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A44831 Pilula ad expurgandam hypocrisin A pill to purge formality : wherein is discovered the sad and woful condition of all formal professors in religion : also the glory and excellency of those that walk in the power of godliness ... / by Tho. Hubbert, Esq. Hubbert, Thomas. 1650 (1650) Wing H3215; ESTC R4502 125,199 276

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by mans own industry neither by parts gifts learning or what ever man as meer man is able to attain to That its the meer gift of God flowing to Saints in the streams of the blood of the Covenant of Grace all these are but signs or preparatives to know whether godliness be in thee or no for thou maist know all this and yet be far from the power of godliness but if thou art not clearly convinced of these four particulars let me tell thee thou hast not so much as the least part or step so much as towards the power of godliness These things thus premised we shall proceed First then If the power of godliness dwel in thee thou art changed from an estate of nature to an estate of grace thou art delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the Kingdom of Christ yea This man hath the witness of the Spirit of God in himself and thou knowest it and art convinced of it in thine own conscience for it s not with thee as with a yong Christian that is onely in the nonage of his conversion for he that hath the power of godliness dwelling in him is one of a high Form in the School of Christ yea his condition is such that he can appeal to Christ and Conscience that this power dwells in him and is daily acted by him Where this power dwells there sin is mortified such a man is dead to sin sin cannot seize or take hold on him he hath no lust no affection to entertain the least sin it s not enough that thou art no drunkard no base company-keeper no profane swearer but thou must be dead to every sin of what nature soever it be He that is born of God cannot sin that is so as other men sin with consent of the Will with the least allowance of any sin no though thou mightest gain a Kingdom to tell a lye yet thou wouldst not do it yea though thou mightest be made the greatest Prince in the world if thou wouldst but swear by thy faith and troth yea thou wouldst tremble at it and refuse it esteeming godliness to be the best gain and the reason is first because the Love of God constraineth thee so to do secondly for that the fear and dread of the great God of heaven and earth lieth deep upon thy spirit and for the truth of this thou canst appeal unto God who is the searcher of the hearts and reins of his people Thirdly If godliness dwell in thee then grace is predominant in the course of thy life for grace is the very rock and foundation whereon godliness is built therefore as the cause is so is the effect as I have formerly declared even as sin hath by Adam raigned unto death so grace by Jesus Christ might raign to eternal life so that when a temtation comes and is offered unto thee thou canst say as Joseph to his Mistress How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God how shall I sin against that God who hath been so gratious so tender-hearted and loving unto me who pitied me cleansed me and took me into his bosome when I lay in my blood and filthiness O how shall I how dare I how can I attempt to sin against the God of all my mercies and so wound the peace of mine own conscience and eclipse the enjoyment of that sweet communion with God which I prize and value more then heaven and earth yea then all that can be thought upon Fourthly He that hath godliness in him is an holy and sanctified man in all maner of conversation in his thoughts words and actions he walks up to his profession his head heart hands and feet yea all the faculties of the soul and members of the body are for God and for Christ yea he yeildeth universal obedience to all that God commands as David saith Psal 119.6 I have respect unto all thy Commandements the man doth not pick and chuse what to obey and what not he pleads no exemption of any he leaves not some and takes others his eye is upon them all his Wil is for the performance of all his obedience is not partial but total all Gods Commandements are his delight and meditation day and night the whole bent of his desires runs after the Laws of God its sufficient to him that God commands it he is as willing yea as ready to obey as God is to command It s speedy When God commands he will not delay Gen. 22.3 though it be to offer up his dearest Isaac as Abraham when he was commanded to offer up his son the Text saith He did rise very early in the morning he deferred no time and when Zacheus saw Christ Luke 19.5 6. He came down hastily to receive him joyfully It s willing and chearful obedience Zacheus received Christ joyfully David rejoyced to run the wayes of Gods Commandements Psal 119.16 yea and Christ rejoyced to do the Will of his Father for God loves a chearful doer If ye be willing and obedient then ye shall eat the good things of the Land but if ye refuse and be rebellious ye shall be devoured with the Sword for the month of the Lord hath spoken it So you see it s required to be willing to obey whatever God commands It must be diligent obedience for as the hand of the diligent maketh rich in things temporal Heb. 11.6 Psa 119.4 and is a duty commanded so much more in things spiritual the diligent inquisitive soul after God and godliness is a thirsting soul it stores up grace and comfort against the time of need it s like the Ant in the Proverbs that provideth in the Summer against the Winter The power of godliness puts a man upon diligence in hearing the Word in prayer in meditation it makes a man to make his often addresses unto the throne of Grace and watchful after every opportunity to manifest his love to God to Christ and to the Saints and to be very active in doing what God commands This obedience is continual it s not to obey now and to disobey anon to serve God to day and the devil to morrow no the truly godly man cannot serve God and Mammon God will not be served by fits and starts he will admit of no interpositions or mixtures God is a perfect God and requireth perfect obedience it must be a continued act from the first hour that the power of godliness entred into the soul even unto the expiration of its last breath it must be the souls whole desire to be continually active for God in the general course of its life That soul in whom Christ or the power of godliness dwells is often in communion with God yea and it prizeth it at an higher rate then heaven and earth and all things that can be thought upon there is no pleasure profit preferment or dignity whatsoever that can divert him from this fellowship wherein
me all ye that labor and are heavy laden Matth. 11.28 29. and I will give you rest and you shall find rest unto your souls Joh. 7.37 Jesus stood and cried saying If any man be athirst let him come to me and drink of the waters of Life freely So again in the Revelation of John Revel 22.27 The Spirit and the Bride said come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is athirst say come and whosoever will let him take the water of Life freely Many more places of Scripture might be instanced and brought for this purpose but these are sufficient to set forth the free invitation of all sinnners both by God by Christ and the Spirit of Grace the Lord looks for nothing at thy hand but to receive pardon and to be reconciled unto himself therefore why will you perish O sons of men your condemnation is of your selves Let this then take off those that do refrain to come unto Christ because they have nothing to come withall such a soul is best welcome unto Christ that is emptiest in himself thy approaches and addresses unto Christ are not to be measured with those unto great Personages here on earth there needs no rich presentations to usher in or plead thy acceptance nor purchasing of Mediators by clandestine and close-fisted bribes the dearest and highest Saint in heaven cannot so soon procure thy access unto and acceptance with Jesus Christ in heaven as the fauning Parasite and Saint-seeming Devil can with man on earth nor doth Christ accept of any creature or worthiness in creature either in heaven or earth on the behalf of a poor soul to ingratiate it into his favor and embraces but of his own breathings in a contrite spirit O then if sin be a burthen to thee come unto Christ and he will take it off he will deliver thee from that weight God he hath laid help upon one that is mighty by his Stripes we are healed by his Merits saved by his Wounds cured and by his Power preserved unto everlasting life and to press more home unto the souls of poor sinners the consideration of the free offer of Grace and Salvation of Christ let them but read the ingeminated invitation of the Spirit of God in that one Text before cited Revel 22.17 Come come come The free Word Come is no less then three times reiterated in that one Verse O then do not wilfully refuse and cast off the free offers of Life Grace and Salvation for know it is tendred as freely to thee as ever it was to any creature under heaven and know that to reject this mercy is to reject the greatest mercy that ever was tendered to any soul upon the face of the earth it is to reject not onely thine own good thine own life thine own salvation and thy sweet communion with and enjoyment of Christ and the blessed Saints for ever hereafter but also of the free Love of God and Christ the loss whereof is worse then ten thousand hells yea it shall be an aggravation of all thy sins that ever thou didst commit in thy whole life for he that will not believe is damned already there is no hope of such a man take heed therefore of Unbelief for it is worse then Hell it self as being the cause of all miseries that a soul can be afflicted with Hell that 's an Ordinance of God but sin is from the devil and mans own corruption Hell is the fruit of sin as sin is the cause of punishment by sin came death into the world yet that man that believes shall be preserved from sin death hell and what ever else is miserable yea not onely so but he shall have that sweet enjoyment of God Christ his Spirit Saints Angels Heaven Life Glory yea more then his desire or thoughts can comprehend for no eye hath seen ear heard or heart conceived what is laid up in life and glory for all them that believe there the soul shall see God as he is yea it shall be filled with the fulness of God and ravished with his presence yea more the soul shall hold communion with Christ and with the father in a more excellent measure then any creature can be capable of in this life yea there the soul shall be in union with God and Christ God will be giving out himself unto his Saints they shall partake of his glory they shall be in him and he in them this is the excellency and preeminency of fa●th that doth instrumentally and mediatly through Christ alone act and carry the soul above the pitch of earth and conveighs and lodgeth it in the bosom of Christ O then who would be destitute of this Armor of proof Who would not be shrouded under this helmet as sufficient to defend the soul against all worldly and spiritual conflicts who would not get this wing to elevate and mount his soul into the Heaven of Heavens where the act of faith shall cease then shall believers live no more by faith but by sight there expectation shall be swallowed up of fruition invisible things become visible glimmerings of light become flames and ravishments of glory Saints here can better tell what God is not then what he is we can here say he incomprehensible and immutable but then we shall see God in his essence in his nature and excellency as he is a spirit so far as a soul can be made capable of so glorious an object O then of what happiness and bliss do unbeleevers deprive themselves that will not believe though everlasting life depends upon it O sinners remember how often hath the Gospel been preached unto you how often have you been invited unto the marriage Feast and you would not come How often have you preferred the wedding of your souls unto the profits and lusts of this world rather then unto Christ Consider Christ hath invited you your own wicked wills have refused to comply with his call he would have gathered you together under his wings but ye would be dispersed separated from him certaintly it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment then for you and thus I have dispatched the first branch Having a form of godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed qui vim ejus abnegarint But denying the power thereof THe Apostle still continues his complaint of what should come to pass in the last and evil times which are accomplished in these days wherein we live which we have shewed you in the precedent part of this Treatise these men in the text retain the form of godliness at the same time when they deny the power of it things of least value most set by and those of the greatest concernment most slighted contemned and despised darkness before light vanity before verity shadows before substance weakness before power here you may see men acting much outwardly and intending nothing less inwardly men contending for
though there may be a form of godliness without the power yet there cannot be the power without the forme I mean not a bare speculative and seeming forme such as is spoken of before but a practicall and active forme represented in the whole life and conversation a man cannot carry coals in his bosome and not be burnt So no man can carry grace in his heart but it will spread forth and appear in his life it s in vain for that man to say I have a good and upright heart whose life and conversation is altogether loose and licentious the tree must first be made good and then its fruit will be good let there be soundness in thy heart and there will be no rottenness in thy life thy conversation will be suitable to thy heart and thy heart correspondent to thy conversation let the fountaine be pure and the streams will issue pure The other word is Godliness 2 Gal. 20. 2 Cor. 4. ●1 Godliness is sometimes called the life of God the Image of God the new creature a man born again Its godliness for a man to have a good conscience and love towards God man and to be void of offence 2 Cor. 5.17 John 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s spoken Metonymically in such a man dwels godliness Godliness is in that soul where God acteth so as it unites the soul to God as by his power it lives to God it walks with God it hath God communicating himself to it in Christ where the soul by a reflex act gives out it self to God it acts as God acts it follows the foot-steps of God this is true godliness in the soul of which more anon Habentes formam Pietatis Having a forme of godliness Quest It will be worth inquiry to see how it comes to pass that wicked men take upon them the forme of Religion or of godliness And that generally they do upon this accompt Ans 1 Men do it oft times to please their friends Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes of Jehojadah the Priest what is the reason 2 Reg. 12.2 was it not for that Jehojadah had saved his life and made him King when all his brethren were slain by Athaliah the Queen 2 Reg 11.1 for she arose and destroyed all the seed Royal. So Absalom would draw his father into a belief that he was very godly and made conscience in paying of his vows and that at Hebron he knew this would please his father well Ans 2 Others do it to stop the mouth of conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.14 15. I mean of a natural conscience for by nature men will be worshipping in one kinde or other All men having the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while excusing or accusing one another that made Saul to offer a burnt offering in Samuels absence the text saith he forced himself to offer a burnt offering because he had not made supplication to the Lord for the Philistines were drawing neer but Samuel tells him he had done foolishly in what he had done 1 Sam. 13.12 Ans 3 Others take up a forme of Religion that they may be gainers by it Judas by his forme carried the bag and the text saith he was a thief thus grew he into credit and trust by a notional and colourable forme of Religion yea how many in these days purchase unto themselves vast estates out of formal professions to Religion Religion not the cause of sin but the want of Religion whereby they profess nothing more then the delusion cozenage and over-reaching of others who are simply and really godly which Hypocritical actions the prying and curious worldling glories to bewray and thereby takes occasion though scandalously to inveigh against Religion it self in the purity of its profession Surely such men in their abundance have want and in their want abundance that is they in the midst of their abundance of their outward and formal performances have the absence and want of the soul-solacing testimony of an upright and sincere conscience towards God and the inward consciousness of this want will at length work in the soul abundance of horror and confusion of spirit whereby their souls without the infinite mercy of God are swallowed up into the abysse of despair and then woe will be the lot of such by whom offences shall come such men may deceive poor weak infant Christians but alas their deceit will retort into their own bosomes and heavy and sad will be their condition Ans 4 Others have a forme onely in relation unto the present and temporary credit and fashion of Religion it may be the State favors it or the current of the times runs that way so that many men choose their Religion more out of fear of men then love of God for they think they shall be looked on with an evil aspect if they do not forme and fashion themselves unto the government of the times whether it be Ecclesiasticall or Civil Ans 5 A form of Religion doth not displease the world but the power makes them mad for a man to keep his parish Church to live peaceably amongst his neighbors to live civilly and to pay every man his own to be indifferent in matters of Religion not daring to professe too much nor being zealous in it this is the godly man in the eye and esteem of the world this man shall be honoured and live at quiet and rest though all this while he be but a meer formalist when in the mean time the power of Religion living and acting in a poor despicable and unminded godly soul is trampled under foot yea scorned and vilified Ans 6 The devil likes a form well he is the grand Formalist he is that Proteus that can assume variety of formes and no wonder if his servants affect the same You know the devil could plead Scripture again and again to Christ himself a form doth not oppose the devils Kingdom when the power beats it down a man in a form may go on long enough the devil will not disturbe him he knowes he hath him fast enough this man saith Satan will do us no hurt we are sure of him he will not disrellish any thing all things are alike with him if any be unsavory or distastful it will be the good he can swallow down any thing do as men will have him do he will make no disturbance in the parish where he lives nor question or scruple any false or ceremonious dispensation of ordinances but wormwood will be as sweet to his unsound palate as hony he will do as the most do his suffrage shall be ecchoed forth after the general vote the major conformity shall be the rule for his life he will be fair to them that will be fair to him his affections are steered by popularity he will keep
sight of God thus the fallibility of the heart causeth the infallibility of the souls ruine the full-blown sail of a treacherous heart will over-top and turn the soul and sinke it into the bottomless Ocean of hell such a man as this is in a far worse condition then he that is openly profane and maketh not the least shew of Religion for First a profane wicked man that makes no shew of Religion at all Sooner conviction is sooner convinced of his wickedness he hath no Fig-leaves to cover his nakedness he hath no painting to set off his conversation he is bad yea very bad and seems to be so he is one and the same both within and without he carrieth not two faces under one hood he will not curse with his heart and bless with his tongue his heart and lips shall both go together his mouth shall be black with swearing lying and cursing his eyes red with drinking his throat an open sepulchre to all profaneness nay he will be so far from dawbing over the rottenness of his heart with a Saint-like life that he will be alwayes boasting and taking glory in the spreading forth of his own infirmities and private and sinful actions this man will be known in his colours and will go for a wicked man in the heart and eyes of all men yea of them that are as bad as himself this man doth not steal to hell in a mist for he bids open defiance against Heaven God Christ Gospel Saints and every thing that hath but a shew of good but now how soon is this man convinced if Conscience be awakened I he hath not one word to say for himself but will cry Guilty Guilty More like to come to the knowledg of sin He is more likely to come to the knowledg of his sin every man will be ready to reprove him who is notorious and openly wicked whereby he shall become sensible of the commission of sin and is informed of such and such wicked and ungodly actions when as the hypocrite walketh blameless and irreproveable in the eyes of men and therefore not taken notice of nor reproved for sin An hypocrite more hard to convince but lies bound up in the fetters of his own private deceitful heart unto all eternity this man will be alwayes finding somewhat to say for himself as That all men are sinners it s the frailty of the flesh it s the violence of temptation that makes him commit such and such an evil Gods knows its quite contrary to his will to his desire yea to his affections to do so wickedly he allows not himself in any way of sin he constantly prays against sin he keeps his own Parish and is a frequent hearer of the Word he performs duties in his Family sometimes he hath the good word of many godly men he is acquainted with the Scriptures yea he can go for a Saint where he is not much known and he will make it appear that there are worse men in the world then he He that hath a form of godliness is not likely to come to the knowledg of his sin Not probable to come to the knowledg of sin his form is a false glass that deludes his soul it vainly perswades the soul of its loveliness and integrity when indeed it is nothing but deformity his forme is that which ballances all that men can say against him yea it blindes his own eyes stops the mouth of his conscience which is every moment ready to fly in his face he is upheld by his friends by the world he is not opposed by the flesh the devil or wicked men yea no man can speak so confidently against this man as against the former for he goes to hell in a mist slily and smoothly he is not so openly manifested to be wicked as the publike profane person yet his condition is far more desperate and dangerous the one shall have cause to bless God that brought him to a sight of his sin when the other shall have cause for ever to curse the devil and his deceitful heart that deluded him with a counterfeit sight and shew of his own holiness and hid and kept back from him the true sight of his sin This lets us see that those wicked men that have only a form of godliness are in a most desperate and bewailable condition we may well say of these men that the end of their pretended holiness will be shame The Comedy of their plausible life will end in a woeful Tragedy their glittering gold will be turned into cankering rust the moth and gnawing worm of conscience will one day eat upon and torment their rich-seeming soul O these men have so much gazed on their own idolized holiness that they are far from the sight of God Matthew saith they are the pure in heart that shall see God then the unclean in heart must never see him Mat. 5.8 they are so much enamored upon or in love with the fictitious raies of their own holiness that the true beauty of holiness is totally hid from their eyes They shall never see God unlesse it be when they come to Judgment then they shall see him and hear him to their cost I may say of these men as it was said of Judas It had been good for them that they had never been born that they had never seen the light never heard a Sermon neverheard of Christ never had a form of godliness never mentioned Religion O it had been good for them they had never heard of Judgements of mercies of Gods patience his long suffering his gentleness all these and many more shall rise up in Judgement against them yea every Sermon they have heard every prayer they have been at and every Chapter they have read shall plead against them yea their very knowledge in Religion their form of godliness all shal come against them at the last day and shall rise up as so many witnesses against them that God whom they professed to serve will be their enemy Christ will not own them no angel dares speak for them no Saint will come neer them the devil whom they have inwardly served stands ready to receive them and pay them their wages when that heavy sentence is pronounced against them Go ye cursed wretches into everlasting condemnation c. Having a Form of Godliness We shall observe further Obser 2 That in the last times many men shall content themselves with a meer outside of godliness When the Son of man cometh Luk. 18.8 shall he finde faith on the earth It will be a rare thing to finde faith Religion will be swallowed up of form And if the Apostle could say in his time 1 Cor. 10.11 We are they upon whom the ends of the world are come In quos sines seculorum deveverunt certainly we may now say we are they who live in the last times yea in the last of times I could wish that
indeed their case be very miserable as they stand at defiance with heaven yet I will not seal them up to condemnation nor give them all for lost let me yet set the Gospel before their eyes If yet you can beleeve you shall be saved If yet you return Though your sins be as crimson they shall be made as white as snow though they be as scarlet they shall be as wooll there is efficacy enough in the blood of Christ to wash you from all your filthiness add not then impenitency and unbelief to the rest of your abominations take heed of that soul-damning sin look upon the blood of Christ as that Fountain that stands open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in for sin and for uncleaness remember that Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance O this is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation saith Paul that Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief Thou that hast sinned against free Grace against the tenders of Love and Mercy against the very bowels of Christ yea against the blood of the Covenant know that thou hast cause to bless God that yet thou art not in Hell that yet thou art not quite without hope its possible yet for the breath of Life to be breathed into thy soul thy salvation is yet attainable if God do but yet inspire his Grace and Power into thy soul to make use of present means and opportunities of mercy O remember that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself yea the world indefinitely why maist not thou that hast been a formal professor all thy dayes that hast been an opposer of the power of godliness have a part in that great mercy of reconciliation God he intreats thee to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.20 hear what Paul saith We are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to God for he hath made him to be sin for us which knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him In which places of Scripture you may take notice that there is nothing required on thy part but to be willing to receive a pardon and to be reconciled to God yea and God himself will work both the will and the deed tell me thou desperate sinner wilt thou be saved or no art thou willing to be made partaker of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ art thou willing to be transplanted out of the wilderness of the world into the Eden of God art thou willing to be snatcht from a Dunghill unto a Paradise to be cured of a loathsome Leprosie and to enjoy perfection of health and beauty what sinner so impudent what sinner so vile as to deny a consent and willingness to this yet to lay open a little further the rich Treasury of the Mercies of God unto any such obdurate soul that will harden his heart and refuse to be willing to receive pardon let him know that Christ will save him whether he will or no if he belong to the election of Grace God will will not lose any of his Elect ones nor suffer any to pluck them from him long may Satan bear rule and sway in the soul of a chosen Vessel of God from all eternity and such a one may seem in the eyes of the Saints to be a reprobate and lost creature to be a vessel of wrath destined for destruction yet may God at length come with the tender whisperings and breathings of his Spirit which breatheth and bloweth when and where it listeth upon such a miserable soul and calm the storms thereof and poure in fresh oyl into its wounds and put in marrow strength and vigor into its dry bones and say to such a soul Come out of thy bloud and live for he hath given a greater price for the redemption of his people then heaven or earth then Angels or men for he hath given his own blood for his Church Acts 20.28 and for his Elect and why maist not thou then be one of them for as great sinners as ever thou wert have been saved Where sin abounds there Grace aboundeth much more yet sin not that Grace may abound take heed of that there 's an absit a God forbid put to that But now though a man hath sinned with never so high an hand and never so high a nature against God the commission of the sin against the holy Ghost excepted yet for such a man to receive pardon of his sin and to be made holy through the righteousness of Christ this shews an abundance of Grace and infinite Mercy yea it makes for the greater exaltation of the glory and riches of free Grace to pardon the greatest sinners it sets forth more the glory of Gods rich Grace to pardon a Mary Magdalen to be reconciled to a persecuting Saul to free a Thief from the guilt of his misled life and carry him immediatly from a Cross the deserved end of his wretched life unto an everlasting crown to snatch him from the power of sin and bring him unto the freedom and fellowship of Saints to receive him into his own bosome whom the world loathed and spued out O the heighth and depth of the Love of God in Christ There is more advancement of the Glory of God in this then in the saving of an Abraham an Isaac or a Jacob who were never guilty of such sins as they were It s a greater honor for a Prince to pardon one that hath been a Traytor against his Crown Dignity and Life then to pardon one for stealing a trifle or for picking a pocket and so more honor redounds unto the Lord in his being reconciled to an old sinner to one that hath stood out against him all his dayes who hath been a Traytor against God and Christ the Gospel and the Saints then in his pardoning one that hath onely sinned against him of infirmity now there cannot be a worse Traytor against God then that man that hath onely a form of godliness and opposeth the power thereof yet let not this man nor any other in the like condition cast away the strong Anchor of Hope so long as he breathes on this side Hell for there is salvation purchased for such as well as for lesser sinners if they will but lay hold of the proffers of Mercy in the Gospel let them look upon Christ as a full Object of salvation for the greatest sinners and is not this incouragement enough for the vilest sinners to come in to God and to Christ nay especially when Christ will do all their works in them and for them and reacheth forth such strong and free invitations as so many cables for the supportation of any sinking soul when he calls in general unto every one that thirsteth Isai 55.1 To come and buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Come unto
Salomons the King of Kings estimate the greatest things in the world nay the power of the whole world to be nothing yea less then nothing who of nothing raised the world and all created Beings therein and to the same nothing can reduce them at his will and pleasure This I say is that God which sendeth godliness with a power into the soul of his Saints The next thing that we must consider is The ends why God sends godliness into the souls of his people with such power By the way taking notice of godliness as it is observable in its Cause and Effect for godliness in this place is Metonimically spoken the Effect for the Cause now Grace is the cause of godliness and godliness is the effect of Grace for Grace is that which makes a man a godly man and its Grace that comes with power into the soul whereby the life of man is acted and carried on in the wayes of godliness These things thus premised we shall proceed to the aforesaid Ends or Reasons Reas 1 The first End or Reason that God hath in sending godliness into the soul with power is because of the great opposition it must encounter withall and that is from the devil the world the flesh and spirit of men The devil he is the strong man and hath taken possession of the soul and alwayes stand upon his guard to keep his ground with all the powers of hell and all the strength that he can possibly make yea he bids defiance against Heaven Satans plea. Men and Angels and maketh this or the like plea for himself This soul is mine it was born mine We were by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.2 3. c. yea it hath lived mine I have had the possession of it these twenty or thirty years yea it may be forty or fifty years what power now shall snatch him out of my hands he is my bounden servant he is my ancient souldier he hath covenanted to fight under my banner he is a loyal subject of my Kingdom he is true to his trust he will oppose my opposers he will defend my right and interest he will not have me lose any footing he will rather perish then have me dispossessed why then should not I actuate all my power and force for him to keep him still my faithful servant rather die then part with him Now Christ he comes and laies claim to this soul and saith This soul is mine Christs plea. and it was given me of my Father yea Joh. 17.6.9.29 24. I have loved him more then mine own life I have shed my pretious blood for him that I might redeem him out of the jaws of hell and deliver him from the power of Satan I am the Captain of his deliverance yea Heb. 2.10 I have bought him at a dear rate and paid more for him then heaven and earth it self yea 1 Pet. 1.18 then all the createed power in both and I will have him and Christ enters this Fort binds the strong man and doth cast him out by the strength of those weapons which are not carnal but spiritual yea mighty through God to cast down strong holds this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Saviour that can that will ransom and deliver his People maugre all oppositions whatsoever this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Anointed one Ephes 4.8 that victorious King of Kings that leads captivity captive and gives gifts to men of whose power the Saints receive power 1 Joh. 2.13 and grace for grace whereby they are inabled to wrestle against pincipalities and powers Ephes 6.12 against the Rulers of the darkness of this world yea against spiritual wickednesses in high places As it must be powerful to stand in opposition against Satan so against the world for if Grace and Godliness were not powerful the world would soon repel and overcome it it would exclude and bar the door of the soul against them for the world doth as really fight against the soul as the devil doth now what is the world certainly all that is in the world that is the lust of the flesh 1 Joh. 2.16 the lust of the eyes and the pride of life the first and strong invaders of our first Parents that did invade and overcome that laid siege unto took possession of the strong-fortified and enabled-to-resist faculties of the soul of Adam and in him do still smite his loyns and ensnare and seize upon the power and strength of all his seed they plead a right and possession by antiquity and they will keep their hold until they be evinced and cast out by the power of Grace which is the onely weapon we have to ward off the assaults of these spiritual wickednesses 1 Joh. 5.4 Rev. 15.2 this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith and by the power that God put into those glorious Martyrs they overcame the world in all its persecutions imprisonments yea and death it self It comes with power that it might beat down the corruptions of flesh and spirit that daily rebel and rise up against the Saints and that made Paul say I beat down my body I club it down 1 Cor 9.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vi subjicio corpus meum I beat it black and blue as the Original word signifies and all yet all was little enough for Naturam expellas furcâ licet usque recurrit there are such imperfections in the perfectest Christians such reliques of Nature that there will be still continual buffetings and conflicts between the Spirit and the Flesh though the Spirit doth oppose and sometimes get ground yet the Flesh will be returning and getting head again so long as we are in the body little doth the world know what ado Grace hath with the Flesh and Spirit of the Saints there will be such reluctances such combates such heavy burthens upon the soul that oft times it makes the Saints go very heavy and sad most part of their dayes And therefore the Apostle exhorts us To cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 Rom. 7.23 24. and this makes him cry out Who shall deliver me from the body of this death well I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that is by that power of Christ that he sends into his soul he was delivered and by that power alone are all the Saints delivered from these three great capital Enemies Reas 2 That it may make us stand strong against all our enemies that oppose whatsoever Stand fast saith Paul in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free Gal. 5.1 1 Cor. 16.13.15.57 Watch you stand fast in the faith and quit you like men and be strong for God he hath given us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord and ye are kept by the power of God through faith to eternal salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Now the reason why the
twelve Stars and to have the Moon under her feet that is the earth and the glory thereof in its most glorious Robes must be stamped upon by Saints even as Samuel stamped upon Agag the King of the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15. when a temptation comes and offers it self to Saints they ought to be higer minded then to embrace it In this point Saints should be like unto Themistocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who having gotten a great victory by war would not stoop to take the spoil it would not stand with his state and honor to do it and when others did it his answer was you may you are not Themistocles for when the world having received a foil by this power of godliness offers its glory and pomp to such a soul which indeed is but the spoil of grace that soul should refuse them and leave them to be taken up of the worldlings and say Such as you may entertain and hug the embraces of the world but for my part I am born higher I am of a nobler blood then to minde such off all such contemptible things Saints should be like Antipater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of Macedon who being offered a book to read said I have no leasure so when the Saints have the glorious book of the whole world and the pleasures thereof laid open unto their eyes and tendered to them to be read they should answer we have no leisure to contemplate upon such follies nor to receive such vanishing delights our spirits soar aloft we must follow our Fathers business which is in heaven it must be our delight and our meat and drink to do our Fathers will for he hath taught us that we are crucified to the world and the world to us And as Saints by this power live above the world in its glory and pomp so they must live above the world in its scorns reproachings and persecutions and say in plain tearms Quo tendit non quid passura sit cogitat World and Devil do your worst for true Vertue doth not so much consider what it suffers but whether it tends whether its going and what 's its end Virtus dum patitur vincit Vertues sufferings are its overcomings the world and all its reproaches are thereby conquered so that Saints should not look what share they have in the Whip Noli attendere quam poenam habeas in stagello sed quem locum in Testamento but what portion they have in the Word of God what interest they have in Christ Jesus what crown of glory is laid up for all them that love the appearing of Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body For when Christ who is our light shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory then shall all tears be wiped from our eyes then shall the worlds scoffs be turned to our glory the worlds despight to our rejoycing the worlds cursings to our Hallelujahs and praising of that God that did so powerfully deliver us from them and hath now cloathed our despicable and loathed bodies with immortality and our souls with the Robes of Jesus Christ That by it Saints may see what emptiness there is in themselves and what fulness there is in the author of this power it s through Grace that a man sees that nothingness yea less then nothing that 's in himself that all his duties performances and abilities whatsoever are empty bubbles and meer nothing you know where light comes there darkness is discovered yea banished so where power comes weakness is made known and discovered so that a man may see it for where this power comes not men do and can trust in themselves and not in him who is all Power God blessed for evermore by this Self comes to be debased by this conceited riches become naked poverty all creature-fulness becomes emptiness by this the soul desireth to decrease that Christ may increase Reas 12 Lastly That it might keep and preserve the Saints to eternal life and glory Ye are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 O how soon would Saints turn their backs upon Christ and go back to imbrace their former sins lusts and corruptions and quite fall away from what they do now profess were it not that God did hold them in the hollow of his hand O whither was David going whither was Peter going and Lot Noah and divers other of the Saints had not God by a mighty power given a turn to their spirits its his Promise to his Saints that when they go astray they shal be made to hear a voyce behind them saying This is the way walk in it thus God by this power of Grace doth carry his Saints from grace to grace till he brings them to life and glory were it not for this they would with Demas forsake Christ and imbrace this present world the strongest Saint on earth left to himself would quickly fall and miscarry in his way to salvation its impossible for any man to be saved if he should be left to stand upon his own legs what infinite need then do we stand in of this preserving power it is not the beginning but the end that crowneth the work Finis coronat opus Luke 9.62 No man having put his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God it was the complaint of God against the Church of Ephesus Revel 2.4 That she had left her first Love in Revel 2.4 Therefore he saith again in Verse 7. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God And again in Revel 21.7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God c. Rev. 21.7 If then perseverance obtain the Crown and onely he that overcometh shall inherit eternal Life What will become of poor miserable creatures that are not able to stand one moment nor to resist the least temptation if the merciful power of an Almighty God doth not aid them and carry them on through this boisterous and troublesome world and conduct them safe unto the Haven of Rest had it not been for this 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Paul could never have said I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness c. It is therefore by the power of grace that we are kept and preserved faithful unto the end Quest You say that godliness comes into the soul and that it comes with power but after what manner or what are the footsteps of it Answ You may call to minde how I told you that the words were Metonymical the Effect is here put for the Cause Godliness in its highest excellency is but the fruit of Grace the improvement or exercise of Grace Grace is the cause of
Godliness as fire is the cause of heat and yet as the cause is such is the effect for powerful causes make powerful effects that 's an undeniable truth in Philosophy and that 's the very reason why godliness is so powerful in the souls of men Now wouldst thou know the working of Grace or of the Graces of the Spirit of God in the soul First then I will set down some of these fundamental Graces which cause godliness and secondly how they are wrought in and upon the spirits of men First then Take these four Graces Faith Repentance Self-denial and Love not that I intend to speak of the Doctrine of Faith or the rest of the graces here mentioned but onely to speak a word or two to each and so proceed To shew how they are wrought and their footsteps in the souls of Believers And first to begin with Faith not to trouble you with that which is Historical Temporary or Legal but to speak of that True Evangelical Saving and Justifying Faith Faith then is a certain grace wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God Fides est actus intellectus and by the Word preached and its an act of the Understanding also now I put the Word and the Spirit together as they ordinarily are appointed to work together to make a man a Believer for I dare boldly say that the Word of it self never yet to this day wrought faith in any man without the Spirit of God working with it but I am confident that the Spirit may and doth where the Word preached is not to be had work this faith in the souls of the Elect 1 Cor. 3.6 Paul may plant Apollo may water but it is God that giveth the increase a man may live all dayes of his life under a powerful Ministry and stand by Christ and hear the joyful sound of the Gospel and yet never the neerer they shall count it but as thunder as those did in John 12.29 Joh. 12.29 unless the Spirit of God boreth the ears and sanctifieth their hearts to understand and believe the things of God and though Faith be the gift of God yet as God puts forth an hand in giving of Faith so he gives a hand to his Elect to receive Faith otherwise they could never have it thus God illuminates the Understanding whereby it comes to know that there is such a thing as Christ is Christ the object of Faith and then he convinceth the Judgment that this Christ is very excellent and that of necessity he must be had or else the soul is undone then comes the Will saying If Christ be so good and that of necessity I must have him O then I will receive him thus at length is faith begotten in the soul yet we must take heed of attributing any thing to man in this for all this is Gods own work and none of mans Now the other three graces may be stiled Faiths subsequents or concomitants Faiths companions or the fruits of Faith yet I shall speak a word to each of them and first to Repentance I say of the working of this grace in the souls of Gods Elect as I have said of Faith and in this work of Repentance we must note these four steps or degrees True Repentance There is a sight of the nature of sin A convinced judgment of the guilt of sin There is a cordial and hearty sorrow for sin There is a dislike of or an abhorring and forsaking of sin For the first of these namely The sight of sin in its own nature and proper colours now sins vail begins to be pluckt off before sin was pleasurable and delightful now it is odious and loathsom now the soul discovers sin to be a Scorpion a Serpent whose sting would have caused eternal death that which seemed to be the pleasantest and delightfullest companion is now the ugliest basest and contemptiblest thing that ever the soul beheld since it had a being that which formerly was embraced and hugged as a Dalilah is now thrown out of the windows as a Jezabel Gods enemie now the soul looks on sin as Gods greatest enemy yea as that whereby the soul hath cast dirt in the very face of God and hath grieved and done despight unto his holy Spirit and crucified the Lord of life and glory Again The souls greatest enemie the soul looks upon it as its own greatest enemy it did unparadise it it hath ever since blindfolded it and fettered it up amongst a legion of devils and hath made a separation between God and it it hath made it at emnity with God and hath brought it into a state of condemnation and was able to sink it into the very bottom of hell The soul is convinced of the guilt of sin and that by the same it s bound over to the Judgment Seat of Christ Rom. 3.19 there to answer the breach of all the Laws of God James 2.10 Moral and Evangelical yea and that this guilt lies so heavy on the soul that its able to press it down into destruction 2 Thess 1.8 and to banish it from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power for ever sin now is become a burden to purpose yea such a burden as David complaineth of in Psalm 38 4. Psal 38.4 saith he there Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me that which once was so light that the soul could not feel it O now it is so heavy that its like to break the very heart of it now conscience is wakened and sin stands as a brasen wall in its order before the soul I will set his sin in order before him Psal 50.21 there is a Scripture to that purpose in the Psalmist There is a cordial and hearty sorrow for sin O saith the soul that I that such a wretch as I should sin against so great so good and so gratious a God now the soul begins to be cautious of sinning now its ready to say with Joseph Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Now the soul is sensible of its indignity to God now it can grieve and rent its very heart for its unkinde dealing with God who hath dealt so kindely with it and by this means the soul is brought into contrition and godly sorrow never to be repented of Upon this the soul is brought into a dislike of sin yea to an abhorring hating and detesting of sin yea it hates the very thoughts of it not onely in others but much more in it self it s now more ugly then a Toade more bitter then Gall and Wormwood now the soul knows the fruits of sin how it leads unto destruction now it can say of it as Salomon said of the Harlot Pro 5.4 5. Her end is bitter as Wormwood sharp as a two edged sword her feet go down to death and
her steps take hold on hell thus the soul by the power of grace being made acquainted with the loathsomness and bitterness of sin begins to be weaned from its brest and forsakes its embraces let God or man say what can be said of sin in respect of the vileness of it the soul can give its free assent and consent unto it yea it s so hateful to the soul that it hates the very name of any thing that doth but tend to sin yea it hates it in its most glorious robes of pleasures profits honors credits or what ever the world can afford it will shake them off as Paul did the Viper from his hand it knows sin to be viperous infective and stinging it looks upon it as its bane its poyson its undoing yea in the souls apprehension its worse then hell then the devil or all or any thing that can be thought upon The next thing is Self-denial that 's a soul that hath no Self no will when any thing comes in competition with God with Christ it owns its being from God it renounceth any self-existency its naked till cloathed from above its barren till made fruitful by Christ it stands in need of all things till supplied by that Fountain that openeth his hand and filleth all things with his blessing this Grace subjecteth the soul and makes it lie down at Christs feet it s alwayes lying under the droppings of Grace that it might receive replenishings from the Spirit this causeth the soul to look out of it self and to be carried out with an expectation hungering and thirsting after Christ and his righteousness this makes the soul to decrease that Christ may increase it debaseth it self that it might advance Christ its willing to part with all that Christ may be all in all it doth not onely make the soul to see emptiness in it self but to see emptiness in every thing besides In a word It s a soul-denying and a Christ-advancing Grace in whatever it doth it will not suffer the soul to aim at any thing which may tend to sinister ends it doth willingly cast off ease profit pleasure honor or what ever can be thought on before God and Christ shall lose their glory this Grace brings the soul into a right temper where this Grace hath its true working the bias of the soul runs from the world and runs heavenward God-ward and Christ-ward Self-denial as its Faith 's concomitant so it worketh with Faith in purifying the heart in mortifying of sin Matth. 12.37 39. and in following of Christ For he that will follow me saith Christ must first deny himself not regarding profits pleasures afflictions or what ever else lies in the way to life and glory For he that loveth any thing whether it be father or mother more then Christ is not worthy of Christ and he that will finde his life shall lose it but he that loseth his life for Christs sake shal finde it Fourthly Love its Gods will to man and it is a grace shed abroad into the hearts of the Saints by the holy Ghost in man it s a certain passion flowing from the Affections which are the souls wheels to carry it to its Object be it either God or man It may be stiled a characterizing grace whereby men may know God for God is love whereby men may know Saints from Reprobates 1 Joh. 4.8.3.14 the children of God from the children of the devil it s a sign that you are departed from death to life because you love the brethren he that loves not his brother is not born of God neither doth he know him to her much is forgiven because she loved much Love is of such an excellent nature that it transcends the tongues of men and Angels it excells the gifts of prophesie all mysteries 1 Cor. 13.1 2. all knowledg nay all faith it is of an enduring nature as Paul saith in the 1 Cor. 13.8 Charity never faileth it out-lives faith and hope 1 Cor. 13.8 for they shall cease but love shall be perfected and endure for ever Quest 2 Secondly how comes godliness into the soul and what are the steps thereof Answ 2 That as godliness is the fruit of grace and grace the cause of godliness as I have shewed before so are they made perfect in the soul at one and the same instant of time that is perfect in parts not in degrees for there are degrees of grace as well as glory one Christian more eminent in grace then another yet the least spark is as true as the greatest flame the whole man is at one and the same time changed and become new all the faculties of the soul all the members of the body are at once transformed and renewed the understanding that 's illuminated the Judgement rectified the will turned to that which is good the affections run after the right object conversion is not in part but in whole the feet cannot be washed alone but the hands and other members must be also cleansed for so said Christ unto Simon Peter one of his Disciples when he said unto him Lord wash not onely my feet Joh. 13.9 10. but also my hands and my head Jesus answering said unto him he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit c. intimating that he that is washt by the blood of Jesus Christ is not onely cleansed from one sin but from all not onely purified in one member of his body but in all he is sanctified throughout both in soul and body but though this grace of sanctification or godliness be thus thorowly operative in it self yet oft times its not so to the souls apprehension that 's in Gods ordinary way of working now to open unto you in a word how to mans apprehension this great work of conversion grace and godliness is wrought First God by the preaching of his word together with the working of his spirit gives a touch to the conscience of an elect vessel which the Scripture cals a prick in the heart that 's in the ministery of the word as those in the Acts were pricked in their hearts saying Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Act. 2.37 God doth here discover a mans condition to himself whereby he comes to see himself First To be a woful miserable and sinful creature Secondly that there is an exact satisfaction to be given to Divine Justice for those sins that he stands guilty of before God Thirdly that there is nothing in him that can possibly give satisfaction or make up that breach which he hath made by his sin there is no possibility in Angels or men in Heaven or earth that can take of the guilt of one sin And yet that divine justice must be satisfied or he is a lost man he is undone for ever yea he stands at the very brink of hell ready to be swallowed up every moment now these and the like reasonings