Last Farewell to a Beloved People, Title page

Last Farewell to a Beloved People · Title page

Ultimum Vale: OR, The Laſt FAREWEL of a Miniſter of the Goſpel to a beloved People.

By MATTHEVV NEVVCOMEN, M. A. late Preacher of the Goſpel to the Church of Chriſt at Dedham in Eſſex: Now to the Engliſh Church at Leyden in Holland.

Coelum non Animum.

Coelum ne Animum.

Non Animum ne Coelum.

Heb. 13.7.

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have ſpoken unto you the Word of God, whoſe Faith follow, conſidering the end of their converſation.

2 Pet. 1.12, 13.

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of theſe things, though ye know them, and be eſtabliſhed in the preſent Truth.

Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to ſtir you up, by putting you in remembrance.

London, Printed in the Year, 1663.

p. 3Ultimum Vale: OR, The Last Farewel of a Miniſter of the Goſpel to a Beloved People.

Acts 20.32.

And now, Brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them that are ſanctified.

THe bleſſed Apoſtle Paul being from all Eternity intended and deſigned by God to be a glorious Preſident of the Riches and Almightineſs of his Pardoning Mercy and Converting Grace, (as the Apoſtle tells you, 1 Tim. 1.14.) God did therefore cauſe his Grace in the Converſion of Paul not only to abound, but to ſuper-abound; As it is there expreſſed, foreign. He that was a Blaſphemer, and was a Perſecutor, and was Injurious, being now by the rich and powerful Grace of God converted to be a Believer, to be a Preacher, to be a Martyr.

So the Lord Chriſt, tells him at his firſt appearing to him, as himſelf records it, Acts 26.16. I have appeared to thee, to make thee a Miniſter, and a Martyr; foreign.

p. 4Non cuivis competit. Every Saint of God is not called to ſuch a degree of Honour, as to be made a Miniſter and a Martyr the firſt day, and that of their converſion. No more than every King hath the honour to be a King as ſoon as he comes into the World. But this was the exceeding abundant Grace of God towards Paul, above all others.

Paul had now ſpent about ſome eighteen years in the painful and laborious diſcharge of his Miniſtry, though not without ſome intermixtures of bitter Sufferings, Drops of that great Martyrdom, whereby he was to cloſe and ſeal up his Miniſtry at laſt, and glorifie God.

And having it now revealed to him, that the time was drawing nigh wherein he muſt be offered up unto the Sacrifice and Service of that Faith which he had ſo long preached, having viſited ſeveral of the Churches planted by his own Miniſtry, he now makes haſt to Jeruſalem, though he knew that was the place where the Tragedy of his Suffering was to begin, v. 22, 23.

Having therefore for the more expedition, determined to ſlip by Epheſus (for ſo the word foreign ſignifies) and not to touch or enter there, for fear of being too long detained among them, and yet not willing Inſalutatos praeterire, to paſs by his Chriſtian Friends and Brethren there, without ſo much as ſaluting them.

Therefore from Miletus, he ſends to Epheſus, and calls the Elders of the Church thither, to Miletus, to him, ver. 17.

Epheſus was the Metropolis, the cheif City of the leſſer Aſia, where Paul had ſpent at ſeveral times three years, in the preaching of the Gospel, and by the bleſſing of God upon thoſe labours, had gathered there a Famous, and a Glorious Church unto Jeſus Chriſt, and had there, as in other Churches, Acts 14.23. conſtituted and ordained Elders, to whom he reſigned the whole p. 5Care and Government of thoſe Churches, and that by the direction and appointment of the holy Ghoſt himſelf.

It is obſerved by many (and is indeed very obvious, and eaſy to obſerve) that though here be mention of a Metropolis, or chief City, Epheſus, and mention of a Church in that City: The Church of Epheſus, yet here is no mention of a Metropolitan Biſhop, or any Biſhop at all, as certainly there would have been, if there had been a Biſhip or Superintendant over that Church; but the Holy-Ghoſt plainly tels us, that that Church was governed by a Conſeſſus Presbyterorum, by a company of Elders, who did govern Communi Conſilio, and all and every one of thoſe Elders were equally foreign, and that Jure Divino: Not one Biſhop, and the reſt of them Elders of an inferior order.

To theſe Elders thus aſſembled Paul gives his Ultimum Vale, in this pathetical parting ſpeech. Wherein

Firſt, He looks back to the courſe of his Miniſtry already paſt among them, ver. 18.21.

Secondly, He looks forward to his approaching Suffering and Martyrdom, ver. 22, 23, 24. Where he ſheweth that he was a Martyr. Animo, Voto, & Propoſito, already.

Thirdly, He tels them this is the laſt time that ever they ſhall behold him, ver. 25. And as Samuel when he was laying down his Office of Magiſtracy, appeals to the People concerning his integrity in the Magiſtracy, 1 Sam. 12.3. So Paul here appeals to theſe concerning his uprightneſs, and faithfulneſs in the diſcharge of the Miniſtry. Happy are thoſe Magiſtrates, and Miniſters that when they are leaving their Office and Imployment can make theſe appeals.

Fourthly, He exhorts them unto a due care, Firſt of themſelves, and then of the Flock committed to them, upon a twofold account. Firſt, becauſe it was the p. 6Flock over which the Holy-Ghoſt had made them Overſeeres. Secondly, Becauſe it is the Flock which God hath purchaſed by his own Blood, ver. 28.

Fiftly, He enforceth this care and diligence further, by a prediction of the danger which he ſaw threatning the Church, and the Flock of Chriſt among them, v. 29, 30.

Sixthly, He reſumes the Exhortation again, and preſſeth it under another term, of Watching, and urgeth it by his own example, ver. 31.

Seventhly, He fairly and piouſly takes his leave of them in ver. 32. And afterwards propounds his own example again unto them for imitation; and ſo the action concludes on his part with Prayer, ver. 36. on their parts with Tears, ver. 37, 38. A ſolemn and ſad parting. In the words of the 32. verſ. you have,

Firſt, The Agent, I Paul, by the appointment of God a Miniſter, once your Miniſter, now no longer like to be your Miniſter, nor a Miniſter unleſs in bonds. I Paul] There is the Agent.

Secondly, We have the Act [Commend] Our Engliſh word, commend, is ambiguous; ſometimes it ſignifies to praiſe a perſon or thing, ſo 2 Cor. 3.1. Do we commend our ſelves? or need we, as ſome others, Epiſtles of commendation to you, or Letters of commendation from you? Sometimes our Engliſh word, Commend, ſignifieth to reſign, or deliver up, or commit a perſon or thing to the care or truſt of another; ſo Luke 23.46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit. But in the Original there is no ambiguity, the word that ſignifieth to commend by way of praiſe, is either foreign, as Luke 16.8. or foreign, 1 Cor. 8.8. or foreign, Rom. 5.8. and 16.1. or foreign, 2 Cor. 3.1. and 5.12. but the word uſed to ſignifie commending, by way of truſt is foreign, as Luke 23.46. Acts 14.23. and that is the word here uſed in the Text, I commend you, p. 7that is, I reſigne you over, I deliver you up, I commit you to the Truſt of God. That is the ſecond thing, the Act.

The Third thing is the Subject of this Act, or the perſons thus commended [You] amplified by their relative compellation, Brethren, [Brethren, I commend you to God] It is clear that this relates to the Elders of the Church of Epheſus, and it is probable that ſome of the Vulgar, ſome of the Plebs might be there alſo; eſpecially if they underſtood that Paul now ſent for the Elders to take his laſt leave of them, doubleſs ſome of the Brethren and Church-Members would willingly put themſelves to the trouble of ſo ſmall a journey to be preſent at this ſolemn parting: and if you conſider well the words of the 20, 25, & 27 verſes, methinks it is more than probable that there were preſent upon the place ſome of Pauls ordinary hearers, and ordinary members of the Church, as well as the Elders; therefore we may ſafely conclude that this, you Brethren, includes both Elders and People. Brethren, I commend you.

The fourth thing conſiderable, is, the Perſon to whom he doth thus commend theſe Brethren, and that is, firſt, to God, the Wiſe, the Gracious, the Faithful, the Almighty God: The ſame God, to whom with my Lord and Maſter Jeſus Chriſt, I would commend my ſpirit if I were now a dying, into his hands I commend you. I commend you principally, and in the firſt place to God; and then ſecondly, and ſubordinately, to the Word of his Grace, as a powerful means and nſtrument of God unto you; Brethren, I commend you to God, and the Word of his Grace.

Fiftly, You have here the Eulogie of this word, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them that are ſanctified] which clauſe may either refer to God, I commend you to God who is able to p. 8build you up, and give you an inheritance among them that are ſanctified; or to the Word of hic Grace, I commend you to God, and the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up &c. and ſo in the Original, foreign; that is, God is able by his Word to build you up, and bring you to Heaven: Or, The Word of God is able to build you up in Grace, and bring you to Glory.

Laſtly, You have the time when Paul doth thus ſtudiouſly and ſolemnly commend the Brethren to God, and to the Word of his Grace, and that is, Now, Now that I am departing from you, never to ſee your faces more; Now that after my departure grievous Wolves ſhall enter among you. Now, Brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them that are ſanctified.

Which words will afford variety of Obſervations.

Firſt, For the term of Compellation, [Brethren.] This term, Brother, or Brethren, ſaith Hierom, quadrupliciter accipitur, is taken four manner of wayes.

1. Firſt, For thoſe that are born of the ſame Parents.

2. Secondly, For thoſe that are of the ſame Linage, though not of the ſame immediate Parents; thoſe whom we call Couſins, are uſually in Scripture called Brethren and Siſters.

3. Thirdly, For thoſe of the ſame Nation.

4. Fourthly, For thoſe of the ſame Religion and Profeſſion.

5. To which we may add, fifthly, For thoſe of the ſame place and co-habitations: Thus Lot calls the men of Sodom, Brethren, Gen. 19.7.

6. Sixthly, They are called Brethren, that are of a like quality and dispoſition: ſo Prov. 18.9. He that p. 9is ſlothful in his work, is [Brother] to him that is a great waſter.

Here it is uſed upon no other but upon a Religious Account. The Apoſtle calls theſe Perſons here preſent, Brethren, becauſe he and they, had one Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſm, one God and Father; therefore Brethren.

If we ſuppoſe this Compellation uſed to the Elders of the Church of Epheſus, then we may reade in it the exceeding great humility and condeſcenſion of the bleſſed Apoſtle Paul, who though he was advanced to an Office and Dignity of higheſt Eminency of any that ever Chriſt inſtituted in his Church, even the Office of an Apostle; which is another manner of Title and Dignity, than that either of Biſhop or Arch-Biſhop, or Patriarch, or Cardinal, or Pope: And though the Apoſtle ſufficiently underſtood how to magnifie this Office of his, when neceſſity or occaſion required it, Rom. 11.13. yet ſo modeſt and humble is the Apoſtle, that he doth not diſdain to give unto a company of poor plain Presbyters or Elders of the Church, that were in Office, and (queſtionleſs) in Gifts and Graces many degrees inferiour to the Apoſtle, yet I ſay, he doth not diſdain to give unto them the title and reſpect of Brethren.

So that other Apoſtle Peter, whom the Papists forſooth would fain have to be the Prince of the Apoſtles, and Head of the Church, ſee what modeſt language he uſeth to the Elders of the Church, 1 Pet. 5.1. The Elders that are among you I exhort, who am alſo foreign, a fellow-Elder with your ſelves. One would think it would have ſounded better, and more like the Prince of the Church, to have ſaid, We will and require you, We Peter by divine diſpenſation, Prince of the Apoſtles, Head of the Church, the Vicar of Chriſt, to whom the Keys of Heaven are given, WE will and require, We charge and command p. 10the Elders that are among you to feed the Flock of God. This indeed is more according to the language and genius of thoſe that pretend to be the Succeſſors of Peter, and of the Apoſtles. But thoſe Primitive and purer times knew no ſuch diſtance betwixt the Miniſters of the Goſpel; nor no ſuch Lordlineſs of the one over the other; the higheſt Officer in the Church looking upon the loweſt, as Brethren and Fellow-Elders.

Theſe gracious and holy Souls had not yet forgotten the Words of their Lord and Maſter, Luke 22.25. The Kings of the Gentiles [foreign] lord it over them, and they that exerciſe Authority upon them, are called foreign, Benefactors. foreign, But as for you it ſhall not be ſo; but he that is greateſt among you, let him be foreign, as the younger, foreign. And he that is, Ruler or Governor among you, foreign, as the Deacon, or Miniſter, or Servant. The Servants of Chriſt had not yet forgot theſe Words of their Lord and Maſter, Necdum effuſum erat venenum in Eccleſiam. But the Apoſtles of Chriſt walked in the ſteps of their Lord and Maſter, being meek and lowly of heart, Matth. 11.29. and thereby approving themſelves to be the true Miniſters of Chriſt. Whereas Pride and diſdain of others, is a property and badge not of the Servants of Chriſt, but of Antichrist.

It is a notable Story, that which Beda tels in the ſecond Book of his Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory and the ſecond chapter, that when Auſtin the Monke, whom ſome are ambitious to make the Apoſtle of England: When he was ſent by Pope Gregory the great to preach to the Angles or Saxons that dwelt in this Land, he found a conſiderable company of the Britans, the ancient and native Inhabitants of this Country, profeſſing the Faith of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and living religiouſly and devoutly, only differing from the then Church of Rome in p. 11ſome Circumſtances, as in point of the keeping of Eaſter and ſome Ceremonies uſed in Baptiſm, & the like; whereupon he called a Council, or a Synod, and invites the Britans thither, and accordingly divers of the moſt Learned and Religious among them applied themſelves to the journey; but in the way they judged it convenient to take the advice of one that was of great Eminency for Prudence, and Holineſs of life, et Anachoreticam ducebat vitam, and to enquire of him whether they ſhould be perſwaded by Auſtin to leave their ancient Cuſtoms, and follow his, or no. His anſwer to them was, Si Homo Dei ſit, ſequimini eum; If he be a man of God, follow him. But ſay they, How ſhall we be ſure of that. Why, ſaith he again, Our Lord ſaith, Take my Yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart. If therefore, ſaith he, this Auſtin be meek and lowly of heart, it is a ſign that he hath taken the Yoke of Chrict upon him, and offers no other yoke to you; but if he be ſuperbus & immitis, if he be haughty and proud, Conſtat eum non eſſe de Deo; it is manifeſt that he is not of God, neither are ye to regard what he ſaith. But, ſay they again, How ſhall we know this, how ſhall we know whether he be proud or lowly? Why, ſaith he, order it ſo, that He and his Party may come firſt to the place of meeting, and if when you come in, he riſeth up to you, know that he is the Servant of Chriſt, and hear him obediently. But if he deſpiſe you, and will not ſo much as riſe off his ſeat to you, do you despiſe him. Fecerunt ut dixerat. They did as he directed them; and Auſtin not riſing up to them at their coming in, they concluded him a proud man, and ſet themſelves the more to oppoſe him.

But if we enlarge the Perſons, and take in not only the Elders, but the reſt of the Church, ſuppoſing them preſent upon the place, as I have ſhewed before, we p. 12have probable cauſe to do, than the term Brethren, may afford unto us this Obſervation.

Obſ. That there is a near relation, even the relation of Brethren, between Preachers and People, founded upon the account of Religion and Grace.

This near relation is ſometimes expreſſed under the notion of Father and Children. I ſpeak unto you, as unto my Children, 2 Cor. 6.13. My little Children, with whom I travel in birth, Gal. 4.19. I have no greater joy than to hear that my Children walk in Truth, 3 John 14. Sometimes this near relation is expreſſed under the notion of a Nurſe and Children; ſo 1 Theſſ. 2.7. But we were gentle among you, even as a Nurſe cheriſheth her Children. But moſt ordinarily and frequently it is expreſſed by this notion of Brother, or Brethren; this is the Compellation wherewith the Apoſtle and other Miniſters of the Goſpel do ordinarily ſalute their People, both in their Preaching and in their Writings to them, as is obvious to all that reade the Acts of the Apoſtles, and their Epiſtles. Miniſters and People they are Brethren, and that upon the account of Religion and Grace. They have the ſame Father, even God, who is pleaſed to own the one and the other for his Children. For we are all the Children of God by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, Gal. 3.26. They have all one Mother; not Rome, nor Antioch, nor any other Church upon Earth, but the Jeruſalem which is above, the Mother of us all, Gal. 4.26. They have all ſucked the ſame breaſts, Iſa. 66.11. That you may ſuck and be ſatisfied with the breaſts of her Conſolation. They all feed at the ſame Table, they eat the ſame Spiritual Bread, and drink the ſame Spiritual Drink; 1 Cor. 10. They all are Heirs of the ſame Promiſes, and wait for the ſame Inheritance; I ſay, Miniſters and People that are true Believers in all theſe reſpects therefore are Brethren. Only look as it is in a Family p. 13where there are many Children, many Brothers and Siſters, one of theſe is the firſt-born, and he, though a Brother, yet he is an Elder-Brother, and he hath ſome Priviledges above the reſt. So it is here.

In the firſt Ages of the World the Priviledges of the firſt-born conſiſted in theſe three things.

1. That the Publick and Solemn Worſhip of God was adminiſtred in the Family, and for the Family, by the Firſt-born; he was Prieſt and Prophet of the Family.

2. That next unto the Father himſelf the Firſt-born was the Prince and Governour of the Family.

3. That a double Portion of the Eſtate went to the Firſt-born, as his Inheritance.

And all theſe Priviledges were founded upon that claim which God made unto the firſt-born, as his right, upon which they were conſecrated and ſet apart to God, Exod. 13.

Afterwards, all theſe Priviledges in the Church of the Old Teſtament were devolved upon the Levites, whom God took inſtead of all the firſt-born of Iſrael, Numb. 3.12. And now in the Church of the New-Teſtament this Honour and theſe Priviledges are conferred upon the Miniſters of the Goſpel, whom God hath ſet in the place of the Levites under the Law, Iſa. 66.21. I will take of them for Prieſts and Levites, ſaith the Lord. So that now the Miniſters of the Gospel they are as it were the firſt-born Brethren.

Now the Uſe of this may be,

Firſt, To inform us, that the Authority and Power of Ruling, which Miniſters have in the Church of God, which is the Houſe of God, it is not Despotical or Lordly, or Magiſterial, ſuch as Superiours have over thoſe that are abſolutely and every way their Inferiours; but it is rather Social, ſuch as one Brother hath over another, importing rather a Priority of Order, than an Imparity p. 14of Degree. The Apoſtle diſclaims all ſuch Power, foreign, 2 Cor. 1.24. We are not Lords over your Faith, but Helpers of your Joy.

Secondly, That Miniſters and People, Preachers and Hearers are all Brethren: this ſhews what endeared affections Miniſters and People ought to bear each to other. How dearly ought every Miniſter of the Goſpel to love the People to whom he is ſent; they are his Brethren, and how dearly ought the People of God to love and reverence every Miniſter of God that is ſent among them! he is their Rrother, their Elder Brother.

As it is in the Conjugal Relation, ſo it is in this. There are ſome duties proper to the Husband, ſome proper to the Wife, but Love is a duty equally incumbent upon them both. So it is here. There are Duties indeed proper to the Preacher as a Preacher, ſome proper to the People as Hearers; but Love is a Duty equally incumbent upon them both, as they are Brethren; the Preacher muſt love the People dearly as his Brethren. So Paul profeſſeth abundance of Love to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 2.4. And ſo to the Philippians, Phil. 1.8. God is my Record how greatly I long after you all, in the Bowels of Christ Jeſus. So acknowledging their love to him, 2 Cor. 8.7. —Ye abound in your Love to us. And Col. 1.8. —Who alſo declared unto us your Love in the Spirit.

I am not come hither this day to juſtifie, or commend my ſelf, for my Love to you of this place, though I think I might with modeſty ſay, I nave given ſome proof of my Love unto you, not only by my conſtant Miniſtry among you, but by denying ſo many and ſo great Preferments as I have done for your ſakes; neither is it my deſign to commend you, or to praiſe you to your faces, for your Love to me, for that mutual and reciprocal Love that hath been between us, bleſſed be God; for p. 15what hath been wanting on either ſide, let us be humbled.

Thirdly, This may let us ſee, that where there is this Brother-like, mutual affection between Miniſter and People, there the taking away of Miniſter and People one from another cannot but be very grievous. What a lamentation doth David take up over Jonathan upon this account, 2 Sam. 1.26. I am greatly diſtreſſed for thee, my brother Jonathan; there is the root and bottom of his grief, his brother Jonathan was ſnatched away from him by death: I am greatly diſtreſſed for thee, my Brother Jonathan; very pleaſant waſt thou unto me: there was David's love to Jonathan, thy love to me was wonderfull, paſſing the love of women, there was Jonathan's love to David, there was no love loſt between the one and other; and where there is ſuch love there cannot but be grief at partting. Methinks I hear ſome Congregations (though it may be, not many) in England thus bewailing their Miniſters, that are now civilly ſlain, We are greatly diſtreſſed for thee, O Brother, very pleaſant wert thou to us, thy words were pleaſant words: for the Preacher ſought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written was upright, even words of truth, Eccleſ. 12.10. They that have had ſuch Preachers, may well ſay, very pleaſant haſt thou been unto us; and ſome may adde further, Thy Love was wonderful, paſſing the love of Women; and here certainly there muſt be a heavy parting.

Fourthly, If Preachers and People are Brethren, Here then behold how good and pleaſant a thing it is for Miniſters and People to dwell together in Unity; As it is ſaid of Brethren, Pſal. 133. and therefore muſt be true here. And on the contrary, how unprofitable, how unpleaſing, and how unbecoming Jarrs and Diviſions between Miniſter and People are. Their contentions are p. 16like the bars o ſa Caſtle, ſaith the holy Ghoſt of the contentions of Brethren, Prov. 18.19. what then are the Contentions of Miniſters and People?

Fiftly, That Miniſters and People are Brethren, only Miniſters they are the Elder Brethren, they are the firſt born of Brethren. This may ſerve as a glaſs to let us ſee the ſad aspect of the preſent Judgment that is upon this Nation. There are two thouſand Miniſters in England ſmitten and ſtain at once, as to their Miniſterial Office, and Relation: Methinks this Judgment ſeems to be like the laſt and ſoreſt Judgment that God brought upon Egypt, when He ſlew all the firſt born in Egypt in one night: ſo here, God hath ſlain not one or a few, but many indeed of the Firſt-born in England in one day, there God did it Immittendo, here Permittendo, there by way of Immiſſion, here by way of Permiſſion: upon this occaſion, ſaith the Text, there was a great cry in Egypt, Exod. 12, 30. And methinks, there ſhould be no ſmall cry in England at this time. And yet behold, and remember.— But I forbear, and go on.

And now Brethren, I commend you to God.] Paul being now to take his laſt leave of theſe precious People, making account never to to ſee them, nor ſpeak unto them more, what doth he do? He commends them to God. And now, Brethren, I commend you unto God.

Whence obſerve, That it becomes Miniſters, eſpecially when they are to leave their People, and foreſee they ſhall leave them in danger of Wolves, to commit and commend them unto God.

It is true, it is the Duty of Miniſters to be alwayes commending their People unto God. So Paul, Rom. 1.9. God is my witneſs, whom I ſerve with my ſpirit, in the Gospel of his Son, that without ceaſing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers. So Eph. 1.16. I ceaſe not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. p. 17So 1 Theſſ. 1.2. We give thanks unto God alwayes for you, making mention of you always in our prayers. Thus Miniſters muſt alwayes do; but eſpecially when they are leaving of them, and know withal they ſhall leave them in danger of Wolves. If there were no other proof of this in Scripture, the Practice and Example of the cheif Shepherd and Biſhop of ſouls, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, is enough to inforce this unto us; for you find that when Jeſus knew that his hour was come that he ſhould depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them to the end, Joh. 13.1. and, as the laſt act of his Love, he commends them to the Father at his departure, in that comfortable and heavenly Prayer of his which we have recorded, John 17.11. And now I am no more in the world, but theſe are in the world; Holy Father, keep through thine own Name thoſe whom thou haſt given me. And ſo again, ver. 15. I pray not that thou ſhouldſt take them out of the world, but that thou ſhouldſt keep them from the evil, or from the evil one. Thus we ſee our Saviour commended his Diſciples to his Father; and ſo ſhould we do. And that,

Firſt, To teſtifie our faithfulneſs to God.

Secondly, To teſtifie our love to the People.

Firſt, To teſtifie our faithfulneſs to God, and that for two Reaſons.

1. Becauſe they are primarily and originally God's Flock, His peculiar People, and by him committed to our Truſt and Care. To whom therefore ſhould we commit them when we leave them, rather than to him to whom they do belong, and from whom we have received them? This our Saiour pointeth at in John 17.6. Thine they were, thou gaveſt them me. So again ver. 9. I pray for them which thou haſt given me, for they are thine. and ver. 11. Keep through thine own Name, them which p. 18thou haſt given me. The intereſt that God hath in them, and our receiving them from God, that is one Reaſon why we Miniſters ſhould commit and commend unto God the People we have received from him, before we leave them.

2. It becomes Miniſters, eſpecially when they are to leave their People, and foreſee dangers threatning them, to commit and commend them to God: Becauſe, they are accountable to God for their Peoples ſouls, Heb 13.17. They watch for your ſouls as they that muſt give an account. As Jacob was accountable to Laban for all the Sheep that were under his hands, if any were ſtolen, or torn, or loſt by going aſtray, Jacob muſt anſwer for it; ſo it is with Miniſters, they are accountable to God for their Peoples ſouls: And therefore it is fit, that when they leave their People, they ſhould commend them to God, to whom they are accountable for them.

Secondly, It becomes Miniſters when they are leaving their People to commend them to God, that ſo they may teſtifie their love to their Peoples ſouls. This being the beſt, and indeed the only proviſion they can make for them, becauſe God is every way able to keep thoſe that are thus committed to him, He is infinite in Wiſdom, in Power, in Watchfulneſs, in Tenderneſs, in Faithfulneſs, therefore it becomes Miniſters when they are leaving their People, thus to commit them to God. Now this may ſerve,

In the firſt place, by way of apology for thoſe many Miniſters that at this time have been forced to leave their ſtations, I know there want not ſome that blame them, and think they have not ſhewed that love to the ſouls of their Flocks that they ſhould have done, methinks I hear ſome ready to take up the Miniſters of Chriſt, as David's elder brother took up him, 1 Sam. 17.28. I p. 19know thy pride, and the naughtineſs of thy heart, And with whom haſt thou left thoſe few Sheep in the Wilderneſs? here poor David ſtands arraigned at the Bar of his angry brother, of pride and naughtineſs of heart, and wilful neglect of the Flock committed to his care; when he, poor man, had done nothing but by the command of his father: And is not this the cenſure paſſed upon many of God's faithful Miniſters in their ſufferings at this time? It is (ſay ſome) their pride, and the frowardneſs and peeviſhneſs of their hearts, and what do they think ſhall become of thir Flocks, when they thus leave their charges? when we have done nothing but by the appointment and commandment of God, who hath commanded us not to do evil that good may come of it. And to them that demand with whom we have left thoſe few Sheep? We anſwer, We have commended them to God, his they were, he gave them us; and now he having no more need of us, we have reſigned them up again unto him. But,

In the ſecond Place, This may ſupport and comfort the People of God under this preſent dispenſation of God towards them, even the taking away of their Miniſters, which cannot but be very grievous unto them. You ſee here how full of grief the People were at the thoughts of Paul's being taken from them, they all wept ſore, ver. 37, 38. and fell on Paul's neck and kiſſed him, ſorrowing moſt of all for thoſe words which he ſpake, ſaying, that they ſhould ſee his face no more. That was it wounded them to the heart, that Paul was now taking his laſt leave, never to ſee their faces more. The like you find Acts 21. the Church in Ceſarea, when they heard that Paul was going to Jeruſalem, and that Bonds and Trouble were there appointed for him, they fell a diſſwading him from his Voyage, and that with abundance of tears, in ſo much that Paul was faine to ſhake them p. 20off with a kind of anger, ſaying, What mean ye to weep, and to break my heart, I am ready not to be bound only, but to dye at Jeruſalem for the Name of the Lord Jeſus. Methinks I hear thoſe good Souls mourning to one another thus in ſecret: Alas, that ever we lived to ſee this day! That ever by our own unthankfulneſs, and unprofitableneſs under ſuch a Miniſtry, as Paul's, we ſhould provoke God to take ſuch a bleſſed inſtrument from us, and from his Churches! That our not walking worthy of the Light ſhould provoke the Lord to let ſuch a Light be taken out of the Candleſtick, and put under a Buſhel; it is our not walking worthy of the Gospel that impriſons this precious Servant of God, more than any crime of his, or the malice and rage of his adverſaries the Jews; they could have no power to touch him, if we by our unfruitfulneſs had not made our ſelves unworthy of him, and of his Miniſtry, Methinks I hear them thus bemoaning themſelves, methinks I ſee a company incircling Paul, as in a Ring, and pleading with him, Good Sir, conſider, if not your ſelf, yet conſider us; if you go up to Jeruſalem, and there be laid in Priſon, as the holy Ghoſt foretells you will, what do you think will become of us? Who ſhall carry on that Work, which you have been the happy Inſtrument under God to begin in us? You are our Father, you have begotten us again to God by his Gospel; if you leave us, what will become of us? never were poor fatherleſs children left in a more miſerable condition than we are left in; If you leave us, who ſhall inſtruct us, who ſhall encourage and carry us on in the wayes of Grace and Holineſs? who ſhall arm us against the temptations of Satan, againſt the errors and ſnares of Seducers? Who ſhall quiet our troubled Conſciences, who ſhall build us up in Faith, and in the comforts of the holy Ghoſt, if you leave us? Beſides, we have Children that are yet in their ſins, and what will become of their ſouls, what means is there for their converſion, if Paul, and ſuch as Paul be taken from us?

p. 21Talibus at que aliis in quae dolor ipſe deſertos fecerat. With theſe, and ſuch like things, did theſe Chriſtians ſet upon Paul, to perſwade him to ſtay among them, but you ſee all in vain.

And ſome ſuch pangs as theſe poſſibly may be upon the hearts of ſome of God's People at this time in England, there may be here and there one that may ſit ſolitary and ſorrowful, bewailing their Miniſter, as he did the Prophet, O my Father, my Father, the Chariots of Iſrael, and the Horſmen thereof.

But ſtay, my Brethren, we are not your Fathers. Matth. 23.9. Call no man your Father upon Earth; for one is your Father, which is in Heaven. Alas, Brethren, we Miniſters are not your Fathers, it is too honourable a title for us to take: truly, and properly, and in a ſpiritual ſenſe, God only is your Father, he it is that begets you of his own good will by the Word of Truth, Jam. 1.18. Though indeed that Word be diſpenſed by us as inſtruments, and when he hath thus begotten you, he is pleaſed to truſt and honour us ſo far, as to make us Foſter-Fathers and Nurſing-Fathers to you, and this cannot but beget ſome kind of Affections and Reſpect in us to you, and in you to us, as there is between Nurſe-Fathers and Nurſe-Children, and a lothneſs to part. But I beſeech you, conſider, If a King that hath had a Child at Nurſe ſome years in a private houſe, judge it convenient to part the Child and Nurſe one from another, and the Nurſe-Father upon notice given of the King's mind, carries the Child home, and delivers it up into the King's own arms, who is the true and proper Father, and is a thouſand times better able to provide for the Child than the Nurſe-Father, and more engaged to do it too: hath this poor Child any hurt, or any cauſe to complain, or to cry after the Nurſe-Father, I will go home to my Father again? Think, my p. 22Brethren, the caſe is the ſame here. We have been Nurſing-Fathers to you for ſome time, God ſeeth it fit to make a change, who are we that we ſhould murmur, or find fault? or, what cauſe have you to complain? We reſign you up into the hands of your Father, and our Father, your God and our God, Why ſhould you cry after us, are you not well enough? can you be better than in the arms of your dear, gracious and mercifull Father?

Obj. But what ſhall we do for Ordinances? how ſhall we live? who ſhall feed and nouriſh our poor ſouls?

Anſ. You that do indeed love, and prize, and hunger after the Ordinances, I will ſay to you, as Abram did in another care, My ſon, God will provide. As for the reſt of you, you that neither loved the Ordinances while you had them, nor have been at all quickened by the withdrawing of them, what God will do with you I cannot tell. But you that love and prize the Ordinances, I ſay to you concerning your ſouls, as our Saviour concerning your bodies, Take no thought what you ſhall eat, and what you ſhall drink, nor how your poor ſouls ſhall live in a time of ſtraitneſs and ſcarcity. That God, that when Iſrael were in ſuch a place as they could neither ſow nor reap, fed them with bread from Heaven; that God, if he bring you into ſuch a condition, as you can neither enjoy Word nor Sacraments, will feed you too with hidden Manna, that ſhall be better than Word and Sacraments; that God, who multiplied the Meal in the Widows barrel, and the Oyl in her cruſe; that though her ſtock was little, yet it ſerved turn, and laſted as long as the famine laſted. So I dare confidently ſay it ſhall be with you that fear God in Truth, and love his Ordinances in ſincerity, the leſs your ſtock of Grace in your own eyes be, be it very little and ſmall, it ſhall hold out till you come to Heaven, p. 23your handful of Meal and your cruiſe of Oyl ſhall not fail. As for the reſt of People in this Place and Nation, what God will do with them I know not, I am loth to ſpeak what I ſee cauſe to fear, even concerning this very place; But I ſhall commend you to God, after I have ſpoken a little of what follows.

And the Word of his Grace.] Mark here, the Apoſtle doth not ſay, I commend you to God, and the impulſe of his Spirit; or, I commend you to God, and the Light within; or, I commend you to God, and the Traditions of men; or, I commend you to God, and the Cuſtoms and Orders of the holy Church: No, theſe are ſome of them uncertain, others of them unprofitable things. But we have a more ſure Word, 2 Pet. 1.19. A profitable Word, a Word able to make wiſe to Salvation, even the Holy Scriptures, and to this, next under God, and in joynt co-operation with God, for the good of their ſouls, doth the Apoſtle commend theſe Chriſtians: I commend you to God, and the Word of his Grace.

From thence obſerve, That the Word of God, it is the Word of God's Grace. So we find it ſtiled, not onelyonly here, but in Acts 14.3. They gave teſtimony to the Word of his Grace. So in chap. 20. ver. 24. it is called, The Goſpel of the Grace of God. And the Word of God is the Word of his Grace, upon this fourfold account.

Reaſ. 1. Becauſe it comes from Grace. It was the meer Free-Grace of God that moved him to reveal, and give forth this Word of his, as a Revelation of himſelf unto the children of men. Adam was at firſt created in ſuch a condition as he needed not a word without to lead him into the true knowledge of the true God. He was created after the Image of God, in Knowledge, Righteouſneſs and Holineſs, he had the Law of God written in his heart: And as the High Prieſt of old having the Ʋrim and Thummim upon his breaſt, p. 24needed but caſt his eye upon that, and he might preſently kmow any thing, that he had a mind to know of God. So Adam in his innocency it was for him but to reflect upon himſelf, to caſt his eye inward, and preſently he might know of God, and of his Mind and Will that which he did deſire. But as the Ʋrim and Thummim being loſt in the deſtruction of Jeruſalem by the Babylonians, God was pleaſed, as the Rabbins tell us, to favour his People with a vocal anſwer from the Oracle, which they called foreign Bathcol, a voice without them, inſtead of inward light and inſpiration. So this innate light of the knowledge of God being extinct and loſt by that univerſal ruine which the ſin of Adam hath brought upon all mankind, and all mankind now being nothing but blindneſs and darkneſs, alienated from the Life of God through the ignorance that is in them, Epheſ. 4.18. able at the beſt but to feel and grope after God, as the Apoſtles expreſſion is, Acts 17.27. even as the men of Sodom when they were ſtruck with blindneſs groped to find the door of Lot's houſe til they wearied themſelves, but were never able to find it, Gen. 19.11. So it is with all men now by Nature, therefore the Lord who is ſaid to dwell in Light inacceſſible, 1 Tim. 6.16. and who is a Fountain of pure Light inexhauſtible, (1 John 1.5.) hath pleaſed to diſplay unto his poor creatures ſome beams of his own Light, and that in ſuch a refracted way, as their weak nature may be capable of, without being overwhelmed and ſwallowed up with that Glory. And to this end hath treaſured up thoſe Beams of Light in his holy Scriptures, from whence they dart forth unto us, not all at once, and in their fulneſs, but gradatim, and by little and little, as we are able to bear them, and take them in. And becauſe this Diſcovery which God makes of himſelf to ſinful and fallen man, by his holy p. 25Word, is an Act of meer Grace, which Man had no wayes merited, not could merit, nor God could no wayes be obliged or engaged to; therefore this Word of God is called the Word of his Grace, in reſpect of the original of it, it came forth from God, it was the Grace of God that firſt revealed it.

Reaſ. 2. It is the Word of Grace materially, becauſe the Grace of God towards ſinners in Jeſus Chriſt is the principal, proper, and ſpecifick matter and ſubject of it. True it is indeed, that foreign. All-that can poſſibly be known of God is revealed in the Word. The ſimplicity, unity, perfection of his Eſſence, the glorious Myſtery of the Trinity of Perſons, the Wiſdom, Power, Goodneſs, Juſtice, Holineſs of God, all theſe are made known to us in his Word, wherein, as in a glaſs, we behold the glory of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3.18. But that which the Word doth principally and chiefly reveal, it is the Grace of God towards ſinners in Jeſus Chriſt, this was the ſubſtance of that foreign, that firſt Word which God revealed immediately after the Fall of Man in Paradiſe, The Seed of the Woman ſhall break the Serpents head. This was the ſubſtance and ſcope of all the Old Teſtament, all the Sacrifices, Laws, and Ordinances, concerning holy Perſons, and holy things, they all tended to this. And this is more clearly and fully the ſcope of the Goſpel and New Teſtament, to make known the unſearchable Riches of Chriſt, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Epheſ. 3.8. And therefore of all the parts of the Scripture, the Goſpel, the New Teſtament, is, foreign, & foreign, called the Word of Grace, and the Goſpel of Grace, becauſe the whole deſign and ſcope of that, is, to reveal and make known unto ſinners the Grace of God in Chriſt, and that, and that alone reveals it: Men may talk what they pleaſe of thoſe Univerſal Preachers, the Sun, Moon p. 26and Stars, and tell us that they preach Chriſt. The creatures indeed do ſufficiently reveal God, ſo as to leave all the World without excuſe, for not fearing and ſerving of God who made Heaven and Earth, but worſhipping the work of their own hands in his ſtead; but Chriſt, and the Grace of God towards ſinners in Chriſt, is the proper, peculiar, ſole Revelation of the Goſpel, which therefore is called the Word of Grace.

Reaſ. 3. The Word of God is the Word of Grace effectively, becauſe it works inherent qualitative Grace and Holineſs in them that hear it, not indeed in all; the Word doth not work Grace in the hearts of all, nor never did. No, but where-ever Grace is wrought in the hearts of any, there ordinarily it is the Word that works; and therefore it may be juſtly and duely called the Word of Grace. So the Apoſtle, Rom. 10.17. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So Gal. 3.2. Received you the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of Faith? So our Saviour, John 17.17. Sanctifie them through thy Truth, thy Word is Truth. So then the Word worketh Faith and Sanctification in the hearts of God's Children, and therefore it is the Word of Grace.

Reaſ. 4. The VVord of God is the VVord of Grace; becauſe it not only begets and begins Grace, and layeth the foundation of it, but it maintains, and increaſeth, and carrieth on the work of Grace unto Glory. As it follows here in the Text, The VVord of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them that are ſanctified.

Now this in the firſt place, ſhould teach us to bleſs God for the enjoying of his VVord, more than for any other our Enjoyments whatſoever. It is true, we have cauſe to bleſs God for any thing, for every thing we enjoy; that we have bread to eat, though never ſo courſe; that p. 27we have rayment to put on, though never ſo mean; we have cauſe to bleſs God, that we live in a Land of Hills and Valleys, that is watered with Springs, and with the Dew of Heaven, in a fruitful and plentiful Land; but that we live in a Land whither God hath cauſed the Word of his Grace to come: this we have cauſe to bleſs God for infinitely more, than for Corn, and Wine, and Oyl in greateſt abundance.

Had God inriched this Nation with all the Mines and Treaſures of both the Indies; were all the Hills, and High-wayes in England as full of Gold as they are of Sand; were all the Rivers as full of Pearls as they are of Pebles; did Cinamon and Caſſia grow in England as thick as Bulruſhes; were all the Riches and Glories of the World laid up here as in Natures Storehouſe; yet if God had hid the Word of his Grace from us, what a miſerable Nation had we been! all this our Wealth would have expoſed us to the cruel covetouſneſs and rage of other Nations, as it hath done the poor Indians, and have ſent us down to Hell certainly and unavoidably without any help or remedy.

But bleſſed be God for the Goſpel of Grace, for this VVord of Grace bleſſed be God; bleſſed be God for the Word of Grace beſtowed upon England, he hath not dealt ſo with every Nation: In England is God known, his Name is great in England; in England is his Tabernacle, and his Dwelling-place in England: He hath not dealt ſo with every Nation, he hath not dealt ſo with any Nation. Praiſe ye the Lord. Pſal. 147.20.

In the ſecond place, This ſhould teach us above all things, to fear and deprecate the taking away the VVord of Grace from us, or from our poſterity after us. It was a ſore Judgment which the Lord threatned againſt Judah, Jer. 16.5. I have taken away my Peace from this People, ſaith the Lord, my Loving-kindneſs and Mercy.

p. 28O my Brethren, when God takes away the VVord of his Grace from a People, then is this direful Judgment come upon them, then hath God taken away his Peace from that People, even Loving-kindneſs and Mercy; then is that People left, Regnum Cyclopicum, in the Region of Darkneſs, and the ſhadows of death, an habitation for Dragons and Devils. Take the Sun out of the Firmament, and what would the World be but a Chaos of Confuſion, a Land of Darkneſs? And, ſatius eſſet Solem è Colo, ſaid the People of Conſtantinople of that famous Preacher Chryſoſtom, Better the Sun ſhould be taken out of the Skie, than Chryſoſtom out of the Pulpit. Chryſoſtom, and an hundred Chryſoſtoms may be taken out of the Pulpit, and yet the Word of Grace not taken away: but if once the VVord of Grace be taken away, then VVo, Wo, We to that Place, and to that People.

Brethren, you may remember, I am ſure you ought to remember, that upon the 13th of October, 1658. from thoſe words, Amos 8.11. I ſhewed you what a heavy Judgment it was to have the Word of God taken from you. I told you then, it may be ſome of you thought too peremptorily, God would bring this Judgment upon this Nation, and this Congregation in particular, I did bid you write it in a book, the Year, and Month, and Day when I ſpake it, therefore you may remember it. God after this prediction, waited the term of his Patience, mentioned Luke. 13.7. even three years, and then ſoon after God began to inflict this Judgment: O my Brethren, had that warning been believed and improved to Humiliation, Repentance, cloſer Walking with God, higher prizing the Word and Ordinances, a ſtudy to walk worthy of the Gospel and Grace of God; aſſuredly, the evil threatned might have been prevented: but where God hath ſealed a Decree for his Judgments, there Warnings do but harden the heart and p. 29haſten the Judgment. When God had a purpoſe to deſtroy Ahab, Micajahs words ſhall bear no ſway with him. When God had a purpoſe to deſtroy Jeruſalem, there Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and all the Prophets ſhall be mocked, deſpiſed, ſlighted, laughed to ſcorn. O that it had not been ſo with us! Well Brethren, you were told of this before, you would not believe it then, Will you believe it now? Now you begin to feel it, will you believe what you feel? will you lay it to heart? will you give glory to God? if not I tell you what you feel is yet nothing to that you are like to feel. The firſt year of the Famine in Egypt was nothing ſo bad as the ſecond, nor that as the third, nor the third as the ſeventh, every year the Famine grew ſorer, and pinched harder and harder: Believe it, ſo it will be with you, you are not yet put to wander from Sea to Sea, and from Coaſt to Coaſt, to ſeek the Word of the Lord; but believe it, if theſe beginnings be not laid to heart, you will once, before God hath done with you, be brought to this; So the Text there ſaith plainly, They ſhall go from Sea to Sea, and from Coaſt to Coaſt, to ſeek the VVord of the Lord, and ſhall not find it. This Threatning God fulfilled upon the Church and People of the Jews, taking away the Spirit and gift of Prophecy from that Church, from the time of the Prophet Malachi, unto the birth of John the Baptiſt, which was between three and four hundred years; which is the thing pointed at in Pſal. 74.9. We ſee not our Signs, neither is there any more any Prophet. And withal, at the ſame time God laid them under the foreſt Perſecutions for their Religion, that ever that Church and People met withal. The ſame Judgment hath once been upon this Nation, and upon the Chriſtian World already, God grant that our ſins do not bring it a ſecond time upon us. But,

In the third place, Is the VVord of God the VVord p. 30of his Grace? Then this reproves all thoſe that have lived under the continual diſpenſation of this VVord of Grace, and yet have got no ſaving Grace, no ſaving good by it; but continue blind, ignorant, impenitent, hard-hearted, ſecure, unbelieving, unholy, and that under the conſtant preaching of the Word. O that ſuch would in the fear of God conſider,

Firſt, How dangerous their condition is.

Secondly, How great their Condemnation will be.

First, Conſider how dangerous your condition is. All you that live under the VVord of Grace, and get no ſaving Grace, no ſaving good by it. Reade that one Text, Heb. 6.7, 8. For the Earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dreſſed, (that is, anſwerable to their gift, and labours, and continuance) is bleſſed of God. But that which bringeth forth briars and thorns, is near unto curſing, (How near, and unto what curſing in this life, God only knows, but to be ſure their end will be ſad) whoſe end is to be burned. A fearful end, and ſuch as ſhould make the heart of every one who is guilty of being unfruitful under the VVord of Grace, tremble to think or hear of it; eſpecially conſidering how little hope there is for ſuch a one to eſcape this curſe, and to eſcape this dreadful and diſmal end: for if the VVord of Grace, that is the power of God himſelf unto Salvation, if that can do no good upon thee, what can? if that cannot work upon thy blind, ignorant, prophane hard heart, no not in ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years, what can? I tell thee, if thou art paſt getting good by the VVord of Grace, thou art paſt getting good by any thing at all. Luke 16.31. If they hear not Moſes and the Prophets, neither will they hear though one from the dead were ſent unto them. If what thou heareſt from the VVord of Grace, of the VVrath of p. 31God againſt impenitent ſinners, and the Grace and Mercy of God towards poor repenting ſinners; if what thou readeſt and heareſt in and from the VVord of the torments of Hell, and of the joyes of Heaven; if what thou readeſt and heareſt from the Word of theſe things do not bring thee to Repentance, and Faith in the Lord Jeſus, nothing elſe will. No, though one ſhould come immediately out of Hell, with Hell-flames about his ears, and burning brimſtone dropping down at his heels, to warn thee, and fright thee from thoſe torments; or, if an Angel ſhould come from Heaven, cloathed with the Sun, and crowned with Stars, to allure thee to Holineſs by thoſe glorious Rewards; neither the one or the other will work upon thee to any purpoſe, if the VVord of Grace hath not wrought upon thee; for that is the Inſtrument that God hath appointed and ordained, and made fit and able to work Grace in the Soul; and therefore if that do not work upon thee, what canſt thou think will?

And if thou continue ſtill in this condition, not profiting by the VVord, without any ſaving work of the VVord upon thee, O conſider how inexcuſable, how intolerable thy damnation will be. Why doth our Saviour tell Chorazin and Bethſaida, and the reſt of the Cities where he had gone up and down preaching the VVord of Grace, that it ſhould be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, for Tire and Sidon in the day of Judgement, than for them, Mat. 11.22, 24. But becauſe Sodom and Gomorrah never had the Word of Grace preached among them, as theſe Cities had had. Turks and Heathens, Sodomites and Gomorrahns, yea the Devil and his Angels ſhall have more to plead in excuſe of themſelves in the day of Judgement, than thoſe that have lived under the Word of Grace, and never did get any ſaving good by it.

p. 32Turks and Heathens, Sodomites and Gomorrahans will be able to ſay, Lord thou never ſenteſt Prophets, or Apoſtles, or Miniſters among us, to tell us of the danger of ſin, or to call and ſummon us to Repentance; to make known to us thy Will and the wayes of Grace and Holineſs; if thou hadſt, we ſhould never have gone on in our ſins and impenitencie, we would certainly have laid hold upon the offers of Grace, and wayes of Life. The Devil and his angels will be able to ſay, Lord, thou didſt never provide nor propound for us a way of reconciliation and recovery ſince we firſt ſinned againſt thee, as thou didst for man after his tranſgreſſion; if thy Son had taken our nature as he did the nature of man, and had provided for us ſuch a Covenant of Peace and Reconciliation as he did for man, and the glad Tidings thereof had been publiſhed to us by the Goſpel as it was to man, poſſibly we had not perſiſted ſo obſtinately in our rebellion againſt thee. Theſe and the like pleas may even the Devils have for themſelves in the day of Judgment, wither true or no, that is not our queſtion. But now thou who haſt lived all thy dayes under the Word of Grace, and never got any ſaving good by it, but liveſt and dieſt an ignorant, prophane, impenitent, unbelieving creature, as the Lord knows too many do: When thou ſhalt appear before the Judgment Seat of Chriſt, thou wilt not have this nor any thing elſe to plead for thy ſelf. If Chriſt ſhould ſay to thee, as Judges here upon the Bench to Malefactors, What canſt thou ſay for thy ſelf why ſentence of condemnation ſhould not paſs upon thee? Poor creature, thou wilt not have one word to ſay, but muſt be as that man in the parable, Mat. 22. Altogether ſpeechleſs. When the Judge ſhall ſay to you, How is it that you appear here in the guilt of all your ſins? were you never told of theſe ſins of yours? were you never exhorted to repentance? were you p. 33never directed the way to get your ſins pardoned? were you never invited, perſwaded, intreated that you would be ſaved? did I not ſend my Miniſters, and did not they in my Name, and in my Stead, beſeech you that you would be reconciled to God? and did not they tell you what you muſt do that you might be reconciled? did you not live under the diſpenſations of that Word of Grace that was able to work Grace in you, that did work Grace in others, and was as able to work it in you? why then are ye found in a graceleſs condition this day? O when Jeſus Chriſt ſhall in the preſence of all his Saints and Angels thus expoſtulate with the ſouls of ſuch as live and dye without any ſaving good, how inexcuſable, how intolerable will their condemnation be!

O think of it, and as you deſire to eſcape the confuſion of that day, and the condemnation of Hell, O labour yet to get Grace wrought in your hearts by the power of this Word of Grace.

In the fourth place. Is it ſo that the Word of God is the Word of Grace; O then ſtudy this Word of Grace.

Secondly, Love this Word of Grace.

Thirdly, Cleave cloſe to this Word of Grace; make that the Man of your counſels, Pſal. 119.24. make it the Rule of your lives, Gal. 6.16. But theſe and the like Duties I have heretofore ſpoken largely of, both in my Sermons upon James 1.25. as alſo when I ſhewed you, how the Word of God is the only true and adequate Rule of Godlineſs. And laſtly, in my Catechiſtical Sermons, wherein I handled largely the Divine Original Authority and Perfection of the holy Scriptures: I paſs by theſe things therefore now,

And go on to the Eulogie or Praiſe which the Apoſtle here gives: The Word of Grace, which is able to build p. 34you up.] A Metaphor taken from Builders, where you know firſt, men lay the Foundation, and then by degrees ſet up the whole Frame of the Building, one piece after another: to this Paul alludes here, as if he ſhould ſay, as to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 3.10. According to the Grace given unto me, I as a wiſe Maſterbuilder have laid the Foundation. I have by my Miniſtry ſetled you upon the rock Chriſt Jeſus. Indeed the work is not yet finiſhed, and yet I muſt leave you; but I reſolve to leave you in a ſure hand, who is able to carry on what I have begun. I commend you to God, and the VVord of his Grace, which is able to build you up.

Three things we may obſerve from theſe words for our inſtruction.

The firſt is this; That true Believers, thoſe that are in the ſtate of Grace, have need to be further edified and built up.

Secondly, That true Believers have need of the Word of God for their building up, and edification.

Thirdly, That the Word of God is able to build up true Believers.

Firſt, That true Believers, thoſe that are in the ſtate of Grace, have need to be further edified, and built up. And this I prove to you,

Firſt, By thoſe places of Scripture that do enjoyn the edification, or building up of the Saints as a Duty: ſo 1 Theſſ. 5.11. Wherefore comfort your ſelves together, and edifie one another.

Secondly, By thoſe places that ſuppoſe it the practice of the Saints, as in 1 Theſſ. 5.11. Edifie one another, as alſo you do; ſo Jude 20. But you Brethren, building up your ſelves in your moſt holy Faith, Praying in the Holy Ghoſt, keep your ſelves. Col. 2.6, 7. As ye have received Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, ſo walk in him, rooted and built up in him.

p. 35Thirdly, This is proved by thoſe places that propound the edification, or building up of the Saints, as the end and ſcope of Gospel-Ordinances and Church-Adminiſtrations, Epheſ. 4.11, 12. All the Officers that Chriſt hath given to his Church, and all Miniſterial gifts beſtowed upon thoſe Officers, what is the end and ſcope of them? The perfecting of the Saints, the edifying of the Body of Chriſt: So the power of Cenſures in the Church, what is the end and ſcope of them? ſee 2 Cor. 13.10. According to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification; this ought to be the end and ſcope of all Church-Adminiſtrations. 1 Cor. 14.26. Let all things be done to edifying.

Fourthly, This is that, that ought to be the end and ſcope, not only of all Publick Adminiſtrations, but of all a Chriſtians private actions. Rom. 14.19. Let us therefore follow the things that make for peace, and things wherewith one may edifie another. So again, Rom. 15.2. Let every man pleaſe his neighbour, for his good to Edification. Where,

Firſt, We have the Duty enjoyned; pleaſing our neighbour.

Secondly, We have the univerſality of this Duty: Let every man pleaſe his neighbour.

Thirdly, You have the reſtriction and rule of this Duty; for his good to edification: Let every man pleaſe his neighbour for his good to Edification. It is not ſimply ſaid, Let every man pleaſe his neighbour; it would pleaſe the Drunkard well to have other men go to the Ale-houſe with him; the Heretick and Superſtitious perſon would like it well to have every one ſpeak, and do as they do: but we muſt not pleaſe others in theſe things, but only ſo far as may be for their real and true good, and for their Edification; ſo far we are bound to pleaſe them, and no further. So that Edification you p. 36ſee here is the rule, and ſcope, and boundary of all our compliance with, and complacency to, in other men.

And ſo it is of all the actions of our lives. 2 Cor. 12.19. We do all things for your edifying. Yea, this ought to be the ſcope and end of all our words as well as actions. Eph. 4.29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the uſe of edifying. Not a word ſhould come out of a Chriſtians mouth, but what is good for Edification. Now would God, think you, thus enjoyn upon Chriſtians the care of edifying one another? would the Lord Jeſus Chriſt make Edification the end and ſcope of all Church-Ordinances and Adminiſtrations? would the Holy Ghoſt teach us to propound it, and make it the ſcope and end of all our ſayings and doings, next to God's Glory? would theſe things be, if God, who is infinitely wiſe, did not know that the Saints while they are in this life, have need of building up more and more?

Now the Reaſons why true Believers, thoſe that are in a ſtate of Grace, have yet further need to be built up and edified, are,

Firſt, Becauſe God hath appointed a certain meaſure and proportion, and heighth of Grace, which all his Elect ſhall arrive at before they be taken up into Glory. As a wiſe Builder who when he is about to build a houſe, he reſolves beforehand how many foot high he will raiſe it, to ſuch a meaſure, to ſuch a heighth, and then he will ceaſe: So God from all eternity hath decreed concerning every particular Believer, to ſuch or ſuch a degree of Grace he ſhall attain, and be built up, before he come to Heaven; this the Apoſtle calls a Perfect man, and the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt, Eph. 4.13.

Secondly, God doth ordinarily promove and carry on his People to this meaſure and degree, whereunto he hath p. 37appointed them, gradatim, by little and little. He doth not in the firſt inſtant and moment of their Converſion and Regeneration, make them perfect in their meaſure, and fit for Heaven: Indeed here and there one, God, to ſhew his Power, is pleaſed to convert and fit for Heaven, in one and the ſame moment of time, as the Thief upon the Croſs, but ordinarily it is not ſo. I have read of ſome Children that have been born with hair upon their head and beard, as if they had arrived at their virilis aetas, as ſoon as born, but theſe are inter rariora & anomala Naturae; Here Nature ſteps out of her ordinary courſe, ordinarily it is not ſo. So it is here; Sometimes it falls out that a man is converted upon his Death-bed, or upon the Gallows, as the Thief was upon the Croſs; here now Grace is wrought and perfected all at once, but this is inter rariora Graciae: I will not ſay it is anomalous, for Grace is free, and bound to no rules; but this rarely comes to paſs, except in elect Infants, dying in their infancy; but ordinarily God doth carry on the work of his Grace in his People to its appointed meaſure by degrees: Hence it is compared to Leaven that diffuſeth it ſelf through the Lump by degrees, Matth. 13.33. to Light, that diffuſeth it ſelf through the Air by degrees, Prov. 4.18. to Corn, that is firſt the green blade, then the ear, then the ripe Corn, Mark 4.28. to a Building here, to which a man is every day adding ſomething, and carrying on more and more to Perfection.

The Uſe of this ſhall be,

Firſt, To reprove thoſe that dream of a Perfection they have attained already; that boaſt themſelves they are perfect, and free from ſin, and conſumate in Grace and Holineſs; as perfect as ever they ſhall be, as perfect as the Saints in glory; yea, as perfect as Chriſt, as God p. 38himſelf. Would theſe men content themſelves to ſay, they are as perfect as ever they ſhall be? that were bold, and bad enough, though poſſibly it might prove too ſadly true of ſome of them; but to ſay they are as perfect as the Saints in glory, as perfect as Chriſt, as God himſelf; this is to open their mouth againſt the Heavens, and to blaſpheme not only the Saints of the moſt High, but the moſt High himſelf. How far was the wiſdom and humility of Paul from this, Philip. 3.12, 13. Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which alſo I am apprehended of Chriſt Jeſus. Brethren, I count not my ſelf to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting thoſe things that are behind, and reaching forward to thoſe things that are before; I preſs towards the Mark for the price of the high Calling in Chriſt Jeſus. Bleſſed Paul that had been wrapt up into the third Heavens, and had heard things unutterable, yet he doth not count himſelf perfect, nor reckons that he had attained all that Grace which he muſt attain before he comes to make his eternal abode in Heaven; therefore he forgets, overlooks what he hath, and conſiders what he wants, forgetting that which is behind, and reaching forth to that which is before, he preſſeth forward.

Had ſome of thoſe ſelf-conceited, ſelf-deluded poor ſouls, that dream ſo much of their own perfection, and talk of it as ſome men do in their dreams, had they I ſay been wrapt up with Paul into the third Heavens; they might have had ſome ſhadow of Reaſon to boaſt of their own perfection; but alas, poor creatures, they carry their own confutation about with them in their crazie bodies, and diſtempred ſpirits. O Brethren, take heed of this deluſion, take heed of ſaying you have enough, you are perfect: I never read nor heard of any that ſaid, I am rich and increaſed in goods, and p. 39lack nothing, but Chriſt anſwered them on the contrary, Thou art poor, and blind, and naked, and miſerable. He that ſaith he hath Grace enough before he come in Heaven, it is to be feared he hath none at all, nor will never come there.

In the Second Place, therefore be exhorted; Seeing that true Beleivers have need of further building up, O be exhorted to make it the great buſineſs of your lives, to build up your ſelves and one another towards perfection more and more. You have heard this is that the Holy-Ghoſt enjoyns: Edifie your ſelves, and edifie one another. And let this, I beſeech you, as you love your ſouls, be the main buſineſs of your lives; do not make it a buſineſs of the By, as many do, whoſe main deſign and buſineſs they drive, is for the world, and the things of the world; as for edifying themſelves and one another, that is laid by for ſpare hours, when they have nothing elſe to do: but O my Brethren, make the edifying of your ſelves, and one another, the main deſign and intendment of your lives, make it your daily task and work, if you would not have the whole work of Grace in your ſouls decay, and run to ruine. If any of your now have a houſe in building, and had laid the foundation, begun to rear up the building, and ſo let it ſtand by, contented that your work-man ſhould finiſh at his leaſure, when he could ſpare time, when he had nothing elſe to do, Would not all the world condemn you as very improvident men, and negligent of your own concernments? O that men were but as wiſe for their ſouls, as they are for the world! O why ſhould you neglect your ſouls? why ſhould you ſuffer the building of Grace, which God hath begun to rear up in your ſouls, to decay and run to ruine, as it will certainly do? for, Non progredi, est regredi, Not to go forward, is to go backward, O therfore be adding daily, and doing ſomething p. 40in your ſouls daily. Could the Heathen Painter be ſo intent and induſtrious upon his trade of Painting, that he could ſay, Nulla dies ſine lineâ, and all, that he might excell in that Art? And ſhall not Chriſtians be more intent upon, and more induſtrious in their attendance to the work of Grace in their ſouls? ſhall any day paſs them without ſomething done for their edification, and for the carrying on of the work of Grace in their hearts unto more perfection? O far be it, far be it from every true Chriſtan. You Brethren, building up your ſelves in your moſt holy Faith, and praying alwayes in the Holy-Ghoſt, keep your ſelves in the Love of God.

But you will ſay; How ſhall we do that? What can we do towards the building up of our ſelves? Why the following Doctrines will tell you that, the next whereof is this;

That the beſt of Chriſtians have need of the Word of God for their edification and building up. Therefore the Apoſtle here commends even the Elders of Epheſus, who were themſelves Officers of Chriſt, and Builders in the Church of Chriſt, the Apoſtle commends them to the Word of Grace: ſo the Apoſtle exhorts Timothy, 1 Tim. 4.13. Till I come give attendance to Reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrine. Give attendance to reading; to reading what? certainly the holy Scriptures, the Word of God. Timothy was one that had known the Scriptures of a Child, 2 Tim. 3.15. and that had received extraordinary Gifts of the holy Ghoſt by the laying on of the Apoſtles hands, 2 Tim. 1.6. that was an Evangeliſt, a Preacher of the Goſpel to the Gentiles; yet even this Timothy, though thus qualified, gifted, and imployed, muſt ſtill give attendance to reading; not only reade now & then a chapter, but give attendance to reading, if he means to build up others, or to be himſelf built up in Grace and Holineſs: So that you ſee the beſt of p. 41Chriſtans have need of the Word of God for their building up, and edification.

That this was the deſign, and ſcope of God in cauſing his Word to be committed to writing, is clear, in 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration from God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Inſtruction in Righteouſneſs; That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furniſhed unto all good works: There is the end why all Scripture was given, that the man of God may be built up unto perfection. And that this is the end why Chriſt hath inſtituted in his Church a publick Miniſtry, for the opening and applying of theſe Scriptures, is clear out of Epheſ. 4.11, 12. And he gave ſome Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, and ſome Paſtors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt. Now if the infinite Wiſdom of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt did not know that the beſt of his Servants would need his Word for their edification and building up, He would never have committed his Word firſt to writing, and afterwards have appointed a continual preaching of it in his Church, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, as a means properly ſubſervient to their edification. We may conclude therefore; That the beſt of Chriſtians have need of the Word for their edification and building up.

And this, firſt, condemns the Impiety of the Pope, I ſay of the Pope rather than of the Papiſts; for the poor People ſuffer under this Impiety of the Pope and his Clergy, who deprive their Laity, as they call them, of the uſe and benefit of the Scriptures, making it a Capital crime for any of them to have the Scriptures in any common or ordinary language, Italian, French, Spaniſh, or the like. Satan himſelf could never have invented a more ſpeedy and effectual way for the deſtroying of ſouls that this is.

p. 42They pretend indeed for this wickedneſs of theirs, reverence to the Scriptures, and care of ſouls; they would not (they ſay) have the Scriptures polluted, and prophaned, by being made common, and handled with unwaſhed and unholy hands, therefore they ſuffer none to deal with the Scriptures but men in holy Orders; and they are afraid leſt by putting the Scriptures into vulgar hands, they ſhould but put a knife into the hand of a child or mad-man, wherewith to wound and deſtroy themſelves, wreſting the Scriptures to their own deſtruction. But O how fooliſh is the wiſdom of man, when it would exalt it ſelf above the Wiſdom of God! Did not God know how to provide for the Honour and Majeſty of his Sacred Word, and for the good and well-fare of poor Souls, if the Word were expoſed to the view and uſe of the meaneſt, and loweſt of People? Why then were the Scriptures of the Old Teſtament written to the Church of the Jews in the Hebrew tongue, which every man, woman and child ſpake, and underſtood? and why where the Scriptures of the New-Teſtament written to the Churches of the Gentiles in the Greek tongue, which was the proper and maternal language of moſt of the Churches we reade of in the New-Teſtament, and generally underſtood by all to whom the Goſpel was at firſt preached? and what mean all thoſe Commandments both in the Old & New Teſtament, for reading, meditating and ſearching the Scriptures, and thoſe promiſes of Bleſſing to them that ſo do, made and given promiſcuouſly unto all, if all may not, yea ought not to reade the Scriptures? And why did the Apoſtles, guided by the Spirit of God, direct and intitle their Epiſtles, not to Biſhops, and Church Officers only, but even to the whole Church, the Plebs and all, if the Plebs might not reade the Scriptures? And why doth John write his Canonical Epiſtle to the Elect p. 43Lady, and to Gaius a private Chriſtian, if Ladies and private Chriſtians might not reade Canonical Scripture? And why do Chryſoſtom, Hierom, Auſtin, and others of the glorious Lights of the antient Church, ſo vehemently exhort their People and Auditors to the reading and ſtudy of the Scriptures? had theſe men no care of the Honour of the Scriptures, or the good of the Soul? Apage. Away with theſe pretences: the true reaſon why the Pope and his Accomplices do ſo ſtudiouſly ſmother the Scriptures from their People, is that, rendred by our Saviour John 3.20. For every one that doth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, leſt his deeds ſhould be reproved. And their doom ſhall be with thoſe, Luke 11.52. Wo unto you Lawyers, for you have taken away the Key of Knowledge; you entered not in your ſelves, and them that were entered in you hindered.

In the ſecond place; This reproves the Impiety of the Papiſts, who under pretence of honouring the Scriptures, ſhut them from the commom people: So this (on the other ſide) reproves the blasphemy of thoſe that think themſelvs too good to ſtand in need of the Scriptures, the Word of God. The Papiſts think the Scriptures too good for the vulgar people to have any thing to do withal; theſe think themſelves, though God knows they are poor ignorant people, yet they think themſelves too good to have any thing to do with the Scriptures, or to ſtand in need of any inſtruction or direction from the Scriptures, the Word of God; they think they have the VVord of God within, the Light within, and that is ſufficient for them. Indeed they will grant you, that the Prophecy of Iſaiah and Jeremiah, it was the Word of God to Iſaiah and Jeremiah, and the People that lived in their times; and ſo the Epiſtles of Paul and Peter, they were the VVord of God to Peter p. 44and Paul, and to thoſe to whom they wrote them; but as for themſelves, they have (they make account) the ſame infallible Spirit that Peter and Paul had, and the dictates and motions of that Spirit are the ſame infallible VVord of God to them, that it was to the Prophets and Apoſtles, binding them, and others to whom they are ſent, to ſpeak it as infallibly as the Revelation of God to the Prophets and Apoſtles, and their ſpeaking them to others did bind them. O Pride! O Blaſphemy!

Suppoſing it to be true which they ſay, that they have the ſame infallible Spirit which the Apoſtles and Prophets had; Yet, firſt, it will not follow that they have it in the ſame Operations and Manifeſtations that the Prophets and Apoſtles had; it is a certain Truth, that all the Elect of God that are ſanctified have but one and the ſame Spirit, quickning all, guiding all: As it is written, There is one Body, and one Spirit, Eph. 4.4. But, ſaith the Apoſtle, there are diverſity of Gifts, but the ſame Spirit; and diverſity of Adminiſtrations, and diverſity of Operations, 1 Cor. 12.4, 5, 6. And all theſe worketh one and the ſame Spirit, ver. 11. Thus it was in the Apoſtles dayes, all that had the ſame Spirit that Peter and Paul had to renew them, and ſanctifie them, and work all Grace in them needful to Salvation, had not the ſame infallible Guidance of the Spirit to enable them to deliver things that ſhould be infallible, and foreign. Are all Apoſtles? are all Prophets? 1 Cor. 12.29. much leſs then can it be ſaid now. And it is higheſt preſumption for any one that thinks he hath received, and hath indeed received the Spirit unto ſanctification, to think that therefore he hath the Spirit in its infallible guidance and direction.

Secondly, Suppoſe that theſe People had the Spirit p. 45of infallible guidance and direction, and were indeed inſpired Prophets, yet that doth not give them a ſuperſedeas from attending to the Scripture, the Word of God. Daniel was a Prophet, immediately, infallibly inſpired, yet he ſtudied the Scriptures. Dan. 9.2. I Daniel underſtood by Books the number of the years, whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet. So did David, though an inspired Prophet, Pſal. 119. So did all the Prophets, 1 Pet. 1.10, 11. Of which the Prophets have enquired, and ſearched diligently, who propheſied of the Grace that ſhould come unto you, ſearching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Chriſt which was in them did ſignifie; when it teſtified beforehand the ſufferings of Chriſt, and the Glory that ſhould follow. So that, were they what they would pretend to be, which they are not, Prophets, yet they are not too good to attend ſtill upon the Scriptures, the Word of God. Methinks I hear the God of Heaven ſpeaking to theſe poor but proud ones, as ſometimes he did by way of holy ſarcaſm to the Prince of Tyre, Ezek. 28.2. and ſo on, Becauſe thine heart is lifted up, and thou haſt ſaid, I am a God; (He that ſaith, he is godded with God, and perfect as God is, doth he not ſay, I am a God?) Behold, thou art wiſer than Daniel, ver. 3. (Daniel was ſuch a ſimple man, as though he was a Prophet, and had glorious Viſions and Inſpirations, yet he, like a ſimple man, would hang upon the Scriptures, the written Word of God: but thou art wiſer than Daniel, thou regardeſt not the Scriptures, thou haſt as ſure and infallible a Light within thee as that Word is) Thou ſealest up the ſum, full of wiſdom, and perfect in beauty, ver. 12. Thou haſt been in Eden the Garden of God; every precious ſtone was thy covering, ver. 13. Thou art the anointed Cherub; thou haſt walked up and down in the midſt of the ſtones of fire, ver. 14. Thou waſt perfect in thy wayes, from the p. 46day that thou wert created, ver. 15. All this is ſpoken, foreign, according to the opinion that the Prince of Tyre had of himſelf, God doth but ſpeak his own words and thoughts. And truly ſuch are the thoughts of this proud generation, they think they are ſo perfect, and ſo full of wiſdom, they have no need of the Scriptures, the VVord of God.

In the third place; Let this that you have heard, That even the beſt have need of the VVord; O let it teach every one of you to labour to maintain in your heart an humble ſenſe of your continual need of the Word, an holy hunger after the Word, a ready cloſing with every Opportunity of attending upon the Word, a lothneſs above all things to part with the VVord, to be left without the VVord; better part with the Light of your eyes, with the Bread that is the ſtaff of your lives, yea, with the Life of your bodies, than part with the VVord, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among them that are ſanctified.

And ſo I come to the third Doctrine, which is this; That the VVord of God is able to build up the Saints. Therefore ſaith Paul here, I commend you to God, and the VVord of his Grace, which is able to build you up.]

Yea (might they think) it is true, if we had ſuch a one as Paul for to preach the VVord of God ſtill unto us, then indeed we ſhould hope to be edified and built up.

Nay, ſaith the Apoſtle, though I ſhall preach no more to you, and though you ſhall ſee my face no more, whatever becomes of me, yet the VVord of God is able to build you up. The Word of God is able to build up the Saints: it is able to convert them, which is the greater, therefore it is able to build them up, which is the leſſer; it is able to ſave their ſouls, Jam. 1.21. which is the end, therefore it is able to build them up, which is but in tendency to that end.

p. 47Hence it is that the Word of God is compared to tools or inſtruments wherewith men build, to an Ax, Mat. 3. to an Hammer, and to Fire, Jer. 23. And here, It is able to build up, but how? not of it ſelf, no more than an Ax, or an Hammer can build a Houſe of it ſelf; but God working with the Word, and by the Word, as an Inſtrument: The Word is able to build up the Saints: The weapons of our warfare (ſaith the Apoſtle, ſpeaking of the Miniſtry of the VVord) are mighty through God, 2 Cor. 10.4. Therefore the Apoſtle here joyns God and the VVord together; I commend you to God, and the VVord of his Grace, which is able. God by the VVord of his Grace is able to build you up, not the VVord alone without God.

Now this building up imports two things.

1. Preſervation from decay.

2. Progreſs and carrying on unto Perfection.

Now the Word is able to do both theſe.

Firſt, It is able to preſerve and keep the Saints from decaying in their Graces, from decaying in Faith and Holineſs.

Secondly, It is able to carry them from Grace, and build them up to more perfection.

Let this then be a comfort to all the upright-hearted People, who it may be are now full of fear that they ſhall decay and wither away, and come to nothing, eſpecially when there is ſuch a great and viſible decay of Preachers and Preaching in the Land, who (alas) when they had the VVord conſtantly and inſtantly preached and preſſed upon them, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, had yet much ado to hold on their courſe then; and now ſo many of their faithful, able Teachers are removed from them, are ready to think, What ſhall they do now? what will become of them? they ſhall never be able to hold out. Well Chriſtians, fear not, as long p. 48as God lives, and as his VVord lives, and you are commended to them, and reſigned up to them, you are ſafe enough, well enough, God is able, and the VVord of God is able to keep you from falling away. Jude 24. He is able to build you up, and he will do it; aſſure your ſelves God will never ſuffer it to be ſaid concerning him, as of that man in the Parable, This man begun to build, but was not able to finiſh, Luke 14.30.

—VVhichWhich is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them that are ſanctified.

Qu. This Inheritance here ſpoken of, what is it?

Anſ. That which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, Col. 1.12. and calls an Inheritance among the Saints in Light; And which the Apoſtle Peter ſpeaks of, 1 Pet. 1.4. and calls an Inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reſerved for us in the Heavens. So that this ſtate of Happineſs, and Glory in the Life to come, is it which the Apoſtle means by this Inheritance, An Inheritance among all them that are ſanctified.

Several Doctrines are obſervable from hence.

Firſt, That Heaven and the Happineſs of it, is an Inheritance.

Secondly, That this Inheritance of Heaven, it is a Gift.

Thirdly, That God gives this Inheritance by his VVord, — which is able to build you up, and give you an Inheritance.

Fourthly, That Heaven is only for ſanctified Perſons; It is an Inheritance among them that are ſanctified.

Fiftly, That Heaven is for all ſanctified Perſons. It is an Inheritance among ALL THEM that are ſanctified.

Firſt, Heaven is an Inheritance. So Epheſ. 1.11. In whom alſo we have obtained an Inheritance: and v. 14. p. 49Which is the earneſt of our Inheritance. Col. 1.12. Heb. 925. and in many other places.

Hence it is that the Saints in Scripture are ſo often called Heirs, Heirs according to Promiſe, Gal. 3.29. and Heirs of Grace, 1 Pet. 3.7. Heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1.14. Heirs of the Kingdom; James 2.5. Heirs of God, yea Co-heirs with Chriſt, Rom. 8.17. where I pray mark, that Believers are ſaid to be joynt-heirs with Chriſt, not joynt-purchaſers with Chriſt, no, Chriſt is Sole-Purchaſer of Life and Glory: but he is pleaſed of his Free Grace to admit the Saints into partnerſhip with him of that Inheritance which he hath purchaſed: They are therefore ſaid to be Heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Jeſus Chriſt.

They are ſaid to be Heirs of God in reſpect of the Perſon whoſe Heirs they are; as a man is ſaid to be ſuch a mans Heir.

They are ſaid to be joynt-heirs with Chriſt in reſpect of the Perſon in whoſe right the Inheritance falls to them.

They are ſaid to be Heirs of Life and Salvation, in reſpect of the Matter and Subſtance of the Inheritance. They are ſaid to be Heirs of Grace and Promiſe, in reſpect of the way and means whereby they come for to have claim to this Inheritance.

Haereditas, ſaith the Civil Lawyer, eſt Succeſſio in univerſum jus defuncti. When a man dyes, and leaves his whole Eſtate, Houſe, Lands, Money, Goods, and all he had to another, he that there ſucceedeth in his whole Eſtate, is Haeres exaſſe, his ſole Heir. Now, truly, Believers cannot in this ſenſe be ſaid to be the Heirs of God, nor can the happineſs, and glory of the Life to come, upon this account be ſaid to be an Inheritance; for God is Immortal, and therefore this Inheritance is not Succeſſio in jus defuncti. And yet nevertheleſs p. 50the happineſs of the Saints in the Life to come is called an Inheritance, and the Saints are ſaid to be Heirs of God.

Firſt, Becauſe as an Heir entering upon the whole Eſtate of all that, that was that mans, whoſe Heir he is, he enjoyeth it all: So the Saints being the Heirs of God, poſſeſs and enjoy all the good things that are in God; they have Right to them here in this life, but they poſſeſs and enjoy them in the Life to come.

Secondly, Becauſe as ordinarily men make their children their Heirs, natural children if they have any, or if they have none, they adopt ſome into their family, and make them firſt their children, then their Heirs; ſo it is here, all that are the Heirs of God, they are the Children of God, not by Nature, but by the Grace of Adoption. Rom. 8.17. If Children, then Heirs; Heirs of God, and Joynt-heirs with Jeſus Chriſt: Jeſus Chriſt is the Only Son of God by Nature and He is the Heir of all things, Heb. 1.2. Believers being by Faith united and joyned to Chriſt, they become thereby the Adopted Children of God, and Joynt-heirs with Chriſt; and this Grace of Adoption and Co-heirſhip, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf hath purchaſed for them with his own Blood.

Thirdly, Becauſe as an Inheritance it is Largiſſima Compenſatio, a large and abundant recompence of all that Love and Obedience which the Son yeelds to the Father: So the Hapineſs and Glory of the Life to come is not only a ſufficient, but a ſuperabundant Recompence of all that the Saints of God either do or ſuffer for him.

Fourthly, Becauſe often in Scripture, the phraſe, or denomination of an Inheritance, is uſed pro quavis regratâ et acceptâ; So Pſal. 16. The lines are fallen to me in pleaſant places, and I have a goodly Heritage: Now the Hapineſs and Glory of the Life to come may be called p. 51an Inheritance becauſe it is the moſt acceptable, deſirable, delightful thing that God himſelf could beſtow upon the Creature.

Fiftly, An Inheritance it is a free gift. No Son can claim the Inheritance at his Fathers hands by way of merit; indeed a man may by his demerit forfeit his Inheritance, and deſerve to be diſinherited, but no child can challenge the Inheritance of men, but muſt receive it of free gift: And the Child yet ows all love, and all ſervice, and all duty to his Father though he have never a peny of Inheritance to leave him; and though he hath, and ſhould not leave it to him, but leave it to ſome other, yet ſtill the child ows all Love and Duty to his Father; and the Inheritance that is left him, it is his Fathers love and good-will, and not his deſert: So the Happineſs and Glory of the Life to come (though as I ſaid before in the third Particular, it is a ſufficient ſuper-abundant reward of all the Love, Duty, Service, and Sufferings of Believers) yet it is not the wages of their Service, but it is the Grace of God, the free Gift of the good Will and Pleaſure of God. And that leads me to the ſecond Doctrine.

That the Heavenly Inheritance it is a Gift.

So Scripture expreſly ſpeaks, Luke 12.32. It is your Fathers good Pleaſure to give you the Kingdom. Rom. 6.23. The wages of ſin is death; but the gift of God is Eternal Life, through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Death indeed is due wages, deſerved wages, but eternal Life, the Heavenly Inheritance is a Gift, a free gift, a meer gift, ſo in many other places; and needs it muſt be ſo. I will but uſe the Apoſtle's disjunction, Rom. 4.4. Either it muſt be of Grace, or of Debt, of debt it cannot be, And therefore it muſt needs be of Grace.

That the Heavenly Inheritance, or Reward, cannot be of Debt, I prove,

p. 52Firſt, That what ever it be that makes another indebted unto me, it muſt be in debitum unto him: For by doing that which is a due debt in me, and which I am obliged to do, I can never make him for whom I do it indebted unto me: Now all our Service and Obedience to God it is but due debt in us unto God, it is that we are obliged to, and therefore all our Service can never oblige God or make him indebted unto us. Upon this account it is our Saviour teacheth us, Luke 17.10. When ye have done all theſe things which are commanded you, ſay: We are unprofitable Servants, we have done that which was our duty to do.

Secondly, This cannot be of debt, becauſe there muſt be a proportion between the Work, and the Reward to make the Reward due of debt. A man that works in your Fields for you a day, why he may come at night and claim twelve or fourteen pence for a dayes work as a due debt, but if he ſhould challenge an hundred or a thouſand pound for one dayes work, you would look upon him as unreaſonable and impudent: There is infinitely more difference between all our Service, and the heavenly Inheritance, than there is between a pound for a dayes hedging or ditching in your Fields: It cannot be, that Heaven ſhould be a debt, it muſt then be a Gift, not of Debt but of Grace.

Seeing then, that Heaven is an Inheritance, and therefore of Gift, not of Merit, becauſe an Inheritance. Let this teach us to abhor that proud Popiſh doctrine of Merit, and admire, and adore the free Grace of God in Jeſus Chriſt. The Reward of Heaven and Glory it is not a Purchaſe, but an Inheritance. Among men there is a great deal of difference between a Purchaſe, and an Inheritance. For a Purchaſe a man layeth down a valuable price, but an Inheritance comes to him freely, it coſts nim nothing; poſſibly it might coſt another p. 53man much that purchaſed it for him, but if it deſcend unto him by Inheritance, it coſts him nothing. O my Brethren! Heaven, the Happineſs and Glory of the Life to come, it is not our Purchaſe, but our Inheritance, we pay nothing for it; indeed it coſt Chriſt, our elder Brother, dear to purchaſe it, not for himſelf, for He was Heir by birth; but to purchaſe this Inheritance for us it coſt him dear, but it coſt us nothing, Chriſt bequeathed it unto us of free Gift: it is to us not of purchaſe, but Inheritance; therefore it is not of Merit, but of Grace,

Yea, Heaven is not only ſaid to be our Inheritance, but we are ſaid to be made Heirs: So Tit. 3.7. We are not born Heirs of Heaven, but born Heirs of Hell, but we are made Heirs of Heaven by the Grace of Adoption; yea we are not only made Heirs of Heaven by the Grace of Adoption, but we are made fit for Heaven by the Grace of Sanctification, unto Acceptation. So that here all is of Grace: The Inheritance of Grace, our Right and Tittle to it is of Grace; our Fitting and Preparing for it, is of Grace; all of Grace, nothing of Merit; all of God, nothing of our ſelves.

Secondly, this, That Heaven is an Inheritance which God freely gives. This ſhould teach all of us,

1. To ſet our minds upon this Inheritance. A man that hath but poſſibilities, or expectations of an Inheritance to befal him by the death of ſuch or ſuch a one, though it be but a poor, ſlender, paltry matter, yet how hardly can he keep his mind from running upon it, from thinking long till he come to the poſſeſſion of it, from even almoſt wiſhing ſometimes the party dead whoſe the preſent poſſeſſion is.

Filius ante diem Patrios inquirit in annos.

Many a graceleſs Child is even weary of his Father, and ſick of his Mother, only becauſe his mind runs ſo p. 54much upon the Patrimony, the Inheritance, and he thinks ſo long for it. Pupillumice utinam quem proximus Haeres Impello ex pungam— ſaith another. O my Brethren! did we look upon the ſtate and happineſs of the life to come as an Inheritance, as our Inheritance, it would be ſo with us, we could not keep our minds from running out upon the happineſs and glory of the life to come, our thoughts would be running upon it, our hearts would be longing and wiſhing for the poſſeſſion of it; and here we may give our thoughts and deſires line & ſcope to the utmoſt. Indeed in our thoughts of, and deſires after earthly inheritances, we had need ſet bounds to our thoughts, and watch our ſelves, leſt we ſhould ſin and tranſgreſs the Commandments; but in reference to this Heavenly Inheritance we may let our thoughts and deſires run to the utmoſt bounds and extent of their capacities. Many ſin in thinking of Heaven too little, or deſiring Heaven too little; few, if any, ſin in minding and deſiring Heaven too much: that therefore is the firſt duty this ſhould teach us, To ſet our minds upon Heaven, as upon a rich Inheritance.

2. This ſhould teach us to labour to get Evidences, that Heaven is our Inheritance, and when we have got them, to keep them. You know among men, if a man lay claim to an Inheritance, and hath nothing to ſhew for it, he doth but befool himſelf in it; or, if a man hath a right and title to an Inheritance, yet if he hath not good and ſufficient Evidence to ſhew for it, he will have but little quiet and peace in the enjoyment of it. Any wrangling litigious fellow may ſhake his freehold, and create to him a great deal of trouble and moleſtation, if not put him quite out of poſſeſſion: So here. A man doth but befool himſelf in laying claim to Heaven, if he hath no Evidence to produce for that claim of p. 55his. And this is the commoneſt, and greateſt folly in the World. Men can deride the folly of thoſe that do thus, in reference to earthly and temporal Inheritances, and yet themſelves do the ſame things in reference to this glorious Inheritance, reſerved in the higheſt Heavens, claim it, and have nothing at all to ſhew for it. O take heed of this, get Evidence to ſhew for this Heavenly Inheritance, elſe never lay claim to it. If a man hath a true right and title to Heaven, yet if he hath no Evidence to ſhew for that Title of his, he will have little quiet and peace in his Claim. Every Chriſtian hath to do with a moſt ſubtil, and quarelſome adverſary, the Devil, who will be continually ſhaking thy Free-hold, and though he cannot diſpoſſeſs thee, nor rend away thine Inheritance, yet he will continually vex and moleſt thee; and no way to ſtop his mouth, but by getting good Evidence that this Inheritance is thine. Now there are three grand Scripture-Evidences of our Right to this Inheritance, which we find in the Rolls and Record of Sacred Writ.

The firſt is, The In-being of Chriſt in the ſoul. Col. 1.27. Chriſt in you the hope of Glory.

The ſecond is, Our Adoption, or being the Children of God. Rom. 8.17. If Children, then Heirs.

The third is, Our Sanctification. Here in the Text, An Inheritance among them that are ſanctified.

Now it is true, theſe three are inſeparable; he that hath any one of them, hath all of them. Though poſſibly one may be more evident than another ſhall, yet where one is, they all are. Labour therefore to get evidence of theſe: either the Evidence of the Inbeing of Chriſt in you, or the Evidence of your Adoption, or the evidence of your Sanctification. Never leave taking pains with your hearts till you have got theſe Evidences.

p. 56And when you have once obtained them, prize them, keep them, as you would keep the Apple of your eye, as you would keep your Life, your Soul. You know how careful men are to keep their Deeds and Evidences; In time of War and Plunder, they will let twenty things be ſeized, plundered, and carried away, rather than their Evidences: In times of Calamity and Fire, let all they have be loſt and burnt rather than their Writings and Evidences. So, my Brethren, ſhould it be with us, in reference to our Evidences for Heaven, we ſhould keep them with exacteſt care and diligence; whatever Satan plunder us of, never let us ſuffer him to plunder our Evidences for Heaven, never ſuffer him to ſteal or rend away the Evidences of Chriſt's inbeing in us, of our being the Sons and Daughters of God, of our Sanctification; labour to hold and maintain theſe to the utmoſt.

Thirdly, This ſhould teach us to improve our right to this Inheritance, to make that Uſe of it, and get that Benefit by it that we ought. As namely,

Firſt, To conclude from thence that being an Heir, an Heir of Heaven, thou canſt not but be well provided for in the mean time, till thou comeſt to the actual and full poſſeſſion of thine Inheritance. We ſee how great Heirs are well and honourably maintained, even in their minority, their Fathers being rich and kind, will not ſuffer them to want any thing that is needful and fit for them. If thou canſt upon good Evidence conclude thy ſelf an Heir of God, thou mayeſt from thence conclude thou ſhalt want nothing that is for thy good. And therefore,

Secondly, In the want of any thing, thou mayeſt, thou oughteſt with boldneſs to go to God, and make thy wants and requeſts known to him, with full aſſurance that thou ſhalt ſpeed in thy requeſt which he ſeeth fit for thee. God will p. 57be ſo far from denying thee, that it will be the joy and rejoycing of his heart to ſee that thou canſt diſcern what is needful and convenient for thee, and it will be a prevailing motive with God; O this is my Heir, I may not deny him that which is good for him, now that he asketh it of me.

Thirdly, In the evidence and aſſurance of this Inheritance, comfort thy ſelf in all other loſſes and wants whatſoever: whatever thou loſeſt thou canſt not loſe thine Inheritance, thou maieſt loſe thy Liberty, thy Living, thy Friends, thy Miniſters, God's Ordinances, thy Life, yea the ſweet and comfortable ſence of God's Love, which is better than Life; but comfort thy ſelf in this, thine Inheritance thou canſt not loſe, that is reſerved for thee in the highest Heavens; thou maieſt ſooner ceaſe to be a Man than to be an Heir: this was that cauſed the Saints of God formerly to take joyfully the ſpoyling of their goods. In Heb. 11.34. Knowing that they had in Heaven, a better and a more enduring Subſtance.

Fourthly, Under ſharpeſt dispenſations of Divine Providence ſtill comfort thy ſelf with this, thou art a Child, thou art an Heir ſtill; thy Father may frown upon thee, chide thee, buffet, ſcourge thee, turn thee out of doors for a few nights, all this is ſad, but He will never diſinherit thee. Other fathers indeed ſometimes out of their paſſion and diſpleaſure, and ſometimes upon the miſdemeanours of their ſons, diſinherit them, but God cannot, will not do thus to any of His Children; For the Lord will not caſt off for ever, but though he cauſe grief, yet will he have compaſſion according to the multitude of his Mercies, Lam. 3.31, 32. and John 8.35. The Servant abides not in the Houſe for ever, but the Son abideth for ever: A mercinary may be turned off for ever, but a Son never ſhall. Pſal. p. 5889.32, 33. I will viſit their tranſgreſſions with a Rod, and their iniquities with Stripes; nevertheleſs my Loving-kindneſs will I not take from them, nor ſuffer my Faithfulneſs to fail.

Fifthly, From the conſideration of this, that thou art an Heir of Heaven, arm thy ſelf againſt the ſears of Death; let Death be terrible to thoſe whoſe portion is ſolely and wholly in this life, whom Death ſeparates from all the good they have, and hope for: As for thee who art a Child of God, an Heir of Heaven, why ſhouldſt thou fear Death, that doth but put thee into the actual poſſeſſion of thy Inheritance. Ejus eſt mortem timere qui ad Chriſtum nolit ire; ejus eſt ad Chriſtum nolle ire, qui ſe non credit cum Chriſto incipere regnare, ſaith Cyprian, Let him fear Death that is unwilling to go to Chriſt; let him be unwilling to go to Chriſt, that doth not believe he is a Joynt-Heir with Chriſt in the Kingdom of Heaven. The ſame Cyprian ſpeaks of a man that when he lay a dying, with ſome unwillingneſs and lothneſs to dye, had a Viſion of one like the Son of Man appearing by him, ſaying to him with ſome kind of indignation, Pati timetis, exire non vultis, quid faciam pro vobis? You are afraid to ſuffer, you are not willing to depart, what ſhall I do for you? O think what a ſhame it is for thoſe who when they do hope for this Inheritance, to be ſo unwilling and loth to die, as that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould have occaſion thus to ſpeak unto them.

A fourth Duty we ſhould learn from hence, is, To walk worthy of this Inheritance. And ſo,

Firſt, Far be it from thoſe who profeſs, and believe themſelves to be Heirs of Heaven, to be eager and covetous, and greedy of earth and earthly things. foreign, &c. If a King, ſaith Chryſoſtom, ſhould take a Beggar from the Dunghil, and make him the Heir of his Crown, and be after this ſhould go up and down a begging from p. 59door to door, and be as ſolicitous about his raggs and patched clothes, as he was before he was adopted to that Inheritance; would not this be a diſgrace to himſelf and to the King that had adopted him? and would not all the World condemn him as a man of a baſe and dunghil ſpirit, unworthy of that Honour, and that Inheritance that was caſt upon him? For thee that art a Chriſtian, whom God hath taken from the Dunghil, and made an Heir of Heaven, for thee to be as greedy of the world, as gripple of a half-peny or a peny, as if thou wert one of the Worlds beggars ſtill, this is a baſe ignoble thing, unworthy of ſuch an Heir as thou doſt pretend thy ſelf to be. Therefore abhor it, away with it.

Secondly, If thou be an Heir of Heaven, labour to be content with thy preſent condition, whatever it be, in expectation and aſſurance of that Inheritance thou hopeſt for. There is many a great Heir, when he is in his minority lives in a pretty mean condition, and makes nothing of it, bears it all with patience, he knows it will be better with him one day when he comes to Age, there is a fair Eſtate coming to him, and in the thoughts of that he comforts himſelf in his preſent condition. So thou that art an Heir of Heaven, though at the preſent thou liveſt barely, and goeſt near the wind, yet content and comfort thy ſelf with this, Thou haſt a rich and glorious Inheritance reſerved for thee in the highest Heavens, when once thou comeſt to the enjoyment of that, thou ſhalt be full and want nothing. This was it which made the Patriarchs, Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob content with a poor pilgrim life and condition, a wandring ſtate and condition, becauſe they looked for a better Country; and when this took up their hearts, then they could chearfully ſit down in their Tents, they could dwell in ſtrange Countries, they could go on in p. 60obedience to God, what way ſoever he called them, readily: and ſo ſhould we.

Thirdly, Never fret nor repine at the happineſs and prosperity of the Wicked. When we ſee them ſwimming and bathing in all that affluence of good things, which Job or David expreſſeth, Job 21. and Pſalm 73. They have Corn, and Wine, and Oyl, and Gold and Silver, and Houſe and Lands, and Children to inherit them; Thou, poor thou, haſt none of theſe things: but haſt thou Heaven, though but in reverſion? never trouble thy ſelf, thy portion is an hundred thouſand times better than theirs. Was it any grief of heart, think ye, to Iſaac, to ſee the ſons of Keturah have great gifts beſtowed upon them by Abraham; one of them, it may be, ſo many thouſand Yoak of Oxen, another ſo many thouſand Sheep and Camels, a third ſo many Talents of Gold and Silver? as long as Iſaac had the Inheritance this was no grief of heart to him. Much good may it do them, thinks he, as long as the Inheritance is mine. So ſay thou, Much good may it do the World with all their Wealth and Riches, as long as Heaven is mine I envy them not. Thus much for the two firſt things. Heaven is an Inheritance. This Inheritance is a Gift.

I come now to the third, and that is this; That God gives the Inheritance of Heaven to his Children by his Word. Therefore the Gift of this Inheritance is in part aſcribed to the Word. —Which is able to build you up, and give you an Inheritance.] A Father gives ſuch or ſuch an Inheritance to his Child by Teſtament, or by Inſtrument in writing: The Word of God it is Teſtamentum, it is Inſtrumentum, whereby God conveyeth the Inheritance of Heaven to his Saints and Children.

Firſt, God reveals by his Word that there is ſuch an Inheritance reſerved in the Heavens; which were it not p. 61that God had revealed it in his Word, the weak heart of ſinful and fallen man could have no true notions or conceptions of: For eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. The poor Heathens did ſtumble upon the Notion of Eternal rewards and puniſhments, but alas, fell as far ſhort of the true Notion of thoſe rewards and puniſhments as Earth is of Heaven; But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, 1 Cor. 2.10. that is, by his Spirit in his Word.

Secondly, As God reveals this Inheritance to us by his Word, ſo, ſecondly, God makes offer of this Inheritance to us in his Word, and invites and calls us to the participation of it. 2 Theſſ. 2.13, 14. God hath from the beginning choſen you to Salvution, whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.

Thirdly, As God revealeth this Inheritance, and calls and invites to the participation of it; ſo God in his Word ſpecifies who, and what manner of perſons they are upon whom he will beſtow it. Bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven, — which the righteous Judge ſhall give; and not to me only, but to all that love his appearing, 2 Tim. 4.8.

Fourthly, God by his Word begets thoſe that are by his appointment and nomination, the Heirs of this Eternal Salvation, God by his Word begets them again to a lively hope of this Glory. 1 Pet. 1.3, 4. Bleſſed be God who hath begotten us again to a lively hope, to an Inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reſerved for us in the higheſt Heavens. And that this begetting again is by the Word of God, ſee afterwards, ver. 23. Being born again, not of corruptible ſeed, but incorruptible, by the Word of God.

p. 62Fifthly, God by his Word doth not only beget his People to a lively Hope of this Inheritance, but he prepares and fits them for the poſſeſſion of it; and makes us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light, Col. 1.12.

Now this, that God gives the Inheritance of Heaven by the Word, this in the uſe of it, ſtill bespeaks our greateſt affections for, our higheſt eſteem of, our conſtant, conſcientious attendance upon the Word of God, as that which is, Patris noſtri Teſtamentum, Haereditatis noſtrae Syngrapha, & Inſtrumentum, The Will of our Heavenly Father, the Deed of Gift, and Inſtrument, whereby he conveyeth over unto us our Heavenly Inheritance. How Sacred and Inviolable do men count their Father's Will and Teſtament? what honour do they put upon it, what truſt and confidence do they repoſe in it? Such, and infinitly more than ſuch, ſhould be our honour for, and our truſt in the Word of God. How precious do men count the Writings and Evidences whereby they hold their Inheritances? So, and infinitly more than ſo, precious ought the Word of God to be unto us, It being that Inſtrument, whereby Heaven it ſelf is paſſed over to us for our Inheritance.

— Which is able to build you up, and give you an Inheritance, among all them that are ſanctified.

In which words you have the proper and diſtinguiſhing Character of thoſe to whom this Inheritance belongs, and they are the Saints, or Sanctified ones, It is an Inheritance among ALL THEM that are Sanctified. Where mark, 1. The Reſtriction of this Inheritance, it is limited only to them that are Sanctified. 2dly. The Extent of it, it is in common, to ALL THEM that are ſanctified, An Inhertance among all them that are ſanctified.

p. 63I ſhall for the better diſpatch put both theſe Particulars into one Doctrine, namely,

That Heaven is the Inheritance of all Saints, and only of Saints. Or,

Heaven is only for them that are Sanctified, and for all them. Or thus,

No unſanctified perſon ſhall ever enter into Heaven: Nor no Sanctified Perſon ſhall ever miſſe of Heaven.

The Negative, That No unſanctified perſon ſhall ever enter into Heaven. This is proved by clear and expreſs Scripture, 1 Cor. 6.9. Know ye not that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God: Be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterors, nor Theeves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, &c. ſhall ever inherit the Kingdom of God. Rev. 21.27. It is ſaid of the heavenly Jeruſalem, there ſhall in no wiſe enter into it any thing that defileth. Heb. 12.14. Without holineſs no man ſhall ſee the Lord; therefore no unſanctified perſon ſhall ever enter into Heaven.

And for the ſecond Branch which is Affimative. That every Sanctified Perſon ſhall inherit Heaven: That no Sanctified Perſon ſhall miſs of Heaven. This is as clear in Scripture: Therefore it is called the Inheritance of the Saints, Col. 1.12. becauſe all, and every of the Saints, the leaſt as well as the greateſt, have an equal ſhare in this Inheritance. And indeed, Sanctification is but the earneſt, the firſt fruits, the infancy of Glory, and can no wayes be ſeparated from it, and it is as impoſſible that any one that is truly Sanctified ſhould miſs of Heaven, as it is impoſſible for any unſanctified perſon to enter into Heaven. For,

Firſt, Sanctification and Glorification, Holineſs and Heaven are joyned together in the Appointment and Decree of God. Whom God hath predeſtinated to Heaven, p. 64he hath predeſtinated to Holineſs; and whom he hath predeſtinated to Holineſs, He hath predeſtinated to Heaven. Epheſ. 1.4, 5. According as he hath choſen us in him before the foundations of the world, that we ſhould be holy, without blame before him in love: Having predeſtinated us to the Adoption of Children by Jeſus Chriſt unto himſelf, &c. Mark, whom God hath predeſtinated to be Children, and ſo Heirs of Heaven, he hath choſen to Holineſs. Heaven and Holineſs are joyned together in God's Decree of Predeſtination.

Secondly, Heaven and Holineſs are joyned together in the Purchaſe. Look how many Chriſt hath purchaſed Heaven for, ſo many he hath purchaſed Holineſs for. Heb. 13.12. Jeſus, that he might ſanctifie the People with his own blood, ſuffered without the gate. Mark, Jeſus Chriſt ſhed his blood, not only that he might Save his People, but that he might Sanctifie his People; and not one Perſon more will be ſaved by the blood of Jeſus, than are ſanctified by the blood of Jeſus. Heaven and Holineſs are joyned together in the Purchaſe of the Son, as well as in the Purpoſe of the Father.

Thirdly,As Heaven and Holineſs are joyned together in the Purpoſe of the Father, and in the Purchaſe of the Son, ſo they are joyned together in the Work of the Spirit. None are called effectually by the holy Ghoſt to the participation of Heaven and Glory, but ſuch as are firſt called by the ſame Spirit unto Sanctification and Holineſs: nor none are effectually called by the Spirit unto Sanctification and Holineſs, but are called at the ſame inſtant unto Heaven and Glory. 2 Theſſ. 2.13. We are bound to give thanks alwayes to God for you, Brethren, beloved of the Lord, becauſe God hath from the beginning choſen you to Salvation, through the Sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the Truth, whereunto He hath p. 65called you by our Goſpel, to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Mark, whom God calleth by the Goſpel to Glory, he calls by the ſame Goſpel to belief of the Truth, and Sanctification of the Spirit: So that you ſee, Heaven and Holineſs are joyned together in the Purpoſe of the Father, in the Purchaſe of the Son, in the Operation of the Spirit: And therefore it is not poſſible that ever any that are not holy ſhould obtain Heaven; and as impoſſible that ever any that are truly holy ſhould miſs of the Heavenly Inheritance.

Now this, that no unſanctified perſon ſhall ever enter into Heaven, nor no Sanctified Perſon ſhall ever miſs of Heaven; this in the uſe of it may be as terrible to all unſanctified ones, as comfortable to all the Saints.

Firſt, This may be a ſound of Fears in the ears and hearts of all unſanctified ones. Is it impoſſible that ever any unſanctified one ſhould enter into Heaven, as you ſee it is? O then think, O then think of this, and tremble, you that deſpiſe Holineſs, you that mock and jeer at Holineſs think of this; you, all you, who ever you be that are unholy, though you have not yet arrived at that height of Diaboliſm, as to mock and jeer, and hate Holineſs, yet you do not love it, nor regard it, nor care to be Holy, but are content to continue in your ſinful and unſanctified eſtate. In the fear of God, I beſeech you, conſider with your ſelves; you know you muſt not live in this world alwayes; you ſee many dye before you, old and young; and it is impoſſible but you ſhould think, though few of you conſider it, yet it is impoſſible but you ſhould think, that you your ſelves muſt die, and you do not know how ſoon: Now think of it in the fear of God, I beſeech you, when-ever you die, be it ſooner or later; whenever you die, if you be unſanctified, think what will become p. 66of you: Whither ſhall ye go when you go from hence, think you? Do you think to go to Heaven, to receive this Inheritance in Life and Glory? Alas, poor creature, it is impoſſible, how ever thou haſt flattered thy ſelf, it may be this many a year, with hopes of going to Heaven when thou dieſt, it is impoſſible, unleſs it be poſſible for God the Father to alter his purpoſe and decree: And whereas he once decreed that none ſhould be ſaved but thoſe that were firſt ſanctified; now to make a contrary Decree, for the ſaving of thoſe that never were, nor would be Saints: It is impoſſible for thee that art unſanctified to go Heaven, unleſs it be poſſible for the Son of God to become incarnate and ſuffer Death again, to purchaſe Heaven for thoſe whom he never ſanctified, nor never intended to ſanctifie by his Blood; it is impoſſible for thee to go to Heaven, unleſs it be poſſible for God the Holy-Ghoſt to alter his method, and ſeparate thoſe things in his working, which God hath joyned together in his Word. Therefore flatter not thy ſelf, deceive not thy ſelf with hopes of Heaven; but know that Heaven is everlaſtingly ſhut againſt thee, whatever thou be, if thou beeſt not ſanctified and holy; though thou haſt carried thy ſelf never ſo juſtly and ſquarely, though thou give much Alms to the Poor, though thou be baptized, and profeſs to believe in Chriſt, though thou reade the Scriptures, and pray in thy Family, though thou come to the Church, and hear the Word, and receive the Sacrament, yea though thou haſt ſome fits of ſorrow for thy ſin, yea though thou confeſſeſt and leaveſt thy ſin, and beeſt ſorward and frequent in Chriſtian Society, and in the Duties of Religion; yet if thou beeſt not ſanctified throughout, there is an utter impoſſibility of thy ever entering into Heaven. Heaven is a moſt holy place, and it is impoſſible for p. 67any but thoſe that are truly and really holy, to find entrance and abode there. And if it were poſſible for any unſanctified wretch to creep and ſteal into Heaven, Heaven would either ſpue him out again, and deliver it ſelf of ſuch an unſavory burden, or break in pieces under him, and let him ſink down to Hell, his own place, for ever. There is, they ſay, ſuch a repugnancy in ſome kind of Glaſs, and Earth, as your Venice-Glaſs, and Porcellane or China Diſhes, that if a Spider or a Toad, or any ſuch venemous creature be put into them, they would break in pieces preſently. Truly ſo would Heaven if an unſanctified ſinner ſhould enter there. There is ſuch a Repugnancy between Heaven the moſt holy place, and the moſt unholy heart of every unſanctified ſinner, that Heaven would even rent and break in pieces if ſuch a creature ſhould appear there; yea, if an unſanctified ſinner ſhould get into Heaven, he would be weary of Heaven, as well as Heaven would be weary of him; he would even wiſh himſelf out again; the Place is no wayes fit for him, the Perſons that are there no company for him, the Actions that are done there no imployment for him; God will never admit any into Heaven, that ſhall be a burden to Heaven, and to whom Heaven alſo ſhall be a burden: Heaven would be to the unſanctified ſinner but as the dry land is to the Fiſh; therefore no unſanctified perſon ſhall ever enter into Heaven.

Think therefore, O thou that art unſanctified, think whither thou art going; if thou die this night, as for any thing thou knoweſt thou mayeſt die this night, think what will become of thee, whither thou ſhalt go: to Heaven thou canſt not, it is impoſſible; whither then? whither muſt thou then go? O mightſt thou die, as doth the Ox and the Aſs, whoſe ſoul periſh whith their body; and as it is educed è potentiâ materiae, p. 68ſo it periſheth with the matter and ſubſtance of the body: if thy ſoul might do ſo too, O how happy ſhouldſt thou be, in compariſon of what thou ſhalt be if thou die in an unſanctified condition! but alas, poor creature, thy ſoul is immortal, thy ſoul muſt have a being for ever; therefore there muſt be ſome place, ſome ubi, in which thy ſoul muſt be for ever. And what, is that This Inheritance among the Saints in Light? Ah! No, No, there is another place, and another inheritance appointed for thee. Reade thy portion in Revel. 28.1. But the Fearful, and Unbelieving, and Abominable, and Murderers, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all Liars ſhall have their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the Second death; thy portion is everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels. Thy portion hath been with the Devil and his angels in ſinning here; thou haſt caſt in thy lot with them in ſin here, and thou muſt, whether thou wilt or no, receive thy portion and take thy lot with them in ſuffering hereafter. But,

In the ſecond place; This is as comfortable to them that are Sanctified, as it is terrible to the Unſanctified. For, as it is impoſſible that any Unſanctified perſon ſhould enter into Heaven; ſo, it is as impoſſible that any Sanctified one, truly ſanctified, ſhould miſs of Heaven. Thou that art a Saint, how mean and poor ſoever, how weak ſoever thy Grace be, how imperfect ſoever thy Sanctification be, yet if thou beeſt one that is truly ſanctified, though thou beeſt never ſo little and low in thine own eyes; though, with Paul, thou look upon thy ſelf as one that is leſs than the leaſt of all Saints, as the leaſt in all thy Father's Family; yet I aſſure thee from the Lord, thou ſhalt ſurely go to Heaven; yea, thou ſhalt not only go to Heaven, and have ſome little corner of Heaven for thine, (though, O what p. 69cauſe of joy and triumph would that be to ſome poor ſoul, if they might but be ſure of the leaſt corner in Heaven) but I tell thee, whole Heaven ſhall be thine; for thou art an Heir, the Inheritance belongs to thee, as much as to Abraham, or Iſaac, or David, or Peter, or Paul, or any the moſt glorious of Saints that ever was upon the Earth, or that is in Heaven.

For this know, in the firſt place, That though men de not make all their children Heirs, yet God doth. Men uſually ſettle the Inheritance upon the firſt-born or eldeſt, and turn all the reſt off with ſmall portions. But God doth not ſo; all his Children, Sons and Daughters both, they are all Heirs; not only Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, who were (as I may ſay) God's eldeſt Sons; not only they are his Heirs, nor only the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who is the firſt-born of every creature; not only He is an Heir, but even thou, who ever thou beeſt, though the pooreſt, weakeſt Saint, thou art an Heir of God, and Joynt-heir with Chriſt.

Secondly, As thou art an Heir, ſo the whole Inheritance is thine. If a man had ten or twenty Sons, and were reſolved to make them all his Heirs, he could not give the whole Inheritance to every one of them, but muſt divide it into ſo many parts, as he had Sons, and give to every one but his piece of the whole Inheritance. But now thou that art a Saint, thou art an Heir, and the [whole Inheritance is thine] All the Glory of God, all the good things of God are thine, intirely thine, as if thou hadſt them to thy ſelf alone, and there were none to ſhare in them beſides thy ſelf: Haec Haereditas non imminuitur copiâ poſſeſſorum, nec fit anguſtior Haeredum Numeroſitate; ſed tanta eſt multis, quanta paucis, tanta ſingulis, quanta omnibus, ſaith Auguſtine; this Inheritance is not leſſened by the Multitude of thoſe that poſſeſs it, nor made narrower for the Numerouſneſs of Heirs; p. 70but it is as great to many, as if they were few, as large to every ſingle perſon as it is to all. This is very ſignificantly expreſſed by the Apoſtle Paul, Col. 1.12. where he calls it an Inheritance among the Saints in Light. You know Light is a thing of that nature that it cannot be divided: If there be twenty, or an hundred men in a Room, and there be but one light among them, that light is not parted into twenty or an hundred peices, but every man enjoyeth the benefit of the light, as fully and wholly to himſelf, as if there were none but he in the Room. Or as it is with the light of the Sun, or the Heavens; all the men in the world that have eyes in their heads to ſee, they have all a like ſhare in, and a like benefit by the light of the Sun, and they do as fully enjoy it, as if every man had it to himſelf alone. So it is with the Inheritance of Heaven, all that are in Heaven do poſſeſs it every one fully, and entirely, it is wholly the enjoyment of every one in Heaven, even as the light of the Sun is the enjoyment of every one upon Earth.

Thirdly, Thou that art a Saint, how mean and weak ſoever, as thou art an Heir, and the Inheritance is wholly thine; ſo, thirdly, this Inheritance is certain to thee, thou canſt no wayes miſs it. Indeed, Inheritances that are left, or given men, many times prove great uncertainties. Many an Heir is cozened or baffled of his fair Eſtate; and many a young Prodigal quickly ſquanders away that Inheritance which his Father with a great deal of toil and care had got for him: But this Inheritance is ſubject to no ſuch miſchance, the Devil himſelf cannot cozen thee of this Inheritance, he cannot wreſt it from thee neither by force nor fraud; not canſt thou mortgage, or forfeit, or any other wayes imbezel thine Inheritance. It is an Inheritance reſerved for you in the higheſt Heavens: and p. 71as this Inheritance is reſerved for you, ſo you are and ſhall be reſerved unto it; as it follows in the very next words, Who are kept by the Power of God, through Faith, unto Salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5.

Fourthly, As thou art an Heir, and as the Inheritance is thine, and wholly thine, and ſurely thine; ſo in the fourth place, This Inheritance is a moſt rich and glorious Inheritance. If a man were an Heir, and had the whole Inheritance to himſelf, and were ſure that he could not loſe it; yet after all this it may be but a poor and ſlender Inheritance, far from any ſufficiency for a livelihood. But now this Inheritance it is a ſufficiency, and not only a bare ſufficiency, but amplius, ſomething more. Therefore the Apoſtle, ſpeaking of it, calls it, foreign. The Riches of the Glory of this Inheritance. Mark, the Apoſtle ſpeaking of this Inheritance, ſpeaks not onelyonly of the Riches of this Inheritance, nor only of the Glory of this Inheritance, but of the Riches and Glory, yea, of the Riches of the Glory of this Inheritance; to ſhew, that it is indeed an Inheritance moſt rich and glorious. This Inheritance is ſo rich, ſo glorious, that Eye hath not ſeen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of it. Now thou that art a Saint, this Inheritance, this rich and glorious Inheritance, it is thine, wholly thine, ſurely thine. O then what cauſe haſt thou to be comforted and rejoyce in this thy portion, to ſing David's Song of Praiſe, Pſal. 16.6. The lines are fallen to me in pleaſant places, I have a goodly Heritage.

In the third place. Is it ſo, that not one that is unſanctified ſhall ever enter into Heaven, nor no one that is ſanctified ſhall ever miſs of Heaven; Then all you that deſire Heaven, that hope for Heaven, labour to p. 72be holy; for, without Holineſs, you hope for Heaven in vain: For though Holineſs be not Cauſa Coeli, yet it is Via ad Coelum; though it be not the moving or meriting cauſe for which God gives Heaven and Happineſs to us, yet it is cauſa ſine qua non, as is clear in that Text, Without Holineſs none can ſee the Lord. And the truth is, Holineſs is that life and ſtate begun upon Earth, which is perfected and perpetuated in Heaven to all Eternity: And that man never is nor ſhall be a glorious Saint in Heaven that is not firſt a gracious Saint upon Earth. A man muſt be an Infant before he be a Man: Grace is the Infancy of Glory. O therefore, every one of you, deſire Holineſs, ſeek Holineſs, pray for Holineſs, ſtrive, labour after Holineſs, as you would deſire, ſeek, pray for, ſtrive, labour after Heaven it ſelf. Holineſs being that intrinſecal qualification, which though it do not make you foreign, yet it makes you foreign; though it do not make you worthy of Heaven, yet it makes you meet, and fit to be partakers of that Inheritance which is amongst the Saints in Light.

Now the God of Peace ſanctifie you throughout; and I pray God your whole ſpirit, ſoul and body be preſerved blameleſs unto the coming of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.