hand of the Gospel moveth the heart of a man to a godly sorrow The goodness and the kindness and mercy of God applyed to the hearts of men that leadeth men forth to a true repentance and a right breaking of heart Now when the love of Jehovah doth break into the heart of a man or woman then the soul doth cry out and say the loving kindness and the goodness of God hath conquered my soul and the Lord draws my soul after him with the cords of love and how then shal I return again to folly seeing Jehovah hath taken hold of my soul with his love Now the rough hand of the Law as it is unskilfully handled by the most of our learned Men that know not Christ handle the law roughly rather hardens the hearts of men and sears them up in their sins then it mollifies and softens the heart because the Law is a strict rule holy jvst and good not given for men to do and live thereby Now the strict rule of the Law in the letter meeting with a crooked siner these two fal to variance as Cain did with Abel Now this carnal siner looks upon the Law as too strict that if he offend in one point he is guilty of all and so lies lyable to a curse for not continuing in all things which are in the book of the Law to do them Now this siner looking upon the Law out of the hand of Christ his heart begins to harden against God and he becomes an enemy against God and is not subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 And if it were possible this carnal minded man would destroy both God and his Law for the very same reason that Cain slew his brother 1 Joh. 3.12 And thus a man comes to be seared up in his sins when both he and his minister look upon the Law carnally and not in the hands of Christ as we in our days have many pretenders for the Law and many that rest in the Law and not in Christ and yet make their boast of God and seem to be Teachers of others and yet not able to teach themselves and yet make their boast of the Law and remain carnal in the Gospel and can hardly tel how to speak any thing of Christ Sect. 9 Now these rough handlers of the Law are like unto Esau cuning men of the field men that love red pottage and see no beauty in Jacobs heritage but despise it How can these men apply savory meat unto a poor hungry thirsty soul whom they hate for the blessing wherewith it is blessed in Christ And Esau said in his heart Now Esaus heart being ful of the seed of the serpent he said he would slay his brother Jacob as Herod would have done Christ Now by savory meat I mean the sweetnesses and the refreshings of Christ unto a poor weary soul which these men by experience know not as you may take an instance of the Jews and Pharisees Instance great zealous talkers of the Law of God and the Worship of God Nay they made their boast of God and yet they did not know Jesus Christ though he was present amongst them but dealt roughly with him according as they did see the Law as you may read at large Rom. 2.17 21 23. Gen. 25.27 30 34. 27.41 Iohn 9.13 14 15 16 29. Have not we many now in our days which hold forth the Law as the chief Priests and Pharisees did that is quite out of the hands of Christ and they tel the people they know not the Law but they must beleeve it as they hold it out unto them for the chief Priests and Pharisees told the people in Christs time That the people who know not the Law are cursed And thus the Law did seem to be rough by their unskilful handling of it out of the hands of Christ as we also may do at this day Iohn 7.45 48 49. How the Law in the hand of Christ turns to be Gospel Christ is the living law of God and the onely rule for a Christian and doth the greatest work as for instance Saul in his height of malice when he was going to Damascus the light of Christ did shine round about him and changed his evil heart He did not hear the voyce of thundering and lightning at Mount Sinai but a gentle hand and a soft sweet voyce speaking unto him and saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me in my members Now Saul was not afrighted out of his wits but said Who art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Iesus whom thou persecutest but thou shalt do so no more for I will make thee a Minister of grace and though Saul trembled yet his heart was possest with love to the Lord and to those that he had persecuted for saith he Lord what wilt thou have me to do for thee and for them that I have so wronged Now this is a Gospel-change Acts 9.3 4 5 6. 26.16 Sect. 10 Now if this work of the Gospel had been wrought in the hearts of those that might have prevented bloodshed or in those that were so exceeding mad to shed the blood that was shed in Guildhal-yard but it seems they were of Sauls minde Men in our times like unto Saul and the chief Priests and Pharisees thinking that they might do many things nay any thing against a man or a woman under the name of Independents or Sectaries that is to put Christ and his members out of their Synagogues and City nay further even to kill Christ in his members or Christ and his members together and in so doing To think that they do God service These things are done and the cause is they neither know God nor Christ these are Christs own words as you may read Acts 26.9 10 11. John 16.2 3. But I am of Stevens minde and shall say Lord lay not this sin to the charge of this City Acts 7.58 59 60. Now the Law being in the hands of Christ and the Spirit of Christ who is the onely blessed God and the efficient cause in changing of that which we call Law into Gospel Thus God in Christ saith unto every soul I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods before me Exod. 20.2 3. Now this Law is brought by the Spirit of Christ Christ makes way for himself in the hearts of men into the heart of a man or a woman and there it is planted and ingraven Jere. 31.33 34. and Christ puts in the finger of his sweet Spirit in at the hole of the door of the heart in at the hole of the lock as it were and his Spirit is the key that opens the heart and Christ with his finger puts back all the barrs and bolts that stand between him and the soul and Christ looks into the soul and takes away all drousie distempers and waters the soul and refreshes it with his sweet graces Christ is a sweet Law
and the light of the Law which is in no wise grievous read Prov. 6.23 1 Ioh. 5.3 And Christ is the love-token of his Father read Rom. 5.8 And thus those that are counted loathsom Antinomians do imbrace him as the effect of his Fathers love which is the efficient cause of taking away sin from men read 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. And so they account the blood of Jesus Christ God-man to be the meritorious cause that hath and doth cleanse us from all sin past present and to come 1 Iohn 1.7 2.1 2. And so likewise Christ is the rule of a Christian and the Law of God which a Christian doth walk by And so likewise Christ is a Christian School-master for to bring him to God Gal. 6.15 16. Psa 1.2 Eph. 4.20 21. Iohn 14.6 O sweet God Sect. 7 and everlasting Father Isa 9.6 A Prayer from the Scripture to the Father Son holy Spirit opening that Mystery Thou art a sure foundation and a sure dwelling place Psa 90.1 2. O sweet Jesus thou that art built in and upon this foundation 1 Pet. 2.5 6. 2 Pet. 1.3 4. And thy sons and thy daughters being in thee thou proceedest forth and comest forth from God and bringest thy sons and thy daughters along with thee Eph. 1.3 4 5. Iohn 8.42 Isa 8.18 O sweet and holy and blessed Spirit of God which cometh from the Father Iohn 15.26 and from the Son and is sent by the Son into the hearts of his sons and daughters for to make Christ who is God-man glorious in their eyes Iohn 16.13 14 15. Isa 32.15 O sweet and blessed Spirit which art one of three and yet undividable thou art but one God blessed for evermore and not three Gods read 1 Cor. 8.5 6. But out of thy love and wisdom O sweet God thou hast made a distinction of thy self in the first Creation when thou saidst Let us make man in our image after our likeness Gen. 1.26 And thou hast made it good again in the second Creation when thou saidst Go and make new Schollars or new Disciples Then thy power O blessed Father Son and holy Spirit goes along and makes a new Creature in Christ or for Christ Old things are past away behold all things are become new read Matth. 28.18 19. 2 Cor. 5.17 A natural Tree growing up out of the earth An excellent Si mile having his roots therein and by the mighty power of God in his Creation there goes effectual power from the earth into the roots and so up into the body of the Tree and so up into every branch and causeth leaves and Fruit for the use of man which Tree hath its Seed in its self Gen. 1.11 12 29. Heb. 1.2 3. Now our Friend Jesus Christ is the Spiritual Tree of Life which grows in the midst of the paradise of God Revel 2.7 Gen. 2.9 Now God the Father is the paradise and the onely sweet Divine Garden Revel 2.7 And Christ his Son is the only sweet Flower in the Garden and he is daily his Fathers delight and in him onely God takes his pleasure read these two Scriptures Prov. 8.22 30. Matth. 17.5 Now the fulness of the Godhead is the infinite Fountain of Divinty in which Christ is a root or rooted and so grows up in that and so Christ cometh out of God and from God Col. 2.9 Psa 68.26 Isa 11.1 10. John 14.10 11. 17.8 21. 1.18 And so Christ is Gods King upon his holy Hill of Sion and God hath given him to be the Head over all things to the Church which is his Body now the true Church of God is the fulness of Christ and the true Church is most compleat in Jesus Christ Psal 2.6 Ephes 1.22 23. Colos 2.10 Psal 45.13 Now this is matter of great comfort unto a perticular poor soul for to have the blessed and infinite God anointing Jesus Christ our Head with his fulness that we might receive of his fulness even grace for grace in Christ Jesus Heb. 1.9 John 1.16 And so likewise it is an inlivening comfort to a poor fainting panting and thirsty soul for God to pour out his precious ointment upon the Head of thy Aaron that is Jesus Christ And so from him as thy Head this ointment runs down upon thy Beard nay it runs into thy heart into every corner of thy heart and it runs down to the skirts of his garments that is to every poor member of his and he fills and refreshes them with his Grace which is as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord gives a blessing even life for evermore read Psa 133.2 3. Now this is the River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God Now the heart of a right Christian and a true believing man or woman is the City of God and the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most High and the infinite Divine Consolations of the Spirit which is God blessed for evermore runs thorow this City and maketh it glad when the world is turned upside down read Psa 46.4 5 6. Now you that stand for Fruits Sect. 8 and for Notes and Signes consider well what Tree they grow upon for a natural tree may bring forth excellent Fruit to the natural sight and if you take this natural Fruit for to be Notes and Signes spiritual you will deceive your selves as the most of the world do to this day because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them and if he hear of them by the hearing of the ear he makes a jest of them for they are foolishness unto him 1 Cor. 2.14 But if you grow in the Tree of Life as the Branch doth in the Vine which Tree and Branch Zech. 6.12 is Jesus Christ then you shall live and receive of his life and bring forth fruit by his strength for in him and with him and by him you shal be able to do all things and without him you can do nothing to please God John 15.4 5. Phil. 4.13 Heb. 11.6 O sweet and blessed Spirit of God which workest all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 And as a natural tree whose seed is in it self and having its roots in the earth and so receiving nourishment in at the roots without which it could not live But that nourishment which the roots do receive in runs up the body of the tree into every branch of the tree and causeth a fruitful flourishing of green leaves and fruit for the use of men and this turns to the praise of God and the good of men and all this is the work of the sweet Spirit of God through the whole course of nature But in a supernatural way of grace it is unspeakable and ful of glory Christ is the spiritual tree of life which is rooted in God Isa 11.1 10. John 1.18 John 17.23 24. Now the sweet Spirit of God which is only
concerning hell as it is a prison for sin and sinners and so ariseth a false fear or a slavish fear and so no true knowledg of God nor of Jesus Christ who is the Law of God and he makes sin to become exceeding sinful Romans 7. verses 12 13 14 22. None but Christ can forgive sin nor none but the Spirit of Christ can convince of sin John 16.7 8 9. Our learned make large confessions of sin and so almost all other men do or may do for to make a confession of sin by roat and in a customary way and so to think by confession of sin they have done enough to get the pardon of sin and this the Papists do but this will not profit neither them nor us And do not the most of men do this Mistake me not I speak not against confession of sin to God for a right confession of sin to God turns to the praise of his free-grace who hath forgiven our sins before we confess them and hath blotted out our sins for ever from before his face and will not bear them in his minde any more Read that remarkable story of David Psalm 103. read the whole Psalm and so Rom. 5.8 Isai 43.25 The end of my speech is against the formality that is in the confession of sin by the most of our learned and others and how few there be that make a right confession of sin as from the cross of Jesus Christ believing the blotting out of their sin and Christ taking it out of the way and nailing it to his cross Colos 2.13 14 15. The unbelieving men Ministers as well as others may make a very specious confession of sin for matter of form and yet have neither faith in God nor love to God nor joy in the holy Ghost But the believing men Ministers as well as others they are the most able men for to make confession of sin because they have faith towards God and love to God and joy in the holy Ghost As for instance Though I have lien among the pots saith the believing man yet I shall be as white as snow in Salmon I beleeve this therefore have I spoken Psalm 68.13 14. 2 Cor. 4.13 I am black saith the believing man or woman but yet comely through that comeliness which Christ hath put upon me therefore my soul is in love with Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 5. Ezek. 16.14 So likewise the true believing Christian can make a confession of sin rejoycingly and with great joy seeing the victory and the spoiling of the powres of sin and darkness by the divine nature of Jesus Christ read 2 Peter 1.3 4. Which threw down the humane nature of Christ and bruised it nay it pleased the Lord and he put it to greif and pain and made it an offering for sin that he might see his seed by the travel of his soul and he is fully satisfied and the pleasure of the Lord is in him and upon all those which are his seed and grow up in him read Isai 53.6 10 11. And this Christ as God did and does crucifie sin and the old man every day triumphing over them is it or in himself Colos 2.15 And is not this matter of great joy to a pooâ— soul that carries about in his body every day the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 O thou poor soul thou must lose thy self and be taken up by the power of God and thou shal be found in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.8 9 10. Ephes 1.18 19 20 21. Be of gooâ— cheer O thou poor soul for if thou be dead with Christ thou shalt live in eternal glory with Christ and if thou suffer persecution either from the tongue or from the hand with Christ or for Christ thou shalt reign with Christ 2 Tim. 2.11 12. O thou poor soul if Christ hath inabled thee for to make such a confession of sin in faith thou hast cause to walk rejoycingly Now here will arise two objections The first is this Sect. 8 You will object and say Object there needs no confession of sin now by your discourse and so we shall forget that we are sinners and continue in our sins and live as we list for there is one that hath done all for us we need to do nothing I answer Sol. It is not a vain repeating of sin as the Pharisee and the Heathen do Matth. 6.7 and as most people do but it is a forsaking of sin as the man in Christ does 2 Tim. 2.19 It is not a bare confession of sin in words but it is a turning from sin to God and this is the work of Christ onely and none of thine O man Turn me O Lord saith Ephraim for I cannot turn my self Jere. 31.18 We that are dead to sin saith the Apostle and risen again with Christ we cannot live any longer therein because grace doth abound Rom. 6.1 2. Now you will ask in the next place Object what those must do that are said to make a confession of sin with great joy nay rejoycingly which is a thing that you seldom hear of in our days for we are taught to mourn and to shed tears as it were to wash away our sin that is in part Romans 9.32 I shall answer your question Sol. and tell you what those do that make a confession of sin rejoycingly they fight against sin and they fight against Antichrist which is very much amongst us and they fight against the world and I will tell you with what weapons they fight with all the first weapon is the sheild of Faith by which they are able for to quench all the fiery darts of the devil and wicked men the second weapon is the helmet of salvation which shall cover men in the day of battel the third weapon is the sword of the spirit and that is Jesus Christ the living Word of God which will subdue all things unto himself And is not this matter of great joy Read those two remarkable Scriptures Ephes 6.13 14 15 16 17. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. But you will object and say Object that I exclude all outward sorrow for sin But I say no by no means Sol. if it be godly sorrow for godly sorrow proceedeth from a right apprehension of the love of God in slaying of sin with the sword of his mouth and this sword is Jesus Christ the living Word of God Read Revel 19.13 14 15 16 20 21. Heb. 4.12 13. The goodness of God leadeth men to repentance and makes a man flie from sin How shall I saith Joseph do this sin against my good God Rom. 2.4 Gen. 39.8 9. Now this is the root that godly sorrow grows upon and is not to be repented of but fleshly and carnal sorrow causeth or worketh death but godly sorrow causeth hatred against sin and love to God and is not this a great cause for to walk rejoycingly Read that remarkable Scripture 2 Cor. 7.8 9 10 11. One word more and so conclude It is
not thy brine teares nor thy legal fears nor thy sad countenance when thou makest confession of thy sin not it is not thy saying that thou art sorry for thy sin but it is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanseth us from all sin 1 John 1.7 CHAP. VI. The Spiritual Opening and Application of these Scriptures VIZ. John 5.10 16. John 9.16 Isa 581 2. Jere. 7.4 5 6 14. Luke 17.20 Neh. 8.8 Matth. 23.2.3 4. Matth. 15.12 13 14. Phil. 1.16 Phil. 1.15 16 17. Rev. 2.2 Rom. 14.23 Rom. 14.15 2 Thes 2.4 7 8 9 10. Jere. 32.40 41. Ephes 5.27 Rom. 13.5 Dan. 3.18 19 20. 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Rom. 15.23 2 Pet. 2.1 Matth. 17.15 Matth. 7.16 1 Cor. 1.19 20 28 29. Matth. 23.28 Ephes 4.21 22 23 24. Ephes 2.10 Joh. 15.4 5. 1 Cor. 2.9 10 14 15 16. Act. 4.2 3 13 21 23. 1 John 5.20 Nehe. 8.2 3 5 8. Acts 4.13 20. Luke 24.27 Matth. 13.3 34. John 3.3 4. Luke 8.10 Psal 25.14 John 3.1 3 4. Rom. 1.16 Psal 110.2 3. Psalm 116.7 Heb. 10. 2 John 9 Heb. 10.23 Heb. 2.14 Acts 22.22 23. John 4.20 21 22 23 24. Acts 5.45 Isai 29.11 12. Matth. 13.11 Eph. 4.20 21. Matth. 13.34 35. Jere. 1.5 1 Cor. 14.23 24. Rom. 14.19 Jude 1.20 Revel 19.10 1 Cor. 2.10 15 16. Numb 11.29 Luke 10.5 6. Luke 6.22 23 26 1 Thes 2.7 8 9. Acts 20.33 34. 1 Pet. 4.10 11. John 4.10 Revel 5.5 Isai 29.18 23 24. 1 Cor. 13.1 2. Isai 29.11 12. Acts 22.3 4 5. Phil. 3.4 5 6. John 3.1 3 4. Acts 26.9 10 11 12. Luke 7.37 38 47. 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6 7. Cant. 1.2 3. Mark 14.3 4. Matth. 15.1 2. John 7.47 48 49. John 12.42 43. 1 Cor. 13.6 1 Pet. 3.4 2 Pet. 1.7 Matth. 13.27 28 29. Mal. 3.1 2 3 4. Matth. 13.30 James 3.8 9 10. James 3.17 18. John 8.42 John 17.8 Ioh. 16.27 Ioh 15.4 5. Ioh. 14.9 10 11. Phil. 4.13 Gal. 2.20 Gal. 4.19 1 Cor. 6.17 1 Cor. 12.13 1 Ioh. 1.3 Rev. 5.8 9 10 11. Mat. 7.15 Mat. 7.16 2 Pet. 2.3 Eph. 4.14 2 Tim. 3.6 Acts 5.42 Micah 3.5 Mat. 7.15 Col. 2.8 18 22 23. 1 Cor. 2.14 Rom. 8.7 8. Ioh. 16.2 3. Ier. 23.21 30 31. Ioh. 18.2 3. Acts 20.29 Ier. 5.31 Sect. 1 NOw the Pastors and Elders that are not able to feed the flock in a spiritual way are such sent of God or only called of men or by men and no more And if so then what do such men imploy themselves in for the good of the flock In spiritual things they cannot but in external things they do what they can They are strict in visible forms of Religion which have a seeming shew of piety as for instance The Scribes and Pharisees came to Christ to complain of his Disciples that they transgressed the Traditions of the Elders Mat. 15.1 2. Now these Elders did assume unto themselves to be much for the glory and worship of God and to have much zeal for the Sabbath day and yet they knew not Christ the Lord of that day and the Rest of the day but sought to persecute him and to slay him Ioh. 5.10 16. 9.16 And is it not so now in our Kingdom and Cities at this day Do we not seemingly seek and delight to know the ways of God as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of God and take delight in outward approaching to God Isa 58.1 2. And do not we rest upon the outward observations of these things as the Jews did and cry The Temple of the Lord and the ordinances of the Lord are these And thus the Jews did Jer. 7.4 5 6 14. And thus the Pharisees did but Christ told them That the Kingdom of God cometh not with observation or with outward shews Luk. 17.20 And do not the Pastors and Elders of our Kingdom for the most part insist and go on in observations and outward shews which are as wels without water As for instance How many blind and ignorant Ministers have we in the severel parts of this Kingdom and may not one say in this City also that please themselves in outward shews and observations and times and it may be read the book of Homilies and the book of Common prayer But now the time is altered for that yet they have a good mind for to do it stil because they cannot indeed do any thing else as they should do in the work of of the Ministry They cannot pray without a form they can but only read the letter they cannot give the sense of the words they read as Ezra the Priest did Neh. 8.8 And thus the most people are kept in ignorance by those that are only Ministers of letters and no more and may not a boy of eight years old do as much as such men Now the second sort of Ministers are such that have strength of natural parts and no more as a strong memory and a large utterance and the gift of humane learning and the help of a great Library and so sit at that all the week and so by this means a man may get one or two hours discourse for one day in a week Now such men are Ministers only of words And have not we experience abundantly in these our sad times of their frothy and empty words May not one say now of such men as Christ said of the Pharisees They only say Mat. 23.2 3 4. And may not one say Let them alone as Christ said of the Pharisees they be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind what danger are they both in And are not the most parishes in this Kingdom in such danger and in such a ditch Mat. 15.12 13 14. Witness Cornwal and Wales and Oxfordshire And may not one come neerer even into London and find the most people in most parishes so sotish that they wil be led any way and be pleased with any thing as formerly with the reading of the Common prayer Book which is a form of words that a boy may read And so likewise they wil say such a man is a brave Teacher or an excellent Preacher a great Scholar or a mighty learned man not knowing that Christ may be preached by help of the Natural Arts that are among us though grace may be wanting And thus it comes to pass that Christ is preached out of contention amongst us and not sincerely but in strife as you may see plainly Phil. 1.16 And thus the most people are pleased with outward shews but little acquainted with the true preaching of Jesus Christ which is the inward Substance Now the third sort of Ministers they profess themselves to be of the Kings party and they have their followers and they say they preach the truth and they stand for the truth I ask Is Christ divided whose Ministers you say you are You say those that preach against that which you preach are rebellious for you preach the Truth and you