Works

A SERMON Preached upon.

W HAT is meant by the first Resurrection here, is to be discerned by the verses preceding. They tell you of Christ, the Great Angel, binding the Devil in a great chain, and casting him into the bottomless pit a thousand years, 1, 2, 3 verses, and of thrones set, and some sitting on them, and judgment given to them; and those that were martyred for the profession of Christ living and reigning with him a thousand years, verse. 4. But the rest of the dead lived not again, &c.

The end, for which Christ thus bound the Devil being considered, will help to clear and unfold the whole matter, and that you have verse. 3. That he should deceive the Nations no more: i. e. that he should not delude the Heathen or Gentiles, as he had done. From the casting off the Gentiles at Babel, the Devil had kept all the world under a perpetual cheat, to worship Idols, to sacrifice to Devils, to live and walk in all the ways of the Devil, till Christ sent his Gospel among them to teach them better. This then was the Chain, whereby the Great Angel of the Covenant, Christ, tied up the Devil, that he should not cheat the world as he had before done, viz. sending the Gospel among them, by the preaching and power of which he restrained and quelled that power and deluding of the Devil. The Heathen by the instruction of the Gospel come to know and worship and fear the true God, to cast away their Idols, to defy the Devil and his works, and to laugh his Oracles and delusions to scorn. Dagon is now fallen before the Ark of God, and his head, and hands broken off, and now Dagon is left but a mere stump. Jericho's walls are fallen flat with no other Engin but only the sound of Trumpets made of rams-horns; the strong hold of Satan cast down with the only sound of the great trump of the Gospel: and he himself tied up that he shall no more cheat and cousin the world, till a thousand years be expired; and then he is loosed again, and cousins the world by Popery now, as he had done by Heathenism then.

The poor Heathen thus recovered out of the power of Satan by the coming in of the Gospel among them, did creep out of their graves of Ignorance, Idolatry and Sinfulnss, in which they had lain stinking and rotting so many ages together, had life put into them, to live to God: they are awaked out of their dust and long sleep, to see and act and live as the children of God. And this is that, which is here called, The first Resurrection.

And the very same title doth our Savior give to the very same thing, John V. 25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. That he speaks of the first resurrection: and of the last, at verse. 28, 29. Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice; And shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. And do but consider, how great and near a parallel there is twixt this first, and that last resurrection. That last shall raise men from the death of the body; this raised the Heathen from the death of the Soul. That shall be by the powerful sound of the Trump of God; this was by the powerful sound of the Trumpet of the Gospel. That will be acted by an infinite power raising men dead in the grave: this was acted by an infinite power raising men dead in sins.

But the rest of the dead lived not again, till the thousand years were finished. And did they live then? The Millenary will tell you, Yes. For his conceit about these thousand years is this. That at the beginning of the thousand years, those that suffered martyrdom for Christ's sake shall be raised out of their graves, and reign with Christ a thousand years, and when the thousand years are finished there shall be the general resurrection. And accordingly they construe: the words before us to this sense. The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished. And then lived

An opinion, as like the opinion of the Jews, as one egg is like another. They think, Christ shall reign among them on earth a thousand years pompous reign: So do these. They think that at the beginning of his reign the holy Prophets and Patriarchs shall be raised from death, and reign with him: So these. They think, that at the end of his thousand years reign, there shall be the general resurrection, and world of Eternity: so do these. So that the Millenary doth Judaize, and he knows it not, he is fallen into the Jews opinion, and is not aware of it.

This book of Revelations is exceeding full of expressions that allude to the Jewish customs and opinions. I say, again, is exceeding full; but it were ridiculous to think, that such passages are to be construed in the same literal sense, that the Jews took them in. Only those common and well known things, as being familiar to the Nation, are used to signify or illustrate some spiritual sense or matter. Expressions are used in this place, that are agreeable in sound to the opinion of the Jews; but not agreeable in sense, but signifying something else. They conceit a personal pompous reign of Christ on earth a thousand years in all earthly state and gallantry. These words speak of a reign of Christ a thousand years, but they mean his reign and ruling by his Word and Spirit; and of his subduing and bringing the Nations into subjection and obedience, but by the Ministry of the Gospel. They speak of those that had been martyred reigning with him, but the meaning only is to intimate, that the children of his kingdom must suffer persecution, and that they shall lose nothing by their persecution; but as the Apostle speaks, If they suffer with him, they shall also reign with him. Let us read the verse before, I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God: And which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

But the rest of the dead lived not again, till the thousand years were finished. And did they live then? That is not imaginable, the time of reviving being then past and over. For at the end of the thousand years Satan is let loose again, brings in Popery and Mahumetism, and the World grows as Heathenish as it had been before Satan's binding and imprisoning. So that they had lost the opportunity of reviving, which was in the thousand years.

The word Until signifies doubly, either concluding or else excluding, you may see my meaning by these examples. The Master in the Parable gives Talents to his servants, and bids them, Occupy till I come. Here the word until concludes that he would come again. This iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die, Es. XXII. 14. Here the word till excludes them from ever having their iniquity purged. The word until in the text is of this latter construction, and means, that they let slip and embraced not the opportunity of reviving all the thousand years, when was the time of reviving, and so they lived not again at all.

And if we well observe the Histories both of the Heathen and of the Church, we shall find, that all along this time that the Gospel was dispersing through the World, there were multitudes of Heathens that would not forsake their Heathenism; and multitudes in the Church in a little time fell to superstition and worshiping of Images; and so even turned to Heathenism also. Therefore God suffers Satan to be let loose again, to go about in the world again with his delusions: he brings in Popery in the West, and Mahumetism in the East; and so the whole World is returned to blindness and darkness again; because when the light shone they would none of the light. They would not embrace the offer of reviving, when the time and opportunity of reviving was: therefore they lived not again, till those thousand years were finished, and then the time of living again was over.

So that in the words before us we observe three things.

• I. That the raising of the Gentiles from the Death of Sin is called the first Resurrection.
• II. That in that time of raising some lost the opportunity, and would not be raised.
• III. That they losing the opportunity of rising and living missed always of rising and living.

I. As to the first thing named, That the raising of the Gentiles from the death of sin is called the first Resurrection. It gives us occasion to consider, how a man's getting out of the state of sin into the state of grace is a Resurrection or a rising from the dead. And with all to compare this first and last resurrection together, and to see what connection there is between them.

I. To Sadducees and Atheists that deny the resurrection at the last day, because they can see no reason for it, I should propose this question, Whether there hath not been a raising of dead souls from the death of sin? Abraham once an Idolater; was not his soul dead then? Yet afterwards he was the great Father of the faithful. Was there not then a Resurrection of that dead soul? Manasseh the King, an Idolater, a Conjurer, a Sacrificer of his Sons to Molech, was not this man dead in trespasses and sins? and yet this man afterwards was a Penitent, a Convert, a Promoter of piety, and the true worship of God. Was not here a Resurrection of a dead Soul? Is God less able to raise a dead body out of the grave, than to raise a dead soul out of its sins? Nay, is not this as great a work of God, as that will be? Christ, that can make such vile souls, that they may be like unto his most glorious soul, cannot he make these vile bodies, that may be like his most glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself?

II. But let us look upon this first resurrection a little, and blessed and holy is he that hath part in it, over such an one shall the second death have no power. In some things it is not parallel or like to the second resurrection, in more it is.

First, The Second Resurrection shall be of all bodies, this First is not of all souls. And if we come to seek for the reason of the difference, where shall we find it? Cannot the same power, that shall raise all bodies also raise all souls? The reason of the difference lies not in the difference of that power. Were it not as much for the glory of God to raise all souls, as to raise all bodies? The reason of the difference lies not there neither. For God chooseth freely the ways of glorifying himself, and is not tied to this or that way by any necessity. But the reason of the difference lieth.

First, In his own Will, as the Apostle resolves it. He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. But

Secondly, As in reference to the persons raised, he raiseth what souls he raiseth by virtue of his Covenant of grace; but he raiseth not all the bodies he raiseth by the same virtue. It is said concerning Christ himself, that God brought him from the dead by the blood of the everlasting Covenant, Heb. XIII. 20. So doth he by the blood and virtue of the same Covenant, bring from the dead every soul that he brings from the dead; but he doth not so everybody that he brings from the dead. Now the tenor of the Covenant is, Hearken to my voice and live. Es. LV. 3. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear and your soul shall live. And to the very same tenor are those word of our Savior mentioned before, Joh. V. 25. The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear shall live, What kind of language is this? The Dead shall hear? All the Dead shall hear, and yet only they that hear shall live? What needed more to have been said, than that the Dead shall hear his voice and live. But his meaning is, all the dead Heathen shall have the Gospel, and hear the word of it brought among them, and they that hear it, that is, obey it and follow it, shall live.

Let me repeat that which I alleged from Isaiah, LV. 3. and add what follows there, Hear and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David. Now that by sure mercies of David is meant the resurrection of Christ, the Apostle teacheth us in Act. XIII. 34. And as concerning that he raised him from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. The resurrection of Christ therefore are the sure mercies of Christ. For that by David is meant Christ it were easy to show, and it is so confessed by the Jews themselves in their expositions of that place. It was the sure mercy that God gave to Christ himself, of which he so rejoiceth, Psal. XVI. 9. My heart is glad, my glory rejoiceth, and my flesh also shall rest in hope. Because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, &c. And it is the sure mercy of Christ, that God gave to the members of Christ, that he raised him from the dead, and imparts to them the benefit of his Resurrection. And this is called there an Everlasting Covenant that he makes with them. That as he gave Christ a resurrection, so he will give them a resurrection. The first and the latter rain, the first and the latter resurrection. First to raise their Souls by the virtue of his Covenant from the death of sin in his good time, and to raise their bodies by virtue of the same Covenant at the last day. Of which last our Savior speaks three times over, Joh. VI. ver. 39. This is my Fathers will which hath sent me, that of all that he hath given, I should lose none, but raise him up at the last day, ver. 40. And this is the Will of him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the Son, and believeth on him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up the last day. And ver. 44. None can come to me except the Father, which sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. Will Christ raise up all persons in the world at the last day upon these terms? Ye see, No, but only those that comply with his Covenant, to come to him, see him, believe in him. His power and justice will raise all others, the virtue of his Covenant will raise these.

Now I suppose you easily see how to distinguish twixt the Tenor of his Covenant, and the Virtue of his Covenant. The Tenor of his Covenant is, Hear and obey my voice and live. The Virtue of his Covenant is his unfailing truth, power, goodness, that will give life to them that hear his voice and obey him. Thus you see one reason of the difference, why he raiseth but some souls here from the death of sin, but will raise all bodies from the death of the grave.

Thirdly, Another reason of difference may be given, for that at the last day he will raise all the persons in the world from their graves, that he may glorify himself, but he raiseth only some few from their sins, that they may glorify him. And there is a great deal of difference twixt God's glorifying himself upon men, as he did upon Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, and bringing men heartily and laboriously to glorify him, and to live to his glory. But

Secondly, a main difference in these two resurrections, the soul from sin, and the body from the grave, is that the first resurrection is with the desire of him that is raised, the latter will be in despite of thousands, that will have no mind of it. God will bring thee to judgment. Eccles. XI. 9. is a cutting saying, but all the World shall never be able to take the edge of it off. But let wicked men struggle and strive and tug never so hard against the resurrection, God will bring them to it, and no resisting. But the first resurrection, or the raising a soul from the death of sin, how sweet, how welcome, how comfortable is it to everyone to whom it comes? Thy people will be willing in the day of thy power, and help forward their own rising as much as they can: and the Spirit and Bride say come, and the soul and heart say, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, and let me see this resurrection.

And thus have we seen some circumstances, in which the first and second resurrection differ, and are at distance let us now consider, wherein they; agree and shake hands one with another.

Observe, that the Scripture speaks in some places of the Resurrection, as if it were to be no Resurrection, but of just and holy ones only; as you may take notice in 1 Cor. XV. and 1 Thes. IV. That there shall be a Resurrection of the unjust as well as of the just, the Scripture assures us over and over again; but it more especially calls that a Resurrection, that is a Resurrection indeed, and and not a raising to be cast down again. Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, as the Apostle tells us, Death hath no more dominion over him. And the Scripture doth more especially call that a Resurrection, that is written after his Copy, for a man to rise from the dead to die no more. That man is but little helped which we read of in the Prophet, that in the way met a Lyon, and flying from him into the house, a Scorpion bit him. And can you call that a Resurrection cheerfully and favourly, when a man is raised from one death to die another?

Blessed and holy is he, saith this our Apocaliptic, that hath part in the first Resurrection, over such an one the second death shall have no power. But if he have no share in the first Resurrection, at the second Resurrection, his rising is but to remove out of one death into another, out of one deadly room in the prison into a worse. Therefore the Scripture in the places mentioned speaks of the Resurrection, as if belonging only to the holy and righteous, speaking of it as it is in its proper definition, arising again from death, and not flitting from one death to another; it speaks of the second Resurrection, as it is akin and related to the first, that being an arising from one death, this from another.

And this is the first Parallel that we may make between them, they are both a rising from death, that neither in the one nor in the other death hath anymore dominion: not the death of sin in the first Resurrection, nor death in the grave in the second.

Shall we dispute whether the first or second Resurrection be the greater work, the greater business? They are as it were brethren, and to whether belongs the privilege of birthright? It hath been said of old, that sleep is the elder brother of death; and certainly with as much right we may call rising from the death of sin elder brother to rising from death in the grave. May we not call sin the elder brother of Damnation, and on the contrary, Grace the elder brother of Glory, and the rising of the Soul elder brother to the rising of the body? What is the first formulation or corner stone that is laid for the building up of a happy and blessed Resurrection at the last day? Will you lay it in the Power of God? That can raise men to damnation, as well as salvation. Will you lay it in the Will of God? That will raise up some to damnation, as well as some to salvation. But you must lay it in the first Resurrection, or the rising of the soul out of the grave of sin.

Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption. The word is so written in Hebrew, that it may be read Holy one, or Holy ones. We know the Holy one of God did not, could not see corruption, and the reason was because he was so holy an one: and it must be holiness that must be the beginning, the great promoter of our incorruption. And get but the soul happily raised and cleared of her corruption, the happy raising and clearing from the corruption of the body will certainly follow.

You remember the expression of the Apostle, If you be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. Col. III. 1. We risen with Christ? It is well worth considering how that is done. There were some that arose with him indeed out of their graves at his Resurrection. Mat. XXVII. Of these it might well be said, you are risen with Christ: but how of others? The meaning is, Not only you are risen as Christ is risen, but you are engrafted into Christ's Resurrection, and risen united to his risings. The Apostle warrants the expression of ungrafted, Rom. VI. 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his Death, we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection. So that in the instant of the first Resurrection, that any man attains to rising from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, that man is engrafted, implanted into Christ; and as sure of a happy Resurrection, as that Christ is risen.

A Second Parallel of the first and second Resurrection is in regard of the instrumental cause of both. The second Resurrection will be effectuated by the all powerful voice of Christ, calling all out of their graves. Joh. V. 28. All that are in the graves shall hear his Voice, and shall come forth. This the Apostle calls the Voice of the Archangel, and Trump of God. 1 Thes. IV. 16. And in 1 Cor. XV. The trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised. Let us by the way pause a little, and take up some thoughts of this Trump or Trumpet.

The Father of old said, That whether he were eating or drinking, or whatsoever he did, he still thought he heard this Trumpet sounding this alarm, Arise ye dead and come to judgment. Suppose you heard it now, would it not startle you? We have been startled many a time with a dreadful clap of thunder; what amazement and dread would you be in, if you heard this alarm? the voice of the Trumpet, that will make Heaven and earth to quake, and to vanish away: the Voice of the Archangel and his Trumpet, that will rouse and awake all the world, and whosoever hath slept the longest in the dust: The alarm of the Trumpet, that will not only force all to awake, but to rise and to come, and appear at the Judgment.

Now what parallel doth the first Resurrection bear to this? Why, that is an alarm also of the Trumpet of the Gospel. How oft is the Ministry of the word of God compared to a Trumpet? Isaiah XXVII. 13. The great Trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come, that were ready to perish in Assyria, and the out casts in the land of Egypt, and they shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. That is, the sound of the Gospel shall gather them, and bring them to worship the true God. Mat. XXIV. 31. He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, That is, he shall send his Ministers with the sound of the Gospel. Think of the sound of the Trumpet at Sinai, and think of the Trumpet at the last day: at Sinai, to cause a first Resurrection, or to bring Israel out of their sinful condition to rise and live to God: and at the last day, to call to account about the keeping of that Law, that was then given.

So that would you know, Whether you shall have a happy Resurrection at the last day, consider with yourself, whether you have come to the first Resurrection even to this day. And if you would know whether you have attained that, consider, whether you have been raised by the Trump of the Gospel. It is to thy first Resurrection thou must look, to judge of thy speeding at the second. These two are linked together, and have relation one to another, as the Feast of Pentecost, when barley harvest was now got in, had relation to the second day in Passover week, when barley harvest first begun. The Resurrection will be a fit harvest for every man to reap according as he hath sowed. There is none but would willingly have a Resurrection at the last day to life, and not to damnation; begin thy Resurrection here; and as thy soul is risen from the death of sin, so mayest thou expect thy bodies rising from death in the grave.

The Jews speak of a little bone in some part of a man's body, they call it Luz, which they say will never be consumed in the grave, but will be as it were a seed sown in the ground, out of which will spring the Resurrection of the whole body. I may say, graciousness in the soul is rather the seed of the Resurrection of the body, that will cause it to rise to life and happiness. And thus much concerning the first Observation.

II. That in the time of the first Resurrection, that is, the raising the Gentiles from the Death of sin, some lost the opportunity and would not be raised. The rest of the dead lived not again, because they were not raised by a first Resurrection, when season and opportunity of living again was in date, that is for the thousand years mentioned in the Text.

Whether you take the thousand years for a certain determinate time of exactly so many years, or that a certain number is used for an uncertain, and this number the rather because it is used by the Jews: whether the one or the other, you are to begin to count from the time the Gospel was first sent among the Gentiles. And count such a space of time forward, and you will find in story, that though the Gospel had gone through the world, in that time, and made the world Christian, and vast numbers were converted to Christianity: yet there was still a struggling to have kept the World Heathen, and multitudes were unwilling to come off from their old Heathen and Idolatrous Religion.

For three hundred years the Emperors, and all the Magistrates were enemies to the Gospel, and if any of them did not persecute the Christians, as but few but did, yet they maintained their Heathen Religion might and main. And the great wise men of the World, (as they were esteemed) the Philosophes and learned ones; were the greatest sticklers for the maintaining of the worshiping of their many false and idol God's all along, when the Emperors were become Christians. Which may very well make us to remember the words of the Apostle, 1 Cor. I. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. I cannot omit two remarkable passages.

The one of Julian the Emperor, who was brought up a Christian, but turned Heathen; nay, who, as stories relate of him, had been a Lecturer in a Christian congregation, but became the bitter enemy to Christianity. He, when the Emperors had been Christian for two successions, viz. Constantine and Constantius; and the Christian Religion had flourished in their times well towards forty years, and the Heathen Idolatrous Temples shut up, and Christian Churches opened: He opens the Heathen Temples, shuts up the Christian, promotes Idolatry again, and the worship of the Heathen God's; and hath many Heathen Philosophers, Jamblichus, Maximus, Ecebolus, Libanius, and I know not how many more, to spur him on to it.

And the other passage I have, is a clause in a letter of Adrian the Emperor to one of his Nobles; in which he tells him, I have been in Egypt, and there I observed the Christians worshiping Christ and Idols; yea, the Christian Bishops worshiping Christ and Serapis. Which Serapis was the great God and Idol of the Egyptians.

By all which we may see the truth of what is asserted in the Text, That the rest of the dead lived not again, but continued still in their dead condition of blindness and Heathenism. And may also see the reason why they lived not again, viz. because they would not, but chose death before life, to continue in their dead condition of being Heathens, rather than to become Christians, and live. And from this we may see, how just it was with God, to let Popery and Mahumetism invade the world, and to reduce it to its heathenish ignorance, blindness and superstition again, because it was so unwilling to part with its ignorance, blindness and superstition. Because they would not receive truth in the love of it, as the Apostle says, it was just with God to give them up to strong delusions, to believe a lie.

And by that sad example we may observe, how men lose and let slip the opportunities that God affords them for their own good, and so losing them they lose themselves. Jerusalem knows not the time of her Visitation, and the things of her peace, and so poor Jerusalem is lost, and her opportunity gone forever. There is a critical time, when there is a season opportune for the good of the Souls, and the clock strikes Time is; but foolish men too commonly take so little notice of it, that the brazen head cries Time is past, and breaks to pieces.

If we should take up the Dispute, whether God do not set his time and stint, how long he will let men have opportunity of rising from the death of sin, are there not many evidences for the affirmative, that he doth? He sets his stint and date, how long he will afford a man the opportunity that his body may live; and doth he not the like for the living of the Soul? Doth not God shut the gates of mercy against sinful Souls even in this life, and doth he not shut the gates of Repentance? These in the Text that lived not again, was not all possibility of living again taken again from them, because they had let the time and opportunity of reviving let slip, and go, and neglected it? Esau lost his opportunity, and having lost that, he found no place of recovery, though he sought it with tears. And Joh. XII. 39, 40. They could not believe, because Isaiah had said, he hath blinded their eyes, &c. Why? were Isaiah words a charm to them that they could not believe? No, they could not believe, because those words of Isaiah were verified upon them. And they had so long willfully blinded their own eyes, and hardened their hearts, that God had put to his Seal; and blinded and hardened them, that they were now past all possibility of believing.

In that great dispute and iniquiry, how God hardeneth men's hearts, of which there is so frequent mention and intimitation in Scripture: the first crisis toward the determination of it is, that God hath set such men a time, how long they may be in a possibility of repenting and believing, which when it is come, and they are still impertinent, and unbelieving, and will not repent and believe, he shuts the door against them that they shall not repent and believe.

Upon the consideration of all which, we have advertisement what we have to do; viz. to strive after this first Resurrection, while the Lord affords time and opportunity; and when God offers the advantage of our living again, not to be enemies of our own reviving.

A SERMON Preached upon

A ND I think it is said very nobly and as became a David. A Prince of prudence and clemency. A Prince of faithfulness and justice, though I cannot tell who thinks so of these words but myself. I believe there are but few that have either commented upon these words, or that do read them but they have some hard thoughts of David, as if he dealt but somewhat hardly with poor Mephibosheth.

I am sensible what disadvantage I go upon, if I go about to plead for him, though I speak for the King: for it is much that a firstborn gloss or exposition upon a difficult place of Scripture doth gain by being firstborn. And the commonly and old received opinion upon these words, hath so got prepossession in the hearts of most by privilege of its birthright, that a younger interpretation will hardly find entertainment because it is a younger brother.

The Jews do commonly speak their minds upon these words in this manner. I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. At the same instant divine providence said, Then let Rehoboam and Jeroboam divide the Kingdom. Accounting this action of David so horrid unjust a thing, as that it deserved and brought that • ore judgment of renting ten Tribes from David's Kingdom. Christian expositors are no more favorable to him in their construction, but lay the very same accusation to his charge, of harshness, rashness and injustice in this case: for giving away half Mephibosheth’s, innocent Mephibosheth’s land to his lying servant. Come let us reason together with him and with ourselves a little.

I. And is thy kindness, O David, to thy old dear friend Jonathan, the man of thy love and the man of thy Covenant, to use his son so very hardly, yea though he had given thee some just offense? Thou once professedst with tears, Thy love to me, O Jonathan, was wonderful passing the love of women. And now this unkindness of thine, O David, were as wonderful passing the unkindness of an enemy.

II. Is David become so weak in Wisdom and Judgment, as to be so baffled and befoold by a cheating fellow and never to discover him; or is he become so easy and soft as to sit down with such a gull put upon him, and he never go about to ungul himself? It is true indeed he was surprised with the lie when he was fleeing for his life, chafed with anxiety and vexation; but can we think David of so sleepy a conscience, as so rashly to undo a poor man by giving away all his land upon a bare information, and never to take second thoughts, whether he had done the man wrong or no? And how easy was it for him before he here met with Mephibosheth to have informed himself of Mephibosheth’s behavior, and of his innocence?

It is said in verse. 17. that a thousand men of Benjamin met him at Jordan when he was returning, and is it likely that he would not inquire of them about him, or that they could not or would not inform him of his demeanor, who was now the chief man of their Tribe? Had they so lost the love and remembrance of their old Master Saul and his good son Jonathan, as to see his son so undone by a cheat, and none of them to testify his integrity.

III. His very beard and clothes might bear witness for him, if nobody else would: and these might give Ziba the lie, and satisfy David that the poor man was falsely accused: for he had neither trimmed his heard nor washed his clothes since the Kings going away, until his return again, but had utterly neglected and been careless of himself, as showing really, that he was really afflicted for the Kings affliction. And would not David think you believe such clear and evident testimonies as these?

IV. It is said 1 King. XV. 5. That David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and turned not aside from anything that he commanded all the days of his life, but only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. Truly it might very well have been added, And in the matter of the wronged Mephibosheth: if he did so condemn him to the forfeiture of his land upon a false accusation.

V. And lastly, Can David be so ready as he was, to pardon Shimei who cursed him to his face, and be so hard to be reconciled to Mephibosheth who was only accused behind his back? And the Holy Ghost hath seemeth to hint this very thing, and observation to us. For who observeth not the dislocation of this story we are upon? That it is laid out of its proper place, and that it is placed before its proper time?

In the story immediately next before this you have David at Jordan, there speaking with Shimei, at verse. 23. And in the story immediately next after this, you have David still at Jordan there taking his leave of Barzillai, verse. 31. And yet in this story between you have David met with Mephibosheth at Jerusalem, verse. 25. This is not done at random and by any oversight, as if the Holy Ghost had forgot himself, as we poor fumbling creatures are many time lost in our tale; but the sacred Spirit hath purposely thus methodized the story with such a dislocation, for our more narrow observation and clearer instruction. In the story before, you have Shimei and Ziba meeting David at Jordan: a very proper couple and fitly yoked together, like to like. The one of them had cursed the King to his face, and the other had cosened him to his face: the one had abused him with rough railing and the other had abused him with a smooth lie.

What past between David and Shimei the story tells you, but not a word of what passed twixt David and Ziba. That is comprehended in this story of what passed twixt David and Mephibosheth, because Ziba 's business was Mephibosheth’s concernment.

The story tells that Shimei fell down before David and confessed his fault and begged pardon: and if Ziba did not so too he was a fool, as well as he had been a knave before: for he might well conclude that his knavery either was already, or else would be discovered. Well, whether he did or No, The Holy Ghost as soon as he hath related how Shimei had obtained his pardon, comes and relates this conference twixt David and Mephibosheth; as prompting us to think that if David were so readily reconciled to Shimei, who had been guilty of so great a crime, he would not be irreconcilable to Mephibosheth who indeed was guilty of none. And if he had not given this hint by this strange placing of this story, our own reason might suggest such an argument to us. That certainly if he so easily was friends with Shimei, whose villainy he himself was an eye and ear witness of, he cannot be so unexorable to Mephibosheth his dear Jonathan's son, against whom he had only the accusation of a false tale. That if he would not hearken to Abishai the son of Zeruiah when he urged him for revenge upon Shimei, but puts him back with what have I to do with you ye sons of Zeruiah, verse. 22. Certainly he would not be so harsh and inexorable to Mephibosheth’s fair and just Apology and vindication of himself.

Upon these reasons that I have mentioned, to spare more, I must crave leave to refuse the common and very generally received exposition and interpretation of these words of David, that tends not a little to his crimination and reproach: And let me crave your patience and pardon, if I take the humble boldness, to construe his words to a clear contrary sense, and a construction that tends to his honor and vindication.

When David takes Mephibosheth first to his notice, friendship and Table, 2 Sam. IX. He hath these words first to Mephibosheth, at verse. 7. Fear not, Mephibosheth, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy fathers sake. And this at verse. 3. he Phraseth, showing the kindness of God. But surely it was neither kindness of God, nor kindness of man, if he should so unkindly at last take his land from him, and be so kind as give it to his servant. At verse. 10. he hath these words to Ziba, I have given to thy masters son all that partained to Saul and all his house. Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy masters son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy masters son shall eat bread always at my table. A piece of a riddle and who can unriddle it? Thy masters son shall always have food at my table, and yet thou must till the land that thy masters son may have his food to eat. We must plow with Samsons heifer to find out the riddle, and the twelfth verse is that that will help us. And Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. And now upon this Text and this case let me ask these two questions.

First, Who was it that Ziba must till the land for that he might have food? It was for Micah; for Mephibosheth himself had food at the Kings Table. But,

Secondly, Whence must Mephibosheth have to maintain himself in clothes, and to maintain his port and retinue at the Court, according to his place and rank and quality? Did David find him these as he did find him meat and drink? Certainly when he took him to his Table, upon the restoring of Saul's land to him, we can little think, that he did it because he would have him to live of mear alms, but he did it out of pure respect to him for his fathers sake. Not so much as if Mephibosheth had need to be at the Kings finding, when he had now all his grandfathers land, but that the King would honor him with the participation of his own table and friendship and because he would enjoy his company.

So in this Chapter out of which the Text is taken, the King invites Barzillai to go and live with him at Jerusalem, and he would feed him at his own table, verse. 33. What? Would he have Barzillai to live purely upon his alms? No, that he knew he needed not, for the verse before tells, that Barzillai was a very great man, and that he had provided the King sustenance whilst he lay at Mahanaim. And because he had done so, the King invites him to his own table, not out of mear alms, but out of kindness and gratitude; and because he would enjoy his good society.

Do you not by this time see how Mephibosheth’s land is divided twixt him and Ziba? Not to make Ziba a Proprietor, but a Tenant, or rather a Bailiff or Steward: He to till the land and to bring in the profits, and the one part to go to find Micah food and maintenance, and Zibas house, and the other part to go for Mephibosheth’s maintenance and the maintaining his retinue at the Court. And thus he and Ziba divide the land from the very first, and it was David's own project from the very first, that it should be thus divided; Ziba to enjoy half for the maintenance of Micah, and to pay rent for the other half for the maintenance of Mephibosheth.

And to this purpose is observable, that it is said, That all that dwelt in Ziba's house were servants to Mephibosheth: And how could they be so, when Mephibosheth and they lived so far a sunder, as he at the Court in Jerusalem, and Zibas house in the land of Benjamin 's but that they were all servants to him in this sense, that they were all under him as chief Landlord, that they were Bailiffs for him upon his land and demesnes, for the maintenances of his son, who was with them in the house, and Mephibosheth himself who was at the Kings table.

When David was surprised with Ziba 's lie, then he said, Behold, thine is all that partaineth to Mephibosheth, Chap. XVI. 4. But did he mean withal, behold, thine is all that partaineth to Micah? That had been yet a more unjust act, than giving away Mephibosheth’s land; for he had no accusation against Micah, though he had against Mephibosheth: So that then it was at this point, Ziba and Micah divide the land, for poor Mephibosheth was clean shut out. But when David was come again to Jerusalem, and come again to himself then it is at this, Now Mephibosheth and Ziba divide the land, as it was in the first contrival and disposal. Ziba to have one part for Micah's maintenance, and Mephibosheth the other for his. And to this sense may his saying, I have said, be very well applied to David's first determination about the land: though I know it may also be applicable to his present saying, why speakest thou anymore of thy matters, I said from the very first when I gave thee thy fathers land, and took thee to mine own table, that the land should be so divided twixt thee and Ziba, for the use of thyself and thy son Micah, and I hold to the same determination, and I say so still.

Thus have I laid before you with all humble submission to better Judgments, my thoughts and conceptions upon these words. And now what can I say more upon this Text?

To take up from it any observation or doctrine, either dogmatical or practical, I know not how. For I must either frame it according to the common sense given upon the words, which I refuse, and then I should lay the foundation of my building upon ground I like not. Or I must frame it according to mine own sense, that I have given, and then I shall lay the foundation of my building upon a ground which it may be you like not. Therefore I shall to avoid these rocks on either hand, steer a middle course, and speak to that, which the very ambiguity of the Text, and the dislocation of the story out of which it is taken, may justly call upon us to Observe, viz.

You see the style here, and you see the difficulties here. The story laid out of its natural and proper order: and the words of the Text capable of two and those even contrary senses. The former not done by heedlessness or at peradventure, the latter not as if the Scriptures were not of a fixed and steady sense: but both to stir up the more serious and sober study of Scripture.

It is our Savior's prescription, as our English reads it, Joh. V. 39. Search the Scriptures, and if you ask a reason he gives you two in that verse, and divers more may be given. Search and study the Scriptures, because it is the Scriptures, the writing of God, the discovery of the mind of God, the witness of the Son of God, the revealing of the glory of God. To be studied to make one wife, to be studied to make one holy, to make one happy.

But I shall not speak of these or of what other reasons of like kind might be alleged to very serious study of Scripture; but I shall bring my discourse to a closer and narrower compass, to urge a reason only from its style and difficulty, The style and difficulty of Scripture requires all sober and serious study of it. The thing that I assert, will on the one hand please the Romanist, if he may limit it to his sense, but on the other hand it will not so very well please the Enthusiast. The one will tell you that the Scripture is so difficult indeed that it requires all serious study, but of the Clergy only, for it is too difficult for Laity to meddle withal: the other will tell you there is no difficulty at all in the Scripture to them that have the Spirit, but all things easy enough to understand and explicate, by revelation, without any study. So that here are two rocks more for us to sail, and hold a middle course between, lest we dash either upon the one or upon the other, and the card and compass I shall go by shall be the Scripture itself.

The Scripture itself tells us there is difficulties in it: and if it did not so in words, yet we might easily find it in deed. And I might need no other proof of this assertion, than such a one as he gave to prove motion, he rose out of his chair and moved up and down. Tolle, lege, take up the Bible and read presly, and that very thing will show you that you had need to read presly, because of the difficulty.

Let me but observe in our entrance into this matter these two things to you.

I. That the difficulty of Scripture doth so much require study, that none but by serious study can perceive its difficulty. As the Philosopher could not so much as imagine how hard it was to define God, till he set seriously to study upon the matter and then he found it. The further you go in Ezekiel's waters, Chap. XLVII. the deeper you go, and the more you study the Scriptures seriously, the more cause you will still find to study them seriously. And it is not the least cause of their error, that hold the explaining of Scripture is so very easy, that they have not attained to so much skill in the study of the Scriptures as to see their hardness. And I doubt not but I could show them scores nay hundreds of very hard and obscure places, which they had never the eyes to see: and I doubt as little, that they would find as little eye-sight to resolve them, if they saw them.

II. The Holy Ghost hath purposely penned the Scriptures so as to challenge all serious study of them. Else what think you is the meaning of that, He that readeth let him understand, Matth. XXIV.

Peter tells us that there are divers things in Paul's Epistles hard to be understood, 2 Pet. III. 16. and why did the Holy Ghost dictate them so hard by Paul; and why did not Peter explain them who had the same Spirit? As that passage of Peter, you may very well remember the Parable of the wounded man twixt Jerusalem and Jericho. The Priest and Levite pass by, look on him, but afford him no help. And why does Peter so by those hard places, and afford them no explication? Because the Holy Ghost hath so penned Scripture so as to challenge all serious study: He could have penned all so plain that he that runneth might have read them, but he hath penned them in such a style, that he that will read them must not run and read but sit down and study.

It were a very long task indeed to show wherein the difficulty of Scripture doth consist in every particular. I shall give you but a taste in two or three heads.

I. To begin with that which the difficulty of the Text may first hint to us, viz. that there are several passages in Scripture may be esteemed to a clean contrary construction, may be taken in two senses not only differing one from another, but directly contrary. I shall only instance in some that I cannot but deal withal as I have done with the words of the Text, viz. take them in a sense clean contrary to that sense that commonly is put upon them.

The first I shall offer you is that, Gen. IV. 7. If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. Who is there, that reading or explaining this doth not conclude it for a threatening? If thou do not well judgment is ready at doors to seize upon thee. I cannot but on the contrary construe it for a comfort; and that sin meaneth only a sin offering, as the word in the original is used an hundred times: and the very English word is so used once and again, as Hos. IV. 8. They eat up the sin of my people, that is, their sin offering; and 2 Cor. V. 21. He hath made him sin for us, i. e. a sacrifice for sin. And the sense to be for the raising of Cain from dejectedness and despair, If thou do well, there is undoubted acceptance; and if not, yet despair not, let not thy countenance fall for there is a sin offering to be had that may heal all again lying at the door: and you know in the Law the sacrifice was to be brought to the Tabernacle door, Lev. I. 3. &c.

A second is that Exod. I. 19. The Midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew wom •• are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives •• me in unto them. How many expounding that place do roundly conclude they told a lie to save their stake; when, as I suppose, it were no hard thing to show, that the thing they spake was most true, that the Hebrew women in travail were so miraculously vigorous: and that their words are so far from a sneaking lie to save their lives, that they are a bold and holy confession of their faith and piety, to the hazard of their lives; that they saw so plain an evidence of the wonderful hand of God in that extraordinary vigor of the travail of the women, that do what Pharaoh would, they durst nor would not stand or strive against it, because they would not strive against God.

A third is that Exod. VIII. 19. Then the Magicians said unto Pharaoh, this is the finger of God. How many are there that read and comment upon those words, that without any scruple conceive, that they are a fair and ingenuous confession of the power and work of God; whereas, I suppose, it were no hard thing to show, that they are an horrid blasphemy against the Lord, they ascribing the miracle wrought to their Elohim, their unknown gods or Deity, in scorn and affronting of the true God, the Jehovah of the Hebrews. This is the finger of Elohim, this is not the finger of Jehovah.

Let a fourth and last be that Esa. IX. 1. Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such, as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphthali; and afterwards did most grievously afflict her by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles. Who but takes these words, the dimness or affliction shall not be such, to mean, it shall not be so great as was in her vexation, &c. where it were not hard to show, that the meaning is, It shall be greater. I spare more; these with the Text are enough in this head to show and confirm, That the style and difficulty of Scripture requires all sober and serious study of the Scripture.

II. A second head let be, passages in the New Testament directly contrary to the Old, as if the two Testaments were fallen out and were not at unity among themselves. I will give you but five instances of these as I did of the other.

• 1. Jeconiah, Matth. I. 12. is said to beget Salathiel, whereas Jer. XXII. 30. he is threatened with a witness, ( O! Earth, Earth, &c. ) that he should be childless.
• 2. In Luke III. 36. you have a Cainan the father of Shelah or Sala and son of Arphaxad, whereas Gen. X. 24. Arphaxad is the father of Shelah, and there is no such man as Cainan to be found at all.
• 3. In Act. VII. 14. Jacob goes into Egypt with seventy five, whereas in Exod. I. 5. you have them reckoned but seventy.
• 4. In the next verse but one you have dead Jacob carried over into Shechem to be buried, whereas in Gen. L. 13. you have him carried over to Machpelah before Mamre and Hebron, some scores of miles distant from Hebron.
• 5. And the same verse you have Abraham buying a burying place of the sons of Emor the father of Shechem, whereas in the same verse in Genesis and Chap. XXIII. you have him buying it of Ephron the Hittite.

I spare more again, these are enow in this head also to confirm what I say, and to show, That the style and difficulty of Scripture requires all sober and serious study of Scripture.

III. A third head let be the strange manner of accounting and reckoning of numbers even in the Old Testament different from itself, as if that were not constant and consonant to itself. I shall give you some instances also of this head, a few amongst many.

• 1. In Josh. XIII. 3. The Text is reckoning five Lord's of the Philistines, and it counts them, the Gazathites, Ashdodites, Askelonites, the Gittites, Ekronites, and Avites; it speaks of five but reckons six.
• 2. In 2 King. VIII. 26. Two and twenty years old is Ahaziah when he began to reign and reigned one year in Jerusalem; but in 2 Chron. XXII. 2. Two and forty years old was Ahaziah, when he began to reign, &c. And if you look well there and compare his fathers age in the latter end of the Chapter next before, you will find that he is made there two years older than his father.

Need I trouble you with anymore instances to prove the difficulty of Scripture? I might give a thousand, some in Chronology, some in Chorography, some in Language, some in Sense. So that some have taken upon them to pick out some places in the Bible which they say are past all possibility of interpreting or understanding.

But • may seem to have pleaded the Papists cause against the Scripture enough and too much. But I am far from making the consequence and conclusion from the difficulties of Scripture that they make. They say the Scriptures are hard, therefore let not the Laity and unlearned meddle with them or read them at all. I say the Scriptures are hard therefore let the Laity and unlearned read and study them the more. And I need not fetch a warrant of my argumentation from any rule of Aristotle, for behold a greater than Aristotle is here, and sets me a copy, and that is the Holy Ghost in the mouth of Joshua. Josh. XXIV. 19. Ye cannot serve the Lord, saith Joshua, for he is an Holy God, he is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. The Pontifical inference after the rate they infer about the difficulties of Scripture would be this; therefore let the serving of God alone, and go not about to serve him at all; whereas the inference the Holy Ghost aims at it this is, Therefore give the more diligence and use the more care and endeavor to serve him as ye should. The parallel in the matter we are speaking of will speak itself.

I shall not enter into any deep Scholastic discourse for the making of this inference good, upon which so many Learned pens have made so many large discourses. I shall mention only some few demonstrations which carry their own evidence in their forehead and speak it plain to the most vulgar and meanest understanding.

I. It became the Holy Ghost, the penner of Scripture, to write in a Majesty, that the wits and wisdom of all the men in the World should bow before it. As is the man so is his strength, do they say, Judge. VIII. 21. and as is the Writer so is his style and strength of writing. If Pericles the Orator at Athens spoke Lightning and Thunder, as it was commonly said of him, because of the stateliness and awe of his Oratory, certainly it is no wonder if the great God of glory speak Thunder and Lightning out from Mount Sinai. If the Holy Ghost wrote the Scriptures, we must needs conclude that he wrote them like the Holy Ghost in a Divine Majesty. Nor is it enough that we give to the Scriptures, if we should think only they were written for the benefit of men, if we do not think and consider also that they were written in the demonstration of God. And how ever a blasphemous Jesuit durst be so daring as to take the Bible in his hand, and to say, Thou Spirit that, the Protestants say, breathest in these Scriptures, I defy thee; yet we have better learned the Scriptures: and cannot but tremble at such blasphemy, but are no whit moved by the boldness and confidence of it, the less to own and maintain that the Holy Ghost that gave the Scriptures, breathet • in the Scriptures in Majesty and Power. In Power to convert Souls, and in Majesty to confound confidence in man's own Wisdom.

We should look upon the Majesty of Scriptures, viz. so as to bow to it, and not to make it bow to us. My meaning is not for any adoration to the book or papers wherein Scripture is written, as the Jews keep a great deal a do with the very book of the Law, little short of adoration; but to bow to that Divine Wisdom and Authority that shineth there.

That remarkable passage of the Apostle hath been observed by many, as it is very observable, Rom. VI. 17. You have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine whereto you were delivered; as the Original Greek carries it, and so some of your margins give intimation: whereas in the Text it is, which was delivered to you. The Scripture is delivered to us so as we rather are delivered up to Scripture: much like the same Apostles expression in another place and another case, Phil. III. 12. I apprehend, but am apprehended▪ We are delivered up to the Scriptures as they are to be our Masters and not we theirs. As another Apostles expression is, We are to be doers of the Law and not Judges; to be students of the Scriptures, doers of the Scriptures, not their judgers.

You know who say, I will not believe the Scriptures for themselves, unless they could show their own Authority: Let them show me in Scripture where the Scripture tells, that all the books in the Bible are Scripture; where it said, such a book was written by such a pen-man, or else how should I believe that all the Bible is Scripture? How should I believe that the books were written by such and such pen-men? Let them choose whether they will believe it or no, may God say, but at their own peril. He never intended to satisfy every man's curiosity and crossness and cavilling, but he hath given the Scripture in Authority and Majesty, and if men will bow and submit to it well and good, and if they will not, let them see how they will answer it another day. If a prisoner at the bar should not own the Authority of that venerable Peer to judge him, unless he should particularly fetch out his Commission and show it him, what would you call such, peevishness, madness, or impudency, or both, or worse. The application is easy enough.

II. Difficulties and things hard to be understood in Scripture, is one part of the majestickness of Scripture, and it is good to judge of such difficulties aright. One once reading the crabbed and most obscure Poet Persius and not being able with all his study and endeavor to make sense of him, he flung him away with this saying, quoniam non vis intelligi: because thou hast written so as if thou resolvedst not to be understood, I am resolved not to be at pains and study to understand thee. Are the difficulties of Scripture of this nature? Are they the resolved purposes and purposed resolutions of the Holy Ghost not to be understood? Did he write them intentionally that men should never come to know the meaning of them? If this were so, the inference of the Papists were eousque something reasonable; therefore meddle not with them, for they are insuperable: but it is no such thing, for the difficulties of Scripture are of another end and intention. And let us consider of them briefly in these two or three Particulars.

1. Though we say, There are difficulties in Scripture, yet we dare not say the Scriptures are difficult. Peter saith, Some things in Paul's Epistles are hard to be understood: he will not say, Paul's Epistles are hard, 2 Pet. III. 16. The Holy Bible is like the Holy Land: some part indeed mountainous and rocky, and hard to be travailed over, but the greatest part pleasant, plain, champaigne, and valley. Like any clean beast or fowl that might be eaten, some bones but the far greatest part flesh: now it were but a mad kind of inference, never go about to eat the flesh because thou canst not eat the bones.

Men indeed have made an obscure Bible, but God never did. As Solomon speaks, God made man righteous, but they found out sundry inventions. So God made the Bible plain as to the main of it, but men have found out inventions of Allegorizing, Scepticizing, Cavilling, that would turn light into darkness, but that the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehends it not. That which God hath sanctified do not thou call common, and that which God hath made plain, do not thou darken, nay do not thou say it is dark. How plain as to the general is the history in Scripture? How plain the commands, exhortations, threatenings, promises, comforts, that are written there? Take a Sunbeam and write, and is it possible to write clearer? And what? Must not the Laity and unlearned meddle with Scripture, because it is too obscure? I doubt their meaning indeed is, because it is too clear and will discover too much.

2. These difficulties that are in Scripture, which indeed are not a few, are not a noli me tangere to drive us from the study of the Scriptures, as the inference would be made, but they are of another kind of aim and tendency. They are not unriddleable riddles, and tyring-irons never to be untied▪ but they are divine and majestical sublimities, not to check our study of Scripture or of them, but to check our self confidence of our own wit or wisdom. They are not to drive us from the holy ground where God shines in Majesty in the flaming bush, but to teach us to put off our shoos at the holy ground; not to stand upon our own skill or wisdom, but to strike sail to the Divine Wisdom and mysteriousness that shineth there. Not to dishearten us from study of the mysteries of God, but to teach us in all humility to study them the more. That obscure passage, Dan. IX. 27. about the abomination of desolation; is not, that for the obscurity we should cast away the book, not meddle with it, but that we might read and study the more presly that we may understand, Matth. XXIV. 15.

It is true, That God never intended that all men in the World should understand Scripture alike; nor that all men in the World should be able to study the Scriptures alike, or have opportunities to do it: yet these two things we may observe as to God's will and disposing in this case.

I. That God would have all to study and meditate on the Scriptures according to their capacities: The Scriptures do so frequently and urgently call upon all to this purpose, that I suppose it is altogether needless to go about to prove it, Thou shalt meditate therein day and night: Thou shalt meditate therein when thou sittest down and risest up, when thou sittest in the house, when thou walkest in the way: and various such passages as these, require and engage all sorts and conditions of people to this study and meditation, according to their several capabilities and atcheivances.

In some important points of Divinity, some men have sometimes mistaken in stating them by men's benefit rather than by their duty. If you did so in this point, it would make one very good piece of an argument; study the Scriptures for you may benefit by study of them: But take the other and it argueth more strongly, study the Scripture for it is your duty: God calls for it, lays his command upon you to do it the best you can.

II. Therefore upon this we may make such another inference as Samsons mother doth, Judge. XIII. 23. If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have accepted an offering, neither would he have shown us all these things. If the Lord were pleased that the Scriptures should not be understood, he would never have written them, he would never have charged all to study them. God never writ the difficulties of the Scripture only to be gazed upon and never understood: never gave them as a book sealed, and that could never be unsealed, that learned and unlearned alike might never see what is in them, but that they might be more seriously read, more carefully studied; that so being understood and practiced they might become the means of Salvation unto all.

A SERMON Preached upon

D OTH he not speak riddles? It is hard to tell whether verse is harder. And I have chosen to speak to them, partly that I may explain them, partly in subsequence to my late discourse about Gog, Rev. XX 8. I shown that meant an enemy to true Religion (and more particularly the Pope ) styled by the name of the old Enemy, Ezek. XXXVIII. & XXXIX. I shown that Gog was Antiochus, that laid wast the Jews Religion, and would force them to turn to the manners of the Heathen: that forbad them Circumcision, Law, Religion, forbad the daily Sacrifice, and profaned the Altar with Swines flesh, and sacrifices abominable and offered to Idols. I cited that that speaks concerning him, Chap. VII. 25. He shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the Saints of the most High, &c. until a time and times, and the dividing of time: that is, a year, two years, and half a year; or, three years and an half.

In the verse before the Text there is mention of the same matter, and there are reckoned only a thousand two hundred and ninety days. From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. For the Holy Ghost reckons by round sums, near about three years and an half, which he calls a time, times and half a time; and does not punctually fix upon the very exact sum. And so in the Book of the Revelations, where allusion is made to the same space of time, viz. three years and an half, it is sometimes expressed by a thousand two hundred and sixty days, as Rev. XII. 6. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Sometimes by forty two months, Chap. XIII. 5. And there was given to the beast a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given him to continue forty and two months. You have both in Chap. XI. 2. They that tread the holy City under-foot forty and two months. And verse. 3. I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Now let your thoughts conceive the case and state of the people and Temple in this time, a thousand two hundred and ninety days, three years and an half or there abouts: no Law, no Religion, no Sacrifice, but what is abominable; the Temple filled with Idols, the Heathen there sacrificing swine's-flesh, and other abominable things to their abominable gods. Ah! Poor Jerusalem, what case art thou in! How is the gold become dim, nay changed to dros? What desolation of Religion is come upon thee, and what bondage and thralldom under irreligion? How it goes against their heart not to circumcise their children? But they dare not do it. How grievous to see the Books of the Law burnt, and they upon pain of death dare not save them, nor use them? How bitter to see Altar, Temple, Holy of Holies all defiled with abomination, and all Religion laid in the dust, and they cannot help it, dare not resist it? What should these poor people do? Wait God's deliverance: for Haec non durabunt in secula. These things will not always last. Stay but till one thousand three hundred thirty five days, but forty five above the thousand two hundred and ninety of the Temples defilement in the verse before and there is deliverance.

And read two verses together. From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. Add but forty five days further, the sum to come up to a thousand three hundred thirty five days, and there is some remarkable thing done; as pleading the cause of the people and Religion, that had been so abused: which in all probability was the death of the Tyrant, that had brought this misery upon them: or at least some signal thing done by God for the relief of the people, who had been so oppressed. But I rather believe the former. The story of whose actions and death you may read in the first Book of the Maccabees, Chap. I. beginning. The story of which book goes almost step by step with Josephus. However his death was the Mercy, or some other special providence, the words afford plainly these two Truths.

• I. That the time of the affliction of the people of God is determined with God.
• II. That it is a blessed thing for the afflicted to wait his time and determination.

The former Observation lies in the latter clause, the latter in the former. The two things, the latter an inference upon the former, or the former a Doctrine, the latter the Use and Application of it, I shall handle in the same method and order. The time of the affliction of the people of God is determined with God; Therefore it will prove a blessed thing for the afflicted to wait his time and determination.

In prosecuting either, I shall not so much prove as clear them; and to begin with the former, I must begin with clearing a scruple or objection or discouragement.

It is true, will an afflicted people and person say, that in the times of the Old Testament God did determine the time of his people's affliction, but we can find no such determination now. The affliction in Egypt determined to four hundred years, Gen. XV. 13. And though the time were long, yet they knew when it would expire; and there might be the more patient bearing, because the end was known, and the end would come. So for their wandering in the wilderness, God told them before that it should be forty years, and they might the more contentedly bear it, because they saw some shore, and knew that that calamity would last but to such a time. So the affliction upon Judah by Israel or Ephraim, it was told before hand, that it should last so long, and no longer, Esa. VII: 8. Within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. What need I speak of the Captivity in Babylon told of before, and limited to seventy years, and no longer. And these miseries of the people in the Text, it is told them before that they should expire at the end of a thousand three hundred thirty five days.

But now there is no such prediction, no such limitation, that men can know of. Poor afflicted Christians may take up that mournful Ditty, Psal. LXXIV. 9. There is no more any Prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. We are afflicted, oppressed, trodden underfoot, and we cannot tell when these things will come to an end. How long, Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood, &c. is their cry, Rev. VI. 10. But they cannot tell how long that How long will be. Is not this some disadvantage to poor Christians above what those had in ancient times, that God hath not, doth not certify them before hand of the end of their calamities? Their case seeming something like theirs, Esa. LIX. 10, 11. We grope for the wall like the blind, we grope as if we had no eyes. We roar like bears, and mourn sore like doves; we look for salvation but cannot discover how far it is from us.

I shall not insist to discuss, why God gave that people of Israel such revelations before hand of the term and date of their miseries, and hath not imparted such forehand discoveries to his people now. It is enough to say as the Apostle, These things were done to them, and are written before us for our learning: that since he is the same God still that changeth not, and hath the same regard of the afflictions of his own people yesterday and today, and the same forever; we might believe and be assured, that the affliction of his people is determined now with him, as well as then; that he sets his period now as well as then, that he numbers the days of it now, as he does theirs in the Text.

But what am I the better as to my comfort, if I know not when this period, date and time is set?

I remember the story of him, that carrying a basket covered very close, and being asked what was in it? Answered, It is covered so close purposely that none should ask or know what is in it. And I remember withal the saying of our Savior, Act. I. 7. It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. That was spoken in the beginning of the going forth of the Gospel, and may very well be taken notice of in all ages after.

It pleased God so to reveal the term and end of Israel's affliction to them, as being a peculiar people, and a people of whom Christ should at last descend, and they not fail from being a people till Christ was come of them. Therefore when such calamities came upon them, it pleased God to tell them still of the end of them, that they might still bear up in their subsistence and expectation of Christ to come. Let me observe these two things to you.

I. That you have some old women and barren till old, bare children in some generations before Christ: Elizabeth in the very half year before Christ's birth; but you read of no such thing after. The reason whereof is, because their supernatural child bearing was to make way to the belief of the supernatural child bearing of the Virgin Mary. For thus may reason justly argue, if these bear children when past the course of nature, why not a Virgin beyond the course of nature? But after the birth of Christ, such births of old women ceased, because in the birth of Christ, that which they related to was fulfilled.

II. That the Holy Ghost draws up a Chronicle of times from the Creation to the Redemption, from the beginning of time to the fullness of it, viz. from the beginning of the World to the Death of Christ, and there he leaves and counts the time no further, save only that he mentions Pentecost fifty days after. The reason whereof is, because by links and links of time God would draw men on to observe, how God was numbering and counting out times toward that great time of promise and expectation, and to observe, when that great matter was accomplished, how faithful God was through all changes and vicissitudes of times, to carry on that great promise. Accordingly it pleased God in the time before that great work of Redemption to certify his people oft when they fell into misery, nay oft before, how long the time of their affliction and oppression should be; that still they might be carried on to look for deliverance: and by the deliverance might still have an eye to the promise, and be confirmed in the promise concerning deliverance by Christ.

So Jacob foreseeing in Gen. XLIX. 17. the great deliverance of Israel from the Philistines by Samson of the Tribe of Dan, that he should be as a Serpent by the way, and an Adder in the path, that bites the Horse-heels that he throws his rider: So he caught the heels of the Philistines Horse, the posts of the house on which they were mounted, and overthrew house and riders, even three thousand. I say, Jacob foreseeing this, presently cries out, verse. 18. O Lord, I have waited for thy salvation. His eyes look beyond that deliverance of Samson to the deliverance or salvation of Christ; and in the sight of that Type his belief of that greater matter signified is confirmed. So in this very thing we are speaking of: Till Christ came God very frequently acquainted his people before hand of what times were to come upon them? What miseries? What deliverances? What oppressions? What deliverance? Seventy years captivity in Babylon, and then deliverance: three years and half oppression under Antiochus, and then deliverance; and so in other examples: that still in their afflictions their hearts might be held up patiently to wait God's time of deliverance: and the deliverance answering and verifying the promise of deliverance, they might be built up in belief and expectation of the truth of the promise of the great Deliverer when he should come.

But when Christ was come and had done that great Work; and there being now no such peculiar people to be born up in hope of their subsistence, till Christ should descend of them: but the Church of God being scattered through the World, and Christ having sanctified the bearing of the cross to them by his own bearing it, and having allotted the cross to them for their portion, and assured them, 1 Cor. X. 13. That they should not be tempted above what they were able, but that with the temptation he would make way to escape, that they might be able to bear it.

First, It cannot be imagined that every particular Church in the World should be acquainted with what persecutions and afflictions should come upon them, and how long they should last, and when they should be removed, as God was pleased to acquaint that peculiar Church. Nor,

Secondly, Is it requisite, that God should punctually and exactly tell them the end of their persecution and affliction, but that they should always be kept to their duty, waiting, patience and dependence. When Peter would be curious to inquire concerning what should become of John, Christ answers, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee, follow thou me: Look not thou at his end but mind thou thine own duty. So if any people now should be inquisitive, How long Lord, and what, and when will be the end of this calamity? God might justly answer, It is not for you to know the times and the seasons; but keep to your duty, possess your Souls in patience, and wait to see the salvation of God in his own time and way. For let me repeat my Doctrine again, and now come to clear it further.

He knows it, nay he hath set it. For these two are the main things we shall speak to in this Point.

That no times, no men's times are hidden from God, Job makes it a principle, as of which there is no questioning; Job XXIV. 1. Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him, not see his days? The latter half of the verse is of some scruple, and translations are various, and scrupulous upon it; but the former is of no scruple, but of undoubted concession; that times are in no wise hidden from God. Only the botching Greek Translation, which some would authorize above the divine Hebrew original, reads it clean contrary, Why are times hidden from God? As if they were hidden from him. Point the latter clause right as you should do (for I observe in some Bibles it is mispointed) and the passage is much cleared. Why since times, &c. do they that know him, not see his days? Or, not more consider of his Eternity?

Dan. VIII. 13. There is a word something strange in the Original 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the English Text reads it, That certain Saint, Then I heard one Saint speaking, and another Saint said unto that certain Saint that spake, How long shall be the Vision? &c. But the margent reads it, The numberer of secrets, or, the wonderful numberer. His name is Wonderful, Esa. IX. 6. And Judge. XIII. 18. Why askest thou after my Name, seeing it is secret? Marg. Wonderful. When he is now treating concerning times, he is called the wonderful numberer of them. Mene, mene, Tekel. He numbers and he finishes the Times of Men and Kingdoms: he weighs men and their Times and their Conditions. He is the Wonderful Numberer, in whose hand and knowledge and disposal are the times of all men, as David saith of his own, Psal. XXXI. 15. My times are in thy hand. Concerning God's knowing and dating the Times of men, and their affairs, I might largely speak to these two things for evidence to it.

I. His foretelling of times and affairs before they come. By this very thing he proves himself to be the true God; and by coming short of this, the God's of the Heathen to be but lies and vanity; Esa. XLI. 22, 23. Let them bring forth, and show us what shall happen, let them declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are God's. But Chap. XLIII. 12. saith God of himself, I have declared, and saved and shown, when there was no strange God among you. And Chap. XXVI. 9, 10. I am God, there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My Counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. How did he determine the time of the sojourning of the children of Israel before their coming out of Egypt four hundred and thirty years before to the very day? Exod. XII. 40, 41. Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self same day it came to pass, that the Hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. How did he foretell of the Death of Christ seventy sevens of years, even four hundred and ninety years before it was, to the very hour? Dan. IX. 21. At the hour of the evening sacrifice, the Angel Gabriel tells Daniel the time to that very hour Christ should suffer: for he suffered at that hour. Is not the time of the affliction of his people determined with him, who foresees, foretells of times and affairs to a day, to an hour, so many hundred of years before they came?

II. His harmonizing of times in so sweet an union as he hath done, doth not that show that he is the wonderful Numberer of times, and Numberer of times of the affliction of his people? The Scripture is most copious, and the providence of God most sweet and heavenly in this kind of consort; and it may much refresh and ravish the Reader of Scripture to observe such harmony. Henock, that glorious shining light upon Earth, to run his course here just in as many years, three hundred sixty five years, as the Sun doth his course in Heaven days, three hundred sixty five days; Gen. V. 23. David, to reign exactly so long a time in Jerusalem, as Christ the son of David lived here upon earth, thirty two years and an half; 1 Kings II. 11. No rain in Elias time three years and an half, Luk. IV. 25. Antiochus desolating of Religion three years and an half, in the verse before the Text, and Christ's Ministry to be three years and an half, Dan. IX. 24. Doth not this Harmony tell that God is the wonderful Numberer of time, and Weigher of all affairs?

Multitudes of such Harmonies of times are to be found in Scripture: which all • ound out this truth we are upon, that with God the times of the afflictions and Condition of his people are most certainly determined, because all times are determined by him.

For the further clearing of this Point, I might discourse distinctly of these two things.

• I. That it is God's determination, that his children shall be afflicted.
• II. God's determining of their afflictions leaves not the time, they shall last, undetermined.

It is the latter of these I shall prosecute. The Providence of God herein is not like the Ostrich, that lays Eggs, and leaves them in the sand: as if he determined of the thing, and left the time of its lasting at random, but he weigheth and setteth the one as well as the other. In Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharisin, the two latter words are either of them two several Languages. Tekal in Chaldee, is, He hath weighed: Tekel in Hebrew, Thou art light. Parsin in Hebrew is the Persians; in Chaldee, They divide: And accordingly Daniel doth render them. So in God's determination of the Saints affliction (as those words speak of God's determining that Kingdom) there are two several providences, viz. as to the thing itself, and as to the manner and time of it: these two are twins born together in God's decree, and when he determines the one he determines the other.

In those passages in the Revelations where the Church is in the Wilderness in a sad and solitary condition a thousand two hundred and sixty days, Chap. XII. 6. And where the beast blasphemes and tyrannizes forty two months, Chap. XIII. 5. though the time be not that time definitely, yet the very expressions show the times defined and determined with God. Allusion is made to the time of Antiochus tyrannizing over Religion three years and an half: not as though the Church was to be bewildered three years and an half, and no more and no less: but by using the memorial of that sum of three years and an half, he speaks the sad condition of the Church in that time it was in the wilderness, as the times under Antiochus were sad. And so concerning the Beasts blaspheming, tis not meant, as though he were to blaspheme and tyrannize forty two months exactly; take them either of days, which make three years and an half, or of years, a thousand two hundred and sixty years: but by the memorial of the time of Antiochus rage and mischief, the rage and mischief of the Beast is intimated. So, I say, though the time intended be not exactly and punctually the time named, yet when so punctual a sum is named, it must needs argue, that the time intended is punctually determined with God.

But need I to spend time to prove this to them that have learned that not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father; and that the hairs of our heads are all numbered, Matth. X. 29, 30. which last passage puts me in mind of that, Luk. XXI. 18. There shall not an hair of your head perish▪ Observe, verse. 16. Some of you they shall cause to be put to death. And yet, Not a hair of your head fall to the ground; not a hair perish. With many a Saint of God head and all have fallen to the ground, as it was with them, Revel. XX. 4. that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus. And yet not an hair of their head perish? Some Expositors take this to have its accomplishment in the Resurrection, when the Saints, say they, shall rise with all their hair. Which granted, yet the Exposition is far fetched. The expression is a Proverbial speech, as appears by 1 Sam. XIV. 45. Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid; as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground. The meaning is, he shall not suffer the least hurt or injury. And to apply it to that passage of our Savior, and it speaks this comfortable Doctrine,

But however take it in what sense you will; if our hairs be numbered, and it be promised, that not one of them shall fall to the ground, then undoubtedly nothing befalls the Saints concerning affliction fortuitous or by hap hazard, but the thing, matter, manner, measure, time of affliction is determined by God.

Is there not an appointed time for man on Earth, Job VII. 1. There is an appointed time for every man, which he shall not pass, Job XIV. 5. Be his end never so casual, accidental in the Eyes of men, yet it is prefixed by God, and he cannot pass it, or go beyond it. And can we think anything occurs to a Saint of God in the way to his end, that is not likewise fixed?

A SERMON Preached upon

T HE whole Verse runs thus, Of how much sor • er punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, that 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? The spring head of this verse is at verse. 26. and that bubbles out fire and brimstone. Not a more dreadful portion of Scripture at the first reading and hearing in all the Bible: A Text which speaks, much like as the Law was spoken, in Fire and Thunder. If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. No sacrifice for sin, if any sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the Truth; and nothing but fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation. If the Truth mean here the Gospel, as undoubtedly it doth, then, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Who hath not sinned willfully, since he received the knowledge of the Gospel? Nay our English translation is as favorable as may be; for the word in the Original is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , willingly: and that makes the case still sadder. For who hath not sinned willingly: nay, who not willfully, since he received the knowledge of the Truth of the Gospel, against Knowledge, against Truth, against the Gospel?

That Surgeon had need of a tender hand, that is to dress a wounded heart gashed with the keen and cutting edge of this dreadful Scripture. If any heart should be darted through with this arrow of the Almighty, and that the reading or hearing this Text wounds his heart to the very root: as the story is, Origen's heart after his Idolatry, was wounded with reading those words in Psal. L. 16, 17. But to the wicked, God said, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or to take my Covenant in thy mouth; seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee? So that upon reading them he sat down and wept, and all the Congregation wept with him. What could be said to the comfort of such a bleeding soul? Should a soul wounded with these words of the Apostle, cry out, as that Prophet in another case, My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at the very heart, my liver is cut through as with a javelin, to hear that there is no sacrifice for sin, that sinneth willfully, after receiving the Knowledge of the Truth, and I have sinned so of, and so willfully against that Knowledge and Truth as I have done: What plaster? What lenitive could be applied to allay the aking smart and torture of so sad a cut? As our Savior of the smarting and cutting days of affliction before the ruin of Jerusalem, Except those days should be shortened, no flesh should be saved: So if there were no allay to the foreness of such a stroke and case, what flesh could but perish? But there is some allay, and that is this.

That the Apostle speaks not of that common, willing or willful sinning, to which who is not incident at one time or other, in one degree or other? But of a willing, willful, total apostatizing, and revolting from the Truth and Gospel once professed and received. If you observe in the Epistles of the Apostles, and in the story of the New Testament, you will find that the very topping up of the wickedness of the Jewish Nation, and of their perdition was this, that as the unbelieving part of the Nation, continued enemies to Christ and his Gospel; so those that had believed did by infinite numbers and drov • s revolt and apostatize from what they had belived, and became, if possible, worse enemies than the others, and drew as many of the believing Gentiles as they could, into the same Apostasy and condemnation with themselves.

I might evidence this by instances heaps upon heaps: And hardly any one of the Apostolic Epistles but it is so plain in it, that he that runs may read it. I shall only give you three passages instead of scores, that might be given.

First, Weigh that 1 Joh. II. 18. Little children it is the last time: and as ye have heard that Antichrist should come, even now there are many Antichrists. And who were they? verse. 17. They went out from us, but were not of us. Once Professors, and following the Apostles, now revolting, and fallen from them; once Disciples, and now Apostates and Antichrists.

Secondly, Who can pass that of the Apostle without serious observing, 2 Tim. I. 15. This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia are turned away from me. A sad Apostasy! Ah poor Paul, all turned away from thee? Where now hast thou any friend? Nay rather, Ah poor souls, ah unhappy souls, that turned away from S. Paul, and the blessed Gospel, that he brought with him.

Thirdly, And that for all. How sadly does our Savior foretell this in the Parable of the Devil cast out of the possessed, but comes again with seven other spirits worse than himself, and repossesses: And observe the cadence at Matth. XII. 45. Even so shall it be also with this wicked generation. The Application is easy.

Of such Apostasy it is the Apostle speaks, at verse. 26. where he calls it, willful sinning after receiving the knowledge of the Truth. And of such an Apostate he speaks in this verse, when he saith, He hath trod underfoot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing. Many think that the Apostle speaks here of the sin against the Holy Ghost. I am sure he speaks of that sin unto death of which the Apostle John hath mention, 1 Joh. V. 16. Not but that the sin against the Holy Ghost is a sin unto death; but the sin unto death may be distinguished from the sin against the Holy Ghost in this respect, that the Scribes and Pharisees, whom our Savior layeth under the guilt of sinning against the Holy Ghost, never received the knowledge of the Truth, and acknowledgment of the Gospel. But this wretch that sins this sin unto death, had received that knowledge, but was apostatized and revolted from it.

Their Apostasy or falling back from the Truth was into a twofold gulf. Some fell to horrible Libertinism to abuse the liberty of the Gospel, to eat things sacrificed to Idols, and to commit fornication: Of which you have intimation in several places of the Epistles, and particularly in Revel. II. 15.

But the most general Apostatizing was from the true liberty of the Gospel to the slavery of Judaism again, to seek justification by the works of the Law. Against this you find the Apostle speaking copiously almost in all the Epistles; and particularly S. Paul, the pen-man of this Epistle, (For I make no doubt at all to ascribe it to him,) sets himself purposely to stay the Hebrews, to whom he writes, from staggering and falling in such Apostasy. And you may observe, how in the whole current of his discourse, he bends himself to show, that those Mosaic ceremonies and services, by which they thought and looked to be justified and saved, were but shadows, that did but signify greater things to come: but shadows, that were but for a time, and were to fade away.

The same subject, that he is upon at this portion of Scripture, he is handling, in Chap. VI. 4, 5, 6. Where we may have an exposition of some words or passages in our Text. Receiving the knowledge of the Truth, he calls there, Being enlightened, tasting of the heavenly gift, of the good Word of God, of the powers of the World to come. Sinning willfully here, is falling away there with him: and the fate and punishment of such a wretch here is no sacrifice for sin, there in few words it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. His wickedness in this verse is threefold, and his judgment in the verses before threefold also.

I. He hath trodden underfoot the Son of God. For as the Apostasy generally was from the grace of the Gospel, to seek to be justified by their own works, then what need of Christ at all? What value is he of to such wretches anymore than the mire under their feet? As S. Paul, Act. XIV. was first accounted a God, then presently stoned: So these wretches used Christ not much unlike. First, They professed him, embraced him, looked to be justified and saved by him; presently they looked to be justified by the works of the Law, and cast away Christ, and scornfully trample upon him, as a thing altogether useless.

II. He accounted the blood of the Covenant a thing unholy, or a thing common, as the Greek word most strictly signifies: Not so holy, not so valuable, as the blood of Goats and Calves. For that blood was shed for something, but this wretch makes Christ's blood shed for nothing. And indeed what was his blood shed for, if men can justify and save themselves?

III. He hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace: Or hath reproached, despised the Spirit of grace, and the grace of the Spirit. he is now revolted from that, and expects to be saved by his actings, and puts a scorn and reproach upon the Spirit of grace. A sad wretch! Look on him, look on his villainy, and of how sore punishment do you think him worthy? The Apostle reads his doom.

• I. That there is no more sacrifice for his sin, to keep off vengeance, when he hath trod underfoot the great sacrifice, and counts the blood of atonement but a common thing.
• II. That that could not but follow, when there was no sacrifice for attonemenr, viz. A fearful expectation of judgment, and firy indignation.
• III. That that at last was to seize as sure, and sorer than the punishment of him, that despised Moses Law, who yet died without mercy.

In the words that I have chosen to insist upon, which speaks the second part of this wretches villainy, He accounted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing: A great question is, who is the He that is here said to be sanctified? Doth it mean this wretch himself? He ever sanctified? Ever sanctified by the blood of the Covenant, that he now so undervalues? I am not ignorant what is disputed upon this case; which dispute I shall not take upon me to determine; but the sense of the place itself I suppose, may be otherwise determined without any great difficulty or dispute, viz. that the He here mentioned to be sanctified is the Son of God, mentioned in the clause next preceding. And I should read the two clauses together to this sense, He hath trod underfoot the Son, and hath accounted the blood of the Covenant, wherewith He, the Son of God himself was sanctified, an unholy thing. And I am induced to believe, that this is the Apostles meaning in this place, upon these two or three reasons.

First, Because the same Apostle hath much like such an expression in this very Epistle, Chap. XIII. 20. Where he saith, that God brought Christ again from the dead by the blood of the everlasting Covenant. Now if it be proper to say, Christ was raised by the blood of the Covenant, it is not improper to say, Christ was sanctified by the blood of the Covenant. For,

Secondly, As the words both in the Original and your English, do as fairly carry that sense, that I put upon them, in Grammatical construction; so do they in that sense carry a most undeniable truth in Theological Doctrine,

Not indeed as a Saint of God is sanctified by the blood of Christ, who was once unholy, but by it now is made holy: But as the word signifies to separate, set apart, and capacitate to a holy use or office. As Aaron is said to be sanctified by his cloths, and unction, i. e. set apart, fitted, accomplished for his office, and Priesthood. So Christ sanctified by the blood of the Covenant, i. e. fitted, capacitated to be perfect Mediator. And so,

Thirdly, The Apostle that he may aggravate the sin of this wretch, that he is speaking of, doth enhance the blood of the Covenant by the highest dignity and excellency that is possible to entitle it to. This wretch accounts it an unholy, common, trivial thing: Whereas the Son of God himself was sanctified by it, by it capacitated and fitted to be a perfect Redeemer: An High Priest, who by his own blood entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

I shall not be urgent with any to entertain and espouse this construction, that I make of the words. If the fairness and probability of the sense I propose, will not speak and plead for it, let it alone, and remember that of the Apostle, Prove all things hold fast that that is good.

But that that I shall insist upon shall be to consider of the meaning of the blood of the Covenant. And in our consideration of that we shall see the infinite preciousness and value of that blood, which yet the wretch in the Text doth so undervalue, that he accounts it but unholy and common; And there are but too few, too few that value it at its proper rate. I need not tell among Christians, that the blood of the Covenant means the blood of Christ, of which such glorious things are spoken in Scripture, viz. that we are washed, redeemed, justified, saved by his blood, the blood of the everlasting Covenant. And this very intimation parts our discourse into two branches, viz. to consider it, as the blood of Christ, and to consider the blood of Christ as the blood of the Covenant.

It is observed by a pious pen, how Malice cankers things where it comes. For those words, Sanguis ejus super nos, &c. His blood be upon us and our children, spoken in a right Christian pious sense, speaks a thing, that a more excellent, happy and desirable cannot be prayed for, viz. The blood of Christ to be upon us, and upon ours, as it is upon all true believers, to wash, cleanse, justify, save. But in their cursed, cankered sense the Nation finds it to this day; their direful and doleful infelicity, that the blood of Christ is upon them, as they wished. So there is much spoken, and much of comfort spoken concerning the sprinkling of Christ's blood, and the sprinkling of his blood in that Scripture sense brings all happiness with it. But take it according to the bare letter there is no such thing, nay there is the contrary in some respect. Take his blood barely to mean that substance of his blood, that issued from his wounds, as he hung upon the Cross; and some of it was sprinkled upon the Cross, and some of it ran upon the ground, and what happiness either to the Cross or ground from such sprinkling? Nay, some of it was sprinkled and dashed upon his murderers, and proved so little happiness to them, that it made them the more unhappy, nay the most unhappy men under Heaven.

Therefore as the Scripture saith, The life is in the blood, so are we to look for something besides the bare substance of his blood, that flowed from him, and besides the bare flowing of his blood from him; something that was as the life of that blood, that gave it the vigor, virtue and efficacy of justifying and saving. And what was that? You will say, His infinite sufferings; let me add, His infinite obedience. In both which is concluded the supposal of the Dignity of his person; and the whole is spoken.

I shall not much insist upon his sufferings, because his obedience to those sufferings was the life of those sufferings, the very life of his death, as I may so phrase it, and that (the Dignity of his Person computed in) that gave virtue, vigor, efficacy to his sufferings, death and blood.

Of his sufferings I shall only say thus much, That he suffered as much as God could put him to suffer, short of his own wrath; and that he suffered as much as the Devil could put him to with all his wrath. You will say, I speak too high, when I say, He suffered as much as God could put him to suffer; and that I speak too low, when I say, short of his own wrath. I dare not say, He suffered the wrath of God, as many do; but the Prophets and Apostles teach me, that he suffered the tryings of God. And more he could not be put to suffer than what he did. It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief; Esa. LIII. 10. And more could not be laid upon him, than what was laid. Have you seriously weighed the meaning of those words of our Savior himself, Luke XXII. 53. This is your hour, and power of darkness? The plain English of it is: This is your hour, that God hath let you loose upon me to do with me what you will without restraint: And so hath he let loose upon me the Kingdom of darkness in its utmost power, at the full length of the chain, to do against me the utmost it can do. I was daily with you in the Temple, and ye stretched out no hands against me. For then Providence restrained them, because the Hour was not yet come. But this is your hour, and now Hell and all its power, and all its Agents are let loose against him; and Providence does not check them with any restraint.

I might insist to show you, that whereas God, from the day of Adams fall, had pitched a combat and field to be fought twixt the Serpent, and the seed of the Woman; in which the Serpent should bruise his heel, and he break the Serpents head: the hour of that encounter being now come, the Godhead of Christ suspends its acting, the providence of God suspends its restraining; and lets Satan loose to do the utmost of his power and malice, and leaves Christ to stand upon the strength of his own unconquerable holiness. The Providence of God hath the Devil in a chain, yea, as to wicked and ungodly men. Else why are they not carried bodily to Hell by him? Why are they not hurried to their own place by him body and soul together? But here God let the chain quite loose: Satan, do thy worst against him, use all thy power, rage and malice: but all would not do, for God very well knew what a Champion he had brought into the field to encounter him. And therefore I may very well say it again, That God put him to suffer as much as he could put him to suffer on this side his own wrath; and the Devil put him to suffer as much as he could do with all his rage and power.

But his sufferings were not all, that gave his blood and death that virtue, that most justly is ascribed to it, of justifying and saving. The torments that he suffered were not the Godfather, that named his blood by that precious Name of justifying and saving; but it was that infinite Obedience, that he shown in bowing so low as to undergo those sufferings. And there especially does the Scripture lay and lodge the stress of it, Rom. V. 19. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Phil. II. 8. He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Heb. V. 8. Though he were a son yet learned he obedience, by the things which he suffered.

Our Savior in his sufferings and death; for to that I will consine my discourse concerning his Obedience, as the Text confines us to treat only of his blood, and as the Scripture more peculiarly lodges his Obedience there. For though he performed Obedience to God all his life, yet the Obedience that he shown to and in the shedding of his blood, was the very apex and top-stone of his obedience. And for this it is, that I scruple to say, that he suffered the wrath of God in his sufferings; because it is hard to think, that he lay under the depth of God's displeasure, when he was now in the highest pitch of obeying and pleasing God. I say, That Our Savior in his sufferings and death had to deal with God and Satan upon different accounts; with God to satisfy him, with Satan to destroy him. And with one and the same instrument, as I may call it, his Obedience, he effected these contrary effects. As the pillar of • ire, Exod. XIV. was darkness to the Egyptians, but light to Israel: So his Obedience was destruction to the Devil, and satisfaction to God.

I. Christ was to break the head of the Serpent, as the Serpent had broke the head of Adam and all mankind. He was to conquer the Devil, who had conquered Man. And what was that by which he conquered him? By his divine power as he was God? That had been no great Mastery; for the great God, by his omnipotent power to conquer a creature. When he did but exert a little of his divine power at his apprehension, he made Judas and all his band of Ruffians to go backward, and fall to the ground, Joh. XVIII. 6. But he was to conquer Satan by righteousness, holiness and obedience to God. He had not needed to have been incarnate, to conquer the Devil by his omnipotent divine power; but he was to conquer him, and he did conquer him, by obedience and holiness.

Joh. XIV. 30. The Prince of this World cometh, saith he, and hath nothing in me. And he came with all his forces, all his fury, all his power; and do all he could, he could find nothing in him, that could serve his turn. All that he did or could do, could not move him one hairs breadth from obeying God, and persisting in his holiness. The Apostle in the ninth of this Epistle, verse. 14. saith, He offered himself without spot to God. One spot had spoiled all the offering; but the Devil could not fix one spot upon him, though he flung against him all the sink of Hell: but still he keeps to his obedience and holiness. Vicisti, Galilaee. Julian, a child of the Devil, once said, O Galilaean, thou hast overcome me. The Devil himself hath cause to say so now. The Devil let loose upon him, to do the utmost against him that he could without any restraint, to bring him from his obeying of God, and so to foil him; and all will not do. All the temptations, and tricks, and assaults, that the anvil of Hell could forge and sharpen, were bent and used against him, and all return blunted and avail nothing. All that Satan can do cannot bring from him one repining word for all his tortures, not one desponding thought for all his pangs, not one unbecoming passage for all his passion. But still he will oby God, come what will; he will still retain his holiness and integrity, let Devils and Men do what they will.

Satan, art thou not conquered? O Devil, where is thy power now; O Hell, where is thy victory? Thanks be given to God that hath given us such victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Satan, thou hast not the first Adam now in handling, who was foiled by one Devil; and in one and the first temptation presented to him. Now all the power and army of Hell is let loose, all the machinations of the bottomless pit put in practice against the second Adam; but all to no purpose; he stands like a rock unmoved in his righteousness and obedience, and by such a death destroys him that had the power over death, the Devil.

II. As the D ••• l must be conquered, so God must be satisfied. And as Christ's obedience did the one work, so it did the other. Obedience was the debt of Adam and mankind; and by disobedience they had forfeited their Bonds. Then comes this great Undertaker, and will satisfy the debt with full interest, yea and measure heaped and running over. Does not the Apostle speak thus much, Rom. V. from verse. 12. forward; particularly at verse. 19. By the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous?

Nor was this all, that man's debt must be paid, but God's honor lay at stake too, and that must be vindicated. God had created man his noblest creature, that he might glorify and honor his Creator by his obedience, Satan brings him to disobey his Creator, and to obey him. How might Satan here triumph, and the honor of God lie in the dust? I have mastered the chief Creation of God, might Satan boast, and made him, that carried the badge and livery of his image, now to carry mine. I have frustrated the end and honor of the Creator, and now all is mine own. How sad a time were those three hours or thereabouts, that passed betwixt the Fall of Adam, and the promise of Christ?

Adam in darkness, and not the least glimpse of promise or comfort: Satan triumphing, and poor manking, and God's honor trampled underfoot. But then the Sun of righteousness arose in the promise, that the seed of the woman should break the head of the Serpent. And shall this uncircumcised Philistine thus de • ie the honor and armies of the living God, saith Christ; shall Satan thus carry the day against man, and against God? I will pay obedience, that shall fully satisfy to the vindication of God's honor, to confound Satan; and to the payment of man's debt, to his reinstating and recovery.

And that was it that he paid consummatively in his Obedience to the death, and in it, and to the shedding of his blood. Of which to speak in the full dimensions of the height, depth, length, breadth of it, what tongue can suffice, what time can serve? It is a Theme the glorified Saints deservedly sing of to all Eternity. I shall speak in little of that which can never be extolled enough, these two things only.

I. That he died merely out of obedience. The Apostle tells us in Phil. II. 8. He became obedient to the death, the death of the Cross. And what can ye name, that brought him thither but Obedience? Christ's dead body imagine lies before you. Call together a whole College of Physicians to diffect it, and to tell you what it was of which he died. And their Verdict will be, Of nothing, but Love to man, and Obedience to God. For Principles of death he had none in his nature. And the reason of his death lay not in any mortality of his body, as it does in our • ▪ but in the willingness of his mind. Nor was his death his wages of sin, as it is ours, Rom. VI. ult. but it was his choice and delight, Luke XII. 50. I have a baptism to be baptized withal, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished? Ask the first Adam, why he sinned, when he had no principles of sin in him; and the true answer must be, Because he would sin. And so ask the second Adam why he died, when he had no principles of death in him; his answer must be to the like tenor, He would lay down his life, because he would be obedient to the death.

He came purposely into the World, that he might die. Behold! I tell you a mystery: Christ came purposely into the World, that he might die, and so never did Man but himself; never will man do, but himself. True, that every Man that comes into the World must die, but never Man came purposely that he might die, but only He. And he saith no less than that he did so, Joh. XII. 27. Father, save me from this hour, but for this cause came I to this hour. And John XVIII. 37. For this cause came I into this World, to bear witness to the Truth. Even to bear witness to the Truth, to Death and Martyrdom.

II. Now add to all this the dignity of his Person, who performed this Obedience: that he was God as well as Man. That as he offered himself according to his Manhood, so he offered himself by the Eternal Spirit, or as he was God: as this Apostle saith, Chap. IX. 14. And now his obedience, his holiness that he shown in his death is infinite. And what need we say more? So that lay all the disobedience of all men in the World on an heap, as the dead frogs in Egypt were laid on heaps, that they made the land to stink again; yet here is an Obedience that out-vies them all. For though they be infinite in number, as to man's numbering, yet lay them all together they are finite upon this account, because committed by creatures finite. But here is an Obedience, a holiness paid down, by him that is infinite.

And now Satan, where is thy Triumph? Thou broughtest the first Adam to fail of perfect Obedience, that he should have paid his Creator; and here the second Adam hath paid him for it infinite Obedience. And what hast thou now gained?

Therefore to take account from whence comes that infinite Virtue of Christ's blood and death, that the Scripture so much and so deservedly extols and magnifies: Because, as the Evangelist • aith, Out of his side came water and blood, so out of his wounds came obedience and blood, holiness and blood, righteousness and blood; and that obedience, holiness, righteousness infinite: because he that paid it down and performed it was infinite.

And now judge, whether it may not very properly be said, That Christ was sanctified by his own blood? As Aaron was sanctified for his Priesthood by his Unction and Garments. Christ was consecrated, fitted, capacitated by his infinite obedience and righteousness, which he shown to the death, and in it, to be an High Priest, able to save to the uttermost all those that come to him.

For first as in reference to himself, it is said by this Apostle, that he was raised from the dead by the blood of the Covenant, Chap. XIII. 20. And it was not possible but he should be raised: for when he had performed such obedience and righteousness, as in it was infinite, in its validity subdued Satan, in its all sufficiency satisfied the justice of God, it was impossible that he should be held of death, which is the wages of sin and disobedience. And as he was thus raised by the virtue of his blood, i. e. of his obedience and righteousness, so see what the same Apostle saith of his Exaltation, Phil. II. 8, &c. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every Name. That at the Name of JESUS every knee should bow, &c.

And think here, Christian, what a stock of obedience and righteousness here is for thee, to answer and satisfy for thy disobedience and unrighteousness, if thou become a child of the Covenant, as this blood was the blood of the Covenant. It is said in Dan. IX. 26. That Messiah should be cut off, but not for himself. This blood of the New Testament was not shed for himself, but for many. And here is enough for every soul, that comes to him, be they never so many: Like the Widows oil in the Book of the Kings, there is enough and enough again, as long as any Vessel is brought to receive it.

And this may direct us toward the forming of the reliance of our Faith upon the blood of Christ, the great work that a Christian hath to do for his Justification and Salvation. Which will be the more cleared to us, by considering how his blood is the blood of the Covenant. Which is the next thing we should speak to, had we time to do it.

A SERMON PREACHED UPON

T HERE is one that asks our Savior, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? Mat. XIX. 16. And another that asks his great Apostle, What must I do to be saved? Act. XVI. 30. The questions mean one and the same thing, but only proposed in different expressions. And the answers tend to one and the same purpose, though proposed in terms very different. Our Savior answers, If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments. The Apostle answers, If thou wilt be saved, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The one proposeth Faith, the other proposeth Good works; not in such contrariety as the Apostle James speaks of Faith and Works, Chap. III. but in such consonancy as that the one is subservient unto the other, keeping of the Commandments towards the bringing on of Faith, and Faith to the breeding and forwarding the keeping of the Commandments, and both to obtain eternal life.

I will speak at present of the absolute necessity of Faith for the obtaining eternal life; and therefore have I chosen these words, which I have read to you, which seem at first sight to be mere strangers to such a subject, but when explained and rightly understood, are very pertinent to such a matter. I say rightly understood, for there are many, the Popish Expositors especially, that understand them exceedingly wrong, and as far from the Apostles meaning as likely can be.

By we have a Altar, they understand the Altar in their Churches, viz. the Table where they administer the Sacrament, and thence they call the Sacrament, The Sacrament of the Altar. A title that hath been too common in England, and which hath cost many a good man very dear. The Lord grant the title be never known here anymore. But the title of the Altar is commonly known among us still; and ask many why they call it an Altar, they will be ready to produce this place of the Apostle, We have an Altar. As if the Apostle, who had been crying down the service and sacrifices of the Altar all along this Epistle, and shown that they were but shadows, and to vanish when the substance appeared, should set them up again, and build up anew, what he had so earnestly set himself to destroy. As if Gideon that destroyed the Altar of Baal in the night, should fall awork in the morning and build it up again.

But the Altar in the Apostles meaning here is Christ himself. And as he had called him an High Priest, and a Sacrifice along in the Epistle before, so he calls him also the Altar here; showing that all those things did but represent him, and that he was the substance and reality of those shadows. He shows how he was the Great High Priest in the later end of the fourth, and along the fifth Chapter. He shows how he was the great Sacrifice in the ninth and tenth Chapters; and how he was the great Altar, he shows at this place, We have an Altar.

And that he means Christ by the Altar is apparent by two things, that follow, to omit more, that might be collected by the context.

The first is, in the words immediately following, For those beasts whose blood was brought by the High Priest into the holy place for sin, their bodies were burnt without the Camp. Therefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. His argumentation is this: The great solemn Sacrifice for sin on the day of atonement was not burnt upon the Altar in the Temple, but was burnt without the City; so Christ was sacrificed without the gate; so that whosoever will partake of that true Sacrifice for sin, must go to the Altar there, and not to the Altar within the Temple.

And in the next verse but one he shows yet more plainly that he means Christ by our Altar, ver. 13. Therefore by him let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually to God. As on the Altar in the Temple they offered their Sacrifices and Thank-offerings, so by him, as on our Altar, Let us offer our sacrifice of praise to God.

So that in the words you have an Affirmative assertion, and a Negative. The Affirmative, That we have Christ for our Altar. The Negative, That they that serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat of this Altar. The Affirmative comfortable to every true Christian; the later seems comfortless for every true Jew. The reason of the Negative assertion we may inquire more particularly into afterwards. To the former to speak at present, we take up this Observation from it;

That he that will offer any sacrifice acceptable to God, must go to Christ as the true Altar, on which to offer it. No sacrifice among the Israelites could be accepted if it were not offered on the Temple-altar. And it was God's special command, Thou shalt not offer thy sacrifice in any of thy Cities, but shalt go to the Altar of the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose. Nor can any sacrifice be acceptable to God of any Christian, but what is offered to him upon the Altar of his appointment, the Lord Christ, where alone is atonement for sinners. As Priesthood and Sacrifice were typical, and signified to this purpose, so also was the Altar of the same signification. And whereas there were two Altars at the Temple, one for Sacrifice, the other for Incense, they did both but represent Christ and his acting in his two great works, viz. His offering himself a sacrifice by his death, and his offering the continual incense of his mediation. And how methodically did the representation proceed suitable to the reality? For first the Priest offered the Sacrifice upon the Altar, and then went in within the Tabernacle, and offered incense. So Christ first offered himself at his death, and then went into the highest Heaven to make Intercession.

The Papists in their Mass take upon them to offer Christ as a Propitiatory sacrifice for quick and dead. So they are the Altar, and Christ is the offering. But we learn better, to make Christ the Altar, and we ourselves, and our services the offering offered upon it.

For the clearing of the thing before us, and to reduce these words of the Apostle to a Doctrine of Faith, whither he intends them, let us premise these four things.

I. That every Christian hath three spiritual Sacrifices to offer to God, Himself, his Devotions and Religious services, and his good works and Religious walking. 1. Himself, Rom. XII. 1, 2. I beseech you Brethren, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. 2. His prayers, Devotions and Religious services, Mal. I. 11. In every place incense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure offering. And, 3. His holy walking, 16 ver. of this Chapter, To do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifice God is well pleased. Christ is to be offered to God no more, as Papists take on them to offer him every Mass; but man is to offer himself to God, the only sacrifice that God now requireth. Now,

II. On what Altar is this spiritual Sacrifice to be offered, and presented to God? On some spiritual Altar, as it is a spiritual offering. Those Sacrifices that were earthly and material required an earthly and material Altar; but those that were spiritual must be offered on some spiritual Altar; else the manner of offering them contradicts their nature. Now what the Apostle speaks concerning the Rock in the Wilderness, The Rock was Christ; so we may say concerning the Altar under the Gospel, The Altar is Christ. In the Law the offering was to be put into the hands of a Priest, or it could not be accepted; so our services are to be put into the hands of Christ to be presented to God, else no acceptance. And the sacrifice was to be laid upon the Altar, or it could not be accepted; so must ours be laid on the altar Christ, or no acceptance. For,

III. The Altar must sanctify the Sacrifice to make it acceptable; and so our Savior tells, Mat. XXIII. 19. It was not enough that the Sacrifice was a clean Beast, and not unclean, nor that it was without fault or blemish to make it an acceptable Sacrifice. But it must be laid upon the Altar, for that to sanctify it, and to make it a right Sacrifice.

IV. And here I cannot but take up the Jewish Doctors most true and pertinent explication of that point about the Altars sanctifying the gift, viz. The Altar sanctified that that was fit for it. The Altar could not sanctify an unclean Beast, a Dog or an Ass, or a Cat, to make it a Sacrifice, but only a Beast that was clean. And if the Beast were a clean Beast in his nature, yet if he had faults or blemishes, the Altar did not sanctify him for a sit Sacrifice; but it sanctified only that that was fit for it.

By all which laid together we may learn and observe the great Doctrine of Faith, about our acceptance with God only by Christ. Which to view particularly, let us begin from this.

First, None can come to God to find acceptance with him, but he must first give himself into the hand of Christ to bring him to God for acceptance. The Apostle tells us that all acceptance is in the Beloved, and to be expected no other way, Ephes. I. 6. This is the great mystery of the Gospel. For the want of which duly owned, Turks and Jews are at loss, and are lost from God forever. They both pretend for Religion, pretend for Heaven; but they both miss the door by which alone they are to enter, and so are excluded eternally, missing of Christ, by whom only we come there. Our Savior indeed speaks of entering, and getting into the sheepfold some other way than at the door, but he saith, they are thieves and robbers. His meaning is of false teachers, that can find a way to creep into the sheepfold, the Church, to seduce and destroy the sheep, some other way than at the right door. But whosoever will get either into Heaven, or indeed into the true and sincere Religion that leadeth thither, must enter by Christ the Door, or he will never come there. Joh. XIV. 6. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, none can come to the Father but by me. Consider of that, I am so the Way that none can come to the Father but by me. Then sure the Papists are out of the way, as well as Turks and Jews, when they think to come to God by the mediation of Saints and Angels. None can come to God but by me, saith our Savior; but I can come to God, saith a Papist, by the Virgin Mary, by Peter, Paul, and the mediation of other Saints in Heaven. Certainly they must have some nice distinction here, or they contradict Christ to his face, and take his honor and give it to another.

Heb. VII. 25. Christ having an unfailing Priesthood is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God by him. If you come to God you must come by him; and that only is the way to be saved. But if you expect to come to God by any other means whatsoever, you are out of the way and will be lost. 1 Pet. III. 18. Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. If there were any other way to come to God than by Christ, the death of Christ was but to little purpose, and our believing in him to as little. And we may justly say with the Apostle, 1 Cor. XV. 14. Our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also vain. It is said of Christ, that he is a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, Psal. CX. Though he died and offered himself the great Sacrifice for sinners; yet he is a Priest forever, still offering sacrifice to God; but no more himself, but his people's sacrifice; And that offering is twofold, viz. offering the persons of his people to God, as an acceptable living sacrifice; and offering their services, as an acceptable spiritual sacrifice to God. Of the former you have testimony from his own words, Isa. VIII. 18. Behold I and the children which the Lord hath given me. Of the later, Revel. VIII. 3. where you read of his offering the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar, which was before the Throne.

What the manner of Christ's mediation is, is too curious to inquire after; but what the matter of his mediation is, these two things make evident, viz. his presenting his people to God's acceptance; and his presenting their services to the like acceptance. For what acceptance can any soul under Heaven find upon his own account? What can a man do toward his own justification before God? Job VII. 20. I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee? A very pertinent question. A man is so little able to find acceptance with God of himself, that he may rather stand amazed, that ever sinful men do find acceptance. The Apostle accounts it not an ordinary thing, to comprehend with all Saints the breadth and length, and depth and height of this mystery. Ephes. III. 18.

Before Christ, a Mediator, was set up, imagine how Adam could deal with God to find acceptance with him, after he was now become sinful Adam. Nay it is not easy to conceive how he dealt with God, even while innocent. For certainly it was his duty to pray in his innocence; thereby to show his dependence on God; but upon what interest to pray, when he had no Mediator, is something difficult to apprehend. But after he was fallen, and Christ not yet promised, those three hours that he lay in darkness before the promise of Christ came to him: How could he then pray to God, and upon what account beg his pardon? But I need not to use many words to show the need of Christ a Mediator.

Secondly, This that we have spoken concerning the Altar may give us some measure and scantling, how to come to Christ and believe in him for acceptance, viz. to rely upon him entirely for our acceptance with God; as the Israelite cast himself entirely upon the Priests offering, and the Altar sanctifying his gift, that it might be acceptable.

If there may be any distinction made betwixt coming to Christ, and believing in him (which indeed may very well signify the same thing) let us observe it here, and observe it upon the comparison before us about the Altar.

An Israelite comes and brings a sacrifice along with him to the Priest and Altar, and prays him, I pray, Sir, offer this to God for me for acceptance. You must first observe the nature and quality of his sacrifice, whether it be fit for the Priest to meddle with, and for the Altar to receive upon it. I remember a distinction the Jews have in their writings concerning a first-born child, viz. that he may be fit for the inheritance, but not fit for the Priest, that is, may have some blemish or defect that he may not be fit to be consecrate to God, as the first-born ought to be; yet may be fit enough to inherit his Fathers land. A man may be fair and fit for this and that employment in earthly things, and very useful in his place and station, when in the mean while he may be little fit for Christ's employment or receiving. An Israelite brings a Dog, Cat, &c. to the Priest, and entreats him to offer that upon the Altar for him. Was this a fit offering for the Altar? Could the Altar with all its holiness sanctify such a gift as that? Antiochus the wretch when he offered Swines flesh upon the Altar, it was to defile the Altar, and not for the Altar to sanctify the Sacrifice.

This shows what kind of person he must be that goes to Christ to desire him to present his person an acceptable sacrifice with God, and that he may find favor with him. He must bring him a clean sacrifice, or no coming there. In Isa. LXVI. 3. where the Prophet speaking about abolishing the Jewish Sacrifice under the Gospel, he saith, He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a Lamb is as if he cut off a Dogs neck; and he that offereth an oblation as if he offered Swines blood. Think not that when offering of clean beasts is ceased, offering of unclean will be accepted. Men think to obtain acceptance and favor from God through Christ at an easy rate, and with a little ado, when there is more in it than they conceive. They must first be such as are fit for Christ to own, and to present to his Father a sacrifice, fit to be offered to God upon his Altar, and not a Dog or Swine. The Apostle tells us how to come to this our Altar, Heb. X. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. It is the custom in our University, that when any one presents another to the Vice-Chancellor and University for the taking of any degree, he undertakes to them, that he is fit for such a degree. Christ never presented any to his Father to graduate him in his acceptance and favor, but such an one as was qualified and fit for that acceptance. When I say fit, I mean not out of merit, but so qualified as God requires those to be qualified that he will accept.

A thing very well worth the deep consideration of us all, that we be not deceived concerning believing in Christ, as too many are deceived. Who is he among us, but he thinks at one time or other so to believe in Christ as shall serve his turn for salvation; while in the mean while he walks in the clean contrary way to believing? To believe in Christ is indeed to rely upon him for salvation, but it is relying upon him on such conditions as Christ will admit of; not at a man's own pleasure. A man takes on him to get to Christ, through him to find acceptance of God, though his tongue be full of vanity, hands of filthiness, heart of evil, life of profaneness; yet through Jesus Christ our Lord he hopes to speed well enough. It is true indeed, that there is no other name under Heaven, whereby acceptance with God is to be found; but this man does no better than bring a Dog or a Swine to be offered on the Sacred Altar, when he thinks that Christ will present such a filthy beast as he for a person to be accepted of God. No, Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do well. And then come to the Altar, and you may hope for acceptance.

Those that Christ presents to his Father are such, as of whom he is not ashamed, Heb. II. 11. and XI. 16. But would not Christ be ashamed to present a Dog or a Swine, a filthy and ugly sacrifice to his Father, a wretch that is all dirt and filth, and pollution, and wallows in it still, and will not out of it?

He in the Law that must come nigh the Altar, must wash himself in water, and change his garments, or he must not come to offer there. The application is so easy that I need not to insist upon it. And by this very thing we may observe two things.

I. That reliance upon Christ comes not into date, till a man do the best he can to fit himself to be a sacrifice for that Altar. The Altars sanctifying of the gift came not in date, till the offering was fit for the Altar. There must be these concurrents, First, It must be of the clean kinds of Beasts or Birds, Oxen or Sheep, or Goats, Sparrows, Pigeons, or Turtles; not Dog, Cat, Ass, Bear, not a Crow, Raven, Owl, or Vultur. Then it must be viewed by some skillful person, that it be without blemish, as well as that it be clean, viz. That it be not a blind Bullock, or Lamb, that it be not broken, diseased, &c. And lastly, the Offerers free-will and mind in his offering must be concurrent. And thus qualified it was fit for the Altar, and the Altar sanctified it. Now was there all this care about the offering of a beast upon a material Altar of brass or stone; and is not as much at least required for the offering of a souls own self on Christ the Altar? Must anything polluted or unclean come near that Altar?

Faith in Christ is not so easy a matter as men take it for; a man must first do all he can in purifying himself, before he can believe. For his believing is his refuging to Christ, to make out for him, when he sees he cannot do it himself.

And by this appears the vast difference 'twixt the believing of a Jew, and the faith of a true Christian. The Jew as he thought performed the Law, and believed that he should be justified by his performance, and looked no further. A true Christian observes the Law the best he can, but when he hath done all, he finds himself but an unprofitable servant, and that he comes infinitely short of Justification by all he can; therefore casts himself upon Christ to satisfy for him. The sacrifices of God are a broken heart, a broken and a contrite spirit, O God, thou wilt not despise, Psal. LI. 17. Under the Law nothing that was broken or bruised was to be offered; under the Gospel no heart but broken or bruised, is to be offered. And whereupon bruised and broken? not only upon sight of the evil they have committed, but also upon sense how little they can do of good, when they have done their best. And then lay such an heart upon the Altar, Christ and the Altar sanctifies the gift, and makes out for it.

Brethren, take heed you be not deceived about Faith, by which you must stand or fall to all eternity. It is more than fancy, or thinking or hoping you shall be saved by Christ, it is more than taking on you to pray in the name of Christ, more than begging mercy for the sake of Christ. It is working and laboring in the way of God's Commandments till you be weary and heavy laden; and then resting yourselves in Christ for safety and refreshing. It is doing your duty all you can, and still leaning on Christ to make out all failings for you. It is that that must bring up the reer of your best endeavors. As Simon of Cyrene was laid hold upon to bear the Cross of Christ after him, when it was too heavy for him. So on the contrary lay hold on Christ, and get him to bear your burden for you, when you yourselves are not able to bear it.

II. By this also we may observe the absolute necessity of keeping God's Commandments for salvation, as well as the absolute necessity of faith for salvation, and the amicable and indeed inseparable agreement 'twixt these two. It is impossible to find acceptance with God for justification and salvation, unless by faith in Christ we be presented as living sacrifices upon him, the Altar. And it is impossible to be fit sacrifices for that Altar, unless by keeping the Commandments of God we be purified and fitted. For as Faith purifieth the heart where it is once come, Act. XV. 9. So keeping the Commandments of God is purifying the heart, that Faith may come. Consider of that, 1 Pet. I. 22. Seeing you have purified your hearts in obeying of the truth. Now what is obeying of the truth, but doing what God in the word of truth directeth and commandeth? and this also purifieth the heart toward believing, as Faith doth, when a man now believes.

And thus believing and obeying are so twisted together, that without keeping of God's Commandments the best you can, you cannot come by Faith; and Faith when it is come, it cannot be without keeping of God's Commandments the best you can. For as to the former we may not improperly apply those words of the Apostle, Gal. III. 23. For before faith came we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. And as to the later, that in Jam. II. 26. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

And now to make some Application upon what hath been spoken, and to take up the words in order.

First, From the title here given to our Savior, that he is our Altar, upon and through whom to offer ourselves, and all our services to God, we may observe that the bare offering of Christ himself upon the Cross is not the all that a Christian hath to look after for his salvation, but he himself is also to offer himself through Christ to God. Christ was a dying sacrifice, a Christian must be a living; and as Christ voluntarily offered himself to God, so is he also to do in his place and station. How oft do we find in Scripture that the death of Christ doth challenge our dying to sin, and not living to ourselves, 1 Cor. V. 7. Purge out the old leaven that ye may be a new lump, for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. 2 Cor. V. 15. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them. And so there are divers other places to the like tenor.

The obedience of Christ does not dissolve the obedience of a Christian, but enhance it. For his obedience was not to disannul our obedience, but to challenge it, to love him who loved us first. His offering himself was to lead us the way, and to teach and engage us to offer ourselves also. He to die according to the will of God, and we to live according to his will; that is, to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness.

Secondly, Now since everyone that is accepted of God is to be presented to him as a sacrifice offered through Christ, as the most Sacred Altar, it may give us just cause daily to examine ourselves, how fit we are to be presented to that Altar, and from that Altar to God. The Sacrifice under the Law was to be examined, whether it were fit or no, by one that was skillful in such a scrutiny. The work now under the Gospel must be our own; everyone to examine his own heart, since the heart should be that that is chiefly offered. And let our hearts speak to us, if they will but learn to speak truth, how many of us, think we, are fit for the hands of Christ to present us at his own Altar, and to offer us to his Father? Will his pure and most holy hands meddle with anything that is impure and filthy, to bring us to his Altar? A man is worldly and covetous, filthy and lascivious, cruel and envious; is such a beast, such an unclean beast fit for Christ to hand to his Altar, to make him a sacrifice to God? Do we believe that ever he will or can say to his Father, Father, I present this filthy man to thee, to be accepted of thee, as a well pleasing sacrifice? Who of us would be willing that Christ should present us to God, to take us as we are, and deal with us as we deserve? Who of us can think that we are such, as that Christ may call us Brother or Sister, or Mother, and commend us unto God's acquaintance and favor under such titles?

Let us compare the case with those the Apostle speaks of here, that have no right to eat of our Altar, viz. those that serve the Tabernacle of the Levitical Priesthood. And why have they no right?

• I. It may be said, they had no right to eat of the sin-offering of atonement; for that was all to be burnt, and nothing to be eaten of it, as the Apostle toucheth immediately after. Now in this regard the parallel will not hold, because Christ was not consumed as that sin-offering was; but he was sacrificed that he might be eaten, or spiritually fed upon.
• II. What the Priests did eat of the Sacrifices, they ate within the verge of the Temple, and might not bring those holy things out of the holy ground. But as the Apostle tells here, Christ was sacrificed without the Gate, whether it was not lawful for them to come to eat any sacrifice. But this, I believe, is not the reason why the Apostle saith, They had no right to eat of the Altar that we have.
• III. The Jews have a tenet, which is considerable, and not impertinent, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Priests eating of the Sacrifices was for expiation of them that offered them. It is very true, that God allowed the Priests such and such parts of the beast sacrificed, for their diet and maintenance. But that was not all, but there was some religious concern in their eating them, viz. for the benefit of the offerer. Now if you take the Apostle speaking in reference to this matter, the Priests that served the Tabernacle could not eat of the Altar or Sacrifice that we have under any such notion. For the offering of Christ, as it was not by men but by himself and God; so the feeding on him cannot benefit either them, or any other, but him only that feeds on him.
• IV. Therefore the Apostles reference is to the Priests very serving in the Tabernacle; that they themselves that stood upon those Sacrifices and services in the Temple, as sufficient enough to atone for sin, by that very conceit outed themselves out of benefit by Christ our Altar, who is the only atonement; and they that can feed upon any other way of atonement have nothing to do with him.

We cannot but be affected with the expression of Having no right to eat of our Altar, as a very doleful accent, which speaks having no right at all to Christ. Which very sound may make a heart to tremble. No right to Christ? No portion in the Son of God? The very mention of the thing may justly move us to the examination of ourselves, whether we think we have any portion in him, yea or no. Take heed it be not with too many, as it was with the Church, Rev. III. that said, I am rich, and increased in riches, and want nothing, whereas she was wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Take heed that we think not we have share in Christ, and have none at all; and that we perish not with such a dead child in our bosoms, such a fancy and delusion in our hearts.

Look upon these men that served the Tabernacle; they are men that are careful and attendant upon their service, blameless in their lives, zealous in their Religion, and fervently looking after atonement and salvation. And yet because they relied upon their services, and thought to be saved by the very works they did, they miss of Faith, and so miss of Christ, and have no right in him; and so perish from him forever and ever. How many of us have gone so far in a religious way as we may suppose these men to have gone, and sought for justification and salvation so earnestly as they have done, have been so constant in devotion and duty, as they have been? and yet they had no right in Christ. What just fears may this create in us that we also have no right at all in him?

A SERMON PREACHED upon

T HE occasion of these words is at verse. 1, 2. where the Evangelist tells us, that all the Publicans and Sinners came unto our Savior to hear him. Which is something strange to hear. For it was much, that any such came to him; but exceeding much, that all should come. And not a much unlike expression you have at verse. 1. of Chap. XII. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that Tens of thousands of the multitude, or common people, were gathered to him: twenty thousand at least according to the strict propriety of the Greek expression. Which was a very vast company.

But if you observe the beginning of the Tenth Chapter, it gives light to these stories. A little above half a year before our Savior's death, he sends forth Seventy Disciples by two and two to every City, and Town, and Place, whether he himself was to come. These were to certify the people of his Person, that he was Messias; and to certify them of his coming to them, and to prepare them for the receiving of him against he should come. This raises vast multitudes to hearken to him, hearing of Messias coming, and knowing where to meet him. And amongst others a very great and general conflux of Publicans and Sinners, men of an infamous name, and scandalous conversation among the Nation. The Scribes and Pharisees quarrel our Savior for entertaining such and conversing with them. An evil business, but proves occasion of good, and light ariseth out of that darkness.

For thereupon our Savior proposeth the three Parables of this Chapter. And in them transmits comfort to all posterity that should repent, and encouragement to all to repentance. The words of the Text are the Application of the first Parable. As a man that hath lost one sheep out of a flock of an hundred, rejoiceth more for the finding again that one that was lost, than for the ninety and nine, that went not astray. So I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than, &c.

In the words you see there are two assertions. The one, Positive, the other Comparative. The Positive, That there is joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth. The Comparative, That there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety nine just persons, &c. The former something strange, but very comfortable. The later more strange, and something difficult.

It is something to hear of joy in Heaven for a sinners repentance. But more strange to hear of any men on Earth, that need no repentance. There is nothing but joy in Heaven, and one would think enough and enough again in the fruition of God. It may seem something strange, that any addition should be made to it by the conversion of men. And it were no great news to hear of ninety nine thousand, that did not repent, but strange news to hear of any one person that needed no repentance. The wisest of Men tells us, That there is not a just Man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not, Eccles. VII. 2. And then is there a just Man upon Earth, that needeth no repentance for his sinning? And the Apostle James assures us in Chap. III. 2. That in many things we offend all: and that very thing may assure us, that we have need to repent of many things.

For the apprehending of the meaning of our Savior in this Comparison, we may observe, that he speaks either by way of opposition to something in the opinion of those, to whom he speaks; or directly in reference to the Persons of whom he speaks.

It was common with the Nation of the Jews to distinguish just Men into two sorts. Those that had been sinners, but had repented, and were become new Men; these they acknowledged to be just Men in comparison of wicked Men, and in comparison of what themselves had been before. But those that had not been sinners, and faulty, and vicious Men, but had led a fair course of life all their time, like that young Man, Matth. XIX. that had kept all the Commandments from his youth: these Men they account 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 good or holy Men, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 perfectly just Men. And oh! How far were these beyond those Men, that had needed repentance? How they speak plainly and copiously to this Tenor in their writings, it were easy to produce. I shall give you but two instances according to the two things I mention, viz. Their making such a distinction, and their under-ranking Men of repentance below the other. As to the first.

I. At the Feast of Tabernacles, while the Temple stood, the Elders and Grandees of the Nation used to dance in the Temple every night, and to sing these Songs. Some of them this, Blessed be my youth, that hath no way shamed my old age. These were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (say they) good and holy Men; and that had been Men of good works 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from their first sprou • ing, or growing. The other sung this, Blessed be my old age, that hath made amends, and expiated for my youth. And these, they say, were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Men of repentance. And,

II. How far they undervalued these Penitents and Repentance below the other, they speak in their interpretation of those words, Esa. LXIV. 4. From the beginning of the World Men have not heard, nor perceived by the Ear, neither hath the Eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him, that waiteth for him. The good things, say they, that the Prophets prophesied of, were for Men of Repentance, and those things were revealed to the Prophets: but the things that are laid up for those that are perfectly Just, never Prophets Eye saw, nor Ear heard, nor were they ever known to any but God. This distinction the Apostle alludes to, Rom. V. 7. For scarcely for a righteous Man will one die: that is, for one that is barely a righteous Man by repenting himself of his unrighteous ways: yet peradventure for a good Man some will venture to die; that is, for one that is perfectly just from the beginning, and that needeth no repentance.

They do indeed prefer Repentance before perfect righteous ones in this one regard, that Penitents have tasted the pleasures and sweet of sin, and have forsaken them, and cast them off: when it is doubtful, say they, whether those perfect righteous ones would have done so, if they had tasted the pleasures of Sin, as the others did. Yet howsoever they account it better always to have been of a holy conversation, than once to have been unholy, though now become holy. And better never to have needed repentance, than to have needed it, and betaken to it.

And if you understand our Savior as facing this Opinion of theirs, there is no difficulty in his words, but they are plain and easy. As if he should thus speak out at large. You think yourselves very righteous, and that ye need no repentance, and therefore ye despise these poor creatures, Publicans and Sinners, as men of a hopeless and desperate condition; but I say unto you, There is more joy in Heaven over such an one repenting, than over an hundred such as you conceive yourselves to be, not needing any repentance at all.

Or doth our Savior speak of those that have been Good, not in their own conceit, but indeed and in reality, from the very first, and never run into any extravagancies from a child? As Josiah sought the Lord from eight years old, and so continued; and as Timothy trained up in piety from a child: and as others, that have been so happy as to remember their Creator in the days of their youth; and have begun to be pious, and so have continued from their cradle. Doth our Savior speak of such as these on the one hand, as well as he speaks of sinners, that come at last to repent on the other? Is there more joy in Heaven for a penitent Thief upon the Cross, that had been a vilain to that very time, than for a good Obadiah, that had feared God from his youth? More joy in Heaven for a Mary Magdalene repenting, who had been an arrant strumpet a long time, than for a holy Hannah, that had never trod awry? It seems so by the Parable of the Prodigal and his elder Brother: more joy for the return of that mad, rambling, debauched, vicious fellow, than for his elder brother, who had ever kept at home with his father, and never transgressed his commands. And how the Parable may admit this construction we shall observe afterwards.

However though as to the comparison, there may be some difficulty, and about the Person that is said to need no repentance: yet as to the Positive, and about a sinner that repents, there is no scruple at all. And so we will speak to that especially; and speak to the Comparison, as occasion offers itself. The Positive being this:

There is joy in Heaven for a sinner that repenteth. Joy in Heaven when a sinner repenteth? Or, for a sinner that repenteth? When we have wondered a while at the thing itself, then we may ask, Joy among whom?

And truly we have very just cause to wonder at the thing itself. And it is as feeling a passage as likely we can meet with in all the Scripture, Joy in Heaven upon a sinners repenting. How then may you construe that expression, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into thy Masters joy? Mutual joy, thou rejoicing in thy Master, and thy Master rejoicing in thee. The good servant by his very repentance rejoicing his Lord, as well as his salvation with his Lord rejoicing him. I cannot but think of that passage concerning the Eunuch, Act. VIII. That when he was converted and baptized, he went away rejoicing. And there was rejoicing in Heaven for it by our Savior's relation here, as well as there was with him on earth: one deep calling upon another through the noise of the waterpipes. And like two Lutes tuned in Union, the very same string of joy sounding in Heaven, that was struck here upon Earth. Not much unlike the style of that passage, What ye bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven.

We read of some, that upon reading or hearing some particular Texts of Scripture have been converted, and become new men. So was S. Austin by reading a verse or two in Rom. XIII. Junius by reading three or four verses of Joh. I. And so others by others.

Now can you find a more winning, melting, piercing passage almost anywhere in all the Bible than this, if we well consider of it, There is joy in Heaven over a sinner that repenteth? That for yours, or mine or any of our repentances, there should be joy in Heaven? Alas! if we were all in Hell, what were Heaven the worse for it? And yet that it should be joyful news to Heaven, if we repent! Do we not know how joyful news takes upon Earth? And do we not wonder, that our repentance should bring joyful news to Heaven?

We read how Jacob was ravished and revived, when the joyful news came to him, that his son Joseph was alive. And are there those in Heaven would be so affected, if we repent? Yes, the great King of Heaven tells us so, That there is joy in Heaven, &c. How full are we, if we have good news to tell, till we tell it? Ahimaaz and Cushi ran as if they ran for their lives, who shall first bring the good news of Victory over Absalom. And is it possible for any of us to bring good news to Heaven? Yes, the Text tells us we may. For our repentance would set Heaven a rejoicing; and be very gladsome tidings there. And who is it, that runs astrife, that he may first bring such rejoicing news thither? As the four Lepers said at the Camp of the Syrians, We do not well, that we tarry here, for this is a day of good tidings, and we are to blame, if we go not, and tell them. Men and Brethren, more joyful news cannot come to Heaven than of our repenting. And are we not moved at the thoughts of it, and do we not blame ourselves for delaying to send such news thither? Do we by muddling here for money, and pleasures, and preferments, and I know not what, as those Lepers did in the Tents of the Syrians, when our repenting and turning to God would set Heaven itself on rejoicing for us?

It is no wonder, if a Soul rejoice, when it gets to Heaven: but it may ravish us with wonder and amazement, that Heaven should rejoice for a man's making thither. For what need hath Heaven of such poor, wretched creatures, as we are? Who would not dwell upon such a subject as this? But it must be rather in Meditation than Elocution. For astonishment at the thing may swallow up words, that we are not able to speak of it, to speak it out. Make out by your memory, meditation, and admiring what my Tongue wants in expressing and uttering. Let such a ravishing truth as this, That there is joy in Heaven, &c. never slip out of your memory. Cherish the warm thoughts of it in your spreading meditation. Meditate yourselves into rapture at such comfortable tidings from Heaven, that your repentance would be joyful tidings to Heaven: that there would be joy in Heaven for your repenting.

But joy among whom there? And let that be a second thing to meditate of, and to warm our meditation. The Text only tells of joy in Heaven, and particularizes no more, but the rest of the Chapter speaks out with whom. The last Parable in the Chapter tells you there is joy with God the Father, by that intimation, How the Father rejoiced upon the return of his lost Prodigal son. The first Parable in the Chapter tells you, there is joy with Christ, the great shepherd, by that intimation, How the man rejoiced upon the finding and bringing again his wandering and lost sheep. And the application of the middle Parable speaks it out, verse. 10. That there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Joy with God the Father, joy with Christ the Son, joy with the holy Angels. Do we need to inquire, whether with the blessed Saints in Heaven? We have more reason to stand admiring at this, that is so plain before us, than to intricate ourselves with that that is more obscure. God and Christ, and the Angels know a man's repenting here; which the glorified Saints in Heaven, for ought we know, know not. And God and Christ and Angels can be helpful to a Soul in the ways of repentance here, which the glorified Saints in Heaven cannot be. I know who they be, that will maintain, that the Saints in glory know a man's repentance, and can be helpful to him in the ways of repentance. And that therefore they are to be prayed unto. But we leave them to their proofs and practices: we have no such Doctrine, nor custom; nor the Churches of Christ. We doubt not, but

First, The Saints in glory desire the consummating of the mystical body of Christ in glory. It is their desire here, and it leaves them not there, Rom. VIII. 23. They groan here for the Adoption, that is, the Redemption of the Body. And they carry the same affection of desire of it into Heaven.

Secondly, We may very well conceive, that the Saints in glory rejoice as this his mystical Body comes on to be glorified, when a Soul comes to Heaven.

But that they know what men do here below, is neither proved, nor is it material to be believed. Therefore I shall not entangle myself in that question, but leave it to them that do believe it, to prove it, when they are able.

That God and Christ and Angels rejoice over a sinner, that repenteth, is that that is before us: and it is a thing that may be wondrous in our Eyes, and we can never meditate too much upon it. That God should rejoice over a repenting sinner with, Oh! this my Son was dead, and gone, but he is alive and found again. That Christ should rejoice with, Oh! this my sheep was wandered and quite lost, but here he is found out, and brought back again. And that the Angels should rejoice with, Oh! here is a poor Groat, that was quite lost and gone, but now found and recovered again. Certainly these are strange things to hear, and who could have believed such a report, but that word of it is brought from Heaven by him, that came to reveal the will of the Father, which is in Heaven?

Upon the hearing of it, whether shall we first stand to admire the wondrous goodness of God, Christ and Angels: or to consider the admirable excellency and virtue of repentance, that comes off so happily and comfortably with the rejoicing of God, Christ and Angels?

When we rank Angels so roundly with Christ and God, it is only in reference to the particular we are speaking of, their rejoicing for the Conversion of a sinner. For who else knoweth not the great distance between them, as between the Creator and Creatures. But in reference to the subject before us, let us consider these two things of them.

I. That their Wills are so entirely agreeing with the Will of God, that they can will nothing, but as he willeth. Their Dial goeth exactly with his Sun, and their Will set only by His, Psal. CIII. 20. They do his Commandments, and hearken to the voice of his words. And they cannot go a hair breadth from it to the right hand or left. That is, the fair Copy we have before us in that petition when we pray, Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven. So that what God mindeth towards the good of men, they do the like. Doth he desire the salvation of men? They do the same. Doth he look and wait for any man's repentance? They do so also. Doth he rejoice for a sinners conversion? They rejoice also. And that,

II. Not only out of their entire agreement with the Will of God, but also out of their entire love of Men. They are Ministring-spirits for the good of them that shall be saved, Heb. I. ult. And they do their Ministration most willingly and readily, and out of entire love, and desire of the good of men. Guess them by their contrary, the Angels that fell. The Devils seek the mischief of man all that they can: the good Angels seek his good. The Devils do heartily desire that all men might be damned; the good Angels desire that all may be saved. The Devils rejoice in any man's Perdition, the good Angels rejoice for his Conversion. And they willingly and readily attend upon men for that end, as God doth appoint them; and they require no pay or reward for their attendance, more than the man's amendment, and repentance, and that he would do as God would have him.

The Papists will tell you of worshipping Angels: and the Apostle tells you there were some so deceived as to worship Angels, Col. II. 18. But will you hear what an Angel himself saith upon that point? Read Rev. XXII. 8, 9. I fell down to worship before the feet of the Angel, which shown me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not. For I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the Prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book. Worship God. Yes, that is all they desire for their attendance about us. Let us worship God, fear God, serve God, and they account themselves very well paid. Their Will is so entirely resolved into the Will of God, that they desire no more for all their service, than that our Will might be resolved so too. And their love and affection is so entire to man, that for their Ministration they desire no better pay, than that man would love God for his own everlasting good.

Therefore though Angels be infinitely below God, as being his creatures; and though they cover their faces before God, Esa. VI. as owning themselves so infinitely below him: yet when the good of man is the business that is transacted; as the seeking of his good, rejoicing for his good: it is no wonder if Angels be also named with God and Christ in some concurrence for such a thing.

But in what sense are we to understand God and Christ and Angels rejoicing at a sinners repentance? Are they subject to such a kind of passion, and such a change of passion and affection as we are? Consider the contrary. As God is said to rejoice at sinners repentance, so he is said to be grieved at their sinning and impenitency, Psal. LXXVIII. 40. and XCV. 10. and Ephes. IV. 10. &c. Now is their such a change in God, as one while to be grieved, another while to rejoice; one while to be sad, another while to be glad? This is for such changeable things as we are, that are twenty things in an hour; but not for the Lord of Hosts, with whom is no change, nor shadow of turning. But these expressions are used concerning God, the things themselves, Joy and Grief, being so well known to us, that from these known things we might judge, how God looks upon sin and impenitency, and how he looks upon repentance: how the one takes with him, and how the other.

Joy is the highest expression of our Contentment, and being well pleased: for it speaks that we have sped of that contentment we desired. For consider of these three degrees, Desire, Hope and Joy. There is a thing that would give us contentment, if we could obtain it, and thereupon we desire it. Hope to obtain it doth somewhat add to the contentment, and doth warm the Desire after it. But Joy comes when we have obtained it. Our joy is in our enjoying that content we desire. So that by God, Christ and Angels rejoicing at a sinners repentance, is expressed, how great contentment and satisfaction and well pleasing a sinners repentance is to them. It is that that they have mainly and earnestly desired: and now when it is obtained, oh! how contentive and well pleasing is it to them. I have now found the Sheep that I long looked for: I have found the Groat that I long desired to find: and my lost Son, that I have long longed for his return, is now come safe home again.

Let that be the first thing, that we spend our present thoughts upon. Wine glads God and Man, Judge. IX. So Repentance glads God and Angels. I remember that Job XXXVIII. 7. where there is mention of the creation of the World, and of laying the foundation of the Earth, and the corner stone of it: and then it is said, The morning Stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. The whole Choir of Angels sang, and shouted for joy to see that great work of the Creator to go so wonderfully. And it was worthy of all their shouting and singing and rejoicing. But here is a business, that God himself joins himself with the Choir, and rejoices and triumphs with Angels too.

And what can move God and Christ and Angels to rejoice but this? Think seriously of this question, What could move them to rejoice but only this? Look all the World through, and think what in it might move joy in Heaven but this. Gold and silver and wealth, and earthly pomp is but a drug, as we say, reputed there. And bring tidings of that, and what is that to Heaven? That that we so dote on, that we are ready to venture Soul, Body, Eternity, all for, i. e. the pelf and prosperity of the World, offer it to God, Christ, Angels or glorified Spirits by bags, barns, by heaps, by mountains, what are all these to Heaven? As much despised, as Earth is below Heaven. No, it could be none of these earthly treasures that moved the joy of Heaven: nothing but the repentance of a sinner.

Most true, God and Christ would be never the less blessed and holy and glorious, if never man in the World should repent. For God receiveth no addition from man, but man from God. And the blessed Angels would be never the less blessed and happy, if never Person should repent. For their happiness is Primitive and Original to them, and not Accidental. If all the World were in Hell, what were God less in Majesty and Glory? And what were the Angels less in blessedness and purity? And therefore it is the more ravishing a consideration, that God and Angels should rejoice when any come to Heaven. But the Repentance and Salvation of men is not a thing that God could not be without. For he was the same God before there was a World, that he will be forever. Nor is it a thing the Angels could not be without. For the Angels were what they are before man was in being.

But God would not, Angels would not be without men's repentance and salvation: and as I may say with reverence, they are not satisfied, will not be satisfied without men's salvation. The principle of this desiring is in the goodness of their own will, not in any pinching urgency in their own want. A poor miserable beggar, a poor miserable prisoner; that the one should come to a better estate, and the other obtain his liberty; if we have any whit Divine or Angelic hearts, we should wish it should be so, and we should rejoice if it were so: but this not out of any pinching need we have of the bettering of their estate: for we are not the worse, while they are in poverty and prison, and we should not be bettered by their being out. But something within of Love, Charity, Pity and Goodness is that that moves us to desire their bettering, at least should do.

And how many inward Principles, as with reverence I may call them, there are to move God and Christ and Angels so to desire man's repentance, the way to his salvation, not a small time would serve to discourse. I shall only observe these two things concerning it.

First, God created the World for Man, and Man in the World, more especially to show and communicate his Goodness. Consult Psal. CXXXVI. and it will inform, that the bottom of God's design in creating all things was to impart his Mercy. He made the Heavens. Why? Because his Mercy endureth forever. He stretcheth the Earth upon the Waters. Why? Because his Mercy endureth forever. That made two great Lights. Because his Mercy endureth forever, &c. Showing all along that that which moved God to create the World was Mercy: and because he would impart Mercy to the Creature, especially Man, for whom he created all things. It is true, that he Created the world to show his Eternal Power and Godhead; and so the Apostle intimates, Rom. I. 20. But he created the World more especially to show that which he meant to communicate, which was his Mercy: whereas his Eternal Power and Godhead he cannot so communicate. But,

Secondly, By the fall of man the brave workmanship and design of God is ruined. Man that he created to be his servant, is now become the Devils bondslave: and he to whom he intended his mercy, hath now utterly lost his mercy, and is under the worst of misery. Satan hath now got the day, and all is his own: but the Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will not suffer it. Mercy doth not forsake poor man in misery, but doth double itself, and become Grace. Mercy had made him of a condition happy. Grace restores him from a condition miserable. Mercy had made him able to do for himself, and when that was lost, Grace raiseth up Christ to do and suffer for him. Mercy had made him partaker of the Divine Image; Grace makes him partaker of the Divine Nature.

There is a Principle in God, as I may call it, that cannot but be moving for the good of man. And a Principle in Angels, that cannot but delight in that Principle of God. I say, that cannot but be moving; when indeed the wheel that stirs all, and necessitates that notion is only the goodness of God, and the Love of Angels to Men. As the moving, so the reason of the moving is within themselves.

Object. Why then are not all men saved? If there be such an essential moving in God for the good of Man, why do not all men partake of that goodness? And if such joy in Heaven for a sinners repentance, why doth not God bring all the World to repentance? For if he would, he could do it; and if he so delight in it, why doth he not do it?

Answer, I remember the saying of the Prophet, The Lord is pleased for his righteousness sake, to magnify the Law and make it glorious. As the Lord is pleased to magnify his Grace in man's Salvation, so God is pleased to magnify the means of Grace, and that man should magnify the means of Grace, or no Salvation. God never intended that men should leap into Heaven without more ado; but that they should take Jacob's ladder, the means that he hath appointed, to get up thither. In that opposition, that God sets in the Prophet betwixt his ways, and men's ways, ( Are not my ways equal, are not your ways unequal ) he plainly directs to take his ways whosoever intends to come to him. For it is not man's ways; it is no other way, that will bring to him.

Now the means of Grace and Salvation we may distinguish into what God hath afforded for man's direction and forewarning, and what a man is to practice according to that direction. The Word and Ordinances of God is that that God hath afforded for direction and forwarding. And for the Practical means, I shall mention but these three instead of more. A man's striving to get clear from Satan; his laboring to have part in Christ; and his glorifying God by obedience.

Here are the reasons of the joy in Heaven, when a sinner repents. Because a Soul is delivered from Satan. Because there is one come in towards the making up of the Body of Christ, and to the glorifying of God, and his Word, and his Son, and Grace. I might enlarge copiously upon all these particulars. Now though there be such joy in Heaven for a sinners repentance upon these reasons, yet can we not think for all that joy, that men should be brought to repentance, that either despise such means, or are far from applying themselves to them.

Upon the • e things that we have hitherto spoken, we may the better judge of our Savior's comparison here, of more and less rejoicing over a penitent sinner, and a just person. A person that hath followed righteousness from his youth, this man is not lost to God, because he hath always been in his ways. But a person that never came into the ways of God, and hath always been extravagant, that man is as yet lost to God. He is twice or thrice lost, in Adam, in himself, and by both lost to God. Now when such a person as this repents and turns into the ways of God, Oh! how is God and Christ delighted and well pleased to see such a conversion. Not but that God tenders the soul of a Just person, as well as such a Penitents; but by how much the greater and more apparent danger he is delivered from, the more is God, as I may speak, affected with his Deliverance: and his own Grace and Word is the more apparently glorified in such a Deliverance.

A SERMON PREACHED upon

O UR Savior upon his Cross was like Joseph in his Prison, in regard of this circumstance, that he was between two Thieves that had offendded against the Law of the Land, as Joseph was between two Servants of Pharaoh, that had offended against the Law of the life of their Master. One of these Delinquents was delivered, and the other Executed: as one of these Thieves is saved and the other perished. But here is a very great difference and discord, that Joseph intreats one of these Offenders to remember him, when it should be well with him, but he forgot him: but here one of the Offenders intreats Christ, that he would remember him, when he came into his Kingdom, and he does it and forgets him not.

O! Who would not love thee, O thou King of mercies, though the King of sorrows, that forgetest thine own tortures to remember a poor Petitioner; and mindest not the wrecking of thine one Cross, to take care of another souls deliverance? And who would be ashamed, nay who would not triumph in a Crucified Jesus, that evidenceth such Salvation in his very Crucifying? That in the deepest of his shame, and in the highest of his pain, and greatest of his weakness, shows such pity, such strength, such deliverance, towards a poor wretch, when there is but a span betwixt him and destruction: when the roaring Lion had him in his mouth, and it was but three or four hours journey to have got him into his Den. But in comes this great deliverer in the very needful nick of time: and in the midst of all his weakness and anguish, he wrings the Lamb out of the jaws of the devourer, and secures him;