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gerous, and dark Paths to eternal Life, (that is full of Pits and Snares) of the Lamp, or Word, written, or preached, without us; and the Illmination of the Holy Ghost within us. These are con joyned, Ifa. lix. 21. This is my Cove nant, the Spirit that is upon thee, and the IVords that I have put in thy Mouth, fball not depart out of thy Mouth, nor the Mouth of thy Seed, &c. There are Words without, and there must needs be a Spirit within, which makes us to behold the Truth and Grace contained in thefe Words. There is a Law written with out, with Pen and Ink, and there is a Law written within, upon the Heart, with the Spirit of the living God: The Law without is the Pattern and exact Copy; the Law within, is the Transcript, or ⚫ the Image of God upon the Heart, framed and fashioned according to the Simili ́tude of it, 2 Cor. iii. 3. Heb. viii. 10. So then, there needs be no more Queftion about the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, among those who have their Senfeexercised to difcern between good and ill, than among Men who fee, and tafte, concerning Light and Darkness, sweet and bitter. The Peion of a Chriftian is fetched deeper that the Reafons of Men; their Faith is the Evidence of Things not feen, 'tis an Eye, a fupernatural Eye, whereby a Soul beholds that Majefty and Excellency of God fhining in the Word, which though it shine about the rest of the World, yet'tis not feen, becaufe they cannot know it, nor difcern it. Wonder not, that the Multitude of Men cannot believe the Report that is made, that there are fo few, who find any fuch Excellency and Sweetness in the Gospel as is reported, because, faith Isaiah, liii. 1. The Arm of the Lord is not revealed to them; the Hand of God muft first write on their

Heart, ere they understand the Writings of the Scriptures; his Arm must create an Eye in their Souls, an eternal Light, before it can behold that glorious Brightness of God fhining in the Word. The Word is God's Teftimony of himfelf, of his Grace and Mercy and good Will to Mankind: Now no Man can receive this Teftimony, unless it be fealed and confirmed by the Holy Ghoft into the Heart : Saith Peter, We are his Witnefjes of these things, and fo allo is the Holy Ghoft whom God bath given to thofe that obey him, Acts. v. 32. The Word witnesses to the Ear, and the Spirit teftifieth to our Spirits the Truth and Worth of that, and therefore the Spirit is a Seal and a Witness. The Word is the Lord's Voice to his own Children, Baftards cannot know it, but my Sheep hear my Voice, John x. 4, 16. You know no Difference between the bleating of one Sheep and another, but the poor Lambs know their Mother's voice; there is a fecret Instinct of Nature, that is more powerful than many Marks and Signs: Even fo those who are begotten of God know his Voice, they difcern that in it, which all the World that hear it cannot difcern, there is a Sympathy between their Souls and that living Word, that Word is the immortal Seed they are begotten of, and there is a natural Instinct to love that, and to meditate in it; fuch an Inclination to it as in new born Babes to the Breafts: So the Children of God do defire the fincere Milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby, as they were born of it, 1 Fet. ii. 2. In thefe Scriptures which we read in your Audience, you have fomething of their Excellency, and our Duty; there is a rich Jewel in them, a precious Pearl in that Field, even Jefus Chrift, and in him eternal Life; and there fore we ought to fearch the Scriptures for

this Jewel, to dig in the Field for this Pearl, the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, as a sure Foundation whereupon Souls may build their eternal Felicity, and the Hope of it. Jefus Chrift is the very chief Stone in that Foundation, whereupon the Weight of all the Saints and all their Hope hangs. And therefore we ought to lean the Weight of our Souls only to this Truth of God, and build our Faith only upon it, and fquare our Practice only by it.

We shall fpeak fomething of the First, that it may be a Spur to the Second. The Jews had fome refpective Opinion of the Word of God, they knew that in them was eternal Life, they thought it a Doctrine of Life and Happiness, and fo cried up Mofes Writings, but they would not believe Chrift's Words, they erred, not understanding the Scriptures, and fo fet the Writings of Mofes Law at Variance, with the Preaching of Chrift's Gofpel! What a pitiful Miftake was this? They thought they had eternal Life in the Scriptures, and yet they did not receive nor acknowledge him whom to know was eternal Life; therefore our Lord Jefus fends them back again to the Scriptures, go and fearch them, you think, and you think well, that in them you may find the Way to eternal Life, but while you feek it in them you miftake it: These Scriptures teftifie of me the End of the Law, but you cannot behold the End of that Ministry, because of the Blindness of your Hearts, Rom. x. 3. Cor. ii. 13, 14. Therefore fearch again, unfold the Ceremonies, I am wrapt in them, and Life eternal with me, dig up the Law till you find the Bottom of God's Purpose in it, till you find the End of the Miniftration, and you fhall find me, the Way, and Truth, and Life, and fo you shall have that eternal Life which now you

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do but think you have, and are beguiled. While you feek it out of me, in vain you think you have it, for it is not in the Scriptures, but because they teftify of me the Life and the Light of Men. May not this now.commend the Word to us? Eternal Life is in it.

Other Writings and Dif' courfes may tickle the Ears, with fome pleafing Eloquence, but that is vanishing, tis but like a Musician's Voice; fome may reprefent fome petty and momentary Advantage, but how foon fhall an End be put to all that? So that within a litttle Time the Advantage of all the Books of the World fhall be gone. The Statutes and Laws of Kings and Parliaments can reach no further than fome temporal Reward or Punishment, their highest Pain is the killing of this Body, their higheft Reward is fome evanithing and fading Honour, or perishing Riches: But he theweth his Word and Judgments to us, and hath not dealt fo with every Nation, Pfal. clxvii. 19, 20. And no Nation under the whole Heaven hath fuch Laws and Ordinances; eternal Life and eternal Death is wrapt up in them, thefe are Rewards and Punishments fuitable to the Majefty and Magnificence of the eternal Law-giver. Confider, I befeech you, what is folded up here, the Scriptures fhew the Path of Life, Life is of all Things moft excellent, and comes neareft the bleffed Being of God. When we fay (Life) we understand a blessed Life, that only deferves the Name. Now this we have loft in Adam, Death is past upon all Men, but that Death is not the worst, 'tis but a Confequence of a Soul-death, the immortal Soul, whofe Life confifteth in Communion with God, and Peace with him, is feparated from him by Sin, and fo killed, when it is cut off from the Fountain of Life; what Life can it have any more, than a Beam that is cut off by the

Intervention of a dark Body from the Sun. | Now then what a bleffed Doctrine muft it be that brings to Life, Light and Immortality? especially when we have fo miferably, loft it, and involved our Souls into an eternal Death? Life is precious in itself, but much more precious to one condemned to die, to be caught out of the Paws of the Lyon, to be brought back from the Gibbet. O how will that commend the favour of a little more Time in the World. But then if we knew what an eternal Mifery we are involved into, and ftand under a fentence binding us over to fuch an inconceivable and infupportable Punishment as is the Curfe and Wrath of God; O how precious an Efteem would Souls have of the Scriptures, how would they be fweet unto their Soul, because they fhew unto us - a Way of escaping that Pit of Mifery, and a Way of attaining eternal Bleffedness, as fatisfying and glorious, as the Mifery would have been vexing and tormenting. O that ye would once lay these in the Ballance to gether, this prefent Life, and Life eternal. Know ye not that your Souls are created for Eternity, that they will eternally furvive all these present Things: Now how do ye imagine they fhall live after this Life? Your Thoughts, and Projects, and Designs are confined within the poor narrow. Bounds of your Time; when you die, in that Day your Thoughts fhall perifh, all your Imaginations and Purpofes, and Providences shall have an End then, they reach no further than that Time, and if you fhould wholly perish too, it were not fo much Matter: But for all your Purpofes and Projects to come to an End, when you afe but beginning to live, and enter Eternity, that is lamentable indeed. Therefore I fay, confider what ye are doing, weigh these in a Ballance, eternal Life, and the prefent Life, if there were no more

Difference, but the Continuance of the one, and Shortness of the other, that the World's ftanding is but as one Day, one Moment to Eternity, that ought to preponderate in your Souls; do we not here flee away as a Shadow upon the Mountains? Are we not as a Vapour that afcends and for a little Time appears a folid Body, and then presently vanitheth? Do we not come all into the Stage of the World, as for an Hour to act our Part and be gone; now then, what is this to endless Eternity? When you have continued as long as fince the World began, you are no nearer the End of it, ought not that Eftate then to be moft in your Eyes, how to lay up a Foundation for the Time to come? But then compare the Mifery and Vexation of this Life, with the Glory and Felicity of this eternal Life; what are our Days? But few and full of Trouble. Or, if you will take the moft bleffed Eftate you have seen or heard of in this World, of Kings and rich Men, and help all the Defects of it by your Imaginations; Suppofe unto your felves the Height and Pitch of Glory, and Abundance, and Power that is attainable on Earth, and when your Fancy hath busked up fuch a Felicity, compare it with eternal Life: O how will that vanish out of your Imaginations; if fo be you know any thing of the Life to come, you will even think that an odious Comparison, you will think all that earthly Felicity, but light as Vanity, every Man at his beft Eftate is altogether Vanity. Eternal Life will weigh"down eternally, 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. O but it hath an exceeding Weight in it felf; one Moment of it, one Hour's Poffeffion and Tafte of it; but then what fhall the endlefs Endurance of it add to its Weight? Now there are many that prefume they have a Right to eternal Life, as the Jews

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ven so it is this Day; the most Part have no more of Chriftianity but a Name, they have fome outward Frivileges of Baptifm, and hearing the Word, and, it may be, have a Form of Knowledge, and a Form of Worship; but in the mean Time they are not baptized in Heart, they are in all their Converfation even conform

did, you think, saith he, that you have it, you think well that you think 'tis only to be found in the Scriptures, but you vainly think that you have found it in them: And there is this Reafon of it, because you will not come to me that you may have Life, ver. 40. If you did understand the true meaning of the Scriptures, and did not reft on the outward Lettter and Ored to the Heathen World; they hate perdinances, you would receive the Tefti- fonal Reformation, and think it too permony that the Scriptures gives of me. But cife and needlefs; Now, I fay, fuch are now you hear not me the Father's fub- many of you, and yet ye would not take ftantial Word, therefore you bave not his well to have queftioned, whether ye Word abiding in you, ver. 38. There fhall be Partakers of eternal Life? You was nothing more general among that think you are wronged when that is called People than a vain carnal Confidence and in Question. Oh, that it were beyond all Prefumption of being God's People, Queftion indeed. But know affuredly, and having Intereft in the Promife of That you are but Chriftians in the Letter, Life eternal, as it is this Day in the in the Flesh, and not in the Spirit; many Vifible Church. There is a Multitude of you have not fo much as a Form of that are Chriftans only in the Letter, Knowledge, have not fo much as the and not in the Spirit, that would never Letter of Religion: You have heard fome admit any Queftion concerning this great Names in the Preaching often repeated, Matter of having eternal Life, and fo as Chrift, and God, and Faith, and Heaby not questioning it, they come to ven, and Hell, and you know no more think they have it, and by Degrees their of thefe but the Name; you consider not, Conjectures and Thoughts about this a- and meditate not on them: And those who rifeth to the Stability of fome faigned and know the Truth of the Word, yet the ftrong Perfwasion of it. In the Old Tef Word abideth not, nor dwelleth in you; tament the Lord Atrikes at the Roots of you have it in your Mouth, you have it their Perfwafions, by difcovering unto in your Mind or Understanding, but it is them, how vain a thing it was, and how not received in Love, it doth not dwell abominable before him, to have an ex- in the Heart, Let the Word of Chrift ternal Profeffion of being his People, and dwell in you richly, Col. iii. 16. You to glory in external Ordinances and Privi- have it imprifoned in your Minds, and leges, and yet to neglect altogether the hut up into a Corner where it is useless, purging of their Hearts and Confciences and can do no more but witness against from Lufts and Idol-fins, and to make no you, and fcarce that: As the Gentiles inConfcience of walking righteously towards carcerated and detained the Truth of God, Men: Their Profeffion was contradicted written by Nature within them, in Unby their Practice, Will ye Steal, Murder, righteoufnefs, Rom. i. 18. So do many and commit Adultery, and yet come and of you detain the Knowledge of his Word fand m my House, Jer. vii. 8, 9. Doth in Unrighteousness, it hath no Place in the not that fay as much as if I had given you Heart, gets no Liberty and Freedom to Liberty to do all thefe Abominations? E-walk through the Affections, and so to

order

But the first is the very Substance of the Gofpel, There is no other Name by which Men may be fawed, but by Jefus Chrift, Acts iv. 12. Life Eternal is all within him, All the Treasures of Grace, and Wisdom, and Knowledge, are feat

the Light of Life and Salvation is imbodied in this Sun of Righteoufnefs, fince the Eclipfe of Mans Felicity in the Garden. Adam was a living Soul, but he loft his own Life, and killed his Pofterity. Chrift Jefus the fecond common Man in the World is a quickning Spirit, he hath not only Life in himself, but he gives it more

order the Converfation of Men: And therefore the moft Part of Men do but fancy to themselves an Intereft and Right to eternal Life, you think it, and do but think it; it is but a ftrong Imagination, that hath no Strength from the Grounds of it, no Stability from any Evidence or Pro-ed in him, Col. i. 19. and ii. 3. All mife, but meerly from it felf; or it is but a light and vain Conjecture that hath no Strength in it, because there is no Queftion or Doubts admitted which may try the Strength of it: But then I fuppofe that aMan could attain fome answerable walking, that he had not only a Form of Knowledge, but fome Reality of Practice, some inward Heat of Affection and Zeal for God and God-abundantly: And therefore you have it liness, yet there is one thing that he wants, fo often repeated in John, who was the and if it be wanting will fpoil all: And it Difciple moft acquainted with Chrift, In is this which Chrift reproves in the Jews, bim was Life, and the Life was the You will not come to me to have Life; Light of Men, John i. 4. And be is the the Scriptures teftifie of me, but you re- Bread of Life, that gives Life to the ceive not their Teftimony. Suppofe a World, John vi. 33, 35. He is the Man had as much Equity and Juftice to Refurrection and the Life, xì. 25. and wards Men, Piety towards God, and So- The Way, the Truth, and Life, xiv. 6. briety towards himself, as can be found a- The Scriptures do not contain eternal mong the best of Men; let him be a Life, but in as far as they lead to him who diligent Reader of the Scriptures, let is Life, and whom to know and embrace him love them, and meditate on them is Eternal Life: And therefore (faith he ) Day and Night, yet if he do not come out These are they which teftifie of me. Man of himself, and leave all his own Righte- lived immediately in God when he was in oufness as Dung behind him, that he may Innocency, he had Life in himself from be found in Jefus Chrift, he hath no Life, God, but then he began to live in himself, he cannot have any Right to Life Eternal. without Dependance on God the Fountain You may think this a ftrange Affertion, of Life, and this-himfelf being interpofed that if a Man had the Righteoufnefs and between God and his Life, it evanished, Holiness of an Angel, yet he could not even as a Beam by the intervening of any be faved without denying all that, and grofs Body between it and the Sun. Now fleeing to Chrift as an ungodly Man: Man's Light and Life being thus eclipfed And you may think it as ftrange a Suppo- and cut off, the Lord is pleased to let all fal, that any Perfon that reads the Scrip- Fulnefs dwell in his Son Jefus Chrift, and tures, and walks righteoufly, and hath a The Fulness of the God-Head dwelt in Zeal towards God, yet are fuch as will him bodily, Col. ii. 9. that fince there not come to Chrift, and will not hear him was no Accefs immediately to God for whom the Father hath fent.

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