Sermon 6

Matthew 17:5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased, Hear you him.

1. The design and intent of this Scripture is to set forth the Lord Jesus, as the great mediator, as appears.

1. From the occasions upon which this voice came from heaven; at his Baptism, which was Christ's dedication of himself to the work of a Redeemer and Savior, and now at his Transfiguration, to distinguish him from Moses and the other prophets, and publicly to install him in the Mediatorial office.

2. The matter of the words show his fitness for this office, for here you have.

1. His dignity; not a servant, but a Son (Hebrews 3:5-6). Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, but Christ as a son over his own house. Now the old prophecies foretold the union of the two natures in his person, and necessary it was that our mediator should be God-Man. There is a congruity between his person and office; one fit to be familiar with man, and naturally interested in his concerns, and yet so high and near the Father, as may put a sufficient value upon his actions, and so meet to mediate with God for us.

2. The dearness between God and him, my beloved Son; Christ is the object of his Father's love, both as the second person in the Trinity and mediator. The one is the ground of the other, for because he loved him, he entrusted him with souls (John 3:35). The Father has loved him, and put all things into his hands; the elect and all things else; all power that conduces to their salvation. Afterwards loved him as mediator (John 10:17). Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. Now such a beloved Son is fittest to mediate for us, and to come upon a design of love to demonstrate God's great love to wretched sinners, and to be a pledge of that love which God will bestow upon us who are altogether so unworthy of it.

3. His acceptableness to God, who is well-pleased with the design, the terms, the management of it.

2. This work of mediator Christ executes by three offices of King, Priest, Prophet. For he is Head and Lord of the renewed state; a Priest, to offer a sacrifice for sin, which having once offered, he for ever represents in heaven; he was also to be Teacher of mankind to acquaint us with the way of salvation. These offices are often alluded to in Scripture (Revelation 1:5). The faithful witness, the first begotten from the dead, the prince of the kings of the earth. So (Hebrews 1:2-3). God has spoken to us by his Son, he having by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. The effect of them is more briefly described (John 4:6). I am the way the truth and the life. The way was opened by his Passion, and is kept open by his Intercession. Truth as a Prophet. Life we have from him, as Prince of Life, or Head of the renewed estate. So the effects (1 Corinthians 1:30). But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Wisdom as a Prophet to cure our ignorance and folly; righteousness and sanctification as a Priest; redemption, as the King and Captain of our salvation. The same benefits which he purchases as a King, he bestows as a Priest, reveals as a Prophet. These three offices were typed out by the First-born, who were heads of families, and also prophets, and priests.

3. That though all the three offices be employed, yet the Prophetical office is more explicitly mentioned, partly as suiting with the present occasion, which is to demonstrate that Christ has sufficient authority to repeal the law of Moses which the prophets were to explain, confirm and maintain till his coming. But now Moses and Elias appear in person to certify their consent, and God his approbation, from heaven, to that new law of grace which Christ should set up. Partly because it is not necessary that in every place all the offices should be mentioned, sometimes but one; as where Christ is called either King, Priest or Prophet; sometimes two, together (Hebrews 3:1). Prophetical, Sacerdotal; Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession Christ Jesus; sometimes his Prophetical and Kingly (Isaiah 55:4). Behold I have given him for a witness to the people, and for a leader and commander to the people. Partly because if Christ be received in this one office, he will be received in all the rest; for as a Prophet he has revealed that doctrine which establishes his kingly and priestly office; for he has revealed all things necessary to salvation, and therefore his own sacrifice and regal power. Lastly some think all expressly mentioned here; thus Christ is God's beloved Son, and therefore the heir of all things, and Lord and King, in whom he is well pleased; that is, pacified and satisfied with his offering as a Priest, or appeased by his complete sacrifice. Hear him as the great Prophet and Doctor of the Church.

This premised, I come now to observe.

Doctrine. That Christ is appointed by God the Father to be the great prophet and teacher, whose voice alone must be heard in the Church.

1. That Christ is the great prophet and teacher of the Church appears.

1. By the titles given to him, he is compared with Moses, the great law-giver among the Jews: "The Lord your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you like to me, to him shall you hearken" (Deuteronomy 18:15). He was to be like a Moses, but greater than Moses; a lawgiver as he, a man as he, one that saw God face to face as he, a mediator as he, but far other in all respects; a better law, a more glorious person, a more blessed mediator, working greater miracles than ever did Moses. So he is called our Rabbi or Master (Matthew 23:8): "One is your master even Christ, and you are brethren." The supreme authority, the original height is in Christ: we are not leaders and teachers, but fellow disciples. So (Hebrews 3:1): "Consider the Apostle and high priest of our profession, Jesus Christ." Again, he is called the Angel or Messenger of the Covenant (Malachi 3:1). Christ with a great condescension took upon him the office of his Father's Ambassador to the Church, to promote the Covenant of Reconciliation between God and man, and make offers of it in preaching the Gospel, and he it is that does by his Spirit persuade the elect, and does make his Covenant sure to them. Once more, he is called Amen, the faithful and true witness (Revelation 3:14); there can be no prejudice against his testimony; he can never deceive, nor be deceived; it is so, it will be so, as he has said, Amen is his name.

2. By the properties of his office; he has 3 things to qualify him for this high office.

1. Absolute supreme authority; and therefore we must hear him and hearken to him. This is usually made the ground and reason of the Gospel invitation, to invite sinners to submit themselves to seek after God in this way. As (Matthew 11:27-28): "All things are delivered to me of my Father, and no man knows the Son but the Father, neither knows any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomever the Son will reveal him. Come to me all you that are weary and heavy laden, etc." There is no true knowing of God but by Christ, and the Gospel revelation which he has established; therefore here must we seek rest for our souls. So (John 3:35-36): "The Father loves the Son, and has put all things into his hands. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he that believes not the Son has not seen life, but the wrath of God abides on him." First his mediatorial authority is acknowledged, and then faith and obedience to the Gospel is called for; for to the sentence of the Son of God we must stand or fall. So when Christ instituted and sent abroad his messengers, to invite the world to the obedience of the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20): "All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth. Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you." He has absolute and supreme authority to gather his Church, to appoint ministers and ordinances, to bestow the Spirit, to open and close heaven and hell as he pleases, to dispose of all affairs in the world for the furtherance of the Gospel, and to enjoin the whole world obedience to his commands, and to embrace this doctrine.

2. All manner of sufficiency and power of God to execute this office (John 3:34): "For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure to him." The former prophets had the Spirit in a limited measure, bestowed on them by God, for such particular purposes as best pleased him. Therefore all their prophecies begin, "Thus says the Lord," as having for every particular message and errand new revelation; but on Christ the Spirit descended once for all, and commanded the belief of all and obedience to all that he should say. Therefore it is said (Colossians 2:3): "In him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." He is ignorant of none of those things which are to be known and practiced in order to our eternal salvation; they are deposited with him to be dispensed to us.

3. There is in him a powerful efficacy. As he has absolute authority to teach in his own name, and fullness of sufficiency to make known the mind of God to us; so he has power to make his doctrine effectual. As when he dealt with his disciples, after he had opened the Scriptures, he opened their understandings (Luke 24:25); so he opened the heart of Lydia (Acts 16:14). He can teach so as to draw (John 6:44-45). He can excite the drowsy mind, change and turn the rebellious will, cure the distempered affections, make us to be what he persuades us to be. There is no such teacher as Christ, who does not only give us our lesson, but a heart to learn; therefore to him we must submit, hear nothing against him, but all from him.

2. About hearing him; that must be explained also.

First, what it is to hear — it being our great duty, and the respect bespoken for him. In the hearing of words there are 3 things considerable: the sound that comes to the ear, the understanding of the sense and meaning, and the assent or consent of the mind. Of the first, the beasts are capable, for they have ears to hear the sound of words uttered. The second is common to all men, for they can sense such intelligible words as they hear. The third belongs to disciples, who are swayed by their master's authority. So that, "Hear him," is not to hear as beasts, nor barely to hear as men, but to hear as disciples: to believe him, to obey him; to believe his doctrines and promises, and to obey his precepts. For his authority is absolute, and what he does say does warrant our faith, and command our practice and obedience. I gather this partly from the word "Hear," which not only signifies attention and belief, but obedience, as (1 Samuel 15:22): "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" — where to obey and hearken are put as words of the same import and signification. Partly from the matter of Christ's Revelation: he has revealed not only doctrines to inform the mind, but precepts to reform the heart and practice. If we assent to the doctrine, but do not obey the precepts, we do not hear him. Therefore to hear him is to yield obedience to what he shall teach you; and when Christ comes to take an account of the entertainment of the Gospel, he shall come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Partly too from the intimate connection there is between his prophetical and regal office. Christ is so a Prophet, that he is also a sovereign; and does not only give us counsel and direction, but a law, which we are to observe under the highest penalties. If the Gospel were an arbitrary direction, which we might observe or not observe, without any great danger to ourselves, surely it were folly to despise good counsel; but it has the force of a new law from the great King and Lawgiver of the world, therefore it must not only be believed but obeyed (Hebrews 5:8). He that is the chief prophet of the church, is also the king of saints. Partly also from the near connection that is between faith and obedience. The matter which we believe is of a practical concernment, and does not require only a simple faith, or bare belief, which were enough in points merely speculative, but a ready obedience. It is said (Romans 16:26): the mysteries of the Gospel are made manifest to all nations for the obedience of faith. They are not matters of speculation and talk, but practice; and blessedness is pronounced on such as hear them and keep them (Luke 11:28): "Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it." Many hear and talk, hear and stuff their minds with notions, but they do not frame themselves to the practice of what they hear. Many question not Christ's authority, but yet they do not regard his doctrine. Now faith does not only silence our doubts, but quicken our affections, and enliven our practice.

Secondly, how can we now hear Christ, since he is removed into the heaven of heavens, and does not speak to us in person?

Surely it does not only concern the believers of that age, who conversed with Christ in the days of his flesh; but it is the general duty of all Christians to hear Christ; for during the whole Gospel dispensation, God speaks to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:2). The Revelation is settled, and not delivered by parcels, as it was to the ordinary prophets. Now we hear Christ in the Scriptures (Hebrews 2:3-4): "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Which was first spoken by the Lord and afterwards confirmed to us by them that heard him." He began to speak and to declare the Gospel both before and after his Resurrection; and they that heard him were especially the Apostles, who being endued by the Holy Ghost declared it first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles to whom it was continued by various signs and wonders, as to the Apostles, and to extraordinary messengers. Christ says (Luke 10:16): "He that hears you, hears me, and he that despises you, despises me, and he that despises me, despises him that sent me." The despising of the messenger is the despising him that sends the message. "A man's apostle is himself" is a Jewish proverb. As to ordinary ministers he says, "Lo, I am with you to the end of the world" ([reconstructed: Matthew 28:20]); they are taken into part of the apostolical commission and blessings; they preach in Christ's name, and we as in his stead pray you to be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:20); so that it is his voice and his message, he affords his presence and assistance to the world's end. If you receive it with faith and obedience, you are in a course and way which will bring you to everlasting blessedness; but if you stand out obstinately against his message, you are in the way to everlasting misery, for refusing God's methods for your redemption.

Thirdly, the properties of this hearing or submission to our great Prophet.

1. There must be a resolute consent or resignation of ourselves to his teaching and instruction. All particular duties are included in the general. First, we own Christ in his offices, before we perform the duties which each of those offices calls for at our hands and from us; before we depend on him as a Priest, or obey him as a King. As we receive him with thankfulness and love, as our dearest Savior, and with reverence, and a consent of subjection, as a sovereign Lord; so also with a consent of resolution to follow his directions, as our Prophet and Teacher, being convinced that he is sent from God to show us the way of life and happiness (John 6:63): "Lord, to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life." His doctrine shows that there is such a thing, how it was purchased, which way it may be had, by God's offer and the terms prescribed. Before we take any particular direction from Christ about this or that duty, we must first consent in the general, that he shall be our Teacher and Prophet. A particular consent to Christ in this relation is as necessary as to any of the rest.

2. This resignation of our souls to Christ as a teacher, as it must be resolute, so it must be unbounded and without reserves. We must submit absolutely to all that he proposes, though some mysteries be above our reason, some precepts against the interest and inclination of the flesh, some promises seem to be against hope, or contrary to natural probabilities. There are some mysteries in the Christian religion, though not against reason, yet above natural reason. Now we must believe them upon Christ's word, Captivantes omnem intellectum in obsequium Christi, (2 Corinthians 10:5). Bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ. All our disputings and reasonings against the Christian doctrine must be captivated by a submission to the authority of our teacher and prophet. A disciple is to be a learner, not a caviller; and some principles are not to be chewed, but swallowed as pills on the credit of the physician, when it appears on other grounds that Christ is the great teacher sent from God. And as there are mysteries above our reason, so there be duties against the interest and inclination of the flesh. Many of Christ's precepts are displeasing to corrupt nature; to deny ourselves, to take up the cross, to mortify our appetites and passions, to cut off right hands, and to pluck out right eyes, that none shall be saved that are not regenerate and holy; that non-condemnation is the privilege of those that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; that if we live after the flesh, we shall die; that we must not seek great things for ourselves; that we must hate father and mother, and our own life, if we will be Christ's disciples: flesh and blood can hardly down with these things: that there shall be such an exact day of account, such eternal torments in the other world. Yet if this be revealed by our great prophet, as reason must not be heard against Christ, so the flesh must not be heard against Christ, nor the world heard against Christ; so if some of our hopes exceed the probability of natural causes, (Romans 4:18), he against hope believed in hope, as the resurrection of the body, we must believe and obey him in what he offers and commands, notwithstanding the contradiction of our carnal minds and hearts, in what is hard to be believed and practiced as well as in what is easy.

3. It must be speedy, as to the great solemn acts of submission, do not delay to hear him, (Hebrews 3:7). Today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts. Christ must not be put off with dilatory shifts; if we refuse to hear today, Christ may refuse to speak tomorrow. The Father has his time of waiting, the Son of his gospel offers, the Spirit of his earnest motions: it is dangerous to slip our day, therefore if you will hear him, hear him now. Hear him early, the season falls under the precept as well as the duty, now while it is called today.

4. Your consent to hear him must be real, practical, and obedient, verified in the whole tenor and course of your lives and actions: for Christ will not be flattered with empty titles, why call ye me Lord, and Master, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46). If you pretend to hear his word, you must do it also, for you do not hear to please your minds with knowing, but that you may make it your serious care and business to serve, love and please God. Many study Christianity to form their opinions, rather than reform their hearts and practice. The great use of knowledge and faith is to behold the love of God in the face of Jesus Christ; that our own love may be quickened and increased to him again. If it serve only to regulate opinions, it is but dead speculation, not a living faith. A naked belief is but the sight of a feast, it is the gracious soul that eats and digests it; when our faith is turned into love and obedience, that is the true faith.

3. The reasons why this prophet must be heard.

1. Consider whose voice it is who speaks, the only beloved Son of God, or God himself, and surely when he speaks he must be heard, (Hebrews 12:25). See that ye refuse not him that speaketh from Heaven, for if they escaped not who refuse him that spake from Earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven. It is Christ who speaks, and God by him, commanding us to repent and believe the Gospel, now to refuse him is a high contempt. God when he gave the Law he spoke on earth, but when he spoke by Christ, he spoke from heaven; for Christ came from heaven to acquaint us with the mind of God, and having done it is returned to heaven again; from where he sent down his Spirit on the Apostles, who revealed his Gospel to the world. This was a mystery hidden in the bosom of God, and brought to us from there, by his only begotten Son, surely with all humble submission we should attend to and obey his word, (Psalm 103:20). Bless the Lord ye his Angels, that excel in strength, that do his Commandements, hearkning to the voice of his Word.

2. The matter which he speaks, and we hear, is the doctrine of the Gospel, it is the most sweet, excellent, and comfortable doctrine that can be heard or understood by the heart of man, (Proverbs 8:6). Hear saith Wisdom for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be of right things. This is the brightest light that ever shone from heaven. The profoundest wisdom, the greatest love and mercy that ever was or can be shown to sinful wretches, of the highest concern to man, because his everlasting state lies upon it, a state of everlasting woe or weal.

Three things I shall take notice of.

1. The way of reconciliation with God, manifested and discovered out of his intimate love to us. Man had fallen from the love of God to the creature, and was conscious to himself of having displeased his maker, and so lay under the fears of his vindictive justice. Now God by Christ declares his love to the offender, in the fullest and most astonishing way, reconciling himself to him, and shows his readiness to forgive and save him, (1 Timothy 1:15). This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief, and (2 Corinthians 5:19). God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Oh what should be more welcome to the creature than this news, of this pardoning covenant founded in the blood of Christ.

2. Our duty exactly stated with convenient motives to enforce it. Not only the comfort of man is provided for, but also our subjection to God, and that upon the freest and most comfortable terms, that we should serve him in love, and glorify, and please him, that we may be happy in his love to us: for the sum of religion is to love him, and keep his commandments (John 14:21, 23), He that keeps my commandments he it is that loves me, and if any man love me he will keep my words, to love him is our work, and to be beloved of him is our happiness, and (John 14:24) He that loves me not keeps not my saying, and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. The Gospel is the very word of God, both the Father's and the Son's, it is an act of loving, serving, and pleasing God, for this is the word Christ preached, that we love God, and Christ loves us again.

3. A prospect of eternal happiness, (2 Timothy 1:10) He has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, this is news, but darkly revealed before, and without this man knew not how to satisfy all his capacities and desires, but was like Leviathan in a little pool. In fact we have not only a prospect of it, but the offer of it as a reward appointed, if we will be sincere in our faith, love, and obedience (1 John 2:25) This is the promise that he has promised us even eternal life. Everlasting joy and blessedness is propounded to us, Oh then hear him, if this be that he speaks of.

3. The danger of not hearing this Prophet.

1. For the present to continue to slight and contemn the Gospel, is the mark that you are in a carnal perishing condition (2 Corinthians 4:3) If our Gospel is hid it is hid to them that are lost (John 10:3) My sheep hear my voice, and (John 10:16) Other sheep are there which are not of this fold, and they shall hear my voice. Christ's sheep whether Jew or Gentile, they have all the same character, they all hear his voice, and (John 10:27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me. They distinguish his voice, own his voice, obey his voice; so (John 8:47) Whoever is of God hears God's words, you therefore hear them not, because you are not of God, so that you lose all this comfort, if you do not hear the voice of Christ, and his faithful servants.

2. For the future (Deuteronomy 18:19) Whoever will not hearken to the words which that Prophet shall speak in my name, I will require it of him, that is, he must look to answer it another day. Peter renders it (Acts 3:23) Whoever will not hearken to that Prophet shall be destroyed among the people. It is not a bodily punishment but eternal torment (John 3:36) The wrath of God abides on him. (Mark 16:16) He that believes not shall be damned. Thus you see how dangerous it is to refuse this Prophet.

USES.

1. Of conviction, to the carnal Christian for not submitting to Christ's authority. All Christians do it in pretense, but few that do it in reality. Does his word come to you, not only in word but in power?

1. Do you seriously come to him that you may have pardon, and life. When Christ had proved that he was the Son of God, the great Prophet of the Church, by the testimony of John, the testimony of his works, the testimony of his Father, and the testimony of the Scriptures (John 5:40) And you will not come to me that you may have life, though John, his works, the Father, the Scriptures, will prove him to be what he was, the Messiah; the Savior; and Redeemer of the world; yet they would not come to him, nor believe, but wilfully rejected him, and their own blessedness: What the Jews did wilfully, carnal Christians do lazily, they prize his name and slight his office, do not come to him to be taught, sanctified and drawn to God.

2. Do you respect the word of the Gospel, entertain it with reverence, and delight; as the voice of the great Prophet? Do you meditate on it, digest it as the seed of the new life, as the rule of your actions, as the charter of your hopes? A good man is described to be one that delights in the law of the Lord, and meditates therein day and night (Psalm 1:2) and again (Psalm 119:97) Oh how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day long. But alas few are of this temper (Hosea 8:12) I have written to them the great things of your law, but they were counted as a strange thing, they contemned the word of God, as if its directions were of little importance, or did not concern them. Most men live like strangers to the word of God, little conversant in it, as if there were no great hazard in breaking it.

3. Do you mingle it with faith in the hearing, that it may profit you (Hebrews 4:2) and feel the power of it for your good, but rather you shun it, run from it (John 3:20) They that do evil hate the light, and will not come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved. The word is a torment, rather than a comfort to you, you are afraid it will be found too true.

4. Do you receive it as the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13) It may be you do not contradict the divine authority in the Scriptures, but do you soundly believe them, and know the certainty of those things wherein you are instructed (Luke 1:4) Have you done anything to prove the supreme truth, that Jesus is a teacher sent from God? Most men's faith is so weak and slight, because it is taken hand over head, there is no deepness of earth (Mark 13:6) You have some light sense of religion, but slight impressions are soon defaced, and truths easily taken up are as soon quitted, the more we search into the grounds of things the more we believe (Acts 17:11) The Bereans searched the Scriptures, whether those things were so or no.

5. Does it come to you as the Mediator's word, not in word only but in power (1 Thessalonians 1:5)? There is a convincing power in the word (Acts 2:37). When they heard these things, they were pricked in the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, Men and Brethren what shall we do? Many have not felt this power, but they fear it (John 3:20). Every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes he to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. A converting power, when it becomes the seed of a new life (1 Peter 1:23). Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides forever. A comforting power, giving the heirs of promise strong consolation (Hebrews 6:18). Do you find anything of this in your hearts, is it ingrafted in your souls (James 1:21)? Receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls.

6. Do you hear him universally? It is said of the great Prophet (Acts 3:22), him shall you hear in all things that he shall say to you. Many will hear him in the offers of pardon, but not in the precepts of duty, you must take his whole covenant, the promises for your happiness, the duty for your work.

7. Do you hear him so as to prefer God and Christ, and the life to come, above all the sensual pleasures and vain delights, and worldly happiness, which you enjoy here? Religion is obstructed, not soundly received: if your hearts be not taken off from these things (Luke 8:14). That which fell among thorns are they which when they have heard go forth, and are choked with cares and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. He is not a scholar of Christ, who is not more devoted to the love and obedience of God, than any sensual satisfaction here below, unless you can renounce the Devil, the world and flesh, and give up yourselves to Christ, to be taught, sanctified and saved, and brought home to God, to enjoy him in everlasting glory; and taught how to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:12).

USE.

2. Advice to weak Christians.

1. To excite themselves to obedience by this — hear him when dead and lifeless. Many times the heart is dull and needs quickening, conscience grows sleepy and needs awakening, you are too bold in sinning, cold and careless in spiritual and heavenly things. Now the first means to quicken us is Christ's divine authority (2 Peter 1:16). For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. When you are customary in prayer and hearing, it is Christ's will, I must do it as I will answer it to him another day.

2. When you do renounce some beloved lust, or pleasing sin, urge your hearts with Christ's authority. Remember who tells you of cutting off your right hand, and plucking out your right eye. How can I look the Mediator in the face, if I should willfully break any of his laws, prefer the satisfaction of a base lust, before the mercies and hopes offered me by Jesus Christ.

3. In deep distresses, when you are apt to question the comfort of the promises, it is hard to keep the rejoicing of hope, without regarding whose word and promise it is (Hebrews 3:6). Whose house are you, if you hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm to the end.