled with his own Ways, and the godly Person hath his own Choice; and eats of the Fruit of his Doings.

I. Let us state the Character of these different Persons, for that is the Clue to guide us to the understanding of all the rest; for according to this, the different Course and End must be determined. Well then, The backslider in heart, and The good man, are opposed.

First, The backslider in heart, is he that turneth his Heart from God and his Ways; and daily groweth worse and worse. The Word may be rendered doubly, either Aversus Corde, or Reversus Corde ; and so it is meant, either of the ordinary wicked Person, or of the Apostate; the one turneth away from God after Counsel, the other after Trial.

(1.) It is meant principally, and chiefly, of the ordinary wicked Person, who turneth his Heart back, or away from Wisdom, and her Invitations; as see the parallel place, Prov. 1.30, 31. They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof. Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. Where the same Notions are used, and it is presently added, Vers. 32. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them. Though Men never professed Godliness, yet their refusing to hearken to the Call of Wisdom, or the Counsel of God, doth bring them under this Character, the Perverse or Averse in Heart: He that turneth away from his chief Good, and the way that should lead to the enjoyment of it, and indulgeth his Lusts and vain Pleasures, he is the Man. So the general Corruption of Mankind is described, Rom. 3.12. They are all gone out of the way ; that is, the way that leadeth to true Happiness. So Job professing his Innocency, useth these Expressions, Job 23.11, 12. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined, neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips. In which words, his intent was not to prove that he was no Apostate, but that he was no Hypocrite, or wicked Person, which was the matter in debate between him and his Friends.

(2.) You may comprize the Apostate, because Scripture must not be straightened in the Exposition of it; he that falleth away from those ways of Holiness and Righteousness, wherein he walked for a time, either through the Terrors, or through the Delights of Sense: Against the one the Church protesteth, Psal. 44.17, 18. All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant: our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way. Where Apostasy from God and his Commandments is expressed. So Zeph. 1.6. Them that are 〈◊〉 turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for him. They know a better way, and have walked in it, but at length are discouraged with Troubles and Afflictions, or allured by Worldly Avocations and Advantages, and so desert their holy Course, and the Covenant of their God wherein they were engaged. Now the word [ Heart ] is Emphatical, take it in either sense, and it showeth,

1. That the fountain and beginning of Backsliding is in the Heatt: They distrust God, Heb. 3.12. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Or grow weary of God, and therefore neglect their Duty to him; Isa. 43.22. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. At least have not Cor tale, a renewed Heart. Deut. 5.29. O that they had such an heart in them; that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always.

2. It noteth their Plenary Desertion; not a slipping back through Infirmity, and Inadvertency, in some particular Actions, but their Hearts were wholly estrang'd from God; and they deliberately and willfully give over themselves to their corrupt Affections, their Hearts are turned away from the right way.

Secondly, The opposite is the good Man: And he is one,

1. That seeketh after the chiefest Good, and adhereth constantly to God in Jesus Christ, as his only felicity: Psal. 4.6, 7. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time, when their corn and their wine increased. Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none on earth I desire besides thee. Goodness is determined by respect to the chiefest Good, whether it be applied to Persons, or Things.

2. He doth not only cleave to God, but chooseth that way, which God hath prescribed Men to walk in, whether the way of Faith in Christ, as John 17.3. This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Or the way of New Obedience, as Eccles. 12.13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God, and keep his Commandments; for this is the whole duty of man : So Solomon concludeth his Discourse about true Happiness; so that he is good, and doth good, and so is conformed to God his Pattern.

3. Yet he is in both sincerely, not perfectly good, Psal. 125.4. Do good, O Lord, to those that be good, and to them that are upright in heart : That is, truly and sincerely good, though not exactly and perfectly, according to the rigor of the Law; for so, Eccles. 7.20. There is not a just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not ; but he hath a good and honest heart, Luke 8.15. Set to obey and please God in all things, though he cannot do all the good that he would. And these Upright in Heart are opposed in the Psalmist to such as turn aside to their crooked ways, Vers. 5. or the Backslider in heart, spoken of in the Text. Their honest and sincere Endeavors shall be accepted, and rewarded by God. Well then, a good Man is one whose Heart is turned to God, and who keepeth up his Affections to him, and walketh according to his Counsel, in the way which he hath prescribed. These are the two Persons that seek Satisfaction and Happiness in their different courses. These two contrary Competitors have their contrary Choices; and though they differ in their Disposition, they do not encroach one upon another in the Object pursued after: The Godly being taught by God, leaveth the World to the Carnal, and taketh God for his Portion; the Worldling scrapeth on the Earth, and leaveth God, and his saving Grace to the Godly.

II. I come now to show you, That both desire to be filled or satisfied; the Good and the Bad, that so seldom agree in anything, agree in this, that both would be happy: Psal. 4.6. Many say, who will show us any good? You can no more doubt of this, that Man would be happy, than that Man loveth himself. Man's Heart is a Chaos of Desires; like a Spunge, it sucketh something from without, and seeketh to draw it to itself. They must have something which they apprehend to be good: for no Man can live without some Oblectation and Delight. No Man hath sufficiency in himself, but seeketh abroad for it. Now according to Men's Choice, so is their Search, and so is their Obtaining, and in both consists their true Happiness, or true Misery. The backslider in Heart must be filled, and the good Man must be satisfied. The Carnal would fain fill their Minds with the vain Delights of the World; they go no farther than Riches, Honors, and Pleasures▪ and despise God, and his saving Blessings. They would have their good things in their Life time, Luke 16.25. And therefore they are always sucking upon the Breasts of the World's Consolation: Luke 6.24. Woe to you that are Rich, for you have received your Consolation. They continually seek to fill themselves, and please their fleshly minds; and therefore either glut themselves with Carnal Delights, and are always making provision for the flesh, to fullfil the Lust thereof, Rom. 13.14. Cater for the Body, but neglect the Soul; or else they seek to join House to House, and Field to Field, Isai. 5.8. or to be built a story higher in the World. They are of the Earth, and incline to the Earth, and therefore Earthly things are the height of their desires, and they are filling and stuffing their Hearts with the Comforts of them more and more: This is the Comfort they live upon, the Happiness they effect. The Godly Man he must be satisfied too: He is a poor empty Creature, and therefore is Hungering and Thirsting after righteousness, that he may be filled, Matth. 5.6. He must have more of God, and more of Christ, and more of Grace; and therefore he is sucking and drawing, and can never be satisfied, till he be filled up with all the fullness of God, Eph. 3.19.

III. That they may be filled, they take their several ways; the one his own ways, the other God's direction. For of the Backslider, it is said he shall be filled with his own ways: He despiseth God's Counsel, and taketh his own course, to live a pleasant and Carnal Life here. So by the same proportion, the good Man, that hath chosen God for his Portion, taketh God's way, and obeyeth the call and invitation of Wisdom.

First, The Backslider in Heart shall be filled with his own ways : That is, such as suit with his own Carnal Heart.

1. Naturally a Man is addicted to Carnal things more than Spiritual; and to Worldly Vanity, rather than Heavenly Enjoyments; to the Creature rather than to God: Why?

(1.) Because they are in part necessary for our uses, and so the natural Appetite desireth them, as well as the inordinate Appetite, which is corrupted by Sin: Prosperity, Plenty, Wealth, Honor, Ease, Pleasure, are good for us, if subordinated to Grace, and better things; Wisdom with an Inheritance is good, Eccle. 7.11. And again, Eccle. 5.18. 'It is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his la • ours that he taketh under the Sun all the days of his life; for it is his portion. But alas! Men are apt to exceed their bounds, and become Enchanted with the false Happiness, so that they neglect the true, and sit down contented with their Worldly Portion, and God and Eternity are little thought of, or cared for.

(2.) They are comfortable to our senses: The sweetness of Wealth, Honor, and Pleasure, is known by feeling, and therefore known easily, and known by all. Now whilst the Soul dwelleth in the Flesh, and looketh out by the Senses we soon receive the Teint which ariseth from sensible objects. All that is in the World, the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and pride of Life, is not of the Father, but is of the World. 1 John 2.16.

(3.) They are suitable to our Fancies and Appetites. For they that are after the Flesh, do mind the things of the Flesh, and they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Rom. 8.5. Every ones gust and taste is according to his Constitution.

(4.) These Things are near us, present with us, and ready to be enjoyed; whereas Spiritual and Heavenly Things are unseen and afar off. But he that lacketh these Things, is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old Sins. 2 Pet. 1.9.

2. What is the issue of all this? They love a Worldly, a Sensual, and Ungodly Life: and (1) Religion is slighted and neglected: They live in an Oblivion of God, The Wicked through the pride of his Countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts, Psal. 10.4. The offers of Grace and Eternal Life are not regarded. All Things are ready, come unto the Marriage; but they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his Farm, another to his Merchandise, Mat 23.4.5. (2) Yea Religion and Godliness is cast off and Trampled upon. For Demas hath forsaken us, having loved this present World, 2 Tim. 4.10. (3) Or else opposed and persecuted, and by none more than by those that once had some sense and taste of it: Apostatae sunt maximi osores sui ordinis. The Revolters are profound to make slaughters, Hosea 5.2. By plausible pretences it is palliated, and Counsels are laid deep to extirpate the Godly: Apostates are most cruelly oppressive. (4.) Or if it be kept up it is only to hide and feed their Lusts, making a Market of Religion, and denying the power under the form of Godliness. Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof, 2 Tim. 3.5. And the Apostle speaketh of some that supposed gain to be Godliness, 1. Tim. 6.5. That is, made Religion an advantageous Trade. When thou dost thine Alms, do not sound a Trumpet before thee, as the Hypocrites do in the Synagogues, and in the Streets, that they may have glory of men. Matth. 6.2. They did it to be seen of Men: And Luke 16.15. And he said unto them, ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your Hearts; for what is highly esteemed among men, is Abomination in the sight of God. (5.) They lead a life of pomp and ease, wallowing in all manner of Sin and Sensuality; as the Carnal Rich Men are described James 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, verses; to be such as lived in all Voluptuousness, Uncleannness, and Oppression. These are the ways from whence do they suck all their pleasure and contentment, and therewith glut and fill themselves more and more, some in a more gross, others in a more cleanly manner.

Secondly, It is implied, that the good Man seeketh God's direction, for he is opposed to him that despiseth God's Counsels: Now God giveth this Counsel by his word and spirit.

1. In the Word: In the Scripture God hath shown us true Happiness, and the way to it: which was a secret and a Riddle to the World before. True Happiness is but one Thing, but the World seeketh it in many Things; Two Hundred Eighty Eight Opinions were reckoned up, and none lighted upon the Truth, and therefore we run about and weary ourselves in a maze of uncertainty, How long wilt thou go about? O backsliding Daughter! Ier. 31.22. Experience will tell us that nothing in the Creature will make us completely Blessed. 'It is but labor in vain to seek it there. Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Isa. 55.2. And the many Religions in the World prove not the Remedy of Mankind, but the Disease. Only in Christ's Religion is the True rest and ease and repose of Souls: Ier. 6.16. Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way? and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your Souls. Matth. 11.28, 29. Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and ye shall find rest unto your Souls. Now in the Scriptures pardon of Sin is revealed, which was a great Secret to nature, for they were at a great loss about the way to obtain it, Mich. 6.6, 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before him with Burnt-Offerings, with Calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oil? Shall I give my first born for my Transgression, the fruit of my body for the Sin of my Soul? And Life and Immortality are brought to light through the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1.10. Now the good Man is wholly busied about observing God's direction, how the sore that hath so long run upon him may be cured, and a proper Happiness which man gropeth after may be obtained, Acts 17.27. That they should seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him, and find him. We are fallen from God, and cannot be happy but in returning to him again, nor completely happy till we attain to the full enjoyment of him.

2. By his Spirit; when David speaketh of choosing God for his portion, he presently addeth, Psal. 16.7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me Counsel ; we had else been as witless fools as others, rejoicing in the Creature apart from God in the midst of Soul-dangers. Without this nothing will reclaim us from our Wandrings; neither Reason, nor Experience, nor common Grace: Now Reason; It is easy to prove the vanity of the Creature, that it is not Man's Happiness to enjoy the pleasures of the World, or to seek to be well here. We may argue against their Carnal practices, but what will our arguings avail? Still they are as Worldly as ever, and seek satisfaction in their own ways. This their way is their folly, yet their posterity approve of their sayings, Psal. 49.13. Men may stand over the Graves of their Ancestors, and say, where is now their Worldly Honor, esteem and favor, for which they neglected God, slighted Christ, and sold their Salvation? Yet those that succeed them, neglect true Happiness as much as they that went before, and are as careless of Heavenly things. We see great ones die as well as others, but who is bettered by it? The survivors are as greedy of gain, as sensual, as vain, and doting upon Worldly greatness as their Fore-runners were: So for experience compare Deut. 29.2, 3, 4. Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your Eyes in the Land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and all his Servants, and to all his Land, yet the Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive, and Eyes to see, and Ears to hear unto this day, with Psal. 90. and 12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom. God must teach us the plainest Lessons. So for common Faith, though we have been Trained up in the Scriptures, though we know that we must enjoy God, or we can never be happy; yet still we are wedded to Carnal Vanities. Our respects to God, are but Notions and Complements. The fervency and reality of our Affections is intercepted by the World, or else there could not be so many Covetous Christians, Voluptuous Christians, Ambitious Christians: Heart-Idolatry is the most dangerous, Men are sooner Convinced than Converted, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. 2 Tim. 3.5. Nay though there be some common work of the Spirit, and they do not only talk by rote, but have some sense of the vanity of the World, and of the necessity and excellency of God's favor, some taste of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, Heb. 6.45. Yet though they would have Christ for their Consciences, the World hath their Affections. We desire happiness, as Children would fain have something, but are pleased with Rattles or any Toy. We would be happy, but take up with anything that cometh next to hand. Thus we do, till God cureth us by enlightening our Minds, or giving us counsel in our Reins, and inclining our Hearts, Psal. 119.36, Incline my Heart unto thy Testimonies, and not unto Covetousness. The good Man liveth in obedience to these Sanctifying motions of the Spirit.

IV. That as to the event, they are both filled, but in a different Sense.

First, I shall show how the Wicked are filled with their own ways: A Wicked Man he hath enough of Sin in the Punishment; Therefore 'tis said, they shall eat of the Fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices, Prov. 1.31. As a Man that hath surfeited of pleasant Meat, hath enough of it, when he feeleth the Torments and Gripes of his Surfeit. Now (1.) When is this, and (2.) Why▪

(1.) When? It may be in this Life, but surely in the next.

1. It may be here, partly by disappointment when those Honors, and Pleasures, and Riches which they sought after, prove an occasion of much misery to them, and they see they had been safer if they had stood longer. This often falleth out in the World. Many desire greatness to their hurt. Solomon compareth them to Fishes taken in an evil Net, or Birds caught in the snare, Eccles. 9.12. They play about the bait so long, till they meet with the Hook, or their height ruin them. Job 5.12▪ 13. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot p • rform their enterprize. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong, partly by Death, which bloweth away all vain conceits. Ier. 17.11. As the Partridge sitteth on Eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth Riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool: And Job 27.8. What is the hope of the Hypocrite, though' he hath gained, when God taketh away his Soul? And 1 John 2.17. The World passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doth the will of God abideth forever. Oh that Men were so careful to seek and serve God and save their Souls, as they are to provide for their Bodies, and satisfy their Lusts! Usually when Men are going out of the World, they complain how the World hath deceived them. It had been better if they had lived in a strict obedience.

2. In the World to come. The errors of Men's choice are not well seen in this life, but afterwards all will be manifested. What will they think of their foolish and vain course, when they are cast into Hell? They have enough then indeed of Sin, when their Worldly Portion is taken from them, and the Heavenly Blessedness denied to them. For no man shall have more than he sought after, whilst he was alive. The Conscience of his foolish choice, will be a part of his Torment, and who can express the other sorrows of the damned, when they are delivered over to the Worm that dieth not, and the Fire that shall never be quenched? In the Parable of the Rich Man, Luke 16.23, 24, you have some Account of it. In Hell he lift up his Eyes, being in Torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his Bosom; and he cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water, and cool my Tongue; for I am Tormented in this Flame. It is not Wine that he calleth for then, but a drop of cold Water, not in a Vessel, or in the Hollow of his Hand, but on the Tip of his Finger only; not to quench his Thirst, but cool his Tongue; and that he could not get: No, the gulf was fixed though that drop would soon have dried up. These Passages are Parabolical; but thus our Lord saw fit to represent their endless, easeless Estate.

(2.) Why? This is not the fullness they sought after, or promised to themselves. They dreamed of nothing but Impunity, and Happiness, and to be feasted with Carnal satisfactions. I Answer, God doth not consider what they desired, but what they deserved. They brought this upon themselves by their own way. Hosea 4.9. I will punish them for their ways, and reward their doings, and Justly; for (1.) as they regarded not his will in choosing their way, so God will not ask their consent in returning a meet Recompense or Reward of their doings. (2.) It is equal, that he who had so soon his fill of goodness, and was weary of well doing, should at length have his fill of Wickedness. (3.) They thought they could never have enough of Sin in the Practice, therefore now they shall have enough in the Punishment. (4.) For a great while they enjoyed themselves with Comfort and Success, to the dishonor of God, and the scandal of the Godly; now they have their deserved Punishment, Though they escaped long, they shall not escape always: This merry World will not always last: The longer God's Patience is abused, the greater Wrath is then prepared and treasured up for them.

Secondly, For the good Man, he shall find at length that which will satisfy him: Now I shall show you (1.) What is his Satisfaction? (2.) When he shall have it?

1. What is his Satisfaction? He shall be satisfied from himself: It beareth two Senses: 1. That it is his own works, which God will abundantly and graciously reward; of which in the next Point. 2. Or else it is meant of the Comforts which he feeleth within himself: It is not by way of exclusion of God; but of the Carnal Happiness, which the Backslider fancyeth: His Happiness is most within himself, independent from the World, but not from God. He valueth his Good and Evil, not by things External, but Internal. As for instance: The Conscience of his Integrity, 2 Cor. 1.12. Our rejoicing is this the testimony of our Conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, &c. we have had our conversation in the World. The sense of God's love, Rom. 5.5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given to us. The Hopes of Glory, Heb. 10.34 Knowing in yourselves, that ye have in Heaven a better, and more enduring substance: Yea the Glory that he expecteth will be revealed in him, Rom. 8.18. He hath a Spring of Comfort within his Breast, for God is there, and Christ is thereby the Spirit, and will be more there hereafter. Now these Inward things satisfy him, in the destitution and want of Outward; He hath a sufficiency within himself in whatever necessities. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , was a Maxim among the wisest Heathens, that Virtue is sufficient to itself; and the Apostle tells us, 1 Tim. 6.6. Godliness with Contentment is great gain: Cerrtainly a good Man whatever he wants, he wants not Contentment in God.

2. When he shall have it: (1.) Here the Godly have the beginnings of their Satisfaction, 2 Cor. 5.1. We know that if our Earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. (2.) Hereafter the completion and full fruition of it. Blessed be God who giveth us our hard Things in this short life, and keepeth our portion till eternal Life, where there shall be nothing but Peace and endless Joy: We have much now, the first fruits of the Spirit. We have not Canaan in the Wilderness, but we have the Clusters of Canaan ; much in present possession, more in expectation and reversion, Psal. 16, 11. In thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. In Heaven we shall desire no more than we have. Psal. 17.15. As for me I will behold thy face in Righteousness, I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy liken • ss. Therefore when God will graciously recompense our goodness it is enough, we shall have a full sufficiency in the reward.

V. That rightly understood everyone is filled from himself. The Backslider is filled with his own ways, and the Godly person hath his own choice, therefore he is satisfied from himself. Not that his choice, or course merited it, but God accepteth it. Certainly the Wicked hath none to blame but himself, and therefore he is said to reward evil to himself, Isa. 3.9. That is, by their Sins they hurt not God, but wrong themselves, or bring evil unto themselves. As to the Godly, he must look to his qualifications; God that made him without himself, will not save him without himself, therefore he must look to his choice and course; you have your choice, whether you will take your own ways, or God's Counsel. You do not purchase or merit your Reward, but you must qualify yourselves to receive it. It is left upon your choice. It is not always true in Carnals, choose and have, but sometimes it is: You may have the Tri • les of the World in your own ways, but you cannot have God and Heaven without accepting God's Counsel, without a resolved choice and serious prosecution; There it is choose and have. You must part with your Sin and Fleshly pleasure, and resolve upon an Holy and Godly course of Life. The World flattereth you to your Destruction, but God calleth you to Salvation: As you choose, so shall you have; If you refuse Christ, and follow your own ways you will have enough of it in Time; If you obey God, and resolve to seek after him, you shall be satisfied. Therefore your Eternal woe, or weal, lieth much in your own Hands. If you forsake your own mercies, for lying Vanities, whom have you to blame, but yourselves? Jonah 2.8. They that observe lying vanities, forsake their own mercy. But though God incline you to choose, and that work must be ascribed to him; yet it is you must choose, and pursue after the True Happiness, and God will graciously accept you. God gives you the Wit and the Will, to make a right choice, but you must choose. Something you must do, if you would be happy: There is no condition of merit, but order: It is God that reclaimeth you from your sensual Inclinations, yet God will not have you without your Consent, or against your will; nor give you Heaven without a diligent pursuit after it.

Use. 1. Consider who is the Backslider; one involved in the Apostasy of Adam, one that seeketh to be filled with his own ways. The beginning, and progress, and end of his course is from himself, and in himself, and to himself again, that is, Carnal self; He acteth only as his Fleshly Inclination moveth him. Carnal self is the Principle, Rule and end, and God is wholly neglected; neither sought after, nor pleased, nor his Counsel regarded, nor his Grace valued; though he sent Christ to recover us from the World and the Flesh to himself. Neither is God minded as the chiefest good, or last end; nor regarded as our Director and Counselor; nor chosen as our Portion, that we may come to him by Christ; nor his Grace sought after, that we may be quickened and inclined to seek after him.

2. Consider what a Blessed thing it is to be filled with our ways in a gracious sense, while we are capable to mend our Errors, 1 Pet. 4.3. The time past of our life may suffice us, to have wrought the will of the Gentiles. You have already long, very long, too long been dishonoring God, and destroying your own Souls. Oh it is Time we should set about the mortifying of Sin, and serious Conversion to God.

3. Consider how pleasing to the Lord it is, that we passing by all other things, do choose him for our Portion, Christ for our Redeemer, his Word for our Rule, and his Spirit for our Guide. When God gave Solomon liberty to ask what he would, and he asked not Riches and Honor, but Wisdom; 'It is said the Speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing, 1 King. 3.10. While we are in the World, let us choose something better than the World, something that hath been before it, and will remain when it is gone. Satan casteth Worldly Things in the way, but let us look higher.

A Sermon on JOHN i.29.

THe Words are spoken upon occasion of John 's meeting with Christ. Before his Temptations in the Desert Christ had honored John 's Baptism; after his return from the Desert he cometh to honor his Ministry: Christ himself was one of John 's Auditors, it fell out happily by the Divine Providence, that so John might give him a solemn Testimony before the People, Behold the Lamb of God, &c.

In the Words we have

• 1. A note of Demonstration or Ostension, as pointing at him with the Finger, Behold
• 2. The Person • demonstrated, set forth here under the notion of the Lamb of God.
• 3. His Work and Office, from whence the Title is given him, which taketh away the Sin of the World.

The Text is full of matter, every word and tittle is Emphatical.

Two Doctrines I shall observe from the words.

• 1. Doctrine, That Jesus Christ was the true Lamb of God.
• 2. Doctrine, The great work of Christ the Lamb of God, is to take away the Sin of the World.

I. Doct. That Jesus Christ was the true Lamb of God.

1. I shall show that Christ was the true Lamb of God.

2. How we are to behold him.

I. That Christ is the true Lamb of God. He may be called so, either with allusion to the Common Lamb, or else to the Holy Lamb which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is here called the Lamb of God, the Lamb appointed by him for Sacrifice, or else to the Paschal Lamb.

First, There are many fit resemblances between him and the Common Lamb, I shall instance only in three; (1.) Innocency, (2.) Liableness to Injuries; And (3.) Meekness and Patience.

1. For Innocency. Of all Creatures the Lamb is the most Harmless, the true Emblem of Innocency: So was Christ without wrong, and without guile, Isa. 53.9. He hath done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. All wrong and harm is there reduced to two heads, Violence and Deceit; the one the fruit of Wicked Cunning, the other the fruit of abused Power; both are far removed from Christ, for he was holy and harmless.

2. So for Liableness to Injuries. Sheep are not Ravenous Creatures, but easily exposed to the prey of others, and can use no forcible means to defend themselves. Matth. 10.16. Behold! I send you forth as Sheep in the midst of Wolves. So was Christ himself, that in him might be exemplified the Spirit and Genius of that Religion which he would establish. Ever since there hath been Sin in the World, Man hath been grasping at Power, to use it, not in acts of Mercy, but Violence: but the great God, who hath all power in his hands, would come into the World as a Lamb to the Slaughter, and redeem the World that was lost, not by grasping at power and greatness, but by meekness and sufferings; and so establish a Kingdom of Patience, not of Power.

3. For Meekness and Patience. For Patience in his Death he was a Lamb, Isa. 53.7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a Sheep before the shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Swine will howl and whine when they are touched, but Sheep are dumb before the shearers. Christ did not open his Mouth, unless it were to instruct, and bless, and pray for those that Crucified him, but went patiently to the Cross. It was anciently observed among the Heathens, that if the beast struggled, or did run away from the Altar, that it was counted an unlucky Sacrifice. If we should go by this rule in judging concerning the success of our Sin-offering, his carriage at his Death promiseth an happy issue, for he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a Sheep before the shearers is dumb, so he opened not his Mouth. He died not as the Beasts in the Temple against their will; if he complained of the Bitter Cup, it was to show, that he was not without sense, not that he was without Patience.

Secondly, The Sacrifice-Lamb therefore called the Lamb of God. All Lambs were God's Creatures, and therefore might be called his ; but the Lamb appointed for Sacrifice was God's in a peculiar manner, as set apart for this use by his special appointment. And yet that Lamb was not God's so much, as Christ is; for there Man had his choice, and was to interpose his judgment, what Lamb he would single out of the flock; and therefore the Sacrifices and Offerings were called theirs who presented them, not God's who appointed them; But Christ was both appointed by God, 1 Pet. 1.20. Who verily was fore ordained before the foundation of the World, and offered by God▪ • ebb. 9.14. Who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God. And accepted by God, in token whereof he hath set him forth in the Gospel as a propitiation for Sin, Rom. 3.25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. And in the Text he is said to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not a Lamb, but the Lamb, that Lamb of God; which is said partly by way of dignity and distinction, to put a difference between him and the Typical Lamb; and partly by way of Ostension and Demonstration, that Lamb figured in the Sacrifices, and spoken of by the Prophets, this is he, the Lamb of God indeed. Now Lambs were often used in Sacrifices. In the Purification of Women, Levite. 12.6. She shall bring a Lamb of the first Year for a Burnt-Offering. In the Cleansing of the Leper, Levite. 14.10. On the eighth day he shall bring two He-Lambs without blemish, and one Ewe-Lamb without blemish, both which figured the Cleansing of our defiled Natures by Christ, and the doing away the Defilement and Leprosy of Sin. But the most frequent and constant use of the Lamb was in the daily Sacrifice, Exod. 29.38, 39. Now this is that thou shalt offer upon the Altar, two Lambs of the first year, day by day continually, the one Lamb thou shalt offer in the Morning, and the other Lamb thou shalt offer at Even, which was to be done with Meal and Wine, the two great supports of the Natural Life; all which figured Christ. God is every day pleased and propitiated for our Sins, and by virtue of his daily Mediation we and all our actions are accepted of the Lord. The Lord Jesus is our daily Lamb, which must be represented to God's justice, as the only means of our atonement, every Morning and every Evening; we need it as much as they, and are more obliged than they, because all is clear and open to us. Now upon the Sabbath Day this Offering was double, Numb. 28.9.10, And on the Sabbath day two Lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of Flower for a Meat-offering mingled with Oil, and the Drink-offering thereof. This is the burnt-offering of every Sabbath, beside the continual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering. Then God requireth a more solemn remembrance of Christ, our Lamb slain for us.

Thirdly, But the most solemn Figure and Type of Christ was the Paschal Lamb, and most frequently interpreted of him in the New Testament, 1 Cor. 5.7. Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us: And John 19.36. A bone of him shall not be broken. This was originally spoken of the Paschal Lamb, Exod. 12.46. Neither shall ye break a bone thereof. Now the Evangelist bringeth this as a Prophecy, this which was ordained concerning the Paschal Lamb, is said to be fulfilled in Christ; it is brought as a reason why the Divine Providence permitted not his Legs to be broken. This is the Type to which John here alludeth, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God. Therefore here my Work must be fixed, to state the resemblance between the Paschal Lamb, and Jesus Christ. Certainly the use of that Ordinance was Typical, as well as Historical, it was ordained not only as a Memorial of their redemption from Egypt, but as a figure of our redemption by Christ. To the first Use, it is supposed David hath respect, when he said, Psal. 111.4, 5. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered, the Lord is gracieus, and full of compassion. He hath given meat to them that fear him, he will ever be mindful of his Covenant. The Meat there mentioned is supposed to respect the Paschal Lamb, when they were to remember the Works of God. But the chief use was to Type out Christ, who hath so taken away Sin, that he hath freed us from eternal Death. He was the Truth and Substance of that Type, and the true Passover sacrificed for us, in whose Person, and in whose Sufferings and Benefits, all that is really to be found, which is pointed out and Typified by that Shadow.

That this may more clearly appear to you, I shall show you, that the Paschal Lamb figured,

• 1. The Person of Christ.
• 2. His Death on the Cross.
• 3. The Fruits of his Death.
• 4. The manner how we are made Partakers of them.

I. The Paschal Lamb figured the Person of Christ. The Prophets and Apostles do often set forth the Person of Christ under the Notion of a Lamb. Isaiah calleth him a Lamb, Isa. 53.7. He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter. And Philip instructing the Eunuch, applieth that Prophecy to Christ, Acts 8.35. And among the Apostles, Peter telleth you, That we are redeemed with the precious • lood of Christ, as of a Lamb without spot and blemish, 1 Pet. 1.19. And John the Evangelist calleth him often, The Lamb that was slain, Rev. 5.6, 9. And here John the Baptist, who was Fibula legis & Evangelii, in the middle between the Prophets and Apostles calleth him The Lamb of God, in the Text; and Ver. 36. Behold the Lamb of God. And fitly, for Christ was a Lamb in regard of his Meekness, Patience, and humble Innocence. For his Meekness he was a Lamb, for he saith, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, Matth. 11.29. And for his Innocency, for there was no guile found in his mouth, 1 Pet. 2.22. But chiefly for his Patience, for as a Lamb before the shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth, Acts 8.32. He did not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets, Isa. 42.2. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, 1 Pet. 2.23. Not that he wanted Strength and Power, for all Power was given him both in Heaven and Earth, and if he would have made use of them, he had more than twelve Legions of Angels at his command, Matth. 26.53. Thinkest thou not, that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give more than twelve legions of Angels? One of which was able enough easily to dissipate and destroy all his Enemies. But he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many, Matth. 20.28. And therefore he humbled himself, being made obedient to death, even the death of the Cross, Phill. 2.8. Thus the Lion of the Tribe of Judah by a strange Metamorphosis of a Lion was made a Lamb, that out of the Eater might come forth Meat, and out of the Strong might come forth Sweetness; for this Lamb feedeth us with his Flesh, and giveth us to drink of his Blood, John 6.55. My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. No Dish so savoury as that to an hungry Conscience, no Draught to comfortable to a thirsty Soul. And besides this, he clotheth us with the Fleece of his own Righteousness, and therefore we are said to put on Christ, Gal. 3.29. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. And Rom. 13.14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. And to receive White Garments from him, by which the shame of our Nakedness may be covered, Rev. 3.18. I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment that thou mayest be clothed. I remember it is said, Gen. 3.21. That God clothed Adam and Eve with coats of Skins ; most probably of the Skins of the Sacrifices, for as yet they did not eat Flesh, and so it would fitly imply the Redeemer's Righteousness to clothe our Nakedness:

But I must more expressly make good the Resemblance between Christ and the Paschal Lamb.

1. The Lamb was taken from among the rest of the Flock, Exod. 12.5. Ye shall take it out from the Sheep or from the Goats : So Christ from his Brethren, Deut. 18.15. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren. The Paschal Lamb was a Lamb as other Lambs; so Christ had the same common Nature with other Believers, he was a Man as we are. Forasmuch then as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same, Heb. 2.14; and in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his Brethren, verse. 17. Sin only excepted, Heb. 4.15. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

2. The Lamb chosen was to be without blemish, so was Christ, a Lamb without spot and blemish, 1 Pet. 1.19. That is, free from Sin, for Sins are the spots and blemishes of the Soul, from these Christ was free. Which of you convinceth me of Sin? John 8.46. Pilate that Condemned him pronounced him Innocent, and professed before the Jews, that he found no fault in him, Luke 23.14. Heb. 7.26, 27. For such an High Priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners. Who needed not daily as those High-Priests, to offer up Sacrifices, first for his own Sins, and then for the Peoples, for then how could he satisfy for us, who had Sins of his own to expiate. And than the Jews would not without reason have objected to him, Mar. 27.42. He saveth others, himself he cannot save. No, John joineth these two as inseparable, 1 John 3.5. And we know that he was manifested to take away our Sins, and in him is no Sin.

3. This Lamb also was to be a Male; as also Christ, that he might be the Son of God, and King, and Priest, and Prophet to the Church. Therefore Luke 2.23. That Law is applied to Christ, that every Male that openeth the Womb shall be called holy to the Lord.

4. The Lamb was to be a Year old, of competent age; as Christ also was to have some experience of human Life before he died, that he might be acquainted with our griefs and sorrows, and tried in all points like us; but in his flower, when he had most reason to love his Life, than he laid it down for his People's sake.

5. The Lamb being separated was to be kept four days from the tenth day of the first Month till the fourteenth of the same, Exo. 12.6. Which was a rite which had not only a Moral Use, but a Mystical Signification. A Moral Use; Fagius saith, he was ad cubitia abligatus, tied to their Bed-posts, that hearing the bleatings of the Lamb, they might remember the sorrows of Egypt, and be the more thankful for their Redemption. And it had a Mystical use, for it signifieth the time between Christ's Consecration at his Baptism, and his Death, after three Years and a half spent in his Ministry; as also Christ's Entrance into Jerusalem on the tenth day of the same Month by the Sheep-Gate, which was the Gate by which the Sheep and Lambs were led to be Sacrificed in the Temple, John, 12.1.12.

II. His Death on the Cross was figured by the Paschal Lamb, for this Lamb was to be slain, as the Messiah was to be cut off by a violent Death, Dan. 9.26. And after threescore and two Weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. The Lamb was to be slain at the middle of the Month Nisan, at the full Moon, between the two Evenings: Christ's Death was just at the same time, when they were killing the Paschal Lamb; for the Paschal Lamb was to be killed between the two Evenings, that is, as Josephus interpreteth it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , from the Ninth Hour unto the Eleventh, that is between Three and Five of the Clock in our account; and about that time Christ died. Matth. 27.45, 46. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land till the ninth hour: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice. And Verse 50. Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice, gave up the Ghost. And the place was the same, forever since David 's time the Paschal Lambs were killed at Jerusalem in the Porch of the Temple, where Christ also suffered. And it is said Exo. 12.6. That the whole Assembly of the Congregation of Israel shall kill it in the Evening, which was in a manner fulfilled in Christ, against whom the Scribes and Pharisees, and all the People conspired: and therefore when Pilate would have released him, they all said unto him, let him be Crucified, Matth. 27.22. And Luke 23.14. They cried out all at once, saying away with this Man, and release unto us Barabbas 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , all the Multitude together. And the kind of the Death agreeth, for as the Lamb's blood was shed, so was Christ's for the people of God. The blood of the Paschal Lamb was not spilled on the ground, but carried away in Basins, Exod. 12.22. because it signified the Precious Blood of the Son of God, as of a Lamb without spot and blemish. God would not have it spilled upon the Ground, that Blood is the true Treasure of the Church, which the Son of God still representeth unto the Father on our behalf. Again, the Roasting of the Lamb; the Lamb was not to be eaten raw, nor sodden, nor baked, nor boiled, but roasted by fire: The Fire represents the Wrath of God, Mal. 4.1. Behold the day cometh, that shall burn as an Oven ; and Heb. 12.29. Our God is a consuming Fire. In this fire it behooved the Lamb of God to be roasted, when he offered himself a surety for Sinners, and was substituted into their room and place. This was that which made him sweat drops of Blood, and for this cause did he complain, Psal. 22.14, 15. My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws. And their manner of roasting it is very notable, which was (as Maimonides telleth us) not by a Spit of Iron turned round about, as we do, but by hanging the flesh on a broach of Wood in the midst of the Fire, which had some shadow of Christ's Crucifixion, especially if that be true, which Justin Martin in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Jew telleth him, that their Broach was fashioned to the shape of a Cross, a transverse piece of Wood thrust through the Shoulders of the Lamb; and why should we not believe this Holy Man, who was well acquainted with the Jewish affairs, being born at Sychem ? Besides the notable Providence of God, that Christ's Legs should not be broken.

3. The fruits and benefits of this Sacrifice.

1. By the sprinkling the Blood of the Lamb, he that destroyeth the first born of the Aegytians could not touch them, Heb. 11, 28. This secured them against the destroying Angel; to teach us, that the justice of God doth only spare them, whose Consciences are sprinkled with the Blood of Christ. The Blood of the Lamb, and the Blood of Christ was shed for this end, that it might be sprinkled, and being sprinkled might exempt, and free us from Death. So the Apostle St. Peter speaketh of the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus by which the Elect are sanctified and saved. 1 Pet. 1.2. Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. There was not only Blood shed, but Blood sprinkled; so Heb. 12.24. And to the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. God said of the blood of the Paschal Lamb, Exod. 12.23. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians, and when he seeth the blood upon the Lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the Door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you. So when Wrath maketh inquisition for Sinners, God beholding his Sons Blood, wherewith the Elect are sprinkled, they are exempted from the Curse wherein others have entangled and involved themselves; for saith the Apostle Paul, Rom. 5.9. Being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. So that we need not fear the Sword of the destroying Angel, whither he be an Angel of Darkness or an Evil Angel, for God hath delivered us from the power of Darkness by the Blood of his Son, Col. 1.13. or an Heavenly Angel, by the same blood he hath reconciled all things unto himself both in Heaven and in Earth, Col. 1.20. Those Angels which were heretofore set as a guard upon the Earthly Paradise, with a Flaming Sword to keep us out from thence, do carry us into the Heavenly Paradise, Luke 16.22. The Beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom, and are Ministring Spirits sent forth for the Heirs of Promise, not to destroy them but to keep them and preserve them, Heb. 1.14. Are they not all ministering Spirits, sent forth to minister for them, who shall be heirs of Salvation?

2. In that very Night in which the Paschal Lamb was slain, the Israelites obtained their freedom and deliverance out of Egypt. So hath Christ by his Blood freed us from the slavery of Sin, the Devil, and the World, and called us into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God, 1 Cor. 7.23. Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the Servants of Men. So Heb. 2.15. That he might deliver them, who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to Bondage. And John 8.36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. We are redeemed unto God as they went into the Wilderness to worship God.

3. In that very Night God exercised Judgments on the God's of the Aegytians. So it is said, Exod. 12.12. Against all the God's of the Egyptians will I exercise Judgment. And it is repeated, Numb. 33.4. For the Egyptians buried all their first born, which the Lord had smitten among them; upon their God's also the Lord executed Iudgments. Some say by slaying the Beasts which the Egyptians Worshipped, as the Ox. Jonathan in his Paraphrase saith, that all their Idols of Metal melted, and their Idols of Stone and Earth were broken in pieces, and their Idols of Wood were burned to Ashes; whether this or that we cannot tell, because the Scripture is silent, but surely these threatenings were not in vain, and wanted not there certain effect. Certain we are that by the blood of Christ the Devils Kingdom goeth down, John 12.31, 32. Now shall the Prince of this World be cast out; And I, if I be lifted up from the Earth, will draw all men unto me. As Christ's Kingdom goeth up, the Idols are thrown to the Moles, and to the Bats, Isa. 2.20. And God will famish all the God's of the Earth, Zeph. 2.11. And in the 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your Fothers: But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. The blood of Christ fetcheth over men from their inveterate Customs and Superstitions. And Rev. 12.11. They overcame by the blood of the Lamb. And 1 John 3.8. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil.

4. How shall we be partakers of those good things which come to us from the Lamb of God. Two things were required of these Israelites, that they should sprinkle the blood of this Lamb upon the Lintel, and the two side Posts: And then eat his flesh in an Holy and Religious manner; and if any of the Israelites had neglected either of these, he had refused the grace annexed to this Ordinance, and so lost the benefit of it. So if we neglect the means by which Christ is to be applied, we lose our benefit by him.

1. They were to sprinkle the Lintel, and the two side Posts of their doors. At another time God gave them direction to write his Law on the door Posts, Deut. 11.20. Thou shalt write them upon the door Posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. Which I mention that we may the better understand what is meant by them. By these Door Posts are meant our Hearts, for these God sprinkleth with the blood of his Son, Heb. 10.22. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. And upon these hearts of ours doth he write his Laws, Ier. 31.32. I will put my law in their Inward parts, and write it in their hearts : For the Hearts of Men are as open to God, as the Doors of our Houses are to ourselves. Now our hearts are sprinkled with the blood of Christ, when we firmly believe, that God is propitiated by the blood of Christ, and will spare all those who in a broken Hearted manner sue out their pardon in Christ's name, unfeignedly devoting themselves to God. Oh than! Let everyone of us get our hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and apply it to our Consciences, and say with the Apostle, 1 Tim. 1.15. Jesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners, of whom I am chief. And again, Gal. 6.14. God for • id that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the World is crucified unto me, and I unto the World. And again, 2 Cor. 5.14, 15▪ The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus Judge; That if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them. These are true workings of heart, only remember, the same place that is sprinkled with the blood of Christ, on the same place must the Law be written, that we may love God, and keep his Law, and entirely give up ourselves to do his will, and be subject to him. And remember also, that it is the Lintel and side Posts that must be sprinkled, and the Law was written upon the Door Posts, not inscribed upon the Threshold: There are some which tread the blood of the Covenant underfoot, Heb. 10.29. Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace? These are Swine and Dogs, before whom we must not cast holy things, lest they tread them under feet, Matth. 7.6. These prefer their Carnal satisfaction before the fruits of Christ's death, and sell their birthright for a Mess of Pottage.

2. By the same Faith by which the blood of the Lamb of God is sprinkled on the doors of our hearts, by the same Faith is his flesh eaten. The Lamb of God was given, not only as a ransom to Divine Justice, but as food for our Souls. The eating of the Sacrifice noteth the manner of our fruition of Christ, for Eating implieth an intimate Union; those things which are Eaten, are turned into our substance, and become one with us. John 6.53. Verily verily, I say unto you, unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Christ is as truly meat as the Paschal Lamb was, but meat, not for the Body, but the Soul; and therefore he is Eaten not with the Mouth of the Body, which receiveth bodily food, but the Mouth of the Soul, which is Faith. The Appetite is Spiritual, so is the Food; it is a Spiritual Hunger and a Spiritual Thirst that must be satisfied; Now a Corporeal thing beareth no proportion with it; there is no satisfying this Hunger, nor quenching this Thirst, but by coming to Christ, that is, believing in him; for it is said, John 6.35. I am the Bread of Life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. In that manner we receive Christ in what manner he dwelleth in us, now he dwelleth in us by Faith, Eph. 3.17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith. Christ dwelleth in us, not by his infinite presence as God, so he is everywhere; nor by his Corporeal presence as Man, so the Heavens must contain him; but by his Gracious presence, and special influence as our Head, whereby he quickeneth us: Therefore we are to receive him by Faith, and not by the Mouth and Stomach, and give him a hearty welcome into our Souls. The Israelites in the Wilderness did all eat the same Spiritual Meat; and did all drink the same Spiritual Drink, for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ, 1 Cor. 10.3.4 As they did eat Christ, and drink Christ, before ever his Body was formed in the Virgins Womb; so do we now he is ascended into Heaven. The Passover-Lamb was not to be eaten Raw, or half Roasted, but thoroughly Roasted; So is the Lamb of God, he is not digested, and turned into strength and nourishment, by a few crude, cold, cursory, and careless thoughts; but this Mystery must be much concocted by deep, serious, pressing, and ponderous Meditation: for Meditation is that to the mind, which Concoction and Digestion is to the Stomach. An unattentive mind gets no warmth, no strength, no Comfort from the Lamb of God. In short, we must so mind these things as to choose them, and so choose them as to be determined and governed by our choice in our whole course. The Lamb was to be eaten whole, there was nothing to be left of him, Exod. 12.10. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning. To show that Christ must not be divided, not Nature from Nature, nor Office from Office, nor Benefit from Benefit; this is to Eat part of Christ and leave the rest. If we would have his Glory, we must be partakers of his Sufferings, and take up his Cross; if we will have him for our Redeemer and Savior, we must own him for our Lord and Lawgiver; if we would be feasted with Privileges, we must not neglect Duties; his Spirit must renew us, as well as his merit justify us. The Paschal-Lamb was to be eaten with bitter Herbs; it is our Misery giveth Christ a relli • h, God casts us into Sufferings, or puts us under a Cloud, that we may not be Gospel-glutted, or cloyed with Doctrines of Grace. He must be eaten with Unleaven-Bread, simple plain Bread without mixture. 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. Purge out therefore the old Leaven, that ye may be a new Lump, as ye are Unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of Malice and Wickedness, but with the • nleavened-bread of sincerity and truth. Christ, in whose Mouth there is no guile, cannot endure Hypocrisy. At first they were to eat the Passover with their Loins girt, their Staff in their hands, and Shoes on their feet: So Luke 12.35. Let your Loins be girded about, and your lights burning. 1 Pet. 1.13. Wherefore gird up the loins of your minds. Eph. 6.14, 15. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of Righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. We are strangers here, and must put on for Heaven, and be ready for a remove for the Heavenly Journey.

II. How we are to behold him, or how is he to be considered by us. This Ecce, Behold, doth not only point at Christ as Personally and Corporally present, as an object of the Senses; but doth excite their mind and Faith to get a Spiritual sight of him, to behold him in the Quality of his Office. He is not Personally present with us, as he was when these words were said, yet that doth not hinder the sight of Faith. Whenever we are conversant about these holy Mysteries, it may be said to us, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the Sins of the World.

1. Behold him with Seriousness and Reverence. This Mystery must not be passed over with a few hasty and running Thoughts: It is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the greatest Wonder that ever was in the World, that God should die, and for such forlorn Creatures. How should we be swallowed up of Admiration, when ever we think of it? When this Lamb of God was killing, the Creatures were all in amazement, the Earth trembled, the Rocks rent, the Sun was eclipsed; Oh how great is the stupidity and dullness of our Hearts, that we can no more seriously think of it! Heb. 3.1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle, and High-priest of our Profession, Jesus Christ. Serious Meditation is like the Concoction of Meat in the Stomach.

2. Behold him with Application. Job 5.27. Hear it, and know thou it for thy good. Rom. 8.31. What shall we then say to these things? Excite thine own Heart; surely this was for my Sins, if I have an Heart to receive Christ, and make use of him for this End and Purpose; Gal. 2.20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me. And, 1 Pet. 1.20. Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

3. Behold him with an Eye of Faith: Isa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth! Heb. 12.2. Looking unto Jesus. Zech. 12.10. They shall look upon me, whom they have pierced. Faith gets such a clear sight of things, as if we had been by when he suffered and paid this Ransom.

4. Behold him with an Eye of Repentance, and brokeness of Heart: Zech. 12.10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn for him, as one that mourneth for his only son; and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. It was thy Sins that pierced him, therefore behold him and mourn.

5. Behold him with an Eye of Thankfulness, as the great Instance of God's Love, who would by so costly a Remedy procure our Pardon and Happiness. 1 John 4.9, 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the pr • pitiation for our sins.

6. Behold your Suffering and Crucified Savior with an Eye of Love, so as to love him the more: O 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , My Love is Crucified. Ignatius quo vilior, eo charior, The more vile and humble he was, the more dear he should be to you. Let it persuade us to a real Love, to allow him a Dominion and Lordship in our Hearts; that is real Love to obey God. Rom. 5.8. God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us ; This Love must beget Love.

1 Use. To press you to behold the Lamb of God, behold him as a Sacrifice for Sin, whose Blood applied doth quiet the Conscience, and turn away the Curse. These Words present the more glorious Spectacle and Object, not to your Sight, but to your Faith; not to your Senses, but to your most serious and intimate Consideration. The Object is Christ Crucified, the only true propitiatory Sacrifice for Sin, the chief Point of Christian Knowledge, and the most powerful Means of the Creatures Good. Oh, behold him! look not at Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper, but at the Lamb of God.

2 Use. To press you to take and eat Christ, and receive him out of God's hands by Faith. He is the Lamb of God, God designed him for this Work, when Man had no way to help himself: 1 Pet. 1.20. Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world. God tendereth him to you, now Take and Eat. God the Party offended hath authorized Christ to be a Mediator; say then, Lord! thou hast appointed thy Son, and sent him into the World to be a Ransom for our Souls; he is now offered to me, Lord! I come to eat his Flesh, and drink his Blood. We must eat him so as to feel the Virtue of both, changing our Hearts, and comforting our Consciences; changing our Hearts, other Food is changed into our Substance, this changeth us: 2 Cor. 5.17. He that is in Christ is a new Creature. Comforting our Consciences, Heb. 9.14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Is God unwilling to give Christ? Or is Christ unable to do his Work?

A Second Sermon on JOHN i.29.

Doctrine 2. THE great Work of Christ, the Lamb of God, is to take away the Sins of the World.

• 1. What is meant by the World.
• 2. In what manner Christ taketh away the Sins of the World.
• 3. That this is the great End, Work, and Scope of Christ's coming into the World.

I. What is meant by the World? Why is there such a capacious and comprehensive Word used? Since it is clear, that all the World have not benefit by Christ, for many of them die in their Sins.

Answ. 1. To show the difference between the Lamb of God, and the Sacrifices of the Law; the old Sacrifices were only offered for the People of Israel, but Christ's Death hath a larger Extent to People of all places, Jews and Gentiles : 1 John 2.2. And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And in all Ages from the beginning of the World to the end, Rev. 13.8. He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Lamb of God is of an universal and perpetual Use.

2. To show the sufficiency of this Mediatorial Sacrifice, it is of such a full and overflowing Merit, that it becometh a Foundation for a tendry of Grace to every Creature. Here is a Ground-work and Foundation laid for the truth of this Proposition, Mark 16.16. That whosoever believeth shall be saved: So that here is a great Invitation and Encouragement for every oppressed Soul; if Christ taketh away the Sins of the World, put in for a share, thou art a Member of the World. Paul creepeth in at the back Door of the Promise, 1 Tim. 1.15. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Christ would not have Sinners exclude themselves, but attend upon him for this Benefit. Therefore he would have his Grace set forth in the most comprehensive Terms, that all that find themselves Sinners, may stir up themselves to find benefit by him.

3. Those Elect ones, who have actual Benefit by this Sacrifice, may be called The World ; partly because of their Number; take them all together, and they are many, and therefore called World, Rev. 7.9. I beheld a great multitude, which no man could number, &c. And partly in regard of God's Estimation, though they are few, they are as good as all the World to him: And partly because they will one day be set apart from the rest of Mankind, and make a peculiar World of themselves.

II. In what manner doth Christ take away the Sins of the World, I shall give my Answer in these Propositions.

1. The whole World in its natural Estate lieth under Sin and Wrath. The Scripture in one place telleth us, 1 John 5.19. The whole World lieth in wickedness. And in another, that all the World is become guilty before God, Rom. 3.19. Both together speak this much, That the Sin and Misery of the World was such, that it groaned for a Savior, even as a Man sick of a mortal Disease, and almost at his last gasp, hath need of a Physician. In the corruption of Nature all are involved, Rom. 3.23. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. And so by consequence all are under the wrath of God, Eph. 2.3. We are by nature the children of Wrath even as others. Which abideth upon us while we remain Unbelieving and Impenitent, John 3.36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. And besides this, there is the Dominion of actual Sin, Rom. 6.14. All which show the miserable state of the World, and the high need of a Savior. Sin liveth with Men from the Birth to the Grave, and all are become abominable and filthy, they are all gone out of the way, there is none that seeketh after God, there is none that doth good, no not one, Psal. 14.1, 2, 3. They are all gone out of the way of Holiness and Happiness, they are all become vile and loathsome to God, all guilty of a careless neglect of God, and of their Duty, and of the Service they owe to him; all are given to please the Flesh, John 3.6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. So general a Wickedness and Defection from God is there throughout the World, as if they had cast off all Fear, and Care, and Love of God and his Service; though they speak honourably of him in Words, yet in their Deeds they deny him, and disobey his Authority, and wholly abandon themselves to please the Flesh.

2. To lie under Sin, and the Consequences thereof, is a Burden too heavy for us to bear, and miserable are they who have it lying upon their own Shoulders. How light soever Sins may seem to be when they are committed, yet they will not be found to be light when we come to reckon with God for them. Sin to a waking Conscience is one of the heaviest Burdens that ever was felt, Psal. 38.4. My iniquities are gone over my head, as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. If you do but taste of this Cup, if a Spark of God's Wrath light upon the Conscience, what a weight and pressure is this upon the Soul! You will find the little Finger of Sin to be heavier than the Loins of any other Sorrow. You may know it in part by what Christ suffered; if his Soul was heavy unto Death, if he felt such strange Agonies, sweated drops of curdled Blood, lost the actual sensible Comforts of his Godhead when he bore the burden of Sin, what shall any one of us do, if he were to bear his own burden? If this be done in the green Tree, what shall be done in the dry? You may also know it by the Complaints of the Saints, when the Finger of God hath but touched them; all Life and Power is gone, if God should set home one Sin upon the Conscience. Psal. 40.12. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head, therefore my heart faileth me. So Job complaineth, that the arrows of the Almighty are within him, the poison whereof did drink up his spirits, Job 6.4. If you will know what it is to bear Sin, ask a tender Conscience, or a troubled Conscience; what disquiets of Soul do wicked Men feel when their Consciences are a little awakened! How uneasy do their Hearts sit within them! Prov. 28.14. He that hardeneth his heart, shall fall into mischief. Gain crieth out, My punishment is greater than I can bear, Gen. 4.13. What large Offers do Men then make to get rid of their Burden! Thousands of rams, and ten thousands of rivers of oil, yea their firstborn for their transgressions, the fruit of their bodies for the sin of their souls, Micah 6.6, 7. Lastly, what it is to live and die in Sin, the other World will show us, Christ useth no other Expression of the Misery of the unbelieving Jews, but this, Ye shall die in your sins, John 8.24. That is enough, for that speaketh all manner of Horror and Torment. And the threatenings of the Word show their Case is miserable enough, They fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10.31. And the Worm, that feedeth upon them, shall never die ; and the Fire, wherewith they are scorched, shall never be quenched, Mark 9.44. Sins that now lie like sleepy Lions, then awaken, and take them by the Throat, and feed and gnaw upon them to all Eternity. Miserable questionless is the state of them, who bear their own Burden, and their own Transgression. Now the sense of this should make a Crucified Savior sweet to us.

3. None can take off this burden of Sin but Jesus Christ, this is a Work proper to the Lamb of God. None else could preserve the Honor of God's Justice, which was necessary, before we could be entrusted with a new stock of Grace: Rom. 3.24, 25. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins. None else could secure the Honor of God's Government; Punishments are inflicted, not only for the Reformation and Correction of the Offendors, but for a Warning to others, to secure the ends of Government, that none may presume upon Impunity. The same is necessary in the Government of the World by God; if God should wholly release the Law, all Awe and Sense of it would be lost, Sin would not be counted so grievous a thing; therefore there is a Brand put upon Sin by the Sufferings of Christ, the Odiousness of it is represented in the Agonies and Sorrows of his Cross. The Apostle saith, That God for sin condemned sin in the flesh, Rom. 8.3. Or by a Sacrifice given for Sin, he hath shown his Hatred and Displeasure against it. When we look upon Sin through Satan's Spectacles, or the Cloud of our own Passions, or Carnal Affections, we make nothing of it; but it is a terrible Spectacle to see the Fruits of it in the Agonies and Sufferings of Jesus Christ, which are represented to us in the Word and Sacraments, as if he were Crucified before our Eyes. Once more, none could bear this burden of Punishment but Jesus Christ, who was Man to undertake it in our Name, and also God to get through it in his own Strength: His Human Nature did put a Price into his Hands to lay down for the Ransom of our Souls, and his Divine Nature did put a Value upon that Price, and made it sufficient and responsible to all God's Ends. Therefore it is said, Psal. 89.19. Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people. It best befitted the Divine Wisdom to choose such a Person as might undertake the Work, and not miscarry it; otherwise we could have no assurance that full satisfaction was given.

4. Jesus Christ taketh away Sin, by bearing it in his own Person; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , signifieth both to take it away, and carry it away: And it is said, Isa. 53.6. The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all. God laid it on him, and he willingly took it upon himself, 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree ; which signifieth his voluntary Susception, as well as the Father's Ordination and Appointment.

I must a little explain two things:

• 1. How Sin was laid upon Christ.
• 2. That being transferred and laid upon Christ, it is taken off from the Creature.

1. How Sin was laid upon Christ, for so the Scripture speaketh. There is in Sin, Culpa, the Fault; Macula, the Stain; Reatus, the Guilt; and Poena, the Punishment: We cannot say the Fault was laid on him, for that is the Blame, which ariseth or groweth out of Sin inherent; we cannot say the Stain, for Christ was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from Sinners, Heb. 7.26. Therefore we must understand it of the other two, the Guilt, and the Punishment: The Guilt is imputed as he stood in our stead, for he is said, To bear the sins of many, Isa. 53.12. And, To be made sin for us, 2 Cor. 5.21. As he offered himself, and obliged himself to make satisfaction to his Father's Justice, his Soul and Body was a Ransom in our Souls stead, 1 Tim. 2.6. Who gave himself, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a ransom for all ; he not only died, In bonum nostrum, for our good, but, Loco & vice omnium nostrum, he stood before the Father's Tribunal in our room and stead. Then for the Punishment; as he was made sin for us, so he was made a curse for us, Gal. 3.13. That is, to undergo the Curse of the Law due to us: He was no more spared, than if we ourselves, who had sinned, had been in his room and place at that time: And therefore he is said, To carry our sorrows, and bear our griefs, Isa. 53.4. He was the Object of Sin-pursuing Justice, and at his hands did God demand satisfaction for all our Wrongs. He had all the Sins of the Elect upon him, by Imputation, and voluntary Susception, and was handled by Divine Justice, as if he had been guilty of them all.

2. The Guilt and Punishment being transferred and transacted upon Christ, it is taken off from the Creature; and all, who upon God's Terms do thankfully accept of this Atonement, are acquitted, and reconciled to God, and taken into Grace and Favor through Christ. Job 33.24. Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom. When the Surety hath paid the Debt, the Debtor is let out of Prison; when the Ram was taken, Isaac was let go, Gen. 22. As Christ told his Persecutors, John 18.8. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way. In that Action of his there was a Pledge, an Illustration at least, of his offering himself to the Curse of the Law, and the Punishment due to Sin, to exempt us from it, take me, and let these go. The Fault is forgiven, the Guilt expiated, the Blot more and more done away, and the Sentence of Condemnation and Punishment disanulled, so that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, Rom. 8.1.

5. Christ having born the burden and weight of our Sins, hath undertaken to take away all that may be called Sin; he hath taken away the Guilt, and he hath taken away the Stain; the Obligation to Punishment, and the Power of Corruption: Or, in short, he hath procured both Justification and Sanctification for us.

1. Justification is a Fruit of his bearing Sin, Isa. 53.11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. To bear the Sin, is to bear the Punishment, the Wrath due to it; now God will not exact it twice, of Christ, and of us too. Christ doth so bear it for us, that he takes it away from us, that we are discharged from the Guilt, and delivered from wrath to come, 2 Thess. 1.10. and are brought into a Justifiable condition before God, 2 Cor. 5.21. He was made sin for us that knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2. Sanctification, that is one taking away of Sin, and a Fruit of Christ's bearing our Iniquities: 1 Pet. 2.24. He bore our sins in his own body upon the tree, that we, being dead unto sin, might be alive unto righteousness. Naturally we are alive to Sin, love it, delight in it, and are active in it, but we are dead to Righteousness, not only sick and wounded, but dead to it. But Christ came to purchase Grace, to subdue our Love and Delight in Sin, and to turn our Hearts towards God. We need a Savior to help us to Repentance, as well as to Pardon; the loss of God's Image was part of our Punishment, and the Renovation of our Nature is a part, yea a principal part of our Deliverance by Jesus Christ.

6. This Work of taking away Sin is not done all at an instant, but accomplished by degrees, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Participle noteth a continued act; it is a thing Christ is always a doing, till Sin be no more. Here we must distinguish between Impetration and Application: As to Purchase and Impetration, Christ hath done it once for all, there needed no repeating of this Act, Heb. 10.14. For by one offering he hath forever perfected them that are sanctified. As to the Merit, nothing is wanting, no other Oblation and Sacrifice needeth to be offered to God. But as to Application, so he is every day taking away Sin; what is his business now in Heaven, but to sit at the right hand of God, and to see the Fruits of his Mediation accomplished? Yea, and as to the same Persons, Christ doth not destroy Sin all at once: Narrow-mouthed Vessels cannot be filled in an instant, though cast into an Ocean. Therefore taking away Sin is a continual act, which Christ is ever a doing. Some Blessings are dispensed presently, upon the first day of our entering into the state of Grace and Favor with God, as Adoption into God's Family, Pardon of Sins past, a renewing of the Image of God in us, Redemption or Exemption from the Curse of the Law, which Things increase more and more unto their final perfection in Eternal Glory. Adoption then shall be complete, Rom. 8.23. Waiting for • he Adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies : When we shall know more fully what Honor and Blessedness belongeth to the Children of God, now it doth not appear what we shall be. So pardon of Sin shall be then complete, Acts 3.19. Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. All pardoned Sins shall never be remembered more, our Absolution shall be solemnly pronounced by the Judge upon the Bench. That is the great Regeneration, Matth. 19.28. You that have followed me in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. So for Redemption, Eph. 4.30. Grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption: When all the Effects of Sin shall cease, for Death remaineth on the Body till that day.

7. This Work of taking away Sin is carried on with respect to Christ's threefold Office of King, Priest, and Prophet.

1. As a Priest; so he taketh away Sin by his Merit, having purchased a Power, and a Virtue, whereby our Natures may be healed and cleansed, and our Peace made with God. In this sense it is said, 1 John 1.7. The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin.

2. As a Prophet; so he taketh away Sin by his Doctrine, which is fit for such a purpose, as it commandeth and requireth Purity and Holiness, and inviteth us to it by notable Promises, and encourageth us by blessed Examples, especially of Jesus Christ himself, and the perfect Pattern of his holy Obedience, and heavenly Life. John 17.17. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.

3. As a King; so he taketh away Sin by his Spirit. So backward are our Minds, so bad our Hearts, so strong our Lusts, so manifold our Temptations, that be •• Teaching will not serve the turn without a Spirit of Light, Life, and Love, to open our Eyes, and change our Hearts, and incline us, and bring us back again to God. Therefore it is said, Titus 3.5, 6. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy-Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our savior. His Merit giveth us Confidence, his Word Means and Helps, and his sanctifying Spirit maketh all effectual to the Soul.

III. That this is the great End and Scope of Christ's coming into the World, appeareth by sundry Scriptures. 1 John 3.5. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. He was manifested in the Flesh, and manifested in the Gospel for this end. He came as an holy innocent Savior to take away Sin, Matth. 1.21. Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins : Not to ease them of their Trouble only, but chiefly to destroy Sin, with the mischievous Effects of it. He is a Savior, that saves us from Sin, not in Sin. Tit. 2.14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity : Not only from the Curse of the Law, but from all Iniquity. The Mediator's Blessing was not to free us from the Roman Yoke, but from the slavery and bondage of Sin. Acts 3.26. Unto you first, God having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities.

Reasons:

1. Sin is the great Make-bate between God and us. The first breach was by Sin, and still it continueth the distance, Isa. 59.2. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God. Till Sin be taken out of the way, there can be no perfect Communion between God and the Creature. The Purity of God is irreconcilable to Sin, though not to the Sinner, and therefore though the Sinner be pardoned, the Sin must be taken away.

2. Sin is the great Disease of Mankind, and the cause of all Misery; therefore Christ came to stop Mischief at the Fountain Head. Take away Sin, and you take away Wrath; for when the Cause is gone, the Effect ceaseth. Those who are most sensible of their true Evil, do mainly desire the taking away of Sin. Pharaoh said, Take away this Plague ; but the Church saith, Take away all iniquity, Hosea 14.2. Many seek to get rid of Trouble and Temporal Afflictions, but not of Sin; because they have a gross sense of Things, and measure their Happiness and Misery by their outward Condition. Hosea 7.14. They assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me : They sought not God's Favor, but Corn, and Wine, and Oil. Others, if they mind Spiritual Things, they mind only pardon of Sins, and ease of Conscience, but not to be freed from the Power of it; as if a Man that had broken his Leg should only desire to be eased of the smart, but not to have it set again. But the true Penitent is troubled with the Stain, as well as the Guilt, therefore the Promise is suited to such, 1 John 1.9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Others, if they would be freed from Sin, they respect only the preventing the outward Act, but you must abstain from the Lust, 2 Pet. 2.11. I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. If they look after the Heart and inward Man, it is some Branch of Sin, not the Root, or the Change of the Heart, and so die Impenitent. Evil Practices do not flow from a present Temptation, but an evil Nature. All these lose their labor, they neither get rid of Trouble, nor prevent the Act, nor are free from the breach of God's Law, but Christ would make a thorough Cure.

3. Taking away of Sin is a greater benefit than Impunity, or taking away the Punishment. Those Means, which have a more immediate Connection with the last End, are more noble than those which are more remote: The last End is the Glory of God. Now the Holiness and Subjection of the Creature is a nearer means to it than our Comfort and Pardon. Christ's End was to fit us for God's Use, and therefore his End was to sanctify us, and free us from Sin.

1 Use, Is Caution. Let us renounce all Sin, that we may not make Christ's coming into the World in vain. You go about to frustrate your Redeemer's End, and so to put him to shame, if you cherish Sin; for then you cherish that which he came to destroy. 1 John 3.8. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil ; that is, dissolve, untie, and loose this Knot: The Work of the Devil is to bring us into Sin and Misery, and will you tie the Knot the faster? If you go about to frustrate his Undertaking, you renounce all Benefit by him, and slight the Price of your Redemption.

2 Use, Hath Christ taken upon him to carry away Sin; Then here is Instruction.

1. To the Careless. Certainly he that seeketh after benefit by Christ, must be one that is not a Stranger to himself, one that knoweth and is acquainted with the case of his own Heart and Life, one that is sensible of his Sins and corrupt Inclinations, and the guilt and burden that lieth upon him, one that mourneth under the fears of God's displeasure. Will Christ ease a Man of a Burden that he feeleth not? A senseless sleepy Soul hath not Work for Christ to do. He inviteth those that see a need of Mercy, Matth. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

2. To those who are afflicted in Conscience for Sin. Remember you must be not only sensible of the guilt of Sin, but the stain of it, and look after not only Peace, but Healing. Isa. 53.5. With his stripes we are healed. It is not a sound Cure, that aimeth only at the asswaging of the Grief, but the Distemper must be removed. Mountebanks only stop the Pain, but let alone the Cause, such a Cure would they have, who are more earnest for Ease and Comfort, than for Grace. Sin in some sense is worse than Damnation. Remember then this is the Undertaking of our blessed Redeemer; will he come in vain, and miss of his End? Consider the Merit of his Humiliation, what a Price he hath paid for sanctifying Grace. 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. This Price was not given only to heighten our Esteem of the Privilege, but to increase our Confidence. And consider the Power of his Exaltation, Acts 3.26. God having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities. Having paid our Ransom, he is gone into Heaven fully furnished and empowered to free from Sin all that consent to receive this Benefit.

But what shall we do that we may have the actual Benefit?

1. Seek the Pardon of Sin in the way of Repentance, confessing your Sins with brokeness of Heart. 1 John 1.9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Sue out his Grace, and turn to the Lord. Repentance lieth not in a feigned Wish only, that Sin had not been done, but in a change of Mind, Heart, and Life; in a hatred to Sin repented of, and a love to God and Holiness. Man's Fall was specially in point of Love, and his Recovery must be a Recovery of Love to God again. Your Love to Sin must be turned into an Hatred of Sin, the Soul must be not only turned from Sin, but against it. Repentance is most seen in our Love and Hatred.

2. Seek the subduing of Sin in a diligent use of Means. There is a Spirit purchased by Christ, to begin the Life of Grace, and to carry it on with success; to heal and renew our Natures, and to strengthen them being healed and renewed. Now we must not by our carelessness, negligence, or other Sin, provoke the Lord to withdraw from us, and suspend his Grace, but humbly implore his Favor, wait for his Approaches, and attend and obey his sanctifying Motions. God is willing to give the Spirit to them that ask him, as a Father is to give an hungry Child bread. Luke 11.13. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him? We make ourselves uncapable of this help, by grieving the Spirit: Eph. 4.30. And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. When we are so easy to the Requests of Sin, and so deaf to his Motions, he ceaseth to give us warning. There are certain Ordinances whereby this Grace is conveyed to us, and Christ died to sanctify them to us, Eph. 5.25, 26. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. These Ordinances are the Word and Sacraments, by the use of which Sin receiveth a new wound. The Word is for cleansing the Soul, John 15.3. Now ye are clean through the word, which I have spoken unto you. Baptism must be improved for the washing away of Sin, Acts 22.16. Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins. A Man forgetteth his Baptism, that is, neglecteth it, if he be not purged from Sin, 2 Pet. 1.9. He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins: That is, he hath made no use, and received no benefit by his Baptism. In the Lord's Supper we remember the Death of Christ, as the Price given for the Life of our Souls, as a Spectacle that may affect us with the Odiousness of Sin, as an occasion of renewing our Covenant with God, and binding ourselves afresh to his service, and as a means to stir up our Love to God, and so by consequence our hatred of Sin, Psal. 97.10. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil : And to awaken our hopes, and so of purifying the Soul, 1 John 3.3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Here is delivered to the believing Soul a sealed Pardon of all Sin, Matth. 26.28. This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins: And we wait for the Application of his mortifying and renewing Grace.

3. If the first Attempt succeed not, yet afterwards Sin may be subdued and broken. In natural Things we do not sit down with one Trial and one Endeavor; a Man that will be rich, pierceth himself through with many Sorrows, 1 Tim. 4.10. and after many miscarriages, pursue their Designs till they complete them; and shall we give over our waiting and striving, because we cannot presently find success? That showeth our Will is not fully bent and set upon the thing we seem to desire. In the face of Discouragements we must venture again, Luke 5.5. Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless at thy command I will let down the ne • . God's Grace is free, and his holy Leisure must be waited for; it was long e're God got us to this pass, to be sensible of our Burden, or anxiously solicitous about our Soul Distempers. We must lie at the Pool for cure, the Spirit bloweth when and where it listeth, John 3.8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the spirit. He that begun the Work to make us serious, will carry it on to a farther degree, if we be not impatient: Matth. 12.20. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. He is not wont to be strange to such as bemoan themselves to him, Ier. 31.18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself. It may be he will not do it so sensibly by Ordinances, as by, or not without sharp Providences, which usually subtract the Fuel of our Lusts, and awaken Seriousness: Isa. 27.9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin : And, 2 Cor. 12.7. There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure, We must leave God to his own way.

3 Use. Let it put us on Thankfulness to our Redeemer. Sin is a great mischief, now that he should fetch us up from the Gates of Hell, and recover us, when the sentence of Condemnation was passed upon us, and there was nothing but the slender thread of a frail Life between us and Execution; and was content to do it at so dear a rate, as to be made Sin, and to be made a Curse for us; and that he should put us into the way of Salvation to obtain Eternal Life, how should our Hearts be enlarged in Thanksgiving to such a Redeemer?

A Sermon on JOHN xviii.11.

THese Words are part of Christ's Rebuke to Peter, who, when the High Priest's Servants came to attack Christ, draweth his Sword, and cuts off Malchus his Ear, which our Lord first healeth, and then reproveth his Disciple for this temerarious Action, Put up thy sword into the sheath : He reproveth him, partly because it becometh no private Man by opposition to resist Authority; but the chief Reason was, our Lord would not be hindered in performing the great Act of his Mediation, his dying for Sinners. You shall see in another place, when Peter counseled him against his Sufferings, he rebuked him with the same severity, that he doth the Devil tempting him to Idolatry, Get thee behind me, Satan, Matth. 16.23. compared with Matth. 4.10. And here this rash and unseasonable Interposition, to save his Master by force, is again reproved. In Peter 's Temerity, take notice of the difference between Military Valour, and Christian Fortitude: He that faltered, and was blown down by the weak blast of a Damsel's Question, hath now the Courage with a single Sword to venture upon an whole Band of Men. Military Valour is boisterous, and dependeth upon the heat of Blood and Spirits, and is better for a sudden Onset than a deliberate Trial; but Christian Fortitude dependeth on the strength of Faith, and lieth in a meek subjection to God, and will enable us to endure the greatest Torments, rather than encroach upon the Conscience of our Duty to God. A Man of a Military forward Spirit may outbrave Dangers, when they are sudden, but faileth or fainteth in weaker Trials, that are managed rather in a way of Charge and Accusation, than Force.

But in Christ's Rebuke, take notice of his Obedience to God, and Love to Men. Obedience to God, shall I not suffer patiently, without resisting, what my Father hath determined me to suffer? And Love to Men, it was the Cup which God had given him to drink for the good of his People, and therefore he would by no means decline it.

In the words, take notice of,

1. The Notion by which Affliction is expressed, it is a Cup. 2. God's ordering of it, Which my Father hath given me. 3. Christ's submission, Shall I not drink it?

1. For rhe Term or Notion, whereby Christ's sufferings are expressed, a Cup. We read of a threefold Cup in Scripture:

1. A Cup of Tribulation. 2. A Cup of Consolation. 3. A Cup of Salvation and Thanksgiving.

The first of these is often mentioned, Psal. 11.6. Upon the Wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest, this shall be the portion of their Cup. So the Prophet Jeremiah is bidden, Ier. 25.15. Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send thee to drink it. So Psal. 75.8. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red, it is full of mixture, and he poureth out the same; but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. Thus God's Dispensations are ordinarily expressed by a Cup poured out, and given to Men to drink. And therefore our Lord Christ himself useth this form of speech, not only here, but elsewhere; as Matth. 26.39. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. It was a dreadful Cup that he was to drink of.

The second Cup, the Cup of Consolation, is spoken of, Ier. 16.7. Neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father, or for their mother ; taken from the Jewish Custom of sending it to them that mourned, or to condemned Persons. The same is spoken of, Prov. 31.6, 7. Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts; let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. Amos 2.8. They drank the wine of the condemned.

The third was the Cup of Salvation, spoken of, Psal. 116.13. I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Or the Cup of Deliverance, used more solemnly in the Temple by the Priests, or more privately in the Family. Sometimes called the Drink-offering of Praise: And to which, the Cup of Blessing, 1 Cor. 10.16. used in the Lord's Supper, hath a great respect; for it was always used with certain Expressions of Commemoration and Praise. The first is plainly here intended, the Cup of Tribulation, so called, because our Afflictions are measured out by God, both for quantity and quality, either by his Justice, or by his Wisdom and Mercy.

2. God's ordering of it, which my Father hath given me. Christ mentioneth not the malice of his Enemies, but the will of God, and his Father. His hand in Christ's sufferings is often asserted in Scripture, Isa. 53.10. It pleased the father to bruise him, he hath put him to grief. Acts 2.23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel, and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Acts 4.28. For to do whatsoever thy hand, and thy counsel determined before to be done. God did not excite and instigate those wicked Wretches to that cruelty, which they exercised upon Christ, yet it was prae-determined by God for the salvation of Mankind.

3. Christ's submission, Shall I not drink it? If God put a bitter Cup into our hands, we must not refuse it, for here we have Christ's Example. The meaning is, This bitter Passion which the Father hath laid upon me, shall I not suffer it patiently?

Doctr. That it is the Duty of Christians patiently to suffer what ever God hath appointed them to suffer.

The note is plain, I shall discuss it in this Method:

1. That in all Calamities we should look to God.

2. That it is a great advantage to patience, when we can consider him, not as an angry Judge, but as a gracious Father.

3. That it well becometh his People to endure that willingly, which he calleth them unto.

I. That in all Calamities we should look unto God, Psal. 39.9. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it. That is the first thing that quieteth the Heart, when we see God's hand in all things that befall us. So Hezekiah, Isa. 38.15. What shall I say! He hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it. If God hath done it, it is time to cease, and say no more, for why should we contend with the Lord? We murmur and repine if we look no higher than second Causes, but owning God's hand, we have nothing to reply by way of Murmuring or Expostulations. So Job, ch. 1. v. 21. The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. He doth not say, Dominus dedit, Diabolus abstulit, The Lord hath given, and the Devil hath taken away; nor yet, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Chaldean, or Sabean, hath taken away; but he owneth God in the Providence. Compare the different carriage of David, when Nabal slighted him, and when Shimei railed on him; the one you have, 1 Sam. 25.21, 22. Now David had said, surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him, but he hath requited me evil for good. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertaineth to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. A rash speech! because he only reflected upon the unkindness of Nabal, and meditateth nothing but Revenge. The other you have, 2 Sam. 16.11. Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. David then considered not the Instrument, but the supreme Author, he looked not to the Stone, but the Hand that flung it, to God's Providence, who thought good by that means to chastise him. If we mind Providence rather than Revenge, we must not reflect on the Injury done to us, nor the Malice of our Adversaries, but the Will and good Pleasure of God. So Joseph, Gen. 50.20. As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good. So he calmeth his Heart, and fortifieth it against all thoughts of Revenge against his Brethren. In short, there are two sorts of Evils and Afflictions, such as come immediately from the hand of God, or such Injuries and Afflictions wherein Men are the Instruments; Patience hath to do with both, that we may bear Afflictions from God without murmuring, and Injuries from Men without thought of Revenge. Such as come immediately from the hand of God are not to be looked upon as Chances, or casual Accidents, but the Lord is to be owned in them, and then we must humble ourselves under his mighty hand, 1 Pet. 5.6. In Injuries from Men, we must consider, they are also governed by God's Providence, and sent by God as well as other Evils. Some are patient under an Affliction from God, but very impatient under injurious Dealing from Men; as when a shower of Rain falleth from Heaven, we bear it quietly, but if one throw a Basin of Water upon us, we storm, and are vexed at heart. But if we did look through the Wrongs of Men to God, they would not be so irksome to us, be they Injuries in Civil Commerce, such as Oppression, detention of Dues, Contumelies, Reproches, or Persecution for Righteousness sake, see God in all, that you may not fret at it.

Two Things we must lay down briefly:

1. That nothing falleth out without God's particular Providence, Lam. 3.37, 38. Who is he that saith, And it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good. That is, nothing is done here below, but by a divine Disposal and Providence, nothing but what he by his secret Wisdom hath pre-ordained and appointed.

2. That cross Issues and Punishments, as well as Benefits and prosperous Successes, come all of God: Isa. 45.7. I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things. All Evils of Punishment come from God, as well as the Blessings of Providence, and without this Principle we could neither be thankful for the one, nor humble under the other. We look upon it as a piece of Atheism and Irreligiousness, if we be not thankful for Benefits; it is as great an Evil if we be not humble under Punishments. We count him a profane Man, that should thank his Dung-cart for his good Crop, and doth not he as much deny Providence, that in all his Afflictions looketh only to Instruments, and not to the Hand of God? That rageth against Men, but doth not take notice of the Will of his Heavenly Father? It is very notable, Jonah 4.6, 7. that God first prepared a Gourd to shelter Jonah from the scorching Heat of the Sun, and then prepared a Worm that smote the Gourd, and deprived him of that Comfort and Benefit. He that gave us the Delight in any natural Comfort, doth also take it from us. The same Hand must be owned in giving and taking, or else we shall not prevent Atheism. He that created the Gourd, created the Worm; and he that giverned the Gourd, and made it a refreshing shadow from the heat of the Sun, he governed the Worm to eat out the Root and Life of the Gourd. As Christ here saith, not the Jews or Pharisees provided this bitter Cup for him, but the Father. Oecumenius, an ancient Greek Writer on the Scripture, in his Comment on the Acts of the Apostles, telleth us, That once a great Plague invaded the City of Athens, and miserably desolated it, which also other Histories testify; the Citizens being almost consumed, ran to the Image of Jupiter with Sacrifices, Vows, and Prayers, to save them from the Pestilence, but Jupiter could not do it; then to Satan, Mercury, Neptune, and other God's, but still in vain, for the Plague daily increased, and was more mortal and deadly: And when this was considered in the Court of the Areopagites, a wise Man among them said, Without doubt these God's known to us did not send this Pestilence, because upon our Prayers and Supplications to them they cannot take it away; there may be some other God unknown to us who sent it, and who alone can cause it to cease, therefore he is to be sought unto, an Altar erected to him, and Sacrifices and Intercessions offered to him, to take away this Plague from us. And this Writer thinketh, that this was the Original of that Altar which Paul saw with this Inscription, To the unknown God, Acts 17.23. I have brought this account to show you, that all Evil is sent by God, and his Hand must be acknowledged in it, or else Religion will fall to the ground. When the Disciples were terrified in a great storm, Christ cometh walking upon the Waters, and telleth them, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid, Mark 6.50. They thought it was a Spectre, but Christ saith, It is I. In short, the Author of all the Annoyances and Afflictions that befalleth us in this Life is God, their End is Repentance, their Cause is Sin, and this well thought of, will silence all our Murmurings.

II. That it is a great advantage to Patience, when we can consider him, not as an angry Judge, but as a gracious Father. The Cup which Christ drank off was very bitter, and yet he saith, The cup which my father hath given me. Now everyone cannot apply this Comfort, for many are not so much as in a visible relation to God, and others that visibly live in his Family, yet are not owned and acknowledged by him as his dear Children, rather counted Bastards than Sons, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 12.7, 8. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisements, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards▪ and not sons. Not legitimate, but degenerate Children. Others have a special relation to God, such as is between Father and Children, 2 Cor. 6.18. I will be unto you a father, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. These have an Interest in his dearest Love, and a Right to his choicest Benefits, and they shall know it by his Fatherly dealing with them. Now to such this Comfort properly belongeth; for though God may punish and afflict others, yet he cannot be said to chastise them as a Father, but as an angry Judge he doth punish them for their Offences and Rebellions. Therefore if you would apply this Comfort, you must clear up your Interest, enter into Covenant with him, and sincerely believe in Christ, and devote yourselves to him that he may be your God and Father. But because Being and Seeing are two things, and many that are the Children of God may not know themselves to be so; therefore I shall, (1.) State this Matter. (2.) Shew what an advantage it is to Patience.

First, I shall state this Matter in these Considerations:

1. God is a Father by Creation or Adoption.

(1.) In a more general Respect by Creation, as Adam is called, The son of God, Luke 3.38. So Mal. 2.10. Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? God is more our Father than our natural Parents are, they concur to our Beings but instrumentally, but God originally. It is God that formeth us in the Womb, we are his Workmanship, not our Parents, both as to Body and Soul. As to the Body, Psal. 119.73. Thy hands have made me, and fashioned me. They know not whether the Child be Male or Female, Beautiful or Deformed; they cannot tell the number of the Bones, Muscles, Veins, and Arteries, which God hath framed in such a curious and exact Order. But for the Soul, which is the better part of Man, that is of his immediate Creation, therefore God is called, The father of spirits, Heb. 12.9. They do not run in the Channel of Carnal Generation, or Fleshly Descent. In this general sense, by virtue of Creation, God is the Father of all Men, good and bad, which though it give Cod a Title to our Love, Service, and Honor, yet it giveth us no Interest in his special Benefits, or the Fruits of his Fatherly Love; it moveth God not to stir up all his Wrath against them, yet not to bestow Saving Grace, his Favor and Image upon them.

(2.) More especially, and in a more comfortable sense, there is a more peculiar sort of Men, to whom God is a Father by Adoption, and they are his dear Children. This Title is not by Nature, but by Grace; the Foundation of it was laid in the Election of God, Eph. 1.5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. But before this Decree could be executed and take place, the redemption of Christ was necessary; for we read, Gal. 4.4, 5. When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the Law; to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Sin needed to be expiated by the Son of God in our Nature, before God would bestow this Honor upon any of Mankind; Christ was to take a Mother upon Earth, that we might have a Father in Heaven. Forasmuch as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage, Heb. 2.14, 15. And besides, this Grace is applied to us by the Spirit, who by his effectual Operation bringeth us into a state of Love and Sonship. As a Father by Creation, he giveth us our natural Endowments; as a Father by Adoption he giveth us the supernatural Grace of the Spirit, to sanctify and change our Hearts; for Regeneration and Adoption always go together: John 1.12, 13. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And by the new Nature put into us, we are brought into this new State and Relation, Gal. 4.6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father. The Soul that was shy of God, then inclineth to him as our Lord, that we may honor, love, and obey him, and, as our Happiness, that we may seek after him, and live in Communion with him. And lastly, the Act on our part, that we may be received into the number of God's Children, is an owning and acknowledging Christ to all the ends and purposes for which God hath appointed him; if we really entertain him as sent by God to be our Lord and Savior, we are advanced to this Dignity, John 1.12. To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. This of the Privilege.

2. You having received this Grace, it is your duty to get it evidenced, that you may maintain a comfortable sense of your Adoption. It is evidenced by the dwelling and working of the holy Spirit in you, Rom. 8.16. The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. He witnesseth objectively, and effectively, Per modum Argumenti, & per modum Efficientis Causa ; By way of Argument, and by way of Causal Efficiency. Objectively, if I have the Spirit of God framing my Heart to love, and honor, and fear, and obey him, and delight in c • mmunion with him, surely I am a Child of God; for where these are, sincere love to God prevaileth, 1 John 4 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit. There he speaketh of Love to God, and so for Honor; it is else but an empty Title, Mal. 1.6. If I then be a father, where is mine honor? If I be a master, where is my fear? So for Fear, or Childlike Reverence, that we dare not offend him, Psal. 103.13. As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. His Children, and those that fear him, are equivalent Expressions, 1 Pet. 1.17. If ye call on the father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. I illustrate by that, Ier. 35.6. And they said, we will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons, forever. So for Obedience, 1 Pet. 1.14. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. Eph. 5.1. Be ye followers of God as dear children. So for delighting in communion with him, Rom. 8.15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba father. Gal. 4.6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba father. This 〈◊〉 most felt in Prayer, Zech. 12.10. I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications. Rom. 8.26. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered. Jude 20. But ye beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Here we have the nearest familiarity with God whilst we dwell in the Flesh, and our Souls are carried to God, as light Bodies move upward. This is the matter of the Evidence, but the Spirit giveth a sight or sense of this; if he be not grieved, and ill treated, but his sanctifying Motions be obeyed, he sheddeth abroad the Love of God in our Hearts, and filleth us with much Joy and Peace.

3. If this be faithfully done, and there be no other reason to break our Confidence, the bare Affliction, or the greatness and grievousness of your Afflictions, should not. For these sharp Afflictions are not only consistent with this Relation, as the Instance of Christ showeth, but also it is an act of his Fatherly Love and Discipline. The Exhortation speaketh to us as Children, Heb. 12.5, 6, 7, 8. Ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. God's Children must look to be chastened, neither must our Father's hand be slighted, nor must we faint under it: It is an act of love and kindness to us, that he will not suffer us to go on in our Sins. God seemeth to cast off them, whom he leaveth to their own Hearts lusts, Hosea 4.17. Ephraim is joined to Idols, let him alone. But he loveth whom he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth. The Rod of Correction will not wholly be laid aside, while God's Children are in the Flesh: In Heaven, where there are no Dangers, there is no use of it anymore, because then we are fully and perfectly sanctified, but here you must be content to submit to the discipline of the Family. Certainly you must not question his Love, because something falleth out contrary to your desires. God is a Father when he frowneth, and when he smileth; he is the God of the Valleys, as well as of the Hills and Mountains; his Love doth not alter with our condition, the comfort of Adoption is not for such a time only.

4. Because of our imperfection both in Holiness and Comfort, we must submit to the Authority of a Father, when we cannot see our Interest in his special Fatherly Love. Alas! most are so ill settled in the Peace and Comfort of the Gospel, that every notable Affliction reviveth our guilty Fears, as the Sareptan said to Elijah, when her Child died, Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? 1 King. 17.18. She looked upon that sad Providence as a Judgment for her Sins; so if God awakeneth in us a Spirit of Bondage. Besides, there is none of us but may justify God, that he is not needlessly severe; yea some have so sinned, that though they be not Filii irae, Children of Wrath, yet they are Filii sub irâ, Children under Wrath; though they need no Regeneration or Conversion, yet they have grieved the good Spirit of God by walking inordinately, therefore their business is to submit to the Authority of God, justly correcting and punishing them for Sins. Micah 7.9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him. And by unfeigned Repentance to renew their Claim, and promise greater Loyalty and Fidelity for the future, Ier. 3.19. Thou shalt call me, my father, and shalt not turn away from me. They must get their Wounds healed, make up the Breach between God and them, sue out their Pardon in the name of Christ, and get a renewed Grant of it, and a sense of their Adoption.

5. If hitherto you have been quite Strangers to God, such Providences may be an occasion to begin the Relation before they are over, as they are helps to Repentance and Recovery. Upon the serious working of your Souls, the Lord may be found as a Father, and admit you into his Family. It is said, The Lord loveth whom he chasteneth, Heb. 12 6. There is a twofold Love in God, the Love of Benevolence, and the Love of Complacency; the one while we are Sinners, the other after he hath made us amiable. Some God chooseth in the Fire or Furnace of Affliction, Isa. 48.10. Behold I have refined thee, but not with silver, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. The hot Furnace is God's Workhouse, the most excellent Vessels of Honor are formed there. Manasseh, Paul, the Jailor in the Acts, When the Prodigal began to be in want, he thought of returning to his Father, Luke 15.17, 18, 19. if our Ears be opened to Discipline, we can own God in the humbling, though not the comfortable way, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Many that were never serious before, are brought to bethink themselves in their Afflictions, 1 King. 8.47, 48. Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplications unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness: And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul. The Doors of God's Family are always open to believing Penitents, and it is a Fatherly Providence at last.

Secondly, What an advantage is it to Patience, and submission to God.

1. God's Fatherly Relation showeth his Love to us; and so we know, that by all his Chastisements he doth but seek our spiritual and eternal Good. Heb. 12.9, 10. We have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence, shall we not much rather be in subjection to the father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Children, though they take it ill to be beaten by others, yet they take it patiently when beaten for their faults by their Parents, who under God are the cause of their Being and Maintenance, and ever in correcting seek their good, much more should we submit to our Heavenly Father. Earthly Parents may err, wanting Wisdom, or being blinded with Passion, and so their Chastisements are arbitrary and irregular: But there is more of Compassion than Passion in God's Rod, all cometh from purest Love, and is regulated by perfect Wisdom, and tendeth to the highest End, even our Holiness and Happiness.

2. It inferreth great Love from us to God again. No owning of God is allowed, but the Practical owning of him; and therefore none own God as a Father, but those that love him as a Father: Now love God once, and nothing that he doth will be grievous to us; for as Love sweeteneth Duties, so it sweeteneth Providences. It cometh from my Father, that doth not only bespeak Reverence or Submission, Numb. 12.14. If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? but welcome, anything should be well taken at his hand.

III. It well becometh his People to endure willingly whatever God calleth them unto.

1. From God. His Sovereignty and Power, He is too great to be questioned, Job 9.12. Behold he taketh away, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What dost thou? His Justice, He is too just to do us wrong, Job 34.23. For he will not lay upon man more than is right, that he should enter into judgment with God. There is Guilt enough in everyone to silence us, Psal. 119.137. Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. His Goodness, He is too good to do us harm, he knoweth how to recompense us, Psal. 119.71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted. Nothing but Good can come from him, who is Goodness and Love itself. His Wisdom, and Faithfulness, he will afflict us no more than need requireth, or will exceed our strength, 1 Pet. 1.6. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. 1 Cor. 10.13. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

2. With respect to Christ, whose Example should be of force to us, both for Suffering, and patience in Suffering. For Suffering, there is a certain measure of Affliction fitted and prepared for Christ and all his Followers, the bitter Cup goeth round from hand to hand, the whole Wave dashed upon Christ, some Drops light upon us, Col. 1.24. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake which is the Church. And for patience in Suffering, Heb. 12.2, 3. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despised the shame, and is sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, least ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 1 Pet. 2.21. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps ; And Vers. 23. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. He hath trod the way before us, and his steps drop fatness, Matth. 20.23. Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them, for whom it is prepared of my father. There are two things, if any would be nearer in Dignity to Christ than others, it is not in reigning, but in suffering with Christ, in drinking Christ's Cup; but for Preferment in another World, and to have a larger measure of Honor, that is given to those, for whom it is appointed. We are to prepare for the Cross. The other is, the New Covenant engageth us hereunto, for there is an Allusion to the Sacraments. Therefore Christ useth these Notions:

1 Use, Showeth what Provision the Christian Religion maketh for Patience, Rom. 15.4. For whatsoever things were written afore-time, were written for our learning, that we through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. This Patience, and Comfort of the Scriptures, is a higher thing than what is learnt by the Institutions of Philosophy, Tam in ipsis falsa erat patientia, quàm & falsa sapientia; Cypr. Both their Patience and their Wisdom is false. The Grounds of Patience from the Christian Religion are particular Providence, Adoption, the Example of Christ, the Assistance of the Spirit, the Desert of Sin, the Fruit of Afflictions, both as to the refining of Grace, and preparing us for Glory, Heb. 12.11. Now no chastening for the pres • nt seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby.

2 Use. To exhort us to bear whatsoever God shall lay upon us.

1. Seek this Grace of God, both the Wisdom and the Power to calm the Spirit▪ Col. 1.11. Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and longsuffering with joyfulness. Jam. 1.5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God. Man's strength is not the strength of Bulls, it doth not lie in brutish force, but strength of Reason. Our own Reason is too feeble to encounter our Passions, if not assisted by Grace; they are not healed by Time, but spiritual Wisdom, Psal. 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul.

2. Expostulate with yourselves, and cite all your Passions before the Tribunal of Reason, Psal. 42.5. Why art thou cast down, Oh my soul! Why art thou disquieted within me? God puts Jonah to the Question, Jonah 4.4. Dost thou well to be angry? So should we argue with ourselves; with whom are you displeased? Is it with God? He doth what he pleaseth; he might cast thee into Hell, and art thou angry because of his Temporal Chastisement? He hath bestowed many Mercies upon thee, and shall he not take his seasons to chastise thee? Art thou angry with Man? But is not God's hand in it? Hast not thou done so to others? Eccles. 7.22. For oftentimes also thy own heart knoweth, that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

A Sermon on LUKE xxiii.34.

THE Words of the Dying are wont to be much observed; when Men depart out of the Body, they are usually more serious and divine, and speak with greater weight. As a Man that is to take a Journey trusseth up his Bundle▪ or Fardle; so when Men are to take a Journey to God, and are upon the brink of the everlasting State, they are wont to gather up whatever is of a divine and immortal Nature. Especially the Speeches of the Godly dying are to be regarded, who having laid aside worldly Affairs, and earthly Thoughts, are wholly exercised in the Contemplation of heavenly Things: Therefore in Scripture we read of David 's last Words, 2 Sam. 23.1. and of Joshua, cap. 23. ver. 14. And behold, this day I am going the way of all the Earth ; But before he goes, he would leave this Testimony for God: Ye know in all your hearts, and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things, which the Lord your God spake concerning you, all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. So Jacob, Moses, Simeon, Luke 21.29, 30. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word; For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Paul, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Now certainly if any Man's dying Speeches are to be observed, Christ's are much more. Job said, Job 19.23, 24. Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! It were well if Christ's Words were written, not in Cedar, but in our own Hearts. They reckon seven short Speeches of Christ upon the Cross, and this is the first, when he begins to break off his silence, it is to pray for his Persecutors, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. In which Words there is,

• 1. Christ's Request, Father, forgive them.
• 2. The Argument by which it is enforced, For they know not what they do.

I. Christ's Request, Father, forgive them. Father is a word of Confidence towards God, and of Love to his Enemies, he mentioneth the sweetest Relation. Father is a word of blandishment, as Children when they would obtain anything at their Parents hands, cry, Father ! Some observe, that when he speaketh of his own Desertion, he cri • th, My God! my God! But now when he prayeth for the Pardon of his Enemies, he useth a more endearing Relation, Father. But the Observation is fond and nice, for Christ in his own case useth the same endearing Title, Mat. 26.39. Oh my father! if it be possi • le let this cup pass from me ; and there is a special Reason why in his Desertion he should say, My God! my God ! as suiting the Title to his case, Eli! Eli ! My strong One! my strong One! He wanted the strong Support, and the sensible Consolations of his Godhead. It is most comfortable to observe, how Christ upon the Cross calleth God, Father, he felt him a Judge, and believeth him a Father. The special Work of Faith in Afflictions is to maintain the Comfort of Adoption, Heb. 12.5. Ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son! despise not thou the chastening of the Lord. Those that are under chastening may be Sons. God doth not always put on the Person of a Judge, when he taketh the Rod in his hand; the change of your Condition doth not alter, nor make void your Interest. God is the God of the Valleys, as well as the God of the Hills. Christ was now, as a Man, forsaken and rejected of God, left to the Assaults of Satan, and Scorns of Men; and yet in the height of his Pains and Passion he retaineth his Confidence, Father, forgive them. The whole World is not worth the comfort that is wrapped up in that one word▪ Father. It is a great folly in the Children of God to question his Love, merely because of the greatness of their Afflictions. We presently cry out, as Job 30.21. Thou art become cru • l to me, with thy strong hand thou o • p • s • st thyself against me. That he hath put off all Fatherly Affection, because we judge of the Cross according to the sense of our own Flesh. And therefore merely to question God's Love because of Afflictions, is folly; rather we may conclude the contrary of the two, Bastards are left to a looser Discipline than Sons; the Bramble of the Wilderness is suffered to grow and spread, when the Vine is cut, and pruned, and pared: The Stones that are to be set in the Building are most hewed and squared, others lie neglected in the Quarry, and are left to their own roughness. Multiplied Afflictions are a sign God hath a care of you, he will not suffer you to run wild. And therefore in defiance of the Cross learn to call God Father, look through the Cloud of the present Dispensation to the Love of God towards you.

Father, forgive them. Christ speaks as foreseeing the Danger and Punishment, which they would bring on themselves as the fruit of their Madness and Folly, and therefore he prays, Father, forgive them. This Act was provocation enough to move God to dissolve the Bonds of Nature, to cleave the Earth, that it might swallow them up quick, or to rain Hell out of Heaven upon them. Lesser Offences have been thus punished, and one word from Christ's mouth had been enough. But, Father, forgive them, we hear nothing but words of mild pity; when he says, Forgive, he means also convert them, for where there is no Conversion, there can be no Remission.

I shall look upon this Prayer under a twofold Consideration:

• 1. As an high Moral Act of an holy Man.
• 2. As a Taste of his Mediation and Intercession, where we shall consider the public Relation he sustained upon the Cross.

First, Let us look upon it as a Moral Action; he doth not threaten fearful Judgments, but prayed for his Enemies, there was no stain of Passion and Revenge upon his Sufferings, 1 Pet. 2.21. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps. And wherein? Vers. 23. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. One great Use of Christ's Death was to give us Lessons of Meekness and Patience, and humble Suffering. In this Act there is an excellent Lesson, Let us look upon the necessary Circumstances that serve to set it off: (1.) For whom he prays. (2.) When he prays. (3.) Why he prays. (4.) In what manner.

1. For whom he prayeth; for his Persecutors, Men that had done him the greatest Contempt and Villany which their Spight and Malice could invent. They had mocked and buffeted him, mangled his Flesh with Scourges, led him like a public Spectacle of Shame through the Streets of the City, and by importunate Clamours had gotten him to the Cross, and there placed him in the midst of Thieves; they had cursed themselves, and yet Christ prayed for them. In their Rage they had even appealed to, and dared Divine Justice, His blood be upon us, and on our children ; but Christ saith, Father, forgive them. Yea, and which is more, they did all this to him, when he came to serve the World in a Design of the greatest Love. Of all things, Men cannot endure to have their Love slighted; Holy David, when Nabal slighted his Kindness, vowed the destruction of him, and all his House; but when Christ cometh with higher Acts of Kindness, he is despised and rejected of Men, He came unto his own, and his own received him not, John 1.11. Nay, his own persecuted him, and despitefully used him, and yet he prayeth for them. They omitted no kind of Cruelty, the Law saith, Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, Lev. 24.20. But when they cry, Crucify him, he cries, Forgive them. Oh! how may we wonder at this, who are so vindictive as we are.

2. When he prayeth; in the very extremity and height of his Sufferings. Then when we are apt to forget our Friends, Christ remembereth his Enemies; in the very height of his Sorrows, he mediates for a Pardon for them: A Man would have thought that the sharp sense of the Afflictions, wherewith he was exercised, should have imbittered his Spirit; if he would make Intercession for Sinners in Heaven, a Man would have thought that he should not have interceded upon the Cross. We Pardon when the Misery is over, and by the course of Affairs, that which was intended for a mischief, proveth an advantage, as Joseph did his Brethren, Gen. 50.20. As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people alive. But Christ in the very Act of his Sufferings seeketh Mercy for the Instruments of his Passion, Pendebat, & tamen petebat, saith Austin, their Rage had brought him to the Cross, and there Christ mediateth to bring them to Heaven.

3. Who prayeth, Jesus Christ: With honor enough to himself he might have done otherwise, he could have destroyed them with the Breath of his Mouth, or with a Beam of his Glory. We forgive when we cannot harm; Power efferareth the Mind, and makes Men fierce and cruel, many would be cruel enough, but they are restrained either by want of Power, or Opportunity. But here neither was wanting, Mat. 26.53. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray unto my father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of Angels? In Man's Eye that would have seemed a rare vindication of the Glory and Dignity of his Person, but Christ doth not pray, Father, send twelve Legions of Angels, but, Father, forgive them. One Angel had been enough, 2 King. 19.35. The Angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand. It would have been more easy for Christ to come down from the Cross than to go up thither, that was the greater Miracle; four Nails could not have held the Lord of Glory, if he had not been nailed and fastened through by his own Love and voluntary Condescention. But Christ would not be Glorious now in Acts of Power, but of Mildness and Charity, and therefore it is not, Father, destroy, but, Father, forgive them.

4. How he prayeth for them, he pleadeth their Case, and putteth the fairest Construction that can be made of an Action so foul and enormous, they are poor ignorant People, led with a blind Zeal; Christ pitcheth upon the only Circumstance that serveth to lessen the Offence: Of all Excuses this is the most plausible, 1 Tim. 1.13. I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Acts 3.17. And now, brethren, I w • t that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your Rulers. We are wont to strain and force Actions to the most rigorous Interpretation they are capable of. Iracundia solers est fingendi causas sui furoris: Seneca. Anger is witty to find out Causes to justify itself; and if there be ought to justify Censure, we omit those alleviating Circumstances, and necessary Mitigations, whereby our Asperity may be taken off, and Actions be more mildly considered. But Christ saith, Poor Creatures! they act out of a blind Zeal, they know not what to do, Father, forgive them.

I Use. Information.

1. It informeth us, that the Love of Christ is greater than we can think or understand, much less express. If we be afflicted with any Pain in the Teeth, Head, or Eyes, we are so overcome with the sense of it, that we can think of nothing else, we neither admit the visit of Friends, nor will we trouble ourselves with any business, our Pain wholly engrosseth and taketh up our Minds and Thoughts. But Jesus Christ in the midst of his Agonies and painful Sufferings remembereth not only Friends, but Enemies, and is solicitous about their Salvation. Now if he be thus affected towards Persecutors, how is he to the Persecuted? They cry, Crucify him, Crucify him, but he saith, Father, forgive them. He might justly have called for Vengeance, but he prayeth for Mercy; Nothing was so cruel, but they were ready to think, and speak, and do against him in this blind and inconsiderate Fury; but he doth not consider their Injuries against himself, but their Sin against God, and would have that pardoned; and this at the time when they sought not Pardon for themselves, but were venting their Malice against him. Which surely is an encouragement to the Penitent, that he will not be hard to be entreated by them that confess and forsake their Sins, and fly unto him for Mercy. He seeks for Pardon for them that sought it not, and considereth not so much what they deserved, as what became himself, and the Riches of his Grace. They curse, and he blesseth; they vomit our Scorns and Slanders, but he poureth out Prayers to God for them.

2. That all Sins, even the greatest, except that against the Holy-Ghost, are pardonable. What greater Sin could there be than crucifying the Lord of Glory, yet upon Repentance it is forgiven. That it was capable of Pardon, appeareth by this Prayer of our Savior, and that it was actually Pardoned appeareth by the Second of the Acts, when they were touched to the quick with the sense of this Crime, and asked what they should do, Peter adviseth them to this Remedy, Acts 2.38. Repent and be baptized everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins ; and they found it effectual upon the use of it. Ver. 41. Then they that gladly received his word, were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And that it is so in the general Case, our Lord assureth us, Mat. 12.31. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy-Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. There is no exception of any Sin, though it go so high as Blasphemy, but the malicious blaspheming the Operations of the Holy-Ghost, those by which he testified manifestly and sufficiently, that he was the true Messiah, and their imputing these Operations to the Devil. But of other Sins there is no exception, speaking against the Son of Man was not believing him to be the Messiah, that may be forgiven; but Blasphemy against the Holy-Ghost is resisting his Manifestations, affirming them to be done by the Devil rather than God, and this shall never be forgiven. Well then, let us conceive of God's Mercy according to the Infiniteness of his Nature, and of Christ's Merits, according to the Dignity of his Person; an Ocean of Water will wash one Sink or filthy Hole clean.

3. That Remission of Sins is the free Gift of God, and the Fruit of his Pity and Grace. Christ asketh it of his Father, Father, forgive them : He must be sought to, we cannot merit it of ourselves. David addresseth himself to God, and useth no other Plea but Grace and Mercy, Psal. 51.5. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Our Work lieth with the Father of Mercies, and the God of all Compassions, that he may be reconciled to us, and seal up his perfect Pardon to our Souls.

4. That Pardon of Sins is a special Benefit. Christ asked no more than, Father, forgive them. It is a special Benefit, because it freeth us from the greatest Evil, Wrath to come, 1 Thess. 1.10. And it maketh us capable of the greatest Blessing, Eternal Life, Tit. 3.7. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. It is purchased at the dearest rate, even the Blood of Christ, Rom. 3.25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. It is brought about by the highest Power, the finger of God, or his all-conquering Spirit, who by converting us, or giving us Repentance, maketh us capable of Pardon, Acts 2.38. Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. Acts 5.31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. It openeth the Door to the choicest Privileges, the favor of God, and communion with him in the Spirit, therefore David pronounceth the Pardoned blessed, Psal. 32.1, 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no iniquity.

5. That Love of Enemies, and those that have wronged us, is an high Grace, and recommended to us by Christ's own Example. Sure it is needful that we should learn this Lesson, to be like God, Luke 6.36. Be ye merciful, as your father also is merciful ; That we may obey God, who hath required this at our hands. Therefore we must consider not what others have been to us, but what God will have us to be to them, meek, patient, and merciful. Again, we hereby show the Purity and Sincerity of our Love; Nature will teach us to love those that love us, but Grace only teacheth us to love Enemies. This is Love with Self-denial, they who love us indear themselves to us, the other alienate themselves from us, yet for God's sake we can love them, and seek to draw them out of the Snares of the Devil, that we may restore them to God.

2 Use. Reproof of those that are Cruel and Revengeful. How different are they from Christ, who are all for Unkindness and Revenge, and solicit Vengeance against God's suffering Servants with eager Aggravations? Oh! how can these Men look upon Christ's Practice without shame? How can they look upon these Prodigies of Love and Grace, and not blush? Can there be a greater Crime and Wrong done to any, than was done to Christ? And yet when he was whipped, Crowned with Thorns, pierced with Nails, lifted up upon the Cross, he doth not pray for Revenge, but Pardon; he doth not cry, Justice! Justice! but Mercy, Mercy, Father, forgive them ; he doth not by captious Queries and Expostulations aggravate the Offence, but he alleviates it by a sweet Interpretation, They know not what they do. It is strange to think what bloody Principles many Christians have espoused of late, that we rage against our Brethren upon every Offence, especially in Matters of doubtful Apprehension, where Men are more liable to Mistakes: Oh! it is sad when God is but a little displeased, to help onward the Affliction. I wonder where Men learn that cruel and fell Spirit, into which we are commenced of late; it was wont to be good Doctrine, Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful. What is become of all those good Lectures of Charity, and Meekness, and Gentleness, which are commended to us in the Rule of the Gospel, and the Example of Christ? Certainly when the Spirit is exulcerated, it argues some loss of Peace with God: David was never more cruel, than when he had violated the Peace of his own Conscience, 2 Sam. 12.31. And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them to pass through the brick-kilne. Certainly Matters are not right between us and God, when Men's Principles and Practices grow bloody and cruel.

3 Use. To exhort us to imitate Christ, in being meek, patient, merciful, void of Malice, doing Good for Evil, bearing the worst Usage without studying Revenge. Surely the same Mind should be in us, that was in Christ Jesus; Head and Members are acted by the same Soul, so in the Mystical Body Christ and we should be acted with the same Spirit; the same Spirit of holy Love, Sweetness, and Forgiveness that breathed in Christ, should breath forth in our Lives and Conversations: Eph. 4.32. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. All his Ordinances imply this; in the Word we hear of Christ's meekness, his Pattern is set forth, that we might be like-minded; in Prayer we are taught to say, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us ; We break our Sponsion and Promise solemnly given in this Petition, if we do not Pardon others; in Baptism, We put on Christ, Rom. 13.14. we put on his Nature and Qualities, that is, planting us into his Likeness; in the Lord's Supper we come to renew our Union and Communion with him, and to liken ourselves to Christ yet more and more. Christ changeth the temper of those that Spiritually feed upon him, as Natural Mea • s communicate their Qualities to us; the Israelites were more generous, because they were so long fed with Manna; Nero was more bloody, because he sucked the Milk of a cruel Nurse, who was wont to besmear her Duggs with Blood; Achilles was more valiant, because he was nourished with the Marrow of Lions. Men's Dispositions are much according to their Food; certainly those that eat the Lamb should not be Wolves, but meek as Christ was, and ready to forgive, and every way transcribe their Master's Pattern. See how Stephen imitates his Master, when he comes to die; first, he prayeth for himself, Acts 7.59. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ; as Christ did, Luke 23.46. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And then he intercedeth for his Enemies, Acts 7.60. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. Here is not only an Example of Faith, he committed his Soul to Christ, but of Charity, he deprecateth Revenge from his Enemies. Moses, and other holy Ones of God, have done so; Moses, Numb. 12.13. Heal her now, O Lord, I beseech thee, when his Sister Miriam was smitten with a Leprousy for doing him wrong. Aaron, when he was despitefully used, and his Calling maligned, Numb. 16.47, 48. He ran into the midst of the people, and behold the plague was begun among the people, and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people; and he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed. David fasted for his Enemies when they were sick, Psal. 35.13. But as for me, when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth, I humbled my soul with fasting ; We fast against them often, but seldom fast for them. So Paul, 1 Cor. 4.12, 13. Being reviled we bless, being persecuted we suffer it, being defamed we entreat. When we are looked upon, and treated as evil doers, we should bear it patiently, not rage against Instruments, but pray the Lord to open their Eyes, that they may see the greatness of their Sin, in hating and opposing the Godly. You should not think the Example of Christ an Act beyond imitation; you see the holy Men of God have attained a great measure of Self-denial, do you go and do likewise.

1. In private Cases. A Man shall meet with Offences in the World, all Men have not Faith, some are absurd and injurious; what a comfort would a Man have in his spirit, when he can pity their Blindness, and pardon their Malice. They took away the Life of Christ, and yet he saith, Father, forgive them ; he was slain by them, and yet he prayeth for them. Certainly it is not comely for us to Retaliate, to Hate, Curse, Revile, and pursue Injury with Injury. They that Revenge take an Example from their Enemies, and do them this honor to make them their own Pattern; and what Comfort can any have to make a Wicked Man his Precedent. Besides, to Revenge is to rush into God's Tribunal, and to take his Work out of his hands, Prov. 24.29. Say not, I will do to him as he hath to me, I will render to the man according to his work. Solomon putteth it into such Words as are proper to God, that we may be sensible of the Pride and Usurpation that is in Revenge. And, Rom. 12.19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. We take upon us to be Rewarders, when at least we should leave the case to God, you may put it into the hands of the righteous Judge, 1 Pet. 2.23. When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. Besides, it will much interrupt your Prayers, our revengeful Dispositions must needs weaken our Confidence, for we muse of others as we use ourselves. How can you say, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us, when we are like Vessels broken as soon as touched, and are furious and raging upon every Wrong, and the least Offence done to us? Alas! their Offences to us are nothing like ours to God, either for Number, or Weight. Not for Number, no Man can wrong us so much as we daily trespass against God, how many Neglects and Affronts doth Mercy put up at our hands every day; Luke 17.4. If he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. Seventy times seven is a number too little for the Transgressions and Offences of one day, and yet we grow peevish and passionate upon every slight Fault, or Wrong done to us. So for the Weight, the naughty Servant would not forgive a hundred Pence, when his Master forgave him ten thousand Talents, Mat. 18.24. compared with the 28th Verse. There is a great difference between Pence and Talents, the Roman Penny was Seven-pence Half-penny, and their Talent was One hundred eighty seven Pounds ten Shillings: Their Offences cannot be so heinous as ours, because of our great Obligations to God, and the Dignity of his Essence; theirs are against Dust and Ashes, their guilty Fellow-Creatures, ours are against the Great God. It is proper to Christians that know such an infinite Pardoning Mercy to do something above Heathens and Publicans, Mat. 5.46. If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the Publicans so? Christianity should raise the Affections to a greater Self-denial, so that we are to love our very Enemies. Besides all this, consider the benefit of a meek Patience: Revenge is sweet, but you will find more Pleasure in Meekness. All Vexations disturb the Peace and Quiet of the Soul, and I cannot do my Enemy a greater Pleasure, than to let him take away my Contentment; and when I am wronged by others, to wrong myself: Will you hurt yourself by Passion and Sin, because others hurt you by Slanders and Persecutions? He that will not forgive, hurts himself more than he that doth the Wrong; for the Injury offered reacheth but to the Name, Body, or Goods, but the desire of Revenge wounds the Conscience, and provokes God to Wrath, and shuts the Gate of his Mercy against us. The great Motive that excites the Devil to molest and disturb us by his Instruments, is not to hurt your Bodies, but to tempt your Souls to Impatience and Revenge, and to draw you to other Sins; and therefore you do not conquer it as a Temptation till you avoid the Sin. Job was robbed and plundered, but in all this Job sinned not; to come off with a wounded Conscience, this is to be foiled indeed. Besides, Conscience will take hold of all revengeful Acts; David 's Heart smote him, when he cut off the Lap of Saul 's Garment. Besides, consider the Gain of others, Saul wept when he saw David 's Tenderness, 1 Sam. 24.16. And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice my son David! And Saul lift up his Voice and wept. Tenderness is expressed by heaping up Coals upon your Enemies head, Prov. 25.21.22. If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink; For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. You may make him pliable to your purpose, as Lead or Wax melted by Fire; such Charity doth often procure Servants to God, and Friends to ourselves. It is indeed said there, And the Lord shall reward thee ; there are indeed some sour and crabbed Pieces that will never be smoother, but if distorted and depraved Natures are not won, God will reward thee; endeavors of Reconciliation are not lost with God, though you get nothing but Scorn and Contempt; you may comfort yourselves with your Sincerity, and God will not be wanting. Besides all this, consider the Honor of being above an Injury, Prov. 19.11. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression: As it is the Glory of God to pardon Sin, we think it a Disgrace, but the Holy-Ghost tells us, it is the Glory of a Man. It is the Devil's design to suffer the World to miscall Grace, Meekness is Sheepishness, and Patience is a kind of Weakness and Servility, an Argument, Ignavi ingenii, of a slow dull temper that hath no sense of things; as Astronomers call Glorious Stars, Dogs, and Bears, and Dragons Tails. Oh! consider this is an height proper to Christianity, Nature could not reach it, there is no greater Servility than to be a Slave to ones Passions, Ezek. 16.30. How weak is thy heart, saith the Lord, since thou dost all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman? There are no Spirits so feeble as those that are swayed by the ruffle of their own Passions.

2. In public Cases. In these times of mutual Provocation we are apt to return Evil for Evil, and Word for Word, and to Curse and Pray against one another; but we should labor to return Good for Evil, for Injury doth not justify Revenge. Religious Quarrels are usually carried on with great hatred and animosity, for then Religion feedeth the excess of Passion, and instead of being a Judge, becometh a Party, and that which should be a Restraint proveth Fuel. The Quarrel between Christ and his Persecutors was a Quarrel of Religion, and yet he prays, Father, forgive them ; and if Christ did thus, why should not Christians? Oh! consider it, (1.) As to open Enemies. (2.) As to the undue Carriage of Brethren.

1. As to open Enemies. Christ saith, Mat. 5.44. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. Lest we should excuse ourselves by a color and show of Religion, and so give Indulgence to the Exorbitancy of our Passions: Christ names Persecutors, that are not only our Enemies, but God's Enemies, you are to pray for them, and wish them conviction of Sin, and Reformation. And you see how Christ practiseth his own Doctrine, and so taught us not only Living, but Dying; these were carried on by a blind Zeal, alas, that they have no more Light nor better Principles! I doubt in all our Divisions we have not plied this way of Love, if we did, they would be soon cured and healed: We pray one against another, and seek each other's Ruin and Destruction, but when have we commended our Enemies to God's Grace and Pity? And after all, we are apt to baptize our Sufferings, which have been the effects of our Pride and Passion, with the glorious Name of Persecution, and that exasperateth our Spirits, and we think it is but a Duty to call for Fire from Heaven; we know not what manner of Spirits we are of. An angry Zeal hath the less of God in it, because it is so hastily kindled, and so hardly suppressed.

2. As to undue Carriage of Brethren: James 5.10. Grudge not one against another, Brethren ; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Groan not: when they should commend each other to the Grace of God, they groan one against another. We should willingly bury the remembrance of their Injuries. There cannot be Unity, Sympathy, Brotherly Love amongst the Lord's People, unless there be a Heart to pity the Infirmities of one another, and a proneness of Spirit to do good contrary to what they deserve at our hands.

Quest. But is it not lawful to pray for Revenge? Zechariah, when he was stoned between the Temple and the Altar, said, The Lord look upon it and require it, 2 Chron. 24.22. And David in the Psalms prays, that God would not pardon his Enemies.

Answ. We cannot always imitate what the Prophet did, who could know by special Revelation who had sinned unto Death, and therefore cannot use these Imprecations unless conditionally. Their Curses were Praedictions, and uttered by the Spirit of Prophecy, not by any private Spirit: Meek and humble Addresses to God, and wrestling for their good, suit better with us, and the Example of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 3.9. Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrary-wise blessing, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. It is more suitable to Christianity to wish good to them that curse and injure you. If you will not imitate Christ, you are none of his Disciples, nor will he be your Savior, nor must you think to live and reign with him in Heaven. You must overcome yourself, and corrupt Nature, that thirsteth after Revenge, Prov. 16.32. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Overcome and shame the Party that doth the Wrong, 1 Sam. 24.17. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. Look upon them as Objects of Pity and Compassion, rather than of Passion and Anger, Eph. 1.32. Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Consider what God hath done to you, that you may do the same to them.

Secondly, The next consideration of this Prayer of Christ is as a Taste and Pledge of his Mediation and Intercession. So it is Prophecied, Isa. 53.12. He was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Christ was placed in the midst of Thieves, as the first Clause is explained; Mark 15.28. and he made Intercession, that is, prayed for his Persecutors. The whole Chapter is a Prophetical Narration of the Acts and Sorrows of Christ upon the Cross. In this public Sense and Consideration, let us see what may be gathered out of the Clause, Father, forgive them.

1. It is an Instance of Christ's Love and Bowels to Sinners, he loved Mankind so well, that he Prayed for them that Crucified him. Look on the Lord Jesus as Praying and Dying for Enemies, and improve it as a ground of Confidence. Upon the Cross he would give us an Instance of his Efficacy in converting the Thief, and of his Affection in praying for his Persecutors. We were as great Enemies to Christ, and as deep in the Guilt of his Passion as they, Rom. 5.10. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. The Enemies of his Kingdom are every way as bad as the Enemies of his Person; if Christ did not say, Father, forgive, what would become of us? You will say, we are Christians: But scandalous Sinners renew his Sufferings, and put him to an open shame, Heb. 6.6. Oh! let us Adore God for these Experiences, it is a mighty ground of Hope that Christ hath put in for a Pardon, he would not die till he had expressed his Reconciliation with his Enemies.

2. See what is the Voice and Merit of his Sufferings, Father, forgive them. This is the Speech that Christ uttered, when he was laid on the Cross. The Apostle compareth Christ 's Blood and the Blood of Abel, Heb. 12.24. And to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. Abel 's Blood was clamorous in the Ears of God, Gen. 4.10. The voice of thy brothers blood crieth to me from the ground ; And so in the Conscience of Cain, it crieth, Avenge, Avenge me: Christ's Blood hath another Voice, it speaketh to God to pacify his Wrath, and to Pardon us, if penitent and believing Sinners; it speaketh to Conscience to be quiet, God hath found out a Ransom. The Blood of Christ may speak against us as well as against the Jews, for by our Sins we made Christ to die; Oh! be not quiet till it speak Peace in your Consciences. Christ's Blood was spilled in Malice as Abel 's was, and might have cried for Vengeance on the Actors, who were not only the Jews, but we, and it yet speaketh as Abel 's did, Heb. 11.4. By it he being dead yet speaketh. It is a speaking Blood, and is yet speaking. The speaking of the Blood is interpreted according to the Words in their Mouth wherewith they died, Mat. 23.35. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zecharias the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the porch and the altar. Our Lord gathers it from Zecharias his saying, The Lord look upon it and require it, 2 Chron. 24.22. So the Words of Christ interpret his Death.

3. In the Mediatory Consideration it hinteth the coupling of his Intercession with his Satisfaction▪ On the Cross there he dieth, and there he prayeth, he was both Priest and Sacrifice. The High Priest under the Law was not only to slay the Sacrifice, but to intercede for the People; first, the Beast was slain without the Camp, and then the Blood was carried into the Holy of Holies, and there Prayer was made with Incense; but before that, Aaron, when he was going into the holy Place before the Lord, was to cause the sound of his Golden Bells to be heard under pain of Death, Exod. 28.35. To this I parallel this Action of Christ upon the Cross. This Prayer was as the sound of the Golden Bells, he would make his Voice to be heard by Prayer, and then he goes into the Holy of Holies; the Lord Jesus Christ, when he shed his Blood before the Tribunal of God, he sendeth forth a Prayer. God would have our Salvation carried on in a way of Mercy and Justice, and Christ was to mingle Intreaty with Satisfaction; as, Lev. 16.14. the High Priest was to bring the Blood within the Vail, and to sprinkle it upon the Mercy-Seat; He must satisfy Justice, and make an Address to Mercy, that we that have sinned with both hands, may take hold of God with both hands, Rom. 3.24. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, it is freely, and yet through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, these two sweetly accord.

4. This is a Pledge of his constant Intercession in Heaven. The Ceremonies of the Old Law were not only Types of Christ, but his visible Actions were a kind of Types, and Pledges of his Spiritual Actions, 1 John 2.1. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He that could pray for Enemies will pray for Friends, and he that got our Pardon by his Intercession, will promote our Salvation. Certainly Christ's Glorified Soul looseth no Affection, he is as earnest with the Father for his Friends, as ever he was upon the Cross for his Persecutors. Heb. 9.24. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Christ doth appear as our Advocate in Court, not only in our Name, but in our stead.

5. It shows the Nature of his Intercession. It not only implies the everlastingness of his Merit, that his Blood doth continue to deserve such things at the hands of God as we stand in need of, but it is a continual representation of his Merit; it is not a Metaphor, but a solemn Act of his Priesthood. Again, it is not by Verbal Expressions, such as he used here upon Earth, Father, forgive them, this became the state of his Humiliation; but now he intercedes, Non voice, sed miseratione, Not by Voice, but by Pity. What is it then? Partly his appearing in Heaven as God in our Nature, Heb. 9.24. Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, &c. but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. He is said to appear before God for us, as the High Priest came and presented himself before God with the Names of the twelve Tribes engraven on his Breast-plate. Partly in his expressing an actual Willingness, or the Desires of his holy Soul concerning our Salvation, John 17.24. Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me, may be with me, where I am ; and so he appears in our Names, as well as in our Nature. Partly by some Acts of Adoration of the Sovereign Majesty of God, some Address to God there is, John 14.16. I will pray the father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever. He doth not only ask the Enlargement of his own Kingdom, Psal. 2.8. Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession ; but the Pardon, Comfort, Peace, and Supply of particular Persons, 1 John 2.1. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Partly in his presenting our Prayers and Supplications, Rev. 8.3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne ; and therefore he is called, A minister of the sanctuary, Heb. 8.2. This is the nature of Christ's Intercession.

6. The success of Christ's Intercession, Father, forgive them. Was he heard in this? Yes; this Prayer converts the Centurion, and those,