SERMONS upon Semi. lieve God upon his bare Word ; yet it is an encouragement, to have Experience and Trial. By former Mercies, we ha,ye a double Experience; we know what he will, and can do for Creatures. Signal Mercies are landing Monuments of God's Power : Ifa. 51. 9..ìlwake, awake, put on ftrength, O Arm of the Lord ; awake, as in the ancient Drys, ni the Generations of Old. Art not thou it that bath cut Rahab, and wounded the Dragon ? Rahab is Egypt, the Dragon is Pharaoh; he that bath helped, can and will. We Ihould not entertain' Jealoufces without a Caufe. a Sam. 17. 37. The Lord that de- livered me out of the Paw of the Lion, and out of the Paw of the Bear, he will deliver me out of the Hand of this Philiftine. Former Mercies, are Pledges of Future, .Deus do- nando debet 5 God by giving, becometh our Debtor. Mat. 6.25. Is not the Life more than Meat, and the Body more than Raiment? He inticeth Hope by former Mercies. Judges 13. 23. If the Lord were pleafed to kill us, he would not have received a Burnt- Offering, and a Meat - Offering, at our hands; neither would he have jhewed m all there things. God would not weary us altogether with expeftation ; fomething we have in hand, and therefore may expert more. Well then ! when your Hearts are apt to faint, take the Cordial of Experiences. Pfal. 77. to. I Paid, this it mine Infirmity 5 but I will remember the Tears of the right Hand of the molt High. We are apt to indulge the peevifhnefs of diftruft after many Deliverances. r.. Sam.27.i. I fhall one day peril,' by the Hand of Saul; Though God had put him twice into his Hands. Rom. 8. 32. He that flared not his own Son, &c. how will be not with him alfo freely give us all things? In common Experiences, where we can have no' abfolute Aflurance, let us not baulk Duty for Danger : 2 Cor. 1. to. Who delivered us frrom fo great a Death, and doth de- liver, in whom we trufl that he will yet deliver no. 'I aul would finial his Minilry, not - withlanding Danger. 2. Obferve again from this ; As thou haft given y Daturum to promiffli; Thou haft promifed to give; God had promifed to make over'to him the Plenary Pofïeflion and Adminiftration of the Kingdom ; Chrift pleadeth the Grant and Promife. It is an ex- cellent Encouragement in Prayer, when we can back our 7equeji.i with Promifes. Pfalm 519.49. Remember the Word unto thy Servant, upon which thou haft caufed me to hope. It is a model Challenge. God alloweth it, put me in remembrance, let us plead toge- ther, &c. Ifa. 43.26. We may agrue and difpute with God upon his own Word Chirographa tua injiciebat tibi, Domine : thew him his own Hand : Lord, thou haft faid this and that, let it be fulfilled. [Thou haft given him.] As he was Man and Mediator : for as he was God, he had an eternal Right, and an aftual vifible Right by Creation, and Providence 3 but Chrift, as Mediator, was to receive a Crown. By Gift; Pfal. 2. 8. Ask of me, and I will give thee the Heathen for thy Inheritance. e. Ir noteth, That Chrift hash his Kingdom by Right, not by meer Power. It is by the Father's Grant, he was folemnly inverted, and let upon the Hill of Sion. They are Rebels to God, who do not acknowledg Chrift to be King. There are fevers{ manners of Poflefiìon 5 Satan is Prince of the World; but he is a Robber, he holdeth it not by Grant from the Father, but by Power 3 he bath attual Poflèfiion of many Nations, but no Right. 2. It noteth what kind of Right it is that Chrift bath, it was by Grant and Dona- tion. It is the great condefcention of our Lord, that he would hold all things by our Tenure, by way of Gift and Grant from the Father. Free Grace is no difhonourable Tenure. Chrift himfelf holdeth his Kingdom by it : Why hould proud Creatures dildain this manner of holding ? The Lordfhip of the World was Chril's natural In- heritance, yet he would hold all by Grace. [Power over all Flejh. ] Flefb is chiefly put for Men, though all Creatures are un- der his Dominion. We are fometimes expreffed by our better, and fometimes by our baler Part: by our Better, every Soul, that is, every Man, Rom. 2, 9, & 13. r. fome- times by the barer Part, Ifa. 4o. 6. All Flejh is Grafi. Mat. 24. 22. No Flejb would be f used ; and ellewhere. Here [ Refs] is fitly oled ; it is put for the Nature of Man in common, in oppoltion to thofe who are peculiarly Chrift's by Tradition and. Pur- chafe. And by Power over all Flejh, is meant, a judiciary Power to difpofe of them according to pleafure ; yea, of their everlafting Eftate ; Potefiatem owns hominis ac- cept, nt liberet quo: voluerit, & damnet quo: voluerit. John 5. 27. He bath given him Authority_
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