more efficacious in his life A mans weight in the ballance weighes downe the scales but if he put to his strength too that is as much more as his weight So if you have any strong sins you have cause to be humbled for it but when you put your strength to it it intends that originall habit of sin So that the necessity that lyes on thee by reason of thy nature it aggravates thy sinne Ier. 13.23 The Prophet aggravates their sinne from their custome in it they could choose not to sinne no more than the Black-moore could change his skin The Prophet I say brings it in for this purpose to aggravate sin See it in our owne case when a man comes to be accused before a Iudge if he plead he is accustomed to such a sin to swearing or drinking doth it not encrease his condemnation So that though you say I dâ—d slip through frailty yet I say you have cause to be humbled for it I will but name the second use for I have respect to the Time and Weather Secondly not only evill men but good men within the Covenant should make this use of it to humble themselves for they have need of it A man must know this when he is once humbled and come into state of Grace he hath not then done with Humiliation it is to be practised still For there is this difference between a wicked man and another Many are like a land-floud none more ready to be religious than they as your great land-flouds swell though they have no spring to feed them but with a godly man it is otherwise Humiliation is in him as a Spring he hath not done with it at his Conversion but practiseth it still And not only so but he must labour to adde to the measure of it and that will adde to his love and to his faith and drawes him nearer to Christ the more his sin is discovered It is said of the woman she loved much because much was forgiven her Others had as much mercy as she but shee had more sense of it because shee was more humbled the more you see and are sensible of your sins the more it addes to your love it makes you to prise him when you see you are so much beholden to him Againe it will adde to faith I meane not only the act of beleeving but the act of taking Christ. The more a man sees the need he stands in of Christ the more he is convinced of sin the more he takes Christ for there be degrees of taking him When a woman takes an husband there be degrees in her will there may be additions to her will shee may be morefully contented in him and more prise him And so in taking of Christ for our Lord and Husband and Saviour It is true if we will take him in earnest any measure of true faith will save us but we may doe it more abundantly for the more sense we have of sin the more greedy shall we be of him Againe the more empty the soule is the more a man is humbled the more he sees into himselfe as faith comes with an empty hand the faster hold is laid on Christ. Therefore adde still to Humiliation let it be your exercise the worser you be perswaded of your selves and the better you conceit of God it is the more for your advantage the more you can hate and abhorre your selves the more you are improved thereby for the flesh in you must be abhorred and it is our fault we doe it not enough and againe the more you apprehend Christ the nearer you draw to him And take this withall Humiliation doth not weaken assurance but workes the contrary Indeed the lesse sincerity and the lesse mourning for sin and the lesse Humiliation the lesse assurance But reckoning up and thinking on thy sinnes encreaseth it If I have so many sins how can I be saved Yes so much the rather the more thou canst see and be humbled for them the more thou addest to thy assurance and so to thy love and faith Therefore a man should make a daily practise of Humiliation for it is to a mans great advantage it is a thing too much omitted we should take time for it And thinke it your advantage to be able to see what we have in our nature how much guilt we have contracted by sinne and how our sins may bee aggravated for this will teach us to prise Christ. And so much for this point The end of the First Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The second SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse WE come now to the matter of Humiliation contained in these words which I have already opened and shew'd the points that may thence be drawn The first wherof which we will begin with is this That the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse You know by that which you heard before how it is gathered It will be a vaine labour to goe about to prove it you know how plentifull the Scripture is in it and you are not so ignorant of the Grounds of Divinity as not to confesse it The businesse will be to shew wherein it consists and how the Nature of man is corrupted for by making this evident we shall by the same labour prove and confirme it to you Now the way to evidence this that the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnes and ungodlinesse is to look to the rule If you will find out the disorder and distemper that any thing is subject to the way is to looke to the rule to amend it by Now every Creature hath a law the Fire the Water the Sea yea every Creature sensible and insensible hath a law given to it which as they observe they continue in perfection and looke how farre they goe aside that so farre they be imperfect Now the Law given to man is the Morall Law and the Gospell and these two he is to observe And if you will find out the truth of this That the nature of man is full of all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse looke to these two First looke to the Law of God and see if that doe not conclude all men under sin looke therein to both the Tables It is true Hypocrites make a good shew of keeping the first Table they seeme to be forward in the duties belonging to God but looke to the second Table and that discovers them Civill men seeme to be exact in the second Table in performing duties to man but look to the first Table what their carriage to God is what little conscience they make of taking his Name in vaine of sanctifying his Sabbath of performing holy duties in an holy manner of love and feare This discovers civility that is when there is nothing else but civility Againe looke to sins of all sorts some
may goe and yet how farre they fall short And now have I done with those three things that the good things that carnall men have doe them no good Secondly that they doe them hurt Thirdly that they may goe farre and yet that you may not be deceived in apprehending what men they are and what Condition we speake of that they fall short of that which is proper to the Saints and so much for the second use Thirdly if this be the Condition of men to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse then this will likewise follow that commonly men sin not out of mistake not out of want of Information and conviction but out of the very love of unrighteousnesse And this serves to take away the Common excuse whereby men doe usually mitigate and extenuate their sins as if they were committed by accident out of incogitation or want of due consideration you see it is not so but that is the case of every man out of the state of Regeneration to commit sin out of love to unrighteousnesse And this is a point that needs much to bee urged because men are not humbled you know the scope of this Text is to humble men to convince them of their sins to shew them the Circumstances by which their sins are justly to be aggravated now because men will pretend they sin out of Infirmity and their meaning is good and they intend not to doe such and such evils or if they doe them it is not with an ill minde I advise you take heed you deceive not your selves you know it was Ionas his case when he had no minde to goe to Niniveh he pretends faire reasons God that searches the heart knowes your hearts howsoever you defend and dispute for your sins and there is a Truth within that tels you such and such things ought not to be done Therefore learne from hence to know your sins and the quality of them And if you object we doe not resist this Truth we obey it in many things Let me aske you Doe you obey it in those things that crosse that particular unrighteousnesse wherein you are delighted for there is the proofe there be some personall sins to which a mans nature is most enclined examine if out of love to them you doe not withhold the Truth for it fares commonly with Truth in this case as it did with Iohn Baptist all the while he preached Herod heard him willingly yea gladly but when he came to touch upon Herodias then he tooke away his head and as he dealt with Iohn so doe we with Truth so long as it suggests nothing to us that crosses our desires we are willing to obey it in all things that it shall dictate to us but when it tels us of sins that we are unwilling to heare of we first imprison it and then extinguish it as there be degrees in restraining of it first in one degree then in a greater degree and at last we put it quite out Therefore take heed to it labour to know your sins to see those which are most naturall to you whether in these you doe not with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse which is done after this manner When a man shall have his heart set upon any particular thing which he is not willing to part with and the Truth shal tell him something that is contrary thereto now let him trie himselfe Pilate the Text saith knew that the Pharisees had delivered CHRIST for Envie this he knew but yet to content the people sayes one Evangelist and out of feare of Caesar sayes the other he delivered him to them Out of those two respects because he would not part with his love of the people nor with the good-will of Caesar he would part with CHRIST Now here is the Triall Suppose thou esteemest credit and applause with men the Truth comes and tels thee thou art to doe a thing that crosses this marke what thou art ready to doe in this case you shall see an instance in Iohn 12.42 There were many among the chiefe Rulers which beleeved on CHRIST but for feare lest the Pharisees should cast them out of the Synagogue they durst not confesse him for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God They beleeved on him the Truth did its part they were thereby informed well enough what they were to doe but because they loved the praise of men they resisted this Truth out of love to unrighteousnesse So put case thy minde be set upon wealth and in that thou wilt not be crost This truth tels thee thou must doe one thing but it will crosse thee in matter of thy estate as the Young-man had that Triall put on him Goe and sell all thou hast and thou shalt have Treasure in heaven Compare thine owne with the Young-mans behaviour hee went away sorrowfull Whence we may gather that he was enlightned to see the Truth he knew it was best to follow CHRIST the Truth was thus farre revealed to him for otherwise why should he goe away sorrowfull If he had not beleeved him to be the Messiah he needed not to have sorrowed but in that sorrow was left in his heart it manifested what his minde was set upon Is it thus with thee Learne hence to humble your selves to judge aright of your sins and of your Condition by them And if all this will not perswade you take this one instance which I will give you Take a view of thy selfe as thou art affected at some apprehension of Death in some dangerous sicknesse in some good mood after some quickning of the Spirit in thee after some great trouble into which thou art cast and see what thou wilt doe in such a case See what libertie this Truth hath at such a time how ready thou art to obey it in all things how ready will the Truth be to informe thee these and these things thou oughtest not to doe and thou hast neglected these and these duties how imminent this Truth is to dictate to thee what thou oughtest to doe Consider againe what thy behaviour is in time of health and strength in time of Peace when thou livest in abundance of all things See how farre short thou art of performing what in those times thou wouldest doe and in the same measure thou with-holdest the Truth in unrighteousnesse in such measure thou imprisonest it for that declares what light is in thee Take a survey of one or two dayes goe through the actions that passe by thee in the same see what evill thou hast done and what good thou hast omitted and say thus Might not I have forborne this evill if I would have set my selfe to doe it Might not I have performed this duty if I would have gone about it and let this humble thee For this cause I have chosen this Text that you might be driven out of your selves and why should you be backward in it seeing it is the first
the worke is so farre accepted as it hath an operation on our hearts and affections It is so in every duty as in Prayer when you call on God in private doth God regard the words of a prayer No but ' its working on your hearts ' it s humbling of them ' it s bringing of them into frame and making them perfect with God every day by a thorow renewing of your repentance and this is the doing of the thing Amongst your selves if a servant doth onely make a show of doing a thing it is not regarded but hee that brings the thing to passe is accepted of you and that is it which the Lord requires and accepts in our performances Now we shall see that this Text will helpe us to all that is required in a Fast as will appeare in the particulars Phineas the sonne of Eleazar c. In the former part of the Chapter the disease is set downe and that is Sinne which is indeed the onely disease of the soule illustrated from two consequents First from the wrath of God who as the Text saith was very angry with Israel for they had committed whoredome and joyned with Baal-Peor That was the disease the sin for which they had brought on them Gods wrath And secondly from an effect of that wrath the Plague God struck them with pestilence that is the punishment In this verse is set downe the remedy and that is the turning away of Gods wrath For as the Physitian sayes Morbi curantur contrarijs so it is true in Divinity as the wrath of God was the cause of the Plague so the turning away thereof is the remedy This turning away of his wrath is set forth by the cause of its turning away and that was the zeale of Phineas while hee was zealous for my sake and that is made good by two reasons One is in the latter end of my Text therefore have I not consumed them in my jealousie As if hee had said If Phineas had not beene zealous my jealouâ— should have burned more and more and the jealousie of that should have beene utter destruction The second is Gods owne Testimony set downe before my Text. The Lord himselfe said unto Moses that his wrath was turned away I will say no more for opening the words but in them you shall see these five points lye evidently before you First in that the removall of the Plague is attributed to God and to the turning away of his anger this is clearely deduced That it is God only that doth good and evill for you see his anger brought the Plague on them and the turning away of his anger healed them againe Secondly it is sin that causes Gods anger anger in God hath alway relation to sinne for sinne is the cause of it Thirdly the way to turne away the Lords anger is zeale for his sake Fourthly if there be want of this zeale among us his jealousie shall grow hotter and hotter it shall encrease upon us more and more Fifthly and lastly the issue of this jealousie of his will be utter destruction Wee will begin with the first which is That it is God onely that doth good and evill to every Nation to every Church and Kingdome yea to every particular person As you see here it was not the corruption of the Aire that brought the Plague nor the clearing of it with fâ—ost and wind that turned it away but the cloud of the Lords wrath shed this storme on them and when he was appeased with them there followed health and peace The Lord wounds and the Lord heales For what is the Plague but a sword in the hand of an Angell who drawes it out and puts it into its sheath againe at his Masters appointment And is not there the same reason of all other evils Warre you know is a terrible thing when Enemies come as Bees on a Land but doth not the Lord hisse for them And againe they are driven away as with a breath at his appointment Famine is a leane devouring evill which causes the Land to eate up the inhabitants thereof but is not the Lord the onely cause of it Doth not he make the Heaven as Brasse and the Earth as Iron Doth not he when he will open the windowes of Heaven and unstop the bottels of the clouds and powre outraine unseasonably And is not hee the cause of death which is the journeys end of both the former To which every one of us is subject yet wee consider it not Though we see men fall from the Tree of Life every moment yet wee regard it not This the Lord takes onely to himselfe Psal. 68.20 To the Lord belong the issues from death and therefore let us give to the Lord this great Prerogative of his That he onely doth good and evill and let no man question it You will say who doth question it It is very true we doe not question it in words but if we question it in our deeds it is an argument that our hearts make a doubt of it though our tongues doe not question it Therefore let us examine the matter If wee thinke the Lord onely doth good and evill why then will not we obey him and serve him and please him in all things But provoke him to anger by our words and by our workes as the Prophet speakes Perhaps you will say to me as Saul answered Samuel when he came from the warre of the Amalekites Oh thou blessed of the Lord I have fully kept the Commandement of the Lord but saith Samuel If thou hast done so What meanes the bleating of the Sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen So I say to you if you obey the Lord what meanes so many sinnes amongst us What meanes Fornication and Whoredome which is so frequent What meane those Oathes amongst us for which the Land mournes Not onely greater oathes but smaller oathes which exceed the greater for frequency though the greater exceed them in that they take the Name of God in vaine Againe what meanes the breaches of the Sabbath Of which I will speake a word by the way and that you may know that I doe not blame you for that as a sinne which is no sinne I will make this digression Doe you not think that Sabbaths are to be kept and to be kept holy I will name but two reasons to make it good you shall finde them in Esay 57.30 It is My Holy Day First it is a Holy Day and if it be holy you may doe nothing thereon that is common A Vessell that is sanctified and made holy may not bee imployed to take up common water or used in common services for it is holy So the time of the Sabbath is holy therefore you must not spend it about common actions for if you doe you prophane that which is holy Seeondly it is My Day and if it be My Day rob mee
Doct. 5. The Truth or Law of every mans judgement is made manifest by God 180 Vse 1. The greatnesse of mens sinne against this Truth 184 Vse 2. To be thankefull for the Truth 192 Vse 3. To doe nothing contrary to the Truth 193 Vse 4. To expect happinesse or miserie as wee observe or neglect this Truth 215 Doct. 6. God hath revealed so much to every man as makes him Inexcusable 219 Excuses that men frame to themselves 221 Vse 1. To justifie God and to blame our selves 234 Vse 2. To give God the glory of his long suffering 237 The Contents of the Sermon before the Commons house of Parliament FAsting necessarie 248 Fast defined 248 Defects in Fasting 249 Doct. 1. God onely doth Good and Evill 253 Foure Connections to demonstrate it 255 Reas. 1. Else God were not God 261 Reas. 2. Else the Creature should be God 262 Vse 1 To labour to see God in his greatnesse 265 Vse 2. To looke to God in all our businesse 269 Vse 3. To set Faith on worke to judge of these things 270 Doct. 2. Sinne causeth Wrath 271 Gods Wrath a treasure in three respects 273 Vse To see Sinne in the effects of it 275 How to prevent Gods Wrath 278 Doct. 3. Zeale turnes away Wrath 283 Vse 1. Not to discourage those that bee Zealous 286 Vse 2. Foure convictions of our want of Zeale 288 Doct. 4. Want of Zeale makes GODS Ielousie grow hotter 299 Doct. 5. Iealousie for the most part shal proceed to utter destruction 301 Vse To learne to Feare 302 Part 2. Doct. Iustification and Sanctification are inseperable 4 How Sanctification ariseth from Iustification 5 Reas. 1. None saved by the second Adam that are not borne of him 18 Reas. 2. It is the Will of God 19 Reas. 3. It is the end of our Ingraffing into Christ ibid Reas. 4. It is the end of Christs comming 20 Reas. 5. Christ is Prophet and King where he is a Priest ibid Reas. 6. All the meanes of Grace tend this way 21 Vse 1. To pray for Sanctification 22 Sixe incouragements to Pray for it ibid Vse 2. To esteeme Sanctification as highly as Iustification 36 The excellencie of Grace 37 Vse 2. To take heed of châ—llenging Iustification without Sanctification 44 Foure signes of a New creature 49 New Creature what 61 The Heart new framed 62 The Conversation changed 66 A new qualitie of Holinesse infused 71 Old man what 73 Mortification of the Old man 83 Where God pardoneth he healeth Sinne 88 First it stands with Gods Honour 89 Secondly with our Comfort ibid Thirdly with Gods Service ibid Doct. Those that are in Christ have another Nature 95 Vse 1. Not to Defer comming to God 98 Vse 2. Not to content our selves without a new Nature 101 Vse 3. To see that good Performances be naturall to us 107 Vse 4. To abhorre our Old Nature and labour for a change 114 Vse 5. Not to feare Falling away 117 Vse 6. Not to bee discouraged with the difficultie of any Dutie 120 Vse 7. Change of Nature a ground of comfort 121 Doct. We must be New Creatures 122 Consect 1. We are redeemed from old customes Ibid. Consect 2. Not to wonder that the World wonders at us 124 Consect 3. To pull downe all that is old 127 Consect 4. Not to wonder at unevennesse in mens lives 131 Consect 5. To expect a combate 137 Consect 6. Not to wonder at Aukednesse that wee finde in the waies of God 140 Consect 7. To give God the praise of the changing of natures 144 Doct. The New Creature is Gods work 149 Foure arguments to prove it ibid Vse 1. To shew our condition in Christ is better than in Adam 154 Vse 2. God setteth us not about an impossible worke 155 Vse 3. To make us love Christ. 156 Vse 4. Not to put off Christs call Ibid. Vse 5. To see with whom wee have to doe in hearing the Word 156 Vse 6. To give God the prayse of any good in us 161 Vse 7. Expect not that Ministers come with excellencie of Wisedome or words 162 Vse 8. Observe what the preaching of the Word works on our hearts 164 Doct. First in Christ and then New Creatures 169 Doct. To bee in Christ is the ground of all Salvation 171 Vse 1. First to increase Vnion with Christ in those that have it 176 Five helpes to doe it 178 Secondly to seeke it if it be wanting 185 Five motives to seeke this Vnion 186 Part. 3 Doct. IN the sacrament there is a communication of the verie Body and bloud of Christ 2 Arguments against Transubstantiation First there is no Necessitie of it 3 Secondly no Possibilitie of it 8 Thirdly it is against Sense 10 Fourthly against Reason 11 Fifthly against Scripture 13 Sacrament of the Lords Supper what 15 Condition of the Covenant on Gods part 16 Vse 1. To confirme our faith in the forgivenesse of sins 19 Conditions of the Covenant required on our part 24 Papists objection out of Ioh. 6. of eating Christs Flesh answered 33 Vse 2. To see the greatnesse of Christs Love to us 39 And to Love him againe and serve him 41 Two things to move us to come in to Christ 45 First our Miserie out of him 46 1 We are subject to Death 47 2 To the feare of Death 48 3 To Hell 49 Secondly our Happinesse by Christ 54 Benefit by Christ 1 Wee shall have Life 55 2 Our Debts shall be payd 61 3 Wee shall have Rest 68 4 Wee shall have a Kingdome which consisteth in 72 Libertie 73 Plentie 74 Peace 75 Glory 76 Riches 77 5 Wee shall have a Feast 86 Properties of spirituall Food 88 6 Apparrâ—ll 93 What this spirituall Cloathing is 94 FINIS CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse IT is true wee that are the Ministers of the Gospell are to make it our chiefe businesse to preach Christ indeed that is all in all But we may preach Christ long enough to men telling them of Remission of sinnes and Iustification but they will not hearken to us because before they can come to Christ they must be humbled It is true our end is Consolation for that is indeed the end of the Scriptures I say the end of the Scriptures is Consolation that through them you might have hope and so is it the end of this doctrine of Humiliation as though a purge or lancing are troublesome to the body yet the end of the Physitian using them is health and helpe and without this course there is no helpe And for that cause wee have fallen on this Text that it may teach us to know our selves and the need we stand in of Christ. You shall finde these three to be the three great parts of the Apostolicall Ambassage First to humble men to make them know what need they stand in of Christ. Secondly
to raise them againe to preach Remission of sinnes Thirdly to teach the doctrine of Sanctification These three Humiliation Iustification and Sanctification are the three maine things wherein our condition to God consists Therefore my Intent is to goe thorow these three And we will do it briefly beginning with this Text which wee have in hand The occasion whereof is this Paul tels the Romans that his intent was To come to them But what should he doe there He would preach the Gospell yea but it was an ignominious thing to be a Christian a thing that would expose him to much persecution and shame It is no matter saith he I am not ashamed of the Gospell for it is the power of God to salvation But how doth hee prove that it is the power of God to salvation Wee see that in the Gospell the righteousnesse of God is revealed that is there is no way in the world for men to be justified to be counted righteous before God but to have a righteousnesse revealed from heaven even another kind of Righteousnesse than any man hath in himselfe a righteousnesse of Christ a righteousnesse that is to be imputed to men and this saith he is revealed in the Gospell and therefore the Gospell only is the power of God to salvation But here comes the great question Why is it needful that there should be a new kind of righteousnesse revealed a righteousnesse wrought by another and made ours only but by Imputation saith he It must be so else no flesh can be saved every man must needs be condemned for all men are unrighteous every man is full of all impiety and wickednesse which he delivers in this verse thence concluding that it is needfull to have the Gospell revealed for that is it that reveales the righteousnesse of Christ. A righteousnesse of Christ which is onely wrought by Christ and will onely stand out before the Iudgement-seat of God So that the end of the words is to convince men to shew unto them that they have no righteousnesse of their owne to assure them that if they stand in the condition they are in by nature they remaine in condemnation for he that beleeves not is condemned already there needs no new condemnation if he have not the Sonne the wrath of God abides on him So that the maine thing in these words is this assertion That mans nature is full of ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse Two things are charged upon mans nature First a fulnesse of all kind of sins against God Secondly of all injustice and unrighteousnesse to men one touching the first Table the other the second Now when hee saith All ungodlinesse and all unrighteousnesse of men The meaning is That in mans nature there is all kind of ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of all sorts And againe that is to be marked unrighteousnesse of men he sets it down in generall because he speakes it of all men none excepted so you must take both in Every man none excepted is full of all unrighteousnesse all impietie all parts of impietie all kinds of unrighteousnesse are found in him But how will this be proved He proves it by two Arguments First because the wrath of God is revealed against every man and God being a just Iudge his wrath would not be kindled against men except there were just cause and that is one Argument But how shall we know that God is angry with men saith hee It is revealed from heaven Whence three things may be noted For thence you may see the evidence of his wrath It is revealed And secondly the surenesse of it it comes from heaven and God will be as good as his word And thirdly the Terriblenesse of it it is revealed from heaven For when God is said to sit in heaven and to laugh them to scorne And 2 Cor. 6. to sit in heaven it argues he doth things powerfully But you will aske how is the wrath of God revealed from heaven It is revealed by the light of nature Every man hath so much light in him as to know that hee deserves wrath and judgement and punishment And partly it is revealed by the Scripture and partly by continuall experience God is ever and anon executing his wrath and Iudgement on sinners And that is the first Argument The second argument to prove their unrighteousnesse is because they With-hold the truth in unrighteousnesse And here is a secret objection answered For it may be objected There be many excellent things in men as your morall Philosophers had they not much light in their understandings much rectitude in their lives Did they not practice many morall vertues That is all one it will but encrease their condemnation It was Gods worke to put so much light so many excellent things in them which had they used as they should and might those Principles would have shed themselves into their whole soule and conversation but they imprisoned them shutting them up within the walls of their Conscience men doe not use the light they have nor improve it they doe not bring it out in their lives and conversations but With-hold it in unrighteousnesse So that in the words there are three points laid downe all which will helpe exceedingly to humble us First That mans Nature is full of all impietie and unrighteousnesse The second is The wrath of God will surely fall on men for this If sinne went alone it would not so much amaze men but when the wrath of God comes too accompanied with the fruits of his wrath men out of selfe-love will be moved therewith The third That all the good in a man before his regeneration serves only to helpe forward his condemnation But before I come to the handling of these points one point we must needs observe out of the method of the Apostle This that hee saith here in few words is amplified to the middle of the third Chapter All which time he spends in expressing particularly how mans nature is full of impietie and unrighteousnesse and when he hath done that he urges Iustification by Christ and after that he comes to Sanctification Wherein the Apostles method is very observable and therefore from his method before we come to the maine we will briefly deliver this point That Humiliation must goe before Iustification You may observe it from the method used Men must first be convinced of their impietie and unrighteousnesse before they can be fit to receive the Gospell As the Physitians have their method in curing first to purge and cleanse the body and then to give Cordials so it is a rule in Divinitie you must be humbled before you can be justified or Humiliation goes before Iustification Which may be gathered not only from this but likewise from many other places You shall finde it is the course God takes every where with men and it is a very necessary thing to be knowne for by reason of the ignorance of this method men doe not
take the right course they goe not the right way to worke This is the cause many continue in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity they know not the right way to come out I say you shall finde this in other places Observe Deut. 8.2 3. you shall find there how God deales with his people hee carries them thorow the wildernesse and to what end to humble them And how doth he humble them Two wayes First by shewing them the sinfulnesse of their hearts letting them know their rebellions and startings aside when he led them along saith he I have carried thee these forty yeares in the wildernesse to humble thee and prove thee All thy sinne and corruption was there before but thou knowest it not But that is not enough for if men saw never so much sinne in themselves yet if they have a bottome to stand on if they have health and strength they regard it not therefore he addes further I humbled thee I made thee hungry and then I fed thee with Mannah that thou mightest see thou had'st nothing without me And this I did that when I bring thee into the good Land ye may know it was not for your owne righteousnesse but for the Covenant I made with your Fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob This is nothing but a resemblance of the same God doth now Carrying men thorow this world he first humbles them he lets them fall into sin that they may know themselves and withall afflicts them suffering them to fall into other necessities that they may know what they are that they may see their miserable condition and that God brings them not to heaven for their righteousnesse but for his Covenants sake with Abraham and Isaac that is for his mercy sake in Christ. So Zechar. 12. and 13. Chap. You shall find first God powres on them the Spirit of compunction that they shall mourne for their sinnes as a man mourneth for his only sonne and when they are humbled then and not before I will open a fountaine to Iudah and Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse that is it is shut before they be humbled but when that is done the fountaine is opened So you shall see Paul when he had to doe with Felix a place worth your marking Act. 24.26 you shall finde that when Felix and his wife Drusilla a Iewesse called Paul before them it is said They heard him of the faith of Christ But how began he Hee began saith the Text with preaching of Temperance Righteousnesse and the Iudgement to come He told Felix what Righteousnesse and what Temperance the Law of God required and likewise the Iudgement to come for those two things must bee in Humiliation An Endictment to shew how farre short we be of the Righteousnesse and Temperance that the Law of God requires and withall a pronouncing of the Sentence a declaration of the Iudgement to come And this course made Felix to tremble So Iohn the Baptist that came to prepare the way of the Lord to make way for Christ How did he make way He came as with the Spirit and power of Elias so with much Terrour calling them a Generation of Vipers told them of their miserable condition as much as he could to humble them And that was the way to prepare them So when Christ went about to convert any this was his Method as in Ioh. 4. when he had that discourse with the woman of Samaria meeting her by Accident first hee tels her of her sinne The man whom thou hast is not thy husband thou hast committed adultery whereby hee amazed her and made her looke into her selfe and then he tells her he was the Messiah and that in him there was hope So he deales with Nichodemus he tells him he was flesh that all that was in him was nought and not any thing good and then he preaches the Gospell telling him he must be borne againe But of all places you shall find the clearest to be that in Ioh. 16. where Christ promises that he would send His Spirit into the world and three great workes the Spirit should doe which were wrought by the ministery of the Apostles he should Convince the world of Sinne and of Righteousnesse and of Iudgement First he saith of Sinne Because they have not beleeved in mee marke that there were many other sinnes that the Holy Ghost convinced them of but the contempt of the Gospell the not taking of Christ offered that is the maine sinne And the Holy Ghost shall convince men of this sinne All the men of the world cannot doe it Wee may tell you long enough of particular sinnes you have done these and these sinnes sworne such oaths defiled your selves with such abominations and yet all will come to nothing but when the Spirit sets in and makes a man sensible of sin that workes to purpose Then it followes in the Method He shall convince the world of righteousnesse because I am risen againe and gone to the Father he should teach that there is another Righteousnesse in me by which you must be justified when you see no righteousnesse in your selves then the Holy Ghost shall shew you the righteousnesse that I have wrought But how will this appeare In that I am dead and risen again and gone to my Father whereby it is declared that i am righteous that I have overcome death satisfied my Fathers justice And then when that is done he shal convince the world of Iudgement that is of holinesse for so the word is there used that is then the Prince of this world shall be judged Satan reignes in the hearts of men in the children of disobedience till they bee justified and engrafted into Christ but when they be once justified then Christ shall cast him out you shall see him fall like lightning out of the hearts of men and this is that which was before prophesied Hee shall bring forth Iudgement unto victory that is hee shall overcome the Prince of the world take away sinne and enable men to serve him in holinesse And this is the method you must observe in turning to God labour to be convinced of Sinne then of Righteousnesse and then of Iudgement And to shew the necessitie of this take that one place Gal. 3.24 a place you all know The Law must be a Schoole-master to bring us to Christ. No man living can come to Christ till the Law be his Schoole-master Now how is the Law a Schoole-master It gives lessons that we cannot goe through with thereby is such a Rectitude required as we are not able to reach like the Schoole-masters taske to the scholler which he is not able to performe and is therefore faine to goe to another to doe his exercise for him So the Lord tells men you must be exactly holy perfect righteousnesse must runne through the whole course of your life when we see we cannot doe it it makes us runne to Christ to have his righteousnesse
condition he is in so when the Law comes it humbles a man making him to draw in his Thoughts and to see his misery and when he is wounded with the sense of his sins and with the wrath of God then and not till then the feet of them that bring glad Tidings of salvation are beautifull Likewise Humiliation is necessary for this cause because except men be throughly humbled they will never take the Kingdome of heaven by violence and they must take it so else they shall never have it now by the Kingdom of heaven is meant the Gospell you know it is called the Gospell of the Kingdome that is righteousnesse and grace therein revealed and offered In Matth. 11. and Luke 16.16 you shall find that from the time of Iohn the Baptist The kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violence take it by force The meaning is this saith Christ to them we preach the Gospell so did Iohn with him it began to be preached but deceive not your selves many thinke they take the kingdome of heaven but you must know there be two kinds of taking some are content to be saved and to doe many things as Herod did and as the second and third ground did but this is a false taking and deceive not your selves thereby There is another kinde of taking when a man takes this kingdome violently and indeed none shall have it but after this manner Now what is it to take it violently When a man takes a thing violently he doth it with all his might he puts all his strength to it he doth it not coldly and slightly and overly but with all his might So the meaning is this The kingdom of heaven is as if one were to come within a narrow doore which cannot be without difficulty when hee puts to all his violence and strength to doe it According to the phrase in Luke Since the time of Iohn the Baptist they presse into the kingdome of heaven that is with violence as if God seemes to hold the kingdome of heaven in his hand that unlesse you pull it and extort it from him as it were you shall never have it Now will any man doe thus till he be humbled It is impossible he should When a man is brought into feare of his life and is like to die the feare of losse of naturall life wil make him worke any thing with violence much more then when a man sees eternall death that he shal die for ever will he take the kingdome of heaven with violence that is he will not performe duties in a slight manner as if God were beholden to him not with that laxity in his judgement of the truth as he conceives nor with that coldnesse in the duty Those that will be saved must take Salvation by force which a man will never doe till he be humbled There is much profession and many kinds of taking Christ in the world but the right taking is when a man wil be at this cost to part with all to deny himselfe perfectly and every way and take up his crosse and every crosse when his lusts are throughly mortified and this cannot be till hee be humbled For marke nothing mortifies but joy and love that doth properly and immediately mortifie for no man will part with his lusts till he finde Christ sweeter than they till then he will never part with them in good earnest now Christ will never be sweet till we have found the bitternesse of sin till God hath so prest it on their consciences that they feele the weight and burden of it And so much for the reasons of it Now the vse of this is double First is this so necessary Then labour to see your selfe humbled if ever you looke to be saved and justified for though God offers Salvation to all as it is true none is excepted yet he lookes to none with a gracious eye to save him indeed but him that is poore and contrite in heart and trembles at his Word And good reason for none else will looke after him the poore receive the Gospell and none else When we preach the Gospell it is like Cyrus his Proclamation it was a generall proclamation that all that would might go out of captivity and build the Temple but saith the Text onely they went whose heart the Lord stirred up to goe other would noâ— goe So when we preach we offer Salvation to all men that is our Commission Marke 16. Goe and preach to all Nations that is offer Grace and Salvation to all men but when it comes to the point that men must goe out of their captivitie and build a Temple to God they will not doe it they will rather live in captivity still because they be not humble To goe out of their sins wherein they have been captivated a great while and to build a Temple to Christ that is to make their hearts fit Temples for Christ to purge themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit to labour to walke in his feare to leave all even the beloved sinnes and to delight in the Lord in the Inner man they will not what is the reason they are not yet humbled and therefore they cannot be saved The Iubile among the Iewes may be a very fit resemblance hereof and for ought I know may be so intended to resemble the glorious Liberty in the times of the Gospell Now the Iubile was this All servants should then goe free but if any would not as of them there were many then he was to be bored in the eare and to be a perpetuall servant So when we preach the Gospell this is the great Iubile every man may be free the Son comes to that end and it is the end of the Truth to make men free The Son comes to deliver every man out of the Gaole if he will but men will not be at liberty they will be servants still because they were never humbled they never felt the heavinesse of Satans yoke they were never wearied with sinne for if they were so this would be acceptable newes but it is not so Now marke this by the way if a servant would not go free he should not afterwards be at libertie to goe and stay when hee list but his eare shall be bored and he should be a perpetual servant So if you deferre this when you heare the Gospell preached and thinke I will not alway live in this condition I will repent and come out of it know that is not enough God will not wait thy leasure if thou wilt not come out take heed lest God bore thee in the eare that is never give thee an heart to come out Doe not say If it be so necessary I will doe it hereafter take heed that thy opportunities be not wholly taken from thee and know that Christ came into the world not only to take away sinne for that was but a part of it But what was his businesse he came like
is one and a principall One even to know the greatnesse of your sins The third and chiefe use of all the rest is this This Corruption of Nature this abundance of Corruption which hath beene shewed to you should drive us to Christ. And that is our end wee doe not preach damnation our end is Salvation Therefore wee would have men to know their condition to know that they bee in state of death For that that keepes men from comming to CHRIST and the reason that so few are saved that so few take the Gospell is they are not poore in spirit And why are they not so Because they see not their sins And for this cause wee have beene thus long in opening this point that you may know your selves And this I dare say If you did know your selves if GOD had kindled a light within whereby to see your Corruptions you would not stand cheapning the Kingdome of Heaven as you doe you come now in a lame and remisse manner but you would then come and give all that you have for it and goe away rejoycing and thinke you have a good bargaine God should not then deny you you would wrestle with him as Iacob did and give him no rest till you have obtained a blessing This would awaken men out of their dead sleepe of security as that is the condition of every man by nature as he is sinfull so he is secure he considers not his sins Therefore to all that I have said you must adde something of your owne what I have said is no more able to shew you the sinnes you are subject to than a little Mappe is to shew you the whole world it doth but point to the sinnes you are subject to as a point in the margent The way to make it profitable is to goe home to your owne hearts to consider these things particularly to see how your minde your Conscience Will and Memorie is out of order to consider how you have offended in thoughts in words and in actions by sinnes of Omission and of Commission and by that meanes you shall reade your Natures in your hearts and make what I have said profitable to you And doe not thinke you may goe too farre Doe not thinke we wrong your nature in saying it is more guiltie than it is for wee doe not so I may boldly say this Take that man that thinkes worst of himselfe hee is worse than he thinkes himselfe to bee and that I may not speake without Ground looke upon the first Epistle of Saint Iohn the third Chapter and the twentieth verse If our Conscience condemne us God is greater than our Conscience and knowes all things That is the Conscience of man hath some light but what is it to the eye of GOD to the light that is in him And so much as his light is greater than ours so much more hee sees what is amisse in us The heart saith Ieremie is deceitfull aboue all things who can know it There is a depth of evill in the heart which no man can search it is deceitfull and puts false glosses on things to hide them from our eyes Therefore doe not thinke thou canst exceed but labour for thy Humiliation to see all these things in a greater measure in thy selfe than as they bee here described and that not nakedly but with all Circumstances The end of the Third Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Fourth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse AND this is a thing wee are very unwilling to do for the Medicine shews the Disease The Apostles taking of so much pains to perswade men that they shall not be saved by their own righteousnesse is an argument that it is an hard matter to perswade them It is the hardest thing in the Word to perswade a civill man that he must not sticke to his owne righteousnesse till God himselfe puts his hand to the worke for it is not in any mans power to convince him of his sinne or of the deficiencie of his righteousnesse Therefore that use wee should make of all that hath beene said to see the necessity that lyes on us to goe to Christ and that there is no salvation without him Now to make this Doctrine more effectuall to awaken you the more to rouze men out of that sleepe wherein they are by nature we will handle these two points First that the aggravations of sin are more than the sins themselves Secondly we will take away all excuses that so every mouth may bee stopped and when these two are done you will have much adoe to finde any starting-hole to keepe you from comming to Christ. For that is our End And these are very necessary For though you doe consider in your selves all the sins formerly named if it be done negligently without the Circumstances sin is a sword without an edge the Circumstance is that that gives it an edge that sharpens sin that makes it fit to wound us And secondly if the sword be never so keene and sharpe and yet we be forced to keepe it off it will not wound us Therefore we will I say in the second place take away the excuses by which men fence themselves and decline the stroke of truth decline this wound of the Law And so we will conclude this point and hasten to the rest For the first to make all you have heard before effectuall we will adde the Circumstances which is a thing necessary for it is a true rule the Schoole-men have that in moral things the circumstance is more than the thing it selfe Many times in natural things accidents are nothing in comparison of the forme but In moralibus as they say Circumstantia plus valet quà m forma For it is the Circumstance by which an action lookes if you looke round about it and see all that borders on it it will aggravate and make sin out of measure sinfull To run thorow them briefly First Consider this Circumstance in sinnes committed I speake of the corrupt nature of man that every sin committed against God is not only an offence committed against so great a Majesty for I will not stand to enlarge that Circumstance that the sin is greater as the person is greater against whom it is committed but consider the affection with which you commit it and you shall finde all this in a sin committed by a naturall man First an hatred of God in the sin They thinke they love God but if it be so what is the reason that word is put in Rom. 1.30 where the Apostle speaking of the rebellion of mankinde he reckons up particularly that which here he puts up in the grosse in the generall Haters of God You will say you doe not hate God but let me aske you this question Wouldest thou not live at liberty
sinned that amazed him it made him to know what Originall sinne was wherof this was but a fruit and being the spring it must needs have more efficacie If a man finde any pride in his actions let him looke to his heart it may be God hath left him to such fals that he may see what is within as it was with Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.31 For this cause God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart that it might be discovered to him what an heart he had The Apostle speaketh Rom. 9.22.23 a place very considerable for it may helpe to humble us of vessels prepared for honour and of vessels prepared for wrath and destruction the vessels be of two sorts those for honour they have a fashion peculiar to them which when you see you may say this is made for such a purpose and in other vessels you shall see another fashion and may say This is not a vessell of honour but of dishonour So looke on thy heart see how it is framed and when thou seest the fashion of it thou maist say for ought I see my heart is framed and fashioned to destruction This use we should make of our nature it should be so farre from excusing sin that it should aggravate it The third Excuse is But we live in times of the Gospell and God is full of mercy and will not deale with us now as he did with them in the time of the Law Will you make God all Iustice I answer and shew that there is a great deceit in this out of that place Matth. 5.20 Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God This is spoken to them that were under the Gospell for he saith I say unto you c. The meaning is this The Pharisees did many things they kept the Law in a great measure and thought to be saved by it but except you doe more than that you shall never be saved As for example in the sequele of this chapter he names foure particulars The Pharisees say Thou shalt not kill but that is not enough I say Thou shalt not be angry unadvisedly Againe they say Thou shalt not commit adultery But I say If thou cherishest any lust though thou never commest to act it thou committest adultery Againe the Pharisees say Forsweare not But I say Sweare not at all but let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more than that is evill Let them that sweare By Faith and Troth consider this Againe the Pharisees say An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say You shall doe good to them that hurt you and blesse them that curse you and except you doe this which is more than the Pharisees doe you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God You that thinke your condition so good because you have a new Priesthood a new Iubile a time of liberty I tell you except you yeeld an Evangelicall obedience to all I have now named which are but some of many more at all times and in every particular although you live under the Gospell you cannot be saved for otherwise the Publicans and Pharisees can doe as much as you and you must doe more than men can do by nature you must doe something that is singular and above the reach of Nature you must strive to perfection labouring to be like your heavenly Father So much for that The fourth Excuse is But wee doe many things that will ballance our sins although we doe some things amisse yet we doe many things well we give Almes receive the Sacrament it may be wee come to Church diligently and these things in their conceits ballance their sins and though they sin yet they aske God forgivenesse morning and evening and their sins are not so hainous as if they had done no good at all and for this they thinke God may deale better with them But it is true in this as in your Law Stoppage is no payment When a man does somethings that God commands and leaves othersome undone let him know God requires a perfect obedience to every Commandement Iam. 2.10 He that keepes the whole Law and failes but in one that is omits one duty he is guilty of all If that be so then every bush can stop but one gap you have no more than was your duty If you could doe something superfluous and more than God requires at your hands it were some satisfaction But if there be other sins wherein you spare your selfe and would have a little more liberty you would not bee so strait laced in this seeing I say God requires an exact obedience to all all that you doe is nothing It matters not how much you doe if you faile in one though you be carefull to doe all the duties of new obedience so that there is no Commandement but thou endevourest to performe it to the full yet if there be one thing wherein thou takest liberty it is enough to condemne thee Againe But I hope I am not so bad as others I am free from many sins wherewith others are tainted and I have many good things in mee that they want To this I answer briefly and so will passe from it First thou maist deceive thy selfe much in thinking thou art not so bad as others Art not thou cut out of the same peece and made of the same masse the same clay Hast not thou the same nature that other men have And what is the reason thou runnest not into the same Outrages that others doe Not because thy nature is better but because thou art more restrained A Wolfe that is tyed up is the same with the Wolfe that doth all the mischiefe This therefore know that every naturall man is restrained by by-respects That rule is generall Rom. 3.18 They have not the feare of God before their eyes when he would have a reason why the nature of man is so bad having spent the former part of the Chapter in reckoning up the sins to which it is inclined he gives this reason They have not the feare of God before their eyes all are alike in this one is not more restrained than the other The difference of restraint is in regard of outward actions there is no new spring of Grace in them as is in the Saints Againe for thy Vertues take heed thou deceive not thy selfe for thou must know there be natural vertues that imitate those which be true and are very like them as the Bristow stone is very like the Diamond yet there is great difference one is a Pearle the other is only a shining stone So I say naturall vertues may be very like true but in Gods sight there is a great deale of difference For example two men may come to die One man is not afraid out of a stupidity of spirit and on
therefore since the wrath of God shall in such a manner be revealed against such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse You need no other Argument to shew that the sin is great Againe One Evidence more is in this very Chapter that is from the kinde of punishment for punishments you know where the Iudge is just are according to the measure of the sinne Now marke God punishes this with giving them up to a reprobate sense For this cause saith the Apostle Rom. 1.26 God gave them up unto vile affections And afterwards in the eight and twentieth verse As they regarded not to know God even so or therefore God delivered them up to a reprobate minde that is a minde without knowledge an injudicious minde that cannot judge of things And looke in all the booke of God among all the Armies of sorrow there is not any like this to be given up to vile affections to lusts to an injudicious mind in matters of God and things belonging to their Salvation This punishment shewes the greatnesse of the sin but men slight this as it is the greatest judgement so it is the least felt men lye at rest they are cast into a dead sleepe but it is like the sleepe of them that have crazie braines they wake in a frenzie so these shall wake in an horrible astonishment their sleepe is such a calme as will end in a tempest and such a tempest as shall never be blowne over Therefore let no man blesse himselfe in this I feele none of these things for thou hast the greatest judgement on thee when thou feelest it least And so much for the three things I propounded to you what this Truth is how it is with-holden and the greatnesse of the sin now wee will come to make use of it And the first use we are to make of it is that which is the maine scope of the Apostle here and that for which we pitched on these words and that is to humble us to learne to know our selves to know in what Condition we are for the Truth is revealed to us but we with-hold it in unrighteousnesse This Truth that should rule in the hearts of men that should be as the supreme governour in the soule of which it may be said as it is said of the Peace of God let it rule in your soules that where by men should be acted is by men imprisoned Therefore Rom. 2.9 the Apostle denounceth Tribulation and anguish upon every one that disobeyes the Truth Intimating that Truth is our King that should governe and rule in our hearts now when men disobey it nay goe further imprison this Truth it is as when men imprison their lawfull King or servants their Master and they run riot and at liberty in the meane time And this is our case we doe with it as children doe with their Masters we desire to be rid of it because it watches over us and so we grow enemies to it And this is no small sinne for if we consider whence this comes who puts it into our hearts it will appeare hainous by the Law of man it is death to kill children that are begot by man but this Truth is begot by the Holy Ghost it is put in by the Spirit of God and to extinguish this Truth not to suffer it to live not to nourish it not to bring it forth is the great sin of all Even the Heathen shall rise in judgement against Christians for this who maintained the Vestall fire because they conceived it to come from heaven they for that cause never suffered it to go out But this Truth is a fire which came from heaven a sparke put into the brests of men to guide their feet into the way of Peace when men shall extinguish this Truth let it goe out and not maintaine it the Heathen shall rise against them in judgement as the men of Niniveh should rise up against the men of that Generation among whom Christ lived We were wont to take care of precious things consider the preciousnesse of this Truth what is precious we wil not be willing to destroy as the Prophet said of the bunch of Grapes Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it And what doe you thinke of this Truth is it not a precious thing Yea it is the chiefe thing in a man In a ship a wise man will have an eye to the rudder for that turnes all the rest of the body of the ship Of all things in our selves wee looke to our eye the guide of the body so we should learne to watch and be tender over this Truth as over our eye for the one is the light but of this life the other is the light of the soule to eternall life In Micah 3.5 It is threatned as a great Iudgement when God shal turne their Visions into night and their Divinations into darknesse when the Sunne shall goe downe on their Prophets and the day shall be darke on them and will you bring this Iudgement on your selves They that are guilty of this that have not used this Truth but imprisoned it and laboured as much as they can to cause the Sun to goe downe and rise no more to turne the day into night let them consider what the sin is when you reade the story of the Kings and heare them saying to the Prophets prophesie not imprisoning them as Ahab did Micaiah and slaying them as Ioash did Zecharial you will little thinke you are guilty of the same sinne but when this Truth comes as a Prophet from God and tels you such and such things ought to be done and such and such evils ought to be abstained from and you shall desire it to be silent and shall say Prophesie not when you shall not suffer it to speake freely I say your sins shall be as great as theirs therefore learne to consider of it and be humbled for it men are wont to thinke their Condition better because they know more than others but it is quite contrary for nothing aggravates sin more than that It is an extreme folly in men when they cannot deny the fact they slight the fault and will not acknowledge it It was Adams fault when God came towards him he fled and hides his sinne and it is the fault of all Adams posterity But let men know that the quite contrary way is the way to Salvation It is not with God as it is with men among whom confession makes way for condemnation for with God confession is the way to salvation Therefore be not unwilling to examine your selves consider how much you have knowne what truths have been revealed to you Do this with one eye with another eye looke on your lives and see how short your practise hath beene of your knowledge come willingly and if you confesse you shal be forgiven This wil drive you out of your selves it will be your Schoole-master to bring you to Christ. They that carry this
that they have you shall finde a double difference First though in the Truths they know they goe exceeding farre as I have shewed you yet in this they fall short that they understand not the secrets of God There be certaine secrets which God reveales to none but to them that feare him There is something in these Truthes that civill men doe not understand Consider that speech spoken by our Saviour to Ierusalem O Ierusalem that thou hadst knowne the things belonging to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes What was hid from them not the things themselves simply considered for they were fully revealed Christ himselfe Preached there there wanted no light to shine to them yet it was hid from their eyes that is there was a certaine secret which if God had revealed it would have perswaded them to have turned to him effectually but that was hid from their eyes and so they were strangers from the life of God So the life of holinesse and religion these men understand not there is something spirituall which they cannot comprehend There light goes as farre as it may when a man hath a naturall a common light it will apprehend common objects such as are sutable to it it apprehends but that which is spirituall it cannot reach unto 1 Cor. 2.14 A naturall man understandeth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are spiritually discerned that is the very thing wherein the Image of God consists wherein true holinesse expresseth it selfe they do not understand Therefore it seemes a strange thing to them as in 1 Pet. 4.4 that others runne not into the same excesse of ryot It seemes strange now marke that word nothing seemes strange but when a man is ignorant of its cause is not acquainted with it and therefore he is still finding fault with it Therefore unholy men have a light that reaches to common Iustice and to a common care of serving God to common morall vertues and to an upright behaviour to men but further they cannot goe they know not what it is to be exact and strict in all things and that is the first difference they know not the secret of God they may goe thorow the whole course of Divinity and be acquainted with all the mysteries of Salvation but that secret of his they understand not Secondly there is this difference in the things they doe know they know them indeed I speake of them they doe know that are within their owne sphere their owne compasse but they have not the savour of what they know that is it which the Scripture cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the savour of these Truthes they want and therefore they receive the Truth but not the love of the Truth they doe not relish it they apprehend it not aright and for that cause they practise it not You have them excellently set downe in Iude 14. they speake evill sayes the Apostle of the things they know not You see there be some things they know not and therefore they speake evill of them And what things they doe know as beâ—sts without reason in them they corrupt themselves that is they doe not practice according to their knowledge though they are acquainted with the wayes of God in that measure that they know they ought to abstaine from these and these sins yet in these things that they know naturally they are corrupt So you see the difference betweene them and the truly regenerate in matter of understanding Secondly to keepe the same method I did in the other for matter of Conscience you shal finde this difference and in this they fall short Though they doe make Conscience of many things notwithstanding they have not a good Conscience for Conscience is good in two respects either because it witnesses good to us and so wee commonly use it or as it is subjectively good and so the love of God is good and the feare of God is good and in this they have not a good Conscience for it is required that the Conscience be inherently and subjectively good that a man make Conscience not out of slavish feare but out of willingnesse as a chaste wife desires to please her husband because shee loves him shee is loth to displease him will not lose his favour for any thing and therefore shee observes him exactly and will not offend him when the Conscience stands in this reference to God it is a good Conscience On the other side let a man make Conscience of never so many things yet if it be out of feare as a servant feares his Master or as the Theefe feares the Iudge his Conscience is not good So that the civil men cannot be said to have a good Conscience in the things they abstaine from out of Conscience because they doe it not willingly but as of necessity Now all God lookes to is to have what is done done willingly and therefore it is no wonder that Divines give this as a sure rule that Desire is a signe sure enough of Grace If a man hath a true desire to please God it cannot deceive him for the desire is more than the deed as Saint Paul saith in 2 Cor. 8. In matter of giving You have not onely beene ready to doe but to will and to be forward as if the will were more than the deed and so it is indeed A man may performe many actions of Religion abstaine from many sins reforme his life in many things but it is another matter to desire to please God according to that of Nehemiah 1.11 Let thine eare be attentive to the prayer of thy servants that desire to feare thy Name there is none but the servants of God that desire to feare him If others be asked whether they could not be content there were no law to restraine them that no necessity of holinesse lay on them they will answer they could desire that there were none that they were at liberty and therefore when they make Conscience of any thing it is not out of willingnesse but out of a slavish feare though it be out of Conscience yet the Conscience is not good and in this respect they fall short Thirdly for matter of morall vertues they may have many excellent vertues planted in their hearts which are the gifts of the Holy Ghost for the Holy Ghost doth not only enlighten the understandings of some that shall never be saved but also places many gifts in their will and affections But this defect they have they neither come from a right Principle nor tend to a right end they come from no higher a Well-head than Nature they be common to them that be only naturall and therefore it cannot be proper to them that shall be saved I say Nature is able to bring forth these vertues even as the earth for that similitude will expresse it is able to bring forth two things Weeds and Grasse You know weeds are unprofitable and many of
turnes away the wrath of the Lord. Therefore remember these in particular and consider what it is to spare in this case Saul was lost by sparing Agag and remember what Elijah gained and Iehu gained by being zealous The manner we will wholly leave to you onely be zealous for the Lord. The second thing you must doe for the Church to turne away the Lords wrath is to contend for that which maintaines the Church I meane Faith maintaine that which maintaines you preserve that which preservs you the whole Church and Kingdome Wee will therefore commend to you that of Iudges I exhort you saith he that you contend for the faith which was once given to the Saints Marke it you are to contend earnestly for so much the word implies herein we are to be contentious men The very example of our adversaries may teach us to contend for thâ— Truth if we consider how they contend fâ—r the contrary if we observe what unity there is among them what joynt consent in opposing the truth Againe remember what you are to contend for it is for Faith for the whole doctrine of Faith every jot whereof is precious and it is the faith that was once given to the Saints As if hee had said looke to it if you lose it it shall be recovered no more Christ will not come againe from heaven to deliver this point of doctrine And againe it was once delivered to the Saints for what Certainly to be kept as we keepe Pearles and Iewels that it may not suffer the least detriment And let no man say he hath nothing to do with this for it is the common faith which every man hath to doe with you know in common things wherein every man hath interest every man is ready to maintaine his right Consider this and stand for the whole Faith for all the doctrine of Faith and know that these are matters of exceeding great moment all that we have said before of the punishment of Injustice Whoredome Idolatry and Superstition c. is not so much as this for a man may turne aside to these sins and yet have a right judgement but so long as the judgement is perverted the soule is irrecoverable Againe these are of exceeding great consequence for what Elisha did with the Syrians who when they thought they were led to the man whom they sought to take were brought into Samaria to be taken the same falls out where there is an errour of faith that which men think builds them up unto the Kingdome of GOD leads them to that which will bee their destruction Therefore contend for the Faith for the whole doctrine of Faith for every point of Faith and remember to contend for it earnestly The third and last action that wee will commend unto you is this Labour to doe that most which will most glorifie God that is endevour to set up a learned Ministery in the Land and Church you know it is a great complaint My people perish for want of knowledge and who are they that perish Acts 20.28 Even the flocke that God hath purchased with his owne bloud And at whose hands must it be required It is true we are the Vines that beare the Grapes but you are the Elmes that must hold up the Vines It is true wee are the Shepheards to defend the flock but it must bee your care to see that every flocke have a Shepheard Is it not a lamentable thing to see how many perish for want of knowledge in Wales in the Northerne Countries and in many places besides Is it not your part to take care and labour as farre as you may that every Candlestick may have a Candle set in it to give light That every Pâ—rish have an able Preaching Minister It is true every Parish cannot be provided for alike Starres are of different magnitudes some Stars are greater some are lesser some Starres shine not at all some againe shine in another Hemisphere and not in our owne some shine like Meteors for a little time and then disappeare againe let it be your care that all Sâ—rres that are in the firmament of the Church I meane those that are to dispence the mysteries of salvation may though weakely yet like true Starres shine These things wee must commend to your care onely remember this you know the wrong that is done to the flock if dogges be suffered among them therefore let them be removed I meane those that endeavour to put out the light that so they may the better prevaile and teach their doctrines of darkenesse As when the day is done the beast wanders abroad and doe not we finde it so amongst us For where doth Popery abound so much as in the darke places of the Kingdome I beseech you consider this and be zealous I should have added more but so much shall serve for the third point The other I will but name and indeed I will the rather name them though I doe no more because they follow so one upon another You have heard that GODS anger brings all evill that sinne is the cause of that anger that it is zeale that turnes away that anger Now Fourthly it followes that if you be not zealous his jealousie shall grow hotter it shall encrease more and more The very word Iealousie hath something in it when the Lord looks on a Church or Nation the losse of their affection breeds a jealousie which is intended more and more if there be not care to prevent it Therefore when the Lord is jealous he sends some tokens of his jealousie as when a man strikes we know he is angry so when the Lord sends a plague among us we may conclude he is angry When a messenger comes the sooner he hatâ— his answer the sooner hee is gone but hee will stay till hee hath his answer and will the Lord send this messenger in vaine Doth hee not send it for an answer And what is the answer the Lord lookes for That you fast and pray and humble your selves and turne from your evill wayes and bee zealous for his sake What else is the end of all his judgements Are they not as medicines or plaisters to heale a Church or a Nation or a particular person They will stick on till the sore be healed but when it is healed they will fall off so you shall finde these judgements of the Lord as long as wee remaine unreformed they will stick by us till we bee healed the playster wil continue Therefore are those phrases in Scripture his hand is stretched out still and still as in Deut. 28. Till wee be healed hee will not make an end of correcting he is now as it were engaged and you know when a man is engaged to proceed in a thing hee must goe on till hee hath brought it to an issue else it will be counted rashnesse and doe you thinke the LORD will turne from his wrath now it is begun
old leaven now leaven when it is old is the worst as every thing gets strength from their age and it is of that nature that if they doe not purge it out it will leaven the whole lumpe If there be any jot of leaven left it shall sower all thy heart Sinne is like a fretting leprosie that will runne over all So leaven is strong it sowres quickly and speedily But you will say How shall I doe that then I shall be free from all sinne The meaning is thou must dislike all Sinne must be put out of possession it must be emptied forth thou must be in warre with it all that is thou must resist all if any be not purged out that thou sufferest it to lye quietly without resisting it will leaven the whole therefore purge all out But must all the old building bee pulled downe Is there nothing to be left there what shall we doe with our naturall dispositions You must know that only the oldnesse is to be taken away but the nature it selfe is to continue there is much use of nature only you must know grace takes away the obliquity the oldnesse the sowrenesse of it and puts a sweetnesse into it As a ship under saile the wind is profitable to drive the ship else it will not goe all the matter is in the Rudder that it be turned the right way So Nature the strength of nature affections or whatsoever they be are like the wind to drive the ship thou mayst retaine them only godlinesse must sit at the Sterne the obliquity must be taken away the nature must be left thou must so pull downe the old building that the same materials may be used againe the naturall affections may continue in thee still but there must be another Auriga another to drive them and that is this Newnesse For example a man is naturally sad he may continue this the oldnes of that is that it spends it selfe in earthly sorrow and worldly discontent when grace comes when the new man comes it powres it selfe forth in Prayer Is any man sad Let him pray So it may be thou art naturally merry grace takes not away this disposition but whereas before it was spent in vanity now he that is merry sings Psalmes Let him that is merry sing Psalmes that is a mans merrinesse is turned to an holy cheerefulnesse the dissolutenesse is taken away but the disposition continues still Religio est laeta though not dissoluta So it may be thou art of a facile nature before it was to evill thou wast ready to be drawne away by evill when grace comes thou must be facile to good It may be thou hast a sturdy disposition full of metall and courage whereas before it was to attempt evill things with much violence now it is set on good enterprizes with as much zeale so there is nothing to be pulled downe onely the oldnesse must be taken away The end of the Fifth Sermon THE SIXTH SERMON VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 COR. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature AGaine if wee must be New Creatures if that must be the condition of every man to have another new man begun in him then wonder not at the unevennesse which is found in the lives of the best of the Saints For if there be something new and something old as there is there must needs be an unevennesse as where there be two contrary Principles moving two contrary wayes the body must needs bee moved with some unevennesse and unequality therefore be not discouraged for that you are not perfect in all things you have something new in you and something old only take heed you be not mistaken in it For there is a great difference betweene the unevennesse befalling the Saints which are New Creatures and the unevennesse in the wayes of the wicked there is a great difference betweene the failings that they are subject to who are upright hearted and betweene the failings of them that are rotten and not sound at heart You will aske how I shall know the difference This is the difference There be some men whom Saint Iames complaines of in his first Chapter that are unstable in all their wayes and in the sixt Chapter of Saint Matthew that have not a single eye If the eye be single all the body is light but if the eye bee double all the body is full of darknesse That is there are causes why men walke unevenly one is because they are as in bivio hey know not which way to choose they are yet in doubt what to pitch on as a man standing betweene two objects and not knowing which way to choose but sometimes will be with one sometimes with the other according as his different temper guides him he will not pitch resolutely on either So it is a double eye because of the objects it looks on two objects now on one and now on another now it is carried this way now that way This is a thing every where condemned in the Scripture but there is difference betweene this and a single eye that hath one object that hath chosen God for his God but followes him with much weaknesse with much imperfectnesse this man hath a single eye and hath pitched on God another hath two things in his eye One thing I doe desire saith David and one thing will I seeke for c. And I have chosen to runne the way of thy Commandements So all the Saints one thing they desire which they pitch on they have resolved to serve God with a perfect heart another man is unresolved and knowes not which to choose therefore is to and fro off and on now very forward and then backward religious in a good mood and then off againe This you must take heed of for here you ought to be discouraged this is not our meaning when we say you must not be discouraged for your unevennesse But how shall I know it a little further By this if your eye be single that you have chosen that one way that you have pitched on it that you bee more than in Aequilibrio where the ballances hang even you shall know it by this the faâ—lings of the Saints are never in that degree that theirs are that have not sound hearts that is such a man though he serve God for a fit yet when he is off again he is like a man in a maske he is no more the same man he was but there is a broad alteration betweene what he was before and what he is now The Saints in their worst state have a tincture of holinesse a threed of skarlet runs thorow their whole lives after they are once changed they never fall in that degree they have a seed in them that will never let them goe so farre But you will say this is a notion how shall we see it by experience Thus
but besides this as there is a wearinesse in the service of sinne and a wearinesse in the guilt of sinne and in the fruit of sinne So yet there is more wearinesse There is a wearinesse in the habite of sin for sin is to the soule as sicknesse is to the body Now a man that is sicke is weary of every thing he is weary of sitting he is weary of lyving so the soule while sinne abounds in it is weary of every thing a man is weary of himselfe he is weary of his owne company Now when Christ comes he takes away this wearinesse and gives grace which is to the soule as health is to the body that cures all the distempers and give â—â—st unto it but yet there is more than this There is a wearinesse in all that sinne toucheth in all the conditions of this life there is a wearinesse A man is weary of solitarinesse and he is weary of company he is weary of businesse he is weary of idlenesse he is weary of high condition for that is subject to Envie as the wind is most boisterous upon the top of hils And he is weary againe of low condition for the valleyes are over-low there a man is still subject to injuries and to be trampled on that place us where you will by reason of sinne it makes every condition weary to us But Christ comes to take away this wearinesse likewise by teaching us how to accommodate our selves to all conditions by teaching us how to want how to abound how to bee well how to be sicke how to live how to dye and this he doth by giving wisdome for folly will quarrell at the best condition wisdome makes the worst condition comfortable This the Lord doth thus hee delivers you from the wearinesse of sinne this rest you shall have if you will take him because when he comes into the soule he casts out sinne the cause of all these Tempests As Ionas when hee was cast out you know then there was a calme I say such rest you shall have in Christ out of him there is nothing but trouble and disquiet and restlessenesse and this is the third benefit that 〈◊〉 invite you to come in and take him Come unto me you that are weary and you shall finde ease and rest to your soules And now what would you have besides There is nothing that your hearts can desire but you shall have it in him And because we are so much moved with sensible things the Scriptures sets forth the good things we have by Christ under notions of such things as are sensible as we feele the sweetnesse of them as wee can taste in this world that is a kingdome riches peace godly apparell c. First therefore if you will come into Christ you shall have a Kingdome the Kingdome that is the Epitome of our happinesse and the journeyes end to all our desires You know when the Messias was to come what expectation the Iewes had of a kingdome that should bee restored to them how frequent are the Prophets in setting forth the glorious lustre of that kingdome When the Messias came it was fulfilled for saith he Matth. 3. Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand and Feare not little flocke it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome and Rev. 1. Hee hath made us Kings and Priests You will say wherein is this Kingdome wherein doth this kingdome consist Looke to all the properties of a Kingdome and you shall finde all in this First one thing wherein the freenesse of Kings consists is that they have their liberty others are Subjects Now what is liberty Liberty is nothing else but a power to live as you will This you have by Christ because he gives his spirit as soone as you take him hee sends his Spirit into your hearts that rectifies your will that sets all right and strait within us Now when your will is rectified you will that which you ought when you have this you live as you list because you list not to doe but that which is good and so you have liberty in Iohn 8. The Sonne shall make you free that is you shall be subject to nothing as Paul saith wee will bee brought into subjection to nothing we will not be subject to lust wee will not be subject to any thing you shall serve nothing as he saith Wee are bought with a price wee are not the servants of men we need feare nothing Luke 1.74 That being delivered from the hands of all our enemies we might serve him without feare because when you feare him you need feare nothing besides As the true Serpent ate up the false so the true feare eates up the false When you are in him you are at liberty you are delivered from all your enemies Take any other man still he feares something hee feares death hee feares sicknesse hee feares losse of friends hee feares losse of the favour of the Prince hee feares the losse of something or other But when a man is in Christ he is delivered out of the hands of all his enemies hee need feare nothing for what should hurt him It must be some of the creatures but all they are like Mastives rated by the masters command as it is onely the master that can doe it and he doth rate them that they shall not flie in the face of his friend though they may assault his enemies and doe but thinke with your selves what a happy condition it is what safety you have in Christ that nothing can hurt you and therefore we are bidden be in nothing carefull If any thing could hurt you we might bee carefull in something No saith he Be carefull in nothing Christ takes care for you nothing shall hurt you and so All things shall worke for your good And if so be then nothing can hurt you this is that you shall have by Christ one thing you shall have liberty But another thing wherein a Kingdome consists is Plenty that is you shall have abundance of all things What was Salomons Kingdome And what were other kingdomes of the world but plenty of all things What shall we have then you will say Shall we have Meate and Drinke Houses and Vines No those are too base things for the Kingdome of God to consist in Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of God consists in righteousnesse holynesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost that is there shall bee a rectitude in all your soules that it shall be free from disorder from distemper from obliquity Besides you shall have peace that is a companion of a Kingdome you shall have peace that is your soules shall be quiet there shall be a serenity there as the Sea is when it is without wind or storme Againe you shall have joy your hearts shall be filled with the consolations of the Spirit these things you shall have if you will come in to
Master you must take him for your husband so as to bee divorced from all other lovers for this know that Christ and good fellowship that Christ and fornication Christ and swearing Christ and ambition Christ and serving your selves and the times will not stand together you must be divorced from all these If you will have Christ you must take him as a husband to be to him a love to love him to have your wils subject to his will you must take him for better for worse you must take him with all variety of conditions denying your selves and taking up your crosse and following him if you take him thus you shall have him and when you shall have him you shall have all things with him As Christ saith to his father We are one thou in mee and I in thee and then all mine are thine and thine are mine So wee may say every one that takes Christ is made one with him all Christs is yours and yours is his that is hee takes your names hee takes your debts and you beare his name and have interest in all that is his what he hath by nature you have by grace and when you have him once then you may bee bold to come and take these Elements of Bread and Wine but if you have not him then know that you are but intruders upon the Lords Table for his Table is provided for his friends and if his enemies and strangers come in and intrude on it hee will not take it at your hands but command you to be bound hand and foote and to bee cast out I say consider therefore the offers of Christ are large you that are to receive the Sacrament at this time or at any other time I say consider it if you have Christ himselfe then you may boldly come if you have not the Lord you have nothing to doe with these And know if it was such a fearefull thing to touch the Arke which was but a type of Christ and had but a legall holinesse in it that God struck Vzziah with death because he was so bold as to doe it If it were so dangerous a thing to meddle with common fire as we see in Nabab and Abihu that was but a type of this what will it be when wee shall dare to take the body of the Lord Iesus not being worthily prepared Hee is the substance there is the holynesse of which that was but a type therefore take heed of medling with them except you have taken him indeed except you have changed your hearts except you be new Creatures except you have the Lord himselfe you may not meddle with the Bread and Wine the Sacrament of his body and bloud and so I end FINIS THE TABLE A Abilitie MEN excuse their sin from want of Ability Part 1 Page 223 Ability of Christ to sanctifie us 2 31 Accusing Conscience corrupt in the office of Accusing 1 56 Actions Corruption in our Actions 1 73 Actions of carnall men 1 153 Actions of naturall men defective in two things 1 159 Intention of Action in zeale 1 285 Activenesse Activenesse of conscience corrupted 1 56 Adam God just in requiring of us according to that he gave to Adam 1 38 Adams sinne charged on us ibid. Two conditions of Adam 2 38 Our condition in Christ better than it was in Adam 2 154 See Borne Affections Affections corrupted 1 63 Affections must be wrought upon in the performance of duties 1 251 God esteemes us according to our Affections 1 67 What should draw our Affections to God 1 265 Zeale a stirring up of the Affections 1 285 Want of Affections to God argues want of zeale 1 289 Worke of the Spirit upon the Affections 2 12 Afflictions Forgivenesse of sinnes takes the sting out of Afflictions 2 188 Altered Nature cannot be Altered 2 97 Custome hardly Altered 2 123 Alike All sinnes not Alike 1 275 All. Carnall men doe many duties but not All 1 159 Anger Difference betweene hatred and Anger 1 290 Zeale for the Church acceptable to God when hee is Angrie with it 1 293 Apparell Apparell one benefit by Christ 3 93 What that Apparell is 3 94 How to make use of this Apparell 3 97 Apprehesion The Apprehension makes happie or miserable 1 241 Assurance Assurance encreased by humiliation 1 31 Authoritie To preach with Authoritie what 2 163 B Baptisme BAptisme tends to sanctification 2 21 Beleever Beleeving Difference betweene temporarie and true Beleevers 2 47 Beleeving difficult 3 19 Blindnesse Blindnesse of mans understanding 1 44 Why mans understanding is Blinde ibid. Boldnesse Excesse of Boldnesse how prevedted 1 291 Forgivenesse of sin causeth Boldnesse 2 188 Bondage Spirit of Bondage an help against sinfull excuses 1 108 Spirit of Bondage how it works 1 109 Borne Those that are saved by the second Adam are Borne of him 2 18 Burthen Sinne in what respect a Burthen 2 190 Businesse Too much Businesse a great impediment 1 207 C Causes GOd workes by second Causes 1 263 Change How to know we are Changed 2 109 To give God the praise of our Change 2 144 Christ. What keepes men from Christ 1 11.2 23 What makes us prize Christ 1 81 End of our ingraffing into Christ 2 19 Sanctification by the bloud of Christ 2 21 How to take Christ 2 73 What should move us to love Christ 2 156 Before we are new Creatures we are in Christ 2 169 To be in Christ what 2 171 Priviledges of being in Christ 2 174 See Righteous Church Pillars of the Church 1 286 Want of zeale for the Church 1 292 Danger of wronging the Church 1 293 Directions what we must doe for the Church 1 294 Circumstance Consideration of Circumstances helpe Humiliation 1 28 Circumstances aggravating sinne 1 89 Civill Difference betweene prophane and Civill men 1 127 Clearenesse Clearenesse of conscience corrupted 1 55 Cloud Sin like a stormie Cloud 1 174 Coldnesse Coldnesse provokes God as much as sinne 1 284 Combate Combate to be expected of Christians 2 137 Difference of the Combate in Christians and others 2 138 Comfort Comfort the end of the Scriptures 1 2 Sanctification for our Comfort 2 89 Comfort from the change of Nature 2 121 Comming The end of Christs Comming 1.20.2 20 Compell The Spirit Compels men to come in 2 7 Communion Communion of Saints sets the truth at liberty 1 174 Communication Communication of the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament 3 2 See Truth Condemnation Imprisoning Truth brings great Condemnation 1 136 God just in the Condemnation of men 1 234 Conflict Conflict in carnall men 1 153 Conflict in wicked men failing in foure things 1 60 Content He that trusts in God is Content with him only 1 258 Conscience Conscience corrupted by nature 1 45 Wherein Conscience is corrupted 1 55.56 Signe of a good Conscience 1 57 Conscience in naturall men may doe many things 1 152 Conscience good in two respects 1 156 Contrary Contrariety Contrariety of