good that riches honours pleasures are much to be desired and that the fulfilling of their owne lusts is very pleasant and therefore they bow downe the shoulders to beare the commands and injunctions of the creature and all the impositions of the flesh and become servants unto tribute To these they pay the tribute of distracting thoughts of tormenting cares of carnall confidence of inordinate love and of hard service and base servitude worshipping and serving as the Apostle saith the creature more then the Creator And for this cause Saint Paul stileth covetous self-seekers Idolaters because their self-seeking doth alienate them from God and drawes that love and confidence joy and delight which they should place in God to the creature and that service which they should imploy for God and that subjection which they should yeeld to God they bestow about and yeeld unto the creature and their owne lusts And as they are Idolaters for their prostration of themselves to the creature and their owne corrupt affections so they are Idols For the exalting of themselues above God minding intending and seeking themselves and not God they adore and serve themselves and not the Lord his s servants yee are saith Saint Paul to whom ye obey Self-seekers obey not God but themselves they conforme not themselves to the rules of Gods word but to the dictates of their owne hearts they propose not the glory of God but their owne ends and therefore they serve and adore themselves and not God Self-seeking excludes the soule of man from all communion with the true God and carries it to the world as to a false God and so proves a double abomination in the sight of God 10. Self-seeking is ever attended with self-loosing He that seekes himself and not Christ loseth both himself and Christ He that seeks himselfe takes a false rule to direct him erreth in his seeking and therefore loseth in stead of finding He builds his worke upon a false foundation and therefore sinks in stead of standing like the house built upon the sand in the Parable He puts himselfe out of Gods service and therefore misseth his great Lord and Masters wages He levels all his arrowes to a false marke and therefore like an Archer that shoots below the marke he shoots in vaine He leaves out God God is not in his thoughts he takes not God with him he takes not Gods counsell to guide him Gods power to assist him Gods blessing to make his undertaking prosperous and successefull and therefore in stead of a blessing the curse attends and waits upon him He intends not God but himselfe and therefore God leaves him to himselfe to prove the Author and workman of his owne ruine Present self-seekers and self-gainers prove in the event the greatest self-losers The last end and issue never answers the expectation of self-seekers their labour like the labour of the Ostritch is in vaine The Ostritch leaveth her egges in the dust the foot crusheth them and the wilde beast breaketh them Self-seekers lay all their labours in the dust all their care desire all their industry and endeavour is about the things which are here below they lay all their egges in the dust and all their labours at last are crusht and brought to naught Rahel had hard labour but the birth of her belly proved the death of her body Self-seekers have hard labour they labour like a woman in travell but their birth proves their death their gaine turnes to their losse their pleasure to their torment their honour to their shame Against such the Lord denounceth woe in stead of joy shame in stead of glory and desolation in stead of exaltation Woe saith the Lord to him that coveteth an evill covetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evill Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soule For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Woe to him that buildeth a Towne with bloud and stablisheth a City by iniquity Behold is it not of the Lord of Hoasts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity Very great and shamefull are the losses which wait on self-seekers their riches proves their poverty their refuge becomes their ruine and their exaltation their shamefull downfall Very great is that mans unhappinesse who in the prophane neglect of God and Christ Jesus labours to fill and furnish himselfe with earthly abilities Self-seekers build on false promises and feed themselves with deceitfull expectations The Lord turnes their imaginary calme into a tempestuous storme their devised paradise into a troublesome wildernesse and their intended crowne into reall shame The last event of their undertaking doth ever crosse their first intention that which is unlawfully sought and gotten proveth the instrument of mans great discomfort and trouble He that labours for himselfe and not for God and Christ Jesus is vaine in his labours like him that builds on the sand his house sinketh as fast as he erects it Like him that weaves a piece of cloth in or over the fire the fire burnes it as fast as he weaves it Losse vexation shame and ruine is the recompence and portion of self-seeking The estate of him that hath nothing is farre more pleasant blessed and comfortable then of him that hath a great abundance by self-seeking Of such the Lord saith by the Prophet declaring the vanity perill and perniciousnesse of their labours they have sowne the wind they have laboured in vaine as he that casteth forth an empty hand strives to sow but sowes not and they shall reape the whirlewinde their harvest the fruit of their labours shall be more troublesome then their first undertakings they that will be rich saith the Apostle they whose bent and inclination is to themselves and to the world who chiefly mind themselves and things earthly fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Most wretched and uncomfortable is the gaine of self-seeking Satan hath great advantage against them they expose themselves to many temptations they lay themselves open to his arrowes to wound them the world like a snare intangles them their lusts grow strong within them and get Lordship over them and they make shipwracke of soule and body splitting the ship of their soules upon the rocke of worldly riches and what they supposed should have been a staffe to sustaine them becomes a burthen oppressing them and what they thought would have been a spring refreshing them becomes a Sea swallowing and utterly consuming them There is no other cause of self-seeking but inbondagement to Satan inthralment to the world servitude to corruption separation from God self-condemnation from mans owne conscience
of the cause contempt of God the cause of sin being found in every sin and in regard of Originall all other vices springing either mediately or immediately from this the more a man exalts himselfe the more he dishonours God the more a man doth lift himself up in his own conceit and opinion the more he doth cast plung himself into the gulf and mire of spirituall pollution fulnes of pride and fulnesse of uncleannesse are inseparable companions 2. Self-exaltation is the patron and protector of all other vices this blinds men that they cannot see their sinnes this hardens men that they will not confesse their sinnes this makes men such admirers of themselves and their owne wayes that they apprehend their very vices to be virtues this makes men studious and artificiall to cloake and colour and hide their sins this makes instruction and admonition the meanes of suppressing sin contemptible and causeth man with impudency and shamelesse boldnesse to maintaine and plead for his profanenesse the soule which learnes not to be humble cannot cease from transgression pride among other vices is like Goliah among the Philistines the Philistines were invincible untill Goliah was overthrowne other lusts in the soule of man are impugnable untill pride and self-exaltation is cast downe mans labour in the worke of mortification is vain and fruitles untill his pride is mortified the spirituall conquest is never gotten as long as pride beares the dominion He that overcomes not this overcomes no lust Selfe-exaltation in the soule of man is like a Castle or Fort and other vices like houses built under the Castle which cannot easily be assaulted and beaten downe because the Fort defends them the overthrow of other vices is impossible untill the Castle of pride is beaten downe in the heart of man the Pharisees being given to self-exaltation to the seeking and lifting up of themselves were under the power of every base lust erronious superstitious covetous malicious their very piety was nothing but hypocrisie he that doth not cease from himself will cease from no sinne if he be but once put upon the temptation therefore be not wise saith Solomon in thine owne eyes feare the Lord and depart from evill implying that where there is not a cessation from self-wisdome and self-exaltation there is no feare of God no keeping of Gods precepts no disposition no care to please God no cessation from sin for conscience sake therfore take away this vice saith Chrysostome that men would not appeare to men this vice of self-exaltation and all vices are cut off without labour Vpon the death of the first-borne of Pharaoh the children of Israel were delivered upon the mortification of pride the first-borne of the spirituall Pharaoh the soules of men obtain a gracious freedome Goliahs head being cut off all the Philistines fled the death of pride is the slight of all sinne he that exalts himselfe remaines both a stranger to the life power and comfort of all godlinesse and a nurse and patron to all unclean and base affections 3. Self-exaltation is the most invincible of all vices the roots thereof are so deepe and strong and so largely spread in the heart of man it puts the soule at such a great distance from God makes man so uncapable of Christ and heavenly wisdome so weds man unto himselfe and causeth man so to please and delight himselfe in himselfe so to prize the applause of man and to slight the approbation of God that there is no disease in the soul of man so uneasily cured no weed in the garden of mans heart so uneasily plucked up no enemy in the common-weale of mans soul so difficultly overcome as self-exaltation it is the hardest taske that ever man undertooke truly to deny himselfe and fully to prostrate and put himselfe under God and Christs yoake Pharaoh did many things in the way of love and honour to Joseph he put his ring upon his hand and arrayed him in vestures of fine linnen and set him over his house but yet he reserved this unto himselfe to be greater in the throne then Joseph man may doe much in the way of outward zeale for God he may exalt God very farre above his profit above his pleasure above his peace yea above his life and yet still reserve to himselfe a preheminence above God he may cloath the naked feed the hungry and give his body to be burned in the cause of God and yet doe all this for himselfe more then for his God for his owne applause more then for the praise of God for the having of a name with men more then for the glorifying of the name of God Of all conquests selfe-conquest is the most difficult most excellent most noble and glorious he that can rule his spirit saith Solomon his proud his self-seeking and self-exalting spirit is better then he that taketh a City Man hath no greater enemy then himself he never doth more excellently then when he overcomes himselfe the overcoming of a Kingdome is nothing in comparison of mans conquest of his owne corruption pride is the first evill in mans departure from God and the last evill which is overcome in man returning unto God Shamma stood it out and defended the field when the people fled Self-exaltation stands it out like a mighty champion in the heart of man when all other lusts seeme to fly when other lusts goe out like fire that wants fewell yet this lust of self-exaltation as long as any thing of the old-man remaines in man will put it self forth and strive to soare aloft and climbe up in the thron of God Man hath most cause to watch pray against self-exaltation of all the evils which are within him 4. Self-exaltation corrupteth and destroyeth all the gifts and graces bestowed on man the evill herbe in the Prophets pot made the pot a pot of death ambition and self-exaltation in the soule of man marres all the excellencies of man turns all his gifts into a pot of death poysons all the endowments of man the more he hath received the lesse mindfull he is of God the higher thoughts he conceiveth of himselfe the more able and active he sheweth himself in evill and the more he sleights and scornes all instruction That man of all others is the fittest instrument to doe the worke of the prince of darknesse in whom abilities and a proud spirit are concurrent this like leaven sowrs the whole lump of mans vertues the tree sweetned the waters of Marah which were bitter but this like gall and wormwood sowres and imbitters those gifts and abilities which in themselves are very sweet and of singular use making vertue and the duties of piety subject and serviceable to mans vain-glory it is Gregories observation that as humility cuts the sinews of all vices and strengthens all vertues so pride destroyes all vertues and strengthens all vices pride is a very pernicious and venimous
an Idoll an imaginary God to the losse of the true God The want of all things is as nothing in comparison of the want of Christ man that hath Christ hath great matter of rejoycing in the want of every other thing man that wants Christ hath great cause of humiliation in the presence of all worldly fullnesse And every man in his naturall estate is as empty of Christ as the foolish Virgins lampes were of Oyle or the tree which Christ cursed was of fruit even wholly and altogether without Christ Without the life of Christ Christ liveth not in them any more then the root doth live in a dead and withered branch Without the knowledge of Christ the mystery of Christ is a sealed Booke which they cannot open or a booke written in a strange language which they cannot reade the treasures of wisdome hidden in Christ are hidden from their understanding as the light of the Sunne is hidden from the eyes of the blind without the fruit of Christs death it doth not mortifie their lusts their old man is not crucified with Christ their lusts are not dead with Christ as the Philistines dyed with Sampson Without the benefit of Christs resurrection they are not planted into the likenesse of Christs resurrection they rise not from sinne and from the world as Christ rose from the grave Sampson rose at midnight and carried away the gates of Gaza but the Gazites were quiet all night they rose not Christ is risen and hath made an open way for us to passe from death to life but carnall men continue their sleepe and slumber in sin they rise not to newnesse of life and conversation they are without the fruit and benefit of Christs offices Christ is not to them a Prophet revealing Gods will and enlightning their understandings a Priest expiating their sinnes and reconciling them to God a King subduing Satan and their corruptions and reigning graciously within them and making them truly subject and obedient unto God They are without the apprehension of Christs beauties and taste of Christs sweetnesse Christ is to them like the Manna to Israel a light bread they see no beauty nor comlinesse in Christ he is no more to them then another Beloved then gold and silver the covetous mans beloved then honours and high places the ambitious mans beloved then idols and humane rites and ceremonies the superstitious mans beloved they are without the righteousnesse of Christ he doth not justifie them he doth not cloath them with the garments of salvation Without the presence of Christ as an empty house without the dweller Christ dwelleth not in their hearts by faith Without the love of Christ as a Harlot without the love of her husband without the dispensation of Christ he doth not communicate himselfe and his saving gifts unto them any more then the head communicates it selfe to the members which are dead Christ suspends his gracious influence from their soules There is not the least character or cognizance of Christ upon them they are without the power of Christ strengthening them without the holinesse of Christ sanctifying them without the fullnesse of Christ satisfying them and without the goodnesse of Christ sweetning their troubles and turning all for the best unto them and man thus being without Christ is matter and occasion of great abasement and humiliation to the soule of man man that is without Christ hath nothing whereof he may truly glory The want of all things is nothing to the want of Christ If Moses want a guide in the wildernesse Hobah may be instead of eyes to him if Noah have not where to rest his foot upon the Earth the Arke may beare him up in the waters If Hagar have no water in her bottle her eyes may be opened to see a well If there be no corne in the Land of Canaan Aegypt may supply them If the Gibeonites be besieged Joshua may rescue them If Peter be in prison the Angell may free him If the woman of Shunems sonne be dead the Prophet may raise him There is a supply in Christ Jesus for all mans necessities a helpe for all mans distresses a comfort for all mans sorrowes but if man want Christ there is none to quicken and restore him to the first resurrection there is none to free him from the bondage of Satan there is none to guide him in the way to Heaven there is none to replenish him with grace and sanctification there is none to rescue him from the spirituall enemies which doe besiege him In the absence of the Lord Jesus there is no redresse for soul-distresses no helpe against soul-discomforts the having of all things is as nothing if man have not Christ with them what if thou hast the stature and armour of Goliah yet without Christ thou wilt fall in the battell what if thou hast the favour and honour of Haman yet without Christ all this will availe thee nothing and at length shame will be thy portion what if thou hast the riches of him in the Parable yet not having Christ thou wilt eat the bread of sorrowes be in straights in the midst of thy sufficiency and at last the evill spirits will take thy soule from thee What if thou hast the wisdome of Achitophell yet not having Christ thy wisdome will be turned into foolishnesse and thou mayest faile of wisdome in thy head to restraine thy hands from being thine owne executioners What if thou hast all the Ordinances of God to feed thee all the Ministers of God to instruct thee all naturall and morall indowments and common illuminations to adorne thee and all Ecclesiasticall priviledges to honour thee and yet hast not Christ all these like Pharaohs Chariots without wheeles will suffer thee to sinke and perish in the red Sea of Gods vengeance the presence of all worldly abilities is very frivolous in Christs absence and man should never so abase and humble himselfe for the want of any thing as for the want of Christ and his communication of himselfe unto him all that can be said to demonstrate mans being miserable or to move man to humiliation is briefly comprehended in this that he is without Christ 3. Mans alienation from Christ in his naturall and corrupt estate doth discover and lay open the cause why Christ is of no more esteeme with the men of the world no more precious in the eyes of carnall men here is the ground of it they are without Christ they are strangers to Christ and Christ is a stranger unto them For this cause 1. They have no cleare and comfortable knowledge no true and gracious discerning of Christ Christ is hidden from them as light from the blinde He was in the world saith the Evangelist and the world was made by him and the world knew him not He was in the world by his great and mighty workes of Creation and Providence as a maker and a ruler by his universall presence
King Whence observe That All Prophane and carnall persons are aliens to the true Church of Christ and all the spirituall priviledges therof The Lepers under the Law were excluded the camp separated from the society of cleane persons shewing the effect of the Law in sinners which driveth them from the communion of God and his people till by repentance and faith they come unto Christ and also figuring the putting and excluding of all uncleane sinners from the Church of Christ and the priviledges thereof according to the charge of the Apostle put away from among your selves that wicked person Adam eating the forbidden fruit was debarr'd from the Tree of Life and shut out of the Garden of Eden The posterity of Adam feedâ—ng upon the forbidden fruit of sinne making a trade and practise of sinne are excluded from Christ the true Tree of Life and shut out of the Church of Christ the inclosed Garden of which Christ is the Keeper and dresser Hence prophane men living within the pale of the Church are likened to chaffe mingled among the wheate in the floore which though it be among the wheate yet it is not of the wheate To a man at the wedding feast without a wedding garment who though he was among the guests yet he was not of the number of the true and welcome guests and therefore was cast out as having of right no place there and to thornes and bryars which thouâ—h they sometime grow within the Orchard yet are not Trees of the Orchard not planted watered and manured by the Keeper of the Orchard as other Trees are And for this the Church is stiled a Garden inclosed in respect of Gods protection and preservation of her in respect of her separation from them that are prophane and carnall by grace and holy calling and for the Churches care and vigilancy that no enemies invade her that no uncleane thing or vitious persons pollute and defile her And for this cause the Church is tearmed a chaste virgin for her internall and externall purity for her holy chastity for her fidelity and fervent love to her husband Christ for her alienation from the world from all idolatry and false worship and for her separation and distinction from all that pollute and defile themselves with Idols the world or any carnall lusts And the Church is charged to preserve and keep her selfe from all intimate and familiar communion with them that are openly scandalous and uncleane I have written unto you saith Saint Paul not to keep company If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eat not familiarly and friendly to converse He forbids not the exercise of the necessary offices of humanity and charity towards them but the having of intimate communion with them And if any man saith the Apostle to the Thessalonians obey not our Word by this Epistle but be rebellious and obstinate against the holy and wholsome Doctrine delivered note that man and have no company with him Whereby we see that the Lord denyes them that are obstinate and carnall communion with such as are truly holy and spirituall there can be no sweet and seemly fellowship between common harlots and chaste virgins What fellowship saith Paul hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters Carnall men are not spirituall brethren to them that are Gods children they are not begotten of the same heavenly parent they are not united to the same spirituall head they are not endowed with the same gracious qualities and therefore are aliens to Gods sonnes and daughters And without saith Christ are doggs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye these are without without the number of Gods holy and sanctified Church and people without the Prerogatives granted to Gods gracious children without the company of the Citizens of the new Jerusalem here and without glory and happinesse hereafter and of such S. John saith expresly however they have a place within the Church yet they are not of the Church They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us CHAP. XII Laying downe the grounds of carnall mans alienation from the true church of Christ THe alienation of profane men from the true Church of Christ is manifest 1. By their alienation from the Head of the Church they are strangers to Christ they hold not the Head saith the Apostle from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together encreaseth with the encrease of God they hold not Christ but are strangers to the life of Christ as withered branches are strangers to the life of the root Christ doth not live in them they are strangers to the knowledge of Christ as blind men are strangers to the light of the Sunne the light shineth in the darknesse but the darknesse comprehendeth it not the Gospell is hidden to them they are strangers to the dominion of Christ he doth not reigne spiritually within them though they professe they know Christ yet they be reprobate and disobedient to every good worke they are strangers to the holy and gracious presence of Christ Christ doth not dwell in their hearts by Faith possessing protecting aâ—d beautifying then soules as a dweller his house directing and guiding their goings to the haven of peace as a Pilot his Ship they are strangers to the love of Christ they are not espoused to him as a chast Virgin to the operation of Christ he is not unto them as a Refiners fire and Fullers sope purifying them as gold and silver to offer unto the Lord an offering of Righteousnesse and also to the fullnesse of Christ he is a sealed well of whose waters their soules drinke not though they live within the pale of the Church and come to the ordinaâ—ces of Christ yet as Salomon spake in another case Of the way of a Ship in the Sea of an Eagle in the Ayre and of a Serpent upon a stone so â—â—â—y we say of the way of Christ in his ordinances with the soules of carnall men it leaveth no track behind it worketh no change imprints no character of holinesse they still continue strangers to Christ and having no communion with the Head they are farre from fellowship with the Members 2. By their being dâ—stitute of the Seed of the Church the Church of Christ is begotten of a holy Seed the word of God and vertue of
by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead Wherein you have the Author of this hope God a gracious and loving Father in Christ the moving cause the mercy of God the antecedent regeneration the foundation prop or pillar of it Christ risen from the dead the full accomplisher of mans welfare the inward instrumentall cause or root of hope is a lively and saving faith Faith is the ground of things hoped for the object of this hope is God in Christ all good things flowing from the grace of God in Christ to the soule of man therefore is Christ called the hope of glory and we are bidden to hope for grace by Christ The Seate or Subject of Christian hope is a regenerate and renewed heart therefore termed the hope of the godly Of this hope carnall men are destitute having no hope no hope of salvation the Gentiles before Christ was preached to them having no promise of life no Mediator between God and them had no hope of salvation Carnall men under the Gospell being no children of God by regeneration no members no partakers of Christ by faith having no interest in Gods covenant of life and peace no title to Gods promise of grace by Christ they have no hope Whence you see That Corrupt and carnall man hath no true and assured hope of salvation There is no hope of that mans salvation that continues corrupt and carnall there is no salvation in that estate In Pauls shipping towards Rome when neither Sunne nor Starres for many dayes appeared and no small tempest lay on them all hope that they should be saved was then taken away When neither Sun nor Star neither Christ nor any saving grace appeare in the soule of man and when the conscience of carnall man works like a tempest within him then however he flattered himselfe in the houre of his spirituall slumber and promised salvation to himselfe yet now all hope of being saved is taken away now he sees he is in the state of damnation now he sees as Peter told Simon Magus that he is in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity and that he hath no part nor lot in Christ but is as the Psalmist saith farre from salvation farre from the knowledge faith hope and sence of salvation they looke not to the holy One of Israel they looke not unto God as to their King to command them as to their Counsellor to guide them as to their Physician to heale them as their rocke to support them their hope is not in him their expectation is not from him their estate who live under the power of corruption is no estate of Christian hope but of desperation having no ground to hope or look for salvation by Christ For 1. The carnall man is uncapable of Christian hope Hope is a heavenly guest and dwels not in an uncleane and unregenerate heart the carnall soule is an empty house wherein dwelleth no good thing no saying gift and grace of God He that is not of God cannot hope in God he that is not in Christ cannot expect and wait for salvation by Christ the carnall man is dead in sinne the corporally dead have no more any humane hope their breath goeth out of their nostrils and as their thoughts so their hopes perish the spiritually dead have no spirituall hopes where there is no life of grace there is no hope in Christ the carnall man is blinde and cannot discerne Christ he is ignorant of Christ he knowes not the things belonging to his peace and how can he hope in Christ whom he knowes not the carnall man is proud he trusts in himselfe in his owne abilities in his owne worth in his owne duties and therefore cannot hope in Christ No man hath or can have a lively hope in Christ but he that is begotten againe by the resurrection of Christ. 2. The carnall man wants the instrumentall cause and root of hope Faith is the mother and hope the daughter Faith is the root and hope the branch Faith is the cause and hope the effect Faith apprehends the promise and hope expects and waits for the thing promised therefore the Apostle termeth Faith the ground of hope Now the carnall man beleeves not he builds upon the sand and not upon the rocke he is wedded to the world and not to Christ he confines himselfe within himselfe and commeth not out of himselfe to Christ he bringeth forth his fruit unto himselfe and not unto Christ he resteth in the creature in himselfe in some gift or duty of his owne he takes not up his full and everlasting rest in Christ and therefore beleeves not and as where is no root there is no branch so where there is no faith there is no hope 3. The carnall man is alienated from the props pillars and supporters of Christian hope that is to say the promise of God the grace of God in Christ and the merit of Christ These three support and beare up the hoping and waiting soule as the three pillars bore up the hangings in the Tabernacle These three are like three Cities of Refuge appointed by Moses to which the pursued malefactor betooke himselfe to these doth the guilty beleeving soule pursued with the sence of Gods displeasure the noise of his sinne and cry of his conscience betake himselfe hoping and expecting consolation from them Now to all these the carnall man is a stranger they belong not to him they are childrens bread dogs may not taste them they are Doves wings Owles and Ravens have no hiding place under them He that hateth to be reformed hath nothing to doe with Gods covenant carnall men receive the grace of God in vaine they embrace not the mercy of God in Christ tendred to them in the Gospell they reject it they are no more changed nor bettered by it then the rocke by the raine or the blinde by the Sunne not being mingled with faith it doth not profit them the merit of Christ doth not advantage them his righteousnesse doth not justifie them his death doth not mortifie their lusts his resurrection doth not quicken their soules his intercession doth not reconcile them unto God his ransome restores no spirituall freedome to them and therefore they have no hope of salvation 4. The carnall man is a stranger to the way to salvation There is a way of faith in Christ Christ is the way the truth and the life him the carnall man knowes not he never studied never learned Christ as the truth is in him he knowes not Christ living in his soule as he knows his soule living in his body he knowes not Christ enlightening him as the eye knowes the Sun whose light is sweet unto the eye he knowes not Christ ruling and raigning within him as the souldiers knew the Centurion commanding them and they yeelding ready subjection to him he knowes not Christ conquering and subduing Satan
together variety of roomes framed for the entertainment of many guests and other offices belonging to the house and windowes made in fit and convenient places to give light thereunto we all know that some skilfull workman hath been labouring there the house having no power nor wisedome to raise it selfe and thus when we looke upon this great and mighty house of the world and see it composed of severall creatures Heavens Aire Waters Earth c. variety of roomes fitted for men Beasts Birds Fishes and all other guests belonging to this house The Sun Moone and Starres set on high as great lamps and lanthornes to give light thereunto we cannot but acknowledge that some Almighty and All-wise workman hath been the builder thereof none of these being able to create and set themselves in this orderly manner this we must needs acknowledge though we see not the builder When we see the body and branches of a Tree springing we know there is a root though it be hidden in the earth and we see it not When we see as that noble Duplesses observes a river flowing we presently conclude there is some Spring or Fountaine whence it hath Originall though we see not the same and thus from the Creation and the things seen we must of necessity conclude there is a Deity though invisible and not seen otherwise then as we see the cause in the effect 2. Looke upon the order of things moving We discerne many things moving in the world as Sun Moone and Stars in Heaven the Birds in the aire Men and Beasts upon the earth Rivers running Seas ebbing and flowing and every thing that moves must of necessity be moved of some other by the consideration whereof we are necessarily led to acknowledge a first mover which is God giving motion to all himselfe not moved When we see the body moving we know there is a soule within moving it though we see not the soule When we see the wheeles of a watch moving we know there is a spring that sets them all on going Thus the motion of the creature plainly demonstrates a first mover though our eyes behold him not according to the Rule Secunda moventia non movent nisi per hoc quod sunt a primo motu 3. Looke upon the Series and succession of all efficient Causes We see in sensible things there is an order of efficient causes yet among all these there neither is nor can any thing be found which is the cause of it selfe because so it should be before it selfe which is impossible As for instance the Sonne is begotten of the Father the Father of the Grandfather the Grandfather of the great Grandfather and so upward yet amongst men no man ever was or can be the begetter of himselfe the branch commeth from the Tree the Tree from the root the root from the kernell the kernell gives not being to it selfe and thus we must of necessity ascend unto and rest in some first cause which is God all second causes working in the vertue of the first cause 4. Looke upon the Consent and agreement betweene things different and disagreeing betweene themselves Fire and water are one contrary to another one fighting against another destroying one another yet these you shall see concurring and agreeing together in the building of the universe and in the body of man and beast which plainly shews the wisedome and power of some supreame Commander making such a sweet harmony betweene disagreeing creatures as betweene dissonant strings upon a musicall instrument we acknowledge the art of a skilfull Musitian in the latter and can we doe lesse then acknowledge an infinite wisedome and power of some supreame commander in the former 5. Looke upon the degrees of excellency and goodnesse among things Some are more good and more excellent some lesse good and lesse excellent the Sunne hath more light then the Starres the Vine is more excellent then the Bramble man hath more noble endowments then the unreasonable creatures and whence is this but as every creature hath more or lesse good communicated to it as it doth more or lesse approach unto some chiefest good so that there must be some chiefe and most excellent good communicating freely more or lesse good to every kinde of creature as hee pleaseth 6. Looke upon the suiting and the fitting of one thing to another As in a building when we see one peece of timber fitted to another we say there hath beene a skilfull Carpenter When we see a garment made up and suited to every Member of mans body we instantly conceive some artificiall Tailer hath had the ordering of it and that neither timber nor cloath did thus sute themselves together Thus in this great workmanship of the world observe how light is suited to the eye the sound unto the ayre meat to the palate water to the fishes the earth to plants and grasse to beasts and so of the rest and when we see this how can wee but acknowledge a divine finger thus suiting and fitting one to another 7. To be short tooke upon the subordination and dependance of one thing upon another one ministring to another the Heavens to the Earth the Earth to the Corne the Corne to man Consider also the operation and working even of creatures void of reason for a certaine end working constantly after the same manner and accomplishing their ends by due and apt meanes producing effects above their owne abilities as the Ant which gathers her meat in Summer for the Winter they working by a rule which they know not and ayming at an end which they understand not declare that a higher understanding directs them what also doe many strange and unexpected events and issues of things beyond the wisdome power and imagination of man argue but an Almighty hand working and disposing all things at his owne pleasure what shall we thinke of the preservation and ministring of provision for so many ages to this great Family of the world but that there is some most wise and able governour over this house what may we conclude from the preservation and continuance of a Church upon the face of the Earth against the fury of all Divels and against the power and malice even of the whole world but that there is a God that standeth in the burning bush and keepes it that the fire doth not consume it a rider that sits upon the flood and restraines it from drowning his Church a great commander whom the windes and waves obey one setting bounds to to men and Divels as to the Sea and let these and such like considerations perswade you and strengthen in the beliefe of this That God is And be assured that the more your hearts are over-powred wrought upon and warmed with the study and meditation and setled in perswasion and beleefe of this truth That God is an eternall omnipotent most wise holy and omnipresent being one that is ever present with you 1. The more humble and
to give themselves over to lasciviousnesse h Rev. 7.1 i Rev. 12 4. Their pride opened who dreame of ability in themselves to restore themselves to spirituall life Mans nâ—bility to this worke opened 1. No principle of grace left Rom. 7.18 Col. 2.12 2. Vtter blindnesse Luke 19 41. Isa 5.21 3. Declination of meanes Psal 58.5 4. Enmity against the ministery Rom. 8.7 Iohn 3.19 Gal. 4.16 5. Sweenesse of sin Iob 20.12 6. Grace and holinesse dishonourable in their eye Iob 21 14. Comming unto Christ for spirituall life perswaded being as dead me without Christ 1 For Ignorance Eccl 9.5 Isa 59 10. 2. Vnsensiblenesse Eph 4.19 3. Weaknesse 4. Vncomfortablenesse 5. Exclusion from Christ 6. Growing worse Mans best works without Christ are dead works 1 They proceed not from a Principle of spirituall life 2 Morall not spirituall formall not powerfull 4. Services tending to base ends The glory of spirituall life due to Christ Isa 9.6 l Eph. 2.10 m Acts 12 7. n Iohn 1.9 Iohn 9. o Mal. 3.3 p Isa 49.9 Isa 61.1 2. q Iohn 1.16 2 Cor. 5.19 r Eph. 1 6. Å¿ Col. 1.11 t 1 Cor. 15.45 Doct. u Ezek. 1.20 w 2 King 4.34 x 1 Iohn 5.12 y 1 Iohn 5.11 z Iohn 1.4 a Iohn 14.6 b Col. 3.4 c Iohn 10.10 d 1 Iohn 5.20 Grounds of Christ living in us 1. By way of Originall e Iohn 15.1 f 1 Cor. 15.45 2 By way of Conjunction g Rom. 11.24 h Iohn 15.5 1 Pet 2.5 3 By way of influence i Mâ—l 4.2 k Phil. 3.10 l Rom. 6.4 m Eph. 1.19 4. By way of Gubernation n Luke 17.21 o Psal 40.8 p Psal 110.3 5. By way of preservation q Iohn 17.12 r 1 Pet 5.10 Christ living in man described Å¿ Rom. 6.11 t Rom. 6.8 u Rom. 6.4 w Rom. 14.8 Manner of Christs living in Man 1. By awakening Man x Acts 12.7 y 2 King 6.20 z Rom. 7.9 a Eph. 5.14 2. By humbling Man b Rom. 6. c Acts 9. d Acts 2.37 e Isa 30.22 f Iob 20.15 2 Sam. 13.15 3 By putting a restlesnesse into the heart of Man g Psal 4â— 1 h Psal 62.8 i Mar. 5. 4. By a Revelation of Christ in Man k Gal. 1.15 l 2 Cor. 4.6 5. By changing Man m â— Thes 1.5 n Iud. 14. o Iohn 5. Vse A Christians life the most noble life p Eph. 4.18 q 2 Pet. 1.4 Christian life honourable 1. Originall r Ioh. 6.63 Å¿ Ioh 4.14 2. Nature t Rom. 6.4 u Ezek. 11.19 w 2 Cor. 5.17 3. Rarity x Ier. 3.14 y Rev. 3.1 4. Pleasantnes 5. Exaltation 6. Lownesse of mans estate without this life z Pro. 23.5 Phil. 3.8 a Numb 14.24 Heb. 1â— b Dan 3. 7. Honourable walking Gal. 5.25 d Mat. 6.24 e Rom. 16. f Ioh. 8.44 g Rom. 14.8 Living to God what Causes of the obscurity of holy life opened h Col. 3. i 1 Ioh. 3.1 2. Mat. 6. 2. Ignorance k 1 Cor. 2.14 l 2 Pet. 2.12 3. Reproach m Man 12. n Mat. 5. o Rev. 9. 4 Corruption remaining p 2 Cor. 1â— q Iam. 1.26 Mis-judging r 2 Sam. 10. 1 Sam. 17.28 6 Base out-side 1 Cor. 1. 2. Life of Gods children a cheerfull life Luk. 2.10 1 Sam. 4 5. Acts 8.8 Where Christ lives is joy of 1. Life Luk. 15. 2. Light Mat. 2.10 3 Liberty Iohn 11.44 Exod. 15. 4. Victory 5. RegeneratioÌ„ 6. Riches Luke 15. 7. Peace Grounds or cause of sorrow in Gods children 1. Remaining corruption 2. Aberrations Psal 51. 3. Satans assaults 4. Impieties of others 2 Pet. 2.8 Ps 119.136 Ezek. 9.4 5 Foresight of future calamities Prov. 2â— 3 Psal 57. â— 1 King 18.43 44. Hâ—b 3.18 6. Sence of Churches misery Mat. 27. Amos 6. Amos 6. Heb. 13. 1. Purity Ier. 31.33 Rom. 6.11 2. Invinciblenes 1 Iohn 4.4 1 Iohn 5.18 Rom. 8.37 3. Preservation from sinne and the world Rom. 6. Gal. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 4 Expulsion of what is contrary to Christ 5 ImbracemeÌ„t of what suites with Christ 6 Thriving by ordinances 2 Tim. 3.7 2 Pet. 3 18. Rom 15.14 7 Sweetnesse of Christ to soule Cant. 2.3 Cant 5.16 Cant. 5.13 8. Heavenly heate 2 King 4. Luke 24.321 Ier. 20.9 Mat. 3.11 9. Christ prized Iob â— 4 2 Sam. 18. 10 Care to keep Christ Rom. 8.38 Care to see Christ living in us Scope of the Apostle Analysis 5. fold alienation 1. From Christ 1. Alienation 1. Tempus Note 2. Subjectum Note 3 Terminus à quo Doct. a Mat. 25. Alienation from Christ illustrated b Iude v. 12. c Io 15.6 d Rom. 7.18 e Iam. 4 4. f 1 Pet. 2.25 g Isa 30.1 h Psa 58.3 i 1 Ioh. 1.6 k Eph. 2.13 4. Grounds or demonstratioÌ„s of this Alienation l Gal 3. 2. 2. Subjection under sinne m 2 Pet. 2.19 n 2 Tim. 3.6 o Ier. 5.31 Prov. 7. 2. Vncapablenes of Christ Mundus neque duos soles Asia neque duos Reges simul capere potest Causes of this uncapablenesse p Ioh. 1.5 q 1 Cor 2 14. r Ezek. 33.31 Å¿ Iohn 5 44. u Col. 2.13 t Iohn 1.11 w Rev. 2.17 3 World hath full possession in carnall man x Mat. 6.24 y Luk. 14 15. z Mat 22.12 a Mat. 19 21. b Phil. 3.8 4 Repugnance against Christ c Psal 2. d Mar. 5. e Iob 41. Dolefulnesse and danger of carnall mans estate f 1 Sam. 4.22 g 2 King 4. h Col. 3. i 1 Iohn 5.12 k Eph. 2 1. Unhappinesses of this estate 2 Cor 4.3 l Eâ—el 9.5 m Psal 6.5 n Psal 31.12 o Ier. 2.32 p Eph. 4.10 q 1 Tim. 4.2 r Psal 141.1 3. Gen. 41. Å¿ 2 Cor 2.14 t Phil. 3.19 Iohn 11. u Hos 7.11 w Iohn 16 3. x Eph. 5.8 2 Kin 5. y 1 Cor. 1.30 y Luk 2.32 z Eph. 5.8 a Rev. 3.17 b Isa 20.4 Luk. 16. c Prov. 24. â—0 d Ier. 20.4 e Ier. 4.22 f Phil. 3.21 g Isa 51.12 h Iob 30.8 i Isa 9.6 k 2 Cor 5 19. l Act. 10.36 m Eph. 2.14 n 2 Kin. 9 22. Cause and matter of humiliation How carnall man is without Christ o Isa 29.11 p Rom. 6. q Jud. 16.1 2. r Num. 11.5 Å¿ Isa 53.2 t Cant. 5.9 3. Cause of undervaluing Christ u Jer. 2.13 2. No taste of Christ w 1 Pet. 2.3 x Eccles 11.7 y Isa 25.6 z Cant. 2.3 3. No love to Christ a Cant. 5.10 1 Cor. 16. b 2 Sam. 1.26 c 1 Joh. 2.15 Amor Dei si est operatur magna sioperaâ— renuit amos non est Greg. 4. No pleasure in Christ d Mat. 2.2 e 1 Sam. 5 4. f Col. 2.6 g 1 Sam. 17. h 2 Sam. 1. i 1 Pet. 2.8 k Ier. 6.10 l Mat. 13.57 m Deut. 21.14 5. No longing after Christ n Iob 21.14 1 Sam. 23.15 Gen. 30.1 2. o Ioh. 6.34 p Cant. 1.2 q Cant. 2.5 Ioh. 11.44 r Cant. 5.9 How man is in Christ Å¿ Rom. 9.6 7. Characters of man being without Christ
emptinesse in the greatest worldly fulnesse straights in the midst of all sublunary sufficiency and a tempepestuous Sea of dismall agitations tossings and terrours in the soule of man Looke upon all self-seekers from the first to the last and you shall find them all self-losers Adam sought himselfe the bettering of his condition but lost that blessed Image in which God created him and that pleasant Paradise wherein the Lord had set him Cain sought himselfe and slew his brother Abel but he lost himselfe he became a fugitive and vagabond upon the earth Absolon sought himselfe he strove much to seat himselfe in his Fathers Throne but he lost his life in the battell Gehazi sought himselfe he ran after Naaman for two change of garments but he proved a shamefull loser he sought change of rayment but God changed his cleane into a leprous skinne The Babylonish King sought himselfe he said he would exalt his Throne above the Starres of God and ascend above the height of the clouds and be like the most High But he lost himselfe he was brought downe to hell to the sides of the pit cast out of his grave like an abominable branch and as a carkaise troden under foot Judas sought himselfe he sold his Master to gaine a few pieces of silver but he lost himselfe in the issue and upshot he went away and hanged himselfe Invaluable is the losse of self-seeking heerby men loose their spirituall freedome and become bondmen to their own lusts to Satan and the world hereby they loose their communion and acquaintance with God and goe out like Caine from the presence of the Lord and are spirituall vagabonds upon the Earth hereby they loose the benefit of all Gods ordinances living under them as the blind man under the Sun receiving no light from them as Rocks in the midst of a River no way softned nor made fruitfull by them hereby they loose the love of God as a woman that seeks strange lovers looseth the love of her husband hereby they loose the peace and comfort of their soules and pierce themselves thorough with many sorrowes they make their bed a bed of thornes and their feast becomes gravell to their teeth and gall to their palate and at last they loose their soules and bodies forever Happy is that mans losse that looseth all with the gain of Christ cursed is that mans gain that wins the world with the losse of Christ he that hath Christ hath also the true sweet and comfortable use of what he doth possesse he that hath not Christ is a very slave and bondman in the midst of his greatest possession the self-seeker neither truly enjoyes himself nor any thing els 11. Selfe-seeking works the heart of man to a base and slender esteeme of holy and heavenly things Christ his ordinances and benefits are nothing precious in the eyes of selfe-seekers their eyes are blinded and see not the beauties of Christ their palats are distempered and tast not the sweetnesse of Christ their hand is withered they cannot receive Christ they commit spirituall adultery with the world and cannot love Christ nothing but the creature is precious in the eyes of self-seekers Esau preferred a messe of pottage above his birth-right the men of Shechem esteemed the bramble above the Vine the Olive and the Fig-tree the self-seeker prefers the poore low and empty things the very bramble of the world above Christ the true and living Vine above the ordinances of Christ whose fruit is better then the fruit of the Olive and the Fig-tree and above the holy and heavenly inheritance the blessed birth-right of Gods new-borne children the Pharisees were great self-seekers they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God they did all their workes to be seene of men and as they were great seekers of themselves so they were strange undervaluers of Christ they saw no beauty nor comelinesse in him for which they should desire him they despised and esteemed him not they derided his doctrine they nourished in themselves a dishonourable opinion of his person they said of him Is not this the Carpenters sonne is not his mother called Mary and they were offended in him they reviled and despised him by reason of the externall humility of his person they drew matter of calumniation from the lownes of his outward condition such as judge of Christ and his ordinances according to the outward appearance are ever filled with base and contemptible apprehensions the Gaderines were great Swine-masters and like their Swine they were fall of swinish dispositions groveling upon the Earth and minding only things earthly trampling under their feet like Swine the precious things which Christ did cast before them and when the uncleane spirit which Christ cast out carried their Swine into the Sea headlong they desired Christ to depart from them self-seekers value the basest things of the world above the choisest things of God they had rather be deprived of Christ Jesus then of the least and lowest of the creatures 12. Self-seeking shortly is a root of many unhappy branches a spring of many bitter streams 1. It imbondageth men to their corrupt and carnall lusts makes them the servants of corruption and puts them under the power and command of the world it robs them as the thieves in the Parable did the man travelling betweene Jericho and Jerusalem of all their spirituall abilities it wounds them in their understandings that they cannot see God as the Philistines put out Sampsons eyes and made a slave of him it wounds them in their wils that they have no liberty no inclination no disposition to choose or imbrace Christ it wounds them in the hand of their faith that they cannot believe in Christ they cannot imbrace nor lay hold on Christ it puts them under the creature as a servant under the command of his Master as an adulterer under the power of the Harlot 2. Self-seeking filleth man with enmity against his fellow brethren other mens successe and happinesse is a self-seekers anguish Josephs brethren being led by a self seeking spirit hated him because his Father loved him the increase of their indignation against him was according to the increase of his Fathers love towards him this moved Saul to envy and eye David to lay snares for his life he that is given to self-seeking is farre from all true love to his fellow-brethren their prosperity is a great eye-sore unto him 3. Self-seeking makes men mercilesse and cruell the lives of them who ecclipse the honour or hinder the gain or disturbe the pleasure of self-seekers are of no esteem with them Why did Esau plot the death of Jacob Why did Josephs brethren conspire against him and cast him into the pit but by reason of that dominion which self-seeking lusts had within them Self-seeking dissolves the strongest bonds and obligations of naturall affection and turns fraternall unity into