A Goodly Heritage

Of Jesus Christ . Both as the beginning and end of his Apostleship, as Christ is called  Alpha  and  Omega;  chosen and called by Him, and called to this—to preach Him, and salvation wrought by Him. Sent by Him, and the message no other than His Name, to make that known. And what this Apostleship was then, after some extraordinary way, befitting these first times of the Gospel, that the ministry of the word in ordinary is now; and therefore an employment of more difficulty and excellence than is usually conceived by many, not only of those who look upon it, but even of those who are exercised in it—to be Ambassadors for the Greatest of Kings, and upon no small employment--that great treaty of peace and reconciliation between Him and mankind. This epistle is directed  to God's elect , who are described here by their temporal and by their spiritual conditions. The first has very much dignity and comfort in it; but the other has neither, but rather the contrary...

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father.   Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world , says the Apostle James. He sees all things from the beginning of time, to the end of it, and beyond to all eternity, and from all eternity He foresaw them. But this foreknowledge here relates peculiarly to the elect. To 'know' in Scripture sometimes denotes love.  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.  And again,  You only have I known of all the families of the earth.  And in that speech of our Savior, relating it as the terrible doom of reprobates at the last day,  Depart from me, I know you not--I never knew you . So then this foreknowledge is none other than that eternal love of God, or decree of election, by which some are appointed unto life, and being foreknown or elected to that end, they are predestinated to the way to it.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, t...

Ver. 7. And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged. Thine iniquity is taken away,—how impure soever before. This free grace is wonderful to make some who have been notoriously unclean, by the change wrought by this fire, the touch of a coal, to become eminently gracious, and messengers of grace to others, carrying this and spreading it. They, though originally of dark clay, are by this fire made transparent glass, through which the light of the Gospel shines into the Church. This coal taken from the altar, may denote the deriving of the Spirit from Jesus Christ, our Priest, Altar, Sacrifice, and all, by which we are purified and made fit for His service. He is the fountain of light, and life, and purity, and all grace to His messengers, and all His followers. His grace is indeed a live coal, where heavenly heat is mixed with earth, the fulness of the Godhead with our nature in human flesh. Thereby we...

 An inheritance incorruptible .  As he who takes away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon niter, so is he who sings songs to a heavy heart . Worldly mirth is so far from curing spiritual grief, that even worldly grief, where it is great and takes deep root, is not allayed--but increased by it. The more a man who is full of inward heaviness is surrounded by mirth, the more it exasperates and enrages his grief; like ineffective weak medicine, which removes not the disease, but stirs it up and makes it more agitated. But spiritual joy is seasonable for all conditions; in prosperity, it is pertinent, to crown and sanctify all other enjoyments, with this which so far surpasses them; and in distress, it is the only cordial of fainting spirits: so,  He has put joy into my heart . This holy mirth makes way for itself, which other mirth cannot do. These songs are sweetest in the night of distress. Therefore the Apostle, writing to his scattered afflicted brethren, beg...

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father.   Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world , says the Apostle James. He sees all things from the beginning of time, to the end of it, and beyond to all eternity, and from all eternity He foresaw them. But this foreknowledge here relates peculiarly to the elect. To 'know' in Scripture sometimes denotes love.  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.  And again,  You only have I known of all the families of the earth.  And in that speech of our Savior, relating it as the terrible doom of reprobates at the last day,  Depart from me, I know you not--I never knew you . So then this foreknowledge is none other than that eternal love of God, or decree of election, by which some are appointed unto life, and being foreknown or elected to that end, they are predestinated to the way to it.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, t...

Incorruptible . Although this seems to be much the same with the third quality, That fades not away , (which is a borrowed expression for the illustrating of its incorruptibleness,) yet, I think that there is some difference, and that in these three qualities there is a gradation. Thus it is called incorruptible; that is, it perishes not, cannot come to nothing, is an estate that cannot be spent. But though it were abiding, yet it might be such as that the continuance of it were not very desirable; it would be but a misery at best, to continue always in this life. Plotinus thanked God that his soul was not tied to an immortal body. Then, undefiled ; it is not stained with the least spot: this signifies the purity and perfection of it, as that the perpetuity of it. It does not only abide, and is pure, but both together; and it abides always in its purity and integrity. And lastly, it fades not away ; it does not fade nor with...

T HIS  is elegantly added. There is indeed a great deal of seeming difference betwixt the outward conditions of life amongst men. Shall the rich and honourable and beautiful and healthful go in together, under the same name, with the baser and unhappier part, the poor, wretched sort of the world, who seem to be born for nothing but sufferings and miseries? At least, hath the wise no advantage beyond the fools? Is all grass? Make you no distinction? No; all is grass, or if you will have some other name, be it so, once this is true, that all flesh is grass; and if that glory which shines so much in your eyes must have a difference, then this is all it can have,—it is but the flower of that same grass; somewhat above the common grass in gayness, a little comelier, and better apparelled than it, but partaker of its frail and fading nature; it hath no privilege nor immunity that way, yea, of the two, it is the less durable, and usually shorter lived; at the best it decays with it: “Th...

But how few are there that come on purpose to meet with God in his Worship, and to find his power in it strengthening their weak Faith, and weakening their strong Corruptions; affording them provision of Spiritual strength, and comfort against times of trial: And, in a word, advancing them some steps forward in their Journey towards Heaven, where Happiness and Perfection dwells? Certainly these sweet effects are to be found in these Ordinances, if we would look after them; let it grieve us then, that we have so often lost our labour in the Worship of God, through our own neglect, and intreat the Lord, that at this time, he would not send us away empty, for how weak so ever the means be, if he put his strength, the work shall be done, in some measure, to his Glory, and our Edification. 

At the best, a Christian is but a stranger here , set him where you will, as our Apostle teaches after; and it is his privilege that he is so; and when he thinks not so, he forgets and disparages himself, and descends far below his quality, when he is much taken with anything in this place of his exile. But this is the wisdom of a Christian, when he can solace himself against the hardness and any kind of discomfort of his outward condition, with the comfortable assurance of the love of God, that He has called him to holiness, given him some measure of it, and an endeavor after more; and by this may he conclude, that He has ordained him unto salvation. If either he is a stranger where he lives, or as a stranger deserted by his friends, and very nearly stripped of all outward comforts, yet may he rejoice in this, that the eternal, unchangeable love of God, which is from everlasting to everlasting, is sealed to his soul. And O! what will it avail a man to be surrounded with the favour...

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father.   Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world , says the Apostle James. He sees all things from the beginning of time, to the end of it, and beyond to all eternity, and from all eternity He foresaw them. But this foreknowledge here relates peculiarly to the elect. To 'know' in Scripture sometimes denotes love.  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.  And again,  You only have I known of all the families of the earth.  And in that speech of our Savior, relating it as the terrible doom of reprobates at the last day,  Depart from me, I know you not--I never knew you . So then this foreknowledge is none other than that eternal love of God, or decree of election, by which some are appointed unto life, and being foreknown or elected to that end, they are predestinated to the way to it.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, t...

 This is the wisdom of a Christian, when he can solace himself against the meanness and any kind of discomfort of his outward condition, with the comfortable assurance of the love of God, that He has called him to holiness, given him some measure of it, and an endeavour after more; and by this may he conclude, that He has ordained him unto salvation. If either he is a stranger where he lives, or as a stranger deserted by his friends, and very nearly stripped of all outward comforts, yet may he rejoice in this, that the eternal, unchangeable love of God, which is from everlasting to everlasting, is sealed to his soul. And O! what will it avail a man to be surrounded with the favour of the world, to sit unmolested in his own home and possessions, and to have them very great and pleasant, to be well moneyed, and landed and befriended, and yet estranged and severed from God, not having any token of His special love?

Our cleansing is to be managed by all holy things . Word and sacrament more wisely and spiritually used than commonly with us ; and private prayer that purifies and elevates the soul , takes it up into the mount and makes it shine ; and particularly supplicating for the Spirit of holiness and victory over sin is not in vain ; it optains its desires of God , the soul becoming that which it is fixedly set upon ; holy resolution :Christians much wanting in this , faint and lose their purposes ; the consideration of divine truths , the mysteries of the kingdom , the hope of Christians , yea , rich and great promises ; that is particularly here the motive . These are all the means , holy means they are , as their end is the perfection of holiness . Now consider whether it is better to be the slaves of satan or the sons of God ; measure delight in God with the low base pleasures of sense . Blessed are the pure in heart ,for they shall see God ; these gradually go on together , and are perfec...

Proverbs 25:20. Worldly mirth is so far from curing spiritual grief that even worldly grief , where tis great and takes deep root , is not allayed but increased by it . A man that is full of inward heaviness , the more he is compassed about with mirth , it exaspe rates and enrages his grief the more , like ineffectual weak medicine that removes not the humour , but stirs it and makes it more unquiet ; but spiritual joy is seasonable for all estates . in prosperity it is pertinent to crown and sanctify all other enjoyments , with this that so far surpasses them ; and in distress it is the only nepenthe , the cordial of fainting spirits . So Psalm 4:7 "He hath put joy into my heart ."This mirth makes way for itself , which other mirth cannot do . These songs are sweetest in the night of distress.