hath no other purpose in his being and living but only to honour his Lord that 's to live to righteousness he doth not make a by-work of it a study for his spare houres no 't is his main busines his all In this law doth he meditate day and night This life as the other is in the heart and from thence diffuses to the whole Man he loves righteousness and receiveth the truth as the Apostle speaks in the love of it A natural Man may do many things that for their shell and outside are righteous But he lives not to righteousness because his heart is not possess'd and rul'd with the love of it but this life makes the godly Man delight to walk uprightly and to speak of righteousness his Language and wayes carry the resemblance of his heart Psa. 37. Ver. 30.31 I know 't is easiest to act that part of Religion that is in the Tongue but the Christian ought not for that to be Spiritually dumb Because some Birds are taught to speak Men do not for that give it over and leave off to speak the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his Tongue talketh of judgement and his feet strive to keep pace with his Tongue which gives evidence of its unfainedness None of his steps shall slide or he shall not stagger in his steps but that which is betwixt these is the common Spring the Law of God is in his heart of both and from thence as Salomon sayes are the issues of his life that Law in his heart is the principle of this living to righteousness 2 The Second thing here is the design or Intendment of this death and life in the sufferings and death of Christ he bare sin and died for it that we might dye to it Out of some conviction of the consequence of Sin many have a confus'd desire to be justified to have sin pardon'd and look no further think not on the importance and necessity of sanctification the nature whereof is express'd by this dying to sin and living to righteousness But here we see that sanctification is necessary as inseparably connexed with justification not only as its companion but as its end which in some kind raises it above the other that it was the thing which God ey'd and intended in taking away the guiltiness of sin that we might be renew'd and sanctified If we compare them in point of time either backward holiness was alwayes necessary unto happiness But satisfying for sin and the pardon of it was made necessary by sin or if we look forward the estate we are appointed to and for which we are delivered from wrath is an estate of perfect holiness When we reflect upon that great work of Redemption we see it aim'd at there Redeem'd to be holy Eph. 5.25 26. Tit. 2.14 And go yet higher to the very Spring the decree of Election And then it s said Chosen before that we should be Holy and in end it shall Suit the designe Nothing shall enter into the new Ierusalem that is defiled or unholy Nothing but all purity there not a spot of sinfull pollution not a wrinkle of the Old Man for this end was that great work undertaken by the Son of God that he might frame out of polluted Mankind a new holy generation to his Father that might compasse his throne in the Life of glory and give him pure praises and behold his face in that eternity Now for this end it was needfull according to the all-wise purpose of the Father that the guiltiness of sin and sentence of Death should be once removed and thus the burden of that lay upon Christs shoulders on the Crosse and that done it is further necessary that Souls so deliver'd be likewise purg'd and renew'd for they are design'd to perfection of holiness in end and it must begin here Yet is it not possible to perswade Men of this that Christ had this in his eye and purpose when he was lift up upon the crosse and look'd upon the whole company of those his Father had given him to save that he would redeem them to be a number of holy Persons We would be redeem'd who is there would not but he would have his redeemed ones holy and they that are not true to this his end but crosse and oppose him in it may hear of redemption long and often But litle to their comfort Are you resolv'd still to abuse and delude your selves Well whither you will believe it or no this is once more told you there is unspeakable comfort in the death of Chirst but it belongs only to those that are dead to sin and alive to righteousness This Circle shuâ—s out the impenitent world there it closes and cannot be broke through but all that are penitent are by their effectual caling lifted in to it translated from that accurs'd condition wherein they were So then if you will live in your sins you may but then resolve withal to bear them your selves for Christ in his bearing of sin meant of none but such as in due time are thus dead and thus alive with him 3. But then in the Third place Christs Sufferings and death effects all this 1. As the exemplary cause the lively contemplation of Christ crucified is the most powerful of all thoughts to separate the heart and sin But 2. besides this working as a Moral cause as that example Christ is the effective natural cause of this death and life For he is one with the Believer and there is a real influence of his death and life into their Souls This Mysterious Union of Christ and the believer is that whereon both their Justification and Sanctification and the whole frame of their Salvation and Happiness depends and in this particular the Apostle still insists on it speaking of Christ and Believers as one in his Death and Resurrection crucified with him dead with him buried with him and risen with him Rom. 6. Being arisen he applies his death to those he dyed for and by it kills the life of sin in them and so is aveng'd on it for its being the cause of his death according to that of the Psalm raise me up that I may requite them He infuses and then actuates and stirres up that faith and love in them by which they are united to him and these work powerfuly in this 3. Faith look's so stedfastly on its suffering Saviour that as they say intellectus fit illud quod intelligit it makes the Soul like him assimilates and conformes it to his Death as the Apostle speaks That which some fable of some of their Saints of receiving the impression of the wounds of Christ in their body is true in a Spiritual sense of the Soul of every one that is indeed a Saint and a believer it takes the very print of his Death by beholding him and dyes to sin and then takes that of his rising again and lives to righteousness as it applies it to justify so
spero 'T is a fearful thing when a Man and all his hopes dye together Thus saith Solomon of the Wicked when He dyeth many of them before but at the utmost then all of them then dye his Hopes Prov. 11.7 but the Righteous hath hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Death that cutts the sinews of all other Hopes and turns men out of all other Inheritances it alone fulfils this Hope and ends it in Fruition As a Messenger sent to bring the Children of God home to the possession of their Inheritance By the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead This referrs to both Begotten again by his Resurrection and having this living Hope by his Resurrection and well suits both it being the proper cause of both in this order First then of the Birth then of the Hope The Image of God is renewed in us by our Union with him who is the express Image of his Fathers person Gal. 4 19. Therefore this new birth in the Conception is exprest by the forming of Christ in the Soul and Resurrection particularly is assign'd as the cause of our New Life this New Birth is called our Resurrection and that in conformity to Christ yea by vertue and Influence of His. His Resurrection is called a Birth he the first begotten from the dead Rev. 1.5 and that Prophesie Psal. 2.7 Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee is applyed to his Resurrection as fulfilled in it Act. 13.33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Iesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Not only is it the Exemplary but the Efficient cause of our new birth Thus Rom. 6. at large and often elsewhere and thus likewise it is the cause of our Living hope that which indeed inspires and maintains life in it because he hath Conquered Death and is risen again and that implyed which followeth is set down at the right hand of God hath entered Possession of that Inheritance This gives us a Living Hope that according to his own Request where he is there we shall be also Thus this Hope is strongly underset on the one side by the Resurrection of Christ on the other by the abundant mercy of God the Father Our hope depends not on our own Strength or Wisdom nor on any thing in us for then if it did it would be short-liv'd would die and dye quickly but on his Resurrection that can dye no more for in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Rom. 6.10 This makes this Hope not to imply in the notion of it Uncertainty as worldly hopes but 't is a firm stable inviolable hope an Anchor pitch'd within the vail According to his abundant mercy Mercy is the Spring of all this yea great Mercy and manifold Mercy for as St. Bernard saith Great sins and Great Miseries need Great Mercy and many sins and Miseries need many Mercies and is not this great Mercy to make of Satans slaves Sons of the most high Well may the Apostle say Behold what manner of Love and how great Love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the Sons of God The World knows us not because it knew not him they that have not seen the Father of a Child cannot know its Resembling him for the World knowes not God and therefore discerns not his Image in his Children to esteem them for it But whatever be their Opinion this we must say our selves Behold what Love to take fire-brands of Hell and to appoint them to be one day brighter then the Sun in the firmament To raise the poor out of the dunghil and set them with Princes Psal. 11.38 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Lastly we see it stirs up the Apostle to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ This is the stile of the Gospel as formerly under the Law the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the God that brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt c. This now is the Order of the Government of Grace that it holds first with Christ our Head and in Him with us so he sayes I go to my Father and your Father and my God and your God Which as St. Cyril of Hierosol in his Catechism observes shows us not only our Communion with him that might have been exprest thus I go to my God and Father but the Order of the Covenant First my Father and my God and then yours Thus ought we in Consideration of the mercies of God still take in Christ for in him they are conveyed to us Thus Eph. 1.3 With all spiritual Blessings in Christ Iesus Blessed He blesseth us really benefaciendo benedicit We bless Him by acknowledging His goodness And this we ought to do at all times Psal. 34.1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth All this is far below Him and His mercies What are our lame praises in comparison of his Love Nothing and less then nothing but Love will stammer rather then be dumb They that are amongst his Children begotten again they have in the Resurrection of Christ a lively hope of glory as 't is Col. 1.27 which is Christ in you the hope of Glory This leads them to observe and admire that rich mercy whence it flowes and this consideration awakes them and strains them to break forth into praises To an Inheritance incorruptible As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather and as Vinegar upon nitre so is he that singeth Songs to a heavy heart Prov. 25.20 Worldly Mirth is so far from curing Spiritual Grief that even worldly Grief where 't is great and takes deep root is not allayed but increased by it a man that is full of inward heaviness the more he is compassed about with mirth it exasperates and enrages his Grief the more like ineffectual weak Physick that removes not the humour but stirs it and makes it more unquiet but spiritual Joy is seasonable for all Estates In prosperity 't is pertinent to crown and sanctifie all other Enjoyments with this that so far suspasses them and in distress 't is the only Nepenthe the cordial of fainting Spirits So Psal. 4. He hath put joy into my heart this mirth makes way for it selfe which other mirth cannot do these Songs are sweetest in the Night of distress Therefore the Apostle writing to his scattered afflicted Brethren begins his Epistle with this Song of Praise Blessed be the God and Father c. The matter of it is the Joyful Remembrance of the Happiness laid up for them under the name of Inheritance Now this Inheritance is described by the singular Qualities of it They Contain 1. The Excellency of its Nature 2. The certainty of its attainment the former in these three Incorruptible Vndefiled and that fadeth
Cherubims wonder how guilty man escapes their flaming swords and Reenters paradise The Angels see that their Companions that fell are not restor'd but their room fill'd up with the spirits of just men and they envy it not which Mistery the Angels desire to look into and this is added in the close of these words for the extolling of it The Angels look upon what they have seen already fulfill'd with delight and admiration and what remains namely the full accomplishment of this great work in the end of time they look upon with desire to see it finish'd 't is not a slight glance they take of it but they fix their eye and look stedfastly on it viz. That mistery of godliness God manifested in the flesh and 't is added seen of Angels The word made flesh drawes the eyes of those glorious Spirits and possesses them with wonder to see the Almighty God-head joyn'd with the weakness of a Man yea of an Infant He that stretcheth forth the heavens bound up in swadling cloaths And to pass all the wonders of his life this is beyond all admiration that the Lord of Life was subject to death and that his Love and Rebellious mankind moved him both to take on and lay down that life 'T is no wonder the Angels admire those things and delight to look upon them but 't is strange that we do not so They veiw them stedfastly and we neglect them either we consider them not at all or give them but a transient look half an eye That which was the great business of the Prophets and Apostles both for their own times and to convey them to us we regard not and turne our eyes to foolish wandering thoughts which Angels are ashamed at They are not so concern'd in this great mystery as we are They are but mere beholders in comparison of us yea they seem rather to be losers someway that our nature in it self inferiour to theirs is in Jesus Christ exalted above theirs Heb. 2.16 We bow down to the earth and study and grovell in it take into the very bowels of it and content our selves with the outside of the unsearchable riches of Christ and look not within it but they having no will nor desir◠but for the glory of God being pure flames of fire burning onely in love to him are no less delighted then amazed with the bottomless wonders of his wisdom and goodness shining in the work of our Redemption 'T is our shame and our folly that we lose our selves and our thoughts in poor childish things and trifle away our days we know not how and let these rich mysteries lye unregarded they look up upon the deity in it self with continuall admiration but that they look down to this mystery is another wonder We give them an ear in publick and in a cold formal way stop Conscience's mouth with some religious performances in private and no more But to have deep and frequent thoughts and to be ravish'd in the meditation of our Lord Jesus once on the cross and now in glory how few of us are acquainted with this We see here excellent Company and Examples not onely of the best of Men that have been but we have them fellow-servants and fellow-Students if that can perswade us we may all study the same Lesson with the very Angels and have the same thoughts with them this the soul doth that often entertains it self with the delightfull admiration of Jesus Christ and the Redemption he hath wrought for us Verse 13. Wherefore Gird up the loyns of your mind be sober and hope to the End for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. THe great error of Mans mind and the cause of all his Errors of Life is the diverting of the soul from God and turning down-ward to in feriour confidences and comforts and this mischoyce is the very root of all our miseries therefore the maine end of the holy word of God is to untye the hearts of Men from the world and reduce them To God as their onely rest and solid comfort and this is here the Apostles mark at which all the preceeding discourse aimes it all meets and terminates in this exhortation Wherefore gird up the loyns of your mind c. In the words are those 3 things 1. the great stay and comfort of the soul which the Apostle repeats and represents to his afflicted brethren 2. his Exciting them to the right apprehension and confident Expectation of it 3. the Inference of that Exhortation The matter of their comfort is the grace which is brought to them at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. some for grace read joy having as it seem's for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words are not more near one to an other than the things they signify Grace and joy but ' its most commonly thus read The estate of Grace and that of glory are not onely so inseparably connexed but so like one to the other yea so essentialy the same that the same expressions in scripture do often fit both of them and so fit them that it is doubtfull for which of the two to understand them but the hazard is not great seeing they are so near and so one grace being glory begun and glory grace compleated both often called the Kingdom◠of God So grace here brought to them is either the doctrine of grace in the Gospel wherein Jesus Christ is reveal'd and that Grace in him for all the whole tenour of the Covenant of Grace and every Clause of it holds in him His precious name runs throw it all 't is the Grace of salvation to be fully perfected at the last and clearest Revelation of Jesus Christ and for this rather I take it here for that the Apostles nearest foregoing words were concerning that and it is set up here as the object of hope which though often put for faith yet in its proper notion looks out to that which is to come This is the last act of Grace and yet still it is called by it self and not turn'd into the name of merit notwithstanding all the obedience and all the sufferings of the Saints that have gone before it yea even the salvation to be revealed to them is called Grace but 't is needless to insist on this for certainly none that partake of Grace will be of another mind or ever admit the mixture of the least notion of self deserving Though much dispute hath been bestow'd on this and Questions multiplying in the disputants hands as is usuall in Controversies one growing out of another yet truely I think the debate in this to be but waste 't is not onely against the voyce of the scriptures and of Grace it self in the soul but even against sound Reason to imagine any meriting properly taken in any mere Creature at his Creators hands who hath given him his being of which gift all his services and
obedience fall short so that he can never come to be upon even disengaged terms much less to oblige a new and deserve somewhat further besides that same Grace by which any serves and obeys God is likewise his own gift as 't is said All things come of thee and of thine own have I given thee both the ability and the will of giving to him is from him so that in these respects not Angels nor Man in Innocency could properly merit at the hands of God much less Man lost redeemed again and so coming under the new obligation of Infinite Mercy And this is so evident a truth that the learnedst and most ingenuous Jesuits and Schoolmen have in divers passages of their writings acknowledg'd it that there cannot be any Compensation and much less merit from the creature to God but onely in relation to his own free purpose and the tenour of his word and Covenant which is inviolable because he is unchangeable and truth it selfe His first grace he gives freely and no less freely the increases of it and with the same gracious hand sets on the Crown of glory upon all the Grace that he hath given before 'T is but the following forth of his own work and fulfilling his own thoughts of free Love which love hath no cause but in himself and finds none worthy But gives them all the worthiness they have and accepts of their Love not as worthy in it self to be accepted but because he himself hath wrought it in them not onely the first tastes but the full draught of the waters of life is freely given Reve. 22.17 nothing brought with them but thirst That is to be brought not that is brought or that shall be brought but if we will render it strictly it is that is a bringing to you That blessedness that Consummation of grace the Saints are hastening forward to walking on in their way wheresoever it lyes indifferently through honour and dishonour through evill report and good report And as they are hastening to it it is hastn'ng to them in the course of time every day brings it nearer to them than before and notwith standing all difficulties and dangers in the way they that have their eye and hopes upon it shall arrive at it and it shall be brought safe to their hand all the malice of men and Devils shall not be able to cut them short of this grace that is a bringing to them against the day of the Revelation of Iesus Christ. At the Revelation of Iesus Christ. This is repeated from the 7 th Verse and it is a day of Revelation a Revelation of the just judgement of God Rom. 2 5. And thus it would be to all were it not that it is withall the Revelation of Iesus Christ therefore is it a day of Grace all Light and blessedness to them that are in him because they shall appear in him and if he be glorious they shall not be inglorious and ashamed indeed were our secret sins then to be set before our own eyes in their affrightfullest visage and to be set open to the view of Angels and Men and to the eye of divine Justice and we lest alone so revealed who is there that could gather any comfort and would not rather have their thoughts fill'd with horrour at the remembrance and expectation of that day and thus indeed all unbelieving and ungodly Men may look upon it and find it terrible but to those that are shadowed under the Robe of Righteous Jesus yea that are made one with him and shall partake of his glory in his appearing 't is the sweetest the most comfortable thought that their souls can be entertain'd and possess'd withall to remember this glorious Revelation of their Redeemâ—r 'T is their great grief here not that themselves are hated and vilified but that their Lord Jesus is so little known and therefore so much despised in the world he is vail'd and hid from the world many Nations acknowledge him not at all and many of those that do in word confess yet in deed deny him that have a form of Godliness and do not onely want but mock and scoffe the power of it and to such Christ is not known his Excellencies are hid from their eyes now this glory of their Lord being tender to them that Love him they rejoyce much in the consideration of this that there is a day at hand wherein he shall appear in his bright and full glory to all nations and all shall be forc'd to acknowledge him it shall be with out doubt and unquestion'd to all that here is the Messiah the Redeemer the Judge of the world And as it is his day of Revelation ' it s also the Revelation of all the adopted sons of God in him Rom. 8.9 they are now accounted the refuse of the world exposed to all kind of comtempts but then the beams of Christ's glory shall beautifie them and they shall be known for his 1 Ioh. 3â— 2. Col. 3 4. Next there is The Exhortation Hope to the end The difference of these two graces faith and hope is so small that the one is often taken for the other in Scripture 't is but a divers aspect of the same confidence faith apprehending the infallible truth of those divine Promises of which Hope doth assuredly expect the accomplishment and that is their truth so that this immediately results from the other· This is the Anchor pitch'd within the vail that keeps the soul firm against all the tossings on these swelling Seas and the winds and tempests that arise upon them The firmest thing in this Inferiour world is a believing soul. Faith establishes the heart on Jesus Christ and Hopelifts it up being on that Rock over the head of all intervenient Dangers Crosses and Tentations and sees the glory and happiness that followes after them To the end Or perfectly and therefore the Christian seeks most earnestly and yet waits most patiently Psal. 130.6 Indeed this hope is perfect in continuance 't is a hope unto the end because 't is perfect in its nature although imperfect in degree sometimes doubtings intermixed with it in the Christian soul yet this is their infirmity as the Psalmist speaks not the infirmity and insufficiency of the object of their hope Worldly hopes are in their own nature imperfect they do imply in their very being doubtfulness and wavering because the things whereon they are built are inconstant and uncertain and full of deceit and disappointments how can that Hope be immoveable that is built upon moving sands or quagmire 'T is that which is it self unfixed cannot give stability to any other thing resting on it but because the truth and goodness of the immutable God is the foundation of spiritual hope therefore it is assur'd and like Mount Sion that cannot be removed and this is its perfection Now the Apostle exhorts his Brethren to endeavour to have their hearts possess'd with as high a measure and degree of
he forget who he is and by what means he attain'd to be what he is therefore the Apostle persuading his Brethren no holiness puts them in mind of this as the strongest incentive not onely have you the Example of God set before you as your father to beget in you the love of holiness being your liveliest resemblance of him and the justice of God as your Judge to argue you into a pious fear of offending him but Consider this that he is your Redeemer he hath bought out your liberty from sin and the world to be altogether his and think on the price laid down in this Ransome and these out of question will prevaile with you We have here The evil dissuaded from viz. A vain Conversation 2. the dissuasion it self 1. 't is called Their vain Conversation 2. Receiv'd by tradition from their fathers By this I conceive is not onely understood the superstitions and vain devices in Religion that abounded amongst the Jews by tradition of which our Saviour often reproved them while he was conversant amongst them as we find in the Gospel and all this was mean't Verse 14. by the Lusts of their former ignorance but generally all the corrupt and sinfull customes of their lives for it seems not so pertinent to his purpose exhorting to Holiness of life to speak of their superstitious Traditions as their other sinfull habitudes which are no less hereditary and by the power of Example traditionall which by reason of their common Root in Mans sinfull nature do so easily pass from parents to Children Nature making their Example powerfull and the Corruption of Nature giving iâ— most power in that which is Evill And this is the rather mention'd to take away the force of it and cut of that influence which it might have had into their mindes there is a kind of Conversation that the authority of your fathers pleads for but Remember that it is that very thing from which you are delivered and called to a new estate and form of life and have a new patterne set before you instead of that corrupt Example 'T is one great Errour not onely in Religion and manners but even in humane science that Men are ready to take things upon trust unexamin'd from these that went before them partly out of easiness and sparing the paines of triall partly out of a superstitious overesteem of their Authority but the chief Reason why corruptions in Religion and practice of preceeding ages take so much with posterity is that before mention'd the universal sympathy and agreement that those evils have with the corrupt Nature of Man The Prophet Ezekiel observes this particularly in the Jewes Chap. 20. Verse 24. That their eyes were after their Fathers Idols Contrary to Gods express forewarning Verse 18. This was the great quarrel of the Heathens against the Christian Religion in the Primitive times that it was new and unknown to their Fathers and the ancient Writers of those times are frequent in shewing the vanity of this exception particularly Lactantius Instit. lib. 2. cap. 7 8. The same prejudice doth the Church of Rome sing over continually against the Reform'd Religion where was it before Luther c. But this is a foolish and reasonless diversion from the search of Truth because Errour is more at hand or from the entertaining it being found because falshood is in possession As in Religion so in the course and practise of Mens lives the stream of sin runs from one age into another and every age makes it greater adding somewhat to what it receives as Rivers grow in their course by the accession of Brookes that fall into them and every Man when he is born falls like a drop into this main current of Corruption and so is carried with it down and this by reason of its strength and his own nature which willingly dissolves into it and runs along with it In thiâ— is manifest the power of Divine Grace in a Mans Conversion that it severs him so powerfully from the prophane World and gives him strength to run contrary to the great current of wickedness that is round about him in his Parents possibly and in his Kindred and Friends and in the most of Men that he meets withal The voice of God that powerful word of Effectual calling that he speaks in to the heart makes a Man break through all and leave all to â—ollow God as Abraham did being called out from his kindred and Fathers house to journey towards the Land that God had promis'd him And this is that which is spoke to the Church and to each believing soul by the spirit of God Forget also thine own People and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly delight in thy beauty regard not what others think though thy nearest friends but study only to please him and then thou shalt please him indeed do not deform thy face with looking out a squint to the custom of the World but look straight forward on him and so thou shalt be beautiful in his eyes When God calls a Man in a remarkable manner his prophane Friends are all in a tumult what needs this to be more precise then we and all your Neighbours But all this is a confused noise that works nothing on the heart that the Lord hath touched it must follow him though by trampling upon friends and kindred if they lye in the way we see how powerfully a word from Christ drew his Disciples to leave all and follow him The Exhortation is against all sinful and unholy conversation by what Authority and Example soever recommended to us the Apostles Reasons in those words are strong and pressing there is one express'd in the very Name he gives it 't is vain Conversation The mind of Man the Guide and source of his actions while it is Estranged from God is nothing but a forge of vanities the Apostle St. Paul speaks this of the Gentiles that they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned Rom. 1.21 Their great Naturalists and Philosophers not excepted and the more they strove to play the wise men the more they befool'd themselves thus likewise Eph. 4.17 and thus the Lord complains by his Prophet of the extream folly of his People Isay. 44.20 and by Ieremy that their bearâ—s are lodges of vain thoughts and these are the true cause of a vain Conversation The whole course of a Mans life out of Christ is nothing but a continual trading in Vanity running a Circle of toyle and labour and reaping no profit at all This is the vanity of every natural Mans Conversation that not only others are not benefited by it but it is fruitless to himself there arises to him no solid good out of it That is most truly vain that attains not its proper end Now all a Mans endeavours aiming at his satisfaction and Contentment that Conversation that gives him nothing of that but removes him further from it is justly called
unvail'd and appear what they are indeed before Men and Angels 't is a poor thing to be approved and applauded by Men while God condemns to whose sentence all men must stand or fall Oh seek to be approved and justified by him and then who shall condemn 'T is no matter who do How easily may we bear the mistakes and dislikes of all the world if he declare himself well-pleas'd with us It is a small thing for me to be judged of Man or mans day he that judgeth me is the Lord. Saith the Apostle But these evils are here particularly to be put off as contrary to the right and profitable receiving of the word of God for this part of the exhortation Laying aside Desire look's to that which follows and is specially so to be considered There is this double task in Religion When a Man enters to it he is not only to be taught true wisdom but he is withall yea first of all to be untaught the Errours and wickedness that are deep rooted in his mind which he hath not only learn'd by the corrupt conversation of the world but brought the seeds of them into the world with him and they improve and grow indeed by the favour of that example that is round about a Man But they are orginally in our nature as it is now they are connaturall to us besides continuall custome which is another nature There is none comes to the School of Christ suiting the Philosopher's word ut taâ—ula rasa as blank paper to receive his doctrine but on the contrary all scribl'd and blurr'd with such base habits as these malice hypocrisie envy c. Therefore the first work is to raze out these to cleanse and purifie the heart from these blotts those foul characters that it may receive the impression of the image of God And because it is the word of God that both begins and followes forth this work draws the lineaments of that divine Image on the soul therefore to the receiving this word aright and this proper effect by it the conforming of the soul to Jesus Christ which is the true growth of the spirituall life this is prerequir'd that the hearts of them that hear it be purged of these such and like impurities malice hypocrisie c. These are so opposite to the profitable receiving of the word of God that while they possess and rule the soul it cannot at all embrace those divine truths While it is fill'd with such guests there is no room to entertain the word They cannot dwell together by reason of their contrary nature the word will not mixe with thâ—se the saving mixture of the word of God in the soul is that the Apostle speaks of and gives the want of it as the cause of unprofitable hearing the word Heb. 4.2 the mixing of it with saith For by that the word is concocted into the nourishment of the life of grace united to the soul and mix'd with it by being mix'd with faith as the Apostle's expression imports That 's the proper mixture it requires but with these qualities here mention'd it will not mix There is a naturall antipathy betwixt them as strong as in those things in nature that cannot be brought by any means to agree and mingle together Can there be any thing more contrary than the good word of God as the Apostle calls it and those evil speakings Than the word that is of such excellent sweetness and the bitter words of a malignant tongue Than the word of life and words full of deadly poyson For so slanders and diffamings of our brethren are And is not all malice and envy most opposite to the word that is the message of peace and Love how can the gall of malice and this milk of the word agree Hypâ—crisie and guile stand in direct opposition to the name of this word that is called the word of truth and here the very words shew this contrariety sincere milk and a double unsincere mind These two are necessary conditions of good nourishment 1. That the â—ood be good and wholesome 2. That the inward constitution of them that use it be so too And if this fail the other profit's not This sincere milk is the only proper nourishment of spiritual Life and there is no defect nor undue quality in it but the greatest part of hearers are inwardly unwholesom diseas'd with the evils here mention'd and others of the like nature and therefore either have no kind of appetite to the word at all but rather feed upon such trash as suite with their distemper as some kind of diseases incline those that have them to eat Coales or Lime c. Or if they be any wayes desirous to hear the Word and seem to feed on it yet the noxious humours that abound in them make it alltogether unprofitable and they are not nourish'd by it as this evill of malice and envying so ordinary among Men and which is most strange amongst Christians as an overflowing of the Gaul possesses their whole minds and not only they are not nourish'd by the word they hear but are the worse by it their disease is fed by it as an unwholsom stomach turns the best meat it receives into that bad humour that abounds in it Do not they thus that observe what the Word sayes that they may be the better inabled to discover the failings of others and speak malitiously and uncharitablely of them and vent themselves as is too common This word met well with such a one's Fault and this with anothers Is not this to feed these diseases of Malice Envy and evill-speakings with this pure milk and make them grow in stead of growing by it our selves in grace and holiness Thus likewise the hypocrite turnes all that he hears of this word not to the inward renovation of his mind and redressing what 's amisse there But only to the composing of his outward carriage and to inable himself to act his part better to be cunninger in his own faculty a more refin'd and expert hypocrite not to grow more a Christian in deed but more in appearance only and in the opinion of others Therefore it is a very needfull advertisment seeing these evils are so natural to Men and so contrary to the nature of the word of God that they be purg'd out to the end it may be profitably receiv'd A very like exhortation to this hath the Apostle S. Iames and some of the same words but in another Methapor Iam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word He compares the word to a plant of excellent vertue the very tree of life the word that is able to save your souls but the only soyle wherein it will grow is a heart full of meekness a heart that is purg'd of those Luxuriant weeds that grow so rank in it by nature they pluck up and throw them out to make place for this