FAITHS CONQUEST OVER THE TORTURES & TENDERS OF An Hour of Temptation.

THis Chapter, in the main scope of it, is designed, to set forth the Incomparable Excellency of Faith, commending it self in the Example and Instance of ma­ny Worthies, as answering to that description the Lord himself gives of it, Mark 9.23. All things are possible to him that believeth; the which Cata­logue and Register of their Acts and Monuments is not intended meerly to preserve the memory of such men (though their reme [...]brance is blessed, Prov. 10.7. Psal. 112.6.) but mainly to recom­mend to the Saints and Ages to come, the mighty Power of that Principle, by vertue of which they believed things incredible, attempted things im­possible, [Page 2] sustained things insufferable in the eye of sence and reason; nothing therefore low or mean is attributed in this place, nor should our aims or expectation be flat and indifferent in the contem­plation thereof.

It's most true, this History of the famous acts of Beleevers, is drawn out of the Old Testament, and calculated (as I may so express it) to that meridian, These all died in faith, obtaining a good report, but re­ceived not the Promise, vers. 13. & 39. yet serveth not only indifferently for the Gospel-dayes where­in we are, but indeed commends it self the more transcendently to us, by how much God hath provi­ded some better things for us; having opened more fully the obiect of believing the Lord Jesus in the Gospel, and poured out more plentifully the holy Spirit of Promise, than it was ordinarily in those dayes: which Consideration may serve to afford both mighty Aid and Argument to Believers now, to encourage Christians to trust upon the Lord, to do for them more than they can ask or think, according to the power which worketh in them, in their faithful following him.

Not to stand upon the opening particularly of these words, nor on the exact time when they were fulfilled; very likely this, and some other here a­bout had reference to the cruel sufferings in the times of the Maccabees, which the Hebrews, to whom this Epistle was written, had reason to have a par­ticular knowledge of, although the History to us be Apocrypha; it may suffice us, that the Spirit of the Lord hath here infallibly determined, such things were done, and that the Conquest was truly attri­butable to this believing, as it dealt with, and [Page 3] drew vertue from the power of God. So that with­out more a-do, in the words are Four things ob­serveable;

1. Here is the Noble and Glorious Principle in which all these rare exploits are wrought; on the commendation of which, the whole Chapter insist­eth. By Faith they did it; whether in all the sub­ject mentioned, it was a Faith that was saving, will not be here disputed; this is plain, it was such Faith at least, as falls within the Word of God, and builds upon the Authority thereof, in the business they were concerned in; upon which foundation they went through, and under-went what was be­fore them, in following God in their generations.

2. We have here the subject, or seat of action, upon which this great Experiment is tryed; and that is a tortured, butchered, massacred, harmless, weak Believer; Others were Tortured, a particular Inventory whereof made and taken in the verses following, 36, 37, 38. such cruel usages as were beneath humanity to inflict, and above humanity to sustain, were exercised on, and invincibly en­dured by these poor souls, under the aid and influ­ence of that Faith of theirs.

3. Here is the magnanimity and excellency of spirit described, unto which their faith raised them, putting its self in the noble denyal & repulse given to the tender of deliverance, upon any unworthy terms; They Accepted not Deliverance, though their Persecuters came with torments in one hand, and tenders in the other, in as much as both were ma­nifest Artifices and Engines to accomplish the same design: as they slighted the threatnings of the one, so they scorned the allurements of the other. De­liverance [Page 4] in it self, and as it may be considered, is a mercy; and the acceptance of it is a duty; and consequently the refusal of it would have been their evil. But if Deliverance cannot be had but upon terms dishonorable to the Lord; if deliverance be a snare, then to accept of such deliverance is a sin, at least a great blemish to beleeving; of which more hereafter.

4. We have the powerful Motive, and blessed Prospect that Faith took in view, from whence strength was gathered to bear the tortures, and for­bear the deliverance, and that was, The obtaining a better Resurrection; they had their eye and heart set upon a way of deliverance, for which they would be beholding to the Lord only, and this is called, A better Resurrection; that is, not only better than their tortures, but better also than any deliverance that could be offer'd to them: this fixed expecta­tion of their Faith carried them above any base or unworthy cringings to the sons of violence.

If you consider the words in their Connexion and dependancy on the former part of the verse, you have this observable; Women received their dead (Children) returned to life again; this was verified, 1 King. 17.23. 2 King. 4.36. Others (viz. other Women) were tortured (i. e) had their living children tortured, not accepting deliverance for them; this is storied 2 Maccab. 6. If we con­sider Women as the subjects of this strong Faith, who are stiled, 1 Pet. 3.7. the weaker vessels; Widows (perhaps) and desolate, yet trusting in God, hardly any faith out-went theirs: Oh Woman, Great is thy Faith: we might by the way gather this Observation:

☞ That the weaker vessels may be capable of exercising the strongest Faith.

Out of weakness they were made strong: when I am weak, then I am strong; this treasure (as well as the discoveries of the Gospel) is put into earthen-vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us; that as the strength of Flesh may not glory in his presence, so neither may the weakness of a poor Saint occasion him to sink or dispond, but he that glorieth may glory on­ly in the Lord. — But I shall not stand here, but proceed to draw forth, and make a brief improve­ment of some of the Observations that lie most plain in the words themselves: one of which is plainly thus;

Doct. 1. That the most cruel tortures that have been invented by the vilest sons of men, have (by divine permission) been vented upon the choicest sons of God. They of whom, in Gods accompt, the world was not worthy, the best of earth was not good enough for them, vers. 38. in mans accompt, the worst of earth was not bad enough: As they are made the filth of the world, and off-scouring of all things, 1 Cor. 4.13. so no instruments of cruelty can be enough vile or forcible in their thoughts to rid and deliver it of them. The lust and rage in all genera­tions hath been fruitful in inventions of this kind, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, &c. the in­numerable variety of particulars are reducible to this general, They where Tortured. I shall only at­tempt to pursue this Point to an issue, by speaking briefly to these two enquiries, 1. What is meant by these Tortures. 2. Whence hath it sprung that they (such an harmless People as they) have had [Page 6] this for theit lot, or why have they been tortured thus?

As for the former thus, The word here rendered torture, is observed no where else to be used in the New-Testament, and in strictness of speech signi­fieth, to be used and dealt withal, as men do with a Drum, viz. [...] à nomine [...]: which figurative expression directs us for its mean­ing, either to the manner or end of mens cruel deal­ing with them. If the former be lookt on as inten­ded, then the resemblance is taken from the man­ner of their torments, answering either to the vio­lent stretching out, or distending the head of the Drum, which (you know) by cords and other means is braced at times to the utmost extremity. Thus have the precious limbs and members, not only of our Lord himself, but of his dearest children, been violently distorted, till part hath been plucked from part on Racks or other Engins, and that complaint litterally verified, Psal. 22.14. I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joynt. — Or else it an­swers to the beating of a drum, which is performed with both hands, with multiplicity of stroaks not to be numbred; and then it referreth to those cruel beatings, stripes, and blows that have been beyond measure laid upon their backs, such as of which the Apostle speaks, Some had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings. Paul records the number and measure of his beatings by the Jews, 2 Cor. 11.24. as though they would keep stroke as on a Drum: such pre­tended order is sometimes spoken of by such Re­volters as are profound to make slaughter, Hos. 5.2. but at other times they were stripes without mea­sure, vers. 23, 25. beating with rods, beating with [Page 7] stones; hence he was in deaths oft, in this path must we expect to follow our Lord, 2 Cor. 6.4, 5. in stripes in imprisonment, &c. This sets forth the liberal and unlimitted cruelty in point of act that wicked men have still abounded in.

Or otherwise, the metaphor directs us to the con­sideration of the end and design of the Persecutors in the extention of their cruelty, and this also under this similitude, may refer one of these two wayes: First, to set out the design of the Tormentors (as is the Souldiers in beating their Drum) thereby to a­nimate, encourage, and hearten those that are en­gaged with themselves; that look as that warlike-sound is intended to quicken, chear-up, and delight the spirits of such Warriors; so are the extorted groans and cryes of the Lords poor sufferers, level­led to the heightning the pride, scorn, and derision of a bloudy generation. So [...]hey did by the green-tree (our Lord himself) see Matt. 27.39. to 49. where you have the People, Priest, Theeves, ma­king pastime of his groans under the torments of men without, and the bruisings of his God within, Isa. 53.10. this was prophetically declared of him, and verified in his members▪ Psal. 69.10, 11, 12. Nevertheless, the over-ruling hand of the Lord is in this frequently to be seen and magnified, in tur­ning the devices of the wicked herein upon their own head, and rather working conviction and a­stonishment on many, who perhaps have come with intentions to scorn at the misery of the poor Lambs of Christ, yet in beholding the inhumane cruelty of the one, and the divine Power displayed in uphol­ding the other, have gone away convinced, God is with them of a truth; as its manifest in the seq [...]el [Page 8] of that derision on our Lord above mentioned, Luk. 23.47, 48. The Centurion seeing the issue of it, glorified God, justified Christ, and all the people smote their breasts and returned; so shall he make their own tongues to fall upon themselves, all that see them shall flee away, and all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God, when they shal wise­ly consider of his doings, Psal. 64.8, 9. (2) Ano­ther end and design of men by such torments, is to strike [...] greater terror in the hearts of their opposits, to break the spirits of such as are related to and in­terested in the cause of those tortured ones, being Companions of them that are so used, and thereby to drive them from their station and profession, smiting the shepherd, in expectation that then the sheep must be scattered; but herein (as in the for­mer) infinite Wisdom shines forth, in bringing meat out of the Eater, and sweetness out of the Strong, bringing to nought the devices of the wicked, it frequently coming to pass, as in the case of Paul, Phil. 1.12, 13, 14. The things (the cruel things) which happened to him, fell out rather for the furtherance of the Gospel, so that his bonds for Christ were manifect in all Cesars Court, and all o­ther places, and many Brethren in the Lord waxing confident by his bonds, grew much more bold to speak the Word without fear. O Lord, behold their Threatnings, and grant to thy Servants Boldness, was the Prayer of their Faith, Acts 4.29. The more shamefully the Apostles were intreated, they were the more bold in their God, to Preach the Gospel of their God with much contention, 1 Thes. 2.2. Men think it for evil, but God hath wonder­fully brought it about for good.

These Tortures upon the harmless Lambs of Christ, have been exercised in several Ages of the world with much variety, according to the fruitful womb of lust of the sons of violence, who from ge­neration to generation derive and suck the spirit of Persecution from him that was of the wicked-one, and slew his Brother; and hath more or less, exerted its self according to the opportunities they have had for so doing, which have been frequently either more relaxed, or restrained, as hath seemed best to infinite Wisdom to bring about his ends and designs of Glory in the earth. But though these great and sore tryals are the common lot of Saints in all ages, yet there are some eminent and peculi­ar Periods, some remarkable points of time, which the Scripture doth refer unto, that may be called in an especial manner the times of such torment, with which we have need be well acquainted, and our concernment respecting them.

The First time that I note such tortures were in date and fashion (as I may express it) is that (as I understand) the Text points at, namely, toward the latter end of the Grecian Monarchy; not but that divers fair Sons and Daughters of God, had their share deeply in Sufferings before, sundry times. But now it grew to be the common expecta­tion of all those that would hold up any Profession of the true God, a time was come over them, which carried this in the very front of it; it was a tortu­ring time, especially under Antiochus Epiphanes, of whom we have such an exact description, under the notion of a little Horn, the very point and venom of which, is levelled against the people of the Saints of the most High; reade him pourtrayed, Dan. 8, [Page 10] vers. 9.10, 11, 12. compared with, and opened v. 21, 23, 24, 25. This dreadful opposition and persecuti­on was made to the Name of God against such as re­tained the Profession of it, according to the Laws and Ordinances given by the hand of Moses.

There is a Second Period, or special point of time wherein the tortures of the Lords people are remarked, and that is under the reign and rage of the Dragon, exercising his power in the Roman Monarchy considered as Pagan; this is described by that fourth Beast, Dan. 7.7, 8. dreadful and terrible, and vers. 19, 20. exceeding dreadful; this princi­pally respects those incredible tortures that were inflicted throughout the whole Roman Territories (which were wide and large) upon any who pro­fessed the Name of Christ, especially in the Reigns of those Ten bloody Emperors, known commonly by the name of the Ten Persecutions: As the former was against profession of the Name of God under the Old-Testament; so this was against the profession of the Name of Christ under the New.

A Third time to which, by way of eminency, the Tortures of the Lords people is appropriated, is the time of the Reign, and especially towards the Ruine of Antichrist, described in Rev. 13. in its di­stinct Powers under the first and second Beast, be­ginning short upon the Empires professing the Name of Christ, & carrying threatnings and slaugh­ters against the true Witnesses of the Spirit & Life of Christ, though pretending to the Name of him; and this not only during the 1260 dayes or years assigned him, but principally at the end thereof, when for a short space Power must be given him to slay those Witnesses with such a slaughter, as car­rieth [Page 11] its manifest distinction from the Sufferings to which they are lyable, during their prophesying in Sackcloth and his bloody Reign, not far from which, finishing Rage (which is but a short time) the general Consent of most that search into the times, and what Israel ought to do, agreeth that we are by the wise hand of our Father cast, the Word and Works, Prophecies and Providences of God, helping much to make up such a Judgment, though in several particulars about it, there is variety in the understandings of the most serious enquirers. My apprehension and expectation hereupon, is, that we are near upon the borders of (if we have not al­ready made some entrance on) an hour of sore tem­ptation, which will try all them that (professing an interest in heaven) do dwell upon earth; in which it will be found of great moment that we stand girt about with the whole Armour of Righteousness up­on the right hand, & on the left, especially holding fast this shield of Faith, whereby, though in the A­ges past some were tortured, yet they were more then Conquerors, they over-come by the blood of the Lamb, &c. Our Second Enquiry in opening the Observation, was, Whence comes it to pass, that such a people as the Lords people are (at least wise ought to be) are nevertheless exposed to such torments, they who are the blessing to the whole Creation, simple concerning evil, willing to live honestly, following peace with all men, as much as it is possible, sent forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, blameless and harmless as the sons of God without rebuke, professing and striving to answer this principle, yet are hated, cast out, persecuted as the filth of the World, the troublers of Israel, [Page 12] them that turn the world up-side down; whence cometh this to pass, That no torture can be heavy e­nough, no death hard enough for them.

1. That which gives life and fierceness to all these Enmities and Tortures which spring from them, is the beastly Nature and Lust of poor fallen man, that bears the Image of the Devil herein, having this Character, Hateful, and hating one ano­ther, living in malice and envy, Tit. 3.3. serving di­vers lusts and pleasures. Hence wicked men, and they that have no Faith, are called unreasonable men, 2 Thess. 3.2. [ [...]] men that cannot be reduced to any proper place; Beasts after the manner of men, 1 Cor. 15.32. Bruits hurried with humour or sense contrary to reason; as natural wilde Beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, 2 Pet. 2.12. How frequent­ly are they likened by the Spirit to Lions, Psal. 57.4. Wolves of the evening, Zeph. 3.3. and other Beasts of prey; signifying the miserable plight sin hath cast poor man into. If Jacobs own sons, having partook of his education, deserved this Character, Cursed be their Wroth for it was fierce, and their Rage for it was cruel; How much less is to be expected from others, that have no bridle on them, if their lust be crossed, if their wickedness be witnessed a­gainst, as it is by the holy Conversation of testify­ing Saints? Who can stand before envy! the Ambi­tion of one Haman will run down a whole Nation; the fear and anger of one Herod will devour all the Children in Bethelem.

2. There is a set and stated Enmity put, and placed between these two Seeds, the Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent, Gen. 3.15. upon which a War is founded in a way that can [Page 13] admit of no reconciliation: for what agreement can there be betwixt Light and Darkness? 1 Cor. 6.14, 15, 16. Hence the Lord takes notice, that the bot­tom of that perpetual discord, by which the Phi­listines dealt with Israel by revenge, and took ven­geance with a dispightful heart to destroy it, was the old hatred, Ezek. 23.15. an hatred that was as old as the old Serpent the Devil, who was a mur­derer from the beginuing. Hence 1 Joh. 3.12. Cain is said to slay his Brother, he was of that wicked-one; and the occasion of the quarrel was, his own Works were evil, and the others righteous: This Root Christ reduceth that wrath unto, that was ex­ercised against him, John 8.44. Ye are of your Fa­ther the Devil, and the works of your Father ye will do; he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth. And as it was in Abrahams Fami­ly, He that was born after the Flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit. So it was in Paul's dayes, Gal. 4.29. So it is now, and so it will be till the God of Peace tread Satan under our feet, which will be shortly, Rom. 16.20. till that old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, be bound and cast into the bottomless pit, Rev. 20. beginning.

3. There is an exasperation and aggravation ad­ded to this old hatred, frequently, when there is added a blind Superstitious Devotion and Zeal; When this old hatred can get the covert and pre­text of a Zeal for God, it growes hereby exceeding fierce; when Paul was acted on a principle of self-righteousness, out of zeal he persecuted the Church, Phil. 3.7. and you see to what height it grew, he thought he ought to do any thing contrary to the Name of Christ, shut them up in prison, voted [Page 14] their death, punished them, compelled them to blaspheme, and being exceeding mad against them, persecuted them even to strange Cities, Acts 26.9, 10, 11. breathed out threatnings and slaughters a­gainst them, chap. 9.1. Of this time Christ foretells and forwarns his Disciples, The time cometh that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God ser­vice, Joh. 16.2. They who think it promotes di­vine service to persecute Saints, being zealous of a traditional Worship of their Fathers, will be very cruel in their undertakings; Hence is the Spirit so express, that in the latter dayes perilous (or fierce) times shall come, for men shall have (among other in­gredients to their maglignity) a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof, 2 Tim. 3.1. to 4. This, when it comes to be the guise of Persecutors, will make of it fierce times; When Simeon and Levi had a Religious Pretext for their cruel act, Gen. 34.31. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel, Gen. 49.7.

4. Another occasion of their wrath boyling up to torment, ariseth from the constant, bold, and couragious Spirit that is sometimes found in the Lord's people, that will neither be debauched with their terms, nor broken by their threats; this ex­asperats exceedingly. So it is with the three Wor­thies, Dan. 3.16, 18, 19. We are not careful to answer thee in this matter; be it known to thee, O King, we will not serve thy Gods, nor Worship thy golden Image which thou hast set up. Then was the King full of fury, and the form of his visage changed against them, and commanded the Furnace to be heated seven times more tha [...] it was wont, &c. See also vers. 22.

When Steven stood in the boldness of his Testi­mony, [Page 15] Acts 7.54, 57. It cut them to the heart, they gnashed on him with their teeth, cryed out, stopt their ears, ran upon him with one accord, cast him out of the City, and stoned him. If Mordecai will not bow, Haman is on a rack, all his comforts do not com­fort him, till he shew himself profound for slaugh­ter; not an ordinary gallows will serve the turn. A Consideration which ought not to be improved, as many do, that because they are apt to be thus en­raged, therefore we are to slack our Testimony, thereby to abate their fury, but rather to wait on the Lord with the more earnestness to double and multiply his Spirit, and the strengths and consola­tions of it with us, as they Acts 4.29. Though the Heathen rage, &c. Now, Lord, behold their threat­nings, and grant to thy Servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word. They do not beg Prudence, Policy, Skill to evade and escape, but more anoint­ing, to testifie boldly for the Lord: which was gran­ted fully.

5. When unto all this there is super-added the opportunity of wicked men's having the power of Magistracy in their hands, Prov. 28.15, 16. I mind, when they have a providential admittance to the capacity of making Laws, and putting them in exe­cution against the people of God, having their own lusts uncontroulable, and an advantage of covering their cruelty under pretext of Law, and to asperse the faithfulness of Saints to the Laws of Jesus Christ, with the odious charges of being against Magistracy, and not being subject to the higher Po­wers, &c. the old accusation, Neh. 2.19. ch. 6.6. Hest. 3.8. Acts 17.6, 7. They now rush upon the poor Lambs of Christ with all their lusts (as so many [Page 16] sayls) bearing, nay, in these capacities there is occasion to draw forth those monstrous cruelties which (perhaps) they hardly thought were hid in their hearts; as you see in that remarkable in­stance of Hazael, who when he was told, He would slay the young men of Israel with the sword, dash the Children, and rip up the Women with child? replied, But what is thy servant a Dog, that he should do this great thing? He thought (its likely) that unless he did degenerate from humanity, and became a beast, he could not perform such strange things: but what is the answer of the Prophet; The Lord hath shewed me, thou shalt be King over Syria, 2 King. 8.18. In­timating, that whatever fierce and dogged disposi­tion lay hid in his heart against the Lords interest, under what plausible pretext soever it might be covered for a time from others, nay, whatever bet­ter perswasions he might have of himself about it, yet his King-ship would give opportunity and pro­vocation enough to draw them forth, to grow up into his conceipt, Joh. 19.10. Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee, and power to release thee? will give strong temptation to a wicked man to condemn and kill the Just though he doth not re­sist, especially when an intrest of worldly honour seems to lie that way, ver. 12. notwithstanding con­victions and reluctancies of Conscience to the contrary, Dan. 6.14, 15, 16. Mat. 14.7, 9.

These may serve as some of the Reasons, giving light why and whence it is, that it hath been the lot of Saints some have been tortured thus. I shall only touch a little Practical Improvement, by drawing these Inferences,

Use 1. If it be so that the Lord's people have their times by the permission, nay the appointment of God, wherein they have been, and may be tor­tured, put to the most violent shameful way of dy­ing; or the most slavish, miserable, and disgrace­ful way of living, though the most choice of all his Children, It then may serve to caution such as are lookers on, how they proceed to make a positive judgement of men, and things, according to the se­vere dispensations they are carried through, a mis­take, upon which very great inconveniencies have often followed, and yet very incident in our Cen­suring-day to divers who deal with the Lord's In­terest in their conclusions; as the Barbarians with that providence of the Viper on Paul's hand, pass a judgment, Without doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he escaped the Sea, yet vengeance suffer­eth not to live. But such rash conclusions frequent­ly revert as much into the quite contrary extream (as it did with them, Acts 28.4, 5, 6.) It becomes us therefore to lay our conclusions of this kind up­on other principles than these, which are not ap­pointed directly to signifie what we are apt often to infer from them singly considered, Eccles. 9.1. if the best of men have endured the worst of tor­ments, if from the beginning it hath been so? such fiery tryals should be no strange things to us, nor should we draw any strange deductions from it, either to the censure of the persons, or dislike of the cause testified to thereby.

Use 2. If the rage of man, having all the aggra­vations and advantages above-named, be such a fierce thing, and hath been so fruitful in torments on the Saints; and if we have such caution to ex­pect [Page 18] more in the latter days, wherein iniquity must be expected to abound, then let it teach us to ad­mire the wonderful grace of God to poor England, and to the poor Saints of God in it, that have li­ved in such times wherein men that hate them have such Laws in hand, and at hand, to destroy them; nay, having it in the power of their hand to put them in execution, having also received such ex­asperation in the years that are past to remember and revenge many old grudges, and yet so few to this day (compared with the body of professing people in this Nation) have suffered these things in their extremity: that we should be helped to cleave to the Lord, and every one of us alive before him, That there is no more blood mingled with our sacrifices: the Bush burn in the fire and yet not be consumed; it is the Lord's doings, and marvellous in our eyes, and should be owned and improved as an argument to strengthen our faith against the ma­ny faintings we are lyable unto, in further tryals.

Use 3. If from the Spirit that is in poor fallen man, there be such ill fruits as those mentioned a­gainst the image, people, and heritage of the Lord, let us not only prize that grace w^ch hath delivered us from that power, principle, and interest to which all the former fierce Characters do naturally and necessarily agree: But on the other hand, be very conversant with the Lord, for subduing in us the remains of that spirit that lusteth unto envy even in us; and that towards them that persecute us, there may be shewed forth our Dove-like innocency, in pressing toward that Gospel-qualification of pray­ing for them, Mat. 5.44, 45. Rom. 12.17. to the end, 1 Pet. 3.9. and doing them good for all the evil [Page 19] they do to us, that we may shew our selves to be the Children of another Father, living in another principle, and referring our selves in all the inju­ries done unto us, to another judgment; and if the Lord will bless it to that end, we may hereby leave a powerful conviction, that they hate and persecute us (as they did our Lord before us) without a cause.

I proceed to take some other Observations from the words, Others were tortured; Some were tryed otherwayes, others this way; some were tortured, not all; all are exercised some way or other, every man's work must be tryed. Whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution, 2 Tim. 3.12. He chasteneth every son whom he receiveth, Heb. 12.6. Whomsoever he loves, he rebukes and chasteneth, Rev. 3.19. But though every man must be tryed, it is not appointed that they must all be this way tryed; tryed by fire and water, tryed by tortures. Some were tortured; where I note.

Doct. 2. That though the Lord hath provided tryals for all his Children, yet he hath designed tortures but to some of them. Thus Christ expresseth himself to his Disciples, Some of you they shall put to death, Luk. 21.16. The Devil shall cast some of you into prison, Rev. 2.10. All Saints are some way tryed, they be but some Saints are alwayes tryed; All men are born to sorrows, Job 5.7. yet but of some it is properly said, they are men of sorrows, Isa. 53.3. Lam. 3.1. Psal. 88.15. This is a plain case and ob­vious to frequent experience. Yet because it may be seasonable and useful, we may consider it by in­quiring into these Two Things.

• 1. Why some are Tortured.
• 2. Why but some are Tortured.

For the former: We now respect tortures as they are more immediately under the disposal and or­dering of the Lord, appointing more or less in point or measure, to more or fewer subjects as it pleaseth him; they being such bitter things as afore is de­scribed, it is enquired, Why the Father appoints it to any of his Children? To this is answered,

1. Negatively, not from any love God hath to the Torments, or from any lack or abatement of love to his Children, he doth not take pleasure to see his precious believing People lie scattered up and down (as they are described Psal. 141.7. & 79.2, 3. Lam. 4.1, 2.) as so many marks and mo­numents of the cruelty and butchery of the sons of men: no, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 116.15. Preci­ous in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints; he esteems them precious in their lives, and puts a value on them in their death. It goes (as we may speak with reverence) near the heart of the Lord to see his Jewels thus dealt withal; In all their Afflicti­ons he is afflicted, and the Angel of his Presence is with them, Isa. 63.9. He that toucheth them, touch­eth the apple of his eye, Zech. 2.8. He doth not afflict willingly, or grieve the children of men, Lam. 3.33. much less the Children of God, but rather like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pittieth them that fear him; for he knoweth our frame, and conside­reth that we are but dust, Psal. 103.13, 14. nay, he hath testified the greatest displeasure against such as have bin executioners of his rebukes, when they have not performed them with pity, Zech. 1.15. Isa. 47.6. Psal. 69.26, 27. His Anointed Ones must be very tenderly handled, and have no harm done against them, (Psal. 105.14, 15.) whereso­ever [Page 21] they wander. Moab hath a charge to do so, Isa. 16.3, 4. and in defect thereof his controversie is dreadful with the Nations, Ezek. 25 throughout, so chap. 26.2, 3. &c.

2. But positively and in general thus. Though the Lord doth not assign these Tortures, these fie­ry Tryals to his Children, for want of love to his, or from any delight he hath in such Tortures con­sidered in themselves; Yet many times the Lord hath higher and better ends to promote then their deliverance; ends that have more of good in them than these Tortures can possibly have of evil; and when it is so, these dispensations are not only ex­cusable, but are to be justified, Good is the Word of the Lord. As namely,

1. Sometimes in giving his darlings thus to the power of the Dog, he designs to bring to light the worth and excellency of some Truths of his, which otherwayes would be much obscured, if not quite excluded from among the children of men; namely, such Truths, in the vindication of which his chil­dren are called and brought forth thus to suffer, being wrought to a contentedness, rather to endure torments than to let them go. When a soul or peo­ple having obtained help from God, continue wit­nessing to such Truths whatever it costs them; There is reflected this honour upon Truth, as was said of it of old, Great is Truth, and it shall prevail; whereas if it should be as it is with the generality of Professors at this day, when a Truth comes to be spoken for, there is such a shrinking, twisting, shifting to evade the dint of the Tryal, how would the World have too just cause to say, What is there in your beloved Truth, more than in our be­loved [Page 22] Error? What is your Profession more than ours? your Religion more than ours? If there were any excellent thing in it, you would do and suffer somewhat excellent and extraordinary for it, to take off this stumbling block and occasion there­fore from them who seek or desire occasion; the Lord is pleased to steel a people to this height, We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth, 2 Cor. 13.8. And then to shew a proof of Truth in them, and the power and goodness thereof, he puts them on a tryal proportioned to this design; he hath some truth of the Gospel to shew in Paul, and then must he be troubled on every side, 2 Cor. 4.8, 9, 10. chap. 6.4, 10, 11. chap. 11.23. to 29. If the truth of Christ be in him, no man shall stop him of his boasting, none of these things move him, or separate him from the love of God. Truth shall be tryed in those vessels of earth, though it be by fire seven times, and the furnace seven times hot­ter than aforetime.

2. Sometimes the Lord doth, by these Tortures, assert and clear up the sincerity and inward value and excellency of those Virtues or Graces of Christ which are his own, and his admirable workmanship in their Souls. These pass up and down among men as meer delusions from the Devil, and hypocrisie in the professors of them. And now it is the in­terest of the Lord's honour, and the vindication of the operation of the Spirit, that these be put upon some tryal that may search their very root and bot­tom, discover their foundation to the neck: When God speaks of his Workmanship and Image in Job, Satan undertakes, if he could h [...]ve the stripping him of all his outward accommodations, touch all [Page 23] he hath, and he would curse him to his face: That attempt failing, he is confident, that if he might have the torturing of him, the touching and tear­ing his bones and his flesh, he would curse him to his face: and if he durst assert his confidence of his success in such an enterprize to the face of God, may we think much of his confident imposing his suggestions on the projects and conclusions of his children? He did attempt the green Tree, and its no marvel if he do the Dry. Now while he would bear God (if possible) and doth bear the World in hand so confidently, that he hath instruments of Cruelty, that would whip and kick the new-crea­ture in any man to nothing, and herein make God a Liar (as in the former) and an Imposture (as in this) the Lord delivers the dearly beloved of his Soul into the enemies hand (though with sufficient restrictions) Take him Torturer, try him to the bot­tom, and when all comes to all, when he is tryed, he shall come forth as Gold; Job 23.10. And though till his word of deliverance came to his Josephs, the word of the Lord tryes them, while their feet are hurt with fetters, and they be laid in irons, Psal. 105.18, 19. They pass through fire and water, yet he brings them into a wealthy place, Psal. 66.10, 11, 12. Men and Devils shall know that the Faith, Love, Zeal, Patience, Courage, Holiness, &c. wherewith he hath endowed them, have that of Truth, Virtue, and Worth in them, as doth undeniably constitute them more excellent than their neighbours, and that an excellent Spirit is found in them, so as none of these tortures numbred up, Rom. 8.35. to the end, is able to separate betwixt them and their love to God, and uprightness with and before him.

[Page 24]3. Sometimes the Lord doth by these Tortures take occasion to heighten the honour of his own Power, Arm, and Influence, which are day by day administered to bear up his children, when it is ma­nifest they have no external props to stay them up, but are out of weakness, made strong. This brings out a more evident acknowledgement, That the power of Christ rests upon them, 2 Cor. 12.9. God is in them of a truth, 1 Cor. 14.25. Its true, as long as times and providences hold to keep off pains from the body, chains from the legs, stripes from the back, famine from the belly, other props and principles may be presumed to bear one up: but when there is no fruit in the Vine, no flock in the Field, no herd in the Stall, none shut up nor left, yet then to rejoyce in the Lord, to glory in tribulation, to accompt it all joy to fall into divers of them, and they great ones; this is convincing, that such are kept, and kept up by the mighty Power of God; underneath such must needs be everlasting arms. What con­victions came upon the two great Monarchs, by the great support the three Worthies and Daniel (ch. 3. and ch. 6.) had from the Lord, to yield their bodies to torment! The former, because they would not joyn with false worship; the other, because he would not cease practising the true: they gave glo­ry to the God of heaven, and upon all occasions confess, that an excellent Spirit was found in them.

4. Sometimes the Lord brings about this end by it; he hereby brings forth a more plain and naked discovery of the wickedness that is in the world through lust. Many times men come in upon Do­minions, and the exercise of Power and Authority with most plausible insinuations, protestations and [Page 25] declarations of their design and temper, as if no other than the disposition of Lambs were in them, whereon they raise a name and repute of bene­factors, Luke 22.25. or merciful Lords, and reckon it no small part of their interest and business to raise and maintain in the spirits of people, the sup­position of some indelible marks of the nature and majesty of a Deity is stamped upon them, and su­tably, to get a reverence of them as most sacred; when many times to open and undeceive the minds of poor souls held in such blind devotion, the Lord lets them alone, and exposes the bodies of his dearest ones to their cruelty, that no man may glo­ry in men above what is written, but that coming to a plain discovery of men and things in their own evidence, as Psal. 36.2. the sons of men, as well as the children of God, may breath after the Lords arising to rule the earth, and become the Gover­nor among the Nations.

Thus we see for high ends, and unto glorious advantage some are tortured.

The Second Enquiry put, is, Why but some? men would be gratified, and if God be so honoured, why not all tortured? A few Reasons may be consi­dered here also.

1. There are but some tortured, because God is pleased to accompt but some worthy to bear and wear the glory of being thus used for his Name­sake. There are some of whom the Lord saith, They shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. Who are counted worthy to walk in white? Why, they who are come out of great tribulations, and have wash­ed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the lamb, Rev. 7.14. Though there be some points [Page 26] of honour, of which it may be said, this honour have all the Saints, Psal. 149.9. yet it holds not true in this that we speak of, they who had the first stripes for the Name of Christ, rejoyced that they were count­ed worthy to suffer shame for his Name, Acts 5.41. They have marks of distinguishing favour, who bear in their body the marks of the Lord Jesus, Gal. 6.17. Alwayes carrying about in their body the dy­ing of the Lord Jesus, that the Life of Jesus may so much the more be magnified and manifested in their mortal flesh, 2 Cor. 4.10, 11.

2. All are not tortured, because the Lord sees all of his Servants have not power to bear such tryals; as all men have not faith, so all good men have not the like strong faith, though they may have the like pre­cious Faith. Their Faith may carry them to Hea­ven, who yet may not have that degree and strength of Faith to carry them through Tortures to hea­ven; not that they who have most, have any thing to boast of above others, as being better than they, the differance is only in bestowing mercies, which are distributed variously even as the Spirit will, 1 Cor. 12.11. yet still a proportion of tryal is mea­sured out sutable to their strength, 1 Cor. 10.13. for he knows our frames, and in measure doth de­bate with us, and as the day is, so our strength shall be, Deut. 33.25. and even as there are children, young men, and Fathers in Christ, 1 John 2.13. so have these their tryals as they can, and that they may be able to bear them.

3. All are not tortured, because all are not called to be tortured; the Lord hath other imployments for some that shall as sufficiently prove their faith­fulness, and improve their strength, as if they had [Page 27] been tortured. Some of the Saints may as really honour God in a Meeting, as others of them may on a Gibbet, every member hath not the same of­fice (Rom. 12.4. 1 Cor. 12. throughout) not the same imployment, shall not by the same manner of do­ing, or dying, glorifie God, John 21.19. God seeks for a man to stand in the gap, and make up the hedge, Ezek. 22.30. Every man is not looked for in that place of danger: it's good to be where God looks for a man.

4. All are not tortured, because the Lord will be magnified in distributing the tryals of the body of Christ otherwayes than he did the tryals of their Head: its true, the tortures that were laid on him were to meet on him alone, he was to tread the Wine-press alone, and of all the people there was none to help him; they that thought they could drink the Cup he was to drink, or be baptized with his Baptisme, did not understand themselves: He looked and there was none to help, & he wonder­ed there was none to uphold, therefore his own Arm brought him help, &c. But now in the fel­lowship and similitude of Christs sufferings assign­ed to the body, although there be a compleatness of suffering appointed to the whole, of which the Apostle speaks, Col. 1.24. and though there be a common spirit of fellowship and simpathy of bear­ing one anothers burdens, through which they are all baptized into one body; yet is there distribu­tion made of them, into the various parts, each member having that assigned him, which infinite wisdom sees proper for him, so that none may boast against others, as if he had no need of them; though Paul had laboured and suffered more than all, yet [Page 28] he had not suffered all, and could not say to the weakest, I have no need of thee.

5. Lastly, All are not tortured, because the Lord will roll away the reproach, and remove the usual stumbling-block which Satan raiseth up to the tur­ning the weak out of the way of the Lord; name­ly, That the enquiring after and profession of Jesus Christ, doth indispensibly necessitate and bind over unto all manner of hardships; such can never be in reasonable expectation of good day more, but must bid adieu to all creature comforts, and espouse the quite contrary extremities: its true, A dying to, a denying, nay, a hating of all our lower comforts is required to be learned in the beginning of their way who will be his Disciples; But whether they shall be actually put upon that tryal, and really de­prived of them, is left to be disposed of in the brest and good pleasure of him, who knows what part of the wrath of men, and suffering of Saints, will praise him; and the remainder he will restrain, the ab­solute conclusion therefore of stumbling Sinners, and discouraging Saints, as if their bread would fail, and, as a Lion, he would break all their bones, are hence to be expelled, as having no just ground to be insisted on, as real obstructions to our follow­ing the Lord. Tempted Souls are apt to get their spirit quite worn out with a fearful expectation of the most fiery tryals, when as it may be the Lord hath appointed no such thing at all for them, and in their following on in this way, they have met with little or nothing of what they feared. A few Practical Inferences here shall close up the Point.

Ʋse 1. Is it so, that God hath appointed but some to be Tortured, not all; it then yields some stay [Page 29] against those surprizing amazements that are apt, e­specially in such dayes as these, to seize upon the spirits of people, who are looking toward Zion with their faces thither-ward; most good people are looking upon Penal Laws and Statutes made and making against them; if they hold on in such a pro­fession as they have made hitherto of Christ Jesus, all must be banished, all must be sold as slaves, all must be impoverished, imprisoned, or the like; Why then, saith a poor creature, what shal I do? I can never lie in a nasty prison, being used to a soft bed, fresh air, good diet: Saith another, I shall never endure another clymate, to have lash and labour, that have been bred up in a Land and State of ful­ness: I can never live if I am forced to such hun­ger and poverty as the Laws do threaten me. Why, Soul, do not reason thus; thou knowest not what supplies of strength the Lord may furnish thee withal if he call thee to such a condition, Out of weakness, many have been made strong; But besides, thou shouldst not fret thy self with such an expecta­tion, thou knowest not that any part of this shall be thy portion: Yes, yes, (will such object) I am sure if any man in the town or countrey, it will be me; such and such have particular enmities to me, &c. Why, yet thou knowest not but the Lord may preserve thee in his way from such rage of men and strife of tongues; thou mayst be of them whom God reserves. Baruch cryed out, Wo is me now, for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow, &c. Jer. 45.3. perhaps of the heavy and dangerous service he was called upon to go where Jeremiah could not, ch. 36.5, 6. he feared ruine and tortures inevitably, yet God had wayes to hide him, v. 26. [Page 30] and to give and secure him his life for a prey, ch. 45.5. Moses had many dreadful objections and discouragements against going upon that thankless difficult, hazardous message God sent him on, Exod. 3.10. What am I, vers. 11. they will say what is his Name, vers. 13. They will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice, ch. 4.1. I am not eloquent, of a slow speech, and of a slow tongue, vers. 10. Send by whom thou shouldest send, v. 13. All springing from fear of the issues of the undertaking, and of the miscarriage in it, which when it came to be put in practice, there was not one of the feared things occurred in his path, though some other tryals did: Unbelieving fear of these dreadful consequences of following God, is very fruitful, in forming Lions in the way, as if there were no avoiding of them, or no restraint designed by that Arm which setteth bounds to the Sea, Hitherto shalt thou go, and no further; there shall thy proud waves be stayed. He bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought, and maketh the devices of the people of none effect, Psal. 33.10, 11. Its not unusual that they fall into their own net, whilst we escape, Psal. 141.10.

Use 2. If it be but some that are Tortured, and they stand distinguished by the absolute sovereign­ty and gracious disposal of the Lord, who appoints their call, anointing, and season, as it pleaseth him; on whose will also the with-drawment of influences hereunto doth depend: Then it may caution you and me to take care how we judge of men that are assisted, or not assisted in point of enduring tortures. Its not the smallest infirmity of this day, there is a present over-valuing and under-valuing men and parties, according as there appears or dis-appears [Page 31] an ability to endure the tortures, that attend the tryal of their profession: The persons of some are had in admiration because of advantage above what is writ­ten; and the persons of others so dispised, as if God were not able to make them stand; that is a needful counsel in a case not very different, Rom. 11.18. Boast not against the branches, for if thou boastest, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee; and the teaching therein, hath been oftentimes enforced on me by that determination of our Lord, which is admitted frequently to take place at this day, Many that were last shall be first, and the first last: And it falls fre­quently under observation, That men, as well as things, do very speedily and often, counter­march and shift places: Many tall Cedars, who did run well, suffer many things, gave great ground of perswasion that they would have gone thorough, have notwithstanding at one point or other faultred, deserted their station, and (as Sampson) grown weak as another man, when perhaps on the same ground a poor weak believer, over-looked and di­spised by most, hath obtained grace and strength from on high, to make good that post, and to walk from strength to strength in the Name of the Lord his God. So that all glorying or being puffed up for one against another, is excluded here. Let not him boast that putteth on his Armour.

Use 3. Must some be tortured, must all be tryed; is not the day of the expectation of greater things than these yet over? Then let us learn to prepare our Faith and Patience, get on our Armour and gird it on; take heed how you be drawn into a sleep of security from the present interval of Calm and Rest, which the Lord is pleased hitherto to continue [Page 32] to you, in a very wonderful manner. Some are (if not tortured yet) sorely tryed and tempted, while you have your mercies and opportunities so peace­able about you; you should be reckoning this is a space allowed you to gather courage, not to con­tract rust by rest; but laying up a store against the evil day, that question should be still with us in a way of endeavouring its resolution, Seeing we look for these things, what manner of People should we be? standing on our guard expecting to be drawn forth, and ready to comply with that Call, Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Psal. 49.16. in a faithful, humble, Lamb-like readiness to fol­low Jesus Christ, and witness for him, though it be in tortures, temptations, or wherever he goeth.

But to proceed to some farther Observations in the words, Others were tortured, &c. It is imply­ed to make up the sense at every sentence, by Faith they were so, although it be not so expresly named. By Faith they were tortured, by Faith they accept­ed not deliverance; by Faith they looked for a better Resurrection, all the famous doings, and fearful undoings recorded in this Chapter, are to the honour of Faith. This expression therefore that comes first to hand, By Faith some were tortured; may be considered two wayes.

1. It hath a great truth in it, if we thus under­stand it by Faith (that is by means of their Faith, upon this occasion and for this reason) they were tortured, even their Faith; This was the quarrel the Devil and World had with them, viz. They were men of Faith. Or else,

[Page 33]2. The expression may be thus understood. By Faith they were tortured, that is, they were suppor­ted in and carried through their Tortures living or dying, by their Faith; This was the victory that o­vercame the world in all these tortures, even their Faith. I take this latter to be most immediately aimed at in this place, and sutably is my eye to prosecute it. Though I take the former not to be excluded, or at least we may draw some useful considerations from that sense. By Faith, that is, upon occasion of their Faith, they were quarrelled with, singled out, and tortured by Satan and his instruments: Great Faith exposed them to great suf­ferings: And so it is now, and may afford us this Observation.

Doct. 3. That a lively Faith possessed and pro­fessed, is that which will enrage and engage the worlds highest violence and cruelty on him that hath it.

I intend a very brief dispatch of this (not be­ing so immediately perhaps intended in the words) and that by considering Faith, as contracting and incurring this rage, in a two-fold sense or re­spect.

1. Consider we this Faith unfeigned as it is possessed, or respecting its inward root and prin­ciple, as it dwelleth in the hidden-man of the heart in that which is incorruptible; against this, and as such, doth the Prince of Darkness mainly bend his batteries. Its true, he brings his torments to bear upon the limbs and members of the Body, the sensitive part; but nothing is more evident than that his design lies farther, as appears by this, That if by the frights or feeling of these tortures he can but get in pollution and defilement upon [Page 34] the soul of a poor Saint; if he can but corrupt that from the simplicity, or debauch that of the virgi­nity it hath with Christ; then is the offence of the Cross ceased, the torments are all called off, the work is done. He is mad to see any soul deliver­ed from his dominion, and translated into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God, and there lives by this Faith on comforts, that he cannot inter­medle withal; derives strength and influence, which he cannot obstruct; is acted in a life, and on principles, and reasonings, which have a fixed and unalterable antipathy to his former courses; nay, have vertue and success to make resistance to Satan, oftentimes to put him to flight, 1 Pet. 5.9. Jam. 4.7. And this is the Victory that so frequently overcomes, not only the World, 1 Joh. 5.4. but the Prince of the World, 1 Joh. 4.4. Now there is little reason that we should wonder to see Satan rage, and in a rage to bring his instruments of greatest cruelty to bear upon a soul that lives by Faith above him, and in such an advantagious way of conquest over him, as the Gates of Hell cannot prevail to do him real harm, to bring him down from his excellency. But he still stands on ground, and fights with instru­ments that are invisible and invincible; such Births the Red Dragon watcheth to devour, casts his floods after, raiseth war against, upon this foot of account, They keep the Commandments of God, and the Faith of Jesus. Upon this foundation also he exasperates all his crew, acted by the spirit of this world, who are enforced to gnaw their tongues for pain, that in all their on-sets from generation to generation, they could never come at, nor quell that spring and root of action and suffering, where­by [Page 35] they have been so perpetually baffled, and all their costly and promising attempts been brought to nought. Hence all their consultations and en­deavours resolve themselves into this issue, To rid the world of them who by a constant steady testi­mony of their drawing vertue, as Olive-trees, from the God of the whole earth, being here in tor­ments to them that dwell upon the earth.

2. We may consider Faith in its Profession, or the Profession of our Faith; that is to say, not only as it inwardly unites a soul to Christ, whereby he draws forth consolations and aids to do so wonder­fully on Gods behalf; But also as it engages a be­liever to stand forth in the face of the World to testifie against it that its deeds are evil; bearing witness to the Holiness and Faithfulness of God, in opposition to the stream of the lusts of men. Thus it contracts rage to the utmost, Joh. 7.7. Me it hateth, because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil. When the whole demeanour of a Chri­stian, both in point of Worship and Conversation, is kept on, so as not to be tempted to fall down before the Idolatry on one hand, or fall in with the debauchery on the other, which is proposed under Countenance, or imposed by Law. The world can­not bear the words of such a people, Amos 7.10, &c. Can the abomination of a people be offered up before their eyes, and will not that Nation stone them? Exod. 8.26. In this matter the Disciple is not priviledged above his Lord, Joh. 15.18, 19. The world will hate such a people, as it hated him, for witnessing against their ignorance and supersti­tion. Ye worship ye know not what! we know what we worship, Joh. 4.22. Ye are too superstitious: whom [Page 36] ye ignorantly worship, him we declare to you, Acts 17.22, 23. This is enough to get the world in an up­roar. This is said above, Rev. 11.10. to torment them that dwell on the earth; these two Prophets that have no other weapons but the Blood of the Lamb, and the Word of their Testimony, the Testi­mony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy; and in this Message, and under this Anointing, wit­nessing, though in sack-cloth, against the evils that are in the world through lust, lighting them, as Gods Candlesticks, the way to heaven; this tor­ments men of earth. No wonder then that they torment you; why, your conversations, testimony, profession of your Faith, torments them. Christ came not to send peace in the earth, but a sword, Mat. 10.34. but a fire, and what if it be already kindled? Luke 12.49. Is Christ delighted with such con­tention? nothing less. But these are the conse­quences of the lusts of men, irritated occasionally by the faithful rebukes of the Gospel of Christ, and a practical profession of the Faith thereof in such as embrace and obey it.

A word or two of Practical Improvement, and I shall leave this Point.

Use. 1. If Faith both in the Possession and Profes­sion of it, be apt to draw the rage of the world in the extremity of it upon you; this speaks the rea­sonableness of this Exhortation, that you give di­ligence to it, that the Faith any of you profess, be Faith unfeigned, 2 Tim. 1.5. Since, I say, Oh ye professed Believers, your Faith in God, and faith­fulness to God, is that which you must expect will enrage the world against you; I beseech you satisfie not your selves with any Faith short of such [Page 37] as will carry all the world in a way of victory be­fore it. I have thought that at this day there is no man so miserable, as a professor of Faith which is not right and real; he will contract the worlds rage, anger, and displeasure, because he professeth some Faith; and he incurrs the Lords anger and displeasure, because he but professeth, because he hath not true Faith, Faith unfeigned. Interest in former dayes, led some to profess at an high rate, and their credit engageth them now not to fetch their turns too short upon it; but the worlds rage chargeth them so hot in the rear, that they cannot hold it, but are forced in, by open Apostacy, to dash themselves against the thick Bosses of his Buckler.

Use 2. As it concerns you that your Faith be unfeigned, so the like reason and necessity ariseth from the Promises, that your Faith be unmixed, in your present contest with the world: that is, that they may have nothing to charge you with, but your single Faith, and such things as are the pro­per off-spring of it, and of faithfulness to God upon it. It was the admirable advantage Daniel had against the greatest Council that day in the world, Dan. 6.4, 5. They could find no occasion against him forasmuch as he was faithful, unless they could find it against him in the Law of his God. The like had David against the envious and evil eye of Saul, that God was with him, and helped him in all his affairs wisely and faithfully, 1 Sam. 18.12, 14, 15, 28, 29, 30. There was no occasion administred to them that sought occasion. The contrary where­unto is very detrimental to you, when they that pursue you have ground for that charge. Jer. 50.7. [Page 38] We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord the habitation of Justice, even God the hope of their Fathers. See the Spirits strict caution against this, 1 Pet. 2.20. What Glory is it, if when ye are buffeted for your faults, you take it patiently? see ch. 4.15. Oh it will be your blessedness, that they who pursue you, though they will not do it perhaps without a colour, yet they may do it without a cause, may have nought to charge you with than that which (when their vizor of Rhetorical elo­quence and invective malice is stript from it) re­solves its self in a sober gracious eye into this, it is for their being true to Jesus Christ, their Faith in him, their subjection to him, their adhering to his Cause, Name, Works, Institutions. Such a bottom will render you at length more than a Conqueror.

Use 3. Take heed how you admit a Parley with those Reasonings, which tend to prejudice you a­gainst believing, to make you think hardly, at least to think slightly of Faith, in that it involveth you in so many dangers and perplexities. Satan lies at a Bay to possess you with offence, especially in such dayes as this: Christ tells you, These things have I spoken that you might not be offended; Blessed is he that is not offended in me: But, Oh! how strong are temptations to reason thus? why, this way of Professing, of Meeting, of Exercising, is the high way to make me poor, a beggar, to undo me at last, and what shall I do then? Such Reasonings have need be rejected with utmost abhorren­cy.

Use 4. These Considerations should sweeten Heaven and Glory to us: If while we live by [Page 39] Faith, we draw the World, and such a world of miseries on us, it should quicken the edge of our longings (not in a way of impatience neither) to be dissolved and be with Christ, who is far better; Where sorrow and sighing shall flee away, where shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for former things are past away, Rev. 21.4.

But to go forward to another Point. By Faith some were, &c. Understanding it thus, that, by Faith, as the principle that bare them up and car­ried them through as conquerors, they were tortured. This sense of it is most agreeable with the drift and design of the whole Chapter. The nobility of their Spirits commends the excellency of their Faith; To be tortured, and bear it patiently, is well; but so may many do from other Principles and Causes, they cannot tell possibly how to escape; but now to chuse affliction with the people of God, to become companions of them that are so used, to improve what God doth in it, and think this is best of all; a Spirit thus managed, and de­meaning its self through the sharps of it, com­mends the Fatih by which he doth it. By Faith they were tortured: the tortures on one hand, and temp­tings on the other, made no impression, no altera­tion on them, they were the same as formerly, or rather much better. By Faith they were so—. The Note is this.

Doct. That the Faith of Gods Elect is of in­vincible power to make them Conquerors in all their tortures.

What I have to say to the clearing up this Point, I shall offer, by endeavouring to shew these [Page 38] [...] [Page 39] [...] [Page 40] two wayes wherein Faith contributes to the per­forming this high service.

1. Faith doth contribute to bear up under tor­tures themselves (and much more under less try­als, as imprisonment, banishment, &c.) by way of evidencing things to the Soul, which otherwise are not so clear and substantial, as its the office of Faith to make them, Heb. 11.1.

2. Faith contributes hereunto, by way of mi­nistring influence and assistance to the soul, streng­thening and heartning it to indure that which otherwise would seem insufferable, break and sink the Spirit.

As for the former of these, Faiths proper ten­dency to give light and evidence to the soul, and by evidence to beget a conquering magnanimity, commends it self to us as its conversant about a three-fold object or imployment.

1. Faiths main evidencing work, is concerned about the grand Interest and Propriety that the Soul hath in God, and God in him; to get this case once cleared up beyond controversie, and to maintain the soul in a satisfactory veiw of an in­terest in Christ. Where this is uncertain or cloud­ed up, the soul sets upon such hazards with much trembling, and good reason it should do so, all things considered. But where this Mystery of Union and Relation to Christ is cleared, to and by believing, the soul becomes impregnable; as might be abundantly made out by that triumph of Faith, recorded exactly and accurately, Rom. 8.33. to the end. Can any of the instruments of tor­ture or cruelty there ennumerated, separate such a one from the love of God, who stands resolved [Page 41] and undoubted upon Gospel-grounds? nay, He is more than a Conqueror; Tribulation, distress, perse­cution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, though all the day long we be killed and counted as sheep for the slaughter; yet can none of these, managed either by men or Angels, do any thing of importance to the shaking of such a one. When he arrives to that pitch of triumph, Psal. 27.1. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? You may guess how far he is hereby removed out of the way of danger: inroads may be made upon him, but he cannot be easily moved.

2. Faith hath another matter to clear up in a way of evidence, and by doing it effectually, it contributes exceeding encouragement to a Be­liever to endure torments; namely, it evidenceth the Truth, and Goodness, and the special Relation that God hath to the Cause that it suffers in, from all the clouds, aspersions, and calumnies that men would cast upon it. I do not say that Faith can make a bad cause good, but it can make an obscure cause clear. It is not enough that a Christian have the clearness of a personal interest in the Lord, when he comes to endure torment; but it is needful that he have the clearness of a good Cause, and a good Call, that he suffers on, or else he may suffer as an evil-doer, and what thank will that be? the truth and goodness of his Cause needs then to be cleared; and Faith is of singular essi­cacy this way, when perhaps the wisdom and de­vilish policy of men have been at work with op­probrious reproaches to vilisie it, or some time­serving Apostates, with their sophistical arguings, [Page 42] and scholastical distinctions, as Jannes and Jambres, to invalidate and resist the Truth; to which service Scriptures and Arguments are not wanting to be wrested, for the perverting the plain wayes of God, when the case is so, and a poor Christian is fre­quently so assailed and baited with them, that he knows not how to give a distinct, satisfactory, con­vincing answer to all these sophisms; nay, perhaps cannot demonstrably extricate himself from all the subtle entanglements that of this kind may be drawn about him. Now is it the office of Faith to clear up the innate goodness and truth of the principles it suffers on, that at least to its own satisfaction the soul is abundantly cleared and con­vinced therein, and united thereunto: And this hath helped the Martyrs of Christ to bear so bold a testimony to divers Truths, of which they were not able to make a scholastical defence by way of dis­putation, yet could set to their seal by dying, or sustaining any tortures. — When this point is once satisfactorily evidenced, that the Cause is Gods, that Jesus Christ is interested and imbarked in it, it gives strong consolation. What an en­couragement was that, 2 Chron. 20.15. Be not dis­mayed at this great multitude; for the battel is not yours, but Gods. So was it to David with the Phi­listine, 1 Sam. 17.47. The battel is the Lords. When a soul can see God not only interested with it, but really more deeply interested and concerned than its self is, it yields full assurance of good success at last. I know the Lord will maintain the Cause of the Afflicted, and the Right of the Poor, Psal. 140.12. because it can in title God to it, Psal. 74.22. Arise, O God, plead thy own Cause. This also will [Page 43] beget a dread on the soul, how it gives way to any temptation to betray it. This Truth, this Pro­fession, however men call it little, however it may [...]eem I may be saved without it, its no point of Sal­vation; yet it being Christ's more than mine, though committed to my trust, to deny it, is to de­ny Christ; and to betray it, is to betray Christ: [...]nd though (as the common cry is) none ever suf­ [...]ered upon such a point, none in the past generati­on ran the adventure of tortures on such an asser­tion; yet the soul, by believing, being brought to see Christs interest in it, and relation to it, and that perhaps this is the day designed to bring forth a proof to the goodness and worth of it, a soul becomes not only engaged, but inseperably u­nited, and impregnably set for the defence of it.

3. Faith hath a further work to do in point of evidence, and thereby administers abundance of strength to a weak Christian to endure any tortures for the Lords sake, and that is, gives evidence of the real nothingness that there is in whatsoever the adversary is able to do in point of torment, if the matter be indeed laid upon a right ballance, and held with an impartial and steady hand; and that in these Three respects:

1. Faith is called into Counsel, (in the exclu­sion of the reasonings of flesh and blood) it mani­fests abundance of winde and emptiness in all the threatnings of the sons of men; what they say of this kind, are but great swelling words of vani­ty, an empty sound, of little affrighting signifi­cation, Knowest thou not (saith Pilate) that I have power to crucifie thee, and power to release thee? He [Page 44] would willingly have had his majesty and threat­nings very terrible; but what is Christ's answer? Thou couldest have no power except it were given thee from above. The power the Devil himself hath, though he be the Prince of the Air, cannot get o­ver an hedge without special Commission, Thou has [...] (saith he concerning Job) made an hedge about him. Hence it is, that when their threatnings and pre­parations have been to heat the Furnace seven times hotter; they feared not the wrath of the King, as seeing him that is invisible, Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, able to divert that fiery threatning; and if he will not do so, yet able to bring us out again. These threatnings, en­crease the cry for boldness.

2. Faith helps the soul to see that all their pro­fers and tenders of deliverance, of honour, of pre­ferment, or whatever else such poor worms can mention, is as meer a vapour as the other: When Satan made the tender to Christ, All this will I give thee; all this power, saith he, will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will give it; if there­fore thou wilt fall down before me, all shall be thine, Luke 4.6, 7. Our reason would have ac­cepted it. Christ hath the promise of the World, only Satan hath the possession of it, and must be expulsed by main force; now at this juncture, one bow will do it; and were it not better vail once, than from generation to generation be in a con­tinual contest for it, and his seed exposed to such tortures to obtain and maintain the ground that is thus gradually gotten? No, Jesus will not value all the supremacy the Devil could surrender in the [Page 45] World, worth one bow to obtain it; Get thee behind [...]e Satan, vers. 8.

3. Faith in like manner makes evident that all [...]he terms, articles, and proposals of adversaries, [...]hat seem very little and innocent, upon which [...]heir tortures are to be escaped, and their favours [...]btained, are very dangerous things; a bow or cringe [...]t a distance may seem a small matter, for the [...]btaining such advantage, but Christ sees it too great to give to Satan, for the gaining the glory of earth or heaven either. A bow to the golden Image from the three Worthies, seems a small thing to reason, but its too hard to the reasoning of Faith. A bow to Haman from Mordecai in the gate, is a small matter in an eye of wisdom and prudence, but to Faith it may not be yielded. Daniels retirement to mental devotions, seems but rational; but if that be the only terms of deliver­ance, in the omission of positive instituted Wor­ship, Faith sayes the articles are too hard to be accepted of. — But of this more hereafter.

2. But as Faith yields succour, by such a way of evidencing to the understanding and judgement things that are obscure, the clearing up of which have such a direct tendency to beget courage; So, in th [...] Second place, doth Faith greatly aid, by ministring Influence, and thereby bringing power and vertue with it, in furthering divers blessed properties and qualities in the soul, wherewith it receives ability to do, and to bear wonderful and insupportable things, when the Lord calls there­unto; As for instance in a few Particulars.

1. Faith contributes toward this support by way of influence, in that Faith brings with it, as its [Page 46] first born fruit, Peace passing all understanding, Rom. 5.1. It draws all the tumultuating thoughts of a poor creature into such a calm and composure, tha [...] though the outward man decay, yet the inner man is renewed day by day, 2 Cor. 4.16. Though the bones be broken, pain and tortures come on, yet the inner man retains its sweetness, quietness, serenity and undisturbedness; and when thus the mind is quiet, the man is invincible. Of the office of Faith, as it works Peace, I do not now in­tend to treat, the Scripture is full of it, Rom. 5.1. Isa. 26.3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is staid on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Through this mind-surpassing peace, the heart and thoughts are kept in Christ Jesus. Where this glorious work is done, it is not the extending the external parts of a poor man that can intermedle with his joy. This joy of the Lord is his strength, he can glorifie the Lord in the fires, exercise all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, gi­ving thanks to the Father. There is indeed in the world, sometimes to be seen among carnal men, a certain greatness of spirit, whereby they do pass through tortures, to the shame of many who pro­fess better principles; but alas! this is little bet­ter than a meer stupifaction of their senses; it be­sots them; is as the vinegar and gall they were wont to give to men on the Cross, to deaden their senses to their pain: The spirit of this world doth so wrap up their thoughts, that they are as if they had took that sleeping drink, mentioned, Prov. 31.7. Drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. This is rather an imprison­ing, than a calming of their spirits; they have nor [Page 47] [...]heir senses exercised to discern betwixt good and [...]vil, but rather benummed. Whereas this Peace of [...]hich I am treating (as Christ saith) in patience [...]ossesseth the soul: A man is said to possess his soul when he hath the command and disposal of all his [...]houghts and faculties according to the best reason. This, in the case in hand, is only the off-spring of [...]xed Faith, and admirably advantagious in sustain­ [...]ng torments.

2. Faith contributes influentially, not only as it begets peace, but also as it brings the soul up to a certain resignedness unto God, to a willingness to be [...]t Gods dispose; here am I, let him do with me what seemeth good in his sight: That which makes torments to be tortures indeed, is when the mem­bers draw one way, and the mind another; but when the soul comes to be fully yielded up to di­vine pleasure, this makes tortures become no tor­tures, or at least to become less tortures. You see this eminently set forth in the Captain of our Salvation himself, while he was crucifying in weakness, and tempted as are we, while the humane nature would have made choise of that request, Father save me from this hour, Joh. 12.27. then was his Soul trou­bled, all was dark and intollerable; But when he fixeth in that resignedness, For this cause came I to this hour, Father glorifie thy Name; then are there not only Oracles of approbation, giving aid from the most excellent Glory, but the Baptism he hath before him, how is he pained ere it be accomplish­ed. And so in the very offering its self, we see how his resignation expedited his tortures, he was dead sooner than the rest: for when the Souldiers came to break the bones of the thieves, they brake [Page 48] not his bones; why? because he was dead already. How so? Why he said, It was finished, bowed his head, gave up the Ghost, and said, Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit, Luke 23.46. Whereas the others abode in a contest till the last gasp 'twixt spirit and members, loth to part, much work left undone, had no certainty (one at least) of rest for his soul. This makes sore conflicts in times of torment; whereas on the contrary, how sweet is that yielding up all to God, mentioned Isa. 50.5, 6. I was not rebellious, neither turned away back; but gave my back to the smiters, &c. So chap. 53.7. He opened not his mouth, but is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, &c. This subduedness to the will of God, by the dominion of Faith, then is of exceed­ing moment to strengthen us to the induring these torments.

3. Faith doth influence the soul to bear tor­ments notably, by bringing and encreasing a cer­tain greatness and nobility, a largness and publick­ness of spirit on it more than formerly. Shall such a man as I flee? Neh. 6.11. It begets a largeness of heart, in some degree answering that of Solomon, 1 Kings 4.24. unto which a base shrinking is ex­ceeding contrary and loathsome, especially con­sidering by, and for whom, and to the interest of whose Name it is engaged. Its marvelous to con­sider what many have endured to gratifie the lust of a great man, 2 Sam. 2.14, 15, 16. to provide for their families, to assert the liberties of their Coun­try, and the like; and is not the will, pleasure, honour of Jesus Christ of far greater moment to be witnessed unto to the highest? It was a gallant spirit in Joab, which encouraged the people, [Page 49] 2 Sam. 10.12. Be of good courage, let us play the men for our people, and for the Cities of our God, and the Lord do that which seemeth him good: The like rea­sonings will Faith suggest to beget resolutions. I have now an opportunity, which I may never have again, to play the man, the Christian, the Be­liever, for my God, my Christ, for his Gospel, his Institutions, his Cause and Interest. What can be too hot or heavy to be done or suffered upon this accompt?

4. Faith influenceth notably in this matter, by giving the soul a prospect into, and a fore-taste of that better Resurrection, realizing and rendring substantial the promised Glory thereof unto it. It's remarked of our Lord, that for the joy that was set before him, he indured the Cross, and despised the shame, Heb. 12.2. Moses, when he was threatned, indured, as seeing him that is invisible, and having his eye to the recompence of reward, chap. 11.26, 27. They took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods, who know in themselves they have in Heaven a better and more induring substance, chap. 10.34. Stephen looking stedfastly into Heaven, was not dismayed at the frowns, threats, tortures of his fierce adversaries, Acts 7.55, 56.

I shall only draw this into an Applicatory Im­provement briefly, and pass along upon the whole of what hath been said to this Head.

Use. You are with a very loud voice, men and Brethren, exhorted and beseeched, to give all dili­gence to the Concernments of your Faith. Above all your gettings, covet a true, lively, Gospel-faith; above all your keepings, strive to hold fast, and contend earnestly for this Faith. If ever there [Page 50] were dayes that called loud for the Life of the Faith of the Son of God, these dayes call for it. I had fainted (saith the Psalmist) unless I bad believ­ed: And truly you will be apt to faint in the day of adversity, as if your strength were small where your Faith is not good. Take heed therefore of all things that may either adulterate it from its simplicity, or stop and obstruct it from its growth. God hath begun to exercise your souls, and to prove your profession in a way of tryals; its true, you have not yet resisted unto blood, unto tor­tures, as others have, and you (at least some of you) may. The grand Question your souls should pursue to a full and satisfactory resolution, is, What stock have you, proportionable to such an expectation? Here I shall propound these Two Exhortations.

• 1. Prove your Faith.
• 2. Improve your Faith.

1. Prove your Faith, or take it in the Exhorta­tion, 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your selves, whether you are in the Faith; prove your own selves: Do not take up principles upon trust, perswasions of a good condition upon trust, in a day when you are at the point of being put upon fiery tryals; Every mans work must be tryed; the time is come that judgument must begin at the House of God. Every one must bear his own burden. Here you would be directed particularly to see, (1) That your Faith be true. (2) That your Faith be strong. (1) That it be true; feigned Faith will beget but fading Comforts; nay, as was said, It will do greater mischief in such a day, than no Faith at all. Here Evidences would be needful for disco­very, [Page 51] and Arguments with Directions, for exhorta­tion, that souls who upon the tryal find themselves short, would not strike off through discourage­ments; but rather strike up with so much the more diligence to make their Calling and Election sure, for helps, in order whereunto they must at present be referred to what hath been offered in other ex­ercises: The like might be offered to press you to look after strength of faith.

2. Be exhorted, such of you as find that good work of Faith with any power in your souls, that you do not let it lye by you, as a Talent in a Napkin, or as the Sword behind the Ephod, since there is none to it, to make you valiant to do ex­ploits: Oh! be much in this work of drawing it forth upon constant, quick, and lively exercise; as namely,

1. Improve your Faith against your Fears. It hath a soveraign and excellent vertue that way, in the experiences of all the Saints. As perfect Love casteth out Fear, so doth perfect Faith; indeed it is Faith working by Love only doth it: What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In the Lord I have put my trust, I will not fear what man can do unto me. Have Faith upon its principallity of exercise, when the sloods of ungodly men are apt to make a­fraid.

2. Improve your Faith against all your offences and murmurings that you meet withal in your souls, occasioned and multiplied by the stumbling-blocks of the day. Proper Doctrines cannot be preached, proper Duties cannot be practised, pro­per Truths cannot be professed, but Satan raiserh up multitudes of Objections against them, of [Page 52] which this usually beareth the mastery, Spare thy self; they resolve themselves into this usually as their bearing reason, The fear of man. In such a time, how needful is that Character to be found, Great peace have they that love thy Law, and Nothing shall offend them, Psa. 119.165. When tribulati­on and persecution for the Word cometh, how by and by men are offended, Mat. 13.21. It was one great part of Christ's care at parting with his Disciples, that they should not be offended, at mens putting them out of the Synagogues, and thinking they do God good service in killing them, John 16.1, 2. When John was in prison, it is not easie to answer the questions, nor to remove the offences that arise upon it, Whether Christ be the Christ or no? But blessed is he (saith Christ) that is not offended in me, Mat. 11.6. Oh! improve your Faith against these stumbling offences.

3. Improve your Faith unto a full conquest of the World, and the things that are therein, respecting all the afrightments and allurements of it, as it presents and presseth you with its objects of love and fear. Oh! in such staggering times, the dirt that clogs the feet of a Believer, the thick clay, that either in act or desire he is busied to load him­self withal, is extreamly detrimental to taking streight steps to your feet: How easily did the pre­sent evil World draw Demas, Judas, and divers o­thers, to a betraying, denying, deserting their high profession? The victory that overcomes this (you have heard) is your Faith.

4. Improve your Faith against all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit; let such as name the Name of the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity; [Page 53] a little sin will destroy a great deal of valour, whereas holiness carried on towards its perfection in the fear of God, will yield encreases of strength and security against the worst that man can do un­to you, for who is he can harm you, if you be followers of that which is good? Holiness will secure you from harm: They who torture you, if they cannot de­file you, cannot destroy you; they may kill you, but cannot hurt you; you shall not be hurt of the second death. And in as much as you are fre­quently shewed what power Faith improved hath to promote holiness, the Lord make you faithful here­in.

Thus far hath been spoken to set forth the excel­lent and admirable nature of believing, considered in its encounters with, and conquest over torments. It remains, that we now take into view its vertue and excellency, as it conflicts with, and gets suc­cess against another adversary, no less difficult to be attempted than tortures be, no less apt to over-come, and that is, the tempting tenders of Deli­verance. And herein is the greatness of the atchiev­ment, that the Faith which enabled them to bear tortures without grudging, enabled them to refuse the tenders of deliverance with­out complying. [...]. Redemptionem notat, ad­dita praeposito insinuare videtur perfectam re­demptionem. Leigh. Cr. Sac [...]. [They accep­ted not Deliverance.] The word we read Deliverance, denoteth in the proper sig­nification of it full Deliver­ance, Deliverance very com­pleat; and is here applyed to signifie such a deli­verance as did not only consist in a meer relaxati­on of the torment, as supposing them to be upon [Page 54] the Rack, in such a case when the sinews begin to snap, and the joynts to sever one from another; if nothing more were offered in the deliverance but meerly to let down the rack and take off the creature from the extremity of torment, though that may for a time seem to gain upon a meer man, yet such may the case be, that such deliverance may be worse than death its self: You reade in Rev. 9.5, 6. of a torment, in which men shall seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and it shall flee from them. Implying, that such may be the torment on a poor creature, as that to be killed out-right, is better than to be spared; Knock me in the head rather than let me live thus in Torture. But the deliverance here is full deli­verance, a being reduced to a state of ease, rest, and quiet; together with any other accommoda­tions that can be desired to compleat it; All this will I give thee, Credit, Trade, Preferment, Ap­plause, and what not?

[They accepted it not.] They did not give it friendly entertainment, such as one would shew to a stranger when he hath been long absent. They were at such a pitch of raisedness, that they would give such deliverance, deliverance on such terms, not any friendly welcome, or entertainment, that other men, perhaps, would gladly do, they could not salute it, bid it, God speed, could be in no fellowship with it.

[That they might obtain] The word doth not signifie any expectation, that they had, or could have of dealing with the hope of the Resurrection upon the terms of strict merit. As if there were any equality or proportion betwixt their enduring [Page 55] tortures; and their receiving the Resurrection; nay, when they have done all, left all, suffered all, they are unprofitable servants; but only thus, in thus standing under torments, thus withstanding deli­verance upon unworthy terms, they were in the Lord's path of expecting the comfortable fore­tastes now, and assurances of a further glory.

[A better Resurrection] Paul pressed hard to obtain the Resurrection from the dead, Phil. 3.11. which is not only a Resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust, but that which is called, the first Resurrection, Rev. 20.6. for, the dead in Christ shall rise first, 1 Thes. 4.16. They which are Christs at his coming, 1 Cor. 15.23. For them that sleep in Christ, shall God bring with him. This is called the Better Resurrection; not only better than their tor­ments, but better than their proffered Deliver­ance.

The main Point that I shall propound to be handled from the words, is this;

Doct. 5. That it is no less the excellency of Faith to reject the tempting Tenders, than to sustain the cruel Tortures of a trying Day.

The supposition is of a person put upon this Di­lemma, he is brought into a condition of torturing, be it actually so to his feeling, or only vertually in the threats or Laws that represent them at hand, or to his fears. In this condition he hath two offers, two tenders made to him: First, the tender of the Torturer, and he offers Deliverance, full and com­pleat deliverance. Secondly, the tender of the Comforter, and he offers the Resurrection. And now the man is put to it, Will you comply with the design of the Torturer, and you shall have Deliverance? [Page 56] Or, will you adhere to the design of the Comforter, and you shall have (perhaps not any ease, mitigation, but rather an increase of pain; But) at length, a lot in the end of the dayes, in the Resurrection? Look to your choice, let your choice be the off-spring of a well-deliberated and digested judgment upon the case. Now here lies the excellency of believing, in fixing the soul upon principles of the highest rea­son; to cleave to this (the Resurrection) is better. When sense comes in with its judgment, life is sweet, Skin for skin, and all a man hath he will give for his life. The body is more worth than food, and the life than raiment. Death is a King of terrors. Banish­ment is terrible, tortures intollerable, hunger in­sufferable; Spare thy self, this evil shall not over­take thee. What saith Friends, Wife, Children, Oh! do not disgrace your self, do not destroy us; men will praise thee when thou dost well for thy self. But what saith Faith? [Ah, will a carnal heart say, I hate him, for he never speaks good to me, but evil.] Well, but what will it say? Why, there is a glo­rious Resurrection that will repair all tortured bo­dies, tottered limbs, massacred members, will all be done up better in the Resurrection? And in mean time, these light afflictions are but for a moment, and not worthy to be compared with that glory which is ready to be revealed in us. Scorn the torturer, slight the tender; reject the offer at man's hand, it is and hath a lye in the right hand: fall into the hands of the Lord, commit the keeping of thy soul to him in well-doing, as into the hands of a faithful Creator: be assured he is able to keep that which is committed to him against that day. This is an hard saying, flesh cannot bear it, but faith can and doth.

Now, that we may not miscarry or offend on the right hand nor on the left in this narrow point, I suppose it may be requisite to draw the matter thus into Consideration; Deliverance from tortures, and consequently from any other, or lesser tryals, may be considered Three wayes.

1. In a simple and abstract Notion in its self, unclothed of other circumstances and dependen­cies, and then we shall see what acceptance Faith will give to it when tendered.

2. We are to consider Deliverance as in the tor­turers hand and design, as an Engine or Instrument to carry on the same end, which he attempted to extort by torments; namely, to bereave the man of his Testimony.

3. We may consider Deliverance, as it stands compared with, and opposed to the better Resur­rection; these Two standing in competition in their tender. —

Now in each of these respects, there are several considerable Truths to be taken notice of, especi­ally in such times of attempts, to debauch all man­ner of wayes.

1. For first of all, If we consider Deliverance apart from the projects and designs of men, who are tempting and attempting by it, to bring about their ends, upon a poor tortured Child of God; I say, take it in a single and abstract notion, apart from such entanglements, and the matter admits of a very vast difference in the judgment, and to the acceptation of Faith. For if the case can be clearly and truly so stated, Faith can and must ac­cept deliverance with all thankfulness, with ho­nour to God, and with great advantage to the soul [Page 58] concerned in it. — And therefore as we pass along, I would willingly speak a little distinctly to this case, that some stop and prevention may be put to the prejudice, that may otherwise arise upon a rigid insisting on this Doctrine; as if the ten­dency of Faith in times of tryal, were inevitably to run all upon the Rocks, without any respect had to the preserving our selves, or any thing concer­ning us, or committed to us of our external mer­cies. Being therefore the contrary is to be suppo­sed, and is implyed all along under the main Truth asserted in the Text; I will fairly lay down this Supposition:

☞ That Deliverance (as Deliverance may be considered) is a Mercy not to be refused, but accepted by Believers.

Deliverance from tortures, from tryals, if you would think of it very abstractly, and in its meer simple nature; Deliverance from harm and evil may be reckoned among a Christians middle things, I mean such things as in their own nature are nei­ther good nor evil, but do receive the impression & denomination of good or evil, sutable to their re­lation, improvement, or design to which they are bent and levelled, accordingly as they are either used or abused. And therefore it is that the Spirit of the Lord (Eccles. 9. beginning) declares that there is neither love nor hatred by all that of this kind is under the Sun. But in this sense it falls not immediately under our present discourse. A little farther therefore. — Deliverance to a Chri­stian represents it self so, as he can clearly and comfortably eye it in God's hand, and as some­thing conveyed to him by the goodness of a good [Page 59] God. And when deliverance can be thus beheld, not only as coming in a common effective provi­dence, but by the approbation, allowance, and good will of the Father, then such deliverance is entertained with the best acceptation of Faith, he compasseth God about with songs of deliverance. To this Point a little may be spoken. There are se­veral respects in which no man is so capable to ac­cept Deliverance, such Deliverance, as a Be­liever.

1. None, as he, can tell what to make of De­liverance.

2. None, as he, knows how to improve De­liverance.

3. None, as he, can accompt with God for it at the last Day.

1. First of all; When Deliverance comes in, in such a way as he may accept of it, none is able to make so much of it, put such a value upon it as he; every thing on this side Hell is Mercy. It's of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed. Faith ad­vanceth the value of every received good, accor­ding to the love that sent it, the price it cost, the grace that brings it; it sayes as Jacob, I am less than the least of all thy mercies, Gen. 32.10. What am I, that thou hast brought me hitherto? saith David, 2 Sam. 7.18. It traceth out, and owneth the foot­steps of divine good-will in every little thing, and much more when it sees such salutations: Life is a mercy, Liberty a mercy, exemption from Tor­tures a great mercy, Deliverance out of them a greater mercy. Hence the Soul is compassed, and compasseth his God about with songs of De­liverance.

[Page 60]2. None knows how to improve a Deliverance, how to use it when he hath it, as a Believer: If he have Life on this side Death, Liberty on this side Bonds, Ease on this side Torment, he is taught to acknowledge and reckon he is not his own in it, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. but must use it to the glorifying God in soul and body, which are his. None is under such obligations, none hath such objects and opportunities to make an high improvement of them as he hath who by believing looks into them, others bestow them on their lusts.

3. None, as he, knows what account he must give to God for such Deliverances: as he must reckon for every idle word, and all the deeds done in the body, so he must yield an account of all his receipts whatever they be, and therefore must so receive and improve as one that must be judged by the Law of Liberty; and hence durst not say of any Mercy as they, Our tongues are our own, who is Lord over them? Psa. 12.4. On these accompts, and others that might be mentioned, the Believer hath reason to know deliverance, the worth that is in it, and his duty about it, more than any other. Now as none can deal with deliverance as they, so is it a very high duty incumbent on such to receive deliverance at the hand of God; then to accept de­liverance is his duty, and to give it such acceptance and entertainment in Truth, as he expressed in Complement, and in a strain of Oratory & Rhe­torick, Acts 24.2, 3. the terms only changed: the Believer may thus express himself to the Lord; Seeing I enjoy great quietness, (great deliverance, great preservation) and that very worthy deeds are done to such a worm as I, by thy Providence, I [Page 61] accept it alwayes, and in all places (my dear Father) with all thankfulness. None do and can give it such acceptable entertainment as the Believer of whom we treat. The matter therefore thus stated and considered, he doth not, he durst not refuse such deliverance: For if he should not thus re­ceive it,

1. He were, in this refusal, a meer destroyer of himself; a thing abhorrent to godliness: he were, I say, accessary of the violence done upon himself. Saul is as guilty of his own death, if his Armour-bearer thrust him through, as when he falls upon his own Sword. If Life, Liberty, or any Mercy may be had in God's way, the refusal of it is the destroying our selves so far as that Mercy extends. Though we are required to hate Father and Mo­ther, and our own Lives, in a sence, yet it is far from the intendment of the Spirit we should care­lesly run them upon hazard: no, such know their bodies are the Temples of the Holy Spirit, and they ought to use them well for his sake who dwells in them: He that abuseth the Temple of God, him will God destroy.

2. Such a refusal of Deliverance, when it may be had in the Lord's way, is a manifestation and an act of the highest ingratitude and unthankful­ness to the Lord that can be thought on. To scorn or set at nought his favours, is very much beneath the ingenuity of a Believer; who ought to imbrace all occasions to shew forth the high praises of the Lord, which are due unto his Name. Blessed are such as dwell in the Lord's House, they have fre­quent such occasion to be praising him, and it is comely for the upright.

[Page 62]3. Should he not accept Deliverance, when it may be had in the Lord's way, it would be found an act of high violence and injustice towards o­thers, who may be involved and concerned equal­ly with themselves. Some have Wives, and Chil­dren, or other Relations, in the flesh; now, as if he provide not for his own, and especially for them of his own houshold, he were worse than an Infidel, 1 Tim. 5.8. So if he draw them into sufferings, from whence he might have deliverence in a way honourable and acceptable to the Lord, he is ac­cessary of their misery, their wrong will be upon him. — More of this kind might be spoken, but I fear too much of it is ready to be alledged on the common principle, which is fruitful in such kind of reasonings: Save thy self, spare thy self; this harm shall not come unto thee, as Mat. 17.22. I shall only draw this Consideration into sutable Improve­ment, in a few Inferences.

1. If this be so, then may we take up this In­struction, That Godliness, and the profession of it, doth not inevitably run and necessitate a Chri­stian upon the hazard and loss of every thing he hath, or induce him to cast away all: Though it doth indeed require him to prepare his stuff for re­moving, to stand crucified in his affections unto them, and ready to make surrender of them when­ever the Lord needs them (as was said of the Colt) or is pleased to call for them; yet it also directs to an excellent way of receiving, enjoying, and using them; buying as if he bought not, ha­ving, and using all these as not abusing them, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30, 31. Do not therefore take up hard thoughts of Godliness, because of the Doctrine of [Page 63] Self-denyal, the Cross at entrance, or the Tryals and Tribulations that are appointed to attend the Professors of it.

2. Hence it will also follow, That false and wrong Principles are not to be accompted good, because persons do, upon them, run all they have upon ruine. As there is a kind of respect and pity kindled in tender and ingenious hearts to­ward a people who suffer under the profession of principles that have an appearance of Holiness in them: So doth a kind of stedfastness to those prin­ciples, and resolution to run all things to ruine on them, very much tend to raise admiration and ap­plause to such a people and their profession: where­as on the contrary, I desire you to take this as a standing Rule;

☞ That the goodness of a Principle is not to be tryed and determined by the resolution of the Sufferer, but the resolution of the Sufferer by the goodness of his Principle.

Good-men may be very weak under good Prin­ciples, and Bad-men may be very heady and re­solute under bad principles; and this well consi­dered, would lead off our eyes from gazing on, and having mens persons in admiration upon one hand when we see them stand, or being apt to judge them and their cause if we see them insident in hours of temptation to shake and totter.

I confess its very beautiful and desireable to see stedfastness of Soul, as the off-spring of Truth, fixed there in Gospel-evidence; and the contrary hereunto, hath given not a little advantage and occasion to weak ones, to question almost every thing, whether there be any thing of Truth in it, [Page 64] seeing the generality of all Professors have been in the entrance on this Tryal, so hardly fixed to any thing that endangereth the loss of their exter­nal accommodations. If it be enquired, Why so many shrink, and totter, who profess the Truth? I answer: It doth not argue that their Principle was naught, and so the cause of their tottering; but their standing upon that principle was not sound, they were not joyned to the things they professed, they were not mixt with Faith, Heb. 4.2. There are many principles on which many have adventured their All, and endured great Tortures, and yet no truth or soundness in them. See 1 Cor. 13.3. Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it were nothing. Which implyeth a possibility, on hollow and unsound bottoms, to pro­ceed thus far, and yet find no acceptance with God at all in it. We may consider a few Principles that will carry men to endure torments, and yet not such as we may justifie.

1. First, there is Self-Righteousness; a design to establish a man's own Righteousness in opposi­tion to the Righteousness of Christ in the Gospel: its wonderful to consider what tortures it will wade through in compassing its design. You know that Observation the Apostle makes of it, Col. 2.23. where speaking of the attempts made to deceive and spoyl Christians of the simplicity of the Gos­pel, partly by the Heathenish Philosophy, and partly by Jewish Superstition, they meet in this, A shew of wisdom they have in Will-worship, and hu­mility, neglecting the Body, not in any honour to the sa­tisfying the flesh. Flesh will be satisfied, and a design of flesh carried on vigorously, to promote [Page 65] its righteousness, though it be in a neglecting, dishonouring, offering violence to the body. Men have, and do admit great hardships on their body, to promote the righteousness of the flesh.

Again; Another principle that will carry men through sufferings wonderfully, is, the lust of the flesh: when there is some untamed lust that seems to be crost by sufferings, and especially if it can be hid under the cloak of some profession. As for instance; the Pride and Ambition of a man, where it rageth and is unmortified, it will rush and make a noise a great while through sufferings. Such a man will scorn to be said to bow, to be called a Turn-coat, to yield to such a subdued unworthy generation. So likewise headiness, frowardness, where it takes head and heart, it will rush as the Horse into the battel: The Counsel of the froward is carried headlong, Job 5.13. Its master-piece is blind madness.

3. Moreover, Strong affections to the persons of men, and admiration of them, because of advantage. The Disciples would go and die with Lazarus, Joh. 11.16. They would follow Jesus into Prison, and into Death, Luke 22.33. Affections led Peter upon the Waves for Christ's company, but could not keep him from sinking. Many would go to the ends of the Earth, for the love they bear to such a Ministry, to such a People, &c. But if this be the height and strength of it, it will abate and decay upon sharp tryal.

4. Lastly, When a man's case becomes desperate, as Saul: Men will fall upon their Sword; Judas hang himself; Men will desire to die, and it flees from them.

Upon the whole this Conclusion issueth forth; The goodness of a man's Bottom, Spirit, Cause, or Principle, is not to be concluded from the reso­luteness of his standing; and on the contrary, other wayes must be sought to determine and cen­sure the badness of a Principle, besides the Apo­stacy of Professors from it. All they that were in Asia forsook Paul, 2 Tim. 1.15. At his first Answer, no man stood by him, ch. 4.16. All scattered to their own from Christ, Joh. 16.32. Sought their own things, and not the things which are Jesus Christs, Phil. 2.21. And yet Truth's professed by them ne­ver the worse for all this. Let's then be less rash in judging them and their standing, taking heed rather lest we fall; God is able to graft them in, and make them stand again: Deliverance when God may be seen bringing it, and enjoyed in it, ought to be accepted, and Faith fittest to give the best acceptation to it.

2dly. But to pass this by, my aim in the next place principally, is to consider Deliverance as it is in the tempters hand, as an offer of his, and as in design to carry on the same projects, that he had in the Torment, and that is, To ensnare and debauch the person, when the Tortures have made such a breach upon the members, as the Tormen­ter thinks he hath caused some impression by way of despondency on the mind, that he supposeth former reasonings are someway weakned, and former resolutions abated; now is Deliverance tendered as a bait, to draw the soul off from its stedfastness. Now Faith is of power to interpose, to relieve the poor, tortured, tempted soul, setling it upon the power of God, and by gathering up his [Page 67] spirits to help him to make that gallant repulse, that honourable refusal to it in all its painted and alluring beauty; I scorn your Deliverance, Got behind me Satan, thou art an offence to me. You have the excellency of Faith described in other subjects (vers. 37.) They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, They were tempted, were slain with the sword: Among other conquests of believing, this was not the least, that in the midest of other cruel Tortures, they were tempted, and yet were conquer­ors. How tempted? Why, as is said above, (v. 15.) they had opportunities to have returned, to have escaped; and this was the nobility of their spirits, they slighted such opportunities, when temptation lay in opportunities. We are therefore here to observe this further Supposition, to be implyed in the former assertion; ☞ That the fairest offers of Deliverance in a Torturers hand, may carry the foulest designs of Temptation in them; and then is Faith eminently concerned to take heed of them, and resist them. Indeed, if persons will be by no means perswaded to look otherwayes than on the out-side of the offer, it is not strange if they take, if such swallow them down, as the unwary Fish doth Hook and all; but if they belong to God, they must vomit them up again, God shall cast them out of their belly. When God hath a soul under the Rod, upon the Rack, in measure, when it breaketh forth he will debate with it, he seeks to make impressions by frequent solicitations, to get entrence by some means or other for his designs of grace and holiness; which he doth gradually chafe in this way, Job 33.14, 15, 16, 19, &c. ch. 36.8, 9, 10. In like manner, though, with a differing de­sign, [Page 68] when Satan can but have the winnowing, (Luke 22.31.) and hampering of a child of God, (Job 1.11, 12. ch. 2.5, 6.) his whole design is to make impressions of pollution, Curse God and die, let go thy integrity; and the remembrance and ex­perience he hath how many strong men have fallen this way, encourageth and emboldens him to deal frequently this way. As we see those instruments of his did with Jeremiah, ch. 20.10. All my fami­liers watch for my halting; peradventure he will be in­ticed, and we shall prevaile against him, and take our revenge on him. Sampson had a great spirit, and by plain force could not be subdued, but a Dalilah is prevalent to ensnare him. David shall have Mi­chal given him to Wife, but in design that she may be a snare to him, 1 Sam. 18.21. There being no Inchantment against Jacob, nor Divination against Israel. Balaam the Son of Beor, gives counsel, to take Israel in a way that had more of Efficacy to divide betwixt them and their God, than could be expected from Balacks fighting them, or Balaams cursing them, Micah 6.5. Numb. 25.1, 2, 3. Every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust, and inticed, &c. James 1.14, 15. By these wayes is a poor soul overcome, and brought into bondage frequently, when open violence will do but little harm on him. Now the attempts of the enemy in such a season, when the poor man is in the fear or feeling of Torture, are carried on one of these Two wayes:

1. Sometimes so gross is the Design, so apparent is the Project to debase, and debauch, as every eye may see it, and he that runs may reade it: and consequently so, as the common reason of men, [Page 69] not only may detect it, but offer relief against it; when Violence springeth up into a Rod of wicked­ness, it is usually thus, and then the escape and conquest is more easily obtained: the very prin­ciples of humanity guiding a man in his choice and refusal. In vain (saith Solomon, Prov. 1.17.) is the Net spread in the sight of any Bird. When the Project lies so open, as Reason and Morality dictate and assist against it, its not then so properly attributed to Faith to do it. — But,

2. Satan's Project is many times carried on ve­ry covertly, and lies hid and concealed under ma­ny very specious shews and pretences; the dan­ger of standing out, the reasonableness of yiel­ding and complying, are ready to be disputed with much demonstration. Now when really the case is thus, and the snares of Satan are thus couched and latent, the soul is only preserved by the meer grace of God, and Faith comes to be magnified in the glory of its operation: for short of that, & while Faith is not upon its quick exercise, the soul is ly­able, ere ever it is aware, to be taken and carried away, his reason lyable to captivity; and the a­bundance of these Cavils may divide the man within himself, against himself. To be in a capa­city of resolving all these Doubts and answering, or at least stilling & silencing all these Objections, on the side of Truth. This speaks the victory of Faith, and proclaims the man a Believer indeed. Of this there is a very pregnant Instance in this Chapter, in the case of Moses, vers. 24, 25, 26. The deliberations of his mind are exprest in acts of Chusing, Refusing, Esteeming; all which were imployed in weighing a case very like this, of [Page 70] which the Text treateth. He refused Deliverance and Preferment, with all the Accommodations imaginable; and imbraced Afflictions, Reproach­es, Sufferings; not as out of direct necessity, but as of choice, upon terms that must necessarily ex­pose him to the common Censure of Obser­vers.

We may weigh and accommodate to our use some Circumstances in that affair. He refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter. Its sup­posed, and most probable, Pharaohs Daughter was Heiress to the Crown of Egypt, and having no Children, would have adopted Moses as her Son, to entitle him to the Succession of the Crown of Egypt, or at least to advance him to an high capa­city of Honour and Dominion in that Court. Now all this he refuseth; not only dis-esteems, but de­nies to touch with it; and this not on a fit, or in a heat, as a youthful frollick; for the Spirit notes it to be when he was come to years; And Acts 7.22, 23. He was learned in all the Wisdom of the Egyptians, mighty in words and in deeds: and when he was full 40 years, it came into his heart, &c. All which shews him to have been, both as to his Age, and the ripeness of his Understanding, every way capable of putting forth acts of mature and deli­berate Consideration, especially in a matter of such moment to him. Well, thus capacitated, he Refuseth that, and it, not meerly to exchange for a retired contemplative way of living, wherein he might more desireably accommodate his noble genius, by being sequested from the noise & sensu­alities of the Court; But, He chuseth to suffer Afflictions with the people of God: their state at this [Page 71] time was very terrible in the Iron furnace, where he could expect at best nothing but lash and la­bour: both which must needs be the more irksome, for that he had not been bred, or accustomed to them: but he stands fixed in his choice, as upon an estimate of things on all hands, in which he con­cludes he had the better bargain, Esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater treasure than the riches of Egypt, &c.

It might be easie to represent to our selves, what abundant Reason, according to flesh and blood, would stand up against this choice of his. Would not Sence have said, Never make this Choice, you will never be able to endure the Brick-kilne, the cruel Task-masters, the hard fare of Onions and Garlick, who have been bred so delicately, fed so deliciously, clad so honourably? Would not Policy have said, Never make this Choice, it will savour of a design, That you intend to grow popu­lar among an heady mutinous Nation; you purpose to take your advantage to rebel against the King, to shake off the yoke of Servitude; you are known at Court, and will be eyed, and incur the wroth of the King above any man in Egypt, Keep your station, meddle not with Changes, now the eyes and expectation of all begin to be fixed on you? Would not Parents, and Friends, have said, Make not this Choice, you will utterly over-throw our fortunes, to which you may now be probably in a capacity to raise us; in this your act you will in­volve us under the same cloud, and common hard­ship and suffering with your self; and to be made miserable by the hand that we expect advancement by, is a double misery? Would not Israel, the best [Page 72] and wisest of them say, Oh! whatever you do, make not that Choice; Now you are in a fair pro­bability to do us good in a publick capacity: You may be Pharaoh! and then may let Israel go: at least, you may be another Joseph, a Second in the Kingdom; and in that capacity may obtain, if not a rescinding, yet a relaxing of the rigour of the Laws that bind our burdens so insufferably upon us, that cut off our Males, and use us with so many inhumanities as are unsufferable, unexpressible; Whereas if you come among us, you may make our yoke the heavier, and burdens the greater, may be­get jealousies concerning us, and so render us the more miserable? — These, and others, may be thought to have had weight in them. But herein now breaks forth the excellency of believing; By Faith he turns the deaf ear to all these clamours, is satisfied in his Choice on the other hand; and that not in an head-strong, resolute frollick, but as having the best and most convincing demonstra­tion on his side; he chose for the better, for grea­ter riches in hand, for a greater recompence of re­ward in hope. The other tender which he refused, he saw had more of an Hook than of an Help in it, was a snare rather than any advantage; and there­fore he utterly rejects it. At this Point is a no­table tryal of the Truth, strength, and excellency of a Believers Faith, when he is helped to ponder a Deliverance, an Accommodation, at the very brink of tryal and torture, and if he finds it too dear (as a man may buy Gold too dear) he there and then rejects it, and rather chuseth the suffer­ing than the sinning side. This leads us now, to the main Practical Question in this day.

Quest. How shall a Christian know when his De­liverance may be bought too dear, when he must im­brace any Tortures, rather than touch with it, though it be tendered?

Unto this I shall endeavour to Answer in Five or Six Particulars.

1. When the greatest Deliverance is tendered on the one hand, and the greatest Tortures threat­ned on the other. If I cannot come at the good of that Deliverance, but I must commit some sin in coming at it, I may not in that case touch with, but must refuse that Deliverance. The Reason of this is manifest, There is more of evil in the least sin, than there can possibly be of good in the great­est deliverance. You have the case cleared in the Instance last given of Moses, there was but one little word that turned the scale of his determina­tion so powerfully, and that was, they were the pleasures of Sin for a season. He could not accept of, and improve the accommodation of the Court any longer without sin; he saw how sin had inter­mixed and incorporated its self into them, and so they could be no longer urged but as temptations to, and costly coverings of sin; and on this single bottom he rejects them, and reckons the worst re­proaches and sufferings, where Christ may be had, and incomparably far better. One Sinner (and so one sin) destroyeth much good; as a few dead Flies will much sweet Oyntment, Eccles. 9.18. & 10.1. It will not serve the turn to say as Lot did, Is it not a little one, and my soul shall live? The extenua­ting, lessening, and excusing sin in such cases, is very frequent, but exceeding dangerous; and then is Job's charge easily incurred, Chap. 36.21. Take [Page 74] heed, regard not Iniquity, for this hast thou chosen ra­ther than Affliction. When great Affliction and (that which we call) a little Sin, come in competi­tion in our choice, its usual to chuse Sin rather than Affliction.

Object. But it is usually objected, Why is it not safe, of two evils to chuse the least?

Sol. I Answer, This is very dangerous to be re­duced to practise, and utterly contrary to the mind of God, when the evil in the Question is a­bout any Sin; for a man is not to commit the least sin, to avoid the greatest suffering; no nor to com­mit one sin to avoid another. For whereas many shelter themselves under this refuge, which is not a rest, because it is defiled, they would do well to consider, That there is no dispensation of God that necessitates any son of men alive to com­mit any sin whatsoever. God doth not need any sin of ours to promote any end of his, nor any proper end of ours.

Object. But if the Question ariseth, Did not ma­ny good men sin, when they were driven to such extre­mities, to avoid sufferings breaking in upon them? Did not Abraham, Jacob, David, and others, do so?

Sol. I Answer, All this is most true: but mark it, when ever you find any of these recorded in the Word of God, they are there set as so many Sea-marks: As you see a Bouy upon the top of a Rock, to signifie that Death and danger are there, if you come neer that place; they are not as Land-marks which you are directed to approach unto, but as Dungeon-lights, from which you must keep the farthest distance, in dark and stormy nights. More­over [Page 75] you may observe, That usually where-ever you find a Believer hath avoided a danger, or grasped at a priviledge in a way of sin, usually God hath made that a bitter priviledge to them by that time he hath done with them. As in the case of David, seeking his Satisfaction and Comforts in Bathsheba, which he attempts to come at in a way of Adultery and Blood; for beside the breaking his communion with God, and the breaking his bones, the Sword never departs from his house. Jacob he lies and useth indirect courses to come at the Birth-right of Esau, and the Blessing of Isaac: but observe him, all his dayes he walks in a very troublesome pilgrimage, the rest of the few and evil dayes he had to live; his gray hairs were brought with sorrow to the Grave.

Object. But it is sometimes objected, The per­son had in his eye and intention, the bringing about some good by it, some priviledge to serve God the quieter, and some liberty of enjoying what he hath, the better to do good to them that are necessitated, and may not that excuse and plead for a little latitude, which some acts of his have?

Sol. I Answer, as Job did his Friends, chap. 13.6, 7. Hear my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. Wilt thou speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? This very way of reason­ing you have stated and refuted by the Apostle, Rom. 3.7, 8. If the Truth of God hath abounded by my lye to his Glory, why yet am I judged as a sinner? As though he had said, If the Glory of God was brought about, or the Truth of God brought forth to evidence the more by a lye, or fault of mine, Doth not that acquit me from being a sinner, and [Page 76] blame-worthy in so doing? His answer, is with the greatest vehemency rejecting it, as a slanderous report, and that which was falsly fastned either up­on his Doctrine or Practice, that a man may do evil that good may come thereby; God doth not require or accept any sin of ours, to perform any service, or promote any ends of his.

2dly. A second case in which the question is re­solved, when I may not accept Deliverance, is this, When I cannot come at the good of Deli­verance, but I must give a stab, stretch, or wound to a good Conscience. I ought not upon such terms to touch with Deliverance; for thus to do, were but to exchange and avoid the torture of my body, and admit in the room of it a torture upon my soul and spirit. They who will adventure to rush upon, and run down the counsel, comfort, and judgement that Conscience sets up, and would keep up in them, they little think what an hazard they run. Paul could stedfastly behold the Coun­cil, and tell the High-Priest (that was President of it) that God would smite him as a whited-wall, when he had this defence to make, I have lived in all good Conscience to this day, Acts 23.1, 2, 3. This makes Councils that persecute, slight and de­spicable; torments, sweet and easie. Though with­out there be fightings, yet inwardly there will be peace; whereas if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things. To have God and our own Consciences against us at once, will not be countervailed by the friend­ship of this world, that any obtain by stretching a good Conscience, making shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience. I have been sometimes [Page 77] awakned with the dread of that word, Jer. 4.11, 12. when a threatning is exhibited from the Wil­derness, and then to have God give sentence also against a People, that is dreadful; to have God a­gainst us, our selves against us, and many to one, but we draw men against us too in such cases, this is the worst of torments; whereas all is rendred easie when we can say, Psal. 17.2. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence. If God be for us, Con­science for us, who then can be against us? who can harm us? We may reade in Cain, Judas, Spira, and many others, how fearful it hath been to un­dergo a wound in them: A man may sustain his in­firmities of other kinds, but a wounded Conscience who can bear?

Object. Its true, I cannot quiet the clamours of Conscience as I would do, but I find I am very igno­rant, and men tell me, This I may do, and that I may do very safely, and I am bound to think of them bet­ter than my self, and not to prefer before their judg­ment the dictates of my weak Conscience.

Answ. It is a very dangerous thing to do any thing against the dictates of an erring Conscience, provided thou knowest not at present that it is in this thing erring. It is a question among many, Whether the dictates of an erring Conscience do bind? but sure I am, that violence offer'd to an erring Conscience, hath a direct tendency to ter­rifie him that doth any thing with a doubting Con­science; He that doubteth is damned if he eat: for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin, Rom. 14.23. Blessed is the man that condemneth not himself in the things that he alloweth. Though thy Conscience may be erronious, yet while thou knowest it not to [Page 78] be so, it is the best friend thou hast under Heaven. Take heed therefore by the force of others, or the fear and treachery that is in thy self, thou admit any violence done to it, lest once stretching it be­yond its staple, it never do the offices of a good Conscience more to thee, to counsel, excuse, wit­ness toward thy peace more.

Object. But I have seen other men accept of, comply with, and yield to, that which my Conscience makes such a noise about, and they good men too, and yet they profess they have peace in it; and why may not I adventure?

Answ. For my part, I durst not judge another mans Servant; to his own Master he stands or falls: Yet I have sometimes observed men who have ad­ventured in this kind, and though they have car­ried it with an high forehead, and put a bold coun­tenance on it; yet there are times when one may discern them to have pale faces, which may give intimation, all is not well within: such are under great temptation to keep up their credit till the Lord arrest them with a new Conviction, as he did David, with a Thou art the man! and then they may, as he, be forced to cry out (how long soever he had carried it stoutly) All my bones are out of joynt; Restore to me the joyes of thy Salvation, and take not away thy Holy Spirit from me. But sup­pose their Consciences do not smite them, they may have a kind of peace that is but from security, not the peace of God, not the peace of the answer of a good Conscience by the bloud of sprinkling. The Apostle tells us of a Conscience seared with a hot Iron, 1 Tim. 4.2. Some sorts of violence done to Conscience are left by the Lord to the Devils [Page 79] curing, who heals the smart of divers wounds by searing them; but the cure is never the more de­sireable for all that. Its with Conscience as it is with Cloth, which sometimes the Fuller strains so much upon the Tenters, till he break the very staple of it, and then its neither fire nor water will shrink it (whereas being strained but in an ordina­ry way, it would) but though it shrink not, you may be sure it will have no strength for service. Take heed you offer not such force to Conscience, lest you find it short of serving you as it should in time of need.

3. If I cannot come at the good of Deliver­ance, but I must betray or balk some Truth of God, intrusted with me as a part of my Testimony, I may not upon any terms touch with that Deliver­ance. Every Truth of Christ, committed to the care and custody of a Christian is of more worth and value than all his Comforts and Accommoda­tions under the Sun. And he that yields or betrays any Truth thus deposited, as a pledge to his trust and care, for the procuring any liberty to himself, hath too hard a bargain of it. You have an ex­press direction, Prov. 23.23. Buy the Truth and sell it not. We are to buy it whatever it cost, but not to barter it whatever it will yield. That was a choice Spirit described, 2 Cor. 13.8. We can do no­thing against the Truth, but for the Truth. The Glory of God may be so deeply engaged and im­barqued in one Truth, as all my external comforts may not be named in one day with it. It hath been an expression very taking with me, Isa. 43.9, 10. God hath his times wherein most eminently he is put upon it to vindicate his Truth; the question is [Page 80] brought upon the stage and tryal of the world, who must either yield and say, It is truth; or else must endure the test of God's Evidences, who are his Saints: Ye are my Witnesses saith the Lord, or his Son, called his Servant whom he hath chosen; who in the grand contest with all the powers of dark­ness hath, by witnessing his good confession, me­rited that name, Rev. 3.14. The Amen, the Faith­ful and true Witness; a resemblance and proportion to him, is every Christian required to keep, in his being called forth to a witness-bearing to him. As God values every Truth of his at an high rate, especially in the day that it is to be spoken for, so should we. There are divers Truths that in most Ages are not controverted; these are not so pro­perly the Truths under present consideration, but such as the design of the Adversary is manifest to root out from being professed under heaven, such are the Word of Patience, which must be kept, Rev. 3.10. the present Truth, which must be had in re­membrance and establishment, 2 Pet. 1.12.

Object. Why, is not every truth, a truth now, a present truth?

Answ. Though that which is truth at any time, abides truth at all times; yet, as hath been said, those truths in a most eminent manner are called present truths, which concern at present the vindi­cation of the Glory of God, and draw on the pre­sent tryals of the day upon the Assertors of it. I note this the rather, because in this shifting-day many that would be thought to be the Lord's Wit­nesses, please themselves with this, Blessed be God we hold to Fundamentals! What Fundamental Truths have we yielded, or denied? and think themselves [Page 81] no way concerned to keep up a testimony for those truths which they call Circumstantial, such as are not matters of Salvation, whether it be held or practised this way, or the other way. Alas! by such distinctions and evasions as these, men have let go almost their whole testimony about the Royal right of Christ, to set up Institutions of Worship that are to be maintained in his Authority only. And I fear that such who can so easily relinquish their testimony to present Truths under this pre­tention, They are not Fundamental Truths, it will be found that when those Truths which they now call Fundamental, shall be brought (as they may speedily be brought) to their tryal, and so become present Truths, there will other distinctions be found out, to avoid the offence of the Cross con­cerning them also. For an unconceiveable weak­ness in sticking close to every Truth is unavoidably contracted, by yielding to the betraying of any Truth. Hence Paul would not give place by sub­jection, no not for an hour (when there was great contention) that the Truth of the Gospel might be continued, Gal. 2.5. so vers. 14. you see how eagerly he contended with Peter, which might have endan­gered the Peace of the Churches, meerly, because he walked not uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel. That Point which that Epistle handleth being the present Truth, which was most assaulted and endangered to be lost in that day, occasions him to be so jealous of it, that he would and did run all manner of hazards, rather than betray it. Our case is the same now: many glorious Truths hath the Lord brought forth, asserted, cleared, and committed to his Saints and Churches to keep un­rebukeable [Page 82] till the appearing of Christ, especially those of his Dominion over his Saints, and others, these now being put upon a publick test upon the stage of the World, and we as Witnesses Subpoenâ to give in Evidence to the truth and goodness of them, We durst not accept of any overtures of Deliverance, or otherwayes, whereby our Testi­mony to them should be balked.

4. When I cannot come at the good of Deli­verance, but I must bind up my hands from being capable of doing God that service in my generati­on, which he requireth of me freely for the time to come; when these are the terms, Deliverance is too dear forme, and may not be accepted.—We are called unto Liberty, and withal required to stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and not to be entangled with any yoke of bon­dage, Gal. 5.1. Not to be the servants of men, 1 Cor. 7.23. For, if we seek to please them, we cannot be the servants of Christ, Gal. 1.10. Now that thing which would bind up my hands from being ser­viceable to Jesus Christ when he calls for my ser­vice, my yielding thereunto, whatever it be, is a betraying of my Christian Liberty, which Christ hath purchased for me with his blood. We are debtors unto Grace, and may not violate that ob­ligation, or yield to any thing that incapacitates us to discharge it, by any means, or on any terms. You reade frequently at what an high rate in se­veral contests Paul stands upon his Romane Privi­ledges, he would not when in Prison came out to the detriment or disparagement of those his hu­mane liberties, Acts 16.37. And shall Paul think earthly priviledges to be such as he would indure [Page 83] longer imprisonment, rather than basely betray them; and shall we who are called to Gospel-liberties, bought at so dear a rate beyond his, (Acts 22.28. 1 Pet. 1.18.) sell them for a song, God forbid. You know when Moses was upon the Treaty with Pharaoh, about the enlargement of Israel out of Egypt, divers overtures Pharaoh makes, according as the hand of the Lord pressed on him. They should sacrifice in the Land, Exod. 8.26. or, they should go out, so none but the Men might go, leaving the Women and Children, chap. 10.9, 10, 11. or, They should all go, but they should leave the Flocks and Herds, chap. 10.24. But what is the resolution of Moses? There shall not an hoof be left behind, for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God: and we know not with what we must serve the Lord until we come thither, v. 26. Shall Moses and Israel stand on their Points to en­dure Bondage rather than leave an Hoof behind? And shall we make such terms to have Locks and Fetters upon our Hands and Feet from serving Christ for time to come, seeing we little know what he may require of us to serve him withal? God forbid. Can true Israelites endure to have Deliverance upon such terms, as the thrusting out their right eyes, and laying it for a reproach on all Israel? Would not all the Lords people lift up their voices and weep if it should be so? 1 Sam. 11.2, 4.

Object. What would you have me do? I am now (perhaps) a Prisoner. They will give me liberty so I will engage to Preach no more, to Meet no more, &c. If they keep me a Prisoner, I cannot Meet, or Preach, [Page 84] &c. And if I promise I will not, I shall be but in the same capacity I am in now, and am likely to be still in?

Answ. This way of reasoning is very ensna­ring; for, (first) if thou art in bonds, thy great interest lies in this, in giving diligence that the Word of God is not bound, 2 Tim. 2.9. but rather as Paul saith, Phil. 1.12. That the things that fall out of this kind, fall out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel. Such therefore as seek and get freedom on terms that leave the Word obstructed in that free passage wherein it should run and be glorified, 2 Thes. 3.1. they do but get the fetters off from their own feet, and set them upon the Word of God, which is but Deliverance with a mischief. (2) Thy liberty obtained in such a way, and on such reasonings, is but a liberty and freedom to serve thy self, feed and satisfie thy self and lusts as a man, not to serve Christ, or do any thing for thy God as a Christian man. (3) If thou art violently restrained by them, the sin of any omis­sion of Duty and Service, lies at their door; and to their peril be it when the King shall demand the reason of thy want of service: but when thou ac­ceptest of those terms, thou becamest accessary with them, art in conjunction with them, its thy sin as much, if not more than theirs; they think they do God good service. (4) If thou art only bound by the hands of Violence, the Lord looks on thee, and reckons thee as his free man, free in Spirit, thou reservest the dominion of that for God. Thou livest not, dyest not as a Fool dieth, but as a man falleth before wicked men, 2 Sam. 3.33, 34.

Object. Now there is little opportunity to do the Lord any such service, but if ever an opportunity pre­sent, I hope to be as ready as another: may not such obligations be enervated, repented of, and a soul dis­obliged from them?

Answ. It hath been, and is still the crying sin of this day, and of the years past, That persons have thought it a very small matter, to make and break these kind of Engagements, according as interest presents them with an opportunity; the iniquity and provocation whereof I shall only attempt to open in one Scripture, Ezek. 17.12, 13, to vers. 20. where God expostulates the case with the rebelli­ous House of Judah. They and the King of Baby­lon make a Covenant, and there is for ratification of it the Oath of God added: The King of Baby­lons design was to make the Kingdom base, that it might not lift up its self; and in this exigency they make a Covenant. The question is put, Whe­ther their taking an opportunity to shake off this yoke and break this Covenant, might not be suc­ceeded with prosperity? This consequence the Lord disclaims with the highest indignation, and that, because of the Oath of God, the quarrel and controversie of that Oath and Covenant should be required severely at the hands of such a treache­rous people. — If thy hand have been lifted up in Truth, Righteousness, and Judgement already, then take care how thou retract that, and to whom thou lift it up the second time, lest it prove a double provocation.

5. If I cannot come at the good of Deliver­ance, but I must intrench upon the Name, Honour, and Glory of God, which he hath lifted up in the [Page 86] World, I may not touch with that Deliverance. There are some wayes and works of God wherein he hath more immediately and eminently in some generations, concerned his Name than in others, or than ever it was before. God went to make him a Name of Greatness and Terribleness, by Re­deeming Israel out of Egypt, and driving the Na­tions out of Canaan, 1 Chron. 17.21. Isa. 63.12, 14. S [...] by bringing Judah out of Babylon; and will do, by bringing his Sion from under Antichrist. To­ward the later whereof, he hath made very glorious advances in our dayes, and we have sung his praise in them, so as it may be said of his Holy People at this day, as of Israel of old, Deut. 4.32, 33, 34. And all this he hath done to get himself a glorious Name: Our zeal for which, and love to which, is now brought to tryal, whether we will yea or nay, deny his Name? A faithful adhering to which, though by a people that have but little strength, is very acceptable to the Lord, Rev. 3.8, 9, 10. And he will do great things for such in times and hours of temptation. If therefore God be at this day so tender of his Name, as he is, that he will not give his glory to another, we ought to be upon his side in this design; and especially when this Name of his comes to be spoken about, all our Deliver­ances ought to be brought to this test, if they may be had with a saving to this Name they are welcome, otherwayes they may not be accepted.

Object. But whatsoever we can say was done in our dayes of that kind, the Lord now appears plucking it down again, leads that strength into captivity, & gives that glory into the enemies hand, bestowes the marks of favour upon the other party, who thrive and prosper; [Page 87] and being advanced to the capacity we see them, we do but follow Providence in joyning there?

Answ. 1. The best of thy plea is, God is angry with his People, & hath a great Controversie with them, which he pleads with deep and bitter strokes, and thou wilt be on his side, angry with them too, and plead against them. In so doing thou mayest be right and safe; but I must tell thee thou hast very much reason to take heed both of thy standing, and frame of spirit, lest his indig­nation take place on thee for being out of thy place; the Lord is very jealous against such as offer their service to be the executioners of his re­bukes upon his heritage, Zech. 1.15. Psal. 69.26. Isa. 47.6. that was a sore word, Obadiah vers. 11. For thy violence against thy Brother, shame shall cover thee, in the day that thou stoodest on the Other side — thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy Brother, &c. The Lord takes special notice on what side men stand, when he is dealing with his own Chil­dren for their folly. (2) Moreover the Lord's rebuke is not against his People for their Principle and testimony, but for their unsutableness to that Testimony and Principle of theirs which they pro­fessed. And now he is come in the way of this tryal to see whether we will cleave to him with our whole heart, and with our whole soul; what rem­nant they be who will cleave to him in principles of Righteousness, of Holiness, of Purity, of God­liness, of Gospel-worship, of an Heavenly Con­versation, and underneath the feet of these subject their interest of Ease, Rest, Liberty, Estates, Limbs, Lives; his Voice is therefore now, in this respect, who is upon the Lord's side? Psal. 94.16. [Page 88] Here its an exceeding mercy indeed to have ob­tained mercy to be faithful; not to deny his Name whatever it costs.

6. Deliverance is then to be dreaded, not ac­cepted, when I cannot come at the good of Deli­verance, without giving just occasion of stumbling to many to fall, and of grief and affliction to the bonds of many that stand. Precious in the sight of the Lord are the lives and souls of the poorest Saints, and ought to be tender to us, that we do nothing whereby they be stumbled, offended, or made weak, much less destroyed for whom Christ died. Asaphs first conviction of his extravagan­cy, Psal. 73.15. was, if he should speak thus, he should offend against the generation of Gods Children. As he was tender, so the Lord is very jealous of this, Ezek. 13.22. how the heart of the Righteous be made sad, whom God hath not made sad, and the hands of the wicked strengthned, that they should not return from their wicked way, &c. I con­fess there is a great latitude of Liberty wherein a Christian may walk in lawful things, among which the obtaining Deliverance is a branch of privi­ledge; but if it be attempted, as by many 'tis, to the offending, wounding, destroying of many of Christ's little ones; a Milstone hung about the neck, &c. is more tolerable than the consequence of such attainments.

Object. But say some, The different tempers and distempers of people and of professors is become such, that there is no walking by this rule, in this case; for there are divers Saints will come and tell me, if I do such or such a thing, I shall sin and wound them, encou­rage others to follow me to their hurt, Others (no way [Page 89] inferiour to the former in Wisdom, Parts, Piety) tell me, If I do not such a thing, I ruine my family, am worse than an Infidel, run them as well as my self upon danger, and temptations, so that in my omission and refusal, I shall grieve and offend them, and what may I do in this case, when I am likely to offend Saints either way?

Answ. When this is really so, it is a strait case, though I think somewhat rare in all the straitning circumstances in the Objection: but put the case it be so; this is a ruled case with me, If I can bring the matter into this plain evidence, that in my do­ing it, I shall really endanger the one party to sin; and in my not doing it, I shall but endanger the other party to suffer: being necessitated to a choice, I am to take that course whereby I may prevent the ones sinning, though I cannot prevent but really endanger the others suffering. For as I may not commit any sin my self to prevent my own suffering, so I may not run any one upon sin, to prevent another from suffering; for betwixt sin and suffering there is no comparison. Indeed I may not chuse any sin or suffering in my self, or a­nother, if it may righteously be avoided; but when I am driven to this Dilemma, though it be an hard yet it is a clear case what I am to do, and cast the care of the issue upon the Lord. We have a very high instance of this in the case of Haman and Mordecai, Esth. 3. throughout. You have Haman advanced by the King to exceeding dignity, and a Royal Commandment, that all should bow and do him reverence; a small matter, just, and requisite (one would think) for Mordecai, to have done as well as others, rather than break the Kings Com­mandment, [Page 90] incur Hamans burning rage, and re­venge, and endanger the destruction of the whole people of Israel; which yet he adventures to do, and to stand in, and cannot be by fair means or foul, removed from it. What would have been said of him now (think you) to have run so many thou­sands, both Estates and Lives, upon immediate hazard, rather than to yield a Civil token of sub­jection to such a Magistrate? What can be con­ceived to justifie him? Why, his Justification lies in the due consideration of the two denomi­nations these two men have, in the first and fourth verses. What was Mordecai? why he was a Jew; and he told them that enquired about the reasons of his contempt, That he was a Jew. vers. 4. a Per­son of no mean Quality, Pedigree, and Accompt; see Esth. 2.5. Ezra. 2.2. Neh. 7.7. And what was Haman? Why (vers. 1.) he was the Son of Ama­datha the Agagite. What was Agag (whence Haman descended) He was the King of Amalek, the relict of that destruction about which God had not only expresly determined, Exod. 17.14, 16. Numb. 24.20. Deut. 25.17, 18, 19. but given a very strict charge to Saul to make utter rid­dance of him from under Heaven, 1 Sam. 15.2, 3. Now as this indispensible Commandment lay for the destruction of Amalek in general, and such in­dignation was provoked for sparing Agag in par­ticular in that Chapter: So had the Lord expresly determined, Numb. 24.7. His King should be high­er than Agag, and his Kingdom should be advanced. This Controversie was to stand unreconcileable from generation to generation (Exod. 17.16.) nay, when Israel was at the lowest, and the branch of [Page 91] David as a root out of a dry ground, as it was in that day (they being in Captivity) yet was there preserved a Root against Amalek, according to Judg. 5.14. This wicked Haman was the Jews ene­my, Esth. 3.10. & 7.6. the wretched root of en­mity abode in him, that he derived from the stock of Amalek. Unto him in this character, spirit, and capacity, faithful Mordecai cannot bow, he re­members the Lords Controversie, Prophecy, Pro­vidences formerly against Amalek, and hence he cannot bow or yield in the least, whatever it cost; the issue, as well as the interest of this Controver­sie, was not unknown to his Wise-men and Wife, before the final decision of it, Chap. 6.13. If Mor­decai be of the Seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. Mark, here is an In­terest against which God had a stated Controversie, yet in one of the Branches of its Royal-line in a Rising way, the not bowing and yielding to which, is the high-way to endanger presently the Lives and Estates of all the Israel of God: yet, being Mordecai hath that foundation to stand upon, and is as the Lord's Root against Amalek, its safer (he judgeth) to adventure the losing all that could be lost, in a way of suffering, both his own and others, than betray the Lord's Interest; close up thus the Lord's Controversie, step aside from the Lord's Precepts, and make invalid the Lord's Promises; and by his publick example, encourage and involve others in the like iniquities. The Consequences of this faithful abiding with God, is well known: The accommodating it, is left to serious conside­ration. This Point in hand stands clearly witnessed [Page 92] to in it: When the sufferings only of Saints lye endangered if I take one way, and their sinning be endangered if I take the other; I am to resist to blood, striving against sin, much more to bonds, or any other tortures or sufferings. I do not deny but the case above, had many extraordinary cir­cumstances clothing it, but yet many excellent noble lessons may be safely deduced.

I shall, from the whole of what hath been deli­vered under this head of Doctrine, draw a few Inferences, and proceed.

1. If in so many cases Saints are not to accept Deliverance, but its the interest and excellency of their Faith rather to endure tortures: Then I beseech you to be very tender how you judge o­thers, for that upon tryals they do not accept of Deliverance, on such terms as may seem very plain and easie unto you. Its the ordinary censure of some, This is but their humour, and self-willedness, because they would seem to be something, &c. I say, though you cannot make a judgment upon what bottom such a Christian stands in not accepting Deliverance, yet do not presently conclude against him; it may be he hath more reason to refuse De­liverance than it is safe for him to express unto o­thers, in an age when men are made offenders and destroyed for a word; leave him to the Lord, and charitably suppose he hath a Conscience to God­ward in what he doth; and though it be mis­guided in this matter, yet its the best he hath, and he is bound to make much of it; Do not judge another man's Servant, to his own Master he stands or falls.

[Page 93]2. I would upon the Promises further beseech you, That since there are so many cases in which its dangerous (however it may seem pleasant) to accept Deliverance, you would give diligence that when these soul-shaking tryals are ready to beset you, and set upon you, you may not be taken in a way of surprize: the greatest mischief Satan doth to souls in this kind is, when he frights them into Deliverance, and escape, ere ever their spirits are recovered to a just capacity to weigh and make a solid judgment what is best to be done in the case, all things considered. They are ready to be taken with that way of reasoning that Esau was, Gen. 25.32. Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall this Birth-right do to me? So they: Be­hold! I am at the point to be imprisoned, to be banished, to be tortured: and what good then can this Profession do to me? And so being surprized with the fright, sell their Birth-right for a little meat, or something like it which perisheth with the using of it. In order to the preventing which mischief, I beseech you Consider:

1. First, That this Tryal whereupon the Lord brings you, perhaps is the principal, if not the only opportunity in which you may ever have the ad­vantage to speak a word on Gods behalf, and bear thus witness for him as long as you live; What shall we do for our Sister in the day that she is spoken for? was a seasonable question, Cant. 8.8. There is a day when God is to be spoken for, Christ to be spoken for, Truth to be spoken for, which being elapsed, the things of this our peace may be hid from our eyes. Oh! therefore, while you have this opportu­nity, omit not to do good, to improve it to the ut­most.

[Page 94]2dly. Consider, A little ground lost, at such a Season, and in such a Testimony, is hardly reco­vered again; where you find one Christian sound­ly recovers it, you may observe abundance decline and grow weak in making any future resistance to temptations. We are called to follow the Lord as Virgins: now where the enemy hath prevailed once to violate the chastity of such, to bruise the teats of their virginity, they afterward grow weak to make opposition to attempts of the like nature, Ezek. 16.30. How weak is thy heart, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman? A back-sliding Professor is like a whorish woman, who having lost her chastity, though she gets an imperious forehead, yet hath a weak heart; though she is bold to assert her chastity, yet she is weak to preserve it.

3dly. Consider, How easie and frequent it is with the Lord to make that deliverance which you buy so dear, become a real burden to you. How many wayes hath he to make your liberty a burden, by fresh vexations such meet withal, your Trade (for the sake of which you adventure such strange at­tempts) a real burden, by Losses, Deadness, Crosses in it? Your very Lives a burden, by sickness, and di­vers other vanities and vexations of spirit? And who would buy that too dear, that is lyable to so many causualties? Take heed that Satan doth not at such surprizals make a market upon you; for you are not ignorant of his enterprizes.

3. But leaving this Point, let us proceed to the Third Head, or manner of our considering Deli­verance, and that is, as Deliverance stands com­pared with, and undervalued by the preference of a [Page 95] better Resurrection, when the Torturers tender of Deliverence, and the Comforters tender of a better Resurrection come in competition: though both are good in themselves, yet Faith helps to make the choice of the Resurrection, as being the better incomparably, notwithstanding any incon­veniencies on this side it.

Hence the Third Supposition in the general Doctrine is, ☞ That a Believing Prospect into the Resurrection, is of mighty force to carry a Christian through any Tortures, and to reject any unworthy ten­ders of Deliverance.

Faith transmitting the eye upon Eternity, and fixing the expectation thereupon the consequences of the blessed coming of the King, sets all at rights, turns the Scales toward the advantage of the Glo­ry and Interest of God, as worthy to be adhered to: in comparison of which Resurrection, Torments are but a flea-biting, and Tenders of Deliverance as a painted feather. The Emphasis lies in the term [Better.] Faith satisfies, that the soul in this hath chosen the better part, not only better than Suffering, for so may Deliverance seem to be: But Better upon all accompts whatsoever, than the best and fairest offer, that can possibly be made to defloure, and intice from following after God. Earth may be good, Deliverance unto it, and the Accommodations in it, may be good; but when they are at the best, Christ is better, Heaven is bet­ter: to have Christ with us in Sufferings, with Peace, Joy and Satisfaction here; and to be ever with Christ in the Resurrection of the Just, this is tran­scendently best of all. The clearing this Point would be attempted (did not time prevent) in [Page 96] considering particularly, these Three things:

1. Deliverance at the best, with its power to allure us unto the choice of it [for its not it, when we are under offence at it, but Deliverance with its full allowance, that is brought undervalue in this choice.]

2. The Resurrection considered at the worst, and as it lay obvious to Objections (especially to them in that day) yet forcible and effectual to per­swade.

3. The actings and excellency of Faith, in singling out, and fixing the souls choice herein, notwithstanding the absence of any other Reason­ings or Arguments to turn the Scale, other than these drawn singly from the Concerns of this Resur­rection.

These can be but briefly touched at present, as for the former, thus; —

First, Deliverance here offered (as was shewed before) is Deliverance with all its Accomplish­ments and Accommodations, that we can imagine to set it off admirable, and apt to take with a tor­tured, tempted, poor Creature; (I mean in an humane dress) all that the Adversary is capable of adding to it, to give it a gloss, that may effectu­ally answer his ends. Now there are Two things which do tend much this way, and are apt to be very taking to a sensual or watchless eye. (1) The Pleasantness. (2) The Presentness of Deliverance, as I may express it.

(1) Its one main part of the Tempters business to set off, as he can, the taking Pleasantness of De­liverance; he baited his Hook to Christ with all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them, [Page 97] and that in a moment of time, with this offer, All this Power will I give thee, and the Glory of them, Luke 4.5, 6. To Asaph, with a condition of men that have no bands in death, their strength firm, are not in trouble as other men, nor plagued as o­ther men; eyes standing out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish. — Therefore God's People often turn in hither, Psal. 73. beginning. The first temptation was by a Tree good for food, pleasant to the eye, and to be desired to make one wise, Gen. 3.6. He never wants high and fair pro­fers to make up a temptation effectual to allure: You shall buy and sell, be free of the great City, that made rich all her Merchants (Rev. 18.10, to 19.) so you will receive the mark in the forehead, or right hand; you may admit it secretly, if you will not openly, chap. 13.16, 17.

(2) The Tempter also insists much, and gains much advantage by representing and imposing the Presentness of Deliverance; you shall have this presently. The Resurrection you speak of, is a great way off, a long time to come; and will you tarry till the Heavens be no more for such a thing, and in mean time overlook that Deliver­ance which is in hand? A Bird in Hand is worth two in the Wood. Better is the sight of the eyes, than the wandring of the desire, Eccles. 6.9. This offer of things that are seen, hath great prevalency with a soul who lives more by Sence than by Faith; this was the snare of Demas, he forsook that way of the Lord, having loved the present world, 2 Tim. 4.10. To be delivered from the present world, (Gal. 1.4.) is an extraordinary salvation, it being so apt to take with us when we begin to grow weary, and [Page 98] can wait on the Lord no longer; and reckon (as was noted of Esau) I am at the point of Death, and what good can this Birth-right (this hope of a Re­surrection, and another World to come) do to me? Give me Deliverance, will such a one say, or I die. Thus the Captive Exile hasteth, lest he die in the Pit, and his bread should fail. —

Secondly, But consider we the Resurrection; and here if we will improve the thoughts of it to ad­vantage, we should admit to our thoughts about it those Objections that may make it seem less ta­king; there are Three of them that we may easily conjecture might rationally arise in the spirits of these poor tempted tortured ones, against their adhering to the Resurrection in the neglect of pre­sent Deliverance.

1. About the very truth of this Notion of the Resurrection, there is the appearance of a very great impossibility, Flesh and Blood, Sence and Reason object, How can these things be? If a man die can he live again? Of all living there is hope; a li­ving Dog is better than a dead Lyon; the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing at all, Eccles. 9.4, 5.

These are the Reasonings of a rational mind that admits only of humane demonstration. When Paul was making his Defence before Agrippa, one who was expert in all Customs and Questions a­mong the Jews, yet reasons on this Supposition, That it was thought a thing incredible with them that God should raise the dead, Acts 26.8. with vers. 3. If the question be put, Can these dry bones live? Sense, Reason, Learning, hath no better than [Page 99] this astonished answer, Lord, thou knowest, Ezek. 37.3. This now is a great disadvantage unto a ra­tional choice, as our case is. But here steps in Faith, which acts upon dead things, a dead Womb in Sarah, dead Loins in Abraham, a Sacrificed Isaac, a Crucified Christ, the slaughtered Witnesses, a betrayed Cause, are subjects proper to a living Faith to exercise its self upon, when it hath a word of Promise; Faith thinks it not incredible that God should raise the dead; it lives upon that great Power that raised Jesus from the dead: So that though the bones be scattered about the Graves mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth Wood, Psal. 141.7. though the bodies of the Saints are given to be meat to the Fowls of the Heaven, and their flesh to the Beasts of the Earth, their Blood shed like water, and there be none to bury them, Psal. 79.2, 3. though Limb be torn from Limb, and Quarter set at the greatest distance from Quarter; though the fire devours the Bowels, and the Dogs lick the Blood, yet Faith is not hereby lost in a certainty of Conclusion; This is Dust in Cove­nant with the God of Abraham, of Isaac, & Jacob; and though it be dead to us, yet all live to him, Luke 20.37, 38.

2. If there should be a yielding to the possibili­ty of it, yet it might be objected, The demonstra­tion of the Point, and its determination in Scrip­ture-evidence, was not apparent and manifest in that day; Life and Immortality being reserved to be brought to light through the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1.10. and the way into the Holiest of all, being not yet made manifest, while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing, Heb. 9.8. Not but that there [Page 100] was a sufficient Testimony in the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets to this Truth, to guide Be­lievers in the Hope of Glory; but so far was there a Vail on this, as well as other Truths, that the Sadduces, a Sect of no mean Repute and Authority in the Jewish Church, not only questioned, but ut­terly denyed any such thing to be founded in the Old Testament at all, Mat. 22.23. Acts 23.8. Nay, under the clear manifectations of this Truth in the Testimony of Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament, you see a generation who affirm­ed, That the Resurrection is past already, and over­threw the Faith of some; against whom the Apostle disputes at large, 1 Cor. 15. Nay, notwithstan­ding all this, we see in all Ages there have been some, who by weakning the Authority of the Scrip­tures in geneeal, or by a lawless, wanton allego­rizing the Scriptures that refer to this and other precious Truths in particular, do satisfie their rea­son in rejecting the truth of the Lord's Testi­mony herein. If it may be supposed that these souls, of whom the Text makes report, should be assaulted with any part of this temptation, about the obscurity of the revelation of this Doctrine in the Scriptures, it must needs magnifie the excel­lency of their Faith, that conquered this disadvan­tage, and through this cloud also conclude, the preferency of the Resurrection to their tendered Deliverance.

3. But supposing the possibility and probability of this Doctrine be acknowledged to have been undoubted to them, yet this might remain a very considerable remora in their way; it was a thing a great while to come; many thousand years have [Page 101] passed since the assertion of it, and yet no appear­ance of it; and many thousand years may yet be ere it take place; as was their reasoning, Ezek. 12.27. and as the Scoffers of the last dayes object, 2 Pet. 3.4 Now (as was said) when against this is objected, the Presentness of the Worlds offer, you shall have Deliverance presently, Liberty present­ly, Ease presently; and will you tarry till Dooms­day for a Resurrection? The conquest of this ob­jection must needs bespeak the great power of Faith in the present choice.

Thirdly, Now consider we the actings of Faith, in its interposition to turn the scale upon the single proffer of the Resurrection, and for the sake of it to slight the terror; nay, to imbrace the sentence of a Gibbet, a Stake, a Rack, an Ax, an Halter, a Transportation into Exile; surely we may con­clude a man hath need deal upon notable prin­ciples that is thus furnished. Now Faith helps by being the evidence of things that are not seen, as,

1. By annihilating, and rendring very empty and vain all those things that can be offered in competition with the Resurrection.

2. By realizing, and rendering very substan­tial and precious, all those things that are pro­mised in, and accompany the Resurrection. Briefly thus; —

First, A discovery is made by believing, of the invalidity to an Heavenly mind, and its divine reasonings of all that can possibly be offered by the Tempter, or his Torturers to debauch: Consider them either (1) in their single nature as they all are subjected through the fall to vanity. How [Page 102] many have this Deliverance, and are cursed with it, crost with it, blasted in it, unable to keep it, o [...] comfort themselves under it? Take Deliverance alone, and what is it? A Crust for a Dog (saith Luther of the Turkish Empire) a feast too empty to satisfie an immortal soul. Wilt thou set thy eyes on that which is not? The whole Book of Ecclesi­astes practically opened, is the effect of believing in a gracious heart, Vanity of Vanities (saith the Preacher, and so saith the Believer) Vanity of Va­nities, all is vanity. (2) Consider we them in conjunction with the sin that buys them, by means whereof they receive the denomination of the pleasures of sin. And then whereas in the former respect they were at best but vanity, in this they are vexation of spirit, an evil sickness; wherein many thrust themselves through with many sorrows, drown themselves in ruine and perdition; and in this sence to be avoided and fled from as from a Serpent. (3) Consider we them in their compe­tition with Jesus Christ, and as frequently they stand in opposition to him, and then they are very pernitious, must be hated, Luke 14.26. else we cannot be his Disciples.

Secondly, Faith makes a discovery of the Resur­ruction, and gives satisfactory evidence about it, as that which hath weight to bear down all contra­ry objections; the way it takes is not to fill the imagination with speculatory Notions, but to put it out of doubt, and quiet it in receiving the Te­stimony God hath given by his Son therein: And particularly (1) it gives evidence of a very full and satisfactory repairation of all those breaches that all these tortures and sufferings could make [Page 103] upon their concerns therein. They, mentioned Heb. 13.34. took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods, knowing in themselves they have in Heaven a better and an induring substance. Whatever Losses they sustained in Stock or otherwise, it interrupted not their joy, they took it joyfully, the Resurrection will pay for all. The like is true of the marks of the Lord Jesus they now bear about in their bo­dies; now indeed they are the badges of loss and infamy, but he accounts it is better to enter into Life blind and maimed, than to adventure Hell by saving them. At the Resurrection of the Just, our vile bodies shall be made like unto the glorious body of our Lord. In point of the perfection of them, we know not what we shall be; only this we know, That when he appeareth we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (2) As it evi­denceth a repair of losses thus sustained; so it as­certaineth a most abundant recompence, not of Debt but of Grace, when they that suffer with him shall receive the Crown of Life; for shame they shall receive double, and for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion. When this shall be re­membred, Ye are they who have continued with me in my Temptations, and I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, Luk. 22.28, 29. When for whatever hath been lost or forsaken of his kind, there shall not only be made good the lundred-fold-promised, Mat. 19.29. in Peace, [...]oy, and Consolation in Tribulation, but in that World to come Life everlasting.

I shall draw the whole to a Conclusion in these Two or Three Inferences of Duty.

1. If all this (and a great deal more that might [Page 104] be said) hold true, touching the worth as well as the truth of the Resurrection; Then would I be­seech you, that you do not sell the Doctrine of it for a Song; do not be so easily baffled as many be out of the Faith and expectation of it, by a few Allegorical Notions, and plausible evasions of those Scripture-Testimonies that give evidence to this Truth, in which is wrapt up so much of your standing Consolation when ever you are called by any manner of death to put off your Tabernacle, that your flesh also shall rest in Hope, and your vile body be changed into the likeness of Christ's glorious body: Whatever natural corruption, weak­ness, dishonour it be sown in, yet it shall be raised spiritual, in incorruption, power, glory, and be e­ver with the Lord.

2. Be intreated to give your selves more unto a search and study of that blessed truth that con­cerns your Resurrection, and the glory that shall follow; and be not ye easily startled and offended at it by reason of the miscarriages of some who have been Assertours of it, and been too forward to vent their rash Conceptions touching divers things about it. You know the blessedness pro­nounced on them who reade and hear the things contained in that Book, w^ch most professedly opens the Mysteries thereof, & yielded in the Vision and and Revelation of it, such standing Consolation unto John, to whom it was made known; and is a Doctrine of unspeakable strength and encourage­ment to the Lord's suffering, banished, tortured ones, as many in this day have found it.

3. Draw forth the Improvement of your ac­knowledged conceptions and expectations of that [Page 105] day, in a way of Consolation, rejoycing in Hope, and pressing after the Light, Faith, Spirit, and Power of it, making sure of your right to, and proper qualifications for that day. Blessed and Holy are they that have a part in this first Resurrection; especially improve it (as I said) to Consolation in all the losses you have sustained, or are like to. This may seem one (amongst others) to you, that a poor worm that speaks, is to part (at present) with you, and it may be may see your face in the flesh no more; doth this seem any way grievous? why, let us carry the case in our thoughts beyond the Grave, in a path of faithfulness; the Resurrecti­on will bring us together again, and make amends for all the loss herein sustained: Then we shall be ever with the Lord in that triumph, of which the stranger cannot intermeddle with the Joy. Com­fort one another with these words, and the God of all Consolation be with you. Amen.

THE EMBALMING OF A DEAD CAUSE.

THese words are part of Christs own Vin­dication of, and Apology for a very ac­ceptable work of an Holy Woman, which nevertheless, through their great mistake, came under a very severe censure at the hands of the very Disciples of Christ themselves, Mat. 26.6. who taking knowledge only of so much therein, as occured to their sense and carnal reason; admitted thereby not a little disquiet on their own spirits (they had indignation, vers. 4. they murmured, vers. 5.) and reflected much trouble upon hers, vers. 6. Even such high-raised and Hea­venly actions of Saints, as have the most choicest esteem and acceptance with the Lord, may yet meet with very undue representations, and pro­cure [Page 110] very strange reflections from the hands of o­thers truly dear to Christ. It should therefore be no greater strange thing to us to be judged by mans judgement, its well we stand or fall to another Master.

But so well was the integrity of her spirit, and the noble principles, and springs of this action known to Christ, and approved by him, that him­self undertakes her defence (when perhaps her trouble at their hard measure, might stop her own mouth) and appears to plead her cause not only so far as to give a present check to their rash conclu­sion, and a testimony to the goodness and accep­tableness of her work: but withal takes order by an unalterable appointment for perpetuating the praise thereof, vers. 9. That where ever the Gospel of Grace should be Preached throughout the world, this that she had done should be declared for a Memo­rial of her. Christians under cloudy censures lose nothing at last by leaving their censured selves and actings, to be vindicated by the Lord, to whom their integrity is known, and their cause commit­ted, Micah 7.9, 10.

Where ever the Doctrine of the Grace of Christ should be proclaimed, this should be produced as a lively instance, pattern, and example, to illu­strate and confirm the power and prevalency there­of, in that it is of power to beget on so contemp­tible a weak vessel as this poor Woman was, such exceeding largeness, nobility, and ingenuity of spirit, as was beyond what the gallantest principles or endeavours of meer Man could arrive unto; and yet when the memorial hereof was to be men­tioned, when the Gospel should be Preached ei­ther [Page 111] to Nations abroad, or Generations to come, the principal intendment was not meerly to affix a mark of honour upon this individual person, or this single act (for her very name is hid both here, vers. 3 and in Mat. 26.6, 7.) but to commend and advance the value of the principles and motives she went upon, to the encouragement and admo­nition of us, and others, upon whom the ends of the World are come, 1 Cor. 10.11. Rom. 15.4. I purpose not to mention, or stay upon the profitable deductions and inferences that would commend themselves from the coherence of the words, or matter round about them, intending but a present brief Comment on them.

In the words first read, we have a double Cha­racter of her noble spirit set forth.

First, In the extent of her act, She hath done what she could.

Secondly, In the intent of it, She is come afore­hand to anoint my body, &c.

She hath done what sh [...] could] The word doth not meerly signifie that she had stretched her self to the utmost bounds of her estate and ability that way, to purchase so costly a confection as this was: for the greatness of the cost manifested it self to their offence, and it could no way mitigate their disquiet, to tell them how much she had expended in that respect; but hereby I understand Christ would have them know that a certain raisedness and greatness of spirit had acted her to the utmost, beyond the ordinary sphere of Beleevers, to de­vise and practise liberal notable things, so that she was not capable of being restrained and cir­cumscribed within a narrow compass, she did what [Page 110] [...] [Page 111] [...] [Page 112] she could, for she could not but do what she did.

She is come afore-hand to anoint.] By what im­pulse, or instinct of spirit, or with what distinct and evidence her understanding was assisted to re­ceive the Doctrine of, and to make provision for the Funeral of her Lord, is not expresly mentio­ned. This is evident, that the Disciples general­ly were very dark, nay averse to notions of this kind, their expectations being very earthly & car­nal, of being advanced with him, to some external Pomp and Glory, which his Death and Burial (so suddenly) was inconsistent with, by reason of their weakness and readiness to be offended, wherein the Lord was very tender of propounding the Doctrine, and distilling the Notions of his Death among them, whilst he was with them, John. 16.4. And what he delivered of this kind was hardly regarded or remembred till afterward, John 2.22. & 12.16. Luke 24.8. But this good Woman had early impressions made upon her heart of this blessed Truth, Sh [...] [...]as afore-hand, not only with the dispensation it self, but also with the most forward of the Disciples themselves, expecting it, and preparing for it.

To anoint my Body to the burying.] This was the manner of the Jewes to bury, John 19.40. especi­ally where a reverend and honourable estimation, or singular affection were to be expressed. What might be extraordinary in her eye will hereafter be spoken to; only, towards the drawing this act of hers into a way of improvement for common use, it may not be amiss to consider the body of Christ, not only litterally, as was immediately intended in her act, but in a figurative acceptation, as other [Page 113] Scriptures may help, and warrant to consider it, and our concerns about it. Thus, sometimes by the Body of Christ is intended his Church and People, considered in their capacity of conflicting with many deaths and dangers, wherein they need, and depend upon him for aid and influence as their Head, 1 Cor. 12.27. Colos. 1.18, 24. Eph. 1.23. The Body of Christ may also be applied to signifie sometimes the whole Oeconomy, or administrations of the concerns of Christ in the World, for the peculiar good of his Church, especially with re­spect to the Institutions of the Gospel, according as the Legal Institutions, Ordinances, and Ad­ministrations of Moses are called the body of Moses, Jude vers. 9. compared with Zech. 3.2. (where the contest was about the restitution of the Ordinances of the Lord, according to the Mosaical Institution after the captivity) I say as the administrations of the Law, are called the body of Moses, about which Satan had a contest then, so may (by just analogy) the Institutions of the Gospel, be called the body of Christ, against which Satan hath not only many conflicts with them that are anointed, and honour­ed to be a Royal Priesthood, but in the infinite Wisdom of God, and for the bringing about, and perfecting of his designs with greater glory, he hath designed manifest deaths and burials there­unto, that his Resurrection-Power may be the more fully manifested, Hos. 6.12. Isa. 26.19. Rev. 11 9, 10 11. Unto this his Body mystically and fi­guratively considered, there being such promises of a Resurrection, there is also a spiritual embal­ming to be performed to it, compleat to the capa­cities of the Lords dear Children, all essayes and [Page 114] offers hereunto in such [...]argeness of heart, and preventing forwardness as was found in this Hand­maid, have a very singular resentment and accep­tance with the Lord, as shall hereafter be shewed, the which I hope may be treated of, and applied to our case, without stretching the Metaphor be­yond the bounds of Scripture allowance, or di­gressing from the Spirits intendment concerning us in this place.

The words thus opened, afford us this Obser­vation;

Doct. That the Lord highly prizeth all vigorous attempts of his weakest Children, to preserve a sweet savour on the concerns of Jesus Christ, when they are exposed to death and burial.

All Nations where the Gospel comes, must expresly take notice (for a pattern to all that shall believe) what a value and estemation Christ had of, and an apology for a censured act of a glorious soul, laid out early and nobly upon what concerned him, when under a sentence of death and burial, by the wise appointment of God (though to be executed by the hands of wicked men) so that if it might not be preserved from rage and scorn, yet should from stench and an evil savour, as much as lay in her, till its hoped-for Resurrection should set it above either what she could do for it, or the enemies against it; may we therefore in our capaci­ties learn that lesson, Go and do likewise, Luke 10.37. In handling this Point I shall not confine my self to any other method, than will offer it self in considering this lively instance and pattern to Believers in the Text; what was the peculiar excellency of her act indiscernable to good men [Page 115] that were standers by, and wherein the acceptable­ness lay, and thence by way of proportion where the cogent reason and influence of it lyes, respect­ing us at this day.

First, Then we may consider the inward springs and motives of her action that lay hid from ordinary observation, upon which her spirit was raised, and her endeavours extended to this degree mentioned in the Text.

Secondly, We may consider the effect of these lively and ennobling principles, manifesting its self in the di­mentions of her activity, or how it was said of her, She did what she could.

Thirdly, The business or affair it self, about which she was conversant; a very thankless office in the thoughts of those that were lookers on, though they were the Disciples of Christ, and men honourable in many other respects above her.

Fourthly, The estimation and acceptance that it finds with Christ, notwithstanding the hard measure, and severe censures at the hands of men.

I shall only speak of all these in her, so, as is immediately applicable to our own case as we go along.

First, As for the first of these; namely, The hidden principles and springs of motion that were open to the Eyes of Christ with whom she had to do, though mistaken and miss-judged by those spectators. Not to enlarge in that variety as the matter will bear, there are these two that offer themselves by Christs discovery to our view and learning, as being need­ful indeed to all generous and noble actions that are wrought.

[Page 116]1. There lay at the bottom of her act, a lively faith, strong and operative in this very matter; not only in receiving the discoveries of the death and burial of her Lord, whereunto the Disciples were so generally unacquainted, but also the assurance of his speedy Resurrection, not only in the hints that himself had given of it, but also from the te­stimony that the Spirit had long since born, Psa. 16.10. that he should not see corruption in the grave, his early witness whereunto we have, John. 2.19. speaking of the Temple of his body, vers. 20. he saith, Destroy this Temple, and in three dayes I will raise it up again: Till he was risen from the dead, this was not understood, or at least not regarded and remembred (vers. 22.) by the Disciples; only such and so great, apprehensive and active, was the Faith of this good Woman, that she receives the Doctrine of the Death and Burial, and quick Re­surrection from the Grave, of her dear Lord, and accordingly put her self to this great Cost, to signi­fie her complyance with the Promise, that he should be buried, but not subjected to that cor­ruption and putrefaction that attends that state and condition of all others. We reade of the same Mary, Joh. 11.2. in conjunction with her Sister Martha, that when they were concerned in the burial of their Brother Lazarus, though there was no want but rather a superabundance of love to him, living and dying: Christ loved him, Joh. 11.35, 36. The Disciples loved him, for they could be content to go and die with him, vers. 16. His Sisters loved him to some excess, vers. 31. and yet because they had no expectation of his Resurrecti­on till the general Resurrection, vers. 24. they [Page 117] yielded him up to corruption, Joh. 17.13, 14. so that when he had been dead four dayes, they con­cluded by this time he stinketh, vers. 39. plainly shewing, that having not any faith, or fore-sight of his return to life again so speedily, they were at no cost to embalm or perfume him against the stench of the Grave: but touching him whom God would raise up from the Grave not to see corrupti­on, (wherein he transcended David who wrote that Psalm, who having served his generation, by the Will of God fell asleep, was laid to his Fathers, and saw corruption) Acts 13.34, to the 37. Acts 2.24. to the 32. So true and strong was her Faith herein, that she deals not with him as with Laza­rus, but afore-hand anoints him; and after he was in the Grave, again prepares another Confection of choice Embalm to perfect what might be lack­ing in the former, Luke 23.56. Mark 16.1. by which we may perceive that Faith (and such as was not found in Israel ordinarily) lay at the bot­tom, and contributed aid and influence to all these great acts, and to this particularly wherein she did what she could for Christ. In just proportion here­unto, and on the same reason, is there need of Faith unfeigned, even Faith of the operation of God, to ingage souls to shew the like respect to the dying Cause, Interest, and Concernments of Jesus Christ. Other men (and they also good men in the main) generally give it over, when such distress and dy­ing pangs come on it, till Christ come in the clouds of Glory, especially where the grounds of their carnal and creaturely expectations of its revival do perish and fail; none have such engagements on them to lay out themselves in preparing pro­per [Page 118] imbalm for it, (of which mention is made hereafter) but they who have upon Gospel, and unmixed principles, an insight into, and a fore-sight of the design of God to give it an effectual re­viving and Resurrection. The Faith then of this Resurrection is the needful principle to enlarge souls in such a case to do what they can for Christ's sake.

2dly. There was also in the bottom of this fa­mous censured act of hers, fervent love in its live­ly operation; which is a large and defusive principle actuating souls upon very noble and unparallel'd exploits: its power and tendency to do so, com­mends its self in that ample character and descrip­tion the Apostle gives of it, 1 Cor. 13. throughout. We have a very particular account of this prin­ciple brought forth to evidence by our Lord him­self in an act of like cost and signification in the beginning of her way of following Jesus Christ, Luk. 7.47. she there v. 37. brings an Alabaster box of Oyntment, and with it anoints his feet (having as the chap. shews) washed them with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. This perfume, though it filled the house with its odour, yet was little understood, in its spring and principle, by them that sate by; but Jesus discovers it, vers. 47. Much was forgiven her, therefore she loved much; there was much love in her soul on work, and hence she layes out her self much upon her Lord; the love of Christ constrains her, and this, though it was to work so early, yet was not soon expended, but rather increased more and more; neither was it clouded, or abated by the expectation of an ap­proaching death and funeral, but herein also puts [Page 119] out its self, doth what it could towards his burial. Love makes her follow Christ not only in life but in death also, at his death to see the utmost of him, and do the utmost for him; compare Luke 23.27, 28, 55, 56. chap. 24.1. & Joh. 19.25. chap. 20.1. & Mark 15.40, 41, 47. you may perceive how Love led them from place to place, where Hazard might seem to way-lay them, and how unsatisfied they were with what others did tending this way: It was not the fine linnen Joseph of Arimathea bought; it was not the newness of the Sepulchre hewed out of a Rock, in which never man lay, but fitted (it seems) for himself, Mat. 27.59, 60. nay, it was not the costly bed of Spices that Nicodemas laid him in, John 19.29, 40. could satisfie them, but there must be more Spices bought to this end, Mat. 16.1. Love is strong as Death, all the sub­stance of a mans house will be contemned in the pursuit of it, Cant. 8.6, 7. In like manner will it be where a soul or people have, from the love of Christ shed abroad in their hearts, a sutable reflexion on the things of Christ, they being so apprehensive of, and enamoured with the unalterable beauty of them, as these deaths and burials they meet withal do not alter the complexion of them, or abate of that dear love and streaming affection to them; where it dieth they will die, and there will they be buried, nothing but death, nay death it self will not be able to separate 'twixt it and them, Ruth 1.16, 17. their own lives will not be dear to them for its sake, Phil. 2.30. Acts 15.26. chap. 20.24. Rev. 12.11.

Secondly, But let us proceed to consider the Effect of these noble and innobling Principles of [Page 120] Faith and Love in this affait in the Text; and also in the like on the Children of God at this day, where the work of Faith and Love with Power are produced; this commends it self in the extent of such acts as are performed, she did what she could; the commendable latitude of her spirit and endea­vour, is a qualification well worthy a little en­quiry, When may a soul be said to have done what he could? This and the like expressions, when they are applyed to set forth the Lords acceptance of a souls inlarged endeavours after, or for himself, do not signifie such a perfection of intention, or act as denotes perfection, which is not capable of in­crease or addition. The choicest Saints in their highest services and attainments this way, have found cause to cry out when they have done all that they could (at the best rate) yet they are un­profitable servants, Luke 17.20. here is no place for Pride; boasting is excluded by the Law of Faith, Rom. 3.27.

The expression it self, however applied here to the commendation of this good Woman, yet im­plies some degrees of imperfection, and supposes the act in some respects to be short of absolute compleatness; As for Instance,

1. First, Though she did, and a Christian in his highest endeavours may have done what he could, yet may it be very short of having done what he should; there lies a very vast disproportion most times betwixt the perfection of the Law, and the utmost attainments of our act, such as may hide pride from us. The Law of the Lord is perfect, Psal. 19.7. The Law is holy, and the Commandment holy, just, and good, Rom, 7, 12. The Law is spiritu­al, [Page 121] vers. 14. Indeed the Holy God, who is per­fection it self, can require nothing less than per­fection for sutable converse with himself, Mat. 5.48. Now between this perfect rule, and our im­perfect act, what proportion can there be? I am carnal, sold under sin, our unspeakable mercy lies in the new and living way of Gods own appoint­ing, to present our selves and services without spot, and without blemish to himself; not through the works of Righteousness that we have wrought, but according to his own mercy and grace, where­by he makes us accepted in the Beloved.

2. Secondly, Though she did, and a Christian may be said to do what he could; yet may there be, and many times there is a great shortness of doing what he would; as there is a disproportion betwixt the Act and Law of which a poor Saint often com­plains; So is there betwixt his heart and hand, or (as Christ tenderly excuseth it in his Disciples) betwixt a Spirit that is willing, and the Flesh that is weak, Mat. 26.41. This is that the Apostle in the person of a poor Child of God complains, Gal. 5.17. We cannot do the things we would. And Rom. 7.15. to the 21. he finds a Law, that when he would do good, evil is present. Here now is a Christians case, and the comfort concerning his act, when in all his apprehended shortness he finds a true gracious principle that delights in the Law of God, and presseth after a perfect union with, and a similitude to it, groaning under, and con­flicting to his utmost, with the contradictions of his infirm self: where this is indeed and in truth obvious to the searching eye of Christ, he puts that blessed construction on it, as to his Disciples, [Page 122] the Spirit indeed is willing, &c. and the Spirit testi­fieth, 2 Cor. 8.12. That if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not. We serve not an hard Master that requires impossibilities, or ex­pects beyond what he hath inabled for. He was judged a wicked and slothful Servant who had formed up that dreadful apprehension of a severe and cruel Master, that reaped where he did not sow, and gathered where he did not straw, Mat. 25.24, 26. We have a very choice character of the disposition of the Lord toward the off-spring of a willing mind, Mark 12.42. to the end; a Widow cast into the trea­sury two mites, that make a farthing; a very small and inconsiderable thing for the bulk of it, but be­ing the product of a noble mind, and being ex­tended to all that ever she had, she had done all what she could, and this hath more acceptable en­tertainment and high commendation, than the ma­ny rich, who cast in much of their abundance; they might have (comparatively to her) narrow spirits, though they had larger Pursses. Hence was the commendation of the Churches of Macedonia, 2 Cor. 8.2, 3. The deep poverty was matched with abounding riches of liberality, and then to their power, and beyond their power, they were willing of their own selevs, and that was on this principle, vers. 5. First they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God. Souls yielded up to the Lord are the only generous spirits. The greatness of Davids joy, 1 Chron. 29.14, 17, 18. was not so much for the greatness of the gift, but the willing­ness and uprightness of the heart (his own and others) that drew them out to do what they could [Page 123] for the House of God. But a little more particu­larly to attempt the resolution of this enquiry, When a soul may be said to do what he can for Christ?

1. First, We only then do what we can, when our spirits are bending and pressing toward an a­bundance and increase of act, according as we find the concernments of Christ about which we are conversant, requires or needs it, when as we see the distress of it increase, there grows upon us daily the care of these concerns, as we see the dayes are evil, wicked men worse and worse, and good men faint and weary, we then lay about us: What excellent thing do we, can we do, what do we more than others? Its the guise of ma­ny Professors, when they see Christs things go to the Wall (as we say) then to study Prudence and Wisdom, things good in themselves and in their place, but what do they signifie here but a meer politick contrivance how to preserve themselves by an abatement of their zeal, a temperament and qualification of the height and strickness of their Profession, the disposition of such tends this way, they will do as little as they can for Christ; They hope they may be saved if they meet not so often, nor so publick, nor so many as formerly, until at length their prudence will be to leave Christ alone, and repair to, and care for their own things. Nay it will be well if it turn not them aside to their crooked wayes, where God hath threatned to lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. Oh! where are those stirrings of spirit, when we see a City, a Nation wholly given to Idolatry, ingage­ing the more publick, frequent, and fervent ap­pearing [Page 124] on Gods behalf, Acts 17.16. That would have entred into the Theatre had he been suffered, Acts 19.13, 31. That when the Decree is signed, of death without mercy, yet will keep on, not on­ly Moral but Instituted Worship, to the utmost as aforetime, Dan. 6.10. Rashness is not here plead­ed for, but a zeal of God according to know­ledge, and an holy fervency of spirit, serving the Lord, rejoycing in Hope, patient in Tribulation, continuing instant in Prayer, not forsaking the assembling our selves, though the manner of some be so; but exhort one another daily while it is day, provoking to Love and good Works, and that so much the more as we see the dayes be evil, and that day approacheth.

2. Secondly, We then do what we can when we make it our care and business to get our spirits and frames in all we do, raised on more noble prin­ciples than formerly; Gospel-principles are not revealed to us, or improved by us to their height at first; The Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith, Rom. 1.17. Who walk by it from strength to strength, Psal. 84.7. And are changed from glory to Glory, 2 Cor. 3.18. They that rest in, and trust to former Attainments and Experiences, will find them short of furnishing for new services of Sufferings: We have need, in these thorny and rocky paths, to have our shoos of iron and brass, and as the day is, so should our strength be, Deut. 33.25. We have need not only to prefer that re­quest, Lord help our unbelief; but also, Lord in­crease our Faith.

3. Thirdly, We do what we can then, when we improve our utmost interest in others; Saints [Page 125] and Sinners do ingage them to do what they can for Christ, when the distress is publick and extend­ed to others generally; it should not satisfie our spirits, to narrow up our care and endeavour within the compass of our own things. It was a sad com­plaint, All seek their own, Phil. 2.21. Ye shall be scat­tered every one to his own, Joh. 16.32. This good Woman in the Text doth not satisfie her self, to make preparation for the embalming her dear Lord, but she is still found accompanying and in­gaging others with her, Luke 23.55, 56. & chap. 24.10. Our forwardness and zeal, as was theirs of Macedonia, which provoked very many, 2 Cor. 9.2. Alas! we are debtors to others, both Saints and Sinners, Rom. 1.14, 15. And we should do as much as lies in us, to get them engaged to Christ as deb­tors to him, chap. 8.12. Oh! did the worth and need of souls press more upon us, we should not be so private spirited as we seem to be, in respect of the dispersing the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but should be more ready and less afraid to suffer all things for the Elects sake, that they (be they converted, or unconverted) may also obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal Glory, 2 Tim. 2.10. Oh! strive and study to do then what you can for Christ.

But here it may be requisite (ere we go further) to remove out of the way some of these deceits of Satan, whereby it is usual with him, to wrap many poor souls in their self-pleasing, but indeed to their detriment and undoing. How frequently doth it occur to our observation, That it is the pretention of many Professors who seek their ease in Sion, as well as of prophane persons, that though they do [Page 126] but little in the great & momentous matters of E­ternity, yet they do what they can, they say; and if God accept the will for the deed, what need so much clamour to press them further? God is mer­ciful, and why should we be so over-strict? will we have men do more than they can do? To free the Scripture from such corrupt glosses, and forewarn and deliver our selves from such insnaring temp­tations to ease and slumber, let us consider, That there are divers lusts of a very narrowing debasing tendency, within the Circles of which Satan at­tempts to bring poor souls in such dayes as these, and then shrinks and shrivels them upon all quar­ters, that they can do no excellent thing for Christ: Its a pitiful, its a dreadful thing to think to excuse our want of activity for God, upon the account of the straits that such temptations and iniquities lead us into; this is to cover with a covering that is not of the Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, which hath a woe pronounced on it, Isa. 30.1. chap. 28.20.

1. First, Satan doth endeavour what he can, to debase Souls, by filling them with carnal and un­believing discouragements; this exceedingly dis­ableth them from attempting any thing that is ex­cellent. Its but little such a one can do; and its a pitiful account he can give of having done what he could; besides the common discouragement that ariseth from the persecution at the hands of wicked and ungodly men, the nature and tendency of which discouragement is frequently spoken un­to (and I shall here pass by.) There are sundry that are apt to arise from good men themselves, in those censures, and miss-judgings that forward [Page 127] souls meet frequently in the way; and indeed they wound very deep: Had it been an enemy I could have born it, but it was thou, a man, my friend, and my familiar, &c. this cut deep. To apply only to what is in the Text, it was in the opening of the Context noted, that this grand work of hers that had such an eminent commendation from Christ himself, as springing from more Faith and Love than ordinary, fell yet under such severe judging of the Disciples themselves, that it put the soul of this good woman into no small trouble, Mark 14.6. Let her alone, why trouble you her? If we note a few of the offences they had at her, and objected against her; and by comparing them, we shall find that they have an exact similitude to the Cavils at this day, started against the zealous Saints; under which it may quiet us to consider that they are no new, and therefore should be no strange thing to us.

Cavil 1. There was no prudence used in this act, this seems to lye at the bottom of their sense: wise men would not have done like this foolish Woman thought they, and at this they had indig­nation within themselves, vers. 4. and murmured against her; they were in a very pettish and impa­tient fit, as if they had said, these unpresidential actings will make a great noise to little profit, and at length spoyl all our prudential reasonings. But now when they are improved, without due regard to the great interest of Christ, which ought to be laid and cared for in the first place; they prove great offences, not only to hinder such contrivers themselves, but to obstruct others who were fol­lowing Christ, and would be induced to follow [Page 128] him, in more faithfulness, courage, and simplici­ty.

2dly. A breach of the law of Charity was pre­tended, the saving what she had for her self, the providing for the Poor, the supplying the Bag that Christ and his Disciples lived upon, are sup­posed to be damnified and neglected hereby; Mercy should have been preferred before zealous Sacrifice, &c. This is a usual Objection, but there is more of Judas in it, than many that are offended by it are aware of, John 12.6. Charity to bodies is pretended and advanced hereby frequently, a­bove Love to Christ, and Charity to poor souls; they may starve and die for want of a word of Life rather than such losses must be suffered, such haz­zards run, such cost expended.

3dly. The thing was let run at waste, was ano­ther Objection: Christ had no need of it, he was sweet without it, and it was early enough for his funeral; her love was known without such costly characters. Is not this a common way of reason­ing? Cannot the Gospel be preached, the Cause of Christ secured, the Profession of Christ upheld, unless you, such poor weak ones as you, must make a noise, and run your selves and others upon ruine? you will be brought to beggary, your families ruined, then who must maintain you? Christ is in Glory, the everlasting Gospel will be preached in due time, in the midst of Heaven the Elect will be called, and we that are Christs shall go to Glo­ry, though you never make such a-do. This is usual, and apt to discourage; yet ought indeed to signifie little with gracious souls, who know that God doth set them for the defence of the Gospel, [Page 129] as a pillar and ground of Truth, being his wit­nesses against an adulterous generation, before whom should they be ashamed to profess him; the stones will cry out, and Christ would be ashamed of them before his Father, and the holy Angels; but in this their faithful testimony, though friends scorn them, Job 16.20. yet by Prayer and Suppli­cation, committing themselves, and the pleading their cause to God, he will in due time plead their cause, and take up the controversie as he did this poor Womans, when they that have judged them shall be ashamed: This then is the first caution, Take heed that your hearts be not disquieted by such weakning discouragements from without, or within, lest you be weary and faint in your minds, and thereby become disabled from doing excel­lent things; think not that God will own and ac­cept the result of such wind-shaken-minds, and put this mark of favour on it, She did what she could.

2. Secondly, Another sinful Circle, within which Satan endeavours to conjure the spirits of many Professors, and therein narroweth and strait­neth them from any capacity to do what they might for Christ, is because, the business, and spirit of the world, busieth them with Martha's lot in many things, and then they think they have as good excuse for their neglects as had she, that do­ing as much as nothing, it must pass, because they do what they could. This is very lamentable, though frequently spoken to; it remains the guise of many Professors, You know my business, what a deal of work I have, saith one: What a deal of care and destraction I have, saith another: Just as [Page 130] they that were bidden to the Wedding-Supper; one had bought a Farm, and he must go and see it; another had bought a yoke of Oxen, and he must go and try them; another had married a Wife, and therefore he cannot come; all desire, Pray have me excused; all begin to make excuse with one consent, Luke 14.18. You may reade one word, and see how badly such excuses will stand in the day of Christ, when not one of those that were bidden, shall taste of the Supper, v. 24. Oh! when mens hands are so full of business, and that most times greedily and unnecessarily sought after and pursued, that they cannot come; or at least their hearts so over-charged with the cares and pleasures of it, that they cannot come to any purpose; what doth this portend, but some swift stroak at hand on such a foolish people, to make up that lamentation? Jer. 9.

3. Thirdly, A third advantage Satan gets on many, by which he incloseth them within their spiritual benumedness, That they can do very little for God, and yet please themselves, is the old usual complaint (and that not without cause, though most times without sense) of a bad dead cold heart; when this seems to be the Religion of people, and that, from whence they get, or would get, not only excuse for their shortness, but a supposition that they are very humble, tender, ingenious, watchful, experimental, because they are so able and apt to tell of, and mourn over bad hearts; but hardly have I ever observed a people so inclinable to the deepest hypocrisie, and palpable neglect of any spiritual means to make them better; but as the door turns upon the hinges, so do they upon such [Page 131] complaints, till what they artificially complain of at first, spring up at length as a Leprosie in their foreheads, to be seen and read of all men.

4. Fourthly, Another sinful boundary wherein Satan wraps many, and disableth them from doing any thing excellent for Christ (and then they think it well enough, if they do what they can within their compass) is, The offence of Spirit that is apt to grow either at the ways or people of Christ, because of the imperfection, they espie or suppose to be found in them: But, blessed is he that is not offended in Christ, Mat. 11.6. Such distemper is dangerous, especially in such a dark state of things, wherein that word seems verified, Mat. 26.31. This night shall ye be offended because of me: When Professors are apt on all hands to stagger and fall into sin, providences frown, opportunities of serving God cannot be come at without apparent hazard; spirits of peo­ple grow froward, apt to catch at advantages, glad to find excuses, for departure from Relation to one another, hard to be reconciled; this is a bad season for souls apt to stumble at the stumbling-stone: It begins with this, I am not free to meet, pray with, hear, joyn with such a one (although all acts of Christian duty for removing offence are neglected) and at length it appears, that of whom one is overcome, of him he is brought into bon­dage. Oh! study to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace; Great peace have such as love the Law of Christ, and nothing shall of­fend them.

5. Fifthly, To name no more at present, Satan gets hold on many, by pleasing them under a sloth­ful, sinful abuse of this notion, We can do nothing, [Page 132] without we have help from the Lord: The which way of reckoning, as it is most commonly abused, hath this signification, All the idle neglects of Pro­fessors shall be as much (as they durst for modesty express themselves) fathered upon God. As the first way of Satan to cover the mans iniquity, was, The Woman that thou gavest to be with me, she gave me, &c. as if he had said, Hadst thou not given me a Woman, I had not sinned: the evil lies at least between us; but from all such ex­cuses, God will be clear when he is judged.

This may serve as a taste, That its not every I can do no more, will serve the turn to excuse us, much less obtain for us this blessed Testimony Christ gave of this Woman, She hath done what she could, she hath come aforehand to anoint my Body to the burial. You may do more than you do all of you; nay, all things considered, must do more than this perfuming-work, of which I shall speak a little more particularly to shew its special nature, when I have first offered a few Considerations, shewing what engagements do lie on us, to do what we can for Christ, especially in this business of begetting a good savour on his things, in this day, when they are exposed, as much as may be, to stink­ing.

1. First, We are concerned to do what we can for Christ in this respect, because Christ hath done what he can to put a sweet savour upon us, when we stank to purpose; and doth not ingenuity require that we put the question the Prophet did, 2 Kings 4.13. Thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? Or, as the Psalmist, Psal. 116.12. What shall I render to the Lord for all [Page 133] his benefits? especially when he looks for nothing but our returning on his Name, the reflection of the sweet savour that he hath bestowed on us; let's but consider, what great things (of this kind) he hath done for us, 1 Sam. 12.24. What were we when he cast a look of Love upon us? Our navel was not cut, nor washed in water at all, not salted at all, nor swadled at all; cast out in the open field in our bloud, to the loathing of our person, troden under in bloud, &c. Ezek. 16.4, 5, 6. The stench of a soul in such a plight, may be read Psal. 38.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Well, to take away this evil savour, What hath Christ done in his Oblation? Eph. 5.2. Gave himself an offer­ing and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling sa­vour. What doth he by constant Intercession? Rev. 8.2, 3. stands with much Incense to offer up the persons and services of Saints, with accepta­tion, as a cloud of perfume ascending up before God out of his hand. All the offerings under the Law, both on the Brazen Altar for Sacrifice, and on the Golden Altar of Incense, are only figura­tive of what Christ doth this way; of all which its so frequently signified, Its an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour before the Lord. What doth he by bestowing his Spirit in the work of re­generation, but anoint with precious oyntment, Ezek. 16.9, 10, &c. Or, as was the manner of Kings to prepare for their intimate Communion, Esth. 2.12. What is the displaying his Name, but an oyntment poured out, Cant. 1.3. What are his Appearances, smelling of Myrrhe, Aloes, and Cassia, Psal. 45.8. and all to make us glad? Are not the kisses of his lips for that end perfumed, to that end, to convey to us a savour of them, [Page 134] Cant. 5.13. What, I say, doth all this speak, and signifie, if not an obligation that we should be a sweet savour to him, and leave a savour of him in every place, in such especially, as wherein his Name is or may be defamed, 2 Cor. 2.14, 15, 16. Oh! let our garments be alwayes white, let our head and heart want no oyntment, to pour out as there is occasion, liberally and bountifully, when in any sense (as was said of the Colt, Mark 11.3.) the Lord hath need of it.

2dly. Its but reasonable we should do what we can to bring up a sweet savour upon the things of Christ, if we call to remembrance, What cost and pains we have been at, (to represent that savoury, which is pollution, and rottenness it self, I mean) to beautifie and accommodate any stinking lust; unto which we were bound, though in so doing, we la­boured in the very fire, and wearied our selves for very vanity, Habak. 2.13. For who can bring up a clean sweet savour on that which is so unclean? Shall we bestow such endeavour to perfume a dunghil lust? and shall not we much more lay out our selves now upon things that are of an excellent na­ture, on whom God hath determined to bestow such weights of Glory? see the disposition and drudgery of a poor sinner in seeking to keep up a part at a distance from God, Isa. 59.9, 10. Thou wentest to the King with oyntment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thy self, even to Hell; thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way, yet saidst thou not, There is no hope, &c. What Oyntments, what Perfumes, what Cost, what Trouble was there expended by this poor wretch, to bring about his interest in a [Page 135] way agreeable to his own lust, and wretched heart of apostasie, debasing its self, even to Hell? and shall we be so loath to lay our selves out to the ut­most in such oyntments and perfumes, as are on so blessed an object, and to so advantagious an end as is now proposed? Shall the whorish Woman, Prov. 7.17, 18. perfume her Bed with Myrrhe, Aloes, and Cynamon, to satisfie and fill her self and her lust with greater content; and are we so loth to prepare such a bed for our Lord's concerns till the day break and the shadows flye away. Oh! lets learn, that as we have yielded our members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity; even so now let us yield our selves servants to Righte­ousness and to Holiness: Rom. 6.9. What fruits had we in these things, whereof we are now a­shamed?

3dly. We should do all we can to raise a sweet savour, for that the adversaries of Christ do all they can to beget a stench upon the things of which we speak; they do what they can to make them as the filth of the world, and off-scouring of all things to this day; the Dung-carts of the world, into which every one throws the dirt and excre­ment that they cast out of their doors, 1 Cor. 4.13. If the Witnesses of Christ be slain, their dead bo­dies are not suffered to be put into graves, but lie in the streets of the great City, Rev. 11.8, 9. Psal. 79.1, 2, 3, 4. Psal. 141.7. Ezek. 24.7. And why thus left a­bove ground; but that (as Isa. 34.3) their slain being cast out, their stink may come out of their carkasses. Shall the enemies of Truth do what they can a­gainst the Truth, as Pilate gave a charge, Ye have a Watch, make it as sure as you can, Mat. 27.65. [Page 136] Were they at such charge to debauch Judas, to de­bauch the Souldiers that watcht the Sepulchre? and all to make the interest of a dead Christ abhorred among men; and shall we not do what we can to cover, if not recover it? Should the men of Jabesh adventure so desperately to rescue the dead bodies of Saul, and of his sons, from the reproach of the Philistines, and be at such cost to prepare a royal burning and burying for them? 1 Sam. 31.12, 13. compared with 2 Chron. 16.14. Shall the dead body of such an enemy of the Lord's interest (as he was against David) be so honourably rescued from the reproach of the Heathen? Shall not we do what we can for such an intetest as Christs is, when it is thus reproached, and exposed to scorn and contempt?

4thly. God hath furnished us (the weakest and poorest amongst us that are his) to do much that shall be very effectual and acceptable, this way, and to this end; discouragements then should not hinder us from doing what we can to preserve a a sweet Name and savour to Christ. Many cry out, Alas! what can I do? what have I to bring, poor creature! were I as able as gifted, as well qualifi­ed and furnished to Preach, Pray, Discourse, Dis­pute as others, I might attempt something. This reason is not right; its not Gifts but Graces (as I shall shew you hereafter) that send forth the most precious savour: and there may be an abounding of the latter of these in souls, to whom the for­mer is denied. Nor doth the vertue of the em­balm indeed lie so much in the aboundance of act, as of acceptation; she that cast in what she had, and therein did what she could, though it were in [Page 137] value but two mites, yet it was accounted in ver­tue more than two millions: The love of such a poor soul to Christ is seen in a little token, and then the estimation of it you may reade, Cant. 4.10. How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine oyntments, than all spices! If true love be in the composition, the smell of such an oyntment, it is unparallel'd in Christs account. Goats-hair had its acceptance on and value from this considerati­on, Exod. 25.2, 4. and Women spinning it, whose spirits stirred them, Exod. 35.26.

5thly. We should do as much as we can for Christ, because its a time and hour of temptation, wherein many Professors (if not most) do as little as they can for shame, through the fear of what the after reckoning may cost them more than the spices; Many are willing to be at much cost to feast Christ when his interest is rising, who have nothing to bestow at his funeral; nay, its well if such as cleave to Christ now, can pass without the sharpest censure from their very hands from whom better things might be expected. Such a one is a sinner, Luke 7.29. Such a one is a waster, Mark 14.3. are the ordinary thanks we must look to meet with from them that have been great pre­tenders to Christ. There is few Josephs, few Nico­demases, that were but secret Disciples, when all was well, who yet boldly witness against the con­demning of Christ, Luke 23.51. boldly own and desire him, when condemned, Mark 15.43. richly embalm and intombe him, Joh. 19.38, 39, 40, 41. Since it is so rare to find secret Professors in pro­sperous times, grow bold asserters of him in ad­verse [Page 138] times; but on the conarary, most are offend­ed at such night-seasons; forsake him and flee every one to his own and leave him alone, Mat. 26.31. Joh. 16.32. It so much the more concerns us, if the love of Christ constrain us to appear the more streniously for him, and lay out our selves upon him.

6thly. We should do all we can for Christ, be­cause God expects much from us this way, as the very end for which he hath raised us up, and brought us hither; he gives us this denomination, Ye are the Salt of the Earth, Mat. 5.13. Salt is good; its nature, use, and tendancy, is to preserve from putrifaction and stench, things otherwise liable thereunto: if we lose our saltness, our aptitude to preserve a sweet savour in our selves, and that whereabout we are eminently concerned, we are good for nothing, not good for the Earth, not good for the Dung-hill, but to be cast out and troden under foot of men. Professors that are unsavoury, nay, that are not savoury, and engaged to savour others in stinking times, they are, or are like to become the worst of men. Our Interest is to press up to that character, 2 Cor. 2.14. A people by whom God maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place, being unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish. He that savoured of the things of men, more than things of God, 'twas an offence to Christ, Mat. 16.23. Its good to be as well what, as where God looks for a man to be, especi­ally in perilous times.

This might serve to have been spoken to the Second general Head, proposed to consideration, in opening the Doctrine, how it might be said, She did what she could.

Thirdly, We proceed then to the Third thing, represented to our consideration in this instance, namely, The business or affair it self, about which she was imployed; The which spiritually imitated and followed by us, is so much our concernment; She came aforehand to anoint his Body to the burying. Of her act in the strict acceptation of it, and its ap­plication to the body of Christ's flesh, that was then expresly anointed by her, I shall not now speak; the rather, because (as such) it is exalted at the Fa­thers right hand, not only far above the Grave (Death hath no more dominion over him) but al­so above any possibility of being reached by any offers or attempts of ours, to add to the glory or savour of it. But he hath a Body alwayes with us, as I hinted in the explication of the terms, adequated, and exposed to such endeavours of ours, as is my principal design to promote. This seems not obscurely hinted at, and intended in the verse before the Text, at least we may allude to it for illustration, You have the Poor with you alwayes, and whensoever you will, you may do them good; but me ye have not alwayes. Thus, though the Hea­vens do and must contain the Body of Christ up in Glory, yet he hath mystically and figuratively a Body of poor Saints alwayes with us upon the Earth; he hath a poor Cause and Interest, wherein he doth for glorious ends imba [...]que them; This is exposed to the compassion and bounty of those who would be thought his Friends, especially under [Page 140] these many deaths and burials, wherein an ill sa­vour is frequently attending it; its a good work wrought on it, and such as Christ takes exceeding kindly as done unto himself, Mat. 25.40. When any proper attempts are made to preserve this, from the bad savour that is incident to such a state of things, and usually attends it.

Toward the better understanding therefore what properly concerns us in this case, as far as we may transfer it to our selves in this figure (not to speak at large of the Body, Interest, or Concerns of Christ, exposed to those deaths, and proposed to those embalmings of ours, of which, and of this crucified state of it, we have had when occasion to treat) it shall suffice that we distinctly consider these Two things.

1. First, What kind of ill savour is it, which this Body, Cause, and Interest of Christ is incident unto, and lyable to contract under the deaths and burials that must by the will of God attend it.

2. Secondly, What is the nature and composition of that Anointing or Embalming, which is proper to resist a stench and putrifaction of such a state of things, in contributing whereunto Christ expects from us, that we should do what we can?

1. As to the first of these, thus; We may con­sider the things of Christ which fall under our pre­sent disquisition, either in an abstract notion as they are purely his things, and stand in a true and inseparable union with him, and relating to him by vertue of the everlasting Covenant, and the promises thereof, wherein they are given and as­certained to him, beyond any possi [...]ility of failure or miscarriage; or else we may consider [Page 141] them more comprehensively, as they are cloathed and circumstantiated with divers additaments that are of a lower nature and allay, yet so involved and complicated by the wise disposal of divine providence, as tends in a direct observance, to ac­complish and bring about the designs thereof: in this respect many things which seem to stand rela­ted in a way of present serviceableness to Christs interest, may, and will suffer such consumption as their own nature is liable unto; but in the former sense, the things of Jesus Christ that are proposed to the care and seeking of the Saints, Phil. 2.21. are by the power and vertue of the said covenant, secured from any detriment tending to annihilati­on; but though deaths do often attend them, yet so strong and effectual is their relation to Jesus Christ, that because he liveth, they shall live also; nay, though they die, they shall live again, Joh. 11.25. Exceeding consolatory is that word, Isa. 26.19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. The poor Saints were crying out before under the manifest disappointments, and miscarriage of all their strong cryes and travel, vers. 14. They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise, &c. But God would have his faithful ones know, that such is the vertue of their relation to Christ as his dead body, that such a Resurrection is ascertained to them, as shall not only deliver them from the power of the grave, Psal. 49.15. but manifest that their very death was gain and advantage to them, Phil. 1.21. Their grave, a chamber of retirement, and bed of rest, Isa. 57.2. till some blast of indignation be over­past, Dan. 12.13. It was indeed the distinguishing [Page 142] honour of the Captain of our Salvation, that in his contest with death and the grave, he saw no cor­ruption, Acts 2.25. to the 31. chap. 13.34. to the 37. In all things he hath the preheminence of David, to whom this Word of God came, Psal. 16.11. (who doubtless sucked much consolation from it) it is signified he saw corruption in this sence, that what of him is corruptible is subjected to that way of refining; Its sown in corruption, but shall be raised in incorruption: His better and noble part being preserved in an excellent way of living to God, Luke 20.37, 38. his flesh also rests in Hope. The corruption then, or any ill savour that may a­rise upon the interest of Christ thus considered, is not such as tends to annihilation or utter dissoluti­on, the everlasting purposes, covenant, and faith­fulness of God with Christ, secures it in a state of Hope; neither doth this only and singly refer to the final Resurrection of the whole in a way of compleat glory at the last day (which was Martha's narrowing mistake about Lazarus, Joh. 11.24.) but shall be manifestly verified in such eminent appearances of God, to get himself a glorious Name antecedently to that consummating Glory, as shall answer and accomplish a system of blessed Promises, and promises of the Glory of the latter dayes, that shall be raised in the ruine of Babylon, and Resurrection of the Witnesses of Christ, ten­ding to prepare his people, for his glorious appear­ing, as a Bride adorned to meet the Bridegroom.

Its not such a rottenness, or stinking, as Martha concluded Lazarus to be, which would consume and eat him out, not be prevented, resisted, and cured till the Heavens be no more, Job 14.12. [Page 143] There is hope in its end, Jer. 31.17. 1 Thes. 4.13. Though the Lord shew us great and sore troubles, he will quicken us again, and bring us up again from the depths of the Earth, Psal. 71.20. Though we walk in the midst of troubles, yet he will revive us, Psal. 138.7. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, those pre­cious Promises are of mighty efficacy to embalm it. Nevertheless there is an ill savour on several accounts, that is apt to be brought upon this body, or interest of Christ, at such times, under such deaths as we speak of, against which the embalm we treat of, is to be prepared; As namely,

1. There is a stinke apt to betide it, the occa­sion of which is meerly from without, arising from the rotten and corrupt disposition of such as are instrumental in bringing such deaths upon it, who usually account it their interest to expose it to all the ignominy and contempt imaginable, that in the abomination thereof, a foundation may be laid for the excusing and commending themselves, in delivering the world from such a loathsome bur­then. Thus they did with the green Tree, and no marvel if they do so with the dry. When they had in design to put the Lord of Glory to an open shame; what artifices had they to load him with all manner of ignominy both before and at his death, foretold by a spirit of prophesie, Psal. 22.6, 7, 8. ex­actly fulfilled, Mat. 27. He was scourged, vers. 26. Stripped, vers. 28. Mocked, vers. 29. Spit upon; his head smitten, vers. 30. Scoffed, and led to be Cruci­fied, vers. 31. Scornfully inscribed, vers. 37. Re­viled by them that passed by, wagging their heads, vers. 39. Mocked by the Chief Priests, Elders, and Scribes, vers. 41. Had the same cast in the teeth by [Page 144] by the theeves, vers. 44. Reproached with his God, his Trust, his King-ship, his Doctrine, his Prayers, as with a sword in his bones thus they assailed him: Oh! how irksome was the stench, that the spitting and disgorging of a filthy generation upon him drew him under in this dying dispensation! And as they have done to him in his own person (who hid not his face from shame and spitting) so do they to those that go forth to him without the Camp, bearing his reproach; They are made a spectacle to the World, to Angels, and to Men; Fools, weak, despised, hunger, thirst, naked, buffetted, pil­grims, reviled, persecuted, defamed, made the filth of the world, and off-scouring of all things to this day, 1 Cor. 4.9. to 13. The word notes theMr. Burroughs Moses Choice. filth scraped off shooes; or from the pavement, or the dung-cart that goes through the City, into which every one brings his filth and casts in. Every one had some filth to cast upon Paul, and the rest of the Apostles. So it was Jer. 15.10. This stench had need to be provided against by such as would have his Name be as a precious Oyntment. Divers mistake the right way of per­forming this, supposing that the best way of resist­ing this, is by repelling and retorting it with the same measure into their faces who lay it on. Christs method of imbalming is quite otherwise, namely, by bearing it with all patience, meekness, and holy resignedness of the judgment to God, who knows how to make their own tongues to fall upon them­selves, and their violent dealing upon their own pates. We have the high Instance and Example of Christ himself, 1 Pet. 2, 23. Who when he was [Page 145] reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatned not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, Isa. 5.6. Mat. 26.67. Isa. 53.7. So did they who followed his steps, 1 Cor. 4.12. Praying for the worst of our Enemies, Mat. 5.44. Acts 7.60. and over-comming evil with good, Rom. 12.19, 20, 21. tender, bearing in our bosome these re­reproaches, Psal. 89.50, 51. to be affected deeply with them, and melt under them, Psal. 69.7, 9, 19, 20. Psal. 120.3, 4. Zeph. 3.18. and quietly to wait on God, till he role it away, is what concerns us in this matter; and happy are we if herein we lay out our selves to do what we can for Christ.

2dly. There is an ill savour frequently con­tracted, upon occasion of the corrupt flesh that ad­heres to many Professors of it, and pretended friends; their unsteady walking, and manifest back-sliding do procure a stinking savour to the whole, especially in such a season as we are speak­ing of; The Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, by means of such, Rom. 2.24. Tit. 2.5. great occasion is given to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, 2 Sam. 12.14. It was not a small matter of ill report that doubtless was raised at this dark time whereof the Text speaks. If you suppose the enemies to scorn at this rate,

What is become of your King?

Why, he is hanged for a Traytor and Blas­phemer. And,

What is become of the Deacon of that new-gathered Church, that was intrusted with the treasure?

Why, he sold himself to the Devil for thirty pieces of silver, betrayed his Master, and then hang'd himself, falling headlong, and then all his [Page 146] bowels gushed out; and this is known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem, Acts 1.19.

What became of Peter, the most forward, zealous, Ring-leader of the Company?

Why he, after he had drawn his Sword and shed blood, forsook his Master, and by and by denied him, once and again, and the third time; nay, cursed and swore that he never knew him.

What became of the rest of his Disciples in that tryal?

Why, after that they had promised, That though they should die with him, they would never deny him, Mat. 26.39. No sooner was he beset, but they all forsook and fled, and scattered every one to his own, and left him alone, John 16.32. These sore provocations of scorn and blasphemy, falling in together with the dark administration it self of Christ's Death, might well occasion this out-cry (as Jacob said to his Sons, Gen. 34.30.) You have troubled me, and made me to stink amongst the Inhabi­tants of the Land, amongst the Canaanites and Periz­zites; O [...], as the Israelites to Moses (though by them ill applyed, Exod. 5.21.) You have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his Servants, to put a Sword into their hands to slay us. Such falls of Professors, as they, draw on themselves wounds, that stink and are corrupted, Psa. 38.3, 5, 7. So do they cause the whole way of truth to be evil spoken of, 2 Pet. 2.2. this is a lamentation. Now against this putrifaction, it much concerns the Saints to lay out themselves to do what they can, shewing all good fidelity for the a­dorning and perfuming the Gospel of God in all things, Titus 2.10. Having a conversation (transcendantly) [Page 147] honest among the Gentiles; that whereas they speak evil of them as evil-doers, they may by their good works which they shall behold, glorifie God, &c. 1 Pet. 2.12. Phil. 2.15, 16, Mat. 5.15, 16. Titus 2.8. Rom. 14.16.

3dly. There is an uncouth savour apt to arise from the very dispensation it self, though we should consider it unclothed, and freed from the former nasty circumstances. Mortality in any re­spect is unpleasant; dissolution is not desireable: The Saints that desire to depart, do not desire to be unclothed (as such) Phil. 1.23. 2 Cor. 5.4. Every such death is a sowing in some dishonour, weak­ness, the corruption also, 1 Cor. 15.42, 43. This is a startling to Nature, Sence, and Reason. In the Concerns of Christ, whereof we speak, there is no such death besides it, but some thing suffers loss, its unclothed of some seeming beauty, al­though in the issue it be to make for a more real and substantial glory; every sentence of death hath some resemblance to the King of Terrors, Job 18.14. This contracts paleness upon the faces of Friends themselves, Jer. 30.6, 7. swooning, fainting fits are apt to seize them, who (with Joseph) weep over and kiss such corps, Gen. 50.1, 2. Im­balmings are needful to resist such sadnings; so Prov. 27.9. Oyntment and Perfume rejoyce the heart, so doth the sweetness of a man's Friend by hearty counsel. Christs Sepulchre was a Grave, though hewen out of a Rock; and imbalming was requisite, though never man lay there before, Joh. 14.39, &c. especially seeing weeping Visiters de­sired access, not only unto, but into the Sepulchre, Mark 16.5. Joh. 20.6, 8. The Grave or Cave of [Page 148] Lazarus fetched groans and tears from Christ him­self, because he loved him, though he was come to raise him, Joh. 11.33, 35, 38. The aptness of the choicest Saints to faint, swoon, and quail at the Grave of that Interest (whose Resurrection yet they frequently expect) calls for cordial confecti­ons, liberally prepared for such funerals.

Secondly, Proceed we to the Second branch un­der this general Head, and that is, To take know­ledge what is the Nature of this composition of Imbalm, that is proper to withstand the said ill-savour in the several respects of it, about which also consider we,—

• 1. First, Some general Properties or Qualities that are principally to be heeded in this Preparation.
• 2. Secondly, The special Ingredients that must concur to make up the Composition of it.

The former of these I shall propound under the Observation and Improvement of two or three words, in her case in the text, which may direct our care in this business.

1. That which we bring to the Lord on the pre­sent intendment, must bear proportion to hers in this quality. Hers was (and so must ours be) very Pure Oyntment. The word Spiknard, the margent reads Pure-nard; some think it should be transla­ted, Ʋpright and Perfect Nard: They taking the word [...] to be derived from [...], and so signi­fie faithful, proper, pure, and unmixed Nard, it be­ing liable to be adulterated, vitiated, and corrupt­ed. By due proportion whereunto, all endeavours [Page 149] of ours, must have this principally heeded, that simplicity, integrity, and true sincerity do truly qualifie whatever of this kind be attempted, which directs us as wel that al the ingredients be unfeign­ed and answerable to the pure standard without hy­pocrisie; as also that there be nothing admitted, which is of a forreign allay, which will prove of a corrupting nature to all the rest. We read that in the Levitical administration, there was both an holy Oyntment, and an holy Perfume, for the special use of the Tabernacle, to be compounded by spe­cial direction, according to the Art of the Apothe­cary, Exod. 30.23, 24, 25, 34, 35, 36. The Spices, Dose, Confection, and Application of it must be strictly ordered by the standard of the Sanctuary, under penalty of death on the least corruption or deviation: The which pointing unto Gospel-things, I might shew particularly, requires all man­ner of care, that what we bring before the Lord for a sweet savour, do fully answer the pattern for simplicity and godly sincerity; a little evil else, will spoyl much good; Dead Flyes (saith the Wise­man, Eccles. 10.1.) cause the Oyntment of the Apo­thecary to send forth a stinking savour; so doth a little Folly him that is in repute for Wisdom and Honour. They have need of clean hands, and a pure heart, that doth approach with such intendments. What manner of persons ought they to be in all holy Conversa­tion and Godliness? If they lose their savour, where­with shall they be sweetned?

2dly. What we bring on this design, must bear proportion to hers in this, Her Spicknard was very precious. Which expression signifieth as well the inward vertue and excellency of it, as the rich [Page 150] price, cost and value of it. It might (said the Disciples) have been sold (and such things seldom yield what they cost) for three hundred pence; which likely was the Roman penny, by computation about seven pence half-penny of ours, that amounts to about 9l. — 7s.—6d. sterlin. So great a value to be expended at one dash on Christ, by a Woman; that seems to have been not one of the richest nei­ther; being so highly commended, and propound­ed as an exemplary instance to us, shews that what we bring of this kind, must be in the sight of God of great price (as a gracious frame of Spirit in his children is said to be) even that hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, 1 Pet. 3.4. In this also it is significant, that the external cost and detriment, that such vigorous attempts may bring upon us, ought not to be drawn into the reckoning, as worthy to be named or counted dear to our selves, so we may bring him Honour, bear up his Name, serve our Generation, finish our Testimo­ny, and hereby raise him a sweet savour in the midst of an adulterous age, where we are brought forth. The debate and resolution between two generous spirits (David and Araunah) about offering up a sweet savour to the Lord, is very teaching, 2 Sam. 24.24. I will surely buy it of thee for a price; nei­ther will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. Such as pro­fess a perswasion of the necessity toward this con­fection, of a rich access of the precious things of Heaven, such as precious Bloud (1 Pet. 1.19.) of a precious Christ (1 Pet. 2.7.) apprehended by precious Faith (2 Pet. 1.1.) through precious Pro­mises (vers. 4.) in a precious Word (1 Sam. 3.1.) [Page 151] answering to those precious things of Heaven, &c. Deut. 33.13. to 16. Such I say as acknowledge a necessity of these, are much overseen, to stick at, and stand upon things of a lower value, such as, Father, Mother, Wife, Children, Brethren, Si­sters, own Life, Luke 14.26, to 33. Mat. 10.37, 38, 39. Mark 10.28, 29, 30. as though they were too costly or precious to be laid down upon this honourable account, if the Lord have need of them.

3dly. The Oyntment she brought, is in this re­spect teaching to us, That the Application of it was very Manifest, Liberal, and Diffusive; She did not only open, pierce, and give some vent to it spa­ringly and gradually, but brake the Box, pouring it out upon his head. It bespeaks the business perform­ed with such good will, so throughly and effectu­ally, as intended neither secresie nor reservation, as his head and all his other parts were filled with the Oyntment (answering that Scripture, Psal. 133.2.) so was the whole house intentionally filled with odour of it, John 12.3. — Christ is prin­cipally honoured with our affairs of this kind, when we appear most openly and communicatively in sending forth the savour, and shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous Light, 1 Pet. 2.9. The excel­lency of this composition is best discerned, in its contest with, and conquest over opposition, then smelling most, when censured, crushed, bruised most; holding forth the Word of Life as Lights in the World, Phil. 2.15, 16. to make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mystery, Eph. 3.9. We only then answer the ends and expectation of [Page 152] Christ, now pressed after, when (though in censur­ing perilous dayes) we do in our several places and capacities, do what we can, by a publick Testimony, bear witness to every Truth and Vertue of his, and such especially as are most eminently striven against, by the wickedness of the dayes and places we live in.

We come now to speak to the special Ingredi­ents of the Confection which is only competent to preserve a sweet savour to Christ's dying Interest, about which, for the encouragement and direction of the meanest Saint, to do what they can, this must be considered, That all of them that are a sweet sa­vour unto God, they are the Spices and Powders of the Merchants, Cant. 6.1. Mark. 16.1. brought from far, and to be bought at Gospel-prices, Rev. 3.18. I counsel thee to buy of me, &c. That which is of our own growth, Phil. 3.8, 9. begged or borrowed, Mat. 25.9. will not serve the turn. This, though very precious, yet they that have a mind to trade in it, may have great penyworths, Isa. 55.1, 2, 3. Nor is it the less acceptable to the Lord, or thank­worthy, that they bring it with this acknowledge­ment, 1 Chron. 29.14, 15, 16. What am I, and what is this people, that we should be able to offer so willing­ly? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee; all this store that we have prepared cometh of thy hand, and all is thine own. — More­over, this should be an encouragement to the poor­est, weakest Believer, That though spiritual gifts of deep knowledge and utterance, may do much towards the raising, and repute, to a dying cause; Yet have the graces of the Spirit, shining in the hearts and conversation of a poor Believer, an [Page 153] estimation of a greater price in the sight of God, and a real and direct tendency to glorifie the Name of God in a standing way, when the high and re­nowned gifts of Prophesie may fail, and Tongues cease, and Knowledge vanish away, 1 Cor. 13. to the end. The truth of which we have verified in our dayes, and may yet further, That the great, lear­ned, famed men, who would be thought the only Bulwarks and Champions for the Truth and Cause, have shrunk from it, and their Names rot and stunk, whilest a few poor despised Saints that own themselves nothing, and have no might, have yet been preserved, to abide with Christ in his tempta­tions; and having obtained a little strength, do not deny his Name. Thus hath it been in all Ages, Not many Wise, &c. But God hath chosen the foolish things, &c. And I thank thee Father, Lord of Hea­ven and Earth (saith Christ) that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so Father, &c. But more par­ticularly;

1. In all such Confections, there is indespensibly necessary, A lively Faith of the operation of God, without which it is impossible to please him, Heb. 11.6. Rom. 14.23. This contributes strength, savour, and duration to all other ingredients (as they say Ambergreese doth to all Perfumes) is in the front of all others, 2 Pet. 1.5. And though it be precious (v. 1.) yet must have vertue still diligently added to it. By Faith Joseph when he died made mention of the departure of the Children of Israel, & gave command­ment concerning his bones, Heb. 11.22. Many are the excellent exploits recorded by Moses, performed by Joseph's Faith; yet the Spirit singles this one out [Page 154] doubtless for its exemplary eminency) to abide upon this Gospel-File, that his Faith at dying (though the Light of Israel were for the time seemingly put out with him) had such a singular re­gard to the assurance of the Promise of deliver­ance, that on the single evidence thereof he gave commandment touching his bones. What Com­mandment? namely, the same he had given touch­ing his Fathers bones, Gen. 50.2. That they should be embalmed, the better to comport and be in fel­lowship with the design of the Promise, in the truth of which he had so much confidence, as he was contented his bones should be kept (though imbalmed) above ground, and not reposed to their proper rest, till his people also should be brought to rest in the Land of Promise; his Faith prefer­red a Cave in Canaan, before a Pyramid in Egypt; and would be preserved by an embalming, wherein Faith had the principal hand, Gen. 50.24, 25, 26. Jacobs bones must also be embalmed upon the cre­dit of that precious Promise, Gen. 46.4. I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will surely bring thee up again. Jacobs bones must be brought sweet to Canaan, to shew the precious compliances of Faith with Promises, seemingly dead and broken to Sence and Reason.

2. There is necessary in such embalming, Love and the fruits of it. Of these two, something was spoken above, as being principal agents in doing what we can. This constrains the soul to do excellent things, 2 Cor. 5.14. beareth, indureth, acteth, layeth out unspeakably, 1 Cor. 13.7, 8. Cant. 8.6, 7. Work of Faith, and labour of Love are joyned toge­ther, 1 Thes. 1.3. thinks it can never do enough [Page 155] for Christ, and for poor souls (chap. 28.) this cause­eth an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God, Phil. 4.8.

3. A Third Ingredient that admirably accom­panies the other (as one of the three principal Spices, Exod. 30.23.) is the patience of Hope, 1 Thes. 1.3. 1 Cor. 13.13. This is choicely fitted for such a Grave, till such a Resurrection, Acts 26.6, 7. Job 14.7, 14. It's of an exceeding sweet­ness (1 John 3.3.) and comforting tendancy, Rom. 12.12. It sweetens a stinking prison, Zech. 9.11, 12. Acts 28.20. a stinking grave, Psal. 16.9. it maketh not ashamed, Rom. 5.5. because of the precious love of Christ shed abroad, &c.

4. Without Holiness there can be no such sweet­ness as is pressed after, Thou wilt not suffer thy holy One to see corruption. Saintship both in its truth, and manifestation, is indispensibly required hereunto; A cleansing our selves by the power of Promises from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in fear of God. To speak properly, Holiness is a com­position of all the Graces of a Saint in a joynt concurrence; and is the very complexion of the new-creature, as Holiness is the Nature of God, and respects all his glorious attributes, and per­fections. In proposing this therefore, I speak the whole of a Christians Concerns in this business, Be ye clean who bear the vessels of the Lord. Under this then is intended all the fruits of the Spirit in­numerated, Gal. 5.22, 23. 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 7, 8. and elsewhere plentifully described, and exhorted to.—

5. I shall therefore only add, That a spirit of no­bility, and Zeal for God, not liable to be prostituted to [Page 156] the love or fear of creatures, is most eminently requisite to compleat a sweet savour to the scorned things of Christ. A shrinking private low spirit, very much dishonours so great a Leader and Commander, as Christ hath been unto us; A most lively example is in the case before us, — These poor Women were so far carried above their fears, that in the face of danger in a time of fears, though in the morning while it was yet dark, they made their approaches to the Sepulchre to perfume it, though it might be judged both unseasonable, uncivil, and unsafe for Women to come so near an armed Guard (especi­ally if Souldiers were then as they are now) set on purpose, to prevent the consequences of such twylight approaches, Mat. 27.63, 64, 65, 66. And let loose to all manner of incivilities without con­troul, chap. 27.27. to 31. Such a Spirit becomes us; not ashamed, not afraid of the Testimony of our Lord, nor of his Prisoners, but ready to be offered up, as partakers of the Afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God: For we have not received the spirit of Fear, but of Power, of Love, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. 1.7, 8.

These vertues of Jesus Christ in their conjuncti­on, fixation, and exercise, in the spirit and walk­ings of Saints, are the Oyntments and Ornaments in the sight of God and Men of great price; nei­ther should the weakest Saint be discouraged, to bring forth what they have of this kind, to the com­mon design; and treasury Christ puts a value on it, and then we should not hold back more than is meet. Which leads me to the Fourth general Con­sideration propounded for opening the main Doctrine, namely, —

Fourthly, How are we to conceive of Christ's Ac­ceptance of what is done of this kind by us?

We see the Text speaks it, directly, and fully in the case of this censured, hard-thought-of poor Woman; and if we can find the disposition and temper of his heart to be the same in our case, it may prove a great encouragement and engagement to do what we can for Christ, whether men be pleased or displeased at it: All I shall do here, is to shew (1) That Christ accepts kindly and well pleased­ly, such offers to raise a sweet savour. And then (2) How he signifies this his Acceptance.

Of the former, take but one testimony, Cant. 4.12, to 16. Thy Plants (saith Christ to his Church) are an Orchard of Pomegranates with pleasant fruits, Camphire with Spikenard, and Saffron, Calamus, and Cinamom, with all trees of Frankincense, Myrrhe, and Aloes, with all the chief Spices, &c. Awake, O North Wind, and blow O South, that the Spices thereof may flow out. That by those several sweet-smelling Spices, are intended the Graces of the Spirit, I think is ordinarily concluded. The scope of this Scripture, is to draw forth the smell of these upon the consideration of the value that Christ puts up­on them, and the acceptation he hath of them, e­ven then when poor souls are under some strait­ning Providences, too much inclosed, shut up and sealed; To prevent which privateness of spirit, and to draw forth this fragrant perfume to more ad­vantage, the North-wind, and South-wind, are called to meet, in their opposition, upon the Gar­den; signifying, perhaps, that commotion and dis­quiet state of things, where such contrary blasts have their violent contests, Dan. 7.2. by means [Page 158] whereof, though the Garden may seem to suffe [...] some spoyl and loss, yet it's to the heart of Christ, that his Spicknard, and other Plants, through these bruisings and shakings, should send forth the smell thereof: However this seems evident, That what­ever private, low, and undervaluing thoughts the poor Saints have of their own attainments, because they are but Plants yet, not tall Trees, as the Ce­dars of Labanon that God hath planted; yet Christ hath his eye upon their spiritual Nature and Origi­nal, they are all Slips of that Branch of Renown, are sweeter and more acceptable in his account, than (through their humility) they seem to be in theirs; we yet know not the high value he puts upon the riches of the glory of the inheritance in the Saints, Eph. 1.18. and to have them in exer­cise, especially on so solemn occasion as this is; why it is the joy and rejoycing of his heart. The heart of Christ in point of this acceptance may be read in Davids on an occasion, which hath some re­semblance, at least might be used to illustrate this, and that is, in his expressing himself thankfully to the men of Jabesh-Gilead, for the Funeral-love they had shewed to one, who had been the Lords Anointed, 2 Sam. 2.5, 6. Blessed be ye of the Lord, that you have shewed this kindness to your Lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him; and now the Lord shew kindness and truth unto you; and I also will re­quite your kindness because ye have done this thing.

The blessing he gives them, shews his accep­tance to the uttermost, the occasion thus; There was a day when the men of Jabesh-Gilead, were in unspeakable distress by means of the hard terms offered them by Nahash the Ammonite, 1 Sam. 11. [Page 159] 1, 2. they could have their peace upon no other terms than by espousing an irreparable mark of re­proach and infamy on themselves, and all Israel; and in this nick of extremity, Saul puts his life in his hand, and rescues them seasonably, and wrought a very great deliverance. This kindness of Saul to them, they were never in a capacity to requite, till the day that the body of their Lord, and in­strumental Saviour, was hanged on the Wall of a Garison of the Philistines, as a mark of like re­proach and ignominy on the whole Interest of God. In such a day of death and danger, when the body of their Lord, and his dear Children, is hung a stinking in the face of the Sun; now is a time to prove and improve the kindness, and in­genuity of their spirits toward their Lord and Israel, by putting their lives in their hands, and doing what they could to fetch him off from, and give a check to that reproach of the enemies of the Lord on his Name and Interest. They attempt it, they succeed, and bring off these dead bodies, and (mark it) they came to Jabesh and burnt them there, and took their bones and buried them, and fasted seven dayes, 1 Sam. 31.11, 12, 13. They not only buried, but burnt them there, which was the manner of Roy­al Funerals: compare it with 2 Chron. 16.14. They laid Asa in a bed which was filled with sweet odours, and divers kind of spices, prepared by the Apothecaries art, and they made a very great burning for him: See Jer. 34.5. With the burnings of thy Fathers, the former Kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee. This perfumed Royal Fune­ral you see hath acceptance and recompence with David. And shall Jesus Christ, who laid down his [Page 160] life to take away the curse and reproach from us, and hath set us free from wrath to come (which we can never requite) now call for a proof of our kindness, and thankfulness, by doing what we can to rescue the honour of his Name and Interest that is now exposed to contempt, and to bestow a more perfuming funeral on it, and lamentation over it, than without danger we durst do; and shall we stand upon the hazard and cost of it, and in so do­ing shall not we lose the blessing of David, The Lord shew kindness and truth unto you.

Nay, shall not the men of Jabesh-Gilead rise up in judgement, who did what they could to cover the shame, and recover the honour of a wicked Prince, who fell for his iniquity, as if he had ne­ver been anointed; and shall we refuse, or come short of perfuming this service to the King of Glo­ry, who is put to an open shame in his Name and People; God forbid. —This honourable act will find acceptable resentment and recompence from Christ as that did from David, and as kindness to the dead hath alwayes done on ingenious spirits: Ruth 1.8. & 2.20. Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and the dead. But let us see how Christ doth manifest this his acceptance of such attempts.

1. Christ is ready to shew forth his acceptance of this kindness, by his being so willingly ingaged to plead the cause, and vindicate the innocency and integrity of such a People as do what they can for him; many are the ill instructions at home, and the ignominies abroad that will be raised upon such an account; But of this we may have assurance, he stands ingaged to make good that word, [Page 161] 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honour me, I will honour; and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. As Christ stood not upon his own vindication, when his Father's honour was in his eye; but he com­mitted his cause to him, who effectually hath brought it about; So should not we stand upon our own vindication, when the Name of Christ lies at the stake. See Psal. 35.5, 6. Commit thy way to the Lord, &c. And he shall bring forth thy Righteousness as the light, and thy Judgement as the noon-day. We see how effectual he doth it in the Text, concern­ing this poor Woman in all her ignominies, and hard speeches that she met withal; and no less will he shew it at this day, to be the high title of his honour, Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord, and thy God, who pleadeth the cause of his people, Isa. 51.22. He will thorowly plead their cause, Jer. 50.34. and exe­cute Judgement for them, bring them forth to the light, and their eyes shall behold thy Righteousness, Micah 7.9. Marvellous have been the Lord's wayes and methods of asserting the integrity of his people, from the midst of the clouds of igno­miny.

2. Christ sheweth his acceptance by ordering the issues of all the provision that a people makes for his Name and Glory, that it proves the di­rectest provision they can possible make for them­selves and their best interest, The liberal man devi­seth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand, Isa. 32.8. That course w^ch the generality of people conclude according to rules of Providence is the way to ruine them, proves the most effectual means to establish them: of this Psal. 112. gives a full testimony. The good man, is there brought in [Page 162] gracious, full of compassion, shewing favour, and lend­ing, dispersing, giving to the Poor; and yet in all respects, making the fullest provision for his own best blessedness in so doing. That of Christ is the Paradox to prudent Professors in perilous times, which they can by no means resolve, He that will save his life shall lose it, and he that will lose his life shall save it. How evidently is this made good in the good Name of persons? Men have generally reasoned, that to cleave to such a Profession, or Te­stimony, or People, hath been the high-way to be disgraced for ever; whereas the Lord hath mani­festly built up the Houses of such (as its said of the Midwives Houses in Egypt.) We reade in the first and last verses save one of Heb. 11. concerning the Worthies, That by Faith they obtained a good report, though they received not the Promise. It was mat­ter of reproach to them, that they should imbrace and cleave to certain Promises from generation to generation, owning them as their Interest, which yet brought not forth in their day, the great things they testified of, and professed that as Pilgrimes and Strangers they waited for; they made this their business, to raise a good report, and preserve a sweet savour upon the Promises, which yet brought not forth as they expected they should; but yet this they got by it, the Promises left a good report on them, Their Names (by means thereof) were as precious Oyntment, Eccles. 7.1. for that their conversation were as precious Oynt­ment to the Name of God. —

Christ shews his acceptance of such, by making known to such the most early discoveries of his further breaking forth of Glory beyond any other. [Page 163] So it was in the case of the Text, they that were at this early costly provision of Imbalm, had the first Knowledg, Evidence, and Joy of the Resur­rection of Christ from the dead; and must be the first messengers of the blessed Tydings thereof, John 20.1, 14. to 18. Luke 24.10. Mark 16.9, 10. They had not the first manifestation of it who were men of the greatest parts, imployment, or esteem. Nothing is more obvious to frequent experience, then the preventing Grace of Christ, at least in keeping the spirits of such sweet, quick, lively; and if any fore-tastes of approaching Glory be go­ing, such overcommers shall have the morning-star, Rev. 2.28.

Christ's acceptance is frequently signified this way; They who do what they can to raise a sweet savour on the concerns of Christ, shall be rendred the most useful, blessed, and a blessing of any o­thers in their generations; The blessings of the souls and bodies of them that were ready to perish shall come upon such, Job. 29.13. They shall be as dew frow the Lord, and as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men, Micah. 5.7. Their love to Christ, laying out its self for him thus, is likened to the Oyntment on the head of Aaron, and the dew of Hermon and Sion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, Psal. 133. The Families, Neighbours, Fellow-members of such shall rise and call such blessed, Prov. 31.28. Ezek. 34.26. The distinguishing mark of acceptation is reserved by Christ, till the day of recompence, which hastneth greatly, in the w^ch not the value of a cup of cold water hath been given on this sweetning design, but shall have its eminent reward. Upon [Page 164] that enquiry of the poor Disciples, Mat. 19.27. Behold, we have forsaken [All] and have followed thee, what shall we have therefore? It was a great [All] a few Fishing-Nets and Boats, and the like poor things; Yea, but it was their [All] they had done, and were undone, as far as they could for Christ; and what remaineth to them? Truly they having followed Christ in the Regeneration (or as Luke 22.28.) continued with him in his Tempta­tions, he appoints to them a Kingdom as the Fa­ther appointed him, They must eat and drink with him in his Kingdom, sitting on Thrones and judging the Tribes of Israel; and every one that hath for­saken Brothers, or Houses, or Fathers, &c. shall re­ceive an hundred fold, &c.

From the words, a few things more tending to a closer Application of the whole, shall serve for a close.

Ʋse 1. This might be improved by way of In­formation thus; If Christ do put such a real high value upon all attempts that are levelled toward this design, to preserve a sweet savour on his con­cerns, when they are by the world exposed to stinking. Then

1. May we gather how the heart of Christ stands aspecting such as do what they can to render him and the things of his Name and Glory odious, by laying contempt and reproach upon it what in them lyeth; surely it will be a bad day for such when he shall plead with them, and vindicate the quarrel of his abused Name and Interest: If they that honour him shall be thus honoured, then they who despise him shall be lightly esteemed, 1 Sam. 2.20. It's worth consideration, what requitals [Page 165] in kind Chtist hath in store for such indignities done to him, what funerals he hath reserved for such enemies; See Isa. 14.9, 11, 18, 19, 20. Hell from beneath is moved at thy coming. —Thy pompe is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.—They that see thee shall narrowly look up­on thee, &c. All the Kings of the Nations, all of them lie in glory, every one in their own house, but thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, as the rayment of those that are slain, thrust thorow with a sword. — As a carkass troden under foot, thou shalt not be joyned with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy Land, and slain thy people: the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned. — An Instance like unto this of the Lord's severity to such as have provoked him, and abused his Glory, we have, Jer. 16.4. They shall die of a grievous death, they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, but they shall be as dung upon the face of the Earth. These are some of the Lord's wayes, that he can take, and many times doth with such as are not tender of his Glory: Consi [...]er this ye that forget God, &c. The funerals of Jez [...]bel, that dreadful enemy to the Lord's Prophets and People, may be a warning to such Persecuters.

2dly. It also lets us understand with what little savour he do [...]h and will regard those who have been pretenders to him in the dayes of Prosperity; but in Adversity, and under the passions and re­proaches that [...]ttend the Gospel, they hide their faces as it were from him; nay, are ready to deal with him, as the Pharis [...]es are condemned for do­ing, Mat. 23.29, to the end. Who built the Tombs [Page 166] of the Prophets, and garnisht the Sepulchres of the Righteous, and yet espouse and walk in the very spirit of thos that slew them; see their doom, and downfal in the same place.

3dly. It also shews how little thank-worthy they will be in the day of Christ, and how much 'tis to their loss of their comfort now, and will be of their reward then, who think every thing too much, that they either actually lay out, or put in hazard for the Name-sake of Christ. If a good wish indeed will do it, or the blessing mentioned, James 2.15, 16. would be accepted, that (possibly) might be spared; but as for any thing that is cost­ly, or dangerous, that cannot be adventured, It's an hard saying, who can bear it? Of such will not Christ say, They that are ashamed of me and my Word, before this evil and adulterous generation, of them shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he appears in his Glory, and in the Glory of his Father and of all his Holy Angels?

Use 2. But I rather proceed to offer a few things, that may tend to direct and ingage in this matter. And here (first) some Cautions to pre­vent mistakes and miscarriages, in the Preparation and Application of this Imbalm; and (then) a few Directions, and I shall conclude.

Caution 1. Take heed that you continue not in such a state, and carry such corruption about you, as will render you utterly incapable of doing any other than raising a stench on the things of Christ. Whatever you have to do about them, the purity of this Confection is such as the least evil owned and allowed, will diffuse its malignity through it to the vitiating the whole, and rendring it of none [Page 167] effect: A little such leaven will sowre the whole lump; Dead Flyes cause the Oyntment of the Apo­thecary to stink, so doth a little folly, &c. This is notably illustrated in the case put, Hagg. 2.11, 14. where is shewed that there is much more force and malignity in a little evil to corrupt much good, then there is in much Religious Service of such a People, to leave an impression of goodness on things otherwise void of it. Look to it that you be very clean who bear the vessels of the Lord in this Service, lest you defile this undertaking for the Lord: clean hands and a pure heart are indispen­sibly requisites in this affair.

Caution 2. Take heed according to what Rules, Instructions, or Dispensatory you compound this Imbalm. I hinted before how exactly careful God was in the Composition both of the Oyl and Pouder that were to perfume his Tabernacle, Exod. 30.23, &c. No less is he jealous of the present things under consideration, Take we heed there­fore of false Rules, and Principles, as name­ly;

1. Take heed how you admit of humane Wis­dom and Prudence, the consultings of flesh and blood, to dictate and give rules in these matters. It is very fruitful in multiplying inventions, eva­sions, expedients, distinctions, which indeed have a shew of Wisdom, but its frequent that the Ser­pents subtilty is foisted in, in the place of the sim­plicity of Christ; to call any man Master in this matter, is very dangerous.

2. Take heed you mistake not by seeking the Cheapest instead of the Chiefest way of this Per­fuming. It's indeed our wisdom and understand­ing [Page 168] to set down afore-hand and cast the cost, Luke 14.28, 31, &c. lest having begun, you be not able to finish; but then it must be brought to this issue, vers. 33. Whosoever he be that forsaketh not all that ever he hath, he cannot be my Disciple. Nothing less than all one hath, even his whole Living, e­very thing on this side Heaven must be made up in the account (if the Lord hath need of it) to be laid out on it.

Caution 3. Admit not Custome, common Fame, nor common Fear to be your Counsel­lours: These and the like Cautions must be per­sued.

But I had rather Conclude with a few Coun­sels:

1. If you do any thing excellent for Christ, do it early: So did this good Woman, both in the Text and at the Sepulchre. Many stay their hands from works of this kind, till they see what others, who are accounted more eminent, will do; they think it imprudent, and to savour of rashness and singularity to be presidential and exemplary: but this will one day be found the excellency of Chri­stian activity in works of this nature, That they tarry not for men, nor wait for the sons of men, Micha 5.7. We may in this case allude to that passage, 2 Sam. 19.12. Ye are my Brethren, ye are my Bone and my Flesh, wherefore are ye then the last to bring back the King? Many are so late and lingring in works that concern Christ's Glory of this kind, putting it off from one time to another, till their spirits sink to the work, and the things themselves (as was said of Lazarus) stink in their nostrils.

[Page 169]2dly. Consider the Royal Extract, Descent, and Original of this Cause and Interest, the Imbalm­ing of which with these sweet Odours you are ex­horted to. It's the off-spring of a King, of a great King. The Wise men were liberal in presenting him with Frankincense and Myrrhe whom they un­derstood to be King of the Jewes, though laid in a manger, Mat. 2.11. — And Jehu had so much generosity, when he had done the judgements of God upon Jezebel; as to give order, 2 Kings 9.34. Go, see now this cursed Woman, and bury her; for she is a Kings Daughter. Shall a cursed Woman have a becoming burial, because she is a Kings Daugh­ter, and shall not the blessed Cause of the King of Kings be better respected? though it be thrown to dogs, and be meat for them, it deserves better for his sake to whom it stands related in Royal Pro­geny. He that (as was said) was judged by the Wise men of the East worthy of a present of Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrhe at his birth, be­ing born King of the Jewes, and of a costly bed of Spices by honourable counsel at his funeral, be­ing Crucified as King of the Jewes, deserves upon the same account an honourable treatment, when any of his things come under clouds and suspition by the men of the times. Some Kings indeed were so evil, as debarred them from Royal Fune­rals, Jer. 22.18, 19. 2 Chron. 21.19, 20. But Christ deserves better usuage. If you would have your hearts ingaged to this honourable work, lay to heart the merit of it at your hands. 'Tis both nearly re­lated to you, and hath done unspeakable worthy things for you, while it was in its flourishing ca­pacity and condition. It's very near and natural [Page 170] to you that are Saints; as David said, Ye are my Brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: It is the very Womb wherein we were warmed, and brough [...] forth in that state of Saint-ship under the professi­on whereof we stand. Of Sion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: Reciprocations of love to such Relations, and of endeavours if it were possible to requite them, 1 Tim. 5.4. would engage to do our utmost at their Funeral, as Joseph imbalmed his Father, who tendered him dearly, and lamented his supposed death exceedingly, Gen. 37.34, 35. So would a Mothers Grave (be­cause a Mothers) be extraordinarily bewayled, Psal. 35.14. Many that bury an only Child, or first-born, will spare no cost about it: This (say they) is all the Portion I have to pay it. What was said of the men of Jabesh, might here be repeated; they thought they could do no less to the remembrance of a Father in Israel, who had done so well for them; or the Exhortations to the Daughters of Israel, to weep over him who clothed them in Scarlet, with other delights; who put on Orna­ments of Gold [...]pon thei [...] Apparel, 1 Sam. 1.24. much more in a [...]piri [...]ual sense hath this Interest of Christ deserved at your hands. Oh! be not un­grateful at su [...] an opportunity as this, you may never have the like [...]o express yo [...]r ingenuity, if you elapse this.

4thly. Press af [...]er larger participations of a Royal Spirit, if you would do any excellent thing at this Funeral. Where there are any sparks of true No­bility, they will vent themselves this way, where­as spirits of a base and sordid complexion will shrink in such a time of cost and hazard as this. It [Page 171] was a brave spirit in Araunah, when there was a [...]ebate betwixt David and him about the price of [...]he Sacrifice, that was to be offered up for a sweet [...]avour in an infectious nasty season, As a King, gave he to the King, 2 Sam. 24.23. 'Twas hard to discern by their spirits (if external badges had not [...]een there to distinguish them) which of them had most of the spirit of a King in him. Such large­ [...]ess of heart is exceeding proper and honourable [...]n the case before us. A little laid out in the power of this Principle will be highly enhansed in the value of it. It was a notable Instance, and evi­dence that Rispah (though but the Concubine of Saul) retained some tincture of a Royal mind, that when the seven men of the off-spring of Saul, were executed at the instance of the Gibeonites, with that reproachful and cursed death; yet she from her noble disposition, and generous respect to that Royal off-spring, doth what she could to keep them from those corrupting casualties that are apt to attend carkasses, exposed as they were in the o­pen air, to be a prey to the Birds by day, and the Beasts by night; her sack-cloth was accepted as a noble pavillion, & spoken well of at Court, till a more noble Funeral was provided for them, 2 Sam. 21.9, to 14. Christians, if you are (as you profess) made Kings and Priests to God, a Royal Priesthood, then you have another, a nobler spirit than have others; it concerneth and becometh you to stir up and improve on things that are most ex­cellent. It's not for Kings (Oh Believers!) It's not for Kings and Princes to do less than the noblest things. To open their mouth for the dumb in the Cause of all such (as on this account) are [Page 172] appointed to destruction; Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

5thly. Know for your encouragement, That though Christ expecteth you should do what you can to imbalm his Interest, yet the soveraign ver­tue of that, which indeed doth and must preserve it from rotting and stinking, depends upon the Lord's own provision and preparation: Though your good will be accepted, and your work shall be rewarded, yet it's freedom from corruption flowes from the absolute dominion he hath over the Grave where he lieth, and the purpose and ingagement that he hath made known in the New Covenant to give it a Resurrection. It's no small encourage­ment therefore to know, and be insured that we are workers together with Christ in this design, which must needs be succeeded with a good issue and therefore it's good adventuring thereupon.

6thly. Lastly, Resolve upon this, That if you live not long enough to see its Resurrection, yet you will be laid in the same Grave with it; where it dieth you will die, and there you will be buried; The Spices then prepared and laid in to imbalm it, will also perfume you. The last Testimony of Friendliness the old Prophet could shew to the young Prophet (1 Kings 13.28, 29, 30, 31.) was to take up his dead ca [...]kass, though a Lion had slain him and stood by, lay him in his own Sepulchre, and give this charge, When I am dead, then bury me in the Sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried, lay my bones besides his bones. Joseph laies the body of Christ in his own new Tomb, Mat. 27.60. Abra­ham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebeka, Jacob and Leah, and Joseph also covet to be laid together, Gen. 49. [Page 173] 29, 31. A Cave in Canaan, where they must be laid in the Faith of Promises, which is more de­sireable than the chiefest Royal Sepulchres in Canaan, Gen. 23.6. chap. 49.29. chap. 50.25, 26. It was nobly resolved in Ittai the Gittite, 2 Sam. 15.21. Surely in what place my Lord the King shall be, whether in death or life, there also will thy Ser­vant be. Such blessed Resolutions raised on true Principles, Rev. 12.11. Acts 15.26. chap. 20.24. chap. 21.13. have their acceptation now, and shall not miss of an early Resurrection in due time, 2 Kings 13.21. Dan. 11.13. Isa. 26.19.