Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

ber what ye have read. Ye have read, That it is the work of our great High Priest, to satisfy for the sins of the people : to answer unto all accusations that are brought against them: to offer up all our prayers and gifts unto God the Father: and to bless poor souls. Now then, beloved, according to all your wants, and according to all your temptations: I do beseech you in the Lord, go to Jesus Christ, unto this High Priest; try and see if you do not find it true, that the Lord does make good all this unto you. In case that you be under any spiritual want or temptation; put your souls under this disjunction: Come, O my soul, either the Lord Jesus Christ is our great High Priest, or else he is not: if he be not, what means this and that Scripture? And if the Lord Jesus Christ be our great High Priest; then surely he being faithful, will do all the work of the high priest for my soul. Indeed I have sinned, and sinned greatly; but O Lord, it is the work of our High Priest to satisfy: now, Lord Jesus, I come to thee as mine High Priest, O! satisfy for me. Indeed, I confess, mine own conscience does accuse me, Satan does accuse me, Moses does accuse me : but it is the work of our great High Priest, to take off all accusations brought against poor believers now Lord, I do come unto thee, as to my great High Priest, Oh! take off this accusation that any poor soul does labour under. Indeed, when I look upon mine own duties; there is so much deadness, so much hardness of heart, and so many distractions that do accompany them, that I am afraid they will never be accepted: but, O Lord, it is the work of our great High Priest, to take away the weeds of the duty, and to present the duty; now, O Lord, I come unto thee as mine High Priest, Oh! carry my prayers into the bosom of God the Father. Yea, when I look upon my former life, Lord, I cannot but conclude myself, a poor cursed sinner: but yet notwithstanding, it is the work of our great High Priest, for to bless the people: O Lord, I do therefore now come unto thee as mine High Priest, Oh! bless me, and say unto all my graces, Increase and multiply.

SATAN'S POWER TO TEMPT,

AND

CHRIST'S LOVE TO AND CARE OF HIS PEOPLE UNDER TEMPTATION.

[blocks in formation]

PREACHED AT ST. MARGARET'S, NEW FISH STREET,

A. D. 1646.

ON TEMPTATION.

SERMON I.

"For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”—Heb. II. 18.

THE Scope and drift of this epistle, is to raise and strengthen the faith of the Hebrews, and so the faith of those that are weak in grace. Our apostle Paul, therefore, whom I take to be the penman, labours to discover the transcendant excellency of Jesus Christ, with his love and good-will to the children of men. And because his excellencies were either such as relate his person, or such as relate his offices, of King, Priest, and Prophet; he tells us, in the ist chapter, that for the personal excellencies of Jesus Christ," He is the Son of God, heir of all things, by whom were the worlds made: being the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person," in the 2nd and 3rd verses of that chapter. "That he is far above the angels," at the 4th verse. That he is God himself, at the 6th verse. And as for those excellencies that relate his offices, he tells us at the 1st verse, that he is the Prophet of prophets. That he is the great King, at the 8th verse. That he is an High Priest, in the iind chapter and the 17th verse. And therefore who would not trust unto him, and take heed unto such things as he shall speak unto them. And as for the love and good-will that he bears unto the children of men, the apostle speaks it out in all this iind chapter.

The greater condescension in the person loving to the person loved, the greater is the love. Now though Jesus Christ be heir of all things, and had all things put under his feet; far above all angels; yet notwithstanding, at the 7th verse, "He is made a little lower than the angels, takes our nature upon him," &c.

The more profitable any love is to the person loved, the greater is the love. Such is the love of Christ, for his love

« AnteriorContinuar »