and no good must needs be the Greatest Evil in the world But sin is All evil As we say of God There is no Evil in him He is All Good Quodcunque in Deo Deus est So I may say of Sin There is no Good in it It is All Evil Quodcunque in Peccato Peccatum est There is some good in the worst things in the world and some thing in the worst things to make them capable of our choice of them in some cases some good in sickness some good in Death But now there is no good in sin nor can any considerations in the world make sin the Object of our Choice Though you might avoid Death by sin yet because sin is Universally Evil and No good in it you may not make use of sin to avoid Death And therefore you shall read That when the Apostle would speak the worst of sin he could finde no Name worse than its Own to set it out by Rom. 7.13 ad finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinful-sin He calls it Sinful-sin Nothing but Sin 3. Demonstration 3. That which is the sole Object of Gods hatred 3. Demonstr Sin the sole object of Gods hatred must needs be the Greatest evil But sin is the sole Object Not onely the Object but the sole Object of Gods hatred He hates nothing but Sin His love runs in divers streams towards all things he hath made But his hatred runs in One Chanel alone and that is Towards Sin If Man were made the Center of all other Evils in the world God could Love him under All if sin were not there And if there be a Confluence of all other Goods Health Beauty Riches Learning c. God hates you if Sin alone be there Gods love cannot be there but his wrath abideth there 4. Demonstration 4. That which separates the soul from the chief good that which divides between the soul and God the chiefest good 4. Demonstr Sin Separates the soul from the chief Good i. God must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin divides betwixt God and the soul Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have Separated betwixt you and your God Betwixt your souls and my Grace your souls and my Comforts your souls and my Blessings It was said of Naaman That he was a Great man an Honorable man a mighty man of War But he was a Leper 2 Kings 5.1 So whatever Ornaments a man hath whatever Gifts Parts Riches Beauty c. yet if he be a Leper though a Learned man a Rich man But a Wicked man that spoils all the rest 5. Demonstration 5. Demonstr Sin is the root of all other evils 5. That which is the ground and cause of all other Evils must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin is the cause of all other Evils Is the Old world drowned with water it is for sin Is Sodome destroyed with fire and turned into an Asphaltite-lake to this day it is for sin Is Jerusalem laid on heaps Sin hath done it Should I enter on this I should finde no end 1. Of National evils 1. Sin is the cause of All National Evils We will name some and but name them 1. Wars 1. Wars Judg. 5.8 They chose new Gods Then was War in the Gates James 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings among you is it not from your lusts 2. Famine 2. Famine Psal 107.34 He turneth a fruitful land into a Desert for the wickedness of them that dwell therein Amos 4.6 Therefore sc for their sins have I given you cleanness of teeth in all your Cities and scarceness of bread in all your places c. 3. Pestilence 3. Pestilence as Davids sin here of Numbring the people Read Deut. 28.21 The Lord shall make the pestilence to cleave to thee till he hath consumed thee from off the land whither thou goest to possess it And as sin is the cause of National so also 2. Of Personal evils 2. Of personal Evils and those are 1. Temporal 2. Spiritual 3. Eternal Sin is the Cause the Meriting the Procuring Cause of all All Evils are but the Births of sin sin is a Big-bellied Evil and all other Evils are but the births of sin 1. On Body Those upon your Bodies Sickness Aches Pains Weaknesses 2. On Soul Those upon your souls Fears Heart-breakings Terrors Horrors If you could rip up sin you would finde all these to lie in the bowels of the least sin Shall I tell you Sin was the first Founder of Hell that which laid the Corner-stone of that Dark Vault for before Sin there was no Hell Nay and it is Sin that Built up Hell and hath fitted Hell with those Treasures and Riches of Wrath Fire and Brimstone Nay and that which still Addes to it and increaseth the Fewel Rom. 2.5 It treasures up wrath against the day of wrath And therefore being an Universal Evil a Catholick Evil the Womb of Evils and Cause of all it must needs be The Greatest Evil. 6. Demonstration 6. That which is worse than the Utmost Evil 6. Demonstr Sin worse that the utmost Evil. must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin is worse than the Utmost Evil. That which is Greater than the Greatest Evil must needs be Exceeding Great Hell is the Utmost Evil but Sin is worse than Hell it self Hell separate from sin is but miserable not sinful A Penal Evil not A Sinful Evil. I say separate Hell from sin though we cannot really separate Hell from sin yet an Intellectual Separation we may make we may in our Understandings abstract Hell from sin And then I say sin is worse than Hell because Hell is but A Penal Evil sin is A Sinful Evil And there is no Penal Evil so bad as A Sinful Evil. There is good in the Punishment the good of Justice But no good in sin And therefore sin in it self is the Greatest Evil. Now we come to the Second which is the Main As sin is in it self so 2. In the Apprehensions of Gods people sin is the Greatest Evil. 1. Their sighs for sin 2. Their sufferings to avoid sin do shew they apprehend sin the Greatest Evil. 1. Their sighs for sin you may look into Davids Penitential Psalms and see what sighs and groans for sin Look into Psalm 51. Why what was the reason of them All the Sufferings all the Evils in the world would not so much have affected him as his sin Paul Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death The Death of his body was nothing to him in comparison of This Body of Death Paul went through many tribulations endured a great deal of sufferings as you may read 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25. at large yet all these Scourges these Prisons and Persecutions did not go so much to his heart as sin even the presence though not the power of sin Though he suffered much yet we do not read that ever he cryed OH
by unbelief do slight all the threats of God denounced against sin if you make childs play of them as the word signifies 2 Pet. 3.3 If you look upon these but as Bug-bears things to keep men in awe and not real things No marvel if you bee not Humbled But if by Faith you would Realize these things to your selves and behold them not as Fancies and sad dreams but such things as are infallibly true real things not as painted Hell painted fire but as reall you would them finde them to work These mingled with Faith would lay a man in the dust Now this is a property of Faith to Realize the Object or thing beleeved and hence comes an influence on the soul to humble and abase it 3 Faith doth not only take up humbling Considerations and Realizeth all these to the Soul But Faith makes all this present Faith doth give a present being to all this Hence Heb. 11.13 Faith imbraceth the promise The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith kisseth the promise gives a present being to the promise And as it gives a present being to the promise or word of comfort so to the threatning and word of terror Faith discovers death and hell and all at hand for Sin Faith looks upon sinne in all it's Doomes-day apparrel and array smels fire and Brimstone in sin Whereas unbeleevers they look on these things at the wrong end of the Prospective and that makes things neer seem a far off and that afar off is not seen at all But Faith looks upon them through the right end of the prospective And there things a far off are seen at hand present Hence it is called The Evidence of things not seen As it was said of Abraham Hee saw the day of Christ and rejoyced and yet Abraham was dead many hundred of years before Christ yet by vertue of his prospective by vertue of his Faith hee saw it as if it had been present though it were never so far off So here though the second day of Christ the day of judgement bee a far off yet Faith sees it and is humbled Faith gives it a present Being 4. Faith applies and brings home all this to Soul As the word of Comfort the Promise is applyed and brought home to the Soul by Faith so the word of Terror the Threatning is brought home to the soul by the same Faith by which the Soul is cast down and humbled The manner of Faiths Application is by a practical Syllogisme where the Major or first Proposition is the Word of God The Assumption or second Proposition is the Testimony of Conscience and the conclusion is inferred from them both as hee that beleeveth not but continueth in sir is for the present guilty and obnoxious to wrath at the last Judgement But I beleeve not but continue in sin Therefore I am for the present guilty and obnoxious to wrath to bee inflicted at the last Judgement Seventh Royalty 7. Faith is an Heart-softening-Grace Such a Grace as doth not only humble us but soften us not only break us 7. Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-softening-Grace but melt us In the Law it humbles us it breaks us but the heart like a flint every dust still reteins its flinty stony Nature is a stone And therefore in the Gospel it melts us it dissolves us Thunders of Sinai terrifie but Dews of Sion mollifie So much Faith so much Sorrow they are like the Fountain and the Stream whereof the one ariseth no higher than the other So much Faith and apprehension of Mercy so much brokenness of spirit for sin Where Unbelief doth stony the Heart harden the Heart dries up the spring and issues of sorrow No Heart is so hard as an Unbeleeving-heart neither the Promises nor Threatnings neither Mercy nor Justice neither Word nor works will melt it Faith on the contrary turns the Soul into Water dissolves a man into tears opens all the deep springs of sorrow in the Soul 1. Faith looks upon Heart-melting-Promises Takes a survey of the Riches of Gods Love and Mercy in making such precious Promises which doth exceedingly melt 2. Faith takes up Heart-softening-Considerations from the Love and Mercy of God towards us which are Heart-melting-Mercies from the goodness and sweetness of God Faith makes us see God as hee is It makes God no otherwise than hee is not more gracious not more merciful than hee is But Faith discovers him as hee is a gracious and a mercifull God It doth but undraw the Curtain but take off the Mask which Satan and Infidelity have put on and makes us to behold God as hee is in all his glorious excellencies Soul saving attributes and Mercies which who can behold by Faith but must needs mourn and dissolve into tears that they have offended him Thus you see Ezek. 36.31 when God had discovered himself in his Pardoning-Mercy his washing Forgiving-Mercy to the beleeving soul then they shall mourn and bee humbled Oh! There is nothing breaks the heart more than Mercy nothing melts a man more than the smiles of God the Mercies of God which being discovered to the Soul the Soul is not able to stand stubborn under it 3. Faith looks upon a Soul-melting a Soul-softening Object upon Christ a wounded a broken Christ And who can behold him but with an Humbled and a broken-heart A bleeding Christ without a bleeding Heart Oh! Here is enough in this Object to open all the springs of sorrow in us wee need not to go to Bellarmines Twelve Considerations to open the Fountain of tears in us wee need not bring in the miseries of mankind for one nor the sad condition of the Souls in Purgatory for another Wee need not bee beholden to him for such considerations as these to help us to mourn Oh! Here is enough in Christ in a broken and wounded Christ to open all the springs in thee and if thou hadst a Fountain of tears to spend them all The Considerations of his sufferings 1. Either in themselves 2. Or in their cause 3. Or as the Effects of sin 1. The Considerations of his breakings and sufferings as they were in themselves 1. The sufferings of his Body What woundings breakin gs scourgings crownings peircings did hee endure upon his Body 2. The sufferings on his Soul What conflict and struglings with the wrath of God the powers of darkness what weights what burdens what wrath did hee undergo when his Soul was heavy unto death be set with terrors as the word implies When he drunk that bitter Cup that Cup of bitterness that Cup mingled with Curses which made him sweat drops of blood which if men or Angels had but sip's of 't would have made them reel stagger and tumble into Hell 2. The Consideration of his sufferings in the Cause as the meriting cause of all our good procurer of all our Peace Life Salvation Hee was wounded that wee might bee healed scourged that wee might bee solaced drank the
that Act of his patience no less than his power Now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is long-suffering c. where you see he makes his patience his power And so it is indeed if you consider what sin is Shall I say no more of it than this which God saith Levit. 26.21 It is contrary to God 1 It is contrary to the works of God 1 Sin contrary to Gods works As soon as God set up and perfected the frame of the world sin gave a shrewd shake to all it unpin'd this frame and had like to have pull'd all in pieces again And had it not been for the promise of Christ all this frame had fallen in pieces again If a man should come into a curious Artificers shop and should with one blow dash in pieces a Piece of Art which cost him many years study and pains the contriving of it How could he bear with it Thus sin did and yet that God should forbear Oh! Omnipotent patience 2. But yet further It is Contrary to Gods nature 2 Sin contrary to Gods Nature God is holy sin unholy God is pure sin is filthy and therefore compar'd still to the most filthiest things in the world to the Poyson of Aspes to Ulcers Soars c. If all the Noysom Pollutions in the world met in one common Stuk it would never equal the Pollution of sin God is good perfect Good Sin is evil universally evil There is good in all other things Plague Sickness Hell it self in a kinde hath a good in it None in sin Sin is the Practical-blasphemy of all the name of God It is the Dare of his Justice the Rape of his Mercy the Jeer of his Patience the Slight of his Power the Contempt of his Love It is every way contrary to God 3. It is contrary to the will of God God bids us Do this 3 Sin contrary to the will of God Sin saith I will not do it Sanctifie my Sabbath I will not sanctifie it Here is Contradiction And who can endure Contradiction It is set down as a great piece of Christs sufferings Heb. 12.3 That he indured the contradiction of sinners against himself certainly it was a great suffering How can a Wiseman indure to be contradicted by a fool And here that Christ who was The Wisdom of the Father should bear with such contradiction from fools here vvas a great piece of Suffering Now sin is a contradiction of God Sets Will against Wisdom and the Hell of a wicked Will against an Heaven of Infinite Wisdom And that God should bear vvith such sinners here is a Wonder You knovv in all the Creatures Contrariety makes all the Combustion It makes all the War in nature it causeth one Element to fight against another Fire against Water Water against Fire It will make very Stones to sweat and burst asunder Travel through the vvhole Creation and you shall not see Any Creature that can bear vvith its Contrary And that God and Sin should be Contrary and yet the Sinner live in the World Here is a Wonder a VVonder of Patience 2 Admire Gods mercy in pardoning sin 2. Is sin so Great an Evil Let us then fall down and Admire the greatness of Gods mercy in pardoning sin You see how the Prophet cryes out and Admires Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee That pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the Transgressions of the remnant of his heritage It is one of the Greatest works that God doth in the world To pardon sin A work in which he declares All his glorious Attributes His Wisdom his Power his Justice his Mercy his Holiness c. in pardoning sin Men that have cheap and slight thoughts of Gods Pardoning-Mercy have thereby an evident sign They never had a pardon never knew what it was indeed To have a pardon If ever any work in the world did put God to it then this of the Pardon of sin And if ever God do intend thee any good he will instruct thee and rectifie thy judgement in this Touching the Pardon of sin Therefore doth God humble men at their Bringing-in To raise up their esteem of a pardon To advance the greatness of his own Mercy in Pardoning sin And indeed we should not need such great Preparations and Humiliations in coming to Christ if we had but Greater thoughts of the Pardon of sin Men make no more of a Pardon than to Cry God Mercy Swear an oath and then say God forgive me Or say Lord have mercy on me when I dye It was said of Lewis the 11. King of France that He wore a Crucifix in his hat and when he had sinned he would but kiss his Crucifix and then all was done And so the Papists make it no more but a Crucifix and a Confession Ah! my Brethren if ever God mean good to you he will make you Know what a Pardon is Isa 55.7 when God would draw men up to Shew them a Pardon he calls them Above all the World My thoughts are not as your thoughts nor your ways my ways saith the Lord. If they were then I could not multiply Pardons But as the Heavens are higher than earth so are my thoughts above your thoughts and my ways above your ways I am infinite If Gods Creating-mercy were so great as David vvith doubled Admiration sets it out Psal 8.1 and the last verses O Lord our Lord how wonderful is thy Name in all the world who hast set thy Glory above the Heavens What is then his Pardoning Mercy 3. Lastly Is sin so Great an Evil Then see What cause we have to humble our souls before God this day That vve have had such slight thoughts of sin vvho hath thus judged sin to be the Greatest of all Evils What slight thoughts have vve of sin vve can svvallovv it vvithout fear vve can live in it vvithout sense vve can commit it vvithout remorse All vvhich shevvâ— vve have but slight thoughts of sin vve do not apprehend sin to be such an evil as indeed it is Nay Hovv faulty are Gods people themselves here What mean thoughts have they of sin They are not so watchful against it not so Burdened vvith it not so troubled for it as they ought to be All vvhich shevvs that though sin do appear to them to be A great Evil and The Greatest of all other Evils yet they do not apprehend it to be so Great an Evil as it is Now that you may be able to have some suitable conceptions of sin to the greatness of it that you may be able to see sin exceeding sinful I will briefly present it to you in these Six Glasses 1. Look upon it In the Glass of Nature which though it be but a Dim-Glass a Blown-Glass Sin hath dimmed it yet is this able to discover a great deal of the evil of sin The very Heathen themselves have seen and judged many
A loss in love better than an injoyment in displeasure More dye in the Flood than in the Ebbe Though prosperity bee more cordial yet afflictions are more physical Wee often surfeit of Cordials when Physick doth us good And a sanctified cross is better than an unsanctified comfort c. 4. Consectary If the Heart of Christ bee taken with his Church and People 1. Then see what a fearful thing sin is which doth cause God oftentimes to deal hardly with that which his soul loves so dearly God doth oftentimes afflict and punish his Church sharply and severely which yet his heart is much taken withall And sin is the cause And therefore what a fearful thing is sin How grievous would it bee to you to bee forced to take hard courses with a Child your heart is taken withall though it bee to do him good Why God is taken with his Church and do you not think it moves God to afflict and chastise it Wee would fain do all the good wee can to the persons wee love Oh! wee can never do enough for them Why so it is with God to his Church Hee loves his Church and willingly would hee do any thing for it And it is the grief of his soul that hee must take contrary courses with us to do us good that hee must bee forced to afflict and chastise them hee loves so dearly to bring them to Life by Death to Good by Evil to a Crown by Crosses When God parted with the ten Tribes you see what a conflict there was in him how his bowels stirred and were moved towards them notwithstanding all their sins Hos 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim My heart is turned within mee my repentings are kindled together How loath was God to seal to a Bill of Divorce His heart loved her though shee was an Adultress to him And when Judah did justifie the sin of her Sister Israel exceeding her in Idols what trouble was it to God to cast her off How willing was hee to receive her after all her adulteries Jer. 3.1 Thou hast plaid the Harlot c. And when shee would go on in her adulteries yet how unwilling still was hee to give her up till at last it grew so high that there was no Remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 hee must needs do it And when hee had done it how exceedingly was Gods heart moved that hee must bee forced to deal so hardly with them hee loved so dearly read Jer. 12.7 8.9 c. See how God laments over the loss of that which their sins would not give him leave to keep I have forsaken mine house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies And what was it that forced God to deal so hardly with them hee loved so dearly Why it was sin 2 Chron. 36.15 16. Hee sent Messengers because hee had compassion on them They mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and mis-used his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his People till there was no Remedy And which of these hath remained to bee done among us How hath our Sun been darkened the Stars lost their light How many burning and shining lights have been taken out of our Candlesticks and planted in others How many blown out by the rage of wicked men Did wee not justly fear by reason of that Idolatry Superstition Prophanation of Sabbaths Persecution of the Saints and Messengers of God that our day was gone our night approaching Did wee not fear that wee were come up to this that there was no remedy That God should have opened the Sluces of his wrath and let in a Sea of his displeasure upon us made us an Aceldema a field of Blood long before this Ah my Brethren Never Nation never Church from whom God hath shewed himself more unwilling to depart and leave than England Look upon the passages of us to God and his wayes towards us and see how unwilling hee declared himself God hath upheld us as if hee himself should fall if wee did not stand as if his Glory could not stand if wee fall as if his Glory had depended upon our preservation And how can wee better answer Gods dealings towards us than to abandon that cast out that which was our fear and gave God just occasion to destroy us Let us now do by our sins as the Israelites did by their Leaven There was 1. Inquisitio fermenti There was search made for it So let us search out that Leaven of sin Superstition Idolatry which have sowred our Kingdome and laid us open to the stroak of Gods wrath Search your houses search the land search your hearts 2. Ejectio fermenti 3. Execratio fermenti And let all bee found in us if ever wee would have a Passover Otherwise our Preservations from former will bee but Reservations to future and worser evils sin will cause God to punish those hee loves 5. Consectary If the Heart of Christ bee so much taken with his Church Then let this discover to you into what you way resolve all the passages of Gods love to his Church and People even into his own Love His Grace is the rise and his Glory is the end There are two main streams in which the goodness of God doth run to his Church 1. The higher and 2. The lower But both these streams have the same Head the same spring from whence they come even his own Love 1. For the higher or upper streams and these are four 1. Election 2. Justification 3. Sanctification 4. Glorification And all these arise from the great Abyss and Sea of his mercy toward his Church His heart is taken with us and therefore 1. Hee chose us Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord loved you not nor chose you because yee were more in number than any people but because the Lord loved you So God did not set his heart on us because wee were better than others for there are others in the World who might have been made more lovely His heart is taken with us therefore Operamur ex Justificatione non in Justificationem 2. Hee justifies us Wee could do nothing to strike off any former score for all wee did set us further in debt it was but an adding of sin to sin guilt to guilt the sin of our righteousness to the sin of our unrighteousness Covering a blot with a blot as Isa 30.1 No it did arise from this His heart was taken with us therefore did hee justifie us Tit. 3.7 Wee are justified freely by his Grace The like Rom. 3.24 Rom. 4.5 All which shew that into this all the expressions of his love are resolved His heart is taken with us therefore 3. Hee did sanctifie us Our holiness is not wrought out of our own Principles spun out of own bowels
bitter Cup of wrath that wee might have the draught of Mercy Hee was slain But not for himself saith Daniel But wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities The Chastisement of our peace was upon him Faith looks upon these his sufferings as the meriting causes of our good 3. The Considerations of his sufferings as effects of sin as the effects of our sin as that which our sins have brought upon him Which Consideration must needs effect and break our hearts When the soul shall look upon Christ and say It was I that have been the murderer I that have been the Traitor my sins which brought all this evil on thee I sind and thou sufferedst It was I that did eat the soue Grape and thy teeth were set en edge My sins were thy death yet by thy death thou brought'st the sinner life I have wounded thee yet thou hast healed mee even out of that wound which my sins have made hast thou sent out a Plaisâ—er even thy Blood for my sins Oh! This must needs fill the heart with sorrow Faith still looks upon an Humbled Christ with an Humbled Heart upon a Broken Christ with a Broken Heart upon a Bleeding Christ with a Bleeding Heart upon a Wounded Christ with a Wounded Heart Hence Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have peirced And how shall that sight affect them It follows They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and lament for him as one lamenteth for his first born In that day there shall bee a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Vallie of Megiddon God made the same Organ for seeing and for weeping And the soul that sees well weeps well Never soul that did by the Eye of Faith look upon this Son of Righteousness but their frozen hearts did melt within them Would you ever bee mourning men and Women for sin would you bee in bitterness as one is in bitterness for his first born Oh! Steep your thoughts in the blood of the Lamb Dwell a little on Christ crucified Look wistly upon Christ by Faith and this will solvere Gelicidium melt and thaw our frozen hearts turn us from stones into flesh Eight Royalty 8. Christ is an Heart-transforming-Grace 8 Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-transforming-Grace Such a Grace as doth transform the Soul into the nature of the Object Faith is as powerful in this spiritual conception to work in us the image of the Object seen as Fantasy is oftentimes in the natural conception The Poets tell us of some that did transform such as beheld them into stones such a power there was in the Object the thing beheld as to transform say they But here it is true If by Faith wee cast our Eyes upon Christ of stones wee shall bee turned into men of sinners into Saints of a hard heart to a soft and fleshly of Children of Satan to the Sons and Daughters of God Joh. 1.12 As many as beleeved on him to them hee gave power to bee the Sons of God Sons not born of the flesh or the will of the flesh but of God who begets like himself As that which is born of flesh is flesh So that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Hence wee are said to bee made partakers of the Divine Nature To bee transformed into the image and likeness of God To bee Holy as Hee is Holy Pure as Hee is Pure To bee as hee is in this World Never soul that looked on him by Faith but came away with another heart They looked to him and were enlightened saith the Psalmist Psal 34.5 But plainly you shall read the Transforming Power of Faith 2 Cor. 3.18 Whiles beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord wee are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory Such a Glass hee is that never did the Eye of Faith behold him but the Soul was changed with the sight from a Wolf into a Lamb from a sinner into a Saint from Darkness to Light You were once Darkness now are you Light in the Lord. It turns a man upside down wholly transforms him Indeed there is no change of the substance of soul and body nor of the faculties of soul and body but the qualities of the faculties are cleer changed The Head is transformed where before was darkness now there 's Light where before it did judge highly of carnal things and low esteemed spiritual it doth now the quite contrary The Will is transformed where before it was full of obstinacy and stoutness contradiction and rebellion now there is pliableness to good and conformity between Gods Will and his They are not two but one Will. Gods Amen is his Amen Gods Fiat his Fiat Gods Will his will So the Heart that is transformed whereas before it was nothing but a noisome sink of sin nothing but a Cage of unclean birds the womb of sin a seminary of lust Now it is washed purged purified sanctified made a fit Receptacle for Christ an Habitation for God by his Spirit Thus you see Faith is an Heart-transforming-Grace Wee cry and say Oh! If I had another heart I could beleeve If my heart were more holy more sanctified why the way to get another heart is to beleeve do but beleeve and you shall see another heart come into you another Spirit another Soul Do but look upon Christ and you shall bee transformed It is such a look as sends a man away with another heart As the Wise men It is said After they had seen Christ beheld Christ they went home another way So when by Faith wee have seen Christ it sends the Soul another way with another spirit with other Principles with other Resolutions There is this Power of Faith to transform the Soul into the nature of the Object beleeved Belief of the Promises breeds Principles in the Heart suitable to the Promises Belief in Christ breeds a Spirit suitable to Christ As Faith Belief in God a Father breeds Principles of Love Fear Reverence and Obedience in the Soul such things as are agreeable So the belief in Christ a Saviour breeds Principles of Trust of Love of Desire with the like Ninth Royalty 9 Faith is an heart-pacifying Grace 9 Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-pacifying-Grace Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staied on thee because hee trusteth in thee A place alledged by One who lying on his death-bed and injoying abundance of peace and calmness of spirit being demanded how it came to pass hee was not now assaulted with Satan replyed Hee knew no ground no cause save this God had promised To keep that soul in perfect Peace whose mind was staied on him who trusteth on him Hee relyed on Christ and therefore injoyed rest Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength That is by Faith lay hold on my Covenant my Christ and I will bee at peace with him Hence the Apostle Rom. 5.1
consulting with Faith and following the guidance thereof she was resolved to do the duty though see perished in the doing thereof And it was her safety The like in Abraham You see what an Exigent hee was put unto Hee was to part with his Son his only Son the Son of his Love the Son of his old age a Son of so many Prayers and so many Promises No doubt if hee had consulted with flesh and bloud and carnal reason they would have bid him to spare his Son but following the guidance of Faith hee was willing to sacrifice his Son Heb. 11.17 By Faith Abraham when hee was tryed offered up his Son Isaac of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed bee called Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead c. So it was Faith whic guided Moses to leave the pomp and glory of Pharaohs Court and to chuse rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to injoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11.24 If hee had followed the guidance of Reason or sense hee had miscarryed That would have told him that hee was to regard himself and his present happiness and not throw himself out of all But then hee had been mis-led But following the guidance of Faith hee forsakes all This Guidance of Faith they wanted Joh. 12.42 Who durst not confesse Christi for fear of being thrown out of the Synagogue If they had had Faith it would have guided them to Jesus Christ bee the Issue what it will The like of the Young-man Hee went far but when it was put to him to leave all to follow Christ to sell all it is said Hee went away sorrowful Hee consulted with Sense and Reason hee wanted the Guidance of Faith which would have directed him to part with all to cast away all rather than to leave Christ The like of Balaam Either hee must forsake the wages of Unrighteousness or curse the People but hee had more desire of mans reward than hee had Faith to expect God and so hee miscarryed And my Brethren such like straits wee may meet withall in our way to Heaven And if wee follow not the Guidance of Faith wee are sure to bee mis-led It hath been the ordinary choice that the Saints have been put to Either forsake thy God or forsake thy Goods Either leave Christ or leave thy Comforts Either renounce Christ or lose thy Friends thy Father thy Mother nay thy liberty thy life To these exigencies and straits Gods people have been driven And had they not had Faith they had surely been mis-led but having Faith it guided them to suffer losse of friends loss of goods loss of liberty loss of life it self for Christ as you see up and down in Abraham in Moses in Jeremy in Paul and the rest of the Apostles who accounted not their lives dear to them for Christ And it was the usual speech of the Primitive Martyrs when they were perswaded to leave Christ rather than to suffer Parce precot Imperator tu Carcerem ille Gehennam Spare good Emperour thou canst but cast into prison God into Hell The like of Cyprian of Policarp The like of Frederick the Elector of Saxony who was prisoner to Charles the fifth and was promised inlargement and restitution to his former dignity If hee would come to Mass It was Faith guided him to return this answer In earthly things I am ready to yeeld to Caesar In heavenly only to Christ And Christ is more welcome to mee in Bonds than Caesars Court without Christ Thus I might run down in particular examples in all ages and shew you how Faith hath guided men in these straits which had they followed the direction of Reason and Sense they had been lost for ever It is Faith which guides the heart in these difficult cases It is an Heart-guiding-Grace And this is the way Faith doth reject the wisdome of the flesh and goes by Gods light It shuts our eyes and walks by Gods light It follows God as the blinde man follows his Guide all his dayes Hee who makes Gods Word all his Reason shall have God a Counsellor Faith will not own the wisdome of the flesh the carnal minde is enmity to God It will not bee subject It is full of contumacy and stoutness against God and his wayes Faith will neither own the Flesh as a King nor as a Counsellor As it will not obey the commands of the flesh so it will not follow the counsels of the flesh Peter would not consult with flesh and blood but was obedient to the heavenly vision where is implied if hee had hearkened to flesh and bloud hee had been disobedient to the heavenly vision But Faith makes God its guide Psal 48.14 This God is our God for ever hee shall bee our guide unto death Faith seeks direction from God who is the Counsellor the God of all wisdome And the Soul that leans upon God for wisdome shall not want it He who trusts in the God of wisdome shall not want direction I say hee who shuts his own eyes and sincerely falls down at the feet of God for counsel shall have direction from him If indeed wee seek as Balaam with a double heart or as the Children of Israel did Jer. 42. who asked counsel but were resolved of their way wee then may miscarry But hee who seeks with an humble and upright heart that asks the way to Sion with his face thitherward resolved to go as God directs Such will God direct in his way such hee will guide in all the wayes of Judgement As the Moon by darting her beams and influence into the Sea doth move that great body backward and forward which they say is the cause of the ebbings and flowings of the Sea so God doth in difficult cases dart such a beam of light into the Soul such strong influences into the Spirit as doth carry the soul the way it should go A man may follow his own wisdome and miscarry but hee that shuts his eyes and follows God is sure not to bee mis-led Hee who rejects the counsel of the flesh and is resolved to walk by the direction of the Spirit though never so unlikely to flesh and bloud is sure to go right You see an example of this in Balaam in Saul sparing of Agag and the best of the flock in sacrificing before Samuel came to him But I 'le name but one Jer. 41.10 to the end of the Chapter Johanan who was the Captain of the Residue of the Jews left in Jerusalem desired Jeremy though with a double and deceitful heart to enquire of the Lord whether hee should go down to Egypt or abide at Jerusalem And bound himself with a vow that Whatever the Lord said hee would do it Jeremy comes and tells him hee must abide at Jerusalem and God would preserve him
bee content to climb to Heaven by a thread of our own spinning God is willing to give and wee would deserve hee would have all of Grace and wee would have all of debt Wee would fain bring our penny to the Promise yea when wee are nothing wee would bring our own nothingness So hard it is to make a soul empty and when that is done to bring that empty soul over to the Promise 3. A third ground from our selves which makes men humbled so slow to beleeve It may bee too much tenderness they are affraid of abusing Gods Justice in their closes with his Mercie Oh say they I am affraid of presuming of Mercy It was their fault before to presume the fear of it their fault now I say to presume of Mercy was their fault before and the fear of presuming is their fault now One would think this to carry a fair forehead they dare not beleeve say they and why so because they are affraid to presume is not this a good pretence But ah here is the Prince of darkness like the Angel of light let us examine it thou sayest thou darest not beleeve because thou art affraid to presume And why dost thou fear to presume It is presumption to beleeve Mercy and yet continue in a way of sin and it is presumption to expect Mercy in a way of unbelief but it is no presumption to beleeve Why dost thou fear thou shalt presume thou canst not say thou takes that which doth not belong to thee for it belongs to whoever can take it But it may bee thou sayest thou art not fitted for Mercy thou art then fit for Mercy when thou art made willing to close with Mercy in the tearms of Mercy that is to take Mercy as to render up thy self to duty as to give up thy self to obey But thou sayest thou shalt presume for thou art not worthy of Mercy And wouldest thou bee worthy of Mercy dost thou know what thou sayest wouldest thou deserve Mercy where then were Grace This overthrows the Covenant of Grace it cannot bee a Covenant of Grace if there should bee any thing of thy bringing which is not of Gods bestowing May wee not say to thee truly what Eliab Davids Brother falsely said to him when hee told him hee came out for Gods Glory Hee tells him no it was the pride of his heart 1 Sam. 17.28 So thou pretends Gods Glory thou sayest because thou wouldest not wrong Gods Justice and make Gods Mercy a sinfull mercy therefore thou doest not beleeve but take heed it bee not the pride of thy heart If the time would permit I would put something to thee 1. By way of Question 2. By way of Supposal 1. That which I should have put to thee by way of question should have been 1. Couldst thou not have beleeved God would bee mercifull unto thee if thou wert not so sinfull 2. If thou wert more humble if thou hadst more Grace couldst thou not bee content to pennance thy self for a time for thy former sin were not this good and what were this but to make thy humiliation a step to Mercy to a pardon 2. That which I would put by way of supposal Suppose thou hadst been a Traytor and thy Prince should offer thee a pardon for all thy treason upon condition of acceptance and rendring up thy self to him for service And thou shouldest refuse a pardon because thou art a Rebel or Traitor or because thou doubt'st of the truth and reality of thy Princes tender or else because thou thinkest thou art not able to do him service for future therefore wilt not accept of a pardon for present what should wee think of this Or suppose a Creditor should tell thee if thou wouldest but bring thy books come to him and reckon with him and acknowledge thy debt hee would pardon thy debt And the debtor should now refuse to come 1. Either because hee is not able to pay 2. Or because hee thinks hee shall bee able to discharge all himself in time 3. Or else because hee doubts of the truth of his intention in stead of bringing him to reckon that hee might pardon him hee intends to arrest him and cast him into prison Is not here a great deal of pride and unbeleef and wronging of love And how shall wee interpret this standing off is not the case alike God tenders mercy to thee as a Prince a pardon and thou refusest why either thou beleevest not the truth of this that God offers pardon upon beleeving or else thou thinks to deserve thine own pardon So God offers thee an acquittance if thou wilt bring thy book and come and reckon with him confess sin acknowledge Mercy but thou commest not and what is the reason either thou beleevest not the truth of this this is too good news to bee true thou thinkest it is but to take advantage against thee You think when you go to God in confession you go as a debtor into the hands of a hard Creditor who doth but wait to arrest him You cannot beleeve the truth of this offer or else you think you shall bee able to pay your own debt in time 4. Another ground from our selves why wee are so slow to beleeve is that wee doubt of Gods will wee doubt whether God will have mercy on us yea or no. It is with us as with a Prince or Creditor as before were wee but well setled in the Major of the Gospel in these truths 1. That God sent his Son for this end into the World to save poor sinners 2. That Christ was able to save to the utmost 3. And that Christ was as willing as hee is powerfull wee should not bee so slow of heart to beleeve My Brethren what can God do more to perswade you of his willingness nay more what could Christ do more than is done Will you go by his revealed will and that you shall bee judged by at the last day why there you see nothing but willingness of God and Christ to accept of them who come If you should go by the revealed will of man you may bee deceived they may speak one thing and intend another But if you go by the revealed will of God you cannot miscarry because Gods heart is really the same that his word is hee speaks not a syllable more than hee will make good Men speak often more than their hearts or they may speak contrary to their hearts but God doth not hee really intends what hee speaks And his revealed will tells thee that hee would have thee saved by comming c. that if thou wilt beleeve thou shalt bee saved That if thou confess c. therefore no cause to doubt of Gods will 5. A fifth ground of our slowness to beleeve It may bee you finde some rest to your souls on this side Christ It may bee you have been troubled for sin have been in anguish of conscience and you have prayed you have mourned
is that the Lord said c. And Aaron held his peace Why what was his tryal why it was the loss of his Sons the loss of his Eldest Sons when they were young and without posterity in the first day of their Ministration in the sight of all the Congregation and by so fearful a Judgement as fire from the Lord and in the act of their sin offering strange fire Nay and which some think was joyned with Drunkenness too whereupon immediatly follows the prohibition of Wine So that the Congregation might suspect they went but from fire to fire from a destruction by fire to a preservation in fire from a temporal to an eternal burning Yet now in all this mark the Power of Faith Moses having declared the Author God the cause their sin It 's said Aaron was dumb and held his peace Auditâ voluntate Dei silet having heard the Will of God hee was mute and silent his Tongue was chained up hereby confessing saith Calvin Justo Dei Judicio extinctos esse That they were slain by the Just Judgement of God The like you see in Eli when Samuel had declared what God had said to him concerning the destruction of his house why saith he It is the Lord let him do what pleaseth him 1 Sam. 3.18 And remarkable was that in Job You may read in the first Chapter how one wave came upon the neck of another 1. The Sabeans fell upon his Oxen and his Asses and slew his Servants 2. Another comes and tells him Fire from Heaven had burnt up his Sheep 3. A third tells him The Caldeans had taken away his Camels 4. A fourth hee comes and tells him His Sons and his Daughters were eating and drinking and a wind blew down the house on their heads and buried them all in one grave His whole stock was lost in one day Nay Hee lost not his stock of Cattel only but of his Children also My Brethren these were great trials enough to put a man out of patience enough to make the most composed man besides himself To lose his goods his Cattel his Substance and all in a day Nay to lose his Sons and his Daughters which were his whole Posterity the stay and hope of his Family yea and all at once at one clap and that so suddenly yea and in the midst of their merriments These were great Tryals where Yesterday it might have been said who so rich as Job now to day who so poor as Job Yet mark here now the Power of Faith how it silenced the Soul In stead of murmuring hee fell down and worshiped and said The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away Blessed bee the Name of the Lord. Thus you see the Power of Faith And my Brethren you had need of Faith As the Apostle said of Patience So I of Faith You have need of Faith As you walk in the way of this life you shall meet with such things as will move you as will put you besides your selves If Faith do not settle and compose you you cannot bee undique sursùm like a Dye light upon your square if Faith bee not your bottom You may have crosses and losses before you die You may lose your Husbands your Wives your Children your Goods Jobs lot may befall you And every one of these may cause a man to rise up against himself may cause an uproar in the Soul Wee are not Stoicks wee are not without Passions nor sinfull-Passions mutinous-Affections And therefore wee had need of something in the Soul to sway and keep down these unruly distempers And this is only Faith which can stil and calm the soul in all storms and tempests A man without Faith in such a case as this is like a naked man in a storm like an unarmed man in a battel like a Ship unballanced and unanchored in a Tempest A man without Faith is under no command Passions of Anger Fear Grief and all command him And Passion without Faith is violent breaks down all banks drowns overwhelms and destroies the Soul And therefore you had need of something to ballance the Soul to charge the Soul to calm and still the Soul in such a condition Now you see Faith is an Heart-calming an Heart-quieting and stilling-Grace which it doth after this manner 1. Imperiously 2. Perswasively 1. Sometimes Imperiously and that either 1. Commanding or 2. Checking the Soul 1 Imperiously commanding the Soul Laying charge on the Soul to bee quiet to bee still My Soul bee silent to Jehovah said David As Christ did the Waters and the Wind. Peace and bee still and there was a great calm So here when the Waves are up and threaten to overflow the banks to overwhelm the soul Faith laies her command upon the soul Peace and bee still No more words Leave your murmurings Leave your impatiency Thus sometimes Faith calms the soul 2. Imperiously checking the the soul You do not well to bee angry You do not well to grieve You do not well to bee discontented to bee impatient You offend God cause him to scourge you more to lay more load upon you seeing you bear this so impatiently As the Town-Clerk of Ephesus stilled that uproar with these words Act. 19.40 Wee shall verily bee called in question for this dayes uproar seeing there is no cause can bee given-of this concourse So Faith doth sometimes lay the tumults in the soul You shall verily bee called in question one day for this Passion this Discontent this Murmuring this Uproar seeing no cause can bee given that you should quarrel with God as you do 2. Faith doth sometimes calm the Soul in a Mild and perswasive-way wherein it reasons with the Soul Why art thou so much cast down oh my Soul Why art thou so troubled so disquieted within mee In which reasoning Faith will take an Argument of Patience 1. From the Author of Afflictions That is God Afflictions troubles arise not out of the dust but from God which was the ground of Davids patience I was dumb c. Because it was thy doing So of Jobs The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away So in case of Shimei his cursing David David did not bite at the stone and never minde the thrower but hee looks up discovers the hand as well as the stone Let him alone It may bee God hath bid him go forth and curse David 2. Sometimes from the ground of Gods dealings and that is sin Faith produceth sin to bee the cause For this cause and this stops the mouth Psal 51. That thou mayest bee just when thou judgest This laies a Soul in the dust makes a man accept of the punishment of his iniquity As you have the phrase Levit. 26.41 That is lye down justifie God clear God in all his dealings bee so far from murmuring that the Soul will take Gods part in all clearing God and condemning it self Thus you see the Church Wherefore doth a living man complain A man for the
as well as in broad waies in rugged waies as well as in plain smooth waies In difficult as well as in easie waies You see this in Abraham concerning the sacrificing of his son In which act hee might seem to disobey in his Obedience And the dutiful yeelding to it might seem to contradict duty There seemed not only Nature and reason to cry down this act of Obedience but even the word too The yeelding of Obedience did seem to justle against the Precept of Obedience Yet you see hee obeyed God It is said By Faith Abraham obeyed God By Faith indeed It was a strong Faith That strong Faith that beleeved hee should have a Son did now obey God in offering of his Son Strong Obedience proceeded from his strong Faith Strong Faith produceth strong Obedience 1. Strong for Active 2. Strong for Passive Obedience The same Faith doth supply the soul with Active strength for doing duties and with Passive strength for suffering duties 1. A strong Faith is strong to bear Reproaches for Christ As Moses Hee esteemed the Reproach of Christ greater riches than the Treasures of Egypt Heb. 11.26 And Paul Therefore wee labour and suffer Reproach because wee trust in the living God 1 Tim. 4.10 2. A strong Faith is strong to bear losses for Christ As they Heb. 10.34 Who took joyfully the spoiling of their goods as if the enemy had done them a great courtesie A strong Faith is strong to bear Persecutions Scourges Death it self for Christ You see what the Apostles indured what Stephen indured Why saith the Text Hee was a man full of Faith Act. 5.8 Strong Faith did inable them to suffer and bear and to go through difficulties prisons persecutions scourgings c. for Christ A strong Beleever doth rejoyce if hee can hold up God as it were though himself bee down if hee can raise up Gods Glory though it bee by the ruine of himself save his honour by losse of himself What Epaminondas said who having resolved concerning his Buckler either to defend it or to dye for it being wounded to death brake forth into these words Num salvus est Clypeus meus Is my Buckler safe If that bee safe I am well So the Beleever in the midst of all his sufferings if hee can keep his Buckler safe hold up God and his Glory All is well 3. A strong Faith will beleeve nothing contrary to his belief All the temptations of Satan all the arguments of men shall never bee able to reason him out of his Faith A weak Faith is quickly brought to deny his conclusion to yeeld up the cause Satan may make a man unsay what formerly hee hath said But a strong Faith will hold the conclusion against all Satans sophistry His Faith hath been gotten up by many invincible experiences from Gods behaviour to him as a Father from the souls behaviour to him as a Child And all that Satan can do shall not out-reason his Faith What a man saith by feeling a temptation may make him unsay but what a man saith by Faith nothing can make him unsay If Satan do assault such a man and tell him God doth not love him God is not his Father yet will the soul binde it self to this Mast and hold his conclusion against all with the Church Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father thou Lord art our Father our Redeemer Say Satan takes up arguments from Gods 1. Inward Or 2. Outward dealings with us 1. From his Inward dealings May bee a man is in some present Desertion and wants the clear Evidences which formerly hee had and Satan from thence doth argue That God is not our God hee is not our Father yet will not a strong Faith bee reasoned out of his Faith The soul will yet conclude it though it cannot clear it and beleeve it when it cannot see it The strong Christian lives by Faith not by feeling and knows God may bee His God though by sense it bee not discerned but that God is not his God You see this in Psal 22.1 My God! My God! There 's Faith Why hast thou forsaken mee There 's sense Faith held the conclusion against sense That God was his God though sense could not apprehend but that hee was forsaken of God And therefore when the eye of Sense and Evidence is put out yet hee hath the eyes of Faith to see and beleeve And Blessed is the man saith our Saviour to Thomas who beleeves and sees not Joh. 20.29 A strong Faith will trust God further than hee sees him Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Faith will trust upon the Promise of Mercy in the want of Sense of Mercy Our Faith is not begotten by sense and feelings but by the Promise and therefore in the want of sense and feelings the soul may beleeve Isa 50.10 Though a man walk in darkness and sees no light yet may hee trust in the Lord and lean upon his God A weak Faith if it want feeling it is gone but the strong Faith will Hope against Hope Beleeve against Sense Reason and present Evidence and can say God is mine though it want the present Sense and Evidence of it It will trust in God a Father when his dealings seem to argue him an Enemy Faith will read Love in his angry looks and look through the mist of Desertion and see the affections of a Father under the expressions of an Enemy Thus did Job by Faith Though thou kill mee yet will I trust in thee Full well it knows Though God hide his face yet hee cannot deny himself 2. Say hee takes an argument from Gods outward dealings in chastising and afflicting of us and say If God loved thee hee would not so afflict thee If God were thy Father hee would not so chastise thee However the weak Faith may bee born down with such a temptation as this yet the strong Faith is not moved with such a temptation it is able to retort on Satan because God loves mee therefore hee scourgeth mee that I might not bee condemned with the World That I might not love the World therefore hee suffers the World to frown on mee That I might bee crucified to the World therefore hee suffers mee to bee crucified in the World Because I am a Child therefore hee afflicts mee Hee scourgeth every Son whom hee receiveth Rom. 12.6 7 8.9 c. God takes liberty to chastise our bodies to save our souls And God loves tenderly when hee corrects severely Job 5.17 Pro. 3.11 Thus doth a strong Faith hold up the conclusion of Faith against all the Reasonings of Satan against it Let him produce never so many Evidences to the contrary yet will hee not bee born down in it It 's a maxime of Faith hee will hold to against all opposition whatsoever You see it was thus in Job When God had taken away his goods when his hand was upon his body and upon his spirit too not only withdrawing himself from
as well as sound Gospellers in the Church of God 7. Nay A man may not only do but suffer too and yet bee unsound Hee may suffer in his Goods Hee may suffer in his Good-name Hee may bee nicknamed as others are hee may suffer in his Body An evil heart may suffer in a good cause Every one that beareth Christs Cross upon his shoulders doth not consequently bear him in his heart Wolves may suffer in Sheeps-cloathing Sufferings may overtake them that have nothing but the cloak of profession As Jehoshaphat was taken for Ahab So may an Ahab bee taken for a Jehoshaphat Times may come that it may cost a man as dearly for wearing the Livery of Christ as for wearing Christ himself for unsound profession of Christ as for the sincere To summe up all Though an unsound spirit bee not able to do any thing which is essential to a Christian as a Christian Though hee cannot do any of those works which are good propter fieri in regard of the act the goodness whereof doth adhere intrinsecally and cleave to the thing done as to Love God fear God trust in God Yet all these works the goodness whereof doth more consist in the Manner than in the Matter or thing done viz. to pray read hear c. In all these they may abound And this seems to bee implied in the Apostles phrase 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godliness yet denying the power From such turn away Where by the form of godliness which the Apostle grants they may have there are two things which are implied 1. That no unsound spirit hath any thing in it which is essential to a Christian as a Christian or which makes a Christian a Christian. As a Form and Picture hath nothing in it which is de Essentiâ Hominis nothing which is essential to a man There is no Reason no Understanding no Life in it So an Hypocrite hee hath nothing that is Essential to a Christian as a Christian Hee hath nothing which doth constitute and make a Christian a Christian As wee say of God Hee hath his communicable and incommunicable Attributes something which is in himself only as his Infinitness his Omnipresence c. and something whereof there is a Resemblance some footsteps in the Creatures so the Saints they have something which is communicable something whereof there is some resemblance in others and which others do as well as they though not in the same Manner And there is something incommunicable to any but to Saints such things as are proper and Peculiar to the Saints only And they are such things as are Essential to a Christian as a Christian And that is the first thing implied in the word Form 2. A second thing which is implied in it is That a false Professor may have a compleat Resemblance of a Christian in all those things which are not essential to a Christian as a Christian Hee may have a form of godliness that is all the outward lineaments of godliness Hee may bee a compleat Picture of a Christian from top to toe in every member every limb every duty for the outwards of it This is implied in the word Form As a Picture if it were not perfect in every limb if there wanted any member as an Hand an Eye nay but a Finger it could not bee said to bee a compleat Picture so is it here If there bee a want in any thing even in the least duty for the outward part of Religion if hee do not all for the Externals which a Christian doth hee cannot bee said to bee a compleat Form a compleat Picture of a godly man And therefore these two things are implied in the word Form 1. That no Hypocrite hath any thing in him essential to a Christian no more than a Picture that which is essential to a man 2. That there is a compleat Resemblance of a Christian in all the outward lineaments of Godliness Hee may bee able to do all the outwards every duty for the externals which lies within the latitude and compass of a Christians walking with God Thus the first thing is cleared to you Now wee come to the second thing propounded 2. How it may stand with 1. Gods ends 2. Satans ends 3. A mans own ends to abound in duty and yet not bee sincere 1. It may stand with Gods ends both 1. Towards the Good and they are merciful ends 2. Towards the Bad and they are partly merciful and partly judicial 1. It may stand with Gods ends towards the good and those are merciful ends That God may serve his own Glory by them for the bringing in and building up of the godly God makes use of the parts and abilities of some whose persons hee will not own for the advancement of the work of grace in the hearts of his people The Raven was an unclean Creature under the Law yet God made use of the Raven to bring flesh and food to Elijah Though the Raven was not good meat yet it was good meat which the Raven brought So God doth oftentimes make use of such who are in themselves unclean for the feeding and nourishing of his people The food may bee good though the person that brings it may bee naught This is that Christ told the people Matth. 23.2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees they sit in Moses chair and therefore whatever they bid you observe that observe and do but do yee not after their works for they say but do not As if Christ had said They are set up and furnished with abilities to do you good though they are naught themselves Therefore let their Doctrin build you up for it is of God and let not their practice throw you down for that is of the Devil and themselves The Pearl in the Toads head may bee useful and good though the Body bee poison And the abilities of such men may bee serviceable to you though their persons bee unclean Thus may it stand with Gods ends toward the good that corrupt hearts should abound in all the wayes of duty And this is one end for the advancement of the work of Grace in the hearts of his people Though this bee not their aim though it bee not their end yet it is Gods end They have theirs and God hath his end As it is said of the King of Assyria Isa 10.5 6 7. God used him for a rod and scourge to punish his people God had his end and hee had his It was Gods end that hee should spoil and punish them for their sin but his to inrich himself by the spoil as the Text tells us Howbeit Though I send him to punish them for their sins saith God yet hee the King of Assyria meaneth not so nor doth his heart think so it is in his heart to cut off and destroy Nations not a few Though hee served his own ends yet Gods end went forward also The like of Jehu hee served his own ends in the