O Blessed Paul, what an happy improvement didst thou make of all thy glorious visions of Christ, and of thine heavenly rapture in­to such neere communion with thy Savi­our. Thereby thou didst gain such transcen­dent opinions of him, that as a man top-full of him thou didst speak the greatest things of him. Witnesse the vast differeence be­tween Saul & Paul. Act. 9. 1. 2. There Saul like a furious Apparritor to the Iewish high Commission, breaths out threatnings and slaugh­ter against the Disciples of the Lord. And then Paul after Je­sus Christ had met him so effectually, vers. 20 straight way Called Paul after his con­verting Sergi­ua Paulus. he preached Christ in the Synagogues, that he is the sonne of God.

O admirable power of grace! straightway after, being a perse­cuting Saul, is now become a gracious preaching Paul. Hee felt the happy influence of this grace in the Text.

Its observed that you have Christ mentioned in Pauls Epistles 223 times, and Iesus at least 233 times. To [Page 2] make up this number, Paul contributes very much in his Epi­stles; His spirit was so brimfull of Christ, that his Pen over­flowes with his Name; whom severall times he mentions Christ in 10 verses in the beginning of the first Chapter of the first E­pistle Note. to the Corinthians. Upon very good reason might Paul thank Christ that enabled him and counted him faithfull, putting him into the Ministry. Fidelity and ability two great mercies when bestowed on a Minister Upon this stock of grace in Christ Non significat imbecillas vi­res a ugere, vel quasi col­lapsas sustine­re, sed vire [...] ei induere cui ne voluntas quidem in sit, into verô qui in contrariam partem totus feratur Beza in lo cum. did the Martyrs spend when so victorious. Heb. 11. 33, 34, 35. Who through faith subdued Kingdomes, wrought righteousnesse, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of Lyons, qnencheà the vio­lence of fire, cscaped the edge of the sword, (a) out of weaknesse were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to slight the Armies of aliens, women received their dead raised to life againe; and o­thers were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtaine a better resurrection. What a full and rich expression is this, Out of weaknesse were made strong, nothing previously preparatory in them towards this strength, out of weaknesse made strong, they were first receptive of strength from Christ, before they could be active for Christ; This leads me to the se­cond observation, the former having been handled in the fore­going Sermon, which was this,

1. There is a spring of strengthning Grace in Christ Jesus, for the advantage of Saints.

The second observation, which is this followeth, naturally arising out of the words.

It is the strength of Christians, their onely strength, to learne Doct. 2. how to make the Lord Iesus their strength;

You have an excellent place to confirm it in Eph. 6. 10. Finally my Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of hus might: Be strong, good reason for it: but where lies the strength? in the Lord, that is the former point, and in the power of his might; Go not out in any strength of your owne, any confidence of it, for all is but impotency; but in the power of his might: This is very significantly in the Text by the Apostle Paul: Pos­sibly there may be such an Emphasis in the composition, some [...]. intention; he doth not say, there is a strength within thee: Three things for the expli­cation. But where shall I have it? from Christ; it is the strength of Christ Jesus; in him is all thy strength: I shall branch this be­for I come to the Application, to three heads: First, I will [Page 3] endeavor as God shall please to enable, to demonstrate the wisedome of this course the wisedome of it, for a Christian to learn this heavenly skill, how to make the Lord Jesus his strength;

2. To shew you the effectuall purposes of it, what good ends it serves to:

3. The possibility of it;

1. The wisedome of it; and that will appeare upon these 1. The wise­dome of Saints making Christ their strength. four considerations.

1. If you do but thinke upon your owne impotency, reflect upon your selves when you have been at the best, when you have thought your mountaine hath been immoveable, and you have stood most sure, have not you sometimes soone after dri­ven 1. Consider. very heavily in duties, as if your chariot wheeles had been knocked off, & when you have thought to have done best, you come off most dryly? yea I am confident that di­vers Ministers understand this, and it may be others in part Est spiritualis ariditas. too, they have been preparing a sermon, and thought, O certainly, this passage will take, and it may be win soules, and when they in preaching or in praying have had some proud reflections upon such expressions, enlargements or hints from heaven, a little weed of pride hath begun to spring up, and Note. (men love to much to looke upon their own seeming beauty, and their own flashes,) hath provoked God suddenly to withdraw his spirit, presently thy strength hath failed, and thou art at a losse; what doth this argue there is an impotency in thy 2. Consider. selfe.

As there is an impotency in thy selfe, and therefore it is thy wisedome to make Jesus Christ thy strength, so there is an in­sufficiency in all the best of Ordinances, they are but created meanes at the most, and further then the Creator continues to be a Preserver, and a Governor, and an Actor of his own workmanship, it can do nothing: many that lived under the most pure and pretious Ordinances, where Paul was a Preacher, yea where Jesus Christ preached so many powerfull sermons upon earth, yet you know there were Scribes and Pharisees still that did imprison those pretious Gospel truths, that not onely for the excellency, but for the novelty of them, should have been entertained, (Men use to bid welcome new things;) yet all would not do, (not as to the Ordinances [Page 4] themselves for then all would have been converted) only as Jesus Christ came in and seized upon such a soule, so many and no more werewon upon to embrace him; but self and Ordinan­ces, as is spoken as I remember in that of Job: the latter end, Job. 28, 12, 14. &c. concerning wisedome: c. 28. v. 12, 14. &c. depth saith it is not in me and earth and sea, and all disclame wisedome, it is not in me, we have heard of the fame thereof, but it is not in us; and so in­deed may all the Ordinances say strength is not in me; and Ordi­nances indeed will speake great things of the strength of grace in Christ Jesus; but they will tell you, though it be set forth, it is not to be had in us, it is to be had only in Jesus Christ himself.

3. You may please to consider this, that Jesus Christ hath strength confin'd to him hath an office to that purpose, a commission 3. Consider. under the broad seal of Heaven; all things are put into his hand the Spirit of strength and all; God the Father loved him and hath put all things into his hand, He being Immanuel God man, and the onely mediator to bring sinfull man into a capacity to Joh. 3 34. receive grace and glory from God 2 Pet. 1. 3. And thus all this strength is concenterd in Jesus Christ, and so confined to him that there is not the least drop or dram of spirituall strength, but what comes derivatively and redundantly from him: Trust in the Lord Jehovah, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength; he was Abrahams Rocke to anchor upon, and though many waves may have beate upon it since, Isa 26. 4. yet it is not wasted; the same Rocke in Davids time, the same Rocke in Pauls time, the same Rocke for his poore Saints in [...] In Jehovah pe­tra seculorum. this time; blessed be his name, he is the Rocke of Ages, and therefore everlasting strength alwayes to overflow to his people.

Fourthly and lastly, It is a high point of wisedome, because a Christian will have so much need of this strengthning grace from Christ there is an hint to this purpose in, the 6. Ephes. 10. 4. Consider. a place I named before; there is a [...]: Finally my Brethren, as if Paul should have said, I have been leading you through the great and mysterious depths of the Gospel matters of specu­lation, in the Chap. 1, 2, and 3. I have beene leading you through the practicals of Christianity; in the fourth I have been putting you upon the exercise of relative graces, in the fifth and sixth telling you what husbands should do to their wives, and wives to their husbands; parents to their children, [Page 5] and children to their parents: But there is another peece be­hinde that must not be forgotten, you must make account to conflict with temptations, and therefore endeavor after con­flicting graces; you must wrastle many a fall with the Devill, before you go to heaven; a you must wrestle with God, so Conflicting graces very necessary to inable us to out wrastle the Divels temp­tation. Luk. 18 21, 22. you must wrestle against the Devill; you will not be able to do this by any strength of your own, the Devill is a strong man, and there must be one that is stronger then he, that must be able to bind him, and take away his armor from him, and that is onely Jesus Christ; therefore a high point of wisedome it will be for all the Saints to learne this heavenly skill, how to make Jesus Christ their strength; the next thing I proposed was this.

To what effectuall purpose is this, for the Saints to be at cost and charges to learne this skill? 2. To what good purposes Saints should learn to make Christ their strength.

1. Hereby their spirituall and eternall estate will be much more confirmed and settled, being establish'd in the faith, being rooted and grounded in Christ, in t e 2 Coloss. 6, 7. and you shall find all this is by being in Christ, for he wishes them in the 8. vers. take heed of vaine Philosophy, or any thing which is not after Christ, any thing which should draw you from Christ; your root­ing, your establishing lies in Christ, he is the roote of your strength, and he it the foundation of your ability.

2. It will conduce to this purpose to enable you to performe good duties, and that with life and power; it is not enough for Christians to have a formality of godlinesse, an outward forme, that is a prettie step, and very desirable; but you should have truth of godlinesse, that is a better step; and I wil adde this, there is a best step, not onely truth, but strength; you must not have a forme of godlinesse and deny the power thereof; in the 2. of Timoth. 3, 5. such persons are one of the Catalogue that shall helpe to make the last dayes pe­rillous 2 Tim. 3. 1, 5., and indeed the more dangerous, because the lesse discernable.

3. It will conduce much to this happy purpose, to fit you for variety of conditions; you may be led forth to prosperity, you may have suddain removes and changes from advesiry to prosperi­ty, and from prosperity to adversity, and therein many loose themselves; It is clean water indeed, that when the glasse is sha­ked, there is no filth appeares: O they are rooted Christians in [Page 6] Christ, and have a great deale of strength, that walke un­changeably with God in changes, that are the same in all va­rieties; [...]. (Solomon and Ezekiah lost themselves therein;) this you cannot doe but through Christ; Paul had learned particular lessons for particular estates, I have learned to want, I have learned to abound, and whence? I can do all things through Christ enabling me; Phil. 4. 12. And from the grace of Christ enabling him. You may be led forth to searching temptations; and then you'l be at great losses, and plunges, without this strengthening grace of Christ; A little temptation will pro­strate a strong Saint, if he be left to himselfe; it must be the is­suing So Moses [...], when a traine for his Court preferment had been lay­ing 40. yeers Heb. 11. 25. 26 Mal. 2. 4. of continuall supplies, from the Lord Jesus Christ that must animate; As constancy of supply from the Sunne, doth quicken the plants here; when he withdrawes the sap retires in­to the roote, and trees look as if they were almust dead, when he returnes, he brings a spring with him; so indeed doth the Sunne of righteousnesse, into poore and (seemingly at least) wither'd or dying soules: Fiftly and lastly, and that may adde a very great Emphasis to all the rest.

It will conduce much to this purpose; To have anhappy re­turn of their prayers. If his words abide in you, and you abide in him in the 15 John 8. Aske what you will and it shall be done unto you; Ask what you wil, there is none in the world but are desirous, in some degree & often mov'd very inordinatly, to have their wils the great controversie on foot upon earth from time to time Note and that that hath cost so much blood-shed in England, and in other placesis this, Who should have their will; now if you would have your will, I meane here a rectified will, a holy, a gratcious will, if you would have it fulfilled and gratifyed, let the words of Christ abide in you, and do you abide in him; get that strength from him, from his quickning word and quicken­ing spirit that hereby you may be fruitful in the strength of his grace, and you shall have your wils, the third thing proposed, for explication followes. 3. possibi­lity of obtain­ing this skill to make christ our strength.

The possibility of this; how is it possible that Jesus Christs strength should be conveyed to us, that we should make ano­thers strength, our strength? The Papists have a great quarrell against justification by imputed righteousnesse, and they call it putative, and take upon them (at least) that they do not, or will not understand, how it is possible for a man to be justifyed [Page 7] by anothers righteousnesse; Can a man be warmed by anothers cloaths, (say they) can a man be wise by anothers wisdome? Note I answer, it is very easily possible, if that another mans wisedom be made ours, or another mans cloaths be put upon us; so this is possible, if Jesus Christs strength be made ours; that is the thing, the Apostle presses it here, be strong in the Grace in Je­sus Christ, let this be your care, how to make the strength of Christ yours; and therefore (I say) this possibility will be re­duc'd to act in these three particulars;

First, by our Union with Christ, when once you are united un­to Jesus Christ, what is Christ is yours, for union makes way Its possible up­on a threesold account. to communion; If there be a Union with him, there is a Com­munion with him, and a Communication of what he hath to us; 1. By our union with Christ. As he communicates his righteousnesse for our justification, com­municates his glory for our glorification so he communicates his spirit for our strength and holinesse, and also conveyes quickening grace to us first by our union with him.

2. By impressions from him; for when ever Jesus Christ draws us to union with him, he then draws us to communion with him in By impressi­ons from his spirit. his Ordinances; If we indeed have cōmunion with him, we go a­way with an Ordinance tincture, a Gospel impression upon our spirits, in some degree molded into that word, that was made known 2 Cor. 2. 18. to us, and delivered to us, that you thinke, and speake, and act, in some conformity to that word that was delivered to you; and this is the blessed advantage of this mornings exercise, if peo­ple have hearts to make use of them, that before the Divel hath Rom. 6. 17. taken possession, of your soules, the spirit of God shall pre­vent him, and here you shall have the Gospell, come warme next your hearts, and that you may have something there, that may leave such a tincture that may fortify you against the in­cursions of temptations, & the ordinary invasions of the devil, O that West­minster Citi­zens would consider it, and know the day of their visita­tion. here is strengthening grace conveyed by these impressions: as when a man throwes a stone out of his hands, Philosophers have very great disputes how it is possible that a stone should move, they tell you there is an impression of something upon it vis impressa. I am sure, here is an impression, when Jesus Christ comes into the soule, and drawes nigh to it, and puts Fortit [...]r & suaviter mo­vet. somewhat into it, and by a sweet and a loving violence, carryes on the soule in duty.

Thirdly, As by a union with him, as by an impression made 3. By influ­ence from Christ. [Page 8] upon us, by him, so by a continued influence from him; It is not e­nough to have uniō with him, it is not enough to have an impres­sion made upon our spirits from him, bulit is his continued in­fluence that doth it; when there is an obstruction in the passages, either betwixt the Liver, and Heart, and the Vitals and other parts, or betwixt the head, and the parts whence sense and mo­tion should be conveighed; in any of those passages when there is any obstruction, at what a losse are we presently because the continuall influence is hindred when there is no such thing that doth obstruct, and hinder the sweet intercourse betwixt the soule and Christ, and illapses from the spirit of Christ into our spirits; O it is that that doth indeed strengthen and animate them; and so you see the possibility: Here is some seasonable use in the first place.

I hope therefore, if it be so, you that are standers by (as Use I doubt there may be some here are still unacquainted with Jesus Christ, and at an unhappy distance from him, all this while (the Lord if it be his will discover so much of his good­nesse to you, that you may long after intimacy with him,) no such friend on this side heaven unto you) I say if there be such strength in him, and it be such a high point of wisedome for Christians to make him their strength, for all supplies, O think the better of him, I beseech you do not entertaine any hard thoughts of Jesus Christ; let not either the weaknesses or impotencies of Gods people, nor their failings, nor any preju­dicate opinions that carnall men would scatter amongst you, any of your fellow drunkards, or Atheists, or Formalists, or what ever they are concerning Jesus Christ, let not them nourish in you a low opinion, it is the way to undo you; for all your strength lies in Him, you will never be able to overcome the least sin, or passion nor the least temptation without the power­full grace of Jesus him; (and then indeed you are everlasting­ly undone, if you cannot overcome the least evill;)

Alas what will become of poor souls? it would grieve one to think of it, that it may be are under the greatest snares, as of bad company for 20 years together, so hedg'd in with carnal freinds and acquaintance, poore children with carnall fathers and mothers, and it may be a very carnall wife, sometimes a most carnall husband, and here shee is intangled, tyrannized over &c. [Page 17] Brethren, I beseeh you consider it well, and you that have got any acquaintance with Jesus Christ already, O pity poor souls that do not know where their strength lies, nor have learned how to make use of him, & use all the Art you can, how to breed such opinions in them, of Jesus Christ, and his grace, that they may fall in love with him; It may be when they come to die, then they will send for their Minister, and then they would hear something of Christ. O but there is a sad story of a mean per­son that made love to one that had some kind of height of Con­dition, who would not; when he was grown great, then she would have had him, then he would not, he returned her this Very danger­ous to put off Christ. answer, you were wise, I am wise, you woul not before, now I will not; what if Jesus Christ should return you this answer, when you are upon your fick beds, and you send for your Ministers, and nothing will satisfie you, but the Communion then, though Contemnere Sa­cramenta, dam­at non illa non babere. you cared not for Communion with Christ in your health nei­ther can you make out upon any cleer grounds of Scripture, why you should then so much desire it; and you would then it (may be) be absolved though you have no evidence at al in scripture for it, but what if Jesus Christ should return you this answer? I will lock up my Ministers Spirit, that it may be he shall not be able to pray for you, or at least lock up Heaven gates against Jer. 11. 14. & 14. 11. his prayers, that he will not hear; and so upon this ground you are for ever undone, if millions of Angels, if all the glorified Saints and Angels in Heaven, should joyn their prayers together, to beseige the Throne of grace for you, they could not prevail; and therefore let that be your care, I beseech you, to labor to gain good opinions of Jesus Christ, in them that they may hear­tily imbrace him.

If this be so, that it is the only strength of Christians, to make Jesus Christ their strength, give me leave to commend a friend­ly, Use 2. a brotherly caution to you at this time, Take heed of resting Caution. upon any thing below Jesus Christ, for so far as you fall short of Him, so far you fall short of strength; when you would at­tempt any thing, & you think to catch hold of such a rope, or lay hold of such a pole, if you be to go over a bridge, and you come short of it, down you may fall off the bridge, and break your neck; and truly so it is, with many thousand souls, they have wishings and wouldings, and some dull vellieties, some lazy purposes, and promises, sick-bed-vows they have, but a­las, [Page 18] all this fals short of Christ, and so far they shall fall short of heaven, & roar eternally in hellish torments, in a remediless estate, bewailing themselves, that they have no better improved Jesus Christ in the day of their Visitation, when He did with so much loving importunity and with so much unwearied patience stand Rev. 3. 20. and knock at the door, Oh then it will be too late, it may be then you'l weep over your selves, as Jesus Christ did over Jerusalem, Oh that I had known the day of my Visitation, but now I see these things are hid from my eyes, and now eternal desolation in the depth of hellish torments will be my remediless portion; Oh! how sad will this be; therefore accept of this Caution, and these are four friendly Items under it.

First, I beseech you beware, that you do not rest upon your own preparations for Ordinances: It is a very commendable thing, I 1. Friendly Item. 1 Rest not up­on your own Preparations for ordinances would have you pray that you may pray, and I would have you draw nigh, and make use of secret Communion with God, before you are to come to a Communion, and when you come to seek Communion with Him in a Sermon, let that be your great care, but take heed you do not rest upon your own prepa­ration when you have prepared; for if you advance them into the Throne of Jesus Christ, and rest upon them, when you should rest only upon Him, truly it is the way to make all your preparations miscarry, and in stead of fruit, you'l have dry breasts, and a miscarrying womb; you'l have nothing at all come to any perfection; let the Saints that are acquainted with such trading at the Throne of grace, (as I hope divers of you are) re­flect and consult sometimes with their own experience, if it hath not bin so; Have not you when you have prayed very much before a Sermon, (it may be) got little by the Sermon, though it was a very wholsome one? Have not you many times when you thought you had bin prepar'd, and having kept a se­cret day of humiliation, (if there were no publique opportuni­ties) before a Communion, have not you found that somtimes you have had even then lesser comfort at communion? what is the reason of this? Though God doth ordinarily dispense mercy, according to our care to prepare, yet sometimes he will not do it, and then especially, when there is any little carnal dependance Note. upon what we have done, for we may be carnally dependant upon Spiritual preparations for Spiritual duties: when there is the least degree of carnal dependance upon our preparations, he will [Page 19] not bear any thing, to be a Corrival with Jesus Christ, and therefore he will let us see, that we shall fall short for that time of what we expected, and so do us good, and make us more fit another time.

Secondly. As I would have you beware of resting in your pre­parations for an Ordinance, so do not rest upon your enlargments 2. Friendly I­tem. Rest not upon your enlarge­ments in duty Jude 10. 20. in an Ordinance; It may be you have a Spring-tide of assistance comes in, a Minister preaches with great presence of the Spirit of God, and a Saint prayes (as we find it) in the holy-Ghost, finds the ho­ly Spirit of God leading him from Petition to Petition, and mel­ting him with brokenness, when he is confessing sin, and filling him with rejoycing, when he is remembring mercy, and raising him with a high wing (as it were) of importunity, when he is begging of favour; as it was an admirable temper in holy Brad­ford, that he was not content, till he found God coming in to his spirit, with several dispensations, according to the several parts of his Prayer? Sometimes a Minister, and a Saint finds it thus: And so in other holy Ordinances, if you go away assoon as ever Duty is done, and stroke your selves, Oh! what an admi­rable prayer was here: and surely I shall do well this day, now, and I shall be able to wrestle with all temptations, I have pray­ed well in the morning, and I have felt God with me; this is the way to miscarry, thousands have found it, and I am sure some Note. of us can seal to it, when they have thought they have prayed with most assistance from God, and have bin warmed in the mor­ning; but the weeds spring up even when the weather is dry, you that converse with gardens know it, you need never sow weeds; no more need you in your hearts, they wil come up fast enough, an evil weed called Pride comes up, which grieves the Spirit of God, that when we come to pray next, it may be we pray most dully, and flatly, and can say little or nothing; and when we come to preach next, yea somtimes when we come to preach the same Sermon again; this is certain, Ministers find they have prea­ched such a Sermon in such a place with very much enlargment, it may be God gave in some soul, and quickn'd some others by Mr. Richard Rogers of Wea­thers field in Essex, the Au­thor of that admirable Book of 7. Treatises. it, and they hearing of it, do grow proud of it, come to preach the same Sermon and think this will do as much again, no such matter, they draw it out so heavily, and so dully as if it were not the same Sermon. As I could name you a most famous man, as any of his time in England (no dishonor to him) who having preached the [Page 20] same Sermon at his own Church with very much assistance, and going abroad, & one of his neighbors with him, hearing from him the same Ser­mon, saw him at some loss, coming home, talked together, Sir (saith he) did you find Gods assistance this day as you were wont? I never heard you in my poor conceit so much out as to day; O it's true, (brother, saith he) yet I hope, though it were one of the worst Sermons I ever preached for others, God may make it one of the best Sermons that ever I preached for my self; and truly God doth so, often there is a wonderful wisdom in it: let every one of us take heed of resting upon any enlargements in Duties.

Thirdly, Do not rest upon the Comforts you have in a Duty, or 3. Friendly Item. Rest not upon your comforts in or after Duty. after a Duty; It may be, when you have bin at a Duty, and have had soule Ravishments, O now you think, my nest is built very high, and my rock is firm, and I shall go on vigorously: Chry­sostome hath a good saying, Me thinks (saith he) a Saint, when he comes from a Sacrament, should be able to flie in the face of the Devil, and in every Temptation, and though he walk in the midst of snares, he will be able to encounter with them all. Comforts [...]. are very sweet things, and indeed strengthenning things, The joy of the Lord, is our strength, saith Nehemiah; nothing more animates souls than joy, and when they are in the most cheerful frame, Neh. 8. 10. then in the most praying frame; only here is the danger, If we rest upon those joyes and comforts, we provoke God to with­draw them; for delicatissima, I'le not say only dilicata, but deli­catissima, res est Spiritus sanctus, the most choice and tender thing in the world, you must deal most tenderly with it; it is the ho­ly Spirit, the holy Ghost, and it delights to dwell in none but a clean, pure Temple, most cleanly swept: Christians should Note. not only have neat houses, but neat hearts, if they will delight to have the Spirit of God dwel in them; and therefore not any pride spring up even when they have most ravishing comforts.

Fourthly. If we would have much strength of grace from 4. Friendly Item. Rest not upon your Grace received from an Ordinance Christ (the Lord set it upon us all, I desire to preach to my selfe in it as well as to you) As we should not rest upon Preparations for Ordinances, Enlargements in Ordinances, nor Comforts by Ordi­nances; so not in Grace received from Ordinance. You will say; This is a strange thing, Not in Grace received! What shall we rest upon then? What, the Text will tell you, not in Grace received, not in your habitual grace, you have intrinsecally in your selves, but [...], in that grace that is [Page 21] in Christ Jesus; there you must rest; And why so? because in­deed that Grace is in him, not only Originally from him, but it is de­pendantly Note. upon him, and by a voluntary communication from him: It is true, he is a fire that warmes you, but it is not by any naturall necessitie, though he hath promised to Bap­tise with the holy Ghost and with fire, yet it is by way of free promise, Mat. 3. 11. though he be a Sun, a Sun of righteousness, yet he doth not issue forth his beams naturally, but spontaneously, he can Eclipse himself, Mal. 4. 2. as to us, when he pleaseth; though he be a Fountain, a full Fountain, enough for Judah and Jerusalem, and for all the sin­ners in the world to bathe in, yet he is a Fountain that can lock Zach. 13. 1. up himself when he pleaseth, and with hold his own streams and chuse whether he will over-flow or no; therefore remember this still, you must not rest upon the grace received; It was Peters case, and that expos'd him to that danger, he was full of con­ciet, and self-confidence, and he had grace; Lord, Though all forsake thee, yet I will not, and soon after did Peter forsake, and deny Mat. 26. 33. his Master, forsake and deny him, yea and forsware him, though still there was so much grace in Jesus Christ as to pity him, and you do not find Perter so confident afterwards, when Christ said to him, in John, Peter, doest thou love me more then all these? No comparative words now, not a tittle, no more, then, Lord, Joh. 21. 15. 16. 17. thou knowest I love thee, Peter, doest thou love me? Lord thou knowest I love thee; Peter doest thou love me more then all these? still, Lord Peter confi­dently appeals to Christ, but no selfe confi­dence stirring. thou knowest all things, thou knowest I love thee; he had denied him thrice, Christ would put questions proportionably to him, but no such answers stirring, Peter was whipped with his self-confi­dence, and the woful fruits of it, and in a good degree it was purged out of him; It was a lesson well worth the learning, though it cost the whipping, it made amends abundantly by the grace of Christ overflowing. It is observable amongst the Ecle­siastical stories, that the primirive Christians were so Heavenly, so Spiritual, that when they met together, they would salute one another; Christ is risen from the dead; I would & were it the Lords [...]: Some adde [...]. will, we were more acquainted with it, one would reply again, of a truth he is risen, of a truth he is risen; Oh that we were better practised in this also, it may be when we meet, we say, Good-morrow, how do your wife and children? how doe all at home? Come, shall we go drink our mornings draught? What will the Parliament do to day? What will the Army do? [Page 22] what will they disband? what shall we have Wars? And it may be such and such a question, till they do both talk one a­nother into a passion, or into a prejudice, crying up this Par­ty, or crying down another, and disparaging of one or the other, what then?

And he was seen of Simon; here was the grace of Christ, he was seen of Simon; why, seen of Simon? I confess it is not in some that do relate that story, but others adde this, seen of Simon, because Simon was weak, and Simon denied him, Simon was dis­couraged at it, and others prejudiced, yet as weak as he was, Christ would appear to him, & shew him the glory of his strength­ning grace; here was wonderful mercy, here was confirming grace: Oh therefore do not rest upon grace received, but on that fulness that redundancy of Grace, that is in Christ Je­sus:

A word of Exhortation, and I hope you'l welcome it, Who Use 3. Exhortation. would not embrace him who comes to tell people that are weak, how they should be strong, and where their strength lies? and all I adde further is only this, How this strength may be made yours, Am I weak and impotent, and have I had so many fals, hath Satan out -wrestled me, and thrown me upon my back in the dirt, and broken my bones, and shatter'd my graces, and my hopes by temptation, tempting me to sin, one while Directions how to make Christs strength yours by despair, and one while by presumption to sin? shall I have strength against all this? whence is it to be had? whence? I'le tell you (my brethren) as God shall enable me, First.

1. Keep one eye upon this, that you are weak, and need a strength, 1 Eye your own impoten­cy. & that you must go out of your self, for your strength, wholly out of your selves; make accompt strength lies not within, but with­out you; He is made of God, to all those that are in him; wisdom, 1 Cor. 1. 30. righteousness, holiness, and redemption; 1 Cor. 1. 30. made al these glo­rious priviledges, & advantages to whom? to those that are in him & only to them, not to those that have not these things in themselves; Saith Paul, when I am weak, I am strong; I do not so much bring it by way of confirmation, as by way of allusion: 2 Cor. 12. 10. though possibly there may be enough for confirmation in it, when I am weak, I am strong, how so? not only by an intrinsecall dis­position, that we are more inclin'd, to seek strength, but indeed by a Spiritual capacity Jesus Christ is more prepar'd, to bestow strength, when we are sensible of our own weakness, He fils the [Page 23] hungry with good things, and the rich be sends empty away. It is true in Philosophy, and as tiue in Divinity, A full vessel powre In [...] existons prohibet alien [...] the best wine in the world upon it, none will enter; but Se­condly,

2. Learn to maintain beleeving apprehensions of Jesus Christ, 2 Maintain beleeving ap­prehensions of Christ your strength. get such a piercing eye, look up to the Lord for such a degree of irradation from heaven; (whatsoever it was) that Stephen had, w ^c did uphold him when there was a volly of stones (as it were) about his eares, and when they ran upon him, and every way they were ready to stone him; Oh! he beheld Jesus Christ, sitting Act. 7. 55, 56, 57. at the right hand of God; nothing could so much cheer him. Heb. 11. 27. Moses saw him that was invisible? and Paul saw those things that were eternal, and saw them in the hands of Jesus Christ, and 2 Cor. 4. 18. 19. this did uphold him: maintain (therefore) beleeving apprehen­sions of the Lord Jesus Christ your Head, the Spring of your grace, sitting at the right hand of his Father, having taken up a heavenly Mansion there for you, and acting there for you.

3. Come to the Ordinances with desire, and Expectation of 3. Come to Ordinances with desires & expectations of grace from Christ. grace, as indeed they are the Canales gratiae; and to that end, do use them, (Brethren) Do not come to the Word of God with re­spect of persons, I bless the Lord, that I observed it to be so, some yeers together, when I had that happy oportunitie to be one, (though the most unworthy) of the Preachers here, that the Au­ditory met so constantly with a great degree of Uniformity, (for ought I know, it is so still) I rejoyce in it; O do not say, I'le go hear this man, and that man &c. I know there is an Inequa­littie of gifts, and people may sometimes be edified more, by one than another, and may have occasion sometimes to bless God more for one than another, yet sometimes for the Meanest aswell as for the Greatest, and God will do so, because he will take us off Note. from dependancy upon men and means; Yet (I say) it's good to come not with respect of persons, disrespecting any faithful Minister, but to say, I'le go to an Ordinance of Christ, I'le go to seek Jesus Christ, and his strengthning grace. If one should come and ask you, Wither are you going this morning, brother, or sister? I am going to a Sermon, Who preaches? it's no matter, I am going to an Ordinance of Christ, where grace and strength is offe­red, I'le go to seek that, I care not if I were blindfold, if I might hear the Voice of Christ: Oh this were an excellent temper: I am perswaded we should speed better, if we did come thus pre­pared and disposed.

[Page 24] 3. As you should come first with an eye upon your own weakness. 2. With another eye upon Jesus Christ, where your strengt 3 Come to Or­dinances to seek Grace from Christ in strength of a promise. lies: And then with your judgement rightly set, what to seek and expect, as you should come to Jesus Chrst, and to the Ordi­nances to seek the grace of Christ, so withall to come in the strength of the Promises of Christ, and by prayer put that bond in suit for grace at the Throne of Grace. The Promises, for there Deus sc debito­rem ferit promi crudo. Aug. lies our strength, whereby are given unto us, those exceeding great and precious Promises, that we might be partakers of the Divine Na­ture: In 2 Pet. 1. 4. It is a blessed thing, when we come in the Au­thority of a Command to an Ordinance, and in the strength of a Promise, when we come Conscionably to comply with a Com­mand, & when we come fiducially to close with a promise, what a sweet thing would this be, if a Gospel-promise should fall upon any of our hearts (God over-looking the unworthiness of the Preacher, and the unpreparedness of the Hearers,) and one beam of light fall upon your Spirits, and leave a heavenly tincture, that Parliament-men might go hence fitted for their work, more prepared for the service of Jesus Christ in all their Publick Trans­actions; and Ministers of the Assembly, more fit for their holy, and humble, and serious, and brotherly Debates, and with the Spirit of meeknesse, and calmnesse, and publicknesse of heart; and all private Christians in their places, in their several Spheres, and to say now, O blessed be the Lord, for this mornings op­portunity next our hearts, that we might hear first of Jesus Christ, and get something upon our spirits that might habituate us to walk with Him all the day, yea in Him as we have recei­ved Him: And then let me adde this in the next place; Col. 2. 6.

4. Beware (and I beseech you do not forget this, the want of which may mar all the rest) of Soule obstructions, of an after­clap, 4 Be Frequent in the actings of Faith, for the preventi­on of grow­ing obstructi­ons. and of a back-blow from the Devil, who will endeavour to take you on the blind side, to surprize you with Incogitancie, or transport you with Passion: Remember what hath been said, do not applaud your selfes that you have heard such a Sermon, you had some delight in it, and may blesse God for it; Oh but take heed now the Devil get not between you and your Sermon, by such or such a temptation; take heed of Pride, or any Car­nal weeds, take heed of resting upon any thing on this side Jesus Christ, but be often putting forth new actings of Faith in Him and His Covenant sealed with His Bloud; remember this, to act [Page 25] this Truth: God grant, you and I may never forget this Gospel­lesson: It is a good Truth, let us learn to begin to make Jesus Christ our strength, in every duty, in little as well as in great.

In the last place, I will be so bold with your patience, as to ad a word by way of Expostulation, which I heartily desire may 4. Use. Expostulatiō. be as pleasing to you, as it is seasonable for you.

Why are you not more vigilantly jealous over any such things as would 1. Quere. draw you from intimate communion with Christ, and close dependance upon him; whether they be creature-comforts, or any other vain inventions of men; will you prefer those perishing things which are Isa. 55. 1. 2. not bread, before water, wine, and milk; It's good counsel the Lord gives by his Prophet. Remember the admirable caveat Paul gives to the Colossians: Beware lest any man spoil you through Philo­sophy Col. 2. 8. [...]. Hostium more praedas abduce­re, Aret. and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, according to the world and not after Christ; spoil you putting you upon any thing which is not after Christ is to rob and undo you: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or drink, or in respect of an holy-day, Col. 2. 16, 17. or of the new moon, or of the Sabbaths, (as it is expressed in the Ori­ginal) which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. Mind not their judging or condemning of you, who would bring from Christ to Moses, care not to approve your selves to them who will set up any thing against your Head, Why will you comply with any such carnal Polititians, who cry down such a Reformation as Christ Jesus expects, & say, Let us make us a Cap­tain and return back into AEgypt; so that we may have our flesh­pots there, let us have our old Prelacy, and Service-book; we like Egyptian fare, though but garlike and onions. Let no man beguile ver. 18. Debito bravio tamquam in­justus iudex vos privet. Steph. Col. 2. 4. Ne quis vos fal­so ratio cinando sallet. you by a voluntary humility not holding the Head; Abhor all such Opinions and Practices be they never so pompous and specious, that will take you off from your Head Christ; and forget not Pauls faithful intimation, And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with inticing words; But let Jonahs Oracle, Chap. 3. 8. ever live in peace though they who wait upon lying vanities forsake their own mercy: They which gain Him have something, they may call their own humane inventions, and creatures wil deceive, Christ is the True Treasure and everliving Spring. Whether have you made any 2. Quere. proportionable returns of thankefulness to God for your intrest in [...] full and over-flowing Spring of Grace? Where [Page 26] are your ingenuous reciprocations. It's Gods highest Gospel design to display the freeness and fulness of his Grace; hence expres­sions to this purpose frequently, often in Ephe. 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace v. 12. 14. Act, act rigorously I beseech you in a happy concurrence with God to magnifie Jesus Christ; The more rich you are in faith, and all other Graces of his Spirit, Iam. 2. 5. the more rich in good works: 16. 18. The greater riches of assu­rance you may hope for, as Col. 2. 2. and that Arich entrance shal be ministred into the Kingdom of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: the great Gate of Heaven shal be set open to entertain you, where after you have here lived unto the praise of his Grace in a fruit­ful expression of the Graces of the Gospel, you shall eternally live with him, and enjoy the sweet comfort of the Gospel of Grace through the rich Grace that is in him. Amen Lord Jesus.