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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	see_v	soul_n	2,772	5	5.0753	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89411	Several works of Mr. Iohn Murcot, that eminent and godly preacher of the Word, lately of a Church of Christ at Dublin in Ireland. Containing, I. Circumspect walking, on Eph. 5.15,16. II. The parable of the ten virgins, on Mat. 25. from ver. 1. to ver. 14. III. The sun of righteousness hath healing in his wings for sinners, on Mal. 4.2. IV. Christs willingness to receive humble sinners, on John 6.37. Together with his life and death. Published by Mr. Winter, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Eaton, Mr. Carryl, and Mr. Manton. With alphabetical tables, and a table of the Scriptures explained throughout the whole.	Murcot, John, 1625-1654.; Winter, Samuel, 1596?-1665.; Chambers, Robert, minister in Dublin.; Eaton, Samuel, 1506?-1665.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; J. G.	1657 (1657)	Wing M3083; Thomason E911_1; ESTC R202939	754,107	852

argument whereby the grace of Christ is as highly advanced as by any other whatsoever that he should therefore increase the strength of his poor weak children that they may draw more strongly from him and their hearts more enlarged to receive more abundantly from his fulness as a strong child will draw harder and harder still the arms of the trees as they grow stronger and stronger so they suck more juice from the root still to feed them and carry them on Now I say this is sweet to the soul and it may be a character also of our growth if we do grow in grace indeed we shall grow up into him we shall find a greater drawing of our hearts after him still and suck more strongly from him This the first Secondly another thing comprehended under this growing up into Christ may be this that all our growth is to his honour it ends in him who alone is exalted by it it is the honour of the head when the members grow and become by the communication of the animal spirits more vigorous and active and fit for the discharge of their several works this is the glory of the head this may be understood two waies First it is the end of the thing it self finis operis the thing doth much advance him when others behold such a fulness of strength and power flowing forth from Jesus Christ upon the members to see the members of a body languid and weak and withered it is not for the honour of the head specially if generally so though there may be also particular causes as obstructions and the like but these are not so visible What an honour is it to Christ to see a poor soul th 〈…〉 now is as weak as water like the poor man in the Gospel Lord help my unbelief that ere long through the supply of grace from Christ is able to say My Lord and my God to see a poor soul lie languishing under a lust and not be able to stir and yet ere long able to triumph over it to see a poor soul that ere while was cleaving to the ground and to the dust could not get up the heart and now after a while upon Eagles wings running without weariness and walking without faintness is not this to the honour of Christ But secondly It must be so intended by us else our growth is not right in the end our end in desires of and Gods end in working we must look to the end Brethren we desire strength against this and that corruption to wax more valiant in this fight to conquer to triumph over them we would have such a measure of knowledge such a measure of faith but what is our end is Christ the end in all this is it that we may more advance him Ah that soul that indeed groweth into Christ Brethren groweth downward into the root can be content to be any thing to be nothing that his blessed Saviour may be advanced so it was with John Ah so with David if the Lord will lay me aside and I must not build him a Temple but my son must do it it is the Lord why should I not submit So if Moses must not bring them into Canaan he is contented O he would not have Joshua in another case envy for his sake he wished all the Lords people were Prophets God would have the greater glory when the Lord of●ered to make of him a greater people O what then wilt thou do to thy great name the enemies will say then that thou broughtest them out to destroy them he had rather die and perish and be nothing then God should be dishonoured O dear friends let this be considered if we grow we grow up into him I say it may serve for a piece of tryal though delivered in this place I would have my whole discourse as applicatory as may be Sixthly In a true growth we must know there is an uniformity as you know one member groweth in the body as well as another if it be a true growth where some of the members receive no nourishment but all the growth is found in the root this is a disease and not the effect of the principle of life within them as you see it in the Rickets a disease now ordinarily known by that name but this uniformity is two-fold First in respect of the Church And secondly of each particular member thereof in regard of the graces of the Spirit which are growing in them First then for the Church of Christ there is an uniform growth there that is to say the Lord Jesus doth not communicate his sap and vigour and vertue so to one as to spend it on him and leave another without but every wild Olive grafted into the Olive either visible or invsible Church the visible there is meant in that place of the Apostle in whom the whole body being c. they receive accordingly either the common influences of the Spirit with the Ordinances whereby they grow up in that which we call common grace and one as well as another there is none sure but thriveth more or less Secondly for the invisible there is none so grafted but he groweth he is one Spirit with the Lord and therefore sure must needs grow that hath a continual supply of the Spirit as the Apostle in that forecited place the Lord Jesus in his invisible body hath no withered arm nor legs whatever there be in the visible whatever dead and drie sticks may cleave to the visible Olive there is none so cleaveth to the invisible it is impossible a soul should hold the head and hold inward communion and fellowship with him and yet not to grow but this is but for the Church which thus uniformly groweth one member as well as another Now secondly for particular members they also grow and that uniformly also grow not in one grace only or in this grace or that grace nor in another no but they grow uniformly that a man should be all faith and no love it is impossible or all love and no knowledge it cannot be there must be an uniformity in growth if right that were more like a wen and its growth then growth of the body you would not esteem that a growth that a man should grow all in the eye and it should become as big as the body almost so that he could see wonderfully but in the mean time the rest of the parts are as small as when they were born grow in one grace and grow in every grace grow in sincerity and grow in humility grow in faith and grow in love grow in all A timpany a growth of one member more then all the rest is monstrous and so it would be in grace Now though through defect or super fluity in natural causes there may be a monstrosity in a birth or growth yet it cannot be in respect of Christ who doth alike extend his influence to the growth and increase

them to one Husband now to watch over them to take such care of them and pains with them that having escaped the pollutions of the world they may not return any more to them but be kept pure and holy to the Lord and therefore saith the Apostle I am jealous over you with a godly jealousie jealousie is a kinde of fear sorrow and anger It is the rage of a man saith Salem indeed it doth as it were raise a man above himself carry him out of himself therefore saith the Apostle bear with me if by reason of my earnestness I seem to be out of my self it is for your sakes I am jealous for you saith the Apostle And what was the matter they were in danger to be seduced by false Apostles to be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and this was that the Apostle was jealous over them for and surely brethren it is commendable and imitable I plead not for passion and wild-fire but a holy zeal for the glory of Christ the well-fare of souls we ought not to be cold but zealous jealous for you brethren if in danger of seducing at any time this is a large duty indeed we are apt to sleep especially if sang asleep by the delusions of weakness and mildness and love falsly so called and then the mischief is done but enough of this I hope you see there is cause enough to pray for us 5. Another Vse then shall be tending to the wooing of some poor souls this day to accept of the Son of God the Lord Jesus and of his love and to make up the match with him this is our work indeed And O that it might prosper in the hand of a poor unworthy servant and friend of the Bridegroom this day you have heard Who he is and What he is you have heard already the glorious priviledges which arise from a closure with him yea how often have you heard these things and yet you are coy and hang back I am come this day brethren to tell you the sum of the message is that the Lord Jesus is willing to have you if you be willing to have him How long shall the Lord Jesus follow you with these mercies the price of his most precious blood and yet you slight him What can you desire that is not to be had in Jesus Christ If you would have beauty he is the chief of ten thousand If you would have riches you shall have all things with Christ how shall he not with him give us all things Would you be honourable those are truely honourable that God honours now he will honour them that will honour him and honour his Son And wherein is he and his Son honoured but in this if we believe in his name give him the glory of his mercy and faithfulness 〈…〉 at I were able to speak of him so as that you might some of you fall in love with him this day Shall I a little stir you up to this First If you have him not you are like to live and dye under that cruel husband the Law and Sin the Law as it is the strength of sin which is the cruellest bondage in the world the Law 1. It commands a most absolute obedience and conformity to it self there must not be the least turning aside to the right hand or to the left not a lota be missed all things obeyed and continued in and that upon pain of an eternal curse cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing which is written to do it it is a most rigorous exacter of obedience to its cominands there is no pitying no sparing as there is now in Jesus Christ he pityeth and spa●eth as a father his son as a husband his spouse If a man could from his youth up keep all and but miss it in a word in a vain thought all his life time there is no pity no sparing it condemneth to the lowermost ●ell O what a condition are you in sinners upon whom all your breaches of this Law doth lye 2. It is a cruel bondage because it giveth no strength if it did impose never so much if it did give any strength it were something It is true we had strength which God gave us at the first until we wantonly fell and broke our bones so brought weakness upon our selves but now in this condition yet we are under the Law as a husband which will command peremptorily but giveth us no power like the the Egyptians task-masters they would have them make bricks and yet give them no straw and yet the Law is holy just and good Now the Lord Jesus what he commandeth he giveth strength to perform 3. It admitteth of nosurety we must do it our selves obey to the utmost our selves or else be ruined to the utmost perish to the utmost cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing one man cannot be accepted for another the soul that sinneth it shall dye And 4. Yea more then all this It provokes us as we are corrupt to break it as a bank against a strong stream it maketh it swell and rage the motions of sin which were by the Law this is by the Law but not from the Law but from our corrupt hearts but sin takes occasion by the commandment nitimur in vetitum cupimusque negata like wild Asses Colts when the law cometh to yoak us and hamper us we break the y●ak and the bands as the Prophet speaks will not endure to be held Now is not this a sad condition to be under such a hus 〈…〉 d as this and yet how many of us are in this case and contented so to be Well remember brethren the end of these things will be bitterness and death that is the wages 2. Another Motive may be this he is ready to close with you if ye be ready to close with him be you what you will never so vile in your own eyes for it may be this is the discouragement of many they would rather then their lives have the Lord Jesus for a husband but alas there is no beauty in them he is the chief of ten thousand and they are the vilest of ten thousand the chief of sinners he altogether lovely they altogether loathsom He is white and ruddy they are black and bloody lying in their blood and filthiness cast out to the loathing of their persons and what hope can they have that he will accept of them very great hopes brethren for this is the tenour of the Gospel to be preached to every Creature without exception or Limitation and every one that believeth in him cometh to him he will in no wise cast out if he would what had become of Paul or Manasseh say not then Alas I am poor and miserable and naked yea Leprous and filthy and therefore it is not for for such a one as I to think on Christ indeed thou canst

and that is it seemeth to be just a little before their Lord cometh the L. Jesus for it was the cry that wakened them Behold the Bridegroom cometh Whether we look upon this coming of Christ to be his last and general coming so understand the ten Virgins collectively for al the visible Church then found on earth it is considerable that they shall generally be found sleeping you know how the Evangelist setteth forth in the former chapter wherein the Disciples ask him when those things shall be and what shall be the signs of his coming and of the end of the world When Jerusalem should be destroyed when he would come gloriously by his Spirit and word prevailing over the world suddainly like lightning passing from one end to the other as some understand that Or whether we make that coming of Christ and the end of the world all one It should seem this is to be referred to the answer to the third the end of the world as it was in the days of Noah they were eating and drinking and never minded were careless and asleep until the world was in a flood about them note here in the end they shall be asleep alike secure and drowsie and as little look for the end of the world until all be on a flame about their ears And Satans letting loose after the thousand years being imprisoned seemeth to speak sad work he will make among men immediately before the last end Or if we understand it distributively of each Saint as sometimes in the same Scripture the H. Ghost speaks of the Church collectively and distributively draw me we wil run after thee so here the Virgins they all slumbred and slept and so they might do if they did it singly near the time of his approach to each of them to take them to himself for ever or separate them from himself for ever which is the case of the foolish virgins I say it is alike considerable and may give us ground of a note of observation by and by It is true indeed some understand that in the beginning they went forth to meet the Bridegroom by a Prolepsis or Anticipation as if they did not go forth at all to meet him until after the cry was made but I cannot see the reason of it They would have it that Christians are very apt to be sleepy in the beginnings of their faith and work of faith which indeed may be so but methinks that doth not so well suit with the time of first-love which the Scripture often mentioneth men are usually most forward then and most watchful and wakeful then Nor do I know any inconvenience but they might sleep in the way in their journey going forth to meet the Bridegroom and methinks the tarrying of the Bridegroom being interposed between their setting forth towards him and their sleep doth plainly argue it if we may argue from these things but they will argue as much for the one way as for the other so that I would rather take it thus And however it be that with particular circumstance be not to be too much strained when we have the scope of the Parable yet remember that this we are now upon is the main thing if I understand it aright for this sleeping here is the privation of that watching which is a duty so often and so much pressed upon the Disciples in the former chapter and this and many other places and this appears to be the scope by our Saviours winding up all in that Exhortation therefore watch for ye know not what ●our he will come the foolish virgins and wise both were too foolish in this when he tarryed they slept and while they slept he came and what prejudice it was to them afterward likely you may hear more fully therefore saith our Saviour watch Therefore this if I do insist a little upon it I hope it will not be amiss it being the scope of the Parable They all slumbred and slept here it will not be amiss for the further opening the words to tell you What kind of sleep this is and the degrees of it for the kind you must know brethen we are not speaking of a bodily sleep whether ordinary or extraordinary from a natural or a supernatural cause such deep sleep as fell upon some though the Disciples were much blamed for their sleeping when they should have watched and prayed I take it their natural sleep was not there considered but as an effect of their spiritual sleep their souls were asleep and thence they slept when they should have been praying to have been a comfort to Christ in that his Agouy but we are now to speak of a spiritual sleep the sleep of the soul Indeed the soul considered as a spiritual being in its natural capacity properly never sleepeth but the body It is never weary of its actings but the body is which it useth as its instrument as it never groweth old so it never groweth sleepy and therefore we do not consider the soul neither in a natural capacity onely as it is a spiritual being but in a supernatural capacity that is to say as it hath some divine qualities put upon it whereby it acts and works towards God and towards Christ as natural Agents act by their qualities the fire by its heat so the soul by its faith and by its love and by its humility So then we are here considering not a naked soul but a soul as it hath either in reality or else in appearance put on Christ for righteousness and for holiness is raised up from that death in sin to a li●e of grace or love to God Now this soul so considered alas sometimes it fals asleep So much for the kind of sleep For the degrees of the sleep here they are two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words and of two significations as indeed our own English words do plainly distinguish you know to slumber is much less then to sleep in our experience of it to slumber is when a man onely doth nap or nod he is not fast asleep as it were between sleeping and waking a little thing waketh him now he is awake and then is napping again but not so fast as to have the senses altogether sealed up as in a sleep then it is otherwise there must be much ado to wake a man when he is in such a sleep So it is in this case This spiriritual sleep there are degrees a napping and nodding now asleep and then awake again we are neither awake nor asleep there are interruptions successively in our sleeping and waking But when a man is asleep he goeth on away with it continueth so great a while sleep hath seized upon him lockt him and sealed up and made him sure as I may say which what it is shall farther be opened by and by onely here let us take up the Doctrinal Observations from the words which shall be onely these two

mans abundance will not suffer him to sleep he is afraid of losing it a man that hath a great charge about him and walks through woods and dangerous places he is afraid of every one he meeteth lest he be robbed he will hardly sleep O you have precious souls to lose brethren And some of you have grace to lose which may in part be lost in its own nature it is looseable being but a creature depending continually upon a divine supply as the Ray upon the Sun If there be now such a care as this it will keep the soul awake but now if we grow confident and bold and do not fear alway we are then falling asleep so it is see it plainly in the Disciples that went with Christ into the garden to behold his Agony they were wonderfully heavy asleep the soul was asleep their graces were not upon the wing what was the matter if you mind it they were the men that above all others had been most confident and secure and had expressed it before Peter said that though all men should deny him he would not and when our Saviour told him he should deny him he was so blinded with his confidence now that he would not believe Jesus Christ but rather believed himself and his own folly he said he would rather dye for him then deny him Well when it cometh to the pinch he falls asleep Ah Peter sleepest thou thou of all other men methinks shouldst have waked with me wilt thou dye with me and yet cannot wake but fall asleep not one hour wake with me thou such a confident man and yet when it cometh to the pinch fall asleep And the two sons of Zebedeus with him they were very confident they would sit on the right and left hand of Christ in his kingdom Why can you drink of the cup I am to drink of Yea say they we can and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with yea they could Now those are the men above others that are asleep Who can tell but if some other of the Disciples that had been lower in their own thoughts and had walkt more tremblingly before him but they might have waked when those slept This another Fifthly Stupifying the head the senses with some injury it will lay a man asleep yea more then ordinarily into a swoun so that he feels nothing as for instance let a man have a great blow upon his head it stonyeth him he fals asleep under it he can feel nothing now his senses are lockt up as if in a dead sleep it is so here a great sin brethren it stupifies a mans conscience it maketh him past feeling for the present in a manner we would hardly think it it may be we would think that men are rather apt to fall asleep that have none of those great sins but onely of an ordinary nature they are apt to slumber and that great sins would rather awaken men and stir mens Consciences indeed it may be they may put a man to some more torment a little at present but afterward they do stupifie the deceitfulness of sin maketh hard as the Apostle saith specially if it lye unrepented of a while do you not see how David lay in a dead sleep a great while upon that his fall in the matter of Vriah all his senses closed up he could not open his mouth to speak to God O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise And so Jonah his sin was very great running away from God to Tarshish when he sent him to Niniveh and who more sleepy then he in the vessel up why sleepest thou thou sleeper said they alas the poor Mariners lookt upon themselves as lost men he feared nothing he was asleep Conscience asleep Soul asleep Fear asleep he was benummed with that great blow he had given his soul he was more sleepy and heavy then natural men themselves their Consciences were sooner awaked by the hand of God then his was a fearful condition Now be not mistaken brethren I mean not by great sins only such as are gross in our own account but the greatness of a sin lies in the liking of it indeed if there be a liking or love to a greater sin it maketh it so much the greater but if there be a less sin it maketh it very great even greater then the act of another sin that for the act is greater then it Sixthly Another Cause you know is surfeting and drunkenness Excess in the use of the creatures we use to say loaden bellies leaden heels the bellies being full the bones would have rest It is so in nature and so it is with the soul Lot when he was drunk he fell asleep and slept so deeply that his daughters played the harlots with him and knew nothing neither when they rose nor when they lay down truly brethren the drunkenness of the mind casts men asleep if a man be drunk with erroneous principles of loosness it casts him into a sleep presently the head is giddy with it but chiefly if a man be drunk with passions or drink or surfet of the delights of the creature abusing the world in using of it this was the sleep of the old world they never dreamed of the flood they believed it not at all Why they eat they drink they marryed they gave in marriage There is no Copulative between the words in the Text which they call an Asyndeton as if there were no distance of time between one and the other they made it their work and business to give themselves to these things And so it will be at the last day when Christ shall come This is the sleeping then surely in a great measure this day came upon the foolish virgins yea and wise too unawares and why might not this be a great part of their sleeping or a Cause of it they thought now they had made sure of the main work they might give themselves a little more liberty then before and might busie themselves in the world as well as others and so were excessively taken up with it and then the day of the Lord cometh unawares Therefore our Saviour giveth this caution take heed your hearts at any time be not overcharged with surfeting and drunkenness and the cares of this life and that day come upon you at unawares Alas men are too busie in the world to mind the coming of Jesus Christ or to wayt for him they are drunk and therefore fall asleep drunk with delights with love to these things care about them they have more then their load as we say of men drunk and therefore they sleep I wish this were not the sin of the Saints themselves Seventhly Another Cause may be the company of sleepy ones this may be the case at least to some and it is not unlikely but the foolish virgins and wise walking together the foolish might give such an

example and the wise not wise enough to avoid but would sleep for company and so it is still in the visible Church because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold some think this may be hinted in that place but sure it is that examples are very potent plus vivitur exemplis specially if a person be in repute a man of name or renown among the Saints a brother or a sister whose praise is in the Churches if such a one as this shall grow earthly and carnal and that carnality and earthliness damp the soul and bring a deadness upon the graces why how many wil be ready to think they may sure let the rayns as loose as they and may seek after the world as well as they Peters example you see when he dissen bled what a force it had thou compellest the Gentiles to live as as do the Jews by his example he did it when the Jews came down from Jerusalem therefore David complains indeed of the example of wicked wo is me c. And so Isaiah complains w● is me I dwell among a people of uncircumcised lips and I am such my self and they help it forward but indeed the examples o loose and cold and sleepy Professors are more mischievous especially if they have been more lively and insensibly decline and decay because we have the less suspicion of them and therefore they are notable quench-coals indeed This is another ground Eighthly And the last I shall speak to shall be this from all the former When the Lord his holy spirit is grieved by all these he withdraweth his spirit and then we fall fast asleep and alas if a man be waked out of a dead sleep except there be one watching by him or one that hath a Lethargical distemper apt to prevail upon him except he hath some to sit by him to keep him awake he falls asleep and such pains is the holy Spirit at sitting up with us to keep us awake Now if we do grieve him and he depart from us presently deep sleep fals upon us like an armed man and we cannot resist so the Disciples had grieved the spirit of God by their self-confidence nothing more and therefore he leaveth them well he will see what the end of this their trusting in lyes will do and he letteth them fall again and again and you see how woful sleepy and drowsie they were they could not watch one hour they fell asleep again and again three times after another though they were sharply reproved for it they were prickt and provoked to awake but it would not do alas the Spirit was withdrawn from them Thus much shall serve for the Arguments For the Use then brethren in the first place May it not serve to humble us surely this is one end of Gods leaving his people to such a drowsie frame that they may be humbled as it was in the case of his Disciples he would make them know how weak they were if he did but depart from them as confident as they were how should we be ashamed of our selves as a servant when he sleepeth when he should be about his business and is reproved for it alas he is confounded he hath nothing to say for himself so the Disciples they wist not what to say saith the Text What are you now saith our Saviour asleep now when it is a time to exercise your graces and to pray if ever you will pray are you now asleep He that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame to himself and others it is a time of work and to be lazing and drowsing upon the bed it is a very shameful thing indeed O that the Lord would lay this as a Plaister upon our Souls as many as are drowsie or have been drowsie or sleepy to hold the Plaister on though it be a smarting plaister yet better it is for us to have some smart then to dye of the Lethargy better be cupped and scarified and anything Ah when God cures sin by sin it is a smarting cure like the curing of a poysoned wound with more poyson or fetching out of fire with more fire wherein the severeness of the Physician appeareth and his love to us who had rather we should smart then dye well be humbled for what we have done if this work be some smart unto us our many sleepy Sermons Prayers sloathfulness security we have been and it is well if we be not upon our beds now this very day if our souls be not asleep If you be the Lord humble you for it as he humbled his own Disciples that this may be your care But not onely so But let us all take notice of and be humbled for our great proneness to slumber and sleep Water the root brethren If we be awake and have not lately been overtaken yet remember we have the root within us water that with our tears be humbled before the Lord for it yea labour we to walk continually humble before the Lord for the sight and sense of it it will appear how apt we are to fall asleep if we consider that whatever our condition is we are apt to it For a prosperous state this is like a rocking and singing to the soul how quickly did the Church fall asleep in Constantine his days in his lap and the child in the mothers lap Outward prosperity inward prosperity Was not David slumbring when he said I shall never be moved and so Iob I said I should dye in my nest what not onely when he had an outward flourishing condition but when he had such a strength of grace as to inable him to do much for God to walk uprightly with him to be fruitful in good works then I shall dye in my nest I shall multiply my days as the sand he was even going then O this is matter of humbling indeed brethren that when we should be putting forth the fruits of his love unto our souls we should drop asleep But then a man would think this is more natural now to fall asleep in the Sun shine and in the midst of the sweet refreshings of the spirit of God as musick and delightful things which do mulcere they do perswade sleep if we have not somewhat to keep awake But a man would think now that an ●our of trouble and affliction except it be so great as to stupifie it should rather keep a man awaking as the Psalmist thou holdst me waking saith he in the night Now the Disciples they were in an hour of temptation and a great grief and trouble and though they knew now their Lord was ready to depart from them and now entering upon his agony yet alas how dead and lumpish were they they fell asleep though there may be some natural cause for grief of the soul to make the body heavy as it seemeth to be rendered as a reason for they were sad they were heavy with grief

King did Arauna give to the King liberally freely it was a great gift freely given So here it is a King that maketh this feast Kings usually have larger more noble spirits as they have larger purses and therefore at their feasts they use to shew the Magnificence and glory of their Kingdom And so doth God here Brethren A King yea the King of heaven the King of glory the King of Kings and King of Saints he will shew the glory of his Kingdom and his magnificence the excellency of his greatness in making this feast therefore surely there must needs be fulness of love and joy 3. It is a feast not an ordinary but a Marriage-feast and such used to be more then ordinary also being a time of greatest rejoycing you see the Marriage feast at which Christ was what an abundance of wine there was turned from water by our Saviour if you compute it it will appear some 300. gallons full six water-pots holding three measures a piece or two and each measure an hundred pints very great store indeed 4. It is a feast a Marriage-feast not only for a servant or friend being married but for a Son the only Son a Son and heir of all a beloved Son most dearly beloved all these surely will exceedingly heighten the considerations of the fulness of the feast brethren the fulness of that love which shall there be manifested and of the Believers joy in that love these things are heightned to us in that place of Matthew Indeed the very feast here in the Gospel is heightned by these considerations but much more then this Yea 5. Consider yet further It is a Marriage-feast for which preparation hath been making from eternity God hath been providing for it Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the world in these things he would have us surely to understand the decree and purpose of such a thing And withal we may note the greatness and magnificence of the feast You know men if they would royally entertain a Prince they make provision long before and as long as they can to get all about them the rarities that the earth or Sea affords specially if a King be the provider O Brethren the Lord hath been laying in as I may say this wine preparing it for us from eternity therefore surely it will appear in an unspeakable fulness Lastly It will be more constantly without interruption and lastingly without any end No interruption at all here we have our vicissitudes now we have a sweet cup a draught a full draught a flagon it may be to stay us when we are sick of love by and by we have nothing but our wormwood and our gall to chew upon now we can behold him have a glorious view of him and our hearts ravished with it by and by he is upon the Cross nailed by our sins and we cannot but look upon him with a mourning eye But there Brethren shall be no interruption nothing but eating and drinking this Love of God in Jesus Christ All his thoughts will be love to us and all our thoughts love and joy no room for one sigh for one tear of sorrow for one groan any more and then it is not for a term and then to end but it is for ever at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore For the time when and the place where this shall be It will be at that day in the Kingdom of the Father It will begin at the souls going to the spirits of just men made perfect it goeth to Christ this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise it goeth to the bosom of the Lord Jesus to Abrahams bosom and beginneth this feast But the fulness of it is not until the glorified body shall be united to the glorified soul and then both together shall be filled with this fulness of love and fulness of joy to all eternity For the place It is in heaven where Jesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Father There Stephen saw him and there he abideth where he is there the Saints will be some think this is typified probably by the upper Chamber where they did eat the Pass-over and the Supper but no more of that Now the second thing cometh under hand that is to say That they go in with the Bridegroom to this feast Wherein these things will be considerable First How he brings them in unto the feast And then Secondly Why it is so And then somewhat to the Application First then he may be said to bring them in and they to go in with him into the feast because he is the meritorious cause of their entrance into glory As he is the entrance of a Believer into the grace wherein we stand as the Apostle speaks so also into the glory There is no acceptance with the Father no access but in and through Jesus Christ as a poor creature hath no admittance into the presence and table of a King but that the son takes him by the hand and leads him in the Lord Jesus then is the meritorious cause he went to prepare a place for us Secondly he doth now as I may say when a soul is brought to heaven after the manner of men I may say he doth receive it and so present it they go in with Jesus Christ But Thirdly And chiefly at the last day at that day he shall come again with his glorious Angels to gather all the Saints together and so to bring them to his Father to deliver the Kingdom up unto him to present them as a Spouse without spot or wrinkle or any such thing thus he shall appear the second time without sin to them that look for him and so they shall for ever be with the Lord. Fourthly He brings them unto the Marriage they go with him even into those joyes unto that eternal bliss and glory he leads them into and there sitteth down with them at the Marriage-feast eating drinking with him this new wine in the Kingdom of the Father It is not only his bringing of them or their going in with him into the place where these glorious manifestations of God shall be for ever but even into the very depth of those discoveries and there he sitteth down with them For the Arguments Besides that none else could do it for us as you heard First His faithfulness to them requireth it He hath promised he will never leave them until he had fulfilled for them all the good that he hath spoken now this is spoken that he will give them glory as well as grace that he will give them eternal life and raise them up at the last day else he were not a faithful High-Priest nor a faithful Saviour if he should leave them short you know it was his last Will and Testament in that place of Ioh 17. and will he see his own Will and

then ordinarily and indeed I do desire to pitty such as yet cannot see this but this is not all Secondly There is the use and improvement of the Ordinances which is much more necessary then the other desire the sincere milk of the Word milk for sweetness and nourishing and sincere without mixture of errour or humane wisdom Alas Brethren if we come not to it with desires get our affections up when we come to it and look not to it that we digest it when we have heard it we are not likely to grow by it Alas alas no marvel we are so lean in our souls some of us as if God bad in heavy displeasure sent the curse upon us what is the matter we come to hear the Word but with what affections come reeking out of the World into it with our heads and hearts full of it the stomack is full already there is no room for the Word to take place in our hearts and we are much for hearing but digest but little Ah Brethren this meditation upon what we hear we are all of us short in that is the man that groweth indeed as in the first Psalm he shall flourish that meditates day and night For my own part I am perswaded that upon a Sabbath-day it is not so much how much we hear to spend our whole time in it that there is no time left for chewing upon it for working it upon the heart by meditation No plough-man would do so think he never plougheth and soweth enough and never maketh use of the harrowing Alas much of it is stoln away he hath little increase we go ●ow out of the presence of God and into the world again over head and ears without any care to work the Word upon our souls how can you expect to prosper in your souls you may have fat purses but you are like to have but lean souls you digest not your meat a Physitian will tell you it is not how much you eat but how much you digest that tends to health and growth And so for the other Ordinances of the Supper there is meat indeed and drink indeed but do we look to it to improve that Ordinance for strengtheuing of faith to get our graces up our appetites up our faith our love upon the wing when we come to act faith and love in the Ordinance to draw from the Lord Jesus to drink and drink abundantly Alas wisdom hath killed her beasts and mixed her wine and furnished her table among us and we come indeed but without wedding-garments many times and without appetites and so we are cast out and instead of receiving Christ more and more of him we are more hardened Satan entereth into some poor souls Ah no marvel then if they grow not in grace If we had not the fat things of the house of God Brethren it were something but the Lord hath not denyed them to us his table is richly furnished the dainties are the same though the Maidens that are sent forth now to call you are weak and unworthy that should not derogate from the esteem of the feast now what can we say for our selves if we will play with our meat if we will not fall on when we come to it if we matter not for digesting it where Brethren will the guilt lie O be humbled for that we have neglected this salvation so much as we have done though it may be we have not mist an opportunity yet that we make no better use of them then we have done that is the first step to a reformation of it Do you think this vvere a pleasing carriage of a child vvhen he is poor and lean and ill-favoured his Father provideth a rich banquet royal dainties for him setteth them before him intreateth him to fall on he complains of his vveakness and faintness and yet vvill not eat this is frovvardness it is not pleasing to God vvho hath so richly provided for us to hear his people complaining alvvay of their vveakness in faith and vveakness in love and all graces of the Spirit and though he hath provided such dainties for them in his Ordinances as never eye savv nor any tasted but a Believer and they might be fat and flourishing if they vvere not vvretchedly vvanting to themselves they complain and complain but never mind it to eat to feed to improve the Ordinances for this their grovvth I have spoken the more largely here because I knovv Brethren I knovv it is our ovvn vvretched neglect of our selves in this case that is the great cause of our vvant of grovvth Fifthly Another help shall be this labour to get the distempers of your souls healed that hinder your grovvth it is impossible vvhile a man hath a Woolf in his flesh or a greedy vven that sucks all the nourishment from the body that he should grovv Alas every one of us can best tell vvhere our diseases are Some have obstructions betvveen the head and the heart the passages are not opened and so they grovv indeed in the head but the heart is poor and dry and vvithered all notion and no affection hovv little affection have vve the most of us nothing ansvverable to vvhat vve apprehend of the riches of grace in Jesus Christ all is not vvell vvith us Brethren Alas hovv many of us have surfeited of the vvorld and the comforts thereo● and so our appetites are lost to these dainties and fat things of the house of God vvhereby we should grovv up like Calves of the stall O for Christs sake and as you love your souls take heed of the vvorld and love of it Ah vve little knovv hovv close it sticks to us and hovv indiscernably it insinuates it self upon us It may be we consume all upon our lusts make all we have received but a stepping-stone to raise our proud spirits upon how apt we are to be admiring our selves this was well done and that was well done by us instead of admiring rich grace to such poor dust and ashes as we are this dammeth up the fountain Brethren this provokes God to withdraw his Spirit and presence and alas what can vve do then then vve see vvhat vve are Well if we would grow we must begin at the right end we must labour to get these lusts that do prevail down if a child have such a disease as the Rickets or some other disease upon it you may give it all the nursing and tending and feeding that can be it will never grow uniformly but all runs into the head It is in vain to complain of the want of growth the way is to go to the Physitian get some prescription for the healing of the disease and so we must look to it Brethren if any object come between the Lord Jesus and your hearts and so interrupt the sweet and saving influences of Christ from you you cannot grow you see that shrubs in the Wilderness that never see where good cometh or

it much growth to be gotten 637 Converted ones though suddenly dying yet can grow in grace 579 Covenant of works from this there is freedom 504 D Day of the Lord what is meant by it 412 Darkness is a part of bondage 494 Darkness what is meant by it 495 Denyal of self as that grows so we grow 594 Duties holy labour to be more spiritual in them 615 E End look unto it 571 Enemies they are who would pluck away Christ from us 426 Enemies cannot be withstood unless there be growing 619 Errour all the ground of it 597 Experiences particular of love and tenderness of mind 611 F Faculties of the soul see whether we grow in them 595 Faith as it grows so do we grow 593 Faith in this grace labour to grow 607 Faith what is it ibid. And wherein the nature of it lies 622 Family where they are all in Egyptian darkness is a sad one 422 Fear all is not banished out of the soul 553 Fear is a part of bondage 499 Fear distractive fear ought not to be in us 554 Feared the Lord. See Them Fellowship with Jesus Christ is sweet 422 Free-set many think they are by Jesus Christ and yet deceived 517 Free-going in the acceptable year three things did hinder 530 Free-set that we might be what is to be done 533 Freedom there is 1. Invisible Both by grace 518 2. Visible Fruitfulness what growth is there in this 600 G God himself is to be much dwelled upon 635 Going forth what is meant by it 478 Gospel is an incomparable benefit 526 Grace the riches of it to poor sinners 457 Graee is either 1. Relative 562 Or 2. Inherent 564 Grace will grow by the opposition it meets withal either from 1. Without 601. Or 2. Within 602 Grace relative labour to grow more and more in the assurance of it 616 Graces three which respect the root Jesus Christ 593 Grow as Calves of the Stall the comparison wherein it stands 559 Grow when is any thing said so properly 565 Grow up in Christ before this be there must be implantation into him 567 Grow in Grace they do though no sooner converted but they die 579 See Children Grow if you do not conclude one of two things 558 Grow many do worse and worse 589 Grow how to know it 591 Grow the Motives to it 617 The Helps to it 621 Grow we must according to our measure 638. And herein help each other 641 Grow many may though they perceive it not 627 Growing up into Christ what is there in the expression 570 Growing to such as think they are not Comfort 643 Growth spiritual the nature of it 562 and the Arguments to prove it 577 Growth the greater it is the more honour and service God hath 583 Growth compared to Trees or Plants 592 Growth is placed 1. In the Uuderstanding 596 2. In the Will 598 Growth wherein to look to it 604 H Head the Glory of it wherein it lies 571 Heal if we could our selves yet our wound is incurable 449 Healing what is meant by it 438 Healing what it brings 440 Healing is not in us 448 Healing concerns two sorts of Persons 470 Heart-softness in this labour to grow 614 c. wherein it lies ibid. Humility as it grows so do we grow 595 Humility in this Grace labour to grow 613 Hypocrites may grow in some things 620 I Inlargement promised to a soul what is it 481 K Knowledge In this Grace labour to grow 604 L Liberty spiritual 1. It s subject 482 2. Its causes 483 3. Its parts 485 4. Its degrees 508 Light our from whence comes it 422 Love to Christ works the soul to a kindly hatred of sin 465 Love to Jesus Christ herein labour to grow 608. And that for several ends 609 Love towards one another herein labour to grow 612 M Malachy what it signifieth 411 Members grow not alike in the same measure 573 Mercy in this Grace labour to grow 613 Ministry all for what end 620 Ministers are to labour to grow 639 O Obedience slavish is a bondage 498 Ordinances wait diligently on the Lord in them 427 Ordinances being used conscientiously and diligently tend to growth 629 P People under the influences of the Sun of Righteousness are in a growing condition 560 Planted in Christ such as never were grow worse and worse 590 Prayer is a great means to increase Grace 624 Prayer what is it 625 Professed the Name of Christ many have and yet are fallen 589 Profession of Christ such as make and grow not are in a sad condition 587 S Saints Communion is to build up each other 637 Sin is a comprehensive evil 442 Sin hath ill qualities and consequences 444 Sin is the first general part of bondage 490 Sin the guilt of it is a part of bondage 494 Sin is a grievous bondage 512 Sin though it lie hard ●pon any soul yet shall it be overcome 555 S●ns yoak to such as are strugling under it comfort ibid. Soul-distempers hinder growth 632 Spirit how he is grieved 545. And therefore cautions not to grieve him 546 Spirit properly is not grieved ibid. Sun Christ is to his people 414 Sun wherein doth the resemblance between Christ and it hold 416 Sun they that have it risen upon them are the children of the day 421 Sun of Righteousness against its shinings shut not the windows 424 Sun that God would give such is cause of admiration 427 Sun of Righteousness why is Christ so called 431 T Them that feared the Lord what is meant by that 429 Things best in them labour to grow 617 Truth will set a man free 533 V Vnderstanding in this let us try our growth 596 W Walking holy with God herein labour to grow 615 Wings of the Sun of Righteousness what is meant by that 435 Wings of the Sun of Righteousness what are they 436 Wings why so called 437 Word of God to such as tremble at it comfort 475 Wounded them that are so Christ pittyeth 463 The last Table containing the general and particular Heads as they follow in their order in the foregoing Subject Christ his Willingness to accept humbled Sinners THe Text opened 651 Out of which this Point of Doctrine issues That the Lord Jesus will not cast out any poor soul that cometh to him 652 Here is observed First That coming unto Christ presupposeth 1. Hearing 2. Learning ibid. By Hearing is understood 1. The usual means of Salvation 654 2. Some whisperings motions and secret workings of the Spirit ibid. By Learning is understood first the opening of the understanding 655 and thus a poor soul is taught 1. That he is lost in himself 2. That he must not lie securely in this condition ibid. 3. That there is no help in the Creature 656 4. That nothing can skreen him from the wrath of God but Jesus Christ 657 5. That Christ is willing to let out of his oyntments to heal ibid. Now for the Acts wherein

of one as well as another grace which he hath begotten in the soul so that if a man find he thinketh he groweth in faith and thinketh he groweth in love and yet grow not in zeal for the glory of God groweth not in tenderness of heart and plyableness to his will this is not a right growth Alas how many of us then do not grow in grace indeed Seventhly Though there be an uniformity in growth yet we must not so understand it that every member groweth in the same measure with another and yet may grow also in its due proportion and so also in respect of graces there may be somewhat of truth in it but to speak the more distinctly First consider the members of the Church of Christ and our selves if we be such indeed though all the members of the Church of Christ do grow yet they do not grow all alike in the same measure the Apostle saith according to the effectual working in the measure of every part so that you see each part hath a measure every member hath not the same relation the same office in the body and so doth not require the same measure of strength or the same quantity or greatness Yea if it have a greater quantity then is meet it is a burthen and an hindrance as if the joynt of a finger should grow as much as the joynt of a mans knee would it not be monstrous and yet both joynts grow but each according to its proportion so that they grow all ●que but not ●qualite● one as well as another but not one as much as another uniformiter and yet difformiter if every finger were as big as an arm what an hand would there be holding no proportion to the body though the rest grow this over-groweth its proportion It is true every child of God is not a David nor a Paul nor is every one called to those great undertakings that they were the more eminent places in the body of Christ we have the more we must look to it that we grow If a man be a Magistrate or a Minister I tell you Brethren it is not enough that they be as other men in grace and yet alas then what disproportion do some of us make in the body of Jesus Christ that stand in that relation to the body and yet O how do other members over-grow us Brethren they are not to be blamed for their growing so fast but we for our growing no fa 〈…〉 er nor any more proportionable to our relations for a Magistrate to have no more courage nor zeal then another man that is not called so to put it forth is unsuitable and so for wisdom and knowledge and so for Ministers are we as arms in the body and have scarce the strength of a little finger O how can we work for Christ do the works of our conditions if you see some eminent as blessed be his name there are eminent and have their measure of growth to their condition you should be followers of them follow after as hard as you can therefore Ministers should be ensamples to the flock in faith in puriry in holiness 1 Tim. 4. 12. an example to believe in word in conversation in faith in purity c. But alas Brethren may we not rather some of us take examples therein how weak is our faith yet I say where there are such of eminency and thou canst not reach them yet be not discouraged because thou canst not get so much light as the eye hath be not discouraged it is required there more then in another nor so much strength as an arm a leg when thou art it may be but as a little finger only there may be a proportion yea I will tell you Brethren pitty us pray for us Magistrates and Ministers for I do verily believe there are none fall so much short of our proportion of growth in grace according to our relations as we do But this is but the first And then secondly for the graces in every believer now the measure of every grace its growth as I think is much more hard to determine whether all graces do grow according to the proportion of the growth of any one of them that is to say whether love to God and zeal to his glory do grow according to the measure of every mans faith and so patience according to the measure of his faith indeed I am at a stand here if that one habit of grace did beget another faith did beget love it would be the more clear because then according to the strength of the causes the effect would be a strong cause a strong effect the habits of grace in us being not voluntary agents but I take it for granted that the efficient cause of all grace one as well as another is the same Spirit of the Father and the Son it is the supply of the Spirit as the Apostle calls it whereby we grow in any grace now the Spirit of God being a most free agent is not tyed up by a necessity of nature to work alike upon the same heart to the increase of every grace though he do work to the growth of every grace yet whether he doth equally work to the increase of them all So that what proportion of grace a Believer hath in one grace he hath the same proportion of strength in another is doubtful specially since the Lord who works in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure knoweth what tryals he hath for every one of us some in one kind some in another some greater tryals for their faith and some for their self-denyal and some for their love may accordingly work but this is not so much material if we can find we grow in every grace of the Spirit whether we do grow alike in the measure of love as in the measure of faith or zeal or spiritualness as it will be very hard to judge considering how hard it is to judge of the strength of our habits by their acts which may accidentally be inter 〈…〉 itted and interrupted and considering whatever knowledge we have at the best of the faculties of our souls and their workings and so of the habits of grace in them So I take it 〈◊〉 is not so much considerable if we could come to know it only if we be sure we grow in all and that we grow according to the measure proportionable to our condition or relation to the body this the seventh Eighthly and 〈…〉 stly that I shall speak to the opening the nature of this growth in grace growth here hath no determined 〈◊〉 until death until we come actually to the spirits of just men made perfect in nature there is a determinate time for growth in quantity which is properly growth about thirty years the causes of it I leave School-men to dispute it is not so proper for us in this place in nature there is in this life yea haply